Cardboard Brains 1977. They were the best of times…

By John Paul Young

 

Paul O’Connell, Rich Miller, Vince Carlucci and John Paul Young in our summer of 1977 practice sessions. Together we made the iconic “White EP” (BRAINCO WORLDWIDE). Fun times of our youth.

This blog provides me with a forum to share my music, films, writing, photographs and musings. Currently in absence of any product or project to promote it’s a great platform to connect with fans and friends after a too long twenty year hiatus. Flow of consciousness postings, seemingly disconnected sometimes, eventually make sense when viewed as a whole.

Comments

Anonymous said…



As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left
'Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long, that
Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone

~ Gansta's Paradise - Raymond Reddington

https://youtu.be/iSiqmV13Ffk



Tuesday, 2 May 2023 at 18:13:00 GMT-3
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

KIDNAPPED!

By John Paul Young
Image
  I’m just saying    The initial purpose of this post was to discuss my kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder on Yorkville Avenue in Toronto on July 2, 2002 in broad daylight at 6:55 PM. I will explore this occurrence in vivid detail as soon as I can. And on the subject of my book, whether it be memoirs or autobiography, there is much ground to cover as an overview before I get down to it, so to speak. Previously on Wikipedia on the “CARDBOARD BRAINS” page, it states that “John Paul Young is currently in seclusion. Or when translated: hermitage. It since had been edited out, but was essentially accurate. I was indeed in seclusion from September 2002 on. No one knew where I was or how to contact me and that’s the way I wanted it. That is why Cardboard Brains guitarist had his friend and once Cardboard Brains alumni John “Sandy” Macfadyen fill in for myself as front man-vocalist when the sort of Cardboard Brains played at the Horseshoe Tavern for THE LAST POGO JUMPS AGAIN in 2006. I w
Read more

I WANT TO BE A YANK WITH LYRICS

By John Paul Young
Image
  I Want To Be A Yank This of course is the 1977 iconic CARDBOARD BRAINS White EP with I Want To Be A Yank, Living Inside My Head, Can Stress Kill, and of course our pre-pistols cover of the Monkees (I’m not your) Stepping Stone. The Canadian punk outfit FUCKED UP did a successful cover of I Want To Be A Yank, however the lyrics aren’t correct. So I would like to take this opportunity to present them in their full glory. “WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT MAGGIE T.? I’M REALLY SICK OF THE CBC. THE KIDS ARE ROTTING AT U. Of T. JUST TO WORK FOR THE U.I.C. RENE LEVESQUE’S THE MISSING LINK CBC TV PROGRAMS REALLY STINK YOUR MONEYS ALL DOWN THE DRINK I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO THINK. U.S. THEY GOT TAINTED HAM U.S. THEY GOT SON OF SAM U.S. THEY GOT SIRHAN SIRHAN U.S. THEY GOT VIETNAM I WANT TO BE A YANK! WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT MAGGIE T.? I’M REALLY SICK OF THE CBC THE KIDS ARE ROTTING AT U.of T. JUST TO WORK FOR THE U.I.C. U.S. THEY GOT JIMMY CARTER U.S. YOU CAN BE A MARTYR U.S. THEY GOT WORLD SERIES U.S.
Read more

CINOFRENIC (1978)

By John Paul Young
Image
 This is in response to a comment by unknown. I “star” in CINOFRENIC, as “Paul”. To the best of my knowledge Cardboard Brains does not perform in the film but Mike Nightmare and The Ugly does. I think The B-Girls also perform, and I can’t remember who else does. I probably wasn’t there that day. IMDB probably has more info on CINOFRENIC. Vince Carlucci would remember if Cardboard Brains performed in the film. I’m occasionally asked about it and if a copy is available. Again I don’t know. Eventually one will surface. Apparently it’s got some good footage of bands like The Ugly. I will always remember seeing Mike Nightmare spinning his mic around and singing: “Your not living in the real world!”. RIP Mike Nightmare. Thanks for the comment. JPY . And no, I don’t perform any music in the film. However we did in The Gate (1986). More about that shortly.
Read more

GET UP STAND UP STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

By John Paul Young
Image
  I penned the last blog early in the morning, sick as a dog. Hence all the typos etcetera.  But one day I will edit all this stuff. But at least I got some material out. Material that I find difficult to discuss but I ruminate about constantly. aHowever I believe it to be cathartic to publish it in a public forum online. I discussed the death of my brother in some detail, but not in total detail. Truthfully I would rather not breach the subject but I deem it necessary. I believe I had to mention finding my brothers body to provide context to my nuclear family, the subsequent death of my mother, my kidnapping and my seven bullshit arrests and four wrongful imprisonments. Oh and let’s not forget being forced to survive on the mean streets of Toronto for ten years. And all the while I was being defrauded of approximately fifteen million dollars in cash and assets. The aforementioned me being “sick as a dog” started with a tickle in my throat and then sort of a cold. I was at “Erica’s” ak
Read more

The Sun Still Shines

By John Paul Young
Image
  The Boulevards of Hope. You know, Dear Friends, what I really would like to do is release new music. But financing a project is the problem. If I were to use Ermie Scub as a guideline, it would cost about $CDN50,000.00 to release a comparable LP. Plus promotion and distribution. And I need things such as a practice space and gear. Maybe I will win the lottery or get a Canada Council for the Arts grant. Many sources including the CBC and Nardwaur and Canadian Composer (which was in the days of CAPAC) have commented on how depressing and down it is. But I submit that the above track is optimistic. And it’s one of my fave tracks on The Life of Ermie Scub.
Read more

KIDNAPPED! (Continued)…Yorkville, Toronto

By John Paul Young
Image
 I come from a family of four. My mother Margaret Isabel Young (nee Peace), my father Dr. Robert Goddard Young, my brother, six years my junior, William Robert Stuart Young nd myself, John Paul Young. My brother died tragically in July 1996 shortly before my fortieth birthday. For the next six years I was the principal caregiver of my two parents. I was the one who discovered the body of my “baby” brother in his apartment. I was in shock. The attending police officer “Bart”, said to me at the scene “If you ID your brothers body for the Coroner, you’ll spare your elderly parents from seeing their son on the slab.” So still in clinical shock, the Coroner, a woman, a very nice woman arrived amongst all the others, arrived. She understood what I didn’t: the psychological impact of identifying a loved ones body, dead town days, bloated, cyanotic and with rigour mortis. A ghoulish vestige of his former self. So I wasn’t allowed to look at my brothers body until the Coroner chose the appointe
Read more