Monty Stark, RIP

Sadly, the word over at the soulstrut board is that Monty Stark of Stark Reality passed away over the Thanksgiving holiday. I remember very vividly hearing the band's groovy Say Brother theme song on WGBH Channel 2 in Boston as a kid. Many years later after getting into records I wondered if the song was available on wax. A disappointing spin of the Mother Night 45 of the same name initially had me doubting so, until the real deal eventually turned up on one of those Keb Darge-curated BBE comps, and then OG copies began reliably showing up thru the Skippy White's/In Your Ear pipeline. With its moody intro, joyous horn blasts, and quasi-psych/out exit swell (climaxing with a tremendous hit from the gong) it's still one of my all-time favorites.

When Stones Throw reissued Stark Reality's legendary Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop album a few years ago and Monty suddenly became readily accessible via soulstrut and email, I figured what the hell and relayed my epiphany to him - how happy I'd been to rediscover his song that stayed with me from childhood. I thanked him - just as a plethora of other "record digger" fan-boys did - for all his great music. After lavishing some heartfelt kudos on the Stark Reality reissue for Blender (back when these things called magazines existed) I was humbled when Monty took a moment to email a return "thank you" for the kind words (expressing particular amusement that I'd praised the yodelly, spaced cowboy quality of some of his vocals). But apparently that was pretty typical of his down-to-earth steez. 

 It's hard not to be geeked when you enjoy positive exchanges - even brief ones - with older folks whose art you revere. Maybe it's just because some of us romanticize things we were too young to be an active part of. Or feel the need to connect with those who helped shape our sensibilities. I wouldn't enjoy Stark Reality's music any less if I'd never heard from the man behind it. But the fact that I, and others, did couldn't be cooler. 

Mr. Monty Stark - thanks once again for the music and the memory. I'm apt to think that right about now there's a crazily fuzz-toned vibraphone rockin' out somewhere above the clouds...