Back Issues of The Henrys Mailings

a) on the internet
b) born in the U.S.A.
c) in the music business
d) living specifically in or around the Memphis area

completely and utterly insane? First, of course, there's New Jersey. Then we watch a documentary last night on TVO called Paradise Lost, The Robin Hood Hills Murders, wherein some teenagers appear to have killed (big understatement) three 8-year-old boys. The lead teenager is Damien, and he's into Wicca. White West Memphis trash gets down, with intent, with the witches.

THEN, from the right side of the Memphis tracks comes that band called "The Henrys", to which we have previously referred. They're into The Strawberries or George Michael or somebody - we haven't bought their records yet. Anyway, if you search "The Henrys" on Alta Vista, confusion be thy answer, cause let's face it, at that point musical influences don't distinguish one Hank from another. You'll find they even have a monthly "world" newsletter.

So what we have here is not a case of "similar" (see the letter below) band names, we got us a nasty ole problem.

The other day a friend in Amsterdam ordered our CD and got theirs. Hencorp wrote the Memphis Hens what we thought was a well-reasoned note, giving them some background info about The Hens, Toronto chapter, and concluding with a suggestion that "it might be prudent" if we mention on our websites what city we're from.

(The followup letter from Hencorp has been incorporated into the text. You will note we maturely resist the urge to suggest what a fall off a turnip truck might actually do to a person's powers of reasoning. Fred starts it):

>For the record, I have contacted you three times in the last two years to
>notify you of our common names. You have never bothered to respond to my E-mails; therefore, I felt that you thought our name similarity was of little consequence.

Hencorp: Well, I actually returned 2 if not 3 of those letters, and they bounced back.

>As for who you are and how long you have been around, I applaud you.
>However, that has nothing to do with us or the current situation.
>If you were trying to intimidate us, you failed.

No, Fred, I wasn't. As I said, I tried to write back to you about this.
I've visited your website. Only recently has it become problematic,
so I went to your new website and wrote the webmaster, suggesting that we identify ourselves by city. I'm sorry you found that so offensive.

>We too have released two discs. While you have been around for ten years compared to our four, that in no way negates our existing for four years. We consider ourselves professionals just as you do; we did not just fall off the turnip truck.

>As I said, we have endeavored to contact you for two years now. It seems you felt it prudent to contact us only when the situation became inconvenient for you.

>I am sorry about the Amsterdam confusion. I will take your suggestion to add "Memphis" to our designation under consideration.

>You know, Mr. Rooke, I was under the impression that music is the cement that holds life together. We as adults and musicians have a bond among one another and we should do whats best for each other and our music. Perhaps I am an idealist.

Okay Fred, whatever you think is best. I'm really sorry you misunderstood the intent of my letter. I was never suggesting you fell off a turnip truck.

I really, really wish I could say we made that up, but we simply ain't that creative. Like, these guys should be giving clinics. First, they give you that pseudo-legalese "designation under consideration" stuff and it puts you on edge. (In WEST Memphis they'd have said "I'm gon think on that some.") They follow with the humour of the oxymoron: "we as adults and musicians" (there's no such thing as an adult musician), and then they ironically re-introduce our "prudent" word. Then they pour on all that Dionysian "music is the cement that holds life together" crap. And yes, maybe at that point it starts to suck you in a bit. But just when you're getting all warm and fuzzy and thinking of suggesting some kind of a double bill where all The Henrys, from both sides of the border, join together at the end of the show and play a rousing, arm-in-arm, Bic-lighter, 30-verse version of Knockin' on Heaven's Door ... they go and deliver the capper. The Memphis Hens get up from the bargaining table and walk! They sandbag us with a complete breakdown of communication!

P.S. Guitar geeks among you will see the (Toronto) Henrys (some might say the ONLY Henrys) in Guitar Player Mag (Jan '98 pg 27), this time avec picture. Do you think they get that mag down Memphis way?

The Turnip Truck -
Those Other Henrys

November 27, 1997

The Turnip Truck - Those Other Henrys

November 27, 1997

The Turnip Truck -
Those Other Henrys