music

The QuickTurtle® Band, My Blue Guitar

Richard Rensberry, authorLeave a comment

IMG_0949

Beneath fluorescent lights

in crowded terminals

nothing to do but drink

and piss in urinals

too many times too remember.

All the hotel rooms

and tasteless airport food.

Nothing to do but joke

and buck up to the rude

vibe of  Security.

I strum my blue guitar

and fiddle with a verse

to vocalize my angst

and rawness of my nerves.

“My name is TBone Ditty

older and akimbo

pretending that I’m witty

with my blue blue guitar.

I’m feelin awful shitty

but I sing from the heart.

On the road here in Limbo

I’m lookin none too pretty

but I sing and I shout

it’s a pill of a city

where my fans hang out.

My name is TBone Ditty

and I’m down for the count.”

Richard Rensberry, Author at QuickTurtle Books®

The QuickTurtle® Band

Richard Rensberry, author2 Comments

image     The Little Pinky

While on tour in Japan, the instrument maker and bassist for The QuickTurtle Band, TBone Ditty was inspired by an instrument he saw being played by a youthful Geisha Girl in the hotel where the band was holed up.  The sound was very delicate and ethereal.  When QT Magnolia began to hum along and dance sensually to the melody, TBone had to cool down and vacated the premises.  He went for a stroll along the rocky shore of the Pacific Ocean and gathered an array of magical driftwood to construct what he called his Little Pinky.

The instrument showed up unexpectedly in their final show in Nagasaki along with the cute little Geisha Girl who played a lovely rendition of The QuickTurtle’s song “Heaven’s Day”.  With The Turtlettes singing backup and with QT’s convincing lead vocals they brought the house down.  Since this song was originally recorded as a punk song, it was a drastic deviation from what the young Japanese audience had been expecting.  To TBone’s credit, it turned into an overwhelming success.

As for the Japanese press, there’s a rumor going around that the beautiful Geisha Girl was stowed away on the plane for the band’s flight back to the British Isles.  Can we expect to see this young Asian lassie as part of their upcoming show at the Albert Hall?  Would they be so bold?  God save the Queen.

Richard Rensberry, Author at QuickTurtle Books®

PineApple Ukulele

Richard Rensberry, authorLeave a comment

image      The QuickTurtle Band’s PineApple Ukulele

Howie Burn of CCB Radio caught up with Robbie Slade, guitarist for The QuickTurtle Band while surf fishing in Hawaii.

Robbie is an avid surf caster and not that hard to locate if you know where to look.  You just need a fishing pole and some patience.

Robbie was enthused and happy to share a fish story and answer a question or two regarding the band.

“Last week I hooked an albacore right there off that outcrop and the sharks went crazy.  Almost lost her but managed to weave her in through a maze of those hungry buggers.  That’s what I’m hoping to hook into today.  Nothing like a nice shark on the other end of the rod for a worthy battle.”

“Not too sure about the shark business,” Howie remarked and looked around suspiciously.

“Never seen one try to take a bite out of me,” Robbie chided, “suppose there could be a first time though.”  He shrugged his shoulders and made another cast.

Howie took one more anxious look around and asked, “How many instruments do you own and play, Robbie?”

“As many as I am given,” he joked.  “Really.  Over the last few years at least a couple of dozen for our shows and another couple of dozen when we’re just messing around.”

“I noticed you had something new on stage last night.  Will you be pulling it out of the bag soon?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.  Tonight.  We’ve been working on a new version of “All of That”.  It will feature The PineApple Ukulele.  That was what you were looking at.  It’s a great little Uke that TBone recently put together on the North Shore.  I…Whoa!  Fish on!”

“Wow!  Is that a shark?”

“Hammerhead!”  Robbie exclaimed and grinned.

The reel screamed as the shark made a run for deeper water.  Robbie laughed and played her like his guitar.  A real virtuoso.

Richard Rensberry, Author at QuickTurtle Book®

The QuickTurtle™ Band

Richard Rensberry, author2 Comments

IMG_0033           The QuickTurtle Electric Bass

Built by the famed instrument maker and Stand Up Bassist of The QuickTurtle Band, TBone Ditty.  This bass made it’s first appearance in the initial recording of The Diagnostic Symptoms Blues.  It is now a part of Robbie Slades arsenal of instruments.  TBone built the bass at the St. Andrews Estuary while picnicking with QT Magnolia the band’s lead singer.

QT in a recent interview with Howie Burn from CCB Radio talked about TBone and his music making prowess.

“That was truly a glorious weekend,” QT recalls, “we had just finished our European Tour and needed to get out from under our road weariness.  We were having a nice little picnic when TBone spotted the bass’s soundboard calling out to him from a pile of sea strewn debris.  After a little more searching he had his little pile of gems all laid out on our blanket.  Not only did TBone build the bass right there on the spot, he wrote the lyrics to The Diagnostic Symptoms Blues after hearing from one of our fans that there was an epidemic of ADHD drugging of young QuickTurtles at his alma mater WestBank Elementary School.”

“Right into create mode!”  Howie exclaimed.

“It was.  We arranged and wrote the music that same day.  It was recorded the very next weekend.”

“I understand TBone builds all of his instruments by hand?”

“Yes he’s a naturalist.  He has great hands and an abundance of patience.  He also has a fabulous ear.  It’s a good thing because he needs it when it comes to me.”

“Thank you, QT.  Anything new on the horizon?”

“I’d just say, hold on to your toupee there Howie!”