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A few years ago I wrote about the 1961 Detroit teenage rock and roll sensations The Low Rocks, and their high energy take on Fats Domino’s Blueberry Hill. I wondered if they were still around, and lo and behold we just got an email from the drummer, Steve Booker, a.k.a Muruga Booker, who went on to have a very nice music career and currently lives in Ann Arbor. Here is my original post:

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by Cousin Geoff 9/2/07
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Originally recorded on the Sabre record label in 1961, the song Blueberry Jam was a local hit by the young Detroit band The Low Rocks, who played on the teen record-hop circuit.

According to Get Hip records, who re-released this 45 in 1995, the Low Rocks put out four singles in their 3 1/2 years as a group.  They also made some radio commercials including ones for McDonalds, Fairway Car Insurance and Connecticut Fresh Milk.

Get Hip goes on to say on the liner notes that the band members: Henry Corazza (lead guitar), Mike Fascetti (tenor sax), Chris McCloud (tenor sax), David Kish (bass guitar) and Steve Booker (drums) remain good friends today.  I wonder, have they ever gotten back together and played?  And do they still live in the Detroit area?

When the song Blueberry Jam was recorded, the oldest member of the Low Rocks was only 17.  And, according to Get Hip, they disbanded in 1962 because of increased parental pressure to “get a real job”.

The Low Rocks are a great example of early rock-n-roll and how it shaped the Detroit garage rock era that followed in the mid 60s.  They put their own spin on rhythm and blues, in this case Fats Domino’s classic “Blueberry Hill”.

listen:

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As we’ve noted before, it’s always fun to hear from some of the artists that we write about, especially the overlooked or lesser-known. Good thing Steve Booker didn’t listen to his parents and get that real job. Here is his email:

Hi, Steve Booker, aka Muruga Booker here, drummer from the Low Rocks.

Thank you for the nice words in the article. Wow what a blast from the past!!!! Well to answer your question, 10 yr.’s ago I moved back from Calif. to Ann Arbor. I saw Hank a few yrs. ago, he comes to Detroit from time to time from Calif. Dotsi lives in Ann Arbor. Mike is in Florida, and I spoke to Dave a few years back, he says he’s a man in Black?????

I still play under the name Muruga Booker, google Muruga Booker, all the stories are there. or go to murugabooker.com. I ended up playing Woodstock with Tim Harden, playing with John Lee Hooker as Hooker and Booker, Dave Brubeck , the late James Gurley, recorded blues from the rain forest with Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia, also Atomic Dog and more with George Clinton and the P Funk. I am a life-time P Funk All Star.

Well enough. Thank you for the write up.

p.s. I still never made a cent off the record hahahah

love, Steve Muruga Booker, Low Rocks Drummer.

http://musartcompany.com/
http://www.murugabooker.com
http://www.myspace.com/muruga
http://www.myspace.com/freefunkspace

Here are a few more photos Steve sent me…and thanks again, Steve, for the info, we’re glad to spread the word.

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A few more things to note: Steve now plays in the Ann Arbor based band Free Funk, and if you go to his site you can hear some their music. Another interesting thing is that, according to Wikipedia, Steve is of Serbian decent and is an Orthodox priest. I’m also of Serbian decent, and I was baptized in an Orthodox church.

Here is a great video I found on him: