[daves]

It has been 42 years since Head East came out with their classic breakout album, with the famous local diner photo, and the original diner still stands in Olivette. When they did the photo shoot it was the Rite-Way Diner, but it since changed owners and names, and is now the Olivette Diner. I'm thinking we could meet there about 8:30 on Saturday, Oct. 28th, have a fine breakfast, try to restage the photo with the five handsomest guys available, finish the pancakes, and then head down to Vintage Vinyl, Euclid or Planet Score, and then go our merry ways. The diner is at 9638 Olive, just to the west of the 170 innerbelt.

Anyone up for a little photo road trip?

[I.Greyhound Fan]

That Album brings back memories from my time in college.  I went to Oklahoma State and all the bars played the crap out of that album.  I believe that I still have the LP.

[Blackmore]

I'll be there. Sounds like some fun

[popthinker]

They did an in-store at Peaches in Ballwin when I worked there in 1977. Great guys.

Oh, and Olivette has a sun-faded copy of the LP, so you guys will have to use it as a prop.

[daves]

Debbie, y'all can come up as well. It isn't just limited to belt challenged guys

[popthinker]

Debbie, y'all can come up as well. It isn't just limited to belt challenged guys

I may be able to do that. If I do, I'll bring along the original cover for the album. It's got a pancake on the front. Go figure.

[daves]

We are looking for a few good wigs to wear, in brown, black, blonde, red, or purple, and maybe other colors. One friend has committed to wear a denim shirt, as well. Oh the opportunities!

[daves]

We have Mark, Ted, Liam and me going so far. We still need the drummer!

[popthinker]

From a Jan. 2014 interview in Goldmine magazine with Roger Boyd of Head East:

Goldmine: Tell me about the cover to “Flat as a Pancake.”
Roger Boyd: We were coming back from Chicago; up there, you played the bars until 4 o’clock in the morning, which was brutal. Bands would burn out playing the clubs in Chicago, because you would play seven or eight sets a day for week after week after week.

We were coming back, and central Illinois is totally flat. Someone goes, “Man, this is flat as a pancake.” We thought that would be a great name for an album. Because we were from Champaign, we did a pancake floating in the heavens with syrup dripping off the edge. It was like the earth was flat and the syrup was falling off the edge of the world. The patty of butter was the assembly hall, which was the basketball arena at the university, so geographically it showed where we were from. It was just a regional release.

When A&M gets the album, they turn the cover into this “eat pancakes” thing. We had to eat pancakes everywhere we went, and we all put on about 10 or 15 pounds. The shot that we did on the back at the diner was difficult. We were hot in St. Louis at the time, but we couldn’t get anybody to shoot the picture. We went to 25 or 26 places, and no one would let us shoot there. Finally, the Rite-Way Diner said we could do it there. It was a fun shoot, as the place was packed and there were people out in the parking lot. They still have pictures there on the wall, and people still talk about it.

[daves]

Here is the original Pyramid release cover..

[vinyldavid]

Here's the picture!

[daves]

What a handsome set of lug nuts.

And the lineup is Steve, Liam, Dave, Ted, Mark, and Dave

[daves]

Yum yum

[daves]

We got a good laugh at the
folks sitting beneath the actual Head East album cover, as one of the guys had a hair length more appropriate for recreating the shoot. They were gracious and allowed us to take their photo....



Finally, we had a great hour shopping over at Vintage Vinyl, where we had virtually the run of the store while we were there. It was a great morning, with wonderful weather!

[JohnH12]

Nice pics.  I'm hungry for pancakes now...

[pebecker]

Somebody put some names to faces, please!

P.S.  I spoke with Dave tonight on the phone.  We had a good discussion about all kinds of things!

[Bob in St. Louis]

Looks like a great time, wish I could have been there.
And yea.... I want some pancakes now.

[mjmsound]

Bob, you can have the pancakes, I want the vinyl.