Resurrecting Rock – March 25, 2025

TRIGGER WARNING: Third Man Records’ Ben Blackwell joins ML and Marc to talk about ML’s failed city council campaign before discussing his effort to resurrect the career of obscure Detroit rocker Ted Lucas.

STRAIGHT DOPE: ML confuses the Apple TV soccer coach with the obscure Detroit musician Ben Blackwell is trying to put back in circulation by pressing new records at Third Man Records. You may know who Ted Lasso is. But you’ll have to listen to learn why Ted Lucas may be worth a spin on your turntable.

Gentle Ben is such a hardcore Detroit history buff that the only sure way to rise his ire is to refer to the Cass Corridor by the nickname a PR and marketing firm came up with to promote the neighborhood between downtown and the New Center. Do you know what that name is?

There have been lots of characters on Detroit City Council, but not a lot of notoriously flamboyant candidates (besides, of course, ML). So Ben, Marc and ML discuss some of the celebrities who got elected. The list includes a Motown star, a cop-turned movie star and a former Detroit Tiger. Can you name them?

You’ll never believe what ML saw one of Martha Reeves’ assistants pulling out of her trunk at city hall. Listen to hear this strange-but-true tale.

Legendary Free Press reporter and columnist Bill McGraw and legendary counter-culture troublemaker John Sinclar’s wife spent a combined 70+ years earning their bachelor’s degrees. ML and Ben tell you where they went – and what took so long!

Ted Lucas died 30 years ago, but Ben has been trying to resurrect his career for more than a decade. He tells ML and Marc about the man and his music. And what he found in the Lucas boys’ garage.

Marc asks Ben who game up with the genius idea to give away Jack White’s latest album – the so-called No Name album. Ben dishes the inside details.

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GEEK OF THE WEEK: A man who was so upset that he was not invited to a funeral wins this week’s award for nearly causing a funeral.

ROOM 7609: Listener Mike is feeling wistful when he books the Menzingers into the New Wave suite to sing about their “High School Friend.” Send us your favorite tune or deep cut or track from an obscure band – along with a story about the ditty – by writing to mlsoulofdetroit@gmail.com.

LATEST SOULMATEML welcomes John and Keith to our Patreon supporters club!

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