JIM CROCE – You Don’t Mess Around With Jim – (ABC) – 1972

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Franko

jim croce - you don't mess around with Jim

Jim was musically schizophrenic – he had two personas. The wounded folkie and the bragging street wise thumper.

They aren’t at odds with each other, they are just flipsides of the same person.

No one is one is ever note.

Do you ever trust a musician who is one note? (sic)

I don’t know what Jim was like as a person but as a songwriter and singer of his own songs he is wholly convincing as the sensitive guy with moments of good natured braggadocio.

Biography, James Joseph Croce was born in working class South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1943 to Italian Americans James Albert Croce and Flora Mary (Babucci) Croce. He played accordion (naturally enough) and learnt to play the guitar.

Wikipedia, “… Croce grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia and attended Upper Darby High School. Graduating in 1960, he studied at Malvern Preparatory School for a year before enrolling at Villanova University, where he majored in psychology and minored in German. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1965. Croce was a member of the Villanova Singers and the Villanova Spires. When the Spires performed off-campus or made recordings, they were known as The Coventry Lads. Croce was also a student disc jockey at WKVU (which has since become WXVU) … Croce did not take music seriously until he studied at Villanova, where he formed bands and performed at fraternity parties, coffee houses, and universities around Philadelphia, playing "anything that the people wanted to hear: blues, rock, a cappella, railroad music … anything." Croce's band was chosen for a foreign exchange tour of Africa, the Middle East, and Yugoslavia. He later said, "We just ate what the people ate, lived in the woods, and played our songs. Of course they didn't speak English over there but if you mean what you're singing, people understand." On November 29, 1963, Croce met his future wife Ingrid Jacobson at the Philadelphia Convention Hall during a hootenanny, where he was judging a contest”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Croce

Allmusic, “It wasn't until his freshman year of college that he began to take music seriously, forming several bands over the next few years. After graduation, he continued to play various gigs at local bars and parties, working as both a teacher and construction worker to support himself and his wife, Ingrid. In 1969, the Croces and an old friend from college, Tommy West, moved to New York and record an album. When the Jim and Ingrid record failed to sell, they moved to a farm in Lyndell, Pennsylvania, where Jim juggled several jobs, including singing for radio commercials. Eventually he was noticed and signed by the ABC/Dunhill label and released his second album, You Don't Mess Around with Jim, in 1972. The record spawned three hits: "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)," and "Time in a Bottle," the latter ultimately shooting all the way to number one on the Billboard charts. Croce quickly followed with Life and Times in early 1973 and gained his first number one hit with "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." … After four years of gruelling tour schedules, Croce grew homesick. Wishing to spend more time with Ingrid and his infant son Adrian James, he planned to take a break after the Life and Times tour was completed. Tragically, the tour would never finish; just two months after "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" topped the charts, Croce's plane crashed in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Croce and the four other passengers (including bandmember Maury Muehleisen) were killed instantly… Croce's career peaked after his death. In December of 1973, the album I Got a Name surfaced, but it was "Time in a Bottle," from 1972's You Don't Mess Around with Jim, that would become his second number one single. Shortly afterwards, "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" reached the Top Ten. Several albums were released posthumously, most notably the greatest hits collection Photographs & Memories, which became a best-seller”. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-croce-mn0000848034/biography

It’s hard to see where Croce’s career would have gone and whether he could have sustained his success.

This music was released at the height of the singer-songwriter craze and he had been honing his skills on the road for 10 years. Tastes change.

He, perhaps, would have gone the way of Paul Simon and international sounds but we have what we have.

And, what we have is glorious.

The beauty lies in the musicality and honestly in songs dealing with ordinary people.

“Ordinary people”, a much used and abused couple of words …

These are not ordinary people from Oxford University, Manhattan’s Upper East Side or Art College but they are regular blue collar people in regular jobs.

And, Jim knew these ordinary people.

He may have gone to university but his background was with these people and then he worked as a construction worker after graduation, drove a truck, survived a diesel accident, and then worked temporarily as a school teacher of a Junior High school in South Philadelphia.

I mean we are talking about South Philadelphia.

For ten years he struggled as a musician in-between these regular jobs.

He knows the people he is singing about.

Much like Ray Davies (of the Kinks), Croce’s heroes are people he identifies with. Ordinary people who haven’t gone into music.

“A lot of singers claim to write about “real life,” and maybe a lot of them do. But Jim wrote about everyday life, as beautiful or ugly or mundane as it ever is. Like the night he got caught speeding in a car that… well, his license had expired, his registration was for a different vehicle, and the car itself was so run down that a junkyard would have looked twice at it. The cop could have thrown the book at him, and then thrown the bookshelf as well. Instead he let him go because he’d just met the ultimate “Hard Time Losin’ Man.””

http://jimcroce.com/?page_id=773#sthash.LMdyDZK9.dpbs

"You Don't Mess Around with Jim" was Jim first proper album though his third album. His first, the obscure "Facets" (1966) was self-published. The second, Jim & Ingrid Croce" (1969) was a duet album with his wife Ingrid, whom he toured with between 1964 and 1971.

There is anger here but the songs aren’t angry, there is observation but the observation isn’t impartial, there is pain because it exists, there is humour here because life has to be laughed at or with sometimes.

Importantly he has invested his ordinary people tales with a musicality that is more than good enough for an Oxford student, a resident of posh NYC or an artiste.

I think, his musical attitude partially comes from his Italian-American child of migrant background. Italian American entertainers (generally) were more emotionally visceral than intellectual. Jim Croce recognises this and then ups the contemplative elements. This makes the songs work on both levels.

They become both universal and specific and wholly endearing.

Produced by Terry Cashman and Tommy West (Jim's friend from The Villanova Spires) both who have their feet in pop rock sound which gives this album a distinct bounce, crispness and a break from folkie and solemn singer songwriter traditions.

Half the songs here are classics being sung by buskers and pub soloists (at least they were, here in Australia) …don't hold that against him.

All songs written by Jim Croce.

Tracks (best in italics)

      Side One

  • You Don't Mess Around with Jim – One of the greatest of all singer-songwriter songs and very atypical. It may not be fashionable to say so, or even wise, but I think this is a seminal song of the 70s. It certainly was influential. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Don%27t_Mess_Around_with_Jim_(song)
  • Tomorrow's Gonna Be a Brighter Day – Positive and less boisterous though still in brag persona. There is no real apology (there is a lip service one) for past misdeeds but the narrator is sure that what's ahead for tomorrow for him and his partner.  Perhaps partly biographical, but then most of the songs probably are.
  • New York's Not My Home –  The wounded heart. NYC is a bitch. For every song written about the place there must be another about shattered dreams, faded hopes, or leaving the place. The sweet strings dissipate a powerful song but it still shines through.
  • Hard Time Losin' Man – In his brag persona though the "hard time losin man" has nothing to brag about. His ship doesn't come in, he buys a dud car, he gets shafted on a drug buy … funny.
  • Photographs and Memories – a beautiful song about of an old love. One of the greatest of all singer-songwriter love songs.
  • Walkin' Back to Georgia – walkin' back to a state of Georgia? Not quite, walking back to a girl called Georgia is the obvious narrative but imagery of the road, and walk home allows for a reading of walking back to a girl in Georgia, or Georgia itself. Whatever it is it is quite wonderful.

      Side Two

  • Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels) – Lost love and life. Should the narrator ring his old girlfriend who is now living with his (ex) best friend? He makes a decision not to. In this age, where we don't have operator assisted calls and mobiles / cell phones (and social media), I'm sure the result would have been different. This is another of the great singer-songwriter songs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operator_(That%27s_Not_the_Way_It_Feels)
  • Time in a Bottle – Yet another great singer-songwriter tune song. This is a pure love song, one of the purest. Given the subject of eternal love It has to have some sentimentality about it but the narrator is making a conscious decision to be with this person , as seen in the third verse ("I've looked around enough to know, That you're the only one I want to go, Through time with") https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_a_Bottle
  • Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy) – another brag with a big nod to Chuck Berry. A hoot.
  • Box #10 – a song about a struggling musician from Southern Illinois in NYC taken by a "Broadway flower", mugged and wanting to go home. He rings his parents to get the fare home.
  • A Long Time Ago – remembering a new love. Haunting lyrics.
  • Hey Tomorrow – Another promise to a woman that she is the one and the past is in the past. Again, quite wonderful lyrically, though not as catchy as the classics.

And …

I’ve got compilations by Jim Croce and, not surprisingly most of the songs here are on them. This is a great singer-songwriter album, perhaps the best … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1972 You Don't Mess Around with Jim #8

1972 Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels) #17

Album

1972 #1 Pop

England

Nothing.

Sounds

You Don't Mess Around with Jim    

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv4xarqtjhA

New York's Not My Home     

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G95f4tLGuzc

Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)   

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0

mp3 attached

Time in a Bottle   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTfwbtVVtAY

Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BNwA4WfXHQ

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-LBSUwLO4Q

whole concert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAxIP2IJDgk

Review

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Don%27t_Mess_Around_with_Jim

Bio

http://jimcroce.com/?page_id=773#sthash.LMdyDZK9.dpbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__wnKLehH4

Website

http://jimcroce.com/

Trivia

  • “Croce released his first album, Facets, in 1966, with 500 copies pressed. The album had been financed with a $500 ($3,777 in 2017 dollars) wedding gift from Croce's parents, who set a condition that the money must be spent to make an album. They hoped that he would give up music after the album failed, and use his college education to pursue a "respectable" profession.[9] However, the album proved a success, with every copy sold”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Croce
  • His widow, Ingrid, retired from music in 1971 to raise their son (singer-songwriter A. J. Croce). She owns and operates Croce's, a very popular restaurant/bar in San Diego, California and keeps his memory alive. http://croces.com/
  • Quote, [on his roots] "I never really thought of my neighborhood in South Philly as being a neighborhood, it was more a state of mind. For people who aren't familiar with those kinds of places, it's a whole different thing. Like 42nd Street in New York City is a state of mind". https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0188321/bio

 

 

jim croce - pic 02

 

Posted in Singer Songwriter | Tagged | Leave a comment

TOMMY SANDS – When I’m Thinking of You – (Capitol) – 1959

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Franko

TOMMY SANDS – When I’m Thinking of You 02

Read my other comments for biographical detail on Tommy Sands.

Sands is one of the many otherwise convincing rockers who were encouraged to try their hand at trad pop, or at least, trad pop numbers with rockin’ rhythms in the late 1950s.

He had been at it since the mid-1950s playing countrybilly and rock numbers but had his first flush of success with some slick poppy teen oriented rock ‘n’ roll with “Teen-Age Crush” in 1957 (#2US).

His music career was being supplemented by an acting career and as his acting became more dominant his music became more broad and accessible.

The trend was, in any event, to try to deal with rock ‘n’ roll and emerging rock ‘n’ rollers by having them do Trad pop and Tin Pan Alley songs. I suspect it wasn’t a conspiratorial act against rock ‘n’ roll but a natural outcome of economic forces where profits are the goal. Social culture created the music but its marketing and promotion was something altogether different. The music had to sell. I mean the industry was controlled by middle aged west or east coast A&R men who had to make their companies money, which meant they had to reach an audience as broad as possible (including grownups who listened to albums a more than 45s) and needed a lot of new product quickly (and there was a lot of old tunes lying around reading to be repurposed).

Dusting down Trad Pop tunes they were familiar with and utilising the talents of arrangers, producers and musicians who were professional (and, no doubt, efficient) seems like a no brainer.

Rock ‘n’ Roll, or rather Rock “n” Pop, would, one day (and quite soon) create its own industry of musicians, producers with its own repertoire of writers and songs to draw from but this was still new (ish) territory in 1960.

Everyone was encouraged to go the Rockin Trad way (Elvis, Rick Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vee, Freddy Cannon, Frankie Avalon) and some embraced it (Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vinton, Connie Francis) whereas some retreated to other music genres (country for Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich) or stuck to their guns albeit with diminishing returns (Bill Haley, Gene Vincent).

Tommy embraced it and never really returned to his Rock ‘n’ Roll roots.

It probably seemed a good idea at the time.

I said this in relation to his "This Thing Called Love" album from 1959.

“Tin Pan Alley and trad pop songs are covered, and done relatively straight with orchestrations. The ballads are especially straight though the up-tempo numbers have some beat with more dominant electric guitar than normal for trad pop numbers.

I don't know (yet) if the next three albums he did were in the same paddock, but, two were with standards orchestrated by Nelson Riddle and another was a live set of (mainly) standards at the Sands Hotel.

With chart success (or lack of) hindsight the career as a trad pop singer and movie star was not a good move but, at the time, the same strategy was working well for Bobby Darin and Pat Boone.

So in some ways Tommy went from an Elvis inspired singer to a Bobby Darin inspired singer.

None of this is meant as criticism.

There are always a couple of touchstones who influence all those around them at any given time.

Tommy does have his own voice, a good voice, and does impart his personality on his music, but he just doesn’t get to do it enough”.

I also said this:

“Sands has a great voice which suits trad pop perfectly. It's nothing you haven't heard before but it would be perfect background music … and would have everyone guessing … I'm keeping it”.

This all applied here, on this album, two albums down the track and his fifth album (in two years) overall.

The liner notes say "Not influenced by previous renditions of the songs, Tommy's versions are strikingly fresh ….". Well, yes, sort of, though they don't necessarily surpass earlier versions either. What songs you prefer comes down to the song itself rather than Tommy's renditions. That's not to say he doesn't do a good job, he does, but these are familiar songs (that's, err, why they are standards) and it is hard to distinguish them. Any freshness comes from his relative youth and optimism (even his "sad songs" aren't totally broken hearted). A little surly or cynical rock 'n' roll attitude would have helped even more.

As was popular at the time the album is thematically tracked. One side has ‘love” songs whereas the other has “lost love” or “broken love” songs.

Nelson Riddle fresh from a series of Sinatra album successes provides perfect trad pop arrangements.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

  • Hello, Young Lovers – (Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II) – From the 1951 musical, "The King and I". It is sung by Gertrude Lawrence in the original Broadway production and by Deborah Kerr in the 1956 film version (although voiced-over by Marni Nixon). Other versions were done by Perry Como (#27 US Pop 1951), Frank Sinatra (1951), Andy Williams (1959). This is well sung and lush with Nelson Riddle's tasteful restraint (comparatively speaking).
  • The Nearness of You – (Hoagy Carmichael-Ned Washington) – The song debuted in a 1940 recording by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle (#5 US Pop, 1940). This has been done by everyone including: Bob Manning (#16 US Pop, 1953), Bing Crosby (on radio)(1954), Sammy Davis Jr. (1957), Joni James (1956) Sarah Vaughan (1949). A standard, and again very well sung though no different to any of the other versions.
  • Always – (Irving Berlin) – Probably sung first by Henry Burr (1926), then by others including Deanna Durbin (1944) and Frank Sinatra (1947). I can't disassociate this song from Sinatra's great version.
  • I'm Glad There Is You – (Paul Madeira-Jimmy Dorsey) – First recorded by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (with Bob Eberly on vocals) in 1942. This has become a jazz standard and has been covered by Frank Sinatra (1954), Ella Fitzgerald (1954), Johnny Mathis (1957), The Four Freshmen (1960) and many others.
  • It Had To Be You – (Isham Jones-Gus Kahn) – First recorded by Sam Lanin and his Orchestra (1934) it has been done in many films including Priscilla Lane 1939 (in "The Roaring Twenties"), Dooley Wilson 1942 (in "Casablanca"), Ginger Rogers and Cornell Wilde 1947 (in "It Had To Be You") and Joanne Dru who sang a portion of it in 1955's "Hell On Frisco Bay". It has been recorded by Danny Thomas (1951), Doris Day (1951), Bing Crosby (1952), Billie Holiday (1955), and Ray Charles (1959), and many more since. A great song and this is a good version.
  • What A Diff'rence a Day Made – (Maria Grever-Stanley Adams) – Written in Spanish the first version as "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" was by Orquesta Pedro Via (1934).  Eydie Gormé & Trio Los Panchos recorded it in Spanish in 1964. "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" had English supplied by Stanley Adams. It was first recorded in English by Cleveland crooner Jimmie Ague (1934) and was popular by the Dorsey Brothers and then recorded by Vaughn Monroe (1955), and then later by Bobby Darin (1964), Dean Martin (1962) and others. The most popular version is by Dinah Washington (#8 US Pop, #4 US R&B 1959).

Side Two

  • I'll Remember April – (Raye-De Paul-Johnston) – This classic song has been recorded by hundreds of artists. It made its debut in the 1942 Abbott and Costello comedy "Ride 'Em Cowboy", being sung by Dick Foran. Chart versions include: #1 for Bing Crosby (#1 US 1944), Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (vocal by Frank Sinatra) (#4 US 1944), the Poni-Tails (#87 US 1959), the Five Satins (#79 US 1960),  and #58 for Frank Sinatra in October 1961 (#58 US Pop 1961). It has also been done by Chet Baker (1953), Shirley Bassey (1959), June Christy (1958), Bing Crosby (1944), Bobby Darin (1959), Miles Davis (1954), Doris Day (1958), Erroll Garner (1955), Stan Getz (1954), Eydie Gormé (1959),Julie London (1956), Carmen McRae (1956), Gordon MacRae (1959), Charles Mingus Quintet & Max Roach (1955), Dinah Shore (1958), Frank Sinatra (1962), and Dinah Washington (1954). I think you need to be older to do this song.
  • Fools Rush In – (Rube Bloom-Johnny Mercer) – First done by Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (1940) and then done by everyone including Glenn Miller with Ray Eberle (1940), Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra (1940), Sinatra alone (1949), Doris Day (1962) Billy Eckstine (1947). The Ricky Nelson version from 1963 was an enormous hit (#12 US Pop) and featured guitarist James Burton. Elvis Presley, with Burton as guitarist, followed Ricky Nelson's style in 1971 featured on the 1972 album "Elvis Now".  I love this song, and this is a good (straight) version.
  • Say It Isn't So – (Irving Berlin) – First sung by Rudy Vallée, who had a hit with it in 1932, and then done by everyone. including Julie London (1955) and Andy Williams (1959). Okay.
  • More Than You Know – (Youmans-Rose-Elisco) – It was popularized by Jane Froman in 1932 and then by everyone including Perry Como (1946) and Bing Crosby (1956). More okay.
  • I Get The Blues When It Rains – (Harry Stoddard-Marcy Klauber) – First recorded by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (# 8 US Pop 1929) and then vocal duo Ford Rush and Glenn Rowell (# 16) in the same year. Amongst the many covers Rusty Draper (1957), Roy Hamilton (1959), Jerry Lee Lewis (1969). Roy's version is the best but his is excellent also.
  • I'll Be Seeing You – (Sammy Fain-Irving Kahal) – Sung in the Broadway musical "Right This Way" in 1938 by Tamara Drasin. it was featured in the 1944 movie "I'll Be Seeing You" (performed off-screen by Louanne Hogan). Bing Crosby had a hit with it that year (#1 US Pop). The song became associated with Liberace, as the theme music to his television show of the early 1950s. Dozens of versions have been done including Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (1940), The Five Satins (1959), The Four Freshmen (1952 and again in 1953), Johnny Mathis (1959), Jo Stafford (1959), Dean Martin (1965), Gene Pitney (1963), and Rod Stewart (2002). A good version, but a great song.

Links:

Hello, Young Lovers  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello,_Young_Lovers_(song)

The Nearness of You  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nearness_of_You

Always  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Always_(Irving_Berlin_song)’

I'm Glad There Is You  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Glad_There_Is_You

It Had To Be You  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Had_to_Be_You_(song)

What A Dif 'rence A Day Made  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_a_Diff%27rence_a_Day_Made

I'll Remember April  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Remember_April_(song)

Fools Rush In  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fools_Rush_In_(Where_Angels_Fear_to_Tread)

Say It Isn't So  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_It_Isn%27t_So_(Irving_Berlin_song)

More Than You Know

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Than_You_Know_(Youmans,_Rose_and_Eliscu_song)

I Get The Blues When It Rains  

https://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Get_the_Blues_When_It_Rains&prev=search

I'll Be Seeing You

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Be_Seeing_You_(song)

And …

Good mood music – perfect for dinner parties or sitting around with a drink whilst chatting up a doll in a pencil skirt … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1959 I'll be Seeing You #51

Album

—

England

nothing

Sounds

Hello, Young Lovers  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvOkelK_B8

The Nearness Of You  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m975YaZmX0s

I'm Glad There Is You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1dy-F7rgTo

Fools Rush In  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpNVurutM7M

I Get The Blues When It Rains

mp3 attached

I'll Be Seeing You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOp-pHup8us

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAtUFURCxso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZj2FPUoZkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLPLwjtvqwY

Review

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I%27m_Thinking_of_You

Bio

http://rockabillyhall.com/tommysands.html

Website

—

Trivia

  • The album is sometimes said to have been released in 1960. I don’t have an official release date but I suspect it was released in 1959. The tracks were recorded in late 1958 and, in those days, there wasn’t much delay in the turnaround on music. The tracks with “Dream” were recorded after this. The “Dream” album is sometimes written as being released before this. Also, I note the back sleeve doesn't mention his "dream" album though it does mention his other four earlier albums.
  • Sessions: 7 December 1958 [no 7458] Capitol Recording Studio, 1750 North Vine St., Hollywood, CA – Tommy Sands (Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Producer: Ken Nelson)

106 30754 THE NEARNESS OF YOU ST 1239

107 30755 I'LL REMEMBER APRIL ST 1239

108 30756 IT HAD TO BE YOU ST 1239

  1. 757 I'LL BE SEEING YOU F4259/ ST 1239

8 December 1958 [no 7460] Capitol Recording Studio, 1750 North Vine St., Hollywood, CA – Tommy Sands (Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Producer: Ken Nelson)

110 30758 MORE THAN YOU KNOW ST 1239

111 30759 FOOLS RUSH IN ST 1239 SN-4

112 30760 I'M GLAD THERE IS YOU ST 1239

113 30761 HELLO YOUNG LOVERS ST 1239

9 December 1958 [no 7463] Capitol Recording Studio, 1750 North Vine St., Hollywood, CA – Tommy Sands (Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Producer: Ken Nelson)

114 30766 I GET THE BLUES WHEN IT RAINS ST 1239

115 30767 WHAT A DIFF'RENCE A DAY MADE ST 1239

116 30768 ALWAYS ST 1239

117 30769 SAY IT ISN'T SO ST 1239

http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2014/10/tommy-sands.html

  • Arranged and conducted by (the great) Nelson Riddle. Produced by Ken Nelson (a veteran Capitol records producer of trad pop, country and early rock ‘n’ roll)

 

 

RIP: Ray Sawyer (of Dr Hook) 1937 – 2018

Posted in Popular & Crooners | Tagged | Leave a comment

BOBBY RYDELL – Salutes the Great Ones – (Cameo) – 1961

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Franko

Bobby Rydell - Salutes the Great Ones

The era before the rise of The Beatles, The Beach Boys and others was a particularly exciting time, though not for hard-core rock ‘n’ roll enthusiasts.

Pop rock ruled along with big pop ballads, teen dramas, white doo wop, and big band rock.

Does anyone have a name for “big band rock”?

I think I have pontificated on this elsewhere in this blog.

"Rock 'n" swing", "Tin Pan Rock"?

Okay, let’s use “big band rock”

Sure, surf and frat rock were emerging but rock was unsure of where it was to go.

Rock was always a music of music that had come previously, country, rhythm and blues, gospel and even some jazz.

And it would in time discover folk (which would lead to folk rock), classical (which would lead to prog rock) but, in the early 60s it needed somewhere to go.

Trad pop and the Great American Songbook seemed like a good place and a place where the market was bigger. Appeal to the kids and to the grownups. Distance yourself from some of rocks excesses (and excessive performers).

And, it wasn’t alien to rock ‘n’ rollers.

For every other Elvis rockabilly tune there was his “Blue Moon” and a deep and expressed admiration of Roy Hamilton, Mario Lanza, Dean Martin and others.

The much maligned Pat Boone had made a career of singing the Great American Songbook or singing rock songs in the trad pop style.

And it paid off big … Elvis took his trad pop Italian “It’s Now or Never” and his trad pop “Are you lonesome Tonight” both to #1 in 1960,  Bobby Darin took the trad pop "Mack the Knife" to #1 in 1959, the French trad pop "Beyond the Sea" to #6 in 1960 and charted with the trad pop songs “Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" (#19 1960), “Lazy River" (#14 1960), and "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" (#5 1961), Connie Francis had been at it a while and had charted the trad songs "Who's Sorry Now" (#4 1957), “My Happiness” (#2 1958), “If I Didn't Care” (#22 1959), “Among My Souvenirs” (#7 1959), “Mama” (#8 1960). .. while Ricky Nelson, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette, Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson all dabbled to varying degrees.

The albums were everywhere: Bobby Vee ‘With Strings and Things” (1961), Tommy Sands "When I'm Thinking of You" (1959), "This Thing Called Love" (1959) Dream with Me (1960),

Connie Francis  “Songs To A Swinging Band” (1960), Paul Anka  ‎”My Heart Sings” (1959), Pat Boone  “Moonglow” (1960), Dion & The Belmonts “Wish Upon A Star” (1961), Bobby Darin  ‎”That's All” (1959) and “This Is Darin” (1959) …

And the live supper club albums Tommy Sands “Sands at the Sands” (1960), Connie Francis  ‎”At The Copa” (1961), Bobby Darin  “Darin At The Copa” (1960) and Paul Anka  “Anka At The Copa” (1960).

Clearly, Bobby Rydell identified with the music having dabbled in the Great American Songbook in 1960 with his “Bobby Sings / Bobby Swings” album which produced the Italian trad pop hit “Volare” (#4 1960) (and he would again with Rydell At The Copa (1961) and his “An Era Reborn” album from 1962).

Bobby leans to Jolson, Sinatra and Crosby …. The three caricatures on the front to the record and he sings (and swings) wonderfully well. It is clear he enjoys the music. Maybe, because of his youth, he doesn’t have the gravitas of the previous generation but he makes up for it with the humour, cheekiness and enthusiasm you would expect from a young kid brought up in the rock ‘n’ roll era.

Of course the hard-core enthusiasts who rubbish this music are unnecessarily myopic as (many) objects of their affection and adulation all dug into their musical memories revitalised songs from an era (or rather style) past. Rod Stewart, Ray Davies, Paul McCartney, Nilsson, Glenn Frey, Jeff Lynne, Brian Wilson, Art Garfunkel, Boz Scaggs, and many others have tackled the standards.

The late 50s / early 60s big band rock “movement” didn’t last long though it did last long enough to give Frankie Avalon and Bobby Vinton careers singing new songs (as well as old) in a trad pop style.

But as I have said before on this blog … this music is exclusively faithful to the standards. They tended to treat the trad pop standards less reverently, with some rock ‘n’ roll sass (more so than when those same tunes are covered by pop artists today). The band swings a little harder, there are rock instruments in the mix, there are loud backup vocals, and there is usually an Elvis like half smile snarl in the attitude and a little rock ‘n’ roll slur in the pronunciation.

The female backing vocals get a little intrusive from time to time but they don't affect the swing or mood that much.

It’s not rock ‘n’ roll and it’s not trad pop.

It is something in-between.

And, that’s not a bad place to be especially if you like both rock ‘n’ roll and trad pop.

And, I do.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

  • Mammy – (Lewis-Young-Donaldson) – Though forever to be associated with Al Jolson who first sang it in 1921, the song was performed first in 1918 by William Frawley. Bobby has brought contemporary pop to this … and it's quite good.
  • That Old Black Magic – (Mercer-Arlen) – Written for film Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) where it was sung by Johnny Johnston. It was first recorded by Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra (1942). Judy Garland recorded it in 1943 (Mercer wrote the lyrics with Judy Garland in mind, apparently). Many, many versions have been done including versions by Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Mercer himself, Johnny Mathis, Peggy Lee, Ann Margret, Van Morrison, Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart, Ray Davies (of the Kinks). There is a lot of playful rock 'n' roll attitude here.
  • All Of You – (Cole Porter) – It was first done by Don Ameche in the Broadway musical "Silk Stockings" (1954) and then in the film version by Fred Astaire (1957). Sammy Davis Jr did a version in 1956 and Bobby Darin did a version in 1963. Despite being before the Bobby Darin version this is done in a Bobby Darin fashion. The orchestrations are standard the vocals done with some rock 'n' roll swing.
  • Frenesi – (Dominquez-Charles-Russell) – The big hit was by Artie Shaw (#1 1940 US Pop). the song has also been covered by Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, The Four Freshmen, Frank Sinatra). The word frenesí is Spanish for "frenzy".
  • April Showers – (DeSylva-Silvers) – another song forever identified with Al Jolson who first recorded it in 1921. A favourite of bathroom shower singers everywhere … well, at least, I have sung it in the shower. I'm very partial to this song. The backing vocals are a little distracting but Bobby gets the right pitch of bouncy optimism.
  • Everything's Coming Up Roses – (Sondheim-Styne) – from the 1959 Broadway musical "Gypsy: A Musical Fable" and first done by (and associated with) Ethel Merman. Johnny Mathis did it in 1960. Nice, but nothing special.

Side Two

  • There's A Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder – (Jolson-Rose-Dreyer) – Another song identified with Al Jolson, from 1928. Other versions include Frankie Laine (1952) and Bobby Darin (1962). A nice bit of pop without the brashness of Al's more familiar version.
  • This Could Be The Start Of Something Big – (Steve Allen) – written by (and identified with) TV host Steve Allen who had the song as his theme song on the “Tonight Starring Steve Allen” show from 1956 -1957. Okay.
  • So Rare – (Sharpe-Herst) – First done (perhaps) by Carl Ravell and his Orchestra (1937). Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (1937) and Gus Arnheim and his Coconut Grove Orchestra (1937) had popular versions. It was a hit for Jimmy Dorsey in 1957 (#2 US Pop, #4 US R&B). Rydell’s version owes a lot to Jimmy Dorsey hit which straddles big band and rock 'n roll.
  • Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams – (Koehler-Moll-Barris) – done by everyone including Frank Sinatra (1954), Frankie Laine (1947 and 1952), Louis Armstrong (1931) and Dean Martin (1958) this will forever be associated with the original hit version from 1931 by Bing Crosby. A great song though more trad than rockin' pop..
  • The Birth Of The Blues – (DeSylva-Henderson-Brown) – written in 1926 it was used in the Broadway show "George White's Scandals of 1926". It was recorded in the same year by Paul Whiteman and others. The best known version is still, perhaps, by Bing Crosby (1941). Quite good.
  • Nice Work If You Can Get It – (Ira Gershwin-George Gershwin) – First used in movie "A Damsel in Distress" (1937) and sung by Fred Astaire. It became a jazz standard. Frank Sinatra did a version in 1956 (and 1962). Good swinging pop.

Song antecedents:

Mammy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Mammy

That Old Black Magic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Old_Black_Magic

All Of You

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_of_You_(Cole_Porter_song)

Frenesi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenesi

April Showers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Showers_(song)

Everything's Coming Up Roses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything%27s_Coming_up_Roses

There's A Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_a_Rainbow_%27Round_My_Shoulder

This Could Be The Start Of Something Big

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Could_Be_the_Start_of_Something

So Rare

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_Rare

Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrap_Your_Troubles_in_Dreams_(song)

The Birth Of The Blues

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_the_Blues

Nice Work If You Can Get It

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_Work_If_You_Can_Get_It_(song)

And …

I like the trad pop and I like Bobby Rydell. This one would confuse tin pan alley lovers. And, that appeals to me … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1961 That Old Black Magic #21

Album

—

England

nothing

Sounds

Mammy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHrk6u22HOU

That Old Black Magic

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR_-sy_lGUg

mp3 attached

All Of You

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSsPQS1TVk

Frenesi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0avLYUd7uU

April Showers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAVIYDgV8SU

Everything's Coming Up Roses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdGLteTdeKU

The Birth Of The Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE_ELsw1PCw

Nice Work If You Can Get It

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayfe_bEnCMw

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiJFniJrXNw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSsPQS1TVk

Review

http://www.hyperbolium.com/2010/06/22/bobby-rydell-salutes-the-great-ones-rydell-at-the-copa/

Bio

http://dailydoowop.com/bobby-rydell-autobiography/

http://www.waybackattack.com/rydellbobby.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Rydell

Website

http://www.bobbyrydell.com/

Trivia

—

 

RIP:

Roy Clark 1933 – 2018

Tony Joe White 1943 – 2018

Charles Aznavour 1924 – 2018

Bobby Rydell - Salutes the Great Ones - back

Posted in Pop Rock, Popular & Crooners | Tagged | Leave a comment

CONNIE FRANCIS – Sings Bacharach and David – (MGM) – 1968

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Franko

CONNIE FRANCIS - Sings Bacharach and David

Anyone who reads this blog knows I’m partial to vocalists, and, partial to Connie Francis.

Connie is perhaps the greatest of the non-writing female singers. And much like her male counterparts, Elvis and Frank Sinatra, she is a wonderful interpreter of songs.

Much like Elvis and Sinatra she, also, tackled (almost) anything and everything and could always make it sound like Connie.

Check out my other comments for detail on her and an idea of her musical voice.

Connie’s big hit making period was the late 1950s – early 1960s. Her last Top 40 had been ‘Be Anything (But Be Mine)” (#25 US Pop 1964).

She was still a concert draw, popular with the “older crowd”, on television a lot, popular internationally, and had respectable (though non-charting) album sales.

Bacharach and David had many hits in the 60s, especially with their favourite vocalist Dionne Warwick and appealed (especially) to the “older crowd”.

It was inevitable that Connie would cover, and put out an album of Bacharach and David (though the album could equally be called “Covers Dionne Warwick and others”).

Connie, apparently, had already begun to work on this project in April 1968 under the musical supervision of Teddy Randazzo, a former fellow high school student.

Randazzo was a former (late 50s) rock n roller who had success in the mid-60s writing and producing songs for rock and trad pop acts, especially Little Anthony & the Imperials who had a big hit with his "Goin' Out of My Head" (#6 US Pop, 1965).

For whatever reason she was unsatisfied with Randazzo's working methods, and abandoned the project after recording only three songs, "Lovin' is a Way of Livin'" , "Make it Easy on Yourself", "The Story of My Life", which remained unreleased at the time.  

The project was picked up again in October 1968 when she teamed up with German composer, arranger conductor, sometime writer and producer Claus Ogerman with whom she had collaborated previously during the recording of the songs for her movie “Looking for Love” in late 1963 and who arranged and conducted (and occasionally wrote) a number of songs for her from 1962 – 1965.

His arranging is sophisticated (and contemporary, for trad pop) as you would expect from someone who worked with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Wes Montgomery, Kai Winding, Astrud Gilberto, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Cal Tjader in the late 50s and 60s as well as doing big pop with Lesley Gore, Little Eva, Gene Pitney and others.

With his jazzy background, an ear for emotional pop and his skill with spun sugar he is a perfect choice for Connie.

And, of course, with its mature sophistication Bacharach and David is perfect material for an almost 30 year old Connie.

As you would expect she sings the material in her own way. That is, she doesn’t, necessarily pay attention to any of the other hit versions.

She isn’t as spicy or sultry as Dionne but finds other meaning in the lyrics.

Despite her fine voice, good jazzy arrangements of hit making songs the album and songs failed to put her back in the charts.

The reviewer at Allmusic says this about the album, “And while she's no Dionne or Dusty, Francis clearly grasps the substance of David's lyrics, investing readings of "Make It Easy on Yourself," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "Walk on By" with genuine poignancy. An unexpected delight”. https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-bacharach-and-david-mw0001883726

The “delight” is correct … the “unexpected” isn’t. This material may have been written by Bacharach and David but she had dipped into the contemporary trad pop bag before. Likewise, Dionne Warwick may have poll position when it comes to Bacharach and David but, ultimately, Connie is a better singer. Dionne, never really successfully expanded beyond the template set by Bacharach and David. And, Connie leaves Dusty Springfield, for dead. She is more musically ambitious, and her palette wider than Dusty, though Dusty has the “icon” (and hipster tastemaker) tick of approval.

Connie can be restrained and casual (as Bacharach and David songs require) but very few had the vocal power and precision she possessed. She could hit and hold the top notes that others avoided. It’s wonderful to hear her sing.

Female pop vocalists have become (in part) either, part of a multi tracked vocal chorus, post-Aretha Franklin blues tinged screechers, low key throaty singer-songwriters, ironic speakers, or thin sounding vocalists wrapped around a dance beat.

Sure there are others but few sing, and can sing, for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Connie does.

of these songs but Connie certainly puts her own personality into the songs and refuses to slavishly follow….

There are many supporters for Connie but her light should shine a lot brighter when compared to other singers of the 60s.

All songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side one

  • What the World Needs Now – First recorded and made popular by Jackie DeShannon (#7 US Pop, #1 Canada 1965). It has been often covered. Connie has slowed it right down and drawn all "love" out of the lyric. A great version, and, still, sadly, relevant, fifty years later.
  • Promises, Promises – The title song to the 1968 musical of the same name, based on the 1960 film "The Apartment". Dionne Warwick (first) recorded and released it in  1968 (#19 US Pop). This is a big production number and quite "stagey" on the ear, if that is possible.
  • The Look of Love – First recorded by Stan Getz as an instrumental (1966). The song, with lyrics, was originally recorded by Dusty Springfield for the Casino Royale (1967) film (#22 US Pop, 1967). The song has been done by everyone. A great song, a great version, again slowed, but ever so slightly, which accentuates the interplay between lyric and music.
  • Do You Know The Way To San Jose? – First done by Dionne Warwick who had a hit with it in 1968 (#10 US Pop, #8 UK, #15 Australia). Wonderful with some great keyboard.
  • Trains and Boats and Planes – First recorded by Bacharach in 1965 (#4 UK). Hit versions followed by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas (#12 UK 1965, #47 US Pop 1965), and by Dionne Warwick (#22 US Pop, 1966). Quite beautiful with the right touch of melancholic apprehensive fear.
  • Make It Easy On Yourself – First a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962 (#20 US Pop, #18 US R&B 1962) and then the Walker Brothers had an even bigger hit with it (#16 US Pop, #1 UK 1965, #1 Canada 1965, #3 Ireland 1965). A gentle samba beat and Connie's emotive vocal over a number of notes make this a winner. One of the great versions of this song.

Side Two

  • Alfie – The song was a major hit for Cilla Black (#9 UK, #22 Australia, #20 New Zealand, #95 US Pop all 1966), Cher (#32 US Pop 1966), and Dionne Warwick (#15 US Pop, #10 Canada 1967). It has been done often. This is another good version though i can't disassociate it from Michael Caine and its Englishness (despite it being written by Americans).
  • Medley: This Girl's In Love with You / I Say a Little Prayer  – “This Guy’s in Love with You” (its original gender) was first recorded by Herb Alpert who had a hit with it (#1 US Pop, #1 Australia, #1 Canada, #3 UK 1968). The first female version came out the same year from Bacharach-David favourite Dionne Warwick (#9 US Pop, #17 Australia, #7 Canada all 1968). It also charted another two times in the US in 1968 (Tony Mottola #22 US Billboard Adult Contemporary, Eydie Gorme #22 US Billboard Adult Contemporary). It has been often recorded.  “I Say a Little Prayer" was first recorded and released by Dionne Warwick (#4 US Pop, #8 US R&B 1968) before being released by Aretha Franklin (#10 US Pop, #3 US R&B, #4 UK, #8 Australia). I don't know if this song (or the other medley) was intended as a medley or if they just spliced two songs together to keep the record in the right running time area. Either way, it works, the songs are wonderful and the medley seamless … but I would have liked to have heard them on their own.
  • Wanting Things – originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1968. Well sung.
  • Walk on By – First recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1964 (#6 US Pop, #9 UK). Wow, Connie sings this beautifully with emotional links to the teen drama songs she sang in the early 60s, though now, her narrator, is a young adult.
  • Medley: Blue On Blue / Magic Moments  – “Blue on Blue’ was first recorded by Bobby Vinton in 1963 (#3 US Pop, #4 Canada, #7 Australia, #1 Israel). "Magic Moments" was one of the first songs written by Bacharach and David. Perry Como had a hit with it in 1958 (#4 US Pop, #1 UK). Another seamless medley with full orchestration, with most of the bells and whistles of 1968.
  • Don't Make Me Over – originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in August 1962 (#21 US pop, #5 US R&B 1962). Nice, gentle.

Song antecedents:

What the World Needs Now

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_World_Needs_Now_Is_Love

Promises, Promises

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promises,_Promises_(musical)

The Look of Love

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Look_of_Love_(1967_song)

Do You Know The Way To San Jose?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_You_Know_the_Way_to_San_Jose

Trains and Boats and Planes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trains_and_Boats_and_Planes

Make It Easy On Yourself

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_It_Easy_on_Yourself

Alfie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfie_(Burt_Bacharach_song)

Medley: This Girl's In Love with You / I Say a Little Prayer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Guy%27s_in_Love_with_You

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Say_a_Little_Prayer

Wanting Things

—

Walk on By

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walk_On_By_(song)

Medley: Blue On Blue / Magic Moments 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_on_Blue_(song)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Moments

Don't Make Me Over

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Make_Me_Over_(song)

And …

There may be some better versions but everything here is good and distinctive. There, is no doubting the greatness of these tunes but this album is above other Bacharach-David tributes. Another treasure from Connie … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where.

Criminal.

Sounds

The whole album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0cBHEVoR0

What the World Needs Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnnF0aVsy3s

The Look of Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyF9HiTefns

Do You Know The Way To San Jose?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v4kP9HfAC8

Trains and Boats and Planes

mp3 attached

Make It Easy On Yourself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AccFn3pQFzg

Alfie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Zg_VvlTxc

Medley: This Girl's In Love with You / I Say a Little Prayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-mTAUAeFkY

Walk on By

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PurZK_sWDRc

Medley: Blue On Blue / Magic Moments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OpUF2INITQ

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8x5cUFoDnU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLwg10Emy2g

Review

https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-bacharach-and-david-mw0001883726

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Francis_Sings_Bacharach_%26_David

Bio

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/connie-francis-mn0000117064/biography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Francis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claus_Ogerman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Randazzo

Website

http://www.conniefrancis.com

Trivia

  • On the back of the album is a note from the songwriters which reads, "Dear Connie, We are pleased and proud that you recorded an album of our songs. You have always been one of our favorites. Many Thanks. – Burt Bacharach, Hal David".  It’s a pity they did not write a song especially for Connie to release as a single.
Posted in Pop Rock, Popular & Crooners | Tagged | Leave a comment

LESLEY GORE – California Nights – (Mercury) – 1967

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Franko

LESLEY GORE – California Nights

Another great pop singer from the 60s that is often dismissed because, err, she was (yet another) great pop singer from the 60s.

There is an assumption that pop singers are just cows waiting to be led by the nose, and, some (many), are indeed just that, but just as many go beyond singing: arranging, writing, producing, selecting, choosing, orchestrating.

If you have a good voice you are likely to release music.

Singing and technique can be enough, but to have a lasting career you have to have more.

The limitation of most pop stars is that they tend to reflect what is going on around them musically and change quickly with the times (cows being led).

They don’t explore themselves or their abilities.

Worse still, they are forever linked (by the public) to the time in which they reached their commercial peak.

Their careers are, inevitably, short.

It’s rough being a pop star.

But some, through sheer talent, transcend the musical boundaries placed on them.

Lesley Gore is one of them.

“Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore was born Lesley Sue Goldstein on May 2, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York. Gore grew up in nearby Tenafly, New Jersey. She was only 16 years old when she was discovered by legendary music producer, Quincy Jones. Though several versions of the story of their auspicious meeting exist—one source said that they met at a party, while another claims that Jones saw Gore singing in a hotel—Gore herself remembers that it happened through a string of lucky connections … As Gore recalled, "The short story and the truth is that I was taking vocal lessons here in New York … One day, instead of my lesson, the piano player and I went into a studio … and we put down some demos … Those demos got to Quincy Jones through an agent … He listened to them, he called me, and we started to record." … Gore could not have begun her music career with a better team behind her. Her first single, 1963's "It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To)," was arranged by famed Brill Building songwriter Ellie Greenwich and produced by Quincy Jones. The song resonated with millions of teenage girls across America, becoming an overnight success”. https://www.biography.com/people/lesley-gore-16606845

She was still in High School.

After graduating from high school, Lesley continued to pursue her music career but, also, persisted with higher education. She attended Sarah Lawrence College, an all-female university, studying British and American English literature.

The hits slowed down though the “California Nights” single made the Top 20 surprisingly in 1967.

It was a last gasp.

As the 1970s came and progressed, Lesley moved out of the spotlight despite releasing albums and singles.

“She was a serious artist that was way ahead of her time,” Ronnie Spector, leader of 1960s girl-group superstars the Ronettes, said in a statement, according to the AP. “She had a certain sound. But you want to be able to do new things too, and it can be hard on an artist that is so identified with a specific sound. Although she wasn’t in a girl group, Lesley was definitely a huge part of that era. But she continued to be creative, and kept looking ahead, and that’s how I will remember her.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/17/lesley-gore-teeny-bopper-turned-lesbian-icon-dies-at-68/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d81522b189b3

She pursued song writing and had some success when she wrote songs for the hit movie “Fame” (1980). One of the tracks, "Out Here on My Own," that she wrote with her younger brother, Michael, was nominated for an Academy Award but was beaten to the Oscar by Michael's “Fame”, written for the same soundtrack.

She did not release an album or single between 1982 and 2005.

Then, she revealed in 2005 that she was lesbian, and had been living with her long-term partner, jewellery designer Lois Sasson for 23 years.

It was “at Sarah Lawrence that Gore realized that she was a lesbian. Before college, she later explained, she simply had never had the time to examine her true feelings. "I had boyfriends," she said. "I was scheduled to get married … All of that was part of the agenda at the time …” https://www.biography.com/people/lesley-gore-16606845

As for why she hadn't come out "on the record" earlier, Gore explained: "I just never found it was necessary because I really never kept my life private. Those who knew me, those who worked with me were well aware” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11417229/Lesley-Gore-9-things-you-didnt-know.html

None of this matters as it has little to do with her music though all sorts of subtexts (real or otherwise) can now be read into her music.

Revisionism however has made her into a feminist of some sorts (though even her most defiant female single “You Don't Own Me” (1963) was written and produced by males).

It matters not though because the moxy that Lesley displays on the song transcends politics and gender debates.

And, I will be vilified perhaps (it’s a good thing not many people read this blog), but she was still incredibly cute in the 1960s, and her voice is effortlessly sexually attractive.

She died of lung cancer on February 16, 2015, she was 68 years old.

This album was her seventh, in four years. Lesley’s girl group sound has been replaced with some psychedelic asides to keep up with the times and it has some strong, as suggested in the title song, California sounds (was there a better place on earth than California in the early to mid-60s? … actually that was rhetorical 'cause I don't think there was).

She allowed herself (and allowing is not necessarily the same as being “led”) to tweak her musical persona though there is no doubt she knew exactly who she was, who she was singing to (the love struck and lovelorn) and how to convey the emotion in a song.

Music being more than each of its individual components means that even so it doesn’t always pay off in memorable songs but when it does it’s gold.

Lesley had worked with Quincy Jones before (he produced "It's My Party") and felt comfortable with him. Here she is also producer partnered with Bob Crewe. Working with anyone knew has to be a good thing and Crewe was extremely talented (The Four Seasons, Diane Renay, Tracey Dey, Linda Scott, etc).

Whether it was the producer, the times, or growing older or all that and more, I don't know, but Lesley tweaked her musical persona with songs that were more than teenage love and love lost (not that there is anything wrong with that).

And, tweak she did, two of the songs were promoted in two guest appearances she did on the (very popular) TV show "Batman". Interestingly, her character, much like her new musical persona here, is less "innocent' and more temptress.

Producers – Bob Crewe (tracks: A1 to B1, B4), Quincy Jones (tracks: B2, B3, B5). Variously arranged and conducted by Hutch Davie, Jack Nitzche and Herb Bernstein.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

  • California Nights – (Howard Liebling, Marvin Hamlisch) – Wonderful sunshine pop. Very much of its time but so evocative.
  • Treat Me Like A Lady – (Bob Crewe, Gary Knight) – sophisticated pop with a wonderful arrangement and produced well with a full sound. This could come from a film at the time.
  • Bad – (Al Kasha, Bob Crewe, Joel Hirschhorn) – young adult dramatics. Full bodied and emotive.
  • I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In) – (Bob Crewe, Gary Knight) – much like Gary Lewis and the Playboys though with a more serious older vocal.
  • Maybe Now – (Lesley Gore, Michael Gore) – composed by Lesley and her brother. This is a adult mid tempo love ballad.

Side Two

  • Love Goes On Forever – (Bob Crewe, Gary Knight) –  a waltz ballad with a wall of (waltzy) sound behind Lesley. Quite dreamy.
  • Off And Running – (Carole Bayer Sager, Toni Wine) – "Off And Running" was used  in the film "To Sir With Love" (1967) and sung by the group The Mindbenders. (Apparently) the composers brought the song to Lesley in early 1966 and she recorded it with Quincy Jones. Arranged and conducted by Jack Nitzsche (apparently). This is a great pop rock beat song.
  • Lilacs And Violets – (Fred Anisfield, Larry Weiss) – a trad pop type ballad with a delightful youthful vocal.
  • The Bubble Broke – (Bob Crewe, L. Russell Brown, Raymond Bloodworth) – a rockin' California big pop song complete with finger snaps, hand claps, horns, keyboard breaks, and female back-up vocals.
  • Cry Like A Baby – (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Jo Armstead) – This is not he Box Top hit song from 1968. This was written by Motown staff writers Ashford and Simpson and first recorded by Aretha Franklin (#113 1966 US Pop, #27 US R&B). Apparently Aretha's version hadn't been released when Lesley cut her version. Lesley puts in a convincing pop soul performance.

And …

Quite wonderful mid-60s pop … wonderful. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1966 Off and Running #108

1966 Treat Me Like a Lady #115

1967 California Nights #16

Album

1967 #169

England

nothing

Sounds

California Nights

on TVs "Batman"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roeAhjkJFNQ

Treat Me like A Lady

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DONBSv8JKbE

Bad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYF9DXPvA2A

I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)

mp3 attached

Maybe Now

on TVs "Batman"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRvF5VABOAo

Off and Running

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbPN3XvvGnI

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHQj10uAP0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac8pS0WF2tU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QEqLTbEXy0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQmBXEZEYtg

the big hit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acRMALrg1t4

Live 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KhXo13_H0

 Review

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Nights_(Lesley_Gore_album)

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Gore

https://www.biography.com/people/lesley-gore-16606845

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lesley-gore-mn0000208582/biography

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11417229/Lesley-Gore-9-things-you-didnt-know.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gore

interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkdhgc3CTU

Website

—

Trivia

  • “Gore performed on two consecutive episodes of the Batman television series (January 19 and 25, 1967), in which she guest-starred as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's minions. In the January 19 episode "That Darn Catwoman", she lip-synched to the Bob Crewe-produced "California Nights", and in the January 25 episode "Scat! Darn Catwoman" she lip-synched to "Maybe Now"”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Gore
  • She recorded a one off single, "Come Softly to Me" with singer Oliver in 1970, under the name Billy & Sue.
  • She is the cousin of Alan Dean Foster the American writer of fantasy and science fiction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Dean_Foster
  • “She told Ellen DeGeneres during an interview in 2005 that she didn’t know she was a lesbian until she was in her 20s, but, while the music business was “totally homophobic,” she’d never felt pressure to pretend to be straight. She had experienced relationships with both men and women, but her first serious relationship reassured her of her preference. She suggested that those who knew her well already knew of her preference but she officially came out when she hosted a series on gay and lesbian issues on the PBS series, In the Life beginning in 2004” https://www.heyalma.com/lesley-gore-the-jewish-feminist-lesbian-pop-star-ahead-of-her-time/

 

I saw her live in 1989 when i was a young un … cool.

 

LESLEY GORE – California Nights - back

Posted in Pop Rock | Tagged | Leave a comment

TOMMY JAMES – Three Times In Love – (RCA) – 1980

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Franko

TOMMY JAMES - Three Times In Love

Check my other comments for detail on Tommy James.

Tommy James was a big hit maker in the 60s with his band the Shondells and then he went solo.

He started off well, ultimately charting with a US #4 Pop Hit "Draggin the Line" in 1971. He then tapered off placing one single in the Top 40 and another six in the bottom half of the Top 100 in the US.

He continuously recorded through the 1970s but nothing clicked significantly.

By 1979 he was 32 years old and had been a pop star since he was 19. His last charting record was a single in 1973 (Boo, Boo, Don't'cha Be Blue #70 US Pop)

It was time for a change.

Having lived on the west coast through most of the 70s he decided to move back to the east coast.

He said, "As much as I loved living and working in California, I found I really missed the energy and edge I got from being in New York".  https://www.tommyjames.com/tours.php

And so in 1979 he moved to New York and signed a new deal with Millennium Records, which was distributed through RCA.

It worked.

The single "Three Times In Love"  was pop hit (#19 Pop US)(though it also proved to be his last Top 100 song).

It may be the change of locale that gave James the hit but in reality it wasn't much different to that which he had been doing on the west coast. Perhaps a little more updated and without the ultra smooth soft rock stylings, but cut from the same cloth.

His previous album "Midnight Rider" from 1977 was soft rock with country overtones. 

And, so, this explains why "Three Times In Love"  also made the country charts (#93).

James' musical personality (and probably his real life personality) was quirky within his pop world and he always had interesting stylings.

His brand of pop rock was pure pop rock but with a pre-power pop energy. With his band the Shondells he wasn't afraid to experiment incorporating new emerging sounds of the day. Likewise with his solo material James never strayed far from the pop rock he loved but he had his ear to the ground and incorporated elements of psych, soul, disco, country, soft rock, Christian, and singer songwriter into his music as the times demanded.

You have to stay relevant.

James' lyrics have more to them than meets the eye and i assume he is the main lyricist because he seems to have similar concerns re love and life over a number of songs. He did, however, often write with others. All of the tracks here are co-written with his band members (or they may just be the session musicians), drummer Albert Christopher Puglisi and Bassist Ronnie Serota (I assume they assisted with the music).

The genius of Tommy James is his perfect radio voice and his ability (and taste) in knowing how to pick up on sounds and riffs and reformulate them to suit his musical world view.

The playing is slick (as you would expect from mainstream 1980) and there are guest spots from jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker, synth from James' friend and occasional co-writer Don Ciccone (formerly of The Critters and later in The Four seasons), more synth from legendary Larry Fast, guitar from jazz funk guitarist John Tropea, and some backing vocals from Luther Vandross and Ullanda McCullough.

It's easy for some to dismiss Tommy James but what he did, he did very well, and perhaps, more well than those who are regarded highly. His solo work may not be up there with his work with the Shondells but it seems to be the case that he was the central driving force throughout his entire career.

He also produced this album and, luckily, the techniques and know-how are distinctly 70s, though there are hints of 80s production which would become the norm (80s mainstream production was dire … in my opinion).

All music make this point "Tommy James was no Mick Jagger or Jim Morrison, to be sure, and his songwriting — which was usually not solo, in any case — lacked the downbeat, serious tone or the little mystical touches of John Fogerty. He's usually put more comfortably in the company of such figures as Paul Revere & the Raiders' Mark Lindsay, or with Johnny Rivers or Tommy Roe, in the middle or early part of the '60s. But from 1968 through 1970, when artists like Jagger, Fogerty, and Morrison were in their heyday, Tommy James & the Shondells sold more singles than any other pop act in the world, many of them written, co-written, or at least chosen by James". https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-james-mn0000620386/biography

I like every artist mentioned and I like Tommy James.

Tracks (best in italics)

      Side A

  • You Got Me – (T. James – A. Puglisi) – A big ballad which is very catchy
  • Long Way Down – (T. James – A. Puglisi – R.Serota) – mid tempo soft pop rock.
  • Three Times In Love – (T. James – R. Serota) – soft rock with country rock overtones. This is very catchy with a sing-a-long chorus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Times_in_Love
  • Lady In White – (T. James – A. Puglisi) – another catchy song full of AM Pop wonder with a touch of Bob Seger.
  • Everything I Am – (T. James – A. Puglisi) – a big love ballad with a beat. Emotive, it recalls the big ballads of the 60s with a 70s sensibility and slick and well rounded production with shades of Nilsson.

      Side B

  • It's Magic – (T. James – A. Puglisi) –  shades of The Beatles and ELO. A great song with some interesting musical mood shifts.
  • I Just Wanna Play The Music – (T. James – A. Puglisi – R.Serota) – something you could hear David Cassidy doing, five years earlier.
  • Let It Slide – (T. James – A. Puglisi – R.Serota) – quite good, though it sounds like something I can't put my finger on.
  • It's All Right (For Now) – (T. James – A. Puglisi – R.Serota) – a good mid-tempo pop song in the English Chinn and Chapman style.

And …

Slick, but enjoyable … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1980 Three Times In Love #19 Pop US, #1 Adult Contemporary US, #93 Country US

1980 You Got Me #101 Pop US

Album

1980 #134

England

nothing

Sounds

You Got Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8AdAp4cEbY

Three Times In Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8AdAp4cEbY

mp3 attached

Lady In White

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJcHKLCNDtc

It's Magic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLMPgS4eyLw

Let It Slide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY8x2qq1cpo

It's All Right (For Now)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmKslqSSx-g

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv3WB2loIA4

With the Shondells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkMgs3lFwkQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS8ckizXa9o

Review

https://www.allmusic.com/album/three-times-in-love-mw0000852556

https://www.tommyjames.com/biography.php

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_James

https://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mrrl-hall-of-fame/90-tommy-james-and-the-shondells

https://ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2010/02/tommy-james-hes-not-alone-now.html

Website

https://www.tommyjames.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TJandtheShondells?v=wall&filter=2

Trivia

  • Musicians: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Tommy James / Backing Vocals [Additional] – Fonzi Thornton, Luther Vandross, Robin Clark, Ullanda McCullough / Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Ronnie Serota/ Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Al Christopher Puglisi / Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Louie Conte / Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Aristole Pyros / Synthesizer – Larry Fast / Synthesizer [String] – Don Ciccone / Producer – Tommy James
  • James cut a Spanish version of “Three Times in Love" called "No Hay Dos Sin Tres". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hahbyp9ing

 

Posted in Rock & Pop | Tagged | Leave a comment

JOHN HARTFORD – Nobody Knows What You Do – (Flying Fish) – 1976

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Franko

JOHN HARTFORD - Nobody Knows What You Do

I have waited too long to get to this one.

John Hartford is one of the greatest of all country music exponents.

And, if you come from a indie rock, punk, experimental or otherwise adventurous musical background he is possibly the greatest.

Check out my other comments for biographical and other detail on him.

I'm in danger of repeating myself from earlier comments, but it's worth saying that Hartford's music is full of humour, drama, tragedy and observation. It is both extremely traditional and ultra modern in out look.

Hartford wasn't afraid of anything. Perhaps the royalties he was getting from one of the greatest of all country and pop songs "Gentle on My Mind" (a hit for Glen Campbell and Dean Martin and covered by Elvis Presley and many others) meant he could do whatever he wanted,

And, that can be dangerous if the person is a one trick pony, but Hartford had a fine, inquisitive and adventurous mind.

That financial security (of sorts) meant he can wear his music on his sleeve and be completely honest (though I suspect it would have been anyway). Given that, (after 1970), perhaps to the dismay of his record labels, he has no need to pander to an audience and by not doing so he creates a whole new audience of devoted country afficionados.

Even today, his music still comes as a bit of a shock.

I'm not saying this is some sort of crazy free from jazz (though he does write a song about "John McLaughlin") but if you like country music and understands its structures, symbols  and history he will come as a shock or, perhaps, a heretic.

By the same token those who love old country, the music that was around before country became country, love the references and homage-like gracenotes to old Americana, love hippie like anarchy, or have a sense of humour will love this.

In another comment, "I called Hartford "Progressive" or "Weird" country. He is still that, but as I said then he is also much more. I said: He has also been referred to as literary folk music and "MOR romantic nostalgia told from the perspective of a homeless man remembering days of perfect love"…. I like that …. He has also been called Americana/Appalachian Folk/Country-Rock/Old-Timey/Progressive Bluegrass/Progressive Country/Progressive Folk/String Bands/Traditional Country … take you pick …but I like all those also'.

Even today with all the cross fertilisation that has gone on in country and bluegrass music , Harford, still, sounds distinctly quirky.

At the time of this album John was invigorated. His mainstream high point had come with Aereo-Plain (1971) and Morning Bugle (1972) which didn't sell well. He signed with Flying Fish and released the wonderfully quirky "Mark Twang" (1976) before releasing this, and then going on to release an album a year for the next five years and lots thereafter (quite a few with Flying Fish).

Flying Fish suited Hartford.  The label based in Chicago was founded in 1974 by Bruce Kaplan the former president of the University of Chicago's Folklore Society. His aim was to please the hardcore aficionados but also to get the music to a wider audience. "Essentially, he located a niche between the hit-based promotion model of the major labels and the faith of the small independents that the music would find its own audience" https://www.discogs.com/label/94384-Flying-Fish-2

The records did reach a wider public (or rather were available to the wider public) but you won't find any top of the pops amongst them.

The playing is excellent as you would expect from a bunch of country, bluegrass (including Mac Wiseman on one track) and session legends (including Elvis semi-regular, David Briggs).

This album has everything a Hartford devotee wants and expects. Some say it perhaps isn't the place to start but that depends entirely on your musical personality and tastes.

To me it is aural nirvana.

And the cover art is fantastic, perfectly rustic with John in the pilot house of one of his beloved paddle steamers.

Tracks (best in italics)

      Side One

  • You Don't Have To Do That – as country rock as John is likely to get … and it, only just, sounds like country rock. But it has a gentle, beautiful bounce with John breaking the musical fourth wall (is there one?) which he often does.
  • Didn't Want To Be Forgotten – an instrumental with marvellous fiddle work and country skat-ish singing sounds.
  • In Tall Buildings – shades of Mr Bojangles. Anyone who has walked in a tall building (office worker) but yearned for something simpler from their past will understand this song. Wonderful romantic melancholia.

            Someday, my baby, when I am a man,

            And others have taught me the best that they can,

            Sell me a suit, cut off my hair,

            And send me to work in tall buildings.

            CHORUS: So its goodbye to the sunshine, goodbye to the dew,

            Goodbye to the flowers, and goodbye to you.

            I'm off to the subway. I must not be late.

            I'm going to work in tall buildings.

  • John McLaughlin – another instrumental and an ode to jazz guitarist (and Miles Davis sidekick) McLaughlin. Very odd, and not free form jazz but well played.
  • Granny Wontcha Smoke Some Marijuana – No one will ever suggest that John didn't have a sense of humour. A traditional country fiddle hoedown with a non-traditional lyric. Bluegrass legend Mac Wiseman provides some harmony vocals on this.
  • The False Hearted Tenor Waltz – lovely contorted vocals in a semi comedic song about the tenor of the title.
  • Joseph's Dream – The story of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis (the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat one)… lovely, matter of fact storytelling.

      Side Two

  • Down – another country hoedown instrumental.
  • The Golden Globe Award – a song about err golden globe awards. Or, breasts. Perfect, though unlikely to be recorded in 2018. "You can put them in my face just any old time" …harr
  • Sly Feel – another instrumental though this one has some electric shenangans. It lives up to its name.
  • Somewhere My Love – (Maurice Jarre) / We'll Meet Again Sweetheart – (Flatt – Scruggs) – Maurice Jarre's love theme from the film Dr Zhivago (1965), "Lara's Theme" became the basis to the vocal song, "Somewhere my Love". The first vocal versions were by Connie Francis (not a hit in the US but a hit internationally) and Ray Coniff (#8US Pop) in 1966. We'll Meet Again Sweetheart was first released by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys in 1949. Hartford shows his new / old everything is compatible philosophy, here taking 60s schmaltz and medley-ing it with an old bluegrass song. It's like some old guy singing stream of consciousness songs from his musical memory. Wonderful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lara%27s_Theme
  • Nobody Knows What You Do – a statement of faith and perhaps a statement on his musical position. Great fun.

And …

…. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

nothing

Sounds

You Don't Have To Do That?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWvosfqDhkw

In Tall Buildings

mp3 attached

The False Hearted Tenor Waltz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPRKgwB0QGE

Joseph's Dream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaCR3n8tvrY

The Golden Globe Award

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hekm2QXZ_wU

Nobody Knows What You Do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7wjd0Gg93c

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN0iOkMNZqQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8HvNot3ZbY

with Glen Campbell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bon3WIhDq4

Review

https://www.allmusic.com/album/nobody-knows-what-you-do-mw0000088794

http://nodepression.com/article/holy-trinity-john-hartford

Bio

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-hartford-mn0000221603

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hartford

Website

http://www.johnhartford.com/

http://www.johnhartford.org/

Trivia

  • Personnel – John Hartford – banjo, guitar, fiddle, vocals, harmony vocals / Sam Bush – mandolin, vocals, harmony vocals / David Briggs – piano / Jim Colvard – guitar / Dalton Dillingham – bass / Buddy Emmons – dobro, pedal steel guitar / Roy M. "Junior" Husky – bass / Kenny Malone – drums / Benny Martin – fiddle, guitar, harmony vocals / Dale Sellers – guitar / Mac Wiseman – vocals, harmony vocals / Producer: Michael Melford.
  • The paddle steamer on the cover (and back) is the towboat W.P. Snyder …. for you paddle steam "spotters".

 

 

RIP: Tony Joe White 1943 – 2018

Posted in Alt Country, Americana, Country | Tagged | Leave a comment

JOHNNY HORTON – The Spectacular Johnny Horton – (Columbia) – 1959

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Franko

Johnny Horton - The Spectacular

I discovered Horton as a kid in the 70s  through the film 1960 film “North to Alaska” … it was and still is one of my favourite John Wayne films and the theme song by Horton is incredible catchy and had me singing it all over the place. I wasn’t the only one, as evidenced by its popularity ((#2 Australia, #23 UK, #1 US country, #4 US pop, #10 US R&B!)

That was Horton’s peak.

The final of three #1 one country singles (or one #1 and two Top 10 Pop singles) in the US.

He was dead by years end.

Horton was born in Los Angeles in 1925, the son of sharecropping parents. During his childhood, his family continually moved between California and Texas, in an attempt to find work. His mother taught him how to play guitar at the age of 11. Horton graduated from high school in 1944 and attended a Methodist seminary with the intent of joining a ministry. After a short while, he left the seminary and began traveling across the country, eventually moving to Alaska in 1949 to become a fisherman. While he was in Alaska, he began writing songs in earnest. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-horton-mn0000198783/biography

He moved to Southern California and was billed as "The Singing Fisherman."

The following year, Horton moved back to east Texas, where he entered a talent contest hosted by Jim Reeves, who was then an unknown vocalist. He won the contest, which encouraged him to pursue a career as a performer. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-horton-mn0000198783/biography

Hits followed including pop supremacy after the back-to-back country number one successes of "When It's Spring Time in Alaska" and "The Battle of New Orleans," in 1959

Around the time of "North to Alaska's” November release, Horton claimed that he was getting premonitions of an early death. Sadly, his premonitions came true. On November 4, 1960, he suffered a car crash driving home to Shreveport after a concert in Austin, TX. Horton was still alive after the wreck, but he died on the way to the hospital; the other passengers in his car had severe injuries, but they survived”.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-horton-mn0000198783/biography

Horton had been recording and releasing music since 1952 but this was his first album proper.

For music collectors and completists he had, actually, recorded an album earlier …

In early 1958 he was so desperate for some dollars that he went into the studios of KWKH in Shreveport (where he had worked on the Louisiana Hayride) to record ten tracks for SESAC, the performing rights society. There was no chance of sales on this music as the songs were to be used as adverts for his live shows (after Horton's death, Columbia records purchased the SESAC masters, added two tracks and issued them as the LP "I Can't Forget You" in 1965).

His was an old school country singer who adapted his style and introduced elements of honky tonk country, trad country and rockabilly (having, apparently, been impressed with the success his label mate Elvis was having with the crowds at the Louisiana Hayride).

He had some success, three top 10s and a Top 20 in 1956-57 but the hits dried up more or less – there was a another top 10 country US in 1958 and then he hit the crossover bigtime.

He incorporated elements of pop and country folk storytelling into his sounds.

The style had been popular throughout the 1950s being used in western film themes by Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Tex Ritter and others.

The theme songs, inevitably, described and complimented the film narrative.

Horton took it to the next level and applied the sound to describing historical incidents.

Sometimes called saga songs (or historical saga songs) these songs taught history through music, though admittedly, the history can be a bit loose.

This was incredibly popular, the regional edges of country music were smoothed down though the songs retained their country bounce. He became a kind of, soft honky tonk Jim Reeves, who was likewise very crossover popular at the time.

His methodology of storyteller with a point was very influential especially on Johnny Cash (who was a close friend) who later recorded many similar songs, Jimmy Dean, Tom T Hall, Robbins and others.

Horton never abandoned his earlier sounds and mixed them up with the storytelling.

His voice is clear and authoritative with a country accent but not an overwhelming one (as you would expect from someone brought up in California and Texas) and he has a straightforward   energetic (though occasionally almost deadpan) singing voice, perfect for dispensing history (through music). The joy comes in the lack of vocal emotional dramatics and the pop bounce in his music.

This album has country love songs and country cheatin' songs, ramblin' blues, murder ballads, historical songs and some rockabilly with nods to pop and the Nashville Sound. It, pretty much, sums up country music at the end of the 1950s.

Ultimately, as fun as his albums are he remained a singles artist. His storytelling had to hit the right song with the right story to be told, or the right film to tie into (ie: “North to Alaska”, “Sink the Bismarck” (inspired by – and commissioned by the film studio), and even the subject matter of the song "The Battle of New Orleans" was the subject of the big budget 1958 film "The Buccaneer")

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

  • The Battle of New Orleans – (Jimmie Driftwood) – The song describes the War of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans against the British, from the perspective of an American soldier. The song is light in tone and slightly comical. Wonderful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_New_Orleans
  • Whispering Pines – (Howard Hausey) – First done by Johnny. A ballad done in the smooth "Nashville sound" sound, and quite evocative.
  • The First Train Headin' South – (Johnny Horton) – a good rocker that was a good indication of his rockabilly leaning.
  • Lost Highway – (Leon Payne) – written and released by legendary country singer songwriter Leon Payne in 1948 it has become identified with Hank Williams who released it in 1949. A good version.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Highway_(Leon_Payne_song)
  • Joe's Been A-Gittin' There – (Grady Martin / Marijohn Wilkin) – first sung my Johnny. A story song, but not about anybody famous, I think. Sorry Joe.
  • Sam Magee – (Jimmie Driftwood) – another story song written about a rugged Klondike frontier type, by school teacher singer Jimmy Driftwood.

Side Two

  • When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below) – (Tillman Franks / Johnny Horton) – country tragedy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_It%27s_Springtime_in_Alaska_(It%27s_Forty_Below)
  • Cherokee Boogie – (Moon Mullican) – Moon Mullican's #7 US Country hit from 1951. Hillbilly boogie. Great, un-PC with a great rockabilly type beat with Gene Vincent Bluecaps hand claps.
  • All for the Love of a Girl – (Johnny Horton) – the usual country love song with a nice, slightly otherworldly feel. Covered by Marty Robbins, Jim & Jesse and Robert Gordon and others.
  • The Golden Rocket – (Hank Snow) – released by Hank Snow in 1950 (#1 US Country) . Hank is clearly an influence on Johnny’s style. This is a train song. Country music and train songs … very natural. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Rocket
  • Mr. Moonlight – (Ray Griff) – First recorded by Johnny. Canadian singer and songwriter, Griff, was 17 years old (or thereabouts) and subsequently toured with Johnny. Pretty good
  • Got the Bull by the Horns – (Amos Boyd / Billy Jones) – first recorded by Johnny. A great honky tonk country (with pop asides) tune. Some Jordanaires type backing. Perfect.

And …

A hoot … perfect for BBQs or smokin' cookouts. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1959 When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below) #1US Country

1959 The Battle Of New Orleans #1 US Pop, #1 US Country

Album

—

England

Singles

1959 The Battle Of New Orleans #16

Album

—

Sounds

The Battle of New Orleans  

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjXM6x_0KZk

the British version (covering all markets)( This oddity was intended for British audiences, after the BBC banned the original song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVypBROMgQ

mp3 attached

Whispering Pines  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XnhL4DPebE

The First Train Heading South

mp3 attached

Lost Highway  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM97v-D2tn4

Sam Magee  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM0-eeOEwhI

When It's Springtime In Alaska

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKvJm2ROX_8

Cherokee Boogie  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Vqh3MP3BA

The Golden Rocket  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZH4IFfWcIM

Got The Bull By The Horns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EArPVHtQ5wc

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skbFnKkBgRA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAbZ3I6-1lY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgw8UYAxMgY

concert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow_Dk4E33X4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8axcGYOFfo

Review

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-spectacular-johnny-horton-mw0000609325

http://countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=1473

Bio

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JohnnyHorton1.html

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-horton-mn0000198783/biography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Horton

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1990

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Driftwood

Website

—

Trivia

  • Horton married Hank Williams widow, Billie Jean Williams, in 1953. Horton's early his tenure on the Louisiana Hayride barn dance show in Shreveport, La is where he met and was briefly mentored by Hank Williams)
  • The accident, “Tommy Tomlinson flew in from Nashville where he was cutting a duet album with Jerry Kennedy (Tom and Jerry). Johnny used the morning to make arrangements to go duck hunting with Claude King once he'd returned from Austin and he also phoned Johnny Cash for a chat. Cash was stoned and didn't take the call, and has always regretted it. That afternoon, as he went to collect Franks, he kissed Billie Jean goodbye in the same spot Hank had done seven years earlier, and cuddled his two daughters. Against his wife's wishes, Franks got out off his sick bed and off they headed for Austin … When they got to the Skyline, Horton stayed in his dressing room, convinced that a drunk would kill him if he hung around the bar. After the show, they started the 220 mile journey back to Shreveport. Tomlinson was in the back, observing that Horton was driving too fast – Franks was asleep in the front. About 2am, near Milano, Texas they were crossing a bridge when a truck came at them, hitting both sides of the bridge before plunging into Horton's Cadillac. He had practised avoiding head-on collisions, by driving into verges, but on the narrow bridge he'd had no opportunity. He was still breathing when he was pulled out of the Caddie but died on the way to hospital. The nineteen year old truck driver, James Davis was intoxicated. Johnny Horton had died at the hands of a drunk. It is believed that a sun visor rod had pierced his skull. Franks suffered head injuries and young Tomlinson had multiple leg fractures and nine months later, had to have his left leg amputated. Ironically, Davis was virtually unscathed”. http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JohnnyHorton1.html
  • When Johnny Cash, a good friend of Horton's, learned about the accident he said, "[I] locked myself in one of the hotel's barrooms and cried." Cash dedicated his rendition of "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)" to Horton on his album Personal File: "Johnny Horton was a good old friend of mine." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Horton
  • The Australian release of this album (and the one I have) is on Coronet records and has a slightly different cover picture. It seems to be from the same sessions but Johnny is looking at the camera on this release,  which is similar and different to his Sleepy-Eyed John 45 sleeve from 1963, and his Greatest Hits from 1961.

Johnny Horton - The Spectacular - Coronet     Johnny Horton - Greatest Hits     Johnny Horton - Sleepy Eyed John

 

 

Posted in Country | Tagged | Leave a comment

ALBERT HAMMOND – Albert Hammond – (Mums) – 1973

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Franko

Albert Hammond - Albert Hammond

This is Hammonds third solo album.

I'm looking forward to this … albeit some 45 years after the event.

Hammond is a mixed bag. He has done a lot of stuff which is pure MOR but he does have the gift of finding a pop hook and to squeeze in serious considerations about life, love and the world amongst the fluff and bounce. I can't help but liking his music.

A lot of music Hammond made in the 70s has merit and some of it is exceptional, but, as the 70s wore on he became more MOR so it is his work from the first half the 70s I look forward to especially.

Hammond was on a roll, well, his singles were if not his albums. His first album "It Never Rains in Southern California" (1972)  only went to #77US and his second "The Free Electric Band" (1973) went to #193 . But, his singles did better and made him commercially viable, "Down by the River"  (#91US 1972), "It Never Rains in Southern California"  (#5US 1972), "If You Gotta Break Another Heart (#63US 1973), "The Free Electric Band"  (#48US, #19 UK 1973 – his only chart placing single or album in the UK), and "The Peacemaker" (#80  1973) had all charted.

A third album was needed.

Hammond released this and it was more of the same though with a nod to world music which was emerging as a pop music force at the time.

As has been pointed out by other reviewers there is a Paul Simon influence here, and why wouldn't there be? Hammond's old band, Family Dogg, were heavy on vocal harmony and folk rock, just like Simon's Simon and Garfunkel.

And Paul Simon had just recently released two albums that took that folk rock and vocal styling and incorporated world and ethnic music.

Simon's first solo album (post Simon and Garfunkel break-up) "Paul Simon" (1972) started his affair with various world music styles. The albums included  Latin, jazz, blues and reggae (with the song "Mother and Child Reunion", recorded in Kingston, Jamaica).

Hi next album "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" released in May 1973 contained a lot of gospel, Dixieland jazz, soul and R&B stylings.

Both, but especially the first have a sound that Hammond uses here.

And, again, why not?

They both did well in the charts. The former went to #4US, #1UK, #5 Australia, #3 Spain in 1972 (the single "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" hit  #22US, #15UK 1972) whilst the latter went to #2US and #4UK in 1973.

Also, at the time,  Johnny Nash had Jamaican reggae sounds in his big hit from 1972 "I Can See Clearly Now"  (#1US, #1UK, #3 Australia, #1 Canada),

The co-producer of this (Hammond) album, Roy Halee, co-produced those two Paul Simon albums.

Roy Halee was co-producer, engineer on four Simon and Garfunkel albums and a friend of both. He also produced Laura Nyro at the time as well as working as an engineer on albums for The Cyrkle, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Byrds and Sagittarius  (and others).

He was well versed in folk rock and folk pop.

How he ended up with Hammond I don't know (who head hunted who?) but I suspect Hammond wanted him.

Hammond was not adverse to world sounds even if he hadn't explored them yet in any depth. Being a Gibraltarian and exposed to US pop, rock and folk, English pop, Spanish music, various localised Mediterranean sounds as well as having lived in the US and travelled the continent exclusively he was bound to be a bucket of world music influences, or at least, not adverse to them. 

And, I note that, not surprisingly this album was recorded in San Francisco , Los Angeles, and Kingston, Jamaica.

Halee is central to Hammond on this album but so is another "H", Michael Hazlewood, the co-writer of all the tracks on the album.

Hazlewood was a long time friend and collaborator of Hammonds. He founded the group The Family Dogg, together with Albert Hammond and Steve Rowland, in 1966 and he recorded a a couple of singles with Hammond as a duo called (errr) Hammond-Hazlewood in 1969 ("Hey Love Let Me In",  "Broken Hearts Brigade"). Family Dogg  broke up in 1972 and Hammond went solo but Hazlewood continued to write with him. He co-wrote all the tracks on Hammonds first two solo albums (including the Hammonds best known songs, and hits, "It Never Rains in Southern California" and "The Free Electric Band").

Hammond was clearly comfortable with him.

After this Hazlewood would co-write songs with Hammond from time to time (or perhaps they were old songs) but Hammond was always comfortable when writing a song with someone else and had good  taste in picking out the right partners – Hal David, Carole Bayer Sager, Leo Sayer, and Hazlewood.

He and Hazlewood  also wrote songs for others including "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee (#16US, #2UK 1968), "Make Me an Island" for the Irish singer Joe Dolan (#2 Ireland, #3UK 1969) and "The Air That I Breathe" for Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers, for his 1973 solo album "Star Spangled Springer" (subsequently a hit for the Hollies in 1974, UK#1, US#6). Hazlewood also wrote solo for others including "Southern Lady", which was recorded by Rita Coolidge in 1977.

He is so important his picture is features on the inner sleeve of this album.

I'm not taking anything away from Hammond who is good enough to hold his own but I'm pointing out that music is a collaborative process around a central spark, and, the spark here is Hammond.

There ma be a Paul Simon influence but the introspection, symphonic pop, soft rock and drama are pure Hammond.

It's not quite as folksy as James Taylor, or as soulful as Carole King, or as rustic as John Stewart, or as folkie as Arlo Guthrie, or as world hippie as Jessie Colin Young, or as earnest as Joni Mitchell, or as (bombastically) dramatic as Neil Diamond, or as catchy as Paul Simon, or as emotional as Jimmy Webb, or as country as Mickey Newbury, or as contemplative as David Ackles, or as poppy as Elton John, or as clean as John Denver but there are elements of all of them, and that is more than enough, and ultimately, endearing..

You have to love the sleeve art also. A needle point by artist Delana Betolli. I only point that out because I like needlepoint, and, alas, it is another craft that has been marginalised as paper shuffling in boardrooms and sitting behind office tables becomes the female pursuit of choice (apparently).

Tracks (best in italics)

      Side One

  • Half A Million Miles From Home – this sounds like something but I can't put my finger on it (a John Denver song?), though the lyrical progression at the start reminds me a little of "MacArthur Park". It's a good song. Rustically evocative regardless of the strings and things.
  • I Don't Wanna Die In An Air Disaster – what a song title! Not, specifically about an air disaster but about wishing to avoid pointless death and growing old. It is similar to very Paul Simon generally and similar to his song "Duncan" specifically. A good song that works on it's own.
  • Dime Queen Of Nevada – similar to Paul Simon's "Mother Child and Reunion", right down to the pace and phrasing. Still, it's good but, then again, so was Simon's song.
  • New York City Here I Come – now Hammond has invaded Simon's home turf. But, this is a wonderfully crafted and contemplative folk pop song with city sounds introduced in the end.
  • The Girl They Call The Cool Breeze – This is copyrighted 1968 so I assume Hammond and Hazlewood wrote it then. This is Jamaican flavoured pop and light as but very catchy especially if you are in a Jimmy Buffet mood.

      Side Two

  • I'm A Train – first recorded in 1967 by French group Les Troubadours as "La chaîne" and then in English by Colors of Love from England in 1968. Another fun song. It is faux folk pop with shades of Simon and Garfunkel and The Kingston Trio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_a_Train
  • Names, Tags, Numbers & Labels – This is a new version of a song from Hamilton's "It Never Rains in Southern California" album from 1972. This is slick, big sounding , full bodied singer songwriter goes symphonic.
  • Fountain Avenue – Hammond in melancholic mood. Like a folkie singer songwriter version of a 50s Sinatra song.
  • We're Running Out – more Caribbean bounce.
  • Candle Light, Sweet Candle Light – a slight Carib feel though the song is quite slight.
  • Mary Hot Lips Arizona – very Arlo Guthrie. Great observations that sum up a time and a place. Evocative.

And …

This doesn't have the big hits but this is as good as Hammond's first two albums and maybe a little better. A small treasure … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1973 "Half a Million Miles from Home"  #87US  (#26  adult contemporary US)

1974  "I'm a Train"  #31 (#15  adult contemporary US)

1974 "I Don't Wanna Die In an Air Disaster"  #81 US

Album

—

England

Nothing

Sounds

Half A Million Miles From Home

mp3 attached

I Don't Wanna Die In An Air Disaster 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQe9x_7nMvg

Dime Queen Of Nevada 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXGBG5NkpBU

New York City Here I Come 

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMS7X12bFHw

live recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMrKmeo34ds

The Girl They Call The Cool Breeze 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BDauGkOHAs

I'm A Train 

live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwdvbREwwDc

live recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7FL9Iz9GQc

Names, Tags, Numbers & Labels 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlhpaIOC0vk

live recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ3Dx06L91Q

Fountain Avenue 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0aoMEy0fzg

We're Running Out 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V72CZLQEaYc

Candle Light, Sweet Candle Light 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iY7c8X6MfU

Mary Hot Lips Arizona

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpN2csZ0mpE

live recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU2ownYSiRI

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmq4WIjQxp0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKlUfVb90Y

Review

https://www.allmusic.com/album/albert-hammond-mw0000844544

Bio

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/albert-hammond-mn0000933781/biography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hammond

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hazlewood

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Halee

https://www.historyofrecording.com/royhalee.html

Website

http://www.alberthammond.net/

https://www.facebook.com/AlbertHammondOfficial/

Trivia

  • Personnel: Arranged By – Ernie Freeman, Jack Schroer, Jimmy Haskell / Backing Vocals – Edwin Hawkins Singers / Banjo – Tommy Tedesco / Bass – Joe Osborn  / Bongos – Armando Peraza / Drums – Hal Blaine, Jimmy Gordon / Guitar – Albert Hammond, Jay Lewis, Larry Carlton, Neal Schoen / Horns – Jack Schroer / Keyboards – Jim Hobson / Alto Saxophone – Bill Green / Piano – Larry Knechtel, Michael Omartian / Rhythm Section – The Jamaican Rhythm Section / Steel Drums – Andy Nerell  / Strings – Sid Sharp / Synthesizer [Moog] – Bernie Krause / Vibraphone – Victor Feldman. Producer – Albert Hammond and Roy Halee with the exception of B2 produced by Albert Hammond, Don Altfeld and Roy Halee.
  • The English version has a different sleeve, running order and an extra song, "Everything I Want To Do" (a new version of a song from Hamilton's "The Free Electric Band" from 1973).
  • Hammond only charted once more in the US  after this album , in 1974 with "99 Miles from L.A."  #91US  (#1  adult contemporary US) and never in the UK. But he was incredible popular on the continent where he also sang Spanish language songs.
  • Another Simon and Garfunkel link : Art Garfunkel covered "99 Miles from L.A." for his 1975 album "Breakaway".

Albert Hammond - Albert Hammond - US inner sleeve          Albert Hammond - Albert Hammond - UK sleeve          Albert Hammond - Albert Hammond - UK sleeve - back

 

Posted in Folk Rock, Rock & Pop, Singer Songwriter | Tagged | Leave a comment

SKY KING – Secret Sauce – (Columbia) – 1975

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Franko

Sky King - Secret Sauce

There was a time when jazz was a music for the masses and not just for music students, pretentious middle class wankers or enthusiastic Europeans.

At various times in its history: in its Dixie heyday, ragtime, cool jazz or lounge stylings it was very popular and broad reaching but it was in its jazz rock bastardised style that it had its biggest reach on pop tastes and sensibilities.

To be sure it was never going to rival the big pop stars but it die make the jazz on a regular basis.

Okay … it’s not really jazz but it is rock played by jazz musicians who have brought some of their jazz stylings, patterns and structures to the rock world

Jazz rock is variously defined as:

"Jazz fusion (also known as fusion) is a musical genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyboards that were popular in rock and roll started to be used by jazz musicians, particularly those who had grown up listening to rock and roll." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_fusion#Jazz_rock

“Jazz-rock first emerged during the late '60s as an attempt to fuse the visceral power of rock with the musical complexity and improvisational fireworks of jazz. Since rock often emphasized directness and simplicity over virtuosity, jazz-rock generally grew out of the most artistically ambitious rock subgenres of the late '60s and early '70s: psychedelia, progressive rock, and the singer/songwriter movement”. https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/jazz-rock-ma0000012014

There were different types of jazz rock:

  • Singer-songwriter jazz rock: the mellower more cerebral side of jazz relying on vocal, as well as instrumental, improvisation (Tim Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison).
  • higher-energy jam oriented rock bands borrowing jazz harmonies and instruments for their extended and technical rock-flavoured improvisations (Santana, Traffic)
  • jazz-flavoured R&B or pop songs that use the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic sensibilities of jazz, but were more pop oriented and less interested in improvisation or instrumental virtuosity (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Steely Dan, (some) Sly & the Family Stone, (some)(later) Rascals, (some) Colours).
  • Experimental: those who used jazz's complexity to expand rock's musical horizons in instrumental technique and in composition (usually quirky and often dense and challenging) (Frank Zappa, the Soft Machine).
  • A mix of some or all of the above (Miles Davis, The Headhunters, Chick Corea and Return to Forever, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, (some) Jeff Beck)

Acts like Blood Sweat and Tears and early Chicago (when they were the Chicago Transit Authority) were the chart leaders but many other bands played, to various degrees, jazz rock: Chase, Pacific Gas & Electric, The Third Eye, Lighthouse, The Flock, Electric Flag, Ides of March, Tower of Power, and New Heavenly Blue. The styles also affected many singer songwriters, most notably Tim Buckley and Joni Mitchell.

Sky King formed in Ann Arbor Michigan in about 1974 and were a bit late in the piece, the style being pretty much dead by the date of this their first and only album in 1975.

Their nucleus ((Chris Brubeck, David Mason, Peter Ruth) had all played together in “New Heavenly Blue" who had released two albums, "Educated Homegrown” (1970) and “New Heavenly Blue” (1972).

And, true to anything to do with jazz … the musicians, all know¸ and have played with each other, and, have played on many records as session musicians. Musical family trees in jazz are akin to a bowl of spaghetti …and jazz rock trees are no exception.

Chris Brubeck: A multi-instrumentalist (fretless electric bass, bass trombone, piano), vocalist, composer and orchestrator, and the son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck, born March 19, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. His resume includes stints in The Brubeck LaVerne Trio, New Heavenly Blue, Sky King, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, The New Brubeck Quartet, Triple Play, and Two Generations Of Brubeck

David Mason: an American guitarist / violinist / vocalist from NYC (not to be confused with English guitarist Dave Mason) who had worked with Dave Brubeck in the early 1970s as well as being a member in “New Heavenly Blue”.

Rick Jacobi: guitar. Ostensibly a commercial artist he only seems to have played in this band.

Chris Coan: vocals. Coan seems to have come from theatre with no musical band experience prior to this.

Richie Morales: a jazz drummer who had played with Dave Brubeck (in Two Generations of Brubeck) and many others.

Guest and sometime member:

Peter "Madcat" Ruth: is an American harmonica player, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, born in Chicago 1949. He played with Dave Brubeck, was in New Heavenly Blue, and done a lot of session work with people like Bootsy Collins, Ken Nordine, and Blackfoot

For this debut album they added:

the full horn section from Oakland, California’s R&B-based soul, jazz and funk band “Tower of Power” (Stephen MacKenzie Kupka: saxophonist and composer, Emilio Castillo: saxophonist, Lenny Pickett : alto and tenor saxophonist), Greg Adams: Trumpet, Flugelhorn)

as well as:

Jerry Bergonzi: Jazz saxophonist, who had played with Dave Brubeck in Two Generations of Brubeck

Perry Robinson: a free jazz and klezmer clarinettist who was in many jazz groups including the Galaxie Dream Band in the 70s,and Two Generations of Brubeck with Chris Brubeck and Peter Ruth. He has done much session work as well as solo.

Lee Pastora: a conga player who has done much session work with jazz acts (especially Don Ellis) and rock bands.

Joshie Armstead: backing vocalist. In the early 1960's she was a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue as one of the original Ikettes. From 1964 -1967 she was part of a songwriting team with Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, co-writing songs such as 'Let's Go Get Stoned' and 'I Don't Need No Doctor' by Ray Charles)

Maretha Stewart: backing vocalist. She is a singer and voice actress, known for The Wiz , Schoolhouse Rock! and The Muppets. She has done much session work and is perhaps best known for her improvised backing vocals on the track "If Dogs Run Free" from Bob Dylan’s “New Morning”.

Cissy Houston:  backing vocalist. The legendary Cissy (mother of Whitney and sometimes Elvis backup singer), vocalist in The Drinkard Singers and the Sweet Inspirations as well as a lot of solo pop and gospel.

The music is really jazz rock circa 1972 though incorporating folk, blues, jazz, country, funk and experimental asides.

The album was produced by Martyn Ford and an uncredited Steve Cropper (tracks: A1 to A4, B1, B3). Guitarist rick Jacobi says, “By the way, most of the album was actually recorded and produced by Steve Cropper at his studio in Memphis. He recorded us for free on spec (including paying for us to stay at a motel for two weeks), and eventually sold the material to Columbia. We finished the recording in NY at Columbia's "A" studio; Martyn Ford was assigned to produce us, and we more or less steamrollered right over him as much as possible. Cropper really deserves most of the credit, but as I recall, he and Columbia were kind of "on the outs" at the time. Cropper was a super-nice guy, and a real pleasure to work and hang out with”.

http://tcsoldnewmusicreview.blogspot.com/2007/11/sky-king-secret-sauce.html

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

  • Secret Sauce – (Chris Brubeck, Chris Coan, David R. Mason, Peter "Madcat" Ruth, Richie Morales, Rick Jacobi) –  like a cross between Miles Davis (if he played guitar) and Jerry Reed, which isn't a strange as it may sound. All the old school country guitarists could and did play jazz. This is particularly crazed though with a lot of Jerry Reed (and a touch of Isaac Hayes "Shaft") in the result. Excellent
  • People, People, People – (Chris Brubeck, David R. Mason) – A statement of faith for the band and some (early) 70s political sentiments, again, with some country asides. Jazz harmonica anyone?
  • Looking Forward – (Chris Brown) –  I assume this is their attempt at a more commercial song but, even then, it is not radio friendly. There is too much happening, but I like it.
  • Makes Me Feel So Good – (Chris Brubeck) – this is the Kinks (backed by the Mike Cotton Sound) at their most Vaudevillian, so, I like it. The lyric may be dodgy though.
  • Don´t Be Afraid (Of What You Don´t Understand) – (Chris Brubeck, David R. Mason, Richie Morales, Rick Jacobi) – Not too bad, with an emphasis on the instrumental pyrotechnics.

Side Two

  • Hot Mustard – (Chris Brubeck, David R. Mason, Rick Jacobi) – a jazz rock work out with some country boogie thrown in. Excellent.
  • Still In Love – (Chris Brubeck) –  a bit smoother with a dullish vocal line
  • Why Don´t You Take Us – (Chris Brubeck) – ha, quite funny a song about a band in the music business. The female backing vocalists are prominent on this one … and they are great.
  • Pedro – (Instrumental) – (Chris Brubeck, David R. Mason, Richie Morales, Rick Jacobi) – not too bad.
  • Special Place – (Chris Brubeck, David R. Mason, Rick Jacobi) – quite an upbeat sentiment to end the album.

And …

I lean to vocalists and where instruments support them. This, like a lot of jazz rock, leans to the instrumentalists but there is an energy. It is really very good, if not excellent (though tiring). My small selection of jazz rock has grown by one record … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where

Sounds

Full album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suQvNk8Y4oY

Secret Sauce

mp3 attached

People, People, People

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-YloTAyex0

Hot Mustard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCa6TUt854c

Why Don't You Take Us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNcY-rjCtk4

Pedro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUSmP-u8P9o

Others

—

Review

http://tcsoldnewmusicreview.blogspot.com/2007/11/sky-king-secret-sauce.html

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brubeck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Madcat_Ruth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Power#Stephen_Kupka

Website

http://www.brubeckmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chris.coan

http://www.myspace.com/rickjacobi

Trivia

  • Personnel: Chris Brubeck (Dave Brubeck, the jazz great's, son) – Bass, Trombone, Piano, Vocals / David Ross Mason – Guitar, Bass, Vocals / Rick (R.J.) Jacobi – Guitar, Bass, Vocals / Richie Morales – Drums, Percussion, Vocals / Chris Coan – Lead Vocals / Guests: Peter (Madcat) Ruth – Harp, Jews Harp, Vocals / Lee Pastora – Congas, Bongos / Jerry Bergozi – Saxes / Perry Robinson – Clarinet / Lenny Pickett – Sax, Flute / Emillo Castillo – Sax / Stephen Kupka – Sax / Joshie Armstead, Maretha Stewart, Cissy Houston – Vocals
  • They were working on a second album which was never released. “Hey Tom, Chris Coan here (lead singer for Sky King) Thanks for bringing back the first album, Secret Sauce. I'd also love to get my hands on the second album, Another Son is Rising. I really needed a digital copy of the songs. Hey, if you listen carefully to the title rack (Secret Sauce) and note where I scream really ultra high, right after that, there is a burp. They kept it in. Very funny. Recording with the Tower of Power horn section was a gas too. All the best, Chris” http://tcsoldnewmusicreview.blogspot.com/2007/11/sky-king-secret-sauce.html
  • Chris Brubeck and Peter Ruth are still together in a band called “Triple Play”

 

Sky King - concert

Posted in Jazz Rock Fusion | Tagged | Leave a comment