Hot Spice was OK, but I always thought this band was more entertaining, and had better uniforms.
These guys played around Spokane for decades: http://pnwbands.com/hotspice.html. Singer Bob
DiMartino played organ in Eugene, OR garage band Little John & The Monks, who have appeared on a number of âback from the graveâ-style comps.
The âAppearing in the Motel Loungeâ blog is dedicated to this category of artistsâŚ
Looks too hot for meâŚ
I saw these guys at the Ramada Forum back in '72 or '73. My friend Jimmy and I tried to sneak in the stage door, and security nabbed us. Jimmy had one of his seizures, wetting himself and causing a scene, and I made a break for it, getting all the way into the green room before the rent-a-pigs caught up to me. The guys were tuning up, eating cheese curds from a huge silver bowl, and quaffing a few icy RC Colas while the opening band warmed up the crowd. I managed to blurt out âHot Sauce, you guys rock!â, as I was being placed in a headlock and thrown back out into the parking lot. Later, as the band hit the stage, I realized that I had said Hot Sauce, not Hot Spice. The rest of show was ash in my mouth and by the time school was out for the summer, I had given away the bandâs 8-tracks and singles from my collection. To this day I canât even think of Tabasco without the hot flush of embarrassment creeping up my face.
Ahh, Hot Spice! How could I forget? This was when Edith and I were running around; weâd usually find ourselves at the In Spot on the nights they played.
Edith and I would make with the twirly-whirly and Bob and his boys would keep it hot. All the hits. âOnly Daddy Thatâll Walk the Line,â yâknow: Waylon. âGo Your Own Way,â âLyinâ Eyes.â They did a great âLong Train Running,â I remember. Weâd be dancing real close, and Edith, sheâd let her lips linger near my earlobe that way she used to do. âOh, daddy, what about love?â sheâd breathe. Sometimes weâd have to cross the lobby and get a room, we couldnât make it all the way home.
Iâm not sure what ever happened to Hot Spice. It was only so many times other fellas could paw at her, only so many times I could bust 'em up before the whole thing went south. That last night, Edith was in redâshe had so many fine outfits in redâsome out-of-towner went for a touch as she crossed the room. âWell, here we go again,â I thought, and rose up to make a bee-line. Usually I played the intimidation card, but I could back it up if the fella was hard-headed. Before I knew which way to call it, this fellaâd already broken the bottle.
Next week, Iâm laid up on the couch, Edith crossed the room with a suitcase. Iâve got seven staples holdinâ my gut together, and she said she couldnât be around my kind of jealousy anymore. How dâya like that?
That was it for me and Hot Spice. Never went back to the In Spot.
Theyâd have asked me about her.
They couldnât possibly be real. Garrison Keillor invented them.
One kicks out the jambs. Or is this a jam band?
I think that the one in the middle might be Jon Favreau.
If âHighway 34 and S. Locustâ refers to Grand Island, NE, then you can check out the action for yourself. Right now.
Ah, you beat me to it. Definitely Donald âDuckâ Dunnâs finest dramatic performance.
strangely mesmerizing.
like watching a fishbowl.
So I am doing my normal daily review of Boingboing. Wait. WTF!!! Why is Dadâs old band on Boingboing? Bill, Dad and Lynn⌠Wait. He looks like Jon Favreau? It is obviously so much smaller a world than I thought. On a side note, Hot Spice was Managed by âMr. Billy Tiptonâ⌠Ah, such memories. Share a memory? Growing up on eating food in bars listening to the band practice⌠The Pine Shed. Holiday INN in Coeur Dâalene Idaho⌠Wow. Thanks for bringing up all the memories guys.
so, what songs specifically did they play? was I close at all?
Noahdjango, Hot Spice was a classics top 40 cover band. So yes, they did play those songs. I am very sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience where they were playing. I hope you have found happiness in your life and were able to share your life with someone else.
In the 90âs My father (Guitarist and Vocals), the Drummer Rocky Pool and the Pianist left the band.Bill (The bass player, pictured in the far left) took the bandâs name and started a duet with his cousin. They can still occasionally be seen playing but mostly in Idaho area, still under the Hot Spice name. The man to the far right in that particular picture was Lynn. He left the band in the late 70âs. He remained in contact with the members of the band, but wanted a more traditional 9-5 so he settled down in the Spokane Valley.
Cliff (My father) and Rocky started a band in the area which was called âBite the bulletâ. They played together with a few others over Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. I believe they still play, but my father moved to Eugene, Oregon to be closer to his Grand Children last year. In stereotypical âmusicianâ fashion he wasnât much of a father and wasnât around much. I can say he has been quite a wonderful grandfather to my children. He still plays, and is looking to hook up with some players in the Eugene area. Rocky Pool and the band âBite the Bulletâ still play to the best of my knowledge. According to their website Bill and his cousin still play on occasion in the Post Falls/Coeur Dâalene area.
Best Wishes.
Oh, my apologies: I thought it was obvious, butârightly or wronglyâI interpreted
to be a writerâs prompt rather than a straighforward request. that is to say, my story was an exercise in fiction. Iâve lived my whole life on the other side of the Mississippi and wouldâve been in pre-school during the time I wrote about. Since I only had the picture and ad copy to go by, I had to make educated guesses about their songs and I guess I needed validation on that but now i feel like a jerk for unintentionally lying to you. again, i thought it was obvious it was fiction, but i guess Iâm a better writer than I thought?
you are very kind to have expressed empathy for my perceived loss. I have definitely experienced love and loss in my life and was drawing on those emotions. all the same, I feel like a heel.
thanks for sharing about your pop. my father was, and remains, completely absent. so I truly understand how that goes. It is nice to hear that your father is trying to reconcile now via your children, it sounds like heâs trying his best.
Noaahdjango,
As a fellow writer let me say that any excuse to write is good, and no reason to apologies is needed. It was indeed a good tale. I do appreciate knowing those particular events were not true. I am sorry that you had the pain to draw it from. Thank you for letting me know.
The best to you and yours. Again, thank you frauenfelder for posting this. It is Thanksgiving and it gives me yet another reason to be thankful. A more current picture of Cliff, with the kids (From about 5 years ago). Thanks again, and happy holidays to you all.
(A Link)https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1935842_1167080427859_8004217_n.jpg?oh=fe3c6b979156072a2d4a318bbb5efeca&oe=5518FBB7&gda=1423485756_b79ef7360a9ed95113363b930a79f267
Something accidentally your URL. Fixed for you. 
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