Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ask Mr. Music By Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2010


DEAR JERRY: I don't think I ever heard anything by Paul Revere and the Raiders until they became regulars on Dick Clark's “Where the Action Is” television show. Every time I saw them perform, they featured lead singer Mark Lindsay doing “Louie Louie,” “Steppin' Out,” and others. So it was surprising when I recently read that most of their early records were instrumentals.

Perhaps they were an instrumental band only because they didn't have a singer, until Mark joined?

How many instrumental records did they release before “Louie Louie”? What are the titles?
—Sharon Portnoy, Jamaica, N.Y.


DEAR SHARON: The instantaneous answer is eight singles, though not all of those have instrumentals on both sides, as you shall see.

One of those vocals should be of special interest to you, as it's all about “Sharon.”

All vocals feature Mark Lindsay, who was with the band from their very first record. He also played saxophone.

In order of release, here is the list you seek:

1960: “Beatnik Sticks”/“Orbit (The Spy) (Gardena 106)
1961: “Unfinished Fifth”/“Paul Revere's Ride” (Gardena 115)
1961: “Like, Long Hair”/“Sharon” (Gardena 116)
1961: “Like, Charleston”/“Midnite Ride” (Gardena 118)
1962: “All Night Long”/“Groovey” (Gardena 123)
1962: “Like, Bluegrass”/“Leatherneck” (Gardena 127)
1962: “Tall Cool One”/“Roadrunner” (Gardena 137)
1963: “Blues Stay Away”/“So Fine” (Jerden 807)

Of these 16 pre-Louie tunes, four are vocals: “Paul Revere's Ride”; “Sharon”; “Midnite Ride”; and “So Fine,” leaving a dozen instrumentals.

When Paul Revere (his real name) first approached Gardena Records, appropriately located in Gardena, Calif., the owner, John Guss, suggested they change their name to take advantage of Paul's famous name.

According to Revere: “When he [Guss] found out my name was Paul Revere, he said: “What a perfect gimmick. You gotta use that name!”

“At first, we tried Paul Revere and the Night Riders, but that was rejected as sounding too much like a country group. We settled on Paul Revere and the Raiders, which appeared on our first Gardena single - a boogie-woogie version of “Chopsticks“ that Guss dubbed “Beatnik Sticks.”

Their debut single did quite well in several west coast markets, but not much nationally. In 1961, their third single, “Like Long Hair,” a piano-led rocker inspired by Rachmaninoff's “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor,” made the national Top 40.

Three of the Gardena tracks, “Beatnik Sticks”; ”Like Long Hair“; and “Midnite Ride,” plus all of their Top 100 Columbia hits, are found on

“The Legend of Paul Revere,” a 55-track, double CD package (Columbia C2K-45311).

In early November 1963, dissimilar versions of “Louie Louie” hit the market by Paul Revere and the Raiders and by the Kingsmen.

The Kingsmen's track became the No. 1 party song of all time, relegating the excellent waxing by the Raiders to a spot among 1960s music trivia questions.


DEAR JERRY: In the late 1960s, one of my family's soundtrack albums included a downright absurd track — one I don't think even has any lines that rhyme.

Among other things, this girl is rambling on about meeting a boy from Brooklyn, falling in love, then losing his address. I think she also mentions him looking a lot like George Harrison.
—Tamara Smith, York, Pa.


DEAR TAMARA: Absurd pretty well describes “Frank Mills,” one of the songs from the show ”Hair (The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical).” Frank Mills is both the title as well as the boy being sung about.

Many variations of “Hair” exist — numerous cast performances plus a film soundtrack — nearly all of which include “Frank Mills.”

From one cast to another, it is usually a different actress cast as Crissy and singing “Frank Mills.” Among the best known Crissys are: Shelley Plimpton (1967 Off Broadway Cast and 1968 Original Broadway Cast); Sonja Kristina (1969 Original London Cast); Kristen Vigard (1977 Broadway Revival Cast); Suzette Charles (1979 Original Soundtrack Album); and Allison Case (2009 Broadway Revival Cast).

Though cut from the final edit of the film, “Frank Mills” is included on the Original Soundtrack Album (RCA Victor CBL2-3274).


IZ ZAT SO? Shortly after the 1967-'68 off- and on-Broadway success of ”Hair,“ a Canadian singer named Frank Mills came up with several hits, including ”Love Me, Love Me Love”; “Poor Little Fool”; “Peter Piper;” and the Top 3 instrumental smash, “Music Box Dancer.”


Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column.  Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368  E-mail: jpo@olympus.net  Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com.  

 
All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.
Copyright 2010 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission





Music News & Notes

A DAY TO REMEMBER and Altpress.com Reveal New Album Cover

A Day To Remember will be releasing their new album, 'What Separates Me From You', on November 16th.

Don’t miss A Day To Remember’s headlining run with Underoath and Victory label mates Close Your Eyes beginning November 2nd in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Tour Dates:

11/02 - House of Blues - Myrtle Beach, SC
11/03 - Disco Rodeo - Raleigh, NC
11/04 - NORVA - Norfolk, VA
11/05 - Asbury Park Convention Center - Asbury Park, NJ
11/06 - Crocodile Rock - Allentown, PA
11/08 - Northern Lights - Clifton Park, NY
11/09 - Mid Hudson Civic Center - Poughkeepsie, NY
11/10 - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI
11/12 - Headliners - Toledo, OH
11/13 - Expo Five - Louisville, KY
11/14 - Orbit - Grand Rapids, MI
11/16 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
11/17 - Pop’s - Sauget, IL
11/18 - Val Air Ballroom - Des Moines, IA
11/19 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
11/21 - Club 101 - El Paso, TX
11/22 - The East Side Drive In - Austin, TX
11/23 - Las Palmas Race Park - Mission, TX
11/27 - Rocketown - Nashville, TN
11/28 - New Daisy Theatre - Memphis, TN

For more information, please visit: www.myspace.com/adaytoremember.

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R.E.M. Re-Teams with Jacknife Lee for New Album; New Album Due Spring 2011

R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, and bassist Mike Mills have just finished recording their 15th studio album, which will be released in Spring 2011 by Warner Bros. Records. The band has re-teamed with Grammy Award-winning producer Jacknife Lee, who produced R.E.M.’s acclaimed previous album 'Accelerate'. He is also noted for his work on albums by U2, Snow Patrol, The Hives, and indie stalwarts Kasabian, The Editors, Aqualung, and Bloc Party.

R.E.M. and Lee have been recording in New Orleans at the Music Shed and in Berlin at the famed Hansa Studios, where several legendary albums, including David Bowie’s Heroes, U2’s Achtung Baby, and Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life, were made. Additional recording and mixing was done at the venerable Blackbird Studio in Nashville.

The new album will be the follow-up to 2008’s charging 'Accelerate', which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, topped the Alternative, Rock, Digital, and Internet (physical goods) charts in the U.S., and debuted at No. 1 in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. It spawned three hit singles “Supernatural Superserious,” “Hollow Man,” and “Man-Sized Wreath.” The band also released a two-CD live set, entitled R.E.M. Live At The Olympia, last October.

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(HED)p.e. reveal cover art and tracklisting for TRUTH RISING

Hed)pe have revealed the cover art and track listing for their upcoming new studio album "Truth Rising", which lands in stores October 26th through Suburban Noize. The album is currently available for pre-order with an exclusive 5-song "Skull & Bonus” CD, which also contains a 30 minute interview with Jahred discussing The Truth Movement, online at this location.

"When I titled the album 'Truth Rising', I immediately had the image of a phoenix rising from like a war torn city for the cover art," commented Jahred. "I think it perfectly symbolizes the message of this album which is the pursuit of true knowledge, not just condemning the government. When people start to learn the truth about self empowerment and the power of love and fear, then we as a civilization can rise above the war, poverty and hate that has been ruling this planet for centuries."

With the release of “Truth Rising” (Hed)pe has their sights firmly set on the New World Order and they are using their brand of hardcore to bring it down. While early (Hed)pe albums found them mixed up in the rock n’ roll lifestyle, the group have been reborn to become the voice for a movement that empowers the youth and uncovers the seedy underbelly of current political affairs. Always pushing the envelope, (Hed)pe stays true to form on their new album and earmark it with their signature brand of raunchy tracks to round out the mix.

The track listing for "Truth Rising" is as follows:

1. Silence is Betrayal
2. Truth Rising
3. It's All Over
4. The Capitalist Conspiracy
5. No Rest For The Wicked
6. This Fire
7. Takeover
8. Stand Up
9. Beijo Na Boca
10. Menina
11. Universal Peace
12. Forward Go!
13. Bad News
14. Deepthroat
15. Murder
16. The Hed Honcho
17. Children of the Fall
18. Enough Secrecy
19. No More Secrets
20. Whitehouse
21. We Are the Ones
22. It's Alright!

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Leonard Skinner Passes Away

Leonard Skinner, the no-nonsense basketball coach and gym teacher at Jacksonville, Florida's Robert E. Lee High School in the 1960s, whose name is forever linked with legendary rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, passed away early Monday morning at 77 years old.

Born Forby Leonard Skinner, the gym teacher infamously enforced the school's draconian dress code on his students, including Lynyrd Skynyrd founder and late vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Writes local paper The Florida-Times Union, "The story goes this way: The band named itself in a smart-aleck tribute to the basketball coach and gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School, the tough guy who sent some of the musicians to the assistant principal's office because their hair was too long - it touched their collars in the back."

Upon hearing the news of the passing of his band's namesake, Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington has written on the band's site, "Coach Skinner had such a profound impact on our youth that ultimately led us to naming the band, which you know as Lynyrd Skynyrd, after him. Looking back, I cannot imagine it any other way. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time."

Christmas Comes Early For Bing & Bowie Fans


Christmas Comes Early For Bing & Bowie Fans

7” Vinyl Single of Bing Crosby/David Bowie Duet Of
The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth


New Release From The Bing Crosby Archive



November 9th – Collectors’ Choice Music


Having sold hundreds of millions of records in the pre MP3 era, it is only natural that Bing Crosby return for the Holidays with a brand new vinyl release, a 7” single of the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth backed with a 1953 Bing Crosby/Ella Fitzgerald duet of White Christmas. This limited-edition release will be manufactured on red vinyl as befitting the season. Suggested Retail Price: $7.98

This iconic duet comes from Bing’s final special, taped just five weeks before his death in 1977, Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas. This special can be found in the forth-coming, November 9th, Infinity Entertainment Group DVD release, BING CROSBY: THE TELEVISION SPECIALS – Volume Two: The Christmas Specials. Included in this premiere, four-hour plus, two-disc collection are Bing’s first holiday special; his first color special; Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas from 1971 and Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas. All four specials are presented in their original uncut and are all making their DVD debut. Bonus Material includes: Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank Show, a 1957 holiday episode of The Frank Sinatra Show filmed in color, and out-takes from the 1962 Bing Crosby Christmas special with Mary Martin. Approximate Running Time: 268 Minutes. Suggested Retail Price: $29.98

The Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet will also be part of the up-coming CD release BING CROSBY: THE CROSBY CHRISTMAS SESSIONS. This 19-track collection from Collectors’ Choice Music is the first new significant Crosby Christmas Collection in decades, featuring ten previously unreleased Yuletide recordings. Song highlights include rare versions of White Christmas; It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas; Jingle Bells, Here Comes Santa Claus (with Peggy Lee); Silent Night, duets with Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald and of course, Crosby/Bowie’s The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth. Suggested Retail Price: $13.98

Collectors’ Choice Music feels honored to be the distributor of releases direct from the Bing Crosby Archive. Earlier this year, Collector’s Choice reissued three Bing Crosby Classic Albums in Deluxe Editions (Seasons, Return To Paradise Islands and El Senor Bing), a previously unreleased album (On The Sentimental Side), a new compilation (Bing On Broadway), and a 2-CD Set of Crosby Rarities (So Rare: Treasures From The Crosby Archives).

Bing Crosby remains the most recorded performer in history, during his lifetime (1903 – 1977) he made over 2000 commercial recordings including White Christmas, the best selling record of all time. The Guinness Book of World Records reports worldwide sales for Crosby’s recording of the song at over 100 million copies. White Christmas has entered the American pop charts twenty separate times.

To date, Bing Crosby has sold close to one billion records, tapes, compact discs and digital downloads around the world. He may be the biggest selling recording artist of all time. Only The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson can rival his sales figures. He scored 38 number one records – more than The Beatles (24) and Elvis Presley (18). His recordings reached the charts 396 times - more than Frank Sinatra (209) and Elvis Presley (149) combined.

# # #
http://www.bingcrosby.com/

http://www.collectorschoice.com/  http://www.infinity-entertainment.com/



This Date In Music History - September 22

Birthdays:

David Coverdale - Whitesnake, Deep Purple (1949)

Mark Panker - American Music Club (1952)

Richard Fairbrass - Right Said Fred (1953)

Debby Boone - daughter of 50's singer Pat Boone. In 1977, she spent ten weeks at #1 on the US singles chart with "You Light Up My Life." Ever get soooo tired of a song that you never want to hear it again? Well, this is mine (1956)

June Forester - Forester Sisters (1956)

Johnette Napolitano - Concrete Blond (1957)

Nick Cave (1957)

Peter Jones - Public Image Ltd (1957)

Joan Jett - Runaways (1960)



Mystikal (Michael Tyler) (1975)


They Are Missed:

In 1981, American composer Harry Warren died (age 88). Wrote over 800 songs including "I Only Have Eyes For You," (a hit for The Flamingos and Art Garfunkel), "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "Jeepers Creepers," "That's Amore" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Warren's songs have been featured in over 300 films.

Irving Berlin died at the age of 101 in 1989.


History:

In 1943, Kate Smith finished her War Bond radio appeal. She had stayed on the air 13 continuous hours and collected $39 million in bond pledges.

In 1958, after receiving special permission from the US Army, Elvis Presley gave one last press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn. He then joined the rest of the 3rd Armored Division on the USS General Randall for a voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany.

The Beatles played at the Indra Club, Grosse Freiheit, Hamburg, West Germany in 1960.

Johnny Cash played the first of two nights at The White Horse Academy, Trenton, New Jersey in 1962.

In 1962, the Springfields (Dusty Springfield, her brother Tom and their friend, Tim Field) had "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," enter the US Top 20 and became the first British vocal group to chart that high in America.

Bob Dylan made his first appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1962.

"Fiddler on the Roof" opened on Broadway in 1964. It was the beginning of a staggering run of 3,242 performances.

In 1965, San Francisco band The Great Society, featuring Grace Slick and her husband Darby, make their live debut at The Coffee Gallery, North Beach, California.

While on a short Scandinavian tour in 1965, vocalist Roger Daltrey punches out drummer Keith Moon. The incident nearly gets Daltrey tossed out of The Who.

The Supremes recorded "I Hear A Symphony" in 1965.

"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby?" was released by the Rolling Stones in 1966.

The Beatles appeared (as an abstract drawing) on the cover of TIME magazine in 1967.

The Doors appeared on the Murray the K show on WPIX-TV in New York City in 1967 performing "People Are Strange" and "Light My Fire."



In 1969, a new weekly TV show 'The Music Scene' aired on ABC for the first time. Stevie Wonder Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Tom Jones, Cass Elliot, James Brown, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone were all booked to appear on the show.

David Bowie kicked of the North American leg of his Ziggy Stardust world tour at the Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio in 1972.

The Rolling Stones scored their eighth UK #1 album in 1973 when 'Goats Head Soup' started a two-week run at the top of the charts. Also a US #1.

In 1979, Jackson Browne, Chaka Khan, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Tom Petty, appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York for two anti-nuclear benefit shows.

Def Leppard had their first major live review when UK music weekly Melody Maker reviewed a gig the band had played in Wolverhampton in 1979. With a 15 year-old drummer, the band had just released their debut 3-track single.

In 1979, Joe Walsh announced his bid for the US presidency (sadly, he didn't win - we got Reagan instead)

Geffen Records was formed in 1980.

John Lennon signed with Geffen Records in 1980.

During a UK comeback tour in 1983, the Everly Brothers appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In the audience: Paul, Linda, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Mickey Dolenz.

Former lead singer of the Babies, John Waite went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with "Missing You."

Missing You - John Waite with Ringo Starr's All Starr Band


In 1985, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty all appeared at the first Farm Aid concert. The event to help small farmers in the US was held at the Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, Champaign.

In 1990, Garth Brooks album 'No Fences' entered the US album chart. It went on to become the biggest selling country album of all time and sold over 13m copies in the first five years of release.

Nirvana played their biggest gig to date in 1990 when they appeared at the Motor Sports International Garage in Seattle. Drummer Dave Grohl who would audition for the band in a few days time was in the audience of 15,000 people.

Def Leppard were forced to cancel two US shows in 1992 after their sound-equipment truck was found abandoned, after one of the bands driver's had attempted to rob a store. The driver was later charged of possessing drugs and criminal damage.

Also in 1992 - "MTV Unplugged" renamed one episode "MTV Plugged" when Bruce Springsteen played an electric set on the show.

The album "Psycho-Circus" by KISS was released in 1998.

In 1999, Diana Ross was arrested on Concorde after an incident at Heathrow Airport. The singer claimed that a female security guard had touched her breasts when being frisked; Ross retaliated by rubbing her hands down the security guard. Sounds kinky to me....

‘A Tribute to Heroes’ was aired commercial-free on most of the major US TV networks in 2001. The live program was organized to raise money following the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and New York’s World Trade Center. Neil Young, Tom Petty, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, U2, Limp Bizkit, Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam all performed. Manning the telephones to take pledges were celebrities including Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie Hawn, Robin Williams, Meg Ryan, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kurt Russell, Adam Sandler and many more.

In 2004, the man once known as Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam was denied U.S. entry when a match is made between him and a name on the Homeland Security watch list. He was on a flight from London to Washington D.C. Stevens abandoned his career in the late ‘70s after becoming a Muslim convert.

Jimmy Page was made an honorary citizen of Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro in 2005 for his work helping its street children. The Led Zeppelin guitarist had opened Casa Jimmy (Jimmy's House) in 1998 which had so far supported more than 300 children.

In 2006, the Big Bopper was posthumously honored with a historical marker in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas.

In 2006, Neil Young was named Artist of the Year at the Americana Music Association's fifth annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The event recognizes outstanding achievements in Blues, Bluegrass , Folk, Country and other forms of American roots music.

In 2007, The Game was given a conditional discharge at Manhattan's Criminal Court after being charged with impersonating a police officer. Police said the star told a cab driver he was an undercover officer, ordering him to run several red lights. The rapper (real name Jayceon Taylor), claimed the cab driver noticed they were being followed and asked who was in the car, He said he told the driver they were the hip-hop police, and the driver decided on his own to run the red lights.

Also in 2007, Britney Spears was charged with hit-and-run and driving without a valid licence after she was accused of hitting a parked car and driving away from a Los Angeles car park on 6 August. The owner of the car filed an accident report on 9 August at the North Hollywood Community Police Station. The city attorney's office did not know whether Ms Spears' car had been damaged, nor did he know the extent of damage to the other car.