Jeff Barry: Jeff Barry's Birthday Card!

Hi, music fans,

It's that time of year again - please click on the link below to visit my post on the Jeff Barry blog regarding Jeff's birthday, which is Tuesday, April 3rd. I've set up a special message board where fans of Jeff's can post their birthday wishes for him.

Jeff Barry: Jeff Barry's Birthday Card!

If you enjoy Jeff's music - and you probably do, even if you're not familiar with his name - please add your "signature" to his online birthday "card!" Jeff is the legendary Brill Building songwriter/producer who's responsible for dozens of hit songs including "Baby, I Love You," "Leader of the Pack," "Chapel of Love," "Sugar, Sugar" and so many more. Please help to make his birthday a memorable one!

Thanks,
Laura

Joey Dee - New Promo Video

Hi, music fans,

Are you a fan of Joey Dee and The Starliters ("Peppermint Twist")? Check out this cool new promotional video for Joey Dee's All-Star Rock 'n' Roll Revue, featuring Bob Valli, original Starliter David Brigati, and Tommy Mara, formerly from The Saints, now from The Crests. (Tommy is called the Pavarotti of Doo Wop, and for good reason!) After you've watched this awesome sampling from their live show, make sure to visit Joey Dee's website and have a gander at the itinerary page - you definitely won't want to miss these guys if you've got a chance to see them in person. This is one act that never disappoints!

Enjoy the vid.


Joey Dee's All Star Rock 'n' Roll Revue

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The Dixie Cups On-Air Sunday Night

Doo-wop deejay Tommy R has done a phone interview with Barbara and Rosa Hawkins of The Dixie Cups, and said interview will air on his radio show Sunday night, October 22nd. The show itself broadcasts from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time and can be heard either via a link from Tommy's website, or directly at Destination DooWop.

Rapture Riders - Blondie vs. The Doors

This is one of the coolest videos I've ever seen - entitled "Blondie vs. The Doors - Rapture Riders," it's a perfect fusion of Blondie's "Rapture" and The Doors' "Riders On The Storm." For more info, visit the official Blondie site.

Ron Dante Videos on MySpace!

To all fans of the voice of The Archies-

Check out Ron Dante's MySpace profile page for a bunch of cool videos! Among them are a couple of vintage clips from The Archie Show and a trio of live performances from the Rhino Retrofest back in '99. After you've taken a look (and a listen) at the vids on the page, click on the "videos" link below Ron's profile picture to see even more videos of Ron from 1970, singing tunes from his then-new LP Ron Dante Brings You Up.

Below is a sampling of what's playing.

Enjoy,
Laura

A Ron Dante Birthday!

Hi to all fans of the voice of The Archies,

The handsome and talented Ron Dante is having a birthday this coming Tuesday, August 22. To sign his virtual greeting card, please head on over to the special Birthday Board I've set up to commemorate the event, as I do every year (which means it probably isn't much of a surprise for him anymore - but let's keep it between us just in case!).

Feel free to make your message as brief or as heartfelt as you'd like - let Ron know how much you appreciate him. This man is not only responsible for many of my musical memories, from his work with The Archies to his years of producing with Barry Manilow, he's also one of the nicest guys out there! He deserves to be reminded how much we all love him.

Please spread the word on this; I'd like to get as many signatures as possible this year - maybe even more than a hundred. Just tell your friends, and they'll tell their friends, and so on and so on.

Thanks in advance, from Ron's biggest fan. :)

Ron Dante's "The Summer Wind"

Ron Dante has uploaded his cool version of the Frank Sinatra classic "The Summer Wind" to his MySpace profile page. This track, which is from Ron's new CD, California Weekend, will be on his page for just a few weeks, at which time "California Sun" will shine again. So, check it out while you've got the chance. Just click here and enjoy!

A California Weekend With Ron Dante!

Great news for all fans of the voice of The Archies - Ron Dante's newest CD, California Weekend, has just been released! For details and ordering info, please click here.

Ron's really excited about this latest offering, which features a bunch of cool summer songs including the classic Beach Boys hit "All Summer Long" - with guest vocalists Bruce Johnston and The Beach Boys themselves!

To hear an audio clip of one of the tracks, "California Sun," please stop by Ron's MySpace profile. And while you're there, if you're a MySpace member, why not add him as a friend and subscribe to his blog, which Ron updates often.

Congrats to Ron on this latest CD release ... I know I'm sure looking forward to getting my copy!

The Archies' Debut Album on CD!

Great news for fans of The Archies - the group's self-titled debut LP from 1968 is now on CD! Released by the Repertoire label, the CD features all twelve of the original tracks plus two bonus cuts. The Archies, produced by Jeff Barry (who also wrote most of the songs) with lead vocals by Ron Dante, is actually considered a soundtrack album of sorts, all of its cuts having made their world premiere on The Archie Show during the Saturday morning cartoon series' first season on CBS. Go to Laura's Ron Dante Fan Pages or the Jeff Barry fansite (link above) for the direct link to the product page on Amazon.com, where you can read up on the CD details and order your very own copy!

Jeff Barry: Performing Songwriter Magazine

The current (July/August 2006) issue of Performing Songwriter Magazine has a cool article called "Bands on the Rerun," which spotlights The Monkees, The Archies, The Banana Splits, and The Partridge Family. Included are interviews with Jeff Barry, Bobby Hart, David Cassidy, and Davy Jones (quite an eye-opener, that one). Check out the Jeff Barry blogpost (link below) for info on where to get your copy.

Jeff Barry: Performing Songwriter Magazine

Also in this issue is a profile on Ray Davies from The Kinks and the story behind the authorship of the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."