Dear Ron,
I want to reminisce about the day we met.
When I took off from Paris in 1970 to settle down in the USA, I had two ideas in mind: to meet Bob Dylan & The Stooges.
My wishes went beyond my dreams and it's with great bliss I met you and the gang.
At the time, right after an ill fated "Raw Power" session, I found 2 clans in the pink building on Sunset Blvd. You all were barely speaking to each other but I still believe my trimester camping in front of the building wings did bring some truce to your fraternal split.
Before all, I was very lucky, like the child of divorced parents, to have met a whole bunch of talented guys.
Ron Asheton, Dennis Thompson, Jim Recca, Jeff Spry, Ray Gunn, Dave Gilbert leaving in on the left staircase. James Williamson, with who I later started Siamese Dogs Records, and Iggy on the right.
Scott Thurston being in the middle :-) :-)
Those days remain the best in my Beatnik Rock 'n Roll voyage.
Having to wait on Jim's "awakening", I decided to set up my office in the top floor's swimming pool in the next door hotel. Hardly a worse place to wait on Jim, especially for I used the space to shoot those "classic Iggy Pop" photos (few know how they were done.)
It gave us the opportunity to see and talk to one another. Most of the time at Denny’s around some good piles of food.
Thanks to Doug who, patiently and skillfully, was driving us to; as well as rehearsals where Vincent ("Alice Cooper") showed up one evening. Felt like part of the Detroit scene was hitting town to make it roll and rock.
And this is how I want to remember you, Ron, and the whole gang.
My failing health and my tremendous work prevented me from seeing you last year as I wanted to talk to you about digging out all “the New Order memorabilia” I gathered back in those good ole times.
Now that I won't be able to meet you for awhile, I will have to do it on my own.
Thanks to the Internet, I will ask our acolytes, fans and friends to dig out their photos of you. Some of your most faithful ones such as Ann’ arbor and Annamaryse responded right away. Both with different views and souvenirs.
It will be a way of keeping your work and your immense stature alive
Long Live Rock 'n Roll!!! Forever Stooges!!!
Philippe Mogane
Siamese Dogs Records.
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