What do Toland and Sherman Helmsley have in common?

A love of Prog rock.

I read Mr Jefferson's wikipedia page today when I heard he passed and found this surprising paragraph:

"Hemsley is a self-proclaimed fan of 1970s progressive rock bands including Yes, Gentle Giant and Nektar. On his appearance on Dinah!, Hemsley performed a dance to the Gentle Giant song "Proclamation" from The Power and the Glory. After his dance, Shore was laughing and asked what kind of music that was. Sherman then proceeded to give a 5-minute speech on Gentle Giant. Hemsley can also been seen wearing a Nektar T-shirt during his interview with Norman Lear when Lear hosted Saturday Night Live from Season 2 Episode 26. In 1999, he collaborated with Yes founder Jon Anderson on an album titled Festival of Dreams which was not released."

His feelings towards Porcupine Tree are undocumented.

I loved this anecdote from Magnet years ago about Daevid Allen from Gong's encounter with Helmsley:

[www.magnetmagazine.com]



Post Edited (07-24-12 17:29)

The man (Helmsley, not Toland) jiving to some Nektar.
[www.youtube.com]

I like Nektar. A Tab in the Ocean and Recycled are very good albums, IMO.

Jeez, I knew Shelmsly was cool, but not that cool. Loved it when he was on Howard Stern too.

That sounds like a prank, but from the clips, I guess it isn't. Good for him, I guess. Gentle Giant and Nektar - that's some serious prog geekery.

He died on my birthday - I don't know what that means.

From Steve Wynn's FB page:

When I was just out of my teens, I was working at a record store called Moby Disc out in Van Nuys, CA. Sherman was a regular customer. He would come in about thrice weekly and buy rolling papers (and other various related items) and prog records. I mean, the guy LOVED his prog music and knew his stuff. I seem to remember him being a big fan of PFM. He was always nice and very, very laid back. RIP Sherman

"He would come in about thrice weekly and buy rolling papers (and other various related items) and prog records."

Ah, yes, breaking down all those stereotypes of people who buy prog records. ("Thrice"? Really??? How many rolling papers are there in a pack?)



Post Edited (07-26-12 16:19)

i think it depends on what size your local stopNshop isnt sold out of. the actual number of 'wraps' (rolling papers) varies. the number is determined by the length of the paper. they can be either 2.5, 1.5 or 1.25" (my personal favourite) long. what really matters is that norman lear, sherman helmsley, us and the Munsters are pals.

ps props to ira robbins cause his book, KICK IT TILL IT BREAKS pointed out to me, that wherever theres money for 'body'guards (cops) these always naked women quarantined in some room.

sherman helmsley might have been paranoid. yes, the stuff he smoked was considered 'illegal' back in '73, but since then the laws have changed, thanks BARAK! (four more years baby!). but more than that remains the fact that he was makin big bucks. Sherman Helmsley was from Philly. His mamma didnt raise no fool.

i love that british home county boy from GONG as much as you do, but that feller just werent ready for LA.

all of which has absolutely nothing to do with michael toland.



Post Edited (07-28-12 02:34)

Rolling Stone readers have just had a stab at the 10 best prog albums of all time.

[www.eastvillageradio.com]

Yep, I saw a piece on that elsewhere. Dream Theater plugged this poll on their website, which is probably why they won. Otherwise that result is fairly mind-boggling.