I wrote this song and we recorded it in 1979. The legendary John Peel played it on his BBC show amongst other things.
Blog from the Canadian actor, writer, and composer, award winning recording artist John Paul Young. Lead singer of (The) Cardboard Brains.
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The Cardboard Brains White EP 1977
Cardboard Brains White EP 1977 When looking at the Blogger stats I see people around the world tuning into this blog and I would bet that so...
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
1992 L.A. Riots (Rodney King) I was there!
My long time close friend Director Tibor Tackacs invited me to be a guest in Los Angeles for a bit.
I couldn’t say no.
I should have stayed in University. The University of Western Ontario was my THIRD university after Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. It wasn’t until 2000 that I was diagnosed and treated for ADHD (inattentive type).
The tyranny of the shoulds.
I SHOULD have stayed in the field of Systems Analysis and Electronic Data Processing after being Military Immersion trained by Honeywell Corporation in 1982. If I stayed in that field I would be worth a fortune today. C’est la vie.
What happened is I won CASBY award for most promising male recording artist. My ambitions inflated, I chose to focus on music.
So Director Tibor Takacs invited me to L.A. His house was on North Arden about a block away from Hollywood and Vine. There was a guest house in the back where Tibor had a home office and a couch for me to sleep.
I left my apartment in London and headed for Toronto. There I stayed at my brother’s apartment near where my parents Clissold Road Etobicoke house. My mother was in a tizzy because working for him at his chiropractic clinic and office of International X-Ray Company Limited, she became suspicious of my father and investigated him.
My mother had discovered that my father had been leading a double life, and for years had a relationship with a woman named Carmen Turdgeon. We will explore that rabbit hole later.
My mother was quite upset and wanted to divorce my father. She should have. She told him he would never see the kids ( my brother and I) again if she left him.
To which my father wept. All of this traumatized me and I calmly told my father that he had ruined my life. That was in 1992 and this is 2024. It could be said that my words were oddly prophetic all these years later, yours truly now 68.
So after notifying Dear Old Dad he had ruined my life, I went to the bank and grabbed $US5000.00 for travelling money and boarded a train bound for Los Angeles. From Toronto you take a train to Chicago and stay overnight, then board an AMTRACK train that takes you to Los Angeles.
At the border the train stopped and the customs officers bordered the train.
(I’ll finish this story in a bit…)
Friday, August 23, 2024
More Than This: Kidnapped in Toronto 2002
This video is not exactly Apocalypse Now Redux, shot on my iPhone and an angle, I’m yet to invest in a tripod. It’s 25 minutes long and I describe play by play the occurrence on Yorkville Avenue July 2 2002 Toronto Canada.
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Club David’s New Years Eve 1977
Our first real gig was at gay disco-tech Club David’s on Halloween night 1977. This gig was at Club David’s on New Years Eve 1977, supporting The Ugly and The Viletones. The line up was Paul O’Connell on bass, Vince Carlucci on guitar, Richard Miller on Drums and yours truly John Paul Young on vocals.
That night David’s burned to the ground including our P.A.
I wonder why Liz Worth excluded us from her otherwise great book on the Toronto punk scene 1977-1983. (Treat Me Like Dirt).
Maybe because I was in jail or in seclusion. Hee hee.
Sunday, August 11, 2024
THE BOULEVARDS OF HOPE (1980)
Someday I would like to release new material and a sequel to this Life of Ermie Scub. If I win the lottery I will do just that.
Thursday, August 01, 2024
CARDBOARD BRAINS (1978)
Live at The Horseshoe Tavern in 1978.
I think this is “Can Stress Kill” from the 1977 Cardboard Brains White EP.Sunday, June 23, 2024
OFF THE GRID
It’s been awhile Dear Friends.There hasn’t been a lot to report.
Went to the cabin near Bridgewater which is completely off the grid.
It’s about a KM into the secluded woods and you really need a Toyota Land Cruiser to get in there. It’s entirely built piece by piece by hand by an old German gentleman named Horst. No power, with the exception of solar power for charging batteries. No running water but a hand pump. No internet so doomscrolling is out.
The ideal place for contemplation.
I’ll be turning 68 this July 16 and it sort of scares me. If I’m going to start a revolution or write a manifesto I had better do it now.
I wonder if I will ever get around to doing music again. I’ve wanted to for years but life got in the way.
For now I’m concentrating on my YouTube channel. I enjoy the feedback I get and I find it a joy. Please visit and subscribe. Here is the link:
www.YouTube.com/@johnpaulyoung1956
Thanks!
Thursday, April 04, 2024
April 2024
Haven’t posted in a long time. Stayed for a while at an Air BnB in Chester, Nova Scotia.
Basically living the life and chilling. I’ll post again soon.
Thanks everyone.
Friday, March 01, 2024
THE LAST POGO JUMPS AGAIN (2013)
Clip on (the) Cardboard Brains from Colin Brunton and Kire Papputs’ The Last Pogo Jumps Again. (2013).
I’m glad they got Nardwaur the Human Serviette to substitute for a noticeably absent John Paul Young.
Saturday, February 17, 2024
I WANT TO BE A YANK WITH LYRICS