Jerry Leiber, R.I.P.

On August 22, 2011, the voice of Jerry Leiber was stilled forever.  Yet, although Mr. Leiber was a legend in the world of music, it was not his voice for which he was best known, but his words.  Jerry Leiber (on the left in the book cover graphic above) was the lyrics half of the legendary songwriting team Leiber and Stoller.  Even those unfamiliar with either name are surely familiar with their music, with the possible exception of those who have been hiding under a rock for the last sixty years.

Actually, it was sixty-one years ago, to be exact, when the 17-year-old Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller first met.  Within just a few years, the partners already had a couple of hits under their composers' belt, most notably "Kansas City" (aka "K.C. Loving") and "Hound Dog," by Wilbert Harrison and Big Mama Thornton, respectively.  Before the decade was over, the Leiber and Stoller team would pen a number of songs that would go on to become classics, for groups such as The Drifters ("Fools Fall In Love"), The Coasters ("Charlie Brown," "Poison Ivy," "Yakety Yak"), and The Cheers ("Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots").  They also wrote several tunes for Elvis Presley after Presley made their "Hound Dog" one of his earliest hits (Presley's version was based on that of Freddie Bell, who'd changed a few of its lyrics for his own recording of it in 1955; by all accounts, Leiber was not pleased with the revised lyrics).  Among the Leiber/Stoller tunes that became hits for Elvis were "Loving You," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Don't."

During the 1950s and 1960s, it was impossible to turn on the radio without hearing a Leiber/Stoller song.  Yet it didn't end there.  Over the course of their partnership, which lasted from their initial meeting in 1950 until the day Leiber passed away, the duo gave the world an enduring catalog of songs, songs that are still widely broadcast and performed.  As record-label owners and producers, they had their talented hands in many other hits as well, including several by The Dixie Cups ("Chapel of Love;" "Iko Iko") and Jay and The Americans ("She Cried").







Jerry Leiber, along with Mike Stoller, was the recipient of a number of awards and honors during his lifetime, including the duo's induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1985); the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987); the National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award (1996); and the NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) Trustees Award (1999).




In 1995, a musical revue, Smokey Joe's Cafe, showcasing the songs of Leiber and Stoller, opened on Broadway, where it ran for more than 2,000 performances.  Smokey Joe's Cafe presented 39 Leiber/Stoller tunes with no dialogue and no unifying theme; the music was enough to make the show a hit.  During its run, there were special appearances by several name artists, including Gladys Knight, Tony Orlando, and Rick Springfield.  Its cast recording earned the team a Grammy Award in 1996.

In 2001, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller appeared in the A&E Network's presentation Hitmakers: The Teens Who Stole Pop Music.  And, in 2009, Leiber and Stoller's autobiography, Hound Dog, written with David Ritz, was published.  The video series (which includes the dedicated episode Words and Music by Leiber & Stoller in addition to the duo's appearance in the 90-minute series opener) and the book give the world an opportunity to get to know these two talented gentlemen through their own words and thoughts and first-hand observations, as do this Rolling Stone interview from 1990 and this Fresh Air audio interview on NPR from 1991.




And that isn't all there is.  According to this writeup on The Guardian (UK), Leiber and Stoller had been in the process of working with writer Michael Bywater on a musical about the life of Oscar Wilde, and eleven brand-new, never-before-heard songs had already been written by the team prior to Leiber's death.  Stoller and Bywater are hoping to premiere the musical in 2012.  Thanks to Stoller's decision to push forward with the project, we may not have heard the last of Mr. Leiber.

Whatever else happens, though, we have an enduring legacy from the pen of Jerry Leiber, whose lyrics so brilliantly merged with Mike Stoller's music that we can hear one of their songs for the first time (if that's at all possible) and feel as though we've always known it.  And who among us hasn't sung along with their great tunes?  Who among us hasn't heard "Yakety Yak" and chimed in with the response "Don't talk back"?  Or theatrically whined, "Why is everybody always picking on me?" in sympathy with "Charlie Brown"?  How many of us don't know what's coming when we hear the opening chords of "On Broadway" or the first few bars of "Ruby Baby" or that familiar riff that starts off "Jailhouse Rock"?  It doesn't matter whether or not we were even born when the songs originated; they're as much a part of our lives as the air we breathe.  And thanks to people like Jerry Leiber, that air is a lot sweeter than it would have been had this man not graced the planet.

Jerry Leiber's voice may not be with us any longer, but his words will live forever.

Recommended Music:

The Leiber & Stoller Story Volume 1: Hard Times - The Los Angeles Years, 1951-1956
The Leiber & Stoller Story Volume 2: On The Horizon, 1956-1962

The Leiber & Stoller Story Volume 3: Shake 'Em Up & Let 'Em Roll, 1962-1969

Related Websites:

Jerry Leiber on Legacy.com
Leiber & Stoller official website
Leiber & Stoller Wikipedia page

Additional Writeups and Obits:

Jerry Leiber, Prolific Writer of 1950s Hits, Dies at 78 (NY Times obit)
Jerry Leiber dies at 78; lyricist in songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller (LA Times obit)
Songwriter Jerry Leiber Dies at 78 (Rolling Stone)
Some Cats Know: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Legacy of Jerry Leiber - Part I and Part II (Pop Culture Cantina)
'Master of songwriting' Jerry Leiber dies (BBC news; features audio of Peter Stoller remembering his father's longtime songwriting partner)
Jerry Leiber appreciation: A songwriter who helped change pop music (Pop & Hiss: The L.A. Times music blog)

Brian Wilson's Clearwater show was Fun, Fun, Fun!

Good Vibrations: BRIAN WILSON AND COMPANY take Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall by storm!

On Saturday, August 6, 2011, former Beach Boy and indisputable musical genius Brian Wilson and his band put on an electric, energetic, and fantastic 2½ hour (+) concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.  One of the best shows I have ever had the privilege of attending, it was pure magic from start to finish.

The legendary singer/songwriter/producer epitomizes the sentiment "A man who needs no introduction," and no introduction was given.  Wilson and company quietly took their places onstage in the darkness, and when the lights came up to reveal Brian Wilson, seated front-and-center at his keyboard, the ovation was roaring loud and went on for such a long time that I was surprised there was time left over for the show itself.  The audience response was an indicator of how beloved this man and his music are, and an accurate predictor of the success of the concert that followed.

If I hadn't already liked Brian Wilson enormously, his first words to the sold-out crowd at Ruth Eckerd Hall would have been enough to win me over: after saying hello and then realizing that he couldn't remember which city he was in, Wilson asked the room at large for this minor detail.  A band member swiftly provided the answer, since hearing the shouted replies from audience members over the din of the cheers and applause was impossible.  Considering that Wilson and his ensemble had spent the past eight days playing in such diverse locations as Grand Rapids, Saint Charles, Clear Lake, Lexington, Atlanta, and Hollywood (FL) - and a Canadian tour prior to this - before arriving in Clearwater, his momentary lapse was totally understandable.  (In fact, I'm surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.)

Wilson's first number was "California Girls," a very fitting start considering that his group, The Beach Boys, became synonymous with The Golden State during the 1960s, enjoying hit after hit and helping to popularize the surf sounds of the era.  A former child prodigy, Brian formed the genesis for the band in 1961 (this year marks their 50th anniversary).  The group was signed to Capitol Records the following year.  Before the decade was over, The Beach Boys had racked up twenty-seven Top Forty hits, three of which went to #1 nationally.*  As its founder and main songwriter, Brian Wilson was the soul of the group, his influence still felt long after he ceased appearing with The Beach Boys and, later, started his solo career.

After singing a few more hits - "Dance Dance Dance," "Catch a Wave," and "Wendy" - Wilson playfully led the audience in a singalong to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."  After a couple of lighthearted rounds of the tune, the formal set list continued on with ace guitarist and musical director Jeffrey Foskett starting off a duet with Wilson on "Then I Kissed Her."  A few songs after this, Foskett took the lead on "Don't Worry Baby."**  A star in his own right, as is the case with many of the members of Brian Wilson's Band, the hugely talented Foskett has worked alongside Brian Wilson for many years; his wonderful tenor is a perfect complement to Wilson's.

Several songs later, it was time for another key band member, Darian Sahanaja, to take over the lead vocal on "Darlin'" - which he delivered brilliantly in a pleasing, crystalline tenor.  Two numbers ("Do It Again" and "I Get Around") later, there was a twenty-minute intermission, followed by set #2.



The second set began with several cuts from Wilson's CD, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, which pays tribute to the legendary composer George Gershwin.  The selection kicked off with some fantastic vocal stylizations to "Rhapsody in Blue," followed by "Summertime," a cool instrumental version of "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'," the sweet "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and the rocking "I Got Rhythm," concluding with the heretofore-unfinished Gershwin song "Nothing But Love."  (The "finishers" of "Nothing But Love" for the album project were Wilson and band member Scott Bennett.)

Bennett would demonstrate his own great vocal chops on "Sail On Sailor" a couple of songs later, after which the band performed the instrumental "Pet Sounds."  "Sloop John B" immediately followed, then Foskett took another lead vocal turn on "Wouldn't It Be Nice."  Unsurprisingly, Wilson finished the set with the song that is arguably his best known and that with which he is most identified - "Good Vibrations."  Wilson and the entire band acknowledged the thunderous applause and standing ovation from the audience before leaving the stage, only to come back a few minutes later, one at a time, as Foskett introduced the band members, Sahanaja introduced Foskett, and Wilson returned for a five-song encore that would include "Johnny B. Goode," "Barbara Ann," and "Surfin' USA."  The show concluded with a second encore, "All Summer Long."  Counting the encores (as they must be), Brian Wilson and his band performed more than thirty Beach Boys classics, and roughly forty songs all told.

During the entire concert, from start to finish, the energy in the 2,180-seat room was incredible.  Brian Wilson unquestionably demonstrated the reasons for his legendary status and critical acclaim to the Tampa Bay area that night.  It is my hope that the concert will be made available on DVD.  And the Brian Wilson organization may consider this my formal request - or, more accurately, my impassioned plea.

Notes:

 *Reference: The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (6th edition, 1996)

**The set lists for Brian Wilson's show are available for viewing on the Tour page of his official website; therefore, I did not bother to enumerate every song in my text.  I encourage readers of my blog and visitors to my site to visit the artists' websites.

Photo at top of piece: Me (Laura Pinto) with Brian Wilson, 06 August 2011, pre-show

Music:

Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
Smile
That Lucky Old Sun

The Beach Boys
Sounds of Summer: Very Best of The Beach Boys
Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (Volume 1)
Beach Boys - The Greatest Hits Vol. 2: 20 More Good Vibrations
Pet Sounds

New Music by Robin McNamara!

Check out the cool new single by the ol' hippie himself, Robin McNamara!  Robin, who first came to prominence in 1969 as a cast member of the original Broadway production of Hair, and the following year as the writer/singer of the Top Twenty hit "Lay a Little Lovin' On Me," has just released a 10-track album called Stuck in The 60's.  This song, "The Prophet and The King," is an ode to John Lennon and Elvis Presley.  Please click on Robin's name above to visit his website for details, and a few words from Robin!

Rob Grill - R.I.P.

Very sad to report that Rob Grill of The Grass Roots has passed away in Florida at the age of 67.  Rob, who was born Robert Frank Grill on November 30, 1943, had been with the band since its inception in 1967 and, more recently, was making "special appearances" with the group as part of the Happy Together Tour.  Rob had been in a coma since suffering a fall a few weeks earlier.

More information can be found on Spinner.com and the Orlando Sentinel website.

Music:

The Grass Roots - All Time Greatest Hits

20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection

Clay Cole, 1938-2010

It is with sadness that I report the passing of another one of the greats of the rock and roll era.  Clay Cole, born Albert Rucker, Jr. on January 1, 1938, has passed away at the age of 72.  Clay apparently succumbed to a heart attack at his North Carolina home on December 18, 2010, just a couple of weeks prior to his 73rd birthday.

Clay was a television host, disc jockey, emcee, writer, producer, movie star, and author.  He was best known for his eponymous TV show, which aired in the New York City area from 1959 to 1968.  Clay's youthful enthusiasm helped to make the rock and roll dance show a success.  When the winds of musical change began blowing in the late 1960's, Clay resigned from the show and started focusing more on behind-the-scenes work such as writing and producing.  In 2009, his memoir Sh-Boom!: The Explosion of Rock 'n' Roll (1953-1968) was released, and Clay spent much of late 2009 and early 2010 promoting the book via TV, radio and personal appearances and book signings.  In October, Clay was a recipient of the Friends of Old Time Radio Award at the 2009 Friends of Old Time Radio Convention in Newark, NJ.  During the past year, Clay was the master of ceremonies at several oldies concerts, and he was one of some 100 stars who participated in the National Rock & Roll Fan Fest (Rock Con) at the Sheraton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ from July 30 to August 1, 2010.  More information on Clay's stellar career can be found on his official website as well as on the Clay Cole Wikipedia page.

Watch for a special tribute on the Jersey Girls Sing website, run by Clay's dear friends Denise Ferri, Bernadette Carroll, and Ronnie Allen.  Also, please be sure to sign the petition to get Clay inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor he truly deserves for all of his efforts over the years in promoting the great music of rock's golden era.

Rest in peace, Clay, and thanks for the years of music and memories and great times.  Yes, you really were something.

New CD release by Ron Dante of The Archies

The newest CD by Ron Dante, lead singer of The Archies ("Sugar, Sugar") and The Cuff Links ("Tracy") as well as producer extraordinaire (Barry Manilow, Cher, Pat Benatar), is actually an enhanced version of some old Favorites - but what an enhancement it's turning out to be!  Fans of the handsome, talented and eternally youthful singer are going to be delighted with this latest offering, scheduled for release on June 15, 2010.  Favorites will feature twenty (count 'em!) tracks, combining most of those originally released on the CD's previous incarnation with a hefty helping of bonus cuts including some never-before-released gems, like remakes of the Elvis hit "That's Alright, Mama" and Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods' "Billy, Don't Be a Hero."

Ron Dante is a gifted singer who manages to make every song he records his own while still remaining faithful to the original - a tricky feat that not every vocalist can pull off.  But, then, we must keep in mind that Ron's early days in the music biz were spent at the legendary Brill Building in New York City, working with such heavyweights as Don Kirshner and Jeff Barry, and rubbing elbows with the likes of Carole King, Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller, Ellie Greenwich, and Neil Sedaka.  We must also keep in mind that Ron managed to have two Top-Ten hits at the same time ("Sugar, Sugar" and "Tracy," in 1969) while few people outside the hallowed hallways of the Broadway music palaces knew that it was Ron doing the singing on those records!  Ron's anonymity continued even as "Sugar" went on to sell six million units, becoming the RIAA Record of the Year and earning a gold disc; fortunately, once Ron stepped out from behind the scenes, releasing his first solo album, Let Me Bring You Up, in 1970, he was never to disappear into the shadows again.  (To read more about Ron's incredible career, check out his official website, rondante.com, as well as Laura's Ron Dante Fan Pages.)

Ron's had quite a few solo album releases over the years, including a fair number within the past decade.  His voice still sounds as strong and youthful as ever.  The original version of Favorites was released in early 2000 and is now out of print, and rare enough to sell for around the $75.00 mark when and if a copy can be found.  Happily, now we can all enjoy Ron Dante's Favorites for a fraction of that amount!  Click on the graphic above to reserve your copy on Amazon.com.

The official front and back covers appear below.

Andy Kim: Happen Again (CD Review)

Hunky singer-songwriter Andy Kim, who rose to fame during the late 60's and early 70's with hits such as "How'd We Ever Get This Way," "So Good Together," "Baby, I Love You," "Be My Baby" and "Rock Me Gently" (as well as The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar," which he co-wrote with Jeff Barry), has just released his first new album in more than two decades. Happen Again is proof that great artists, like fine wines, only improve with time. The Canadian-born tunesmith, whose movie-star good looks are still very much in evidence, is in the process of rehearsing for a concert tour of his native country. During the past few weeks, Kim has been doing a fair number of radio, periodical, and web interviews and making personal appearances to promote both the CD and the tour.

On March 30th, the day Happen Again was officially released, Andy Kim and his band put on a great 45-minute performance in the lobby of the AM740 (Zoomer Radio) studios in Toronto, Ontario. The video was streamed live via the Internet and is now available for viewing on the radio station's website. Just head on over to Zoomer Radio's On-Demand page, where you will see a video screen and, to its immediate right, a vertical column of circular graphics. Click on the one that reads The New AM 740 (second one from the top); this brings up a list of available videos, in alphabetical order. Andy Kim's is the first one listed. Click on it, and the video will begin playing on the screen. Relax, enjoy, sing along if you know the words, and hear the magic for yourself. Live and unedited, this concert and interview illustrate beyond a doubt that the man, whom many of his admirers refer to as The Voice, has lost neither his chops nor his talent.

Below is my review of the Happen Again CD, which appears both on Oldies Connection and my Andy Kim Fan Page, in its entirety. A track-by-track review I wrote prior to the CD's wide release can be found on the product page on Amazon Canada, under the heading "Andy Kim Makes it Happen Again."

From Oldies Connection:

Released in March of 2010, singer-songwriter Andy Kim's first new album in more than twenty years makes fans all over the world happy again

Imagine, just for a moment, that you are Andy Kim.

Make believe that you are a singer/songwriter who left your native Montreal as a teenager in the mid-60s, traveling to New York City where you met your musical idol, Jeff Barry; teamed up with him to record several Top 40 hits ("How'd We Ever Get This Way," "Baby, I Love You," "Be My Baby") for his record label and to write a song that would sell in the millions, and become Record of the Year for 1969 ("Sugar, Sugar"); and composed, produced, recorded and released what would become your signature song and an international hit in 1974 ("Rock Me Gently"). Pretend that your songs and recordings endure to this day, continually being discovered by new generations of fans. And imagine that there's probably not an hour that goes by when at least one of your songs isn't playing somewhere in the world.

Now - if you were Andy Kim, what would you do to top all that?

Here's a little secret ...

The first thing you would do to top all that is to NOT try to top all that. If you were Andy Kim, you would continue to write songs in the same way you always have - from your heart and soul and mind and imagination and life and wisdom. You would continue to write songs for the same reason you always have - because songwriting, the sharing of your music and your spirit with the world, is a part of you. It's in your blood. It's in your DNA. You would do it whether or not you made a dime from it, whether or not you became famous through it. You're not setting out to record a million seller or to compose the perfect tune. Probably you're aware that, if you love the end result, there are others who will too. But this is neither your motivation for nor the source of your compulsion.

Then you'd sit down and write:

Do you feel connected
To sentimental times
Before the wall was erected,
And dreams were in their prime?

And, before you're even aware of it, forty years after your teenage self began creating hit records in New York City, you've made it happen again.

It's almost impossible not to love a song with lyrics like those, and the sentiment within those lyrics - from the title track of Andy Kim's first new album in over twenty years - is prophetic. Happen Again is proof that Andy Kim still has the same magic touch that he's always had, and that all he ever needs to do is all he's ever done - just write his songs one heartbeat at a time and let his innate talent take care of the rest. Happen Again is a work of art. It is, quite simply, magnificent.

Andy Kim's Happen Again is available from Amazon Canada. Visit Andy's official website, http://www.andykimmusic.com/, for details. Go to Andy's official MySpace page to listen to the tracks and discover for yourself the genius residing in the music and mind of this kid from Montreal. And, if you only buy one CD all year, make it this one. Yes - it's that good.

Andy Kim - Making it Happen Again

Singer-songwriter Andy Kim, who's best known for hits like "Sugar, Sugar" (songwriter), "Baby, I Love You" (singer), and "Rock Me Gently" (both), has a brand-new CD, Happen Again, coming out tomorrow, March 30th. It is Andy's first new album in over twenty years.

Toronto’s AM740 (Zoomer Radio) is presenting Andy Kim live in concert at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday. If you live in or near Toronto, you can be one of the lucky people to see the show in person in the Concert Lobby at the radio station (on a first-come, first-served basis). They'll even let you bring your camera.  Otherwise, you can listen to the whole thing on AM740 or watch the live webcast on the site.

Happen Again is available on Amazon Canada. You can visit Andy’s official website at http://www.andykimmusic.com/. And check out Andy’s MySpace page to listen to the entire album on his music player!  Watch for my review of this fantastic collection shortly.

Farewell, Maestro

Johnny Maestro, 07 May 1939 - 24 March 2010

Johnny Maestro was born John Mastrangelo on May 7, 1939, in Brooklyn, NY. He first rose to prominence as lead singer of The Crests, one of the first interracial recording groups (consisting of 2 black males, 1 black female, and 1 Puerto Rican in addition to Maestro). After several hits, including their biggest, "16 Candles," Maestro left the group to go solo, eventually joining The Del-Satins. The following year, 1968, The Del-Satins joined forces with a group called The Rhythm Method and became The Brooklyn Bridge (the inside joke being that their act would be "harder to sell than the Brooklyn Bridge"); their first release, "The Worst That Could Happen," became Maestro's signature tune.

Johnny Maestro passed away from cancer on March 24, 2010, in Florida. He was 70 years old.

Johnny Maestro was a singer's singer. He had one of the best set of pipes out there; he was one of the greats. By all accounts, in addition to being a very talented individual, he was a very nice person. I think it's safe to say that there will never be another like him. His passing is a tragic loss for the music world as well as for his family, friends, and many fans. Johnny, you will always be The Maestro to us.  Rest in peace.

Clay Cole RRHOF Petition

Hi, oldies fans,

Those of you who lived in the New York metro area during the 1960s might remember Clay Cole and his eponymous TV variety show, The Clay Cole Show, which aired from 1959 to 1968.  Clay presented many of the rock and roll stars of the era on not just his television program but also on stage (i.e., the Brooklyn Paramount) and screen (Twist Around the Clock).  Clay also hosted The Clay Cole Summer Show, broadcast from Palisades Amusement Park.  Scores of rock and roll singers and groups appeared on Clay's shows.  In 1969, at the height of the hippie movement and psychedelia, Clay walked away from the TV show and virtually disappeared for forty years (although, in reality, he was keeping busy as a writer and producer).  Now, Clay has reemerged to promote his new book, Sh-Boom!: The Explosion of Rock 'n' Roll (1953-1968) and to once again host concerts (now oldies shows) in cities such as Belleville, New Jersey and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Thanks to oldies deejay Ronnie Allen and Jersey Girls Denise Ferri and Bernadette Carroll, there is now a petition to get Clay Cole inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Please visit this page on the Jersey Girls website to read all about Clay Cole's remarkable career and to sign your name to the petition.  Clay not only presented the best acts in the business, he was (and remains) quite a class act himself.  Please take a few moments to show your support for Clay and for the great music of the 1960s he helped bring to the world.  Thank you!