POPULARITY
11 episodes with little anthony
8 episodes with little anthony
3 episodes with little anthony
5 episodes with little anthony
3 episodes with little anthony
11 episodes with little anthony
3 episodes with little anthony
2 episodes with little anthony
2 episodes with little anthony
Little Anthony and the Imperials: A Doo-Wop Legend Who Still Shines BrightIn the golden age of American music, few voices soared as high—or cut as deep—as that of Little Anthony. Born Jerome Gourdine in Brooklyn, Little Anthony became one of the most distinctive and emotional falsettos in soul, doo-wop, and classic pop music history. As the lead singer of Little Anthony and the Imperials, his voice helped define an era, touching hearts with hits like “Tears on My Pillow,” “Goin' Out of My Head,” and “Hurt So Bad.” His music not only broke chart records but also broke barriers between genres, blending doo-wop harmonies, soul grooves, and pop sensibilities in a way that left a lasting mark on American R&B history.Before the spotlight, Little Anthony grew up in a neighbourhood immersed in gospel and street-corner harmonies. Young Jerome began singing doo-wop as a teenager. He joined a vocal group called The Duponts, who released a single in 57.His big break came when he joined The Chesters, a vocal group that would soon rename itself The Imperials. With Jerome now taking center stage as “Little Anthony”—a nickname given by a legendary due to his youthful appearance and high-pitched voice—the group's sound clicked immediately. His natural falsetto became their signature.In 58, the group signed to a label. Their debut single, “Tears on My Pillow,” exploded on the charts. With its raw emotion, aching falsetto, and lush harmonies, the song became an anthem of teen heartache and a pillar of 1950s American pop.From that point, Little Anthony and the Imperials embarked on a journey that would bring them lasting fame. They followed up with hits like “Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop,” “I'm on the Outside (Looking In),” “Goin' Out of My Head,” and “Hurt So Bad.” It was Little Anthony's voice that made the group stand out during the changing tides of 60s music, when the British Invasion and Motown were reshaping the industry.Songs like “Goin' Out of My Head” became pop-soul classics, covered by countless artists across genres—from Frank Sinatra to The Lettermen.Their sound matured in the 60s, becoming more orchestrated and polished. Working with producers like Teddy Randazzo, they crafted sophisticated, adult-oriented pop-soul that prefigured the lush soul ballads of later decades.In 2009, Little Anthony and the Imperials were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction was presented by Smokey Robinson, who praised Anthony's emotive voice and the group's groundbreaking blend of genres. Unlike many of his peers, Little Anthony has remained active well into his 80s, still taking to the stage with the same passion and charisma that made him a star in the 50s. Whether singing at doo-wop revival shows, soul festivals, or headlining his own concerts, Little Anthony still delights audiences wherever he goes.His presence remains strong on platforms like PBS specials, oldies cruises, and classic soul tours, where fans young and old gather to hear the voice that made them fall in love with music in the first place.Little Anthony's music is more than a nostalgic reminder of the past—it's a living, breathing testament to the power of vocal harmony, heartfelt songwriting, and soul-stirring performance. His contributions helped shape not only the sound of doo-wop but also the emotional core of American soul and pop. His hits continue to be rediscovered by younger audiences and sampled in modern tracks, proving the timeless appeal of his work.As the frontman of one of the most influential vocal groups of all time, Little Anthony remains a legend—not just for his voice, but for his passion, resilience, and devotion to the music.
The use of non-diagetic songs in cinema is often designed to provoke a type of nostalgia, or at least an understanding of the era the film is set in. Apocalypse Now opens very effectively to the sounds of The End by The Doors. Goodfellas keeps updating the jukebox as the story travels over the years (Scorsese is a master of that). So, if you watch a film set in the 50s like American Graffiti or That'll Be The Day, the jukebox soundtracks to these films are like characters constantly reminding the viewers where they are timewise. The romantic (and sometimes lascivious) songs of the doo wop era paint a picture of American life in the 50s somewhat removed from the turmoils of segregation, a conflict in Korea, and McCarthyism….they paint the picture that many films are trying to portray. Welcome to episode 125 of See Hear Podcast. One of the singers in the latter part of the original doo wop era was Kenny Vance, a member of beloved group, Jay & The Americans. His experience as a young man singing with the group brought him into contact with so many other doo wop groups and eventually figures in the soul and pop world (he supported The Beatles on an American tour). He went on to be a musical director consultant for many films focusing on the 50s era. Eventually, he decided to become a director and document the original doo wop scene as he and some of his colleagues recalled it, what they went on to do, and how their pioneering sound influenced many others who don't even realise the gigantic shoulders they're standing on. The film he directed is called “Heart & Soul: A Love Story”, and it is a thing of beauty. Tim and I were joined by Melbourne doo wop guru Peter Merrett (of the Malt Shop Hop radio show) to chat with Kenny not only about his film, but a vast number of topics all related to his time in doo wop, the people who ran the labels, the session musicians, and the singers he worked with. WE get stories about Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Flamingos, The Chantels and so much more. I have to say that Kenny's memory is sharp and he regaled us with many incredible stories from a life in music. He's a true mentsch….and he even sang for us!!!! We've done our share of episodes, but this is one I will be remembering for a long time. If you haven't tuned into an episode in a while (or never have), start here….you don't need to have seen the film to appreciate this wonderful conversation, but we would certainly encourage watching it first chance you get. Our thanks not only go to Kenny for hanging out with us, but also to executive producer Liz Nickles who put us in contact with him. Tim and I also are grateful to Peter Merrett for bringing his expertise to the conversation. For details about screenings, go to https://www.heartandsoulthemovie.com/ If you've been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on iTunes and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens..... See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com . Send us feedback via email at seehearpodcast@gmail.com Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify). You can also download the episode from the website at https://seehearpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/03/see-hear-125-interview-with-kenny-vance.html Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The use of non-diagetic songs in cinema is often designed to provoke a type of nostalgia, or at least an understanding of the era the film is set in. Apocalypse Now opens very effectively to the sounds of The End by The Doors. Goodfellas keeps updating the jukebox as the story travels over the years (Scorsese is a master of that). So, if you watch a film set in the 50s like American Graffiti or That'll Be The Day, the jukebox soundtracks to these films are like characters constantly reminding the viewers where they are timewise. The romantic (and sometimes lascivious) songs of the doo wop era paint a picture of American life in the 50s somewhat removed from the turmoils of segregation, a conflict in Korea, and McCarthyism….they paint the picture that many films are trying to portray. Welcome to episode 125 of See Hear Podcast. One of the singers in the latter part of the original doo wop era was Kenny Vance, a member of beloved group, Jay & The Americans. His experience as a young man singing with the group brought him into contact with so many other doo wop groups and eventually figures in the soul and pop world (he supported The Beatles on an American tour). He went on to be a musical director consultant for many films focusing on the 50s era. Eventually, he decided to become a director and document the original doo wop scene as he and some of his colleagues recalled it, what they went on to do, and how their pioneering sound influenced many others who don't even realise the gigantic shoulders they're standing on. The film he directed is called “Heart & Soul: A Love Story”, and it is a thing of beauty. Tim and I were joined by Melbourne doo wop guru Peter Merrett (of the Malt Shop Hop radio show) to chat with Kenny not only about his film, but a vast number of topics all related to his time in doo wop, the people who ran the labels, the session musicians, and the singers he worked with. WE get stories about Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Flamingos, The Chantels and so much more. I have to say that Kenny's memory is sharp and he regaled us with many incredible stories from a life in music. He's a true mentsch….and he even sang for us!!!! We've done our share of episodes, but this is one I will be remembering for a long time. If you haven't tuned into an episode in a while (or never have), start here….you don't need to have seen the film to appreciate this wonderful conversation, but we would certainly encourage watching it first chance you get. Our thanks not only go to Kenny for hanging out with us, but also to executive producer Liz Nickles who put us in contact with him. Tim and I also are grateful to Peter Merrett for bringing his expertise to the conversation. For details about screenings, go to https://www.heartandsoulthemovie.com/ If you've been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on iTunes and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens..... See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com . Send us feedback via email at seehearpodcast@gmail.com Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cousin Brucie kicks off the show with energetic introductions and lively rock and roll. The episode honors International Women's Day, with Brucie expressing his admiration for women, and engages listeners about the onset of Daylight Savings Time. Brucie shares nostalgic rock and roll hits from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, featuring artists like The Beach Boys, Little Anthony, The Drifters, Neil Sedaka, and more. Listeners from across the country call in with song requests and dedications, contributing to the show's vibrant atmosphere. Special guest Little Anthony joins to discuss his upcoming projects, including crossover ventures into different musical genres. The show wraps up with an hour dedicated to love songs, creating a romantic ambiance for the audience.
Viajamos a marzo de 1965 para recordar singles que llegaron a su puesto más alto en las listas de pop estadounidense en este mes de hace 60 años. Nuevo episodio de esta serie en donde, además de disfrutar recordando grandes canciones, podemos palpar la evolución de la música popular y la gran mezcla de estilos que se daban cita en el Billboard Hot 100.Playlist;(sintonía) BILLY STRANGE “Goldfinger” (top 55)SHIRLEY BASSEY “Goldfinger” (top 8)THE BEATLES “Eight days a week” (top 1)THE TEMPTATIONS “My girl” (top 1)THE SUPREMES “Stop! In the name of love” (top 1)THE VELVELETTES “He was really sayin something” (top 64)JOHNNY RIVERS “Cupid” (top 76)SAM COOKE “A change is gonna come” (top 31)THE IMPRESSIONS “People get ready” (top 14)JERRY BUTLER “Good times” (top 64)THE RONETTES featuring VERONICA “Born to be together” (top 52)THE TRADE WINDS “New York is a lonely town” (top 32)THE BEACH BOYS “Please let me wonder” (top 52)JOE TEX “You better get it” (top 46)FONTELLA BASS and BOBBY McCLURE “Don’t mess up a good thing” (top 33)LITTLE ANTHONY and THE IMPERIALS “Hurt so bad” (top 10)RAY CHARLES “Cry” (top 58)JOHN BARRY and HIS ORCHESTRA “Goldfinger” (top 72)Escuchar audio
Well today we decided to visit with each other and our brother John and and all caught up on the family and who's going through what. We discuss the fires the future and everything in between. Wasn't Little Anthony awesome? See you soon with even more guests. Enjoy our family visit!
Well today we decided to visit with each other and our brother John and and all caught up on the family and who's going through what. We discuss the fires the future and everything in between. Wasn't Little Anthony awesome? See you soon with even more guests. Enjoy our family visit!
National bubble bath day. Entertainment from 1970. Battle of New Orleans took place in the War of 1812, US national Deb $0, President Bush threw up on Japans Prime Ministers lap. Todays birthdays - Gypsy Rose Lee, Elvis Presley, Bob Eubanks, Little Anthony, Stephen Hawking, David Bowie, Mike Reno, Gaby Hoffman. Galileo died.Intro - Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard http://defleppard.com/Splish splash - Bobby DarinRain drops keep falling on my head - BJ ThomasBaby baby I know your a lady - David HoustonBallad of New Orleans - Johnny HortonBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent http://50cent.com/I'll never know - Elvis PresleyTears on my pillow - Little Anthony & the ImperialsWar Games movie clipChanges - David BowieWorking for the weekend - LoverboyExit - In my dreams - Dokken http://dokken.net/
Hi everybody, we want you all to meet our good friend Little Anthony. What a guy and what a road warrior he is. You can look up tons of stuff on this latest inductee into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame to grace our podcast. It's all amazing. But here we just have a nice visit with a nice guy. You can look up all the factoids about his career and hits. He's a wonderful guy and we're looking forward to spending the summer together on the Happy Together Tour!"
Merry Christmas everyone and all that good holiday cheer stuff. Just a quick little visit here to get everyone through the holidays. Hope you all have a great time and great lives. More to come in 2025 from The Cowsills Podcast like our guest for our next episode is LITTLE ANTHONY!!!
We start on the American charts for November of 1964. Supremes, Chad and Jeremy, Marvelettes and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Hey, UMe - when are we getting that 180g reissue of "The Greatest Music Ever Sold". Who doesn't love a compilation that puts Glen Campbell, Brian Wilson, Beach Boys, Beatles (solo and group) and others on a single "long playing deck?" Support this podcast at the $6/month level on patreon to get extra content! Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Guiding you on a soulful journey spinning only the best of the best classic soul ballads from the 60's and 70's...1. Patti Austin - We're In Love 2. Al Wilson - You Really Turn Me On 3. The Brighter Side Of Darkness - Something To Remember You By4. The Sylvers - How Love Hurts 5. Rose Royce - I'm Going Down 6. Barbara Mason - Oh, How It Hurts 7. Little Anthony & The Imperials - Goin' Out Of My Head8. Billy Stewart - Sitting In The Park 9. The Fuzz - I Love You For All Seasons 10. Aretha Franklin - This Girls In Love With You 11. The Chi-Lites - I Want To Pay You Back (For Loving Me)12. Rick James - Dream Maker Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nitemoodsoldschoolquietstorm/X: https://x.com/nitemoodsshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitemoodsshow/
This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpeter, Scott Belck, is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. You can also watch this interview on Youtube. About Scott: Dr. Scott Belck currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he directs the CCM Jazz Orchestra and teaches applied Jazz Trumpet. He is a founding member of critically acclaimed Tromba Mundi contemporary trumpet ensemble and has toured as a member of Grammy Award winning funk legend Bootsy Collins' Funk Unity Band as lead trumpet. He has served as trumpet and cornet soloist with the Air Force Band of Flight in Dayton, Ohio where he also held the post of musical director for the Air Force Night Flight Jazz Ensemble. He is the Founding Artistic Director Emeritus of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. His playing credits include recordings lead trumpet/guest soloist with the Cincinnati Pops featuring the Manhattan Transfer and John Pizzarelli, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Van Dells, and jazz soloist with the University of North Texas One O'clock Lab Band with whom he recorded four CDs as jazz soloist and section trumpet. He has performed as principal/lead trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and as section trumpet with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Duluth Festival Opera. He has performed as lead trumpet for shows/concerts of Christian McBride, Jimmy Heath, Aretha Franklin, Gerald Wilson, the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, John Lithgow, Donna Summer, Maureen McGovern, Michael Feinstein, Lalo Rodriguez, Sandy Patti, Tito Puente Jr., Tommy Tune, Manhattan Transfer, Lou Rawls, Patti Austen, The Coasters, Yes, Ben Vereen, Doc Severinsen, the Temptations, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Sedaka, the Blue Wisp Big Band, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Ink Spots, the Four Freshmen, The Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Riddell, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Frankie Valli, The Maritime Jazz Orchestra of Canada as well as touring Broadway shows and regional and national recording sessions. He has performed as a leader, musical director, or sideman with many top jazz players on the scene today including: Fred Hersch, Rich Perry, Adam Nussbaum, Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, Slide Hampton, Jim McNeely, Claudio Roditi, John Riley, Rick Margitza, Bob Belden, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Watson, Tom Harrell, Tim Hagans, Regina Carter, Wes Anderson, John Hollenbeck, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Gordon Brisker, Hank Marr, Marvin Stamm, Gerry Mulligan, Kenny Garrett, John Fedchock, Phil Woods, Ed Soph, John LaBarbera and Diane Schuur. He has also served as the Artistic Director of the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Central Big Band, and the Miami Valley Jazz Camp in Ohio. He is the author of the text “Modern Flexibilities for Brass”, published by Meredith Music and distributed by Hal Leonard. In his spare time, he is the CEO and founder of Lip Slur World Headquarters. Belck's new book “Progressive Lip Flexibilities for Brass” is quickly becoming one of the most popular sarcastic lip slur books in the lower South-Central Ohio River valley region. Scott Belck is a Powell Signature Trumpet Artist.
The Brooklyn Bridge were 1960s Stars. They had a massive hit in 1968 with Jimmy Webb's “The Worst That Could Happen” featuring the late, great Johnny Maestro on lead vocals. Jimmy Rosica is a founding member of the band, and Joe “Bean” Esposito - who had a worldwide hit with “You're The Best” from the movie The Karate Kid - is the current lead singer. Gary Puckett of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap fame is my co-host on this episode. This is the third time that Gary has joined me as co-host following Little Anthony of Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Dennis Tufano, the original voice of The Buckinghams.My featured song is Gary's hit, “This Girl Is A Woman Now”. Spotify link. ---------------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!For more information and other episodes of the podcast click here. To subscribe to the podcast click here .To subscribe to our weekly Follow Your Dream Podcast email click here.To Rate and Review the podcast click here.“Dream With Robert”. Click here.—----------------------------------------“THE GIFT” is Robert's new single featuring his song arranged by Grammy winning arranger Michael Abene. Praised by David Amram, John Helliwell, Joe La Barbera, Tony Carey, Fay Claassen, Antonio Farao, Danny Gottlieb and Leslie Mandoki.Click HERE for all links.—-------------------------------------“LOU'S BLUES” is Robert's recent single. Called “Fantastic! Great playing and production!” (Mark Egan - Pat Metheny Group/Elements) and “Digging it!” (Peter Erskine - Weather Report)!Click HERE for all links.—----------------------------------------“THE RICH ONES”. Robert's recent single. With guest artist Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears) on flugelhorn. Click HERE for all links.—---------------------------------------“MILES BEHIND”, Robert's debut album, recorded in 1994, was “lost” for the last 30 years. It's now been released for streaming. Featuring Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears), Anton Fig (The David Letterman Show), Al Foster (Miles Davis), Tim Ries (The Rolling Stones), Jon Lucien and many more. Called “Hip, Tight and Edgy!” Click here for all links.—--------------------------------------“IT'S ALIVE!” is Robert's latest Project Grand Slam album. Featuring 13 of the band's Greatest Hits performed “live” at festivals in Pennsylvania and Serbia.Reviews:"An instant classic!" (Melody Maker)"Amazing record...Another win for the one and only Robert Miller!" (Hollywood Digest)"Close to perfect!" (Pop Icon)"A Masterpiece!" (Big Celebrity Buzz)"Sterling effort!" (Indie Pulse)"Another fusion wonder for Project Grand Slam!" (MobYorkCity)Click here for all links.Click here for song videos—-----------------------------------------Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with The Brooklyn Bridge:/www.facebook.com/jmbb6855/ Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com
Grammy® Nom, New Music, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances.My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is no will-o'-the-wisp, stab in the dark recording; it is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” Forty memorable selections should keep you and your significant other reminiscing for some time to come. And if you're not spoken for, you can enjoy it all to yourself for as long as you can imagine! There is something for everyone in these forever volumes. Despite many of the songs being standards, you'll notice his articulate style blessing each track. Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" His new autobiography Little Anthony -- My Journey, My Destiny is not the traditional rags-to-riches -- cock-and-bull story and not the aimless tale landing everywhere.. “Little Anthony” Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2024 Building Abundant Success!!2024 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
John joins Matt again this week for another 2 hours of musical allsorts.There's funky soul from Manu Dibango, ska from The Ska Kings and Dandy Livingstone plus a Northern Soul classic from Little Anthony & The Imperials.For more info and tracklisting, visit: https://thefaceradio.com/blow-up/Tune into new broadcasts of Blow-Up, Sundays from 8 - 10 AM EST / 1 PM - 3 PM GMT, in association with Brisbane's 4ZZZ.//Dig this show? Please consider supporting The Face Radio: http://support.thefaceradio.com Support The Face Radio with PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/thefaceradio. Join the family at https://plus.acast.com/s/thefaceradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Little Anthony Gourdine had a #1 hit when he was 16 with Tears on My Pillow, but fame nearly killed him. Now 83, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says each day is a gift.
Narada speaks with artist, musician, actor Little Anthony on music, recording and his amazing history!Visit Narada at his website and socials and leave a comment, like and subscribe if you enjoyed the podcast!Website: https://www.naradamichaelwalden.com/allinpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialnaradaApple Music https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in-with-narada-michael-walden/id1470173526Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5agWJLSreLNze8Sjxit4Na?si=928a8dd6316d4986
Grammy® Nom, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances.......... Little Anthony Talks to Us about Life Success Lessons from his Elders & Touring with Ruth Brown, Sarah Vaughn, Sam Cooke, Dr. Martin Luther King & MORE. His Awesome LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY includes New Music & Classic Tunes. He Tours in concert in 2023My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is no will-o'-the-wisp, stab in the dark recording; it is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” Forty memorable selections should keep you and your significant other reminiscing for some time to come. Despite many of the songs being standards, you'll notice his articulate style blessing each track. Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" “Little Anthony” Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2024 Building Abundant Success!!2024 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
Silver Quintette - "Sinner's Crossroads" [0:00:00] Sister Josephine James - "Live So God Can Use Me" - Spiritual and Gospel Festival 67 [0:03:30] Rev. Robert Chapman - "Holy Ghost Trip" [0:09:06] Rhyant Singers - "Babylon Is Falling Down" [0:16:04] Green Brothers - "Precious Lord" [0:18:39] Phillips Temple Harmonizers - "Where Could I Go" [0:23:46] Travelers of Zion - "Blind Man" [0:27:57] Rev. Samuel Butler - "It's Hard To Get Along" - Only The Strong Shall Survive [0:30:51] Mighty Comfortors of Chicago, Ill. - "He'll Make It Worth While" [0:32:43] Sensational Spiritual Knights of Alabama - "Try Jesus" - The Best of The Sensational Spiritual Knights [0:37:45] Little Anthony and the Truetone Gospel Singers - "Salvation Free" - Memories [0:42:37] Parchman Farm - "I Give Myself Away" - Parchman Prison Prayer: Some Mississippi Sunday Morning [0:45:38] Pilgrim Outlets - "Didn't Think I Could Make It This Far" - Do You Know Him [0:48:41] Kings of Israel of Florida - "Let Jesus Lead You" - O How I Love Jesus [0:52:10] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/138601
Welcome to my first Joint Interview! My Co-host is Gary Puckett, ‘60s Superstar with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, as we interview another music Superstar, Jerome Gourdine, better known as Little Anthony of Little Anthony and the Imperials. Little Anthony and the Imperials was one of the few artists who bridged the doo wop era of the 1950s and the rock era of the 1960s. They had one hit after another with “Tears On My Pillow” (1958), “Shimmy Shimmy KO KO Bop” (1960), “Goin' Out Of My Head” and “I'm On The Outside Looking In” (1964) and “Hurt So Bad” (1965). Their songs have been covered by so many artists. They appeared twice on the Ed Sullivan Show and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.In honor of my co-host the featured song in this episode is “Young Girl”, which was a #1 hit for Gary. In 1968 he and his band had six Top 10 hits and sold more records than anyone else. ---------------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!For more information and other episodes of the podcast click here. To subscribe to the podcast click here.To subscribe to our weekly Follow Your Dream Podcast email click here.To Rate and Review the podcast click here.“Dream With Robert”. Click here.—----------------------------------------“THE RICH ONES”. Robert's new single. With guest artist Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears) on flugelhorn. Crossover instrumental.Click HERE for all links.—---------------------------------------“MILES BEHIND”, Robert's first album, was recorded in 1994 but was “lost” for the last 30 years. It's now been released for streaming. Featuring Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears), Anton Fig (The David Letterman Show), Al Foster (Miles Davis), Tim Ries (The Rolling Stones), Jon Lucien and many more. Called “Hip, Tight and Edgy!” Click here for all links.—--------------------------------------“IT'S ALIVE!” is Robert's latest Project Grand Slam album. Featuring 13 of the band's Greatest Hits performed “live” at festivals in Pennsylvania and Serbia.Reviews:"An instant classic!" (Melody Maker)"Amazing record...Another win for the one and only Robert Miller!" (Hollywood Digest)"Close to perfect!" (Pop Icon)"A Masterpiece!" (Big Celebrity Buzz)"Sterling effort!" (Indie Pulse)"Another fusion wonder for Project Grand Slam!" (MobYorkCity)Click here for all links.Click here for song videos—-----------------------------------------Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with Little Anthony:www.littleanthonyandtheimperials.org Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com
In tonight's showe I will be featuring a Top 7 from well known DJ Andy Burns and will be featuring tunes from artists such as The Larks, Little Anthony and Luther Thomas! Show sponsored by www.midastouchsoul.co.uk This show was first broadcast on the 13th of February, 2024For more info and tracklisting, visit: https://thefaceradio.com/dab-of-soul/Tune into new broadcasts of Dab Of Soul every Tuesday from Midday - 2 PM EST / 5 - 7 PM GMT.Dig this show? Please consider supporting The Face Radio: http://support.thefaceradio.com Support The Face Radio with PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/thefaceradio. Join the family at https://plus.acast.com/s/thefaceradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We all want to improve our overall health and well-being, but how? Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Registered Dietician Katrina Piercy has some simple tips.
National bubble bath day. Entertainment from 1998. Battle of New Orleans took place in the War of 1812, US national Deb $0, President Bush threw up on Japans Prime Ministers lap. Todays birthdays - Gypsy Rose Lee, Elvis Presley, Bob Eubanks, Little Anthony, Stephen Hawking, David Bowie, Mike Reno, Gaby Hoffman. Galileo died.Intro - Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard http://defleppard.com/Splish splash - Bobby DarinCandle in the wind - Elton JohnA broken wing - Martina McBrideBallad of New Orleans - Johnny HortonBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent http://50cent.com/I'll never know - Elvis PresleyTears on my pillow - Little Anthony & the ImperialsWar Games movie clip Changes - David BowieWorking for the weekend - LoverboyExit - It's not love - Dokken http://dokken.net/ https://cooolmedia.com/
Jack Nitzche - "Closing Theme" - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest [0:00:00] Leonard Cohen - "Avalanche" - Songs of Love and Hate [0:03:52] Nick Drake - "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" - Five Leaves Left [0:08:06] Laurindo Almeida - "Etude No. 11 - by Heitor Villa-Lobos" - Guitar Music of Brazil [0:13:10] Git Head - "Lifeloops" - Art Pop [0:15:40] Git Head - "These Days" - Art Pop [0:19:03] Baume - "Diary of an Old Woman" - Baume Ep [Scott Williams and Samantha] [0:24:03] Quiet Cowboy - "White Horse Hook" - Quiet Cowboy [0:29:36] Jonathan Kane - "Gripped" - Live At Issue Project Room [0:36:53] Pere Ubu - "Blow Daddy-O" - Dub Housing [0:44:10] Can - "Little Star of Bethlehem" - Delay 1968 [0:47:13] Attilio ‘Art' Mineo - "Welcome To Tomorrow" - Brain in a Box [0:56:26] The Milleinnium - "It Won't Always Be The Same" - Self titled [0:58:02] Wire - "The Agfers of Kodack" - Send [1:03:07] Wire - "I Don't Understand" - Read and Burn [1:04:54] Robert Wyatt - "Alifib" - Rock Bottom [1:11:31] Robert Wyatt - "Alifie" - Rock Bottom [1:25:25] Shawn Phillips - "Chorale" - Faces [1:25:52] Elly Stone - "My Childhood" - Self Titled [1:34:02] Air - "Playground Love (Vibraphone Version)" - Playground EP [1:41:40] Little Anthony & the Imperials - "Take Me Back" - The Best - Most of the Best - Some Folks Were Disappointed That Big Love Hammer Wasn't Included [1:44:40] Bill Wyman - "Interview" - The Best of WFMU [1:48:35] Outback - "Baka" - World Collide [1:49:51] Big Buddy Lucas and the Wigglers - "Point of No Return" - 50 Fabulous Harmonica Favorites [1:58:07] Luiz Bonfa - "De Cigarro Em Cigarro" [2:01:24] Frederick Knight - "I've Been Lonely Too Long" - I've Been Lonely For So Long [2:04:18] Hollies - "Post Card" - Dear Eloise King Midas in Reverse [2:09:58] The Wild Magnolias - "No Na Nae" - The Wild Magnolias [2:11:41] The Butterfield Blues Band - "One More Heartache" - The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw [2:17:16] Neil Young - "Star of Bethlehem" - American Stars 'N Bars [2:20:13] Matt Warwick - "Stairway To Heaven" - Why Release an Album? [Chances are no one will hear it.] [2:28:24] Dan Hicks - "Shall I Ask An Elf?" - Early Muses 1967-1968 [2:29:43] AC/LeeC - "Dirty Deeds Around The Christmas Tree" - Self-Released [Bill McClintock] [2:32:06] Louis Prima - "Hey Boy! Hey Girl!" - Capitol Collectors Series [With Keely Smith] [2:36:08] Nils Lofgren - "White Lies" - The Very Best of Grin [2:40:33] Korla Pandit - "The Grand Moghul Suite" - Magnetic Theme [2:41:54] Runde 1 - "Die 15 Art Den Regen" - Kaleidoscopic Beats [Songs Collected by Klaus Fiehe] [2:48:03] Carla Morrison - "Duele" - Déjenme Llorar [2:50:05] Bee Gees - "Walking Back To Waterloo" - Trafalgar [2:53:57] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/135237
EPIZEUXUS!Want to join the amazing Axe on the show? have a playlist/topic/band in mind? Let us know! Reach out via @AXEPLAYLIST or @SJPWORLDMEDIA now!"Rebel Rebel," - David Bowie"Mony Mony," - Tommy James and The Shondells"C'mon C'mon," - The Von Bondies"Kiss, Kiss," - Yeah Yeah Yeahs"My My," - Seven Mary Three"Boom Boom," - The Animals"Iko Iko," - The Dixie Cups"Shimmy Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop," - Little Anthony & The Imperials"Louie Louie," - Otis Redding"Honey, Honey," - Ben Harper"Wah-Wah," - George Harrison"Radio, Radio," - Elvis Costello & The Attractions"Money Money," - Grateful Dead"Chewy Chewy," - Ohio Express"Sugar, Sugar," - The Archies*Disclaimer*Despite Chuck Winchester's total confidence, David Bowie is Jareth, the Goblin King, not the Baby King. He only steals that baby because Sarah wishes him to, so he's not really the bad guy, right?
Grammy® Nom, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances..........What was it Like Being a Rock & Soul Star & Tour BEFORE Integration? What was it like for a New Yorker Touring the segregated South n the late 50's early 60's? What was it like to hear your song on the radio & be on a Dance TV Show as Black a music act, yet the audiences & dancers in that studio were segregated ( No Blacks, Minorities allowed)?We discuss early Rock, Radio & icons of the past & present in this episodeAlthough his music pre-dates ME, My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” . And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" A few days from scheduled release, we're anticipating a rush of accolades and interest in what comes next. After years of performing at arenas and concert halls, clubs and festivals, Anthony has acquired a wealth of experience that accompanies him as you flashback to his highly successful stint as lead singer with the Imperials on a few choice cuts. Following the release of this work, expect the entertainment icon and his band to visit a city near you with a live show embracing many of the tunes contained in this two-volume cache — and more. As an all-around artist in the studio and on stage, he has been and remains an inspiration to many larger-than-life- acts, past and present: Silk Sonic, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Nearly every rock, pop, R&B, and jazz act who attained star status attribute a slice of their inspiration to the influence of Little Anthony as a lead vocalist and a solo artist. © 2023 Building Abundant Success!!2023 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
Little Anthony & The Imperials - Tears On My Pillow ABBA - Take a Chance on Me Mitsou - Les Chinois John Lennon - [Just Like] Starting Over
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Encore EpisodeMy Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” . Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. He has been & remains an inspiration to many larger-than-life- acts, past and present: Silk Sonic, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Nearly every rock, pop, R&B, and jazz act who attained star status attribute a slice of their inspiration to the influence of Little Anthony as a lead vocalist and a solo artist. Alive and well, he is eager to take his show on the road and share as much as audiences can enjoy, He is busily working on other productions to be named later. His new autobiography Little Anthony -- My Journey, My Destiny is not the traditional rags-to-riches -- cock-and-bull story and not the aimless tale landing everywhere. It is a culmination of a lifetime of near embryonic experiences unlike many others -- and he is here to talk about it. Little Anthony Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2023 Building Abundant Success!!2023 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
Label: End 1027Year: 1958Condition: M-Last Price: $40.00. Not currently available for sale.Here's a beautiful copy of this essential 1958 Doo Wop classic. This is an early pressing on the white End label. Note: This 45 record looks Near Mint (Labels, Vinyl, Audio) across the board. (This scan is a representative image from our archives; this copy has a very small rectangle of sticker residue that's not visible in the scan.)
Summer is upon us and this summer, we are entering the season of celebrating Billy Joel's An Innocent Man. In celebration of the album's 40th anniversary, I (Michael) wanted to kick things off with this playlist episode. I'm celebrating that songs that inspired An Innocent Man. Some are obvious and some are more subtle but these next songs are classics in American popular music and It was a blast stringing them all together in the same sequence of the album. The playlist: 1. Wilson Pickett - "Stagger Lee" ("Easy Money") 2. The Drifters - "Under The Boardwalk" ("An Innocent Man") 3. The Tymes - "So In Love" ("The Longest Time") 4a. Beethoven - "Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 - Pathetique ("This Night") 4b. Little Anthony and the Imperials "Tears On My Pillow" ("This Night") 5. The Supremes - "You Can't Hurry Love" ("Tell Her About It") 6. The Four Seasons - "Big Girls Don't Cry" ("Uptown Girl") 7. Sam Cooke - "(What A) Wonderful World" ("Careless Talk") 8. Little Richard - "Lucille" ("Christie Lee") 9. Jackie DeShannon - "What The World Needs Now Is Love" ("Leave A Tender Moment Alone") 10. Betty Wright - "Clean Up Woman" ("Keeping The Faith") ------ Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Pepè Willie is known as the Godfather of the Minneapolis Sound. Growing up in Brooklyn, Willie was immersed in the music industry at an early age. His uncle, Clarence Collins, is the original founding member of Little Anthony & the Imperials A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee in 2009. From running to the store to grab cigarettes for Chubby Checker to being backstage while Stevie Wonder worked his magic, Pepè got an unparalleled education in music.In the 70's Willie took that knowledge to the Minneapolis music scene and began his music career as a singer, songwriter and producer.Oh...and he was married to Prince's cousin and is the first producer to produce Prince's music.Learn more about Pepè here. Get his book! Check out his music with 94 East.Want more The On Purpose Podcast?Find full episodes and more! Check in on Instagram , FacebookFind Us on iTunes, Spotify and anywhere you listen to podcasts!Want to connect with Jerrod?Linkedin, InstagramGet My Book!
Coming to you from our underground studio in the heart of the 330 with something special for you on Mother's Day 2023. Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue - featuring Brian Culbertson, Marcus Miller, Fostina Dixon, Cindy Bradley, Smokey Robinson, Charlie Wilson, The Bar-Kays, Quincy Jones, The Police, Dreamville, Isaac Hayes, Kendrick Lamar, Carlos Santana, Little Anthony, and Bobby Caldwell to name a few. A 25-song, 2-hour jam fest that spans over six decades of my favorite music and musicians. Only on the RadioActive1 WBOB - your place in cyberspace for the most unique listening experience on the radio.
GRANT NELSON - SPELLBOUND,BLONDIE - DREAMING (THE SUB URBAN MIX),SUNSHINE ANDERSON - HEARD IT ALL BEFORE (BEN WATT LAZY DOG MIX),QUENTIN HARRIS - MY JOY (FEAT. MARGARET GRACE),SALIVA COMMANDOS - EARTH, WIND & DRUM,TEDDY DOUGLAS - BETCHA WOULDN'T HURT ME (VOCAL MIX),WILL SAWNEY - SEARCHING FOR A LOVE,BOBBY THURSTON - YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES (THE REFLEX REVISION),LEROY BURGESS FEAT. TYRONE WILLIAMS - NOTHING STAYS THE SAME(VEGA/MILAN TWO SOUL FUSION REMIX),SAMUEL ARCHER FEAT. LASRO THE KING - LIKE I LOVE YOU,SHUYA OKINO - GIVE YOUR LOVE A CHANCE,ASCENDANT FEAT. ANGELA JOHNSON - IT'S NOT OVER,SEL & GARY HUDGINS - THE SWEETEST PAIN (JOHN MORALES VOCAL GROOVE DUB MIX),ANGELO FERRERI & SUSANNE ALT - SAX DAMAGE IN NYC (UPPER EAST SIDE MIX),LOUIE VEGA - THE STAR OF A STORY (FEAT. LISA FISCHER),P.D. WILLIAMS - DREAM,JOHNNY BRITT - GOIN' OUT OF MY HEAD (FEAT. LITTLE ANTHONY & GEORGE BENSON),THE PERSUADERS FEAT. TONY 'SHOWTIME' RILEY - ALL UP IN YOUR LOVE (UNRELEASED DEMO),PAUL KELLY - YOU MAKE ME TREMBLE (SOUL4REAL 45)ANNETTE SNELL - I THINK I'M FALLING IN LOVE (SOUL4REAL 45),FREDERICK KNIGHT - YOU'VE NEVER REALLY LIVED (SOUL4REAL 45),YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX - MOONSHINE (SNIPPET)
Grammy® Nom, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances.......... Little Anthony Talks to Us about Life Success Lessons from his Elders & Touring with Ruth Brown, Sarah Vaughn, Sam Cooke, Dr. Martin Luther King & MORE. His Awesome LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY includes New Music & Classic Tunes. He Tours in concert in 2023My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is no will-o'-the-wisp, stab in the dark recording; it is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” Forty memorable selections should keep you and your significant other reminiscing for some time to come. And if you're not spoken for, you can enjoy it all to yourself for as long as you can imagine! There is something for everyone in these forever volumes. And I promise you: The fun verbal exchanges in the narration between Anthony and the producer are insightful as twists and turns unravel in the development of this contemporary musical masterpiece. Despite many of the songs being standards, you'll notice his articulate style blessing each track. Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" A few days from scheduled release, we're anticipating a rush of accolades and interest in what comes next. After years of performing at arenas and concert halls, clubs and festivals, Anthony has acquired a wealth of experience that accompanies him as you flashback to his highly successful stint as lead singer with the Imperials on a few choice cuts. Following the release of this work, expect the entertainment icon and his band to visit a city near you with a live show embracing many of the tunes contained in this two-volume cache — and more. As an all-around artist in the studio and on stage, he has been and remains an inspiration to many larger-than-life- acts, past and present: Silk Sonic, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Nearly every rock, pop, R&B, and jazz act who attained star status attribute a slice of their inspiration to the influence of Little Anthony as a lead vocalist and a solo artist. Alive and well, he is eager to take his show on the road and share as much as audiences can enjoy, including numbers from the Anthology. Like a silver fox, he roams the stage, eyeing each participant as they sing along with the seasoned crooner and his dynamic band. Recently, the Brooklyn, NY, native said: “I'm anxious to share these songs with folks everywhere, and I'm so proud of the entire team that helped put it all together.” This is only the beginning of a succession of projects on tap for the foreseeable future. He is busily working on other productions to be named later. His new autobiography Little Anthony -- My Journey, My Destiny is not the traditional rags-to-riches -- cock-and-bull story and not the aimless tale landing everywhere. It is a culmination of a lifetime of near embryonic experiences unlike many others -- and he is here to talk about it. But whether sipping a cup of tea, tearfully empathizing with the subject, or pondering a musical concept, there's something for everyone in this one. One more thing: the fact that Anthony rhymes with anthology sounds cute and is coincidental, but the sterling quality of this 40-track-production is not(!) borne of luck. “Little Anthony” Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2023 Building Abundant Success!!2023 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
Who's lived a more varied, interesting political life over the last 6 decades than Jeff Greenfield? Aide and speechwriter to Senator Robert Kennedy...staffer for NYC Mayor John Lindsay...successful political consultant with the famed David Garth...and then as an omnipresent political commentator at CBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN...5 time Emmy Award Winner...author of several books. This is a great, wide-ranging conversation with one of the most respected, enduring, and distinctive voices in American politics.IN THIS EPISODEHow the New York Yankees are responsible for Jeff's political obsession…The serendipitous path that led Jeff to become an aide to Senator Robert Kennedy…Jeff's memories of the U.S. Senate of the 1960s…Jeff on the political savvy of RFK…The stories behind two of RFK's most memorable speeches in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr's Assassination…Jeff talks how the 1968 election might have played out had Senator Kennedy lived…What it was like writing a speech for Robert Kennedy…Jeff's theory on the right match of speechwriter and speaker…Jeff's time working with famed political consultant David Garth…The ad Jeff wrote as a media consultant of which he's most proud…Jeff talks his connection with longtime friend William F. Buckley…The story of Margaret Thatcher insulting Jeff on national TV…Jeff's move from political consulting to working in television…The media job Jeff held that was the most fun…Jeff's approach to interesting television commentary…Four of Jeff's pet peeves about contemporary political punditry…The “single most powerful event” Jeff ever attended…Recommendations from one of Jeff's favorite restaurants and favorite band…AND Aeschylus, Muhammad Ali, Barney Greengrass, the Beatles, Tom Bettag, Beyonce, Big Pink, Tom Bradley, the Bronx High School of Science, Ron Brown, Buggs Bunny, bullshit measurements, Hugh Carey, William Sloane Coffin, communist cigars, computer manuals, Daffy Duck, Richard Daley, doo wop, Fred Dutton, Peter Edelman, Dwight Eisenhower, elephants, Firing Line, Joe Frazier, John Kenneth Galbraith, John Glenn, the Grateful Dead, Averell Harriman, Lester Holt, Hubert Humphrey, Inspector Javert, Irving Ives, Jacob Javits, journalistic utopias, jut jaws, Murray Kempton, Henry Kissinger, Ted Koppel, John Lindsay, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Lil Nas, losing altitude, Russell Long, the longest slogans in the world, Al Lowenstein, the Making of the President, Eugene McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, George McGovern, Stephen Miller, mock primaries, Bill Moyers, the National Review, The New York Times, Richard Nixon, Lee Harvey Oswald, particle physics, personal antipathy, Ronald Reagan, Robbie Robertson, Howard Samuels, Ted Sorensen, Aaron Sorkin, Adlai Stevenson, Norman Thomas, Donald Trump, two doses of herpes, Unconventional Wisdom, the unit rule, V-E Day, the violence of institutions, Adam Walinsky, wartime correspondents, Watergate, Billy Wilder, wretched ironies, Sam Yorty & more!
The multi-talented Jerry Fanfarelli of the popular Juke Box 45 Show Band (CT's Premier 50's and 60's Oldies Doo-Wop Show Band) talks about his amazing career of 50+ years in show business growing up in Connecticut with a love for Doo-Wop at 7 influenced by a love for the Duprees, Larry Chance & the Earls, Danny & the Jrs. , Little Anthony & the Imperials, Paul Anka, Dion, Del Shannon and more! Jerry as the lead singer and guitarist is also joined by bassist Joe Carver, keyboardist Paul Scungio, and drummer Al Floyd talking about their careers and the formation of the popular group loved by dedicated fans in the tri-state area plus their latest release “Doo-Wop Memories” available and www.jukebox45.ustoday! #jerryfanfarelli #jukebox45 #doowop #conneticut #doowopmemories #jukebox45showband #theduprees #larrychanceandtheearls #dannyandthejuniors #littleanthony #theimperials #paulanka #dion #delshannon #iheartradio #spreaker #spotify #apple #youtube #anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnerjukebox45 #themikewagnershowjukebox45 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themikewagnershow/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themikewagnershow/support
The multi-talented Jerry Fanfarelli of the popular Juke Box 45 Show Band (CT's Premier 50's and 60's Oldies Doo-Wop Show Band) talks about his amazing career of 50+ years in show business growing up in Connecticut with a love for Doo-Wop at 7 influenced by a love for the Duprees, Larry Chance & the Earls, Danny & the Jrs. , Little Anthony & the Imperials, Paul Anka, Dion, Del Shannon and more! Jerry as the lead singer and guitarist is also joined by bassist Joe Carver, keyboardist Paul Scungio, and drummer Al Floyd talking about their careers and the formation of the popular group loved by dedicated fans in the tri-state area plus their latest release “Doo-Wop Memories” available and www.jukebox45.ustoday! #jerryfanfarelli #jukebox45 #doowop #conneticut #doowopmemories #jukebox45showband #theduprees #larrychanceandtheearls #dannyandthejuniors #littleanthony #theimperials #paulanka #dion #delshannon #iheartradio #spreaker #spotify #apple #youtube #anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnerjukebox45 #themikewagnershowjukebox45 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themikewagnershow/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themikewagnershow/support
Grammy® Nom, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances..........What was it Like Being a Rock & Soul Star & Tour BEFORE Integration? What was it like for a New Yorker Touring the segregated South n the late 50's early 60's? What was it like to hear your song on the radio & be on a Dance TV Show as Black a music act, yet the audiences & dancers in that studio were segregated ( No Blacks, Minorities allowed)?We discuss early Rock, Radio & icons of the past & present in this episodeAlthough his music pre-dates ME, My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is no will-o'-the-wisp, stab in the dark recording; it is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” Forty memorable selections should keep you and your significant other reminiscing for some time to come. And if you're not spoken for, you can enjoy it all to yourself for as long as you can imagine! There is something for everyone in these forever volumes. And I promise you: The fun verbal exchanges in the narration between Anthony and the producer are insightful as twists and turns unravel in the development of this contemporary musical masterpiece. Despite many of the songs being standards, you'll notice his articulate style blessing each track. Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" A few days from scheduled release, we're anticipating a rush of accolades and interest in what comes next. After years of performing at arenas and concert halls, clubs and festivals, Anthony has acquired a wealth of experience that accompanies him as you flashback to his highly successful stint as lead singer with the Imperials on a few choice cuts. Following the release of this work, expect the entertainment icon and his band to visit a city near you with a live show embracing many of the tunes contained in this two-volume cache — and more. As an all-around artist in the studio and on stage, he has been and remains an inspiration to many larger-than-life- acts, past and present: Silk Sonic, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Nearly every rock, pop, R&B, and jazz act who attained star status attribute a slice of their inspiration to the influence of Little Anthony as a lead vocalist and a solo artist. Alive and well, he is eager to take his show on the road and share as much as audiences can enjoy, including numbers from the Anthology. Like a silver fox, he roams the stage, eyeing each participant as they sing along with the seasoned crooner and his dynamic band. Recently, the Brooklyn, NY, native said: “I'm anxious to share these songs with folks everywhere, and I'm so proud of the entire team that helped put it all together.” This is only the beginning of a succession of projects on tap for the foreseeable future. He is busily working on other productions to be named later. His new autobiography Little Anthony -- My Journey, My Destiny is not the traditional rags-to-riches -- cock-and-bull story and not the aimless tale landing everywhere. It is a culmination of a lifetime of near embryonic experiences unlike many others -- and he is here to talk about it. But whether sipping a cup of tea, tearfully empathizing with the subject, or pondering a musical concept, there's something for everyone in this one. One more thing: the fact that Anthony rhymes with anthology sounds cute and is coincidental, but the sterling quality of this 40-track-production is not(!) borne of luck. “Little Anthony” Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2022 Building Abundant Success!!2022 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
Silver Quintette - "Sinner's Crossroads" [0:00:00] Royal Lights Singers - "I Want Jesus To Walk With Me" [0:04:00] Watson Singers - "One Talk With Jesus" [0:06:30] Abraham Brothers - "Pray While You Have The Chance" [0:08:26] Rev Frank Ross - "Holy Spirit" [0:14:26] Harp Tones - "How I Got Over" [0:17:33] Soul Stirrers - "I Thank You Lord" [0:20:23] Cecil Shaw and the Union Spiritual Singers - "Jesus Be My Keeper" [0:22:44] Sipsey River Primitive Baptist Association Congregation - "I Saw The Light of Heaven Come Down" [0:25:06] Adolphus Hall - "Where Could I Go" [0:31:04] Crump Brothers - "A Man At The River" [0:32:15] Bishop Manning & the Manning Family - "I Am A Pilgrim" [0:38:54] Little Anthony and the Truetone Gospel Singers - "Two Teaspoons of Jesus" [0:41:41] Bethlehem Gospel Singers - "Give Me A Little Bit Longer" [0:45:10] Swindell Brothers - "What A Fellowship" [0:48:47] Mighty Gospel Crown - "Sweet Land" [0:51:40] Bishop Manning of Roanoke, VA - "Gospel Train" [0:54:49] Junior Dynamics - "That Separation Line" [0:59:01] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/121535
Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth interview with Little Anthony, Lead Singer, “Little Anthony and The Imperials” About Harvey's guest: Today's special guest, Little Anthony, is a legendary superstar whose highly recognizable and extraordinary voice created the signature sound for one of the most popular and beloved vocal groups of all time: Little Anthony and the Imperials. With his smooth, savvy voice that could sing 3 octaves and a falsetto, he's been immortalized in dozens of multi-platinum hit songs including “Tears On My Pillow”, “Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop”, “I'm on the Outside Looking In”, “Goin' Out of my Head”, “Hurt So Bad”, “Take Me Back”, “Better Use Your Head”, “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” and many more. They were the first contemporary music group to perform at the Copacabana nightclub in New York. And they gave dozens of show-stopping performances on TV, on “Ed Sullivan”, “American Bandstand”, “Hullabaloo”, “Shindig”, “Soul Train” and every talk show and variety show. They were featured in 3 PBS specials, and our guest's amazing voice can be heard on the soundtrack to 11 movies. In 2014, he released his moving and compelling memoir entitled, “Little Anthony: My Journey, My Destiny”, which provides a fascinating look into the man behind the music. And now, he's released a highly acclaimed, NEW collection of songs – a 2-volume CD set entitled “Little Anthony & The Music: An Anthology”, containing 40 memorable selections including some of the hits, some that should have been hits, some previously unreleased songs, and his new single, a refreshing R & B take on Billy Joel's “New York State of Mind”. He has an immensely popular show on SiriusXM 60's Gold, and he will soon be seen in a brand new PBS Special entitled, “The Musicians' Green Book: An Enduring Legacy”, premiering in December. Our guest received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award and was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, and the most prestigious of them all, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ http://littleanthonyandtheimperials.org/https://www.facebook.com/littleanthonymusichttps://www.harmonystreet.biz/ #LittleAnthony #LittleAnthonyandTheImperials #harveybrownstoneinterviews
Grammy® Nom, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances..........What was it Like Being a Rock & Soul Star & Tour BEFORE Integration? What was it like for a New Yorker Touring the segregated South n the late 50's early 60's? What was it like to hear your song on the radio & be on a Dance TV Show as Black a music act, yet the audiences & dancers in that studio were segregated ( No Blacks, Minorities allowed)? We discuss early Rock, Radio & icons of the past & present in this episodeAlthough his music pre-dates ME, My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is no will-o'-the-wisp, stab in the dark recording; it is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” Forty memorable selections should keep you and your significant other reminiscing for some time to come. And if you're not spoken for, you can enjoy it all to yourself for as long as you can imagine! There is something for everyone in these forever volumes. And I promise you: The fun verbal exchanges in the narration between Anthony and the producer are insightful as twists and turns unravel in the development of this contemporary musical masterpiece. Despite many of the songs being standards, you'll notice his articulate style blessing each track. Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" A few days from scheduled release, we're anticipating a rush of accolades and interest in what comes next. After years of performing at arenas and concert halls, clubs and festivals, Anthony has acquired a wealth of experience that accompanies him as you flashback to his highly successful stint as lead singer with the Imperials on a few choice cuts. Following the release of this work, expect the entertainment icon and his band to visit a city near you with a live show embracing many of the tunes contained in this two-volume cache — and more. As an all-around artist in the studio and on stage, he has been and remains an inspiration to many larger-than-life- acts, past and present: Silk Sonic, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Nearly every rock, pop, R&B, and jazz act who attained star status attribute a slice of their inspiration to the influence of Little Anthony as a lead vocalist and a solo artist. Alive and well, he is eager to take his show on the road and share as much as audiences can enjoy, including numbers from the Anthology. Like a silver fox, he roams the stage, eyeing each participant as they sing along with the seasoned crooner and his dynamic band. Recently, the Brooklyn, NY, native said: “I'm anxious to share these songs with folks everywhere, and I'm so proud of the entire team that helped put it all together.” This is only the beginning of a succession of projects on tap for the foreseeable future. He is busily working on other productions to be named later. His new autobiography Little Anthony -- My Journey, My Destiny is not the traditional rags-to-riches -- cock-and-bull story and not the aimless tale landing everywhere. It is a culmination of a lifetime of near embryonic experiences unlike many others -- and he is here to talk about it. But whether sipping a cup of tea, tearfully empathizing with the subject, or pondering a musical concept, there's something for everyone in this one. One more thing: the fact that Anthony rhymes with anthology sounds cute and is coincidental, but the sterling quality of this 40-track-production is not(!) borne of luck. “Little Anthony” Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2022 Building Abundant Success!!2022 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
In an episode first aired September 5, 2022: DJ Andrew Sandoval surveys the five summer editions of his show and selects his favorite tracks alongside a handful of more recent discoveries. Artists include: Bruce & Terry; The Ragamuffins; Mark Eric; The Stephen Crane Village; Freddie Cannon; Brian Hyland; Harmony Grass; The Higher Elevation; The Hot Dog Stand; Teddy & The Pandas; The Fresh Windows; The Gibsons; The Chocolate Watch Band (UK); The Bystanders; Los Iberos; The Pyramid; The Love Generation; Nancy Sinatra with Lee Hazlewood; Johnny Rivers; The Two Of Each; The Kinks; Love; The Monkees; Little Anthony & The Imperials; The 5th Dimension; The Six Pents; Jan & Dean; The Shangri-Las; Skeeter Davis; The Street Corner Society; Lesley Gore; The Beach Boys; The Dave Clark Five; David Kerr; The California Poppy Pickers; The Fortunes; The Imaginations; Floyd & Jerry with The Counterpoints; Toast; The Peppermint Trolley Company; The Seeds; The Bonzo Dog Band; Bill Fay; Ray Chafin; Sonny & Cher; Mournin' Do; Marianne Faithfull; Reparata & The Delrons; Saturday's Photograph; Tuesday's Children; Twice As Much; The Bee Gees; Del Shannon; Chad & Jeremy and Dusty Springfield
Grammy® Nom, New Music, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & New Music, TV Appearances..........My Grand Folks & Family always had the Rock n Roll/Soul Classics playing when I went to Reunions & around the House during my Childhood. I consider this a GIFT!! I ALSO get the gift of Interviewing one of my Favorites: Little Anthony!!Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee “Little Anthony” Gourdine is without question one of the most celebrated vocalists in the annals of popular music. His tender yet explosive delivery of a musical phrase leaves audiences spellbound with an impression so indelible that casual listeners never forget the ‘voice' or the tunes he immortalized. These songs consistently emanate from airwaves and are often lauded in music journals worldwide. Songs such as “Goin' Out Of My Head,” “I'm On The Outside Looking In,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Take Me Back,” are simply four of a compendium of platinum hits performed by the extraordinarily gifted performer on national television and heard on classic and Top-40 radio spanning numerous decades. His latest blockbuster release is no will-o'-the-wisp, stab in the dark recording; it is a well-thought-out and substantive diary of songs, including many covers bearing his unmistakable vocal imprint. Producer Michael Miller spared no effort in tirelessly orchestrating a project that promises an enduring shelf-life titled LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC — AN ANTHOLOGY. Songs include the classics “A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, ”Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “What A Difference A Day Makes,” and “Who's Sorry Now.” Forty memorable selections should keep you and your significant other reminiscing for some time to come. And if you're not spoken for, you can enjoy it all to yourself for as long as you can imagine! There is something for everyone in these forever volumes. And I promise you: The fun verbal exchanges in the narration between Anthony and the producer are insightful as twists and turns unravel in the development of this contemporary musical masterpiece. Despite many of the songs being standards, you'll notice his articulate style blessing each track. Consider the infusive single and premier release "New York State of Mind." While some scratch their heads in wonderment upon hearing this cover for the first time, thinking: "That voice is familiar." And after a slight pause, like a ton of bricks it hits them: "That's Little Anthony!" For sure. And then they go on praising his vocal acumen, deservedly so. His R&B-laced rendering of "New York State of Mind" is a divergence from the perennial recording and sports an infectious 42nd Street vibe. It's performed so well that composer Billy Joel is likely to tip his hat. A popular legend recently said: "The Man's still got it!" A few days from scheduled release, we're anticipating a rush of accolades and interest in what comes next. After years of performing at arenas and concert halls, clubs and festivals, Anthony has acquired a wealth of experience that accompanies him as you flashback to his highly successful stint as lead singer with the Imperials on a few choice cuts. Following the release of this work, expect the entertainment icon and his band to visit a city near you with a live show embracing many of the tunes contained in this two-volume cache — and more. As an all-around artist in the studio and on stage, he has been and remains an inspiration to many larger-than-life- acts, past and present: Silk Sonic, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Nearly every rock, pop, R&B, and jazz act who attained star status attribute a slice of their inspiration to the influence of Little Anthony as a lead vocalist and a solo artist. Alive and well, he is eager to take his show on the road and share as much as audiences can enjoy, including numbers from the Anthology. Like a silver fox, he roams the stage, eyeing each participant as they sing along with the seasoned crooner and his dynamic band. Recently, the Brooklyn, NY, native said: “I'm anxious to share these songs with folks everywhere, and I'm so proud of the entire team that helped put it all together.” This is only the beginning of a succession of projects on tap for the foreseeable future. He is busily working on other productions to be named later. His new autobiography Little Anthony -- My Journey, My Destiny is not the traditional rags-to-riches -- cock-and-bull story and not the aimless tale landing everywhere. It is a culmination of a lifetime of near embryonic experiences unlike many others -- and he is here to talk about it. But whether sipping a cup of tea, tearfully empathizing with the subject, or pondering a musical concept, there's something for everyone in this one. One more thing: the fact that Anthony rhymes with anthology sounds cute and is coincidental, but the sterling quality of this 40-track-production is not(!) borne of luck. “Little Anthony” Gourdine has brightened many a day for aficionados of ‘God's musical gift to mankind' everywhere with indescribably beautiful music that fills our hearts with Joy! .............. https://www.harmonystreet.biz/ Phil C. Brown © 2022 Building Abundant Success!!2022 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
It's not often these days with the advancements in law enforcement and surveillance that you see a mafia rub out. Especially one in public. However 13 years ago today a Bonanno Mobster Little Anthony Seccafico was gunned down at a public bus stop in Staten Island. John takes you through the crimes and misdeeds Little Anthony committed to deserve such a brazen mafia slaying. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/this-day-in-the-mob/support
Today is a major anniversary that is near and dear to Craig's heart. The best burger in the city is...Little Anthony is great at impressions. And BT tweeted out a pic that caught Craig's attention.
Hour 4: Today is a very special day for Craig. Where can I get the best burger in NYC? Little Anthony shows off his impression skills. Does Craig need to lose weight. And it's Friday, which means it's time for the Blame Poll.
Episode 144 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Last Train to Clarksville" and the beginnings of the career of the Monkees, along with a short primer on the origins of the Vietnam War. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a seventeen-minute bonus episode available, on "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Nancy Sinatra, which I mispronounce at the end of this episode as "These Boots Were Made For Walking", so no need to correct me here. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Resources As usual, all the songs excerpted in the podcast can be heard in full at Mixcloud. The best versions of the Monkees albums are the triple-CD super-deluxe versions that used to be available from monkees.com , and I've used Andrew Sandoval's liner notes for them extensively in this episode. Sadly, though, the only one of those that is still in print is More of the Monkees. For those just getting into the group, my advice is to start with this five-CD set, which contains their first five albums along with bonus tracks. The single biggest source of information I used in this episode is the first edition of Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees; The Day-By-Day Story. Sadly that is now out of print and goes for hundreds of pounds. Sandoval released a second edition of the book last year, which I was unfortunately unable to obtain, but that too is now out of print. If you can find a copy of either, do get one. Other sources used were Monkee Business by Eric Lefcowitz, and the autobiographies of three of the band members and one of the songwriters -- Infinite Tuesday by Michael Nesmith, They Made a Monkee Out of Me by Davy Jones, I'm a Believer by Micky Dolenz, and Psychedelic Bubble-Gum by Bobby Hart. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript We've obviously talked in this podcast about several of the biggest hits of 1966 already, but we haven't mentioned the biggest hit of the year, one of the strangest records ever to make number one in the US -- "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Sgt Barry Sadler: [Excerpt: Barry Sadler, "The Ballad of the Green Berets"] Barry Sadler was an altogether odd man, and just as a brief warning his story, which will last a minute or so, involves gun violence. At the time he wrote and recorded that song, he was on active duty in the military -- he was a combat medic who'd been fighting in the Vietnam War when he'd got a wound that had meant he had to be shipped back to the USA, and while at Fort Bragg he decided to write and record a song about his experiences, with the help of Robin Moore, a right-wing author of military books, both fiction and nonfiction, who wrote the books on which the films The Green Berets and The French Connection were based. Sadler's record became one of those massive fluke hits, selling over nine million copies and getting him appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, but other than one top thirty hit, he never had another hit single. Instead, he tried and failed to have a TV career, then became a writer of pulp fiction himself, writing a series of twenty-one novels about the centurion who thrust his spear into Jesus' side when Jesus was being crucified, and is thus cursed to be a soldier until the second coming. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived until he shot Lee Emerson, a country songwriter who had written songs for Marty Robbins, in the head, killing him, in an argument over a woman. He was sentenced to thirty days in jail for this misdemeanour, of which he served twenty-eight. Later he moved to Guatemala City, where he was himself shot in the head. The nearest Army base to Nashville, where Sadler lived after his discharge, is Fort Campbell, in Clarksville: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Last Train to Clarksville"] The Vietnam War was a long and complicated war, one which affected nearly everything we're going to see in the next year or so of this podcast, and we're going to talk about it a lot, so it's worth giving a little bit of background here. In doing so, I'm going to use quite a flippant tone, but I want to make it clear that I'm not mocking the very real horrors that people suffered in the wars I'm talking about -- it's just that to sum up multiple decades of unimaginable horrors in a few sentences requires glossing over so much that you have to either laugh or cry. The origin of the Vietnam War, as in so many things in twentieth century history, can be found in European colonialism. France had invaded much of Southeast Asia in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and created a territory known as French Indo-China, which became part of the French colonial Empire. But in 1940 France was taken over by Germany, and Japan was at war with China. Germany and Japan were allies, and the Japanese were worried that French Indo-China would be used to import fuel and arms to China -- plus, they quite fancied the idea of having a Japanese empire. So Vichy France let Japan take control of French Indo-China. But of course the *reason* that France had been taken over by Germany was that pretty much the whole world was at war in 1940, and obviously the countries that were fighting Germany and Japan -- the bloc led by Britain, soon to be joined by America and Russia -- weren't very keen on the idea of Japan getting more territory. But they were also busy with the whole "fighting a world war" thing, so they did what governments in this situation always do -- they funded local guerilla insurgent fighters on the basis that "my enemy's enemy is my friend", something that has luckily never had any negative consequences whatsoever, except for occasionally. Those local guerilla fighters were an anti-imperialist popular front, the Việt Minh, led by Hồ Chí Minh, a revolutionary Communist. They were dedicated to overthrowing foreign imperialist occupiers and gaining independence for Vietnam, and Hồ Chí Minh further wanted to establish a Soviet-style Communist government in the newly-independent country. The Allies funded the Việt Minh in their fight against the Japanese occupiers until the end of the Second World War, at which point France was liberated from German occupation, Vietnam was liberated from Japanese occupation, and the French basically said "Hooray! We get our Empire back!", to which Hồ Chí Minh's response was, more or less, "what part of anti-imperialist Marxist dedicated to overthrowing foreign occupation of Vietnam did you not understand, exactly?" Obviously, the French weren't best pleased with this, and so began what was the first of a series of wars in the region. The First Indochina War lasted for years and ended in a negotiated peace of a sort. Of course, this led to the favoured tactic of the time, partition -- splitting a formerly-occupied country into two, at an arbitrary dividing line, a tactic which was notably successful in securing peace everywhere it was tried. Apart from Ireland, India, Korea, and a few other places, but surely it wouldn't be a problem in Vietnam, right? North Vietnam was controlled by the Communists, led by Hồ Chí Minh, and recognised by China and the USSR but not by the Western states. South Vietnam was nominally independent but led by the former puppet emperor who owed his position to France, soon replaced by a right-wing dictatorship. And both the right-wing dictatorship and the left-wing dictatorship were soon busily oppressing their own citizens and funding military opposition groups in the other country. This soon escalated into full-blown war, with the North backed by China and Russia and the South backed by America. This was one of a whole series of wars in small countries which were really proxy wars between the two major powers, the USA and the USSR, both of which were vying for control, but which couldn't confront each other directly because either country had enough nuclear weapons to destroy the whole world multiple times over. But the Vietnam War quickly became more than a small proxy war. The US started sending its own troops over, and more and more of them. The US had never ended the draft after World War II, and by the mid sixties significant numbers of young men were being called up and sent over to fight in a war that had by that point lasted a decade (depending on exactly when you count the war as starting from) between two countries they didn't care about, over things few of them understood, and at an exorbitant cost in lives. As you might imagine, this started to become unpopular among those likely to be drafted, and as the people most affected (other, of course, than the Vietnamese people, whose opinions on being bombed and shot at by foreigners supporting one of other of the dictators vying to rule over them nobody else was much interested in) were also of the generation who were the main audience for popular music, slowly this started to seep into the lyrics of songs -- a seepage which had already been prompted by the appearance in the folk and soul worlds of many songs against other horrors, like segregation. This started to hit the pop charts with songs like "The Universal Soldier" by Buffy Saint-Marie, which made the UK top five in a version by Donovan: [Excerpt: Donovan, "The Universal Soldier"] That charted in the lower regions of the US charts, and a cover version by Glen Campbell did slightly better: [Excerpt: Glen Campbell, "The Universal Soldier"] That was even though Campbell himself was a supporter of the war in Vietnam, and rather pro-military. Meanwhile, as we've seen a couple of times, Jan Berry of Jan and Dean recorded a pro-war answer song to that, "The Universal Coward": [Excerpt: Jan Berry, "The Universal Coward"] This, of course, was even though Berry was himself avoiding the draft. And I've not been able to find the credits for that track, but Glen Campbell regularly played guitar on Berry's sessions, so it's entirely possible that he played guitar on that record made by a coward, attacking his own record, which he disagreed with, for its cowardice. This is, of course, what happens when popular culture tries to engage with social and political issues -- pop culture is motivated by money, not ideological consistency, and so if there's money to be made from anti-war songs or from pro-war songs, someone will take that money. And so on October the ninth 1965, Billboard magazine ran a report: "Colpix Enters Protest Field HOLLYWOOD -Colpix has secured its first protest lyric disk, "The Willing Conscript,"as General Manager Bud Katzel initiates relationships with independent producers. The single features Lauren St. Davis. Katzel says the song was written during the Civil War, rewritten during World War I and most recently updated by Bob Krasnow and Sam Ashe. Screen Gems Music, the company's publishing wing, is tracing the song's history, Katzel said. Katzel's second single is "(You Got the Gamma Goochee" by an artist with that unusual stage name. The record is a Screen Gems production and was in the house when Katzel arrived one month ago. The executive said he was expressly looking for material for two contract artists, David Jones and Hoyt Axton. The company is also working on getting Axton a role in a television series, "Camp Runamuck." " To unpack this a little, Colpix was a record label, owned by Columbia Pictures, and we talked about that a little bit in the episode on "The Loco-Motion" -- the film and TV companies were getting into music, and Columbia had recently bought up Don Kirshner's Aldon publishing and Dimension Records as part of their strategy of tying in music with their TV shows. This is a company trying desperately to jump on a bandwagon -- Colpix at this time was not exactly having huge amounts of success with its records. Hoyt Axton, meanwhile, was a successful country singer and songwriter. We met his mother many episodes back -- Mae Axton was the writer of "Heartbreak Hotel". Axton himself is now best known as the dad in the 80s film Gremlins. David Jones will be coming up shortly. Bob Krasnow and Sam Ashe were record executives then at Kama Sutra records, but soon to move on -- we'll be hearing about Krasnow more in future episodes. Neither of them were songwriters, and while I have no real reason to disbelieve the claim that "The Willing Conscript" dates back to the Civil War, the earliest version *I* have been able to track down was its publication in issue 28 of Broadside Magazine in June 1963 -- nearly a hundred years after the American Civil War -- with the credit "by Tom Paxton" -- Paxton was a popular singer-songwriter of the time, and it certainly sounds like his writing. The first recording of it I know of was by Pete Seeger: [Excerpt: Pete Seeger, "The Willing Conscript"] But the odd thing is that by the time this was printed, the single had already been released the previous month, and it was not released under the name Lauren St Davis, or under the title "The Willing Conscript" -- there are precisely two differences between the song copyrighted as by Krasnow and Ashe and the one copyrighted two years earlier as by Paxton. One is that verses three and four are swapped round, the other is that it's now titled "The New Recruit". And presumably because they realised that the pseudonym "Lauren St. Davis" was trying just a bit too hard to sound cool and drug culture, they reverted to another stage name the performer had been using, Michael Blessing: [Excerpt: Michael Blessing, "The New Recruit"] Blessing's name was actually Michael Nesmith, and before we go any further, yes his mother, Bette Nesmith Graham, did invent the product that later became marketed in the US as Liquid Paper. At this time, though, that company wasn't anywhere near as successful as it later became, and was still a tiny company. I only mention it to forestall the ten thousand comments and tweets I would otherwise get asking why I didn't mention it. In Nesmith's autobiography, while he talks a lot about his mother, he barely mentions her business and says he was uninterested in it -- he talks far more about the love of art she instilled in him, as well as her interest in the deep questions of philosophy and religion, to which in her case and his they found answers in Christian Science, but both were interested in conversations about ideas, in a way that few other people in Nesmith's early environment were. Nesmith's mother was also responsible for his music career. He had spent two years in the Air Force in his late teens, and the year he got out, his mother and stepfather bought him a guitar for Christmas, after he was inspired by seeing Hoyt Axton performing live and thinking he could do that himself: [Excerpt: Hoyt Axton, "Greenback Dollar"] As he put it in his autobiography, "What did it matter that I couldn't play the guitar, couldn't sing very well, and didn't know any folk songs? I would be going to college and hanging out at the student union with pretty girls and singing folk songs. They would like me. I might even figure out a way to get a cool car." This is, of course, the thought process that pretty much every young man to pick up a guitar goes through, but Nesmith was more dedicated than most. He gave his first performance as a folk singer ten days after he first got a guitar, after practising the few chords in most folk songs for twelve hours a day every day in that time. He soon started performing as a folk singer, performing around Dallas both on his own and with his friend John London, performing the standard folk repertoire of Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly songs, things like "Pick a Bale of Cotton": [Excerpt: Michael Nesmith, "Pick a Bale of Cotton"] He also started writing his own songs, and put out a vanity record of one of them in 1963: [Excerpt: Mike Nesmith, "Wanderin'"] London moved to California, and Nesmith soon followed, with his first wife Phyllis and their son Christian. There Nesmith and London had the good fortune to be neighbours with someone who was a business associate of Frankie Laine, and they were signed to Laine's management company as a folk duo. However, Nesmith's real love was rock and roll, especially the heavier R&B end of the genre -- he was particularly inspired by Bo Diddley, and would always credit seeing Diddley live as a teenager as being his biggest musical influence. Soon Nesmith and London had formed a folk-rock trio with their friend Bill Sleeper. As Mike & John & Bill, they put out a single, "How Can You Kiss Me?", written by Nesmith: [Excerpt: Mike & John & Bill, "How Can You Kiss Me?"] They also recorded more of Nesmith's songs, like "All the King's Horses": [Excerpt: Mike & John & Bill, "All the King's Horses"] But that was left unreleased, as Bill was drafted, and Nesmith and London soon found themselves in The Survivors, one of several big folk groups run by Randy Sparks, the founder of the New Christie Minstrels. Nesmith was also writing songs throughout 1964 and 1965, and a few of those songs would be recorded by other people in 1966, like "Different Drum", which was recorded by the bluegrass band The Greenbriar Boys: [Excerpt: The Greenbriar Boys, "Different Drum"] That would more successfully be recorded by the Stone Poneys later of course. And Nesmith's "Mary Mary" was also picked up by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band: [Excerpt: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, "Mary Mary"] But while Nesmith had written these songs by late 1965, he wasn't able to record them himself. He was signed by Bob Krasnow, who insisted he change his name to Michael Blessing, and recorded two singles for Colpix -- "The New Recruit", which we heard earlier, and a version of Buffy Saint-Marie's "Until It's Time For You To Go", sung in a high tenor range very far from Nesmith's normal singing voice: [Excerpt: Michael Blessing, "Until It's Time For You To Go"] But to my mind by far the best thing Nesmith recorded in this period is the unissued third Michael Blessing single, where Nesmith seems to have been given a chance to make the record he really wanted to make. The B-side, a version of Allen Toussaint's swamp-rocker "Get Out of My Life, Woman", is merely a quite good version of the song, but the A-side, a version of his idol Bo Diddley's classic "Who Do You Love?" is utterly extraordinary, and it's astonishing that it was never released at the time: [Excerpt: Michael Blessing, "Who Do You Love?"] But the Michael Blessing records did no better than anything else Colpix were putting out. Indeed, the only record they got onto the hot one hundred at all in a three and a half year period was a single by one David Jones, which reached the heady heights of number ninety-eight: [Excerpt: David Jones, "What Are We Going to Do?"] Jones had been brought up in extreme poverty in Openshaw in Manchester, but had been encouraged by his mother, who died when he was fourteen, to go into acting. He'd had a few parts on local radio, and had appeared as a child actor on TV shows made in Manchester, like appearing in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street (still on today) as Ena Sharples' grandson Colin: [Excerpt: Coronation St https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FDEvOs1imc , 13:30] He also had small roles in Z-Cars and Bill Naughton's TV play "June Evening", and a larger role in Keith Waterhouse's radio play "There is a Happy Land". But when he left school, he decided he was going to become a jockey rather than an actor -- he was always athletic, he loved horses, and he was short -- I've seen his height variously cited as five foot three and five foot four. But it turned out that the owner of the stables in which he was training had showbusiness connections, and got him the audition that changed his life, for the part of the Artful Dodger in Lionel Bart's West End musical Oliver! We've encountered Lionel Bart before a couple of times, but if you don't remember him, he was the songwriter who co-wrote Tommy Steele's hits, and who wrote "Living Doll" for Cliff Richard. He also discovered both Steele and Marty Wilde, and was one of the major figures in early British rock and roll. But after the Tommy Steele records, he'd turned his attention to stage musicals, writing book, music, and lyrics for a string of hits, and more-or-less singlehandedly inventing the modern British stage musical form -- something Andrew Lloyd Webber, for example, always credits him with. Oliver!, based on Oliver Twist, was his biggest success, and they were looking for a new Artful Dodger. This was *the* best role for a teenage boy in the UK at the time -- later performers to take the role on the London stage include Steve Marriott and Phil Collins, both of whom we'll no doubt encounter in future episodes -- and Jones got the job, although they were a bit worried at first about his Manchester vowels. He assured them though that he could learn to do a Cockney accent, and they took him on. Jones not having a natural Cockney accent ended up doing him the biggest favour of his career. While he could put on a relatively convincing one, he articulated quite carefully because it wasn't his natural accent. And so when the North American version found in previews that their real Cockney Dodger wasn't being understood perfectly, the fake Cockney Jones was brought over to join the show on Broadway, and was there from opening night on. On February the ninth, 1964, Jones found himself, as part of the Broadway cast of Oliver!, on the Ed Sullivan Show: [Excerpt: Davy Jones and Georgia Brown, "I'd Do Anything"] That same night, there were some other British people, who got a little bit more attention than Jones did: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand (live on Ed Sullivan)"] Davy Jones wasn't a particular fan of pop music at that point, but he knew he liked what he saw, and he wanted some of the same reaction. Shortly after this, Jones was picked up for management by Ward Sylvester, of Columbia Pictures, who was going to groom Jones for stardom. Jones continued in Oliver! for a while, and also had a brief run in a touring version of Pickwick, another musical based on a Dickens novel, this time starring Harry Secombe, the British comedian and singer who had made his name with the Goon Show. Jones' first single, "Dream Girl", came out in early 1965: [Excerpt: Davy Jones, "Dream Girl"] It was unsuccessful, as was his one album, David Jones, which seemed to be aiming at the teen idol market, but failing miserably. The second single, "What Are We Going to Do?" did make the very lowest regions of the Hot One Hundred, but the rest of the album was mostly attempts to sound a bit like Herman's Hermits -- a band whose lead singer, coincidentally, also came from Manchester, had appeared in Coronation Street, and was performing with a fake Cockney accent. Herman's Hermits had had a massive US hit with the old music hall song "I'm Henry VIII I Am": [Excerpt: Herman's Hermits, "I'm Henry VIII I Am"] So of course Davy had his own old music-hall song, "Any Old Iron": [Excerpt: Davy Jones, "Any Old Iron"] Also, the Turtles had recently had a hit with a folk-rock version of Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe", and Davy cut his own version of their arrangement, in the one concession to rock music on the album: [Excerpt: Davy Jones, "It Ain't Me Babe"] The album was, unsurprisingly, completely unsuccessful, but Ward Sylvester was not disheartened. He had the perfect job for a young British teen idol who could sing and act. The Monkees was the brainchild of two young TV producers, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, who had come up with the idea of doing a TV show very loosely based on the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night (though Rafelson would later claim that he'd had the idea many years before A Hard Day's Night and was inspired by his youth touring with folk bands -- Schneider always admitted the true inspiration though). This was not a particularly original idea -- there were a whole bunch of people trying to make TV shows based in some way around bands. Jan and Dean were working on a possible TV series, there was talk of a TV series starring The Who, there was a Beatles cartoon series, Hanna-Barbera were working on a cartoon series about a band called The Bats, and there was even another show proposed to Screen Gems, Columbia's TV department, titled Liverpool USA, which was meant to star Davy Jones, another British performer, and two American musicians, and to have songs provided by Don Kirshner's songwriters. That The Monkees, rather than these other series, was the one that made it to the TV (though obviously the Beatles cartoon series did too) is largely because Rafelson and Schneider's independent production company, Raybert, which they had started after leaving Screen Gems, was given two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars to develop the series by their former colleague, Screen Gems' vice president in charge of programme development, the former child star Jackie Cooper. Of course, as well as being their former colleague, Cooper may have had some more incentive to give Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider that money in that the head of Columbia Pictures, and thus Cooper's boss' boss, was one Abe Schneider. The original idea for the show was to use the Lovin' Spoonful, but as we heard last week they weren't too keen, and it was quickly decided instead that the production team would put together a group of performers. Davy Jones was immediately attached to the project, although Rafelson was uncomfortable with Jones, thinking he wasn't as rock and roll as Rafelson was hoping for -- he later conceded, though, that Jones was absolutely right for the group. As for everyone else, to start with Rafelson and Schneider placed an ad in a couple of the trade papers which read "Madness!! Auditions Folk and Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series. Running parts for 4 insane boys ages 17-21. Want spirited Ben Frank's types. Have courage to work. Must come down for interview" There were a couple of dogwhistles in there, to appeal to the hip crowd -- Ben Frank's was a twenty-four-hour restaurant on the Sunset Strip, where people including Frank Zappa and Jim Morrison used to hang out, and which was very much associated with the freak scene we've looked at in episodes on Zappa and the Byrds. Meanwhile "Must come down for interview" was meant to emphasise that you couldn't actually be high when you turned up -- but you were expected to be the kind of person who would at least at some points have been high. A lot of people answered that ad -- including Paul Williams, Harry Nilsson, Van Dyke Parks, and many more we'll be seeing along the way. But oddly, the only person actually signed up for the show because of that ad was Michael Nesmith -- who was already signed to Colpix Records anyway. According to Davy Jones, who was sitting in at the auditions, Schneider and Rafelson were deliberately trying to disorient the auditioners with provocative behaviour like just ignoring them, to see how they'd react. Nesmith was completely unfazed by this, and apparently walked in wearing a green wool hat and carrying a bag of laundry, saying that he needed to get this over with quickly so he could go and do his washing. John London, who came along to the audition as well, talked later about seeing Nesmith fill in a questionnaire that everyone had to fill in -- in a space asking about previous experience Nesmith just wrote "Life" and drew a big diagonal line across the rest of the page. That attitude certainly comes across in Nesmith's screen test: [Excerpt: Michael Nesmith screen test] Meanwhile, Rafelson and Schneider were also scouring the clubs for performers who might be useful, and put together a shortlist of people including Jerry Yester and Chip Douglas of the Modern Folk Quartet, Bill Chadwick, who was in the Survivors with Nesmith and London, and one Micky Braddock, whose agent they got in touch with and who was soon signed up. Braddock was the stage name of Micky Dolenz, who soon reverted to his birth surname, and it's the name by which he went in his first bout of fame. Dolenz was the son of two moderately successful Hollywood actors, George Dolenz and Janelle Johnson, and their connections had led to Dolenz, as Braddock, getting the lead role in the 1958 TV series Circus Boy, about a child named Corky who works in a circus looking after an elephant after his parents, the Flying Falcons, were killed in a trapeze accident. [Excerpt: Circus Boy, "I can't play a drum"] Oddly, one of the other people who had been considered for that role was Paul Williams, who was also considered for the Monkees but ultimately turned down, and would later write one of the Monkees' last singles. Dolenz had had a few minor TV appearances after that series had ended, including a recurring role on Peyton Place, but he had also started to get interested in music. He'd performed a bit as a folk duo with his sister Coco, and had also been the lead singer of a band called Micky and the One-Nighters, who later changed their name to the Missing Links, who'd played mostly covers of Little Richard and Chuck Berry songs and later British Invasion hits. He'd also recorded two tracks with Wrecking Crew backing, although neither track got released until after his later fame -- "Don't Do It": [Excerpt: Micky Dolenz, "Don't Do It"] and "Huff Puff": [Excerpt: Micky Dolenz, "Huff Puff"] Dolenz had a great singing voice, an irrepressible personality, and plenty of TV experience. He was obviously in. Rafelson and Schneider took quite a while whittling down the shortlist to the final four, and they *were* still considering people who'd applied through the ads. One they actually offered the role to was Stephen Stills, but he decided not to take the role. When he turned the role down, they asked if he knew anyone else who had a similar appearance to him, and as it happened he did. Steve Stills and Peter Tork had known of each other before they actually met on the streets of Greenwich Village -- the way they both told the story, on their first meeting they'd each approached the other and said "You must be the guy everyone says looks like me!" The two had become fast friends, and had played around the Greenwich Village folk scene together for a while, before going their separate ways -- Stills moving to California while Tork joined another of those big folk ensembles of the New Christie Minstrels type, this one called the Phoenix Singers. Tork had later moved to California himself, and reconnected with his old friend, and they had performed together for a while in a trio called the Buffalo Fish, with Tork playing various instruments, singing, and doing comedy bits. Oddly, while Tork was the member of the Monkees with the most experience as a musician, he was the only one who hadn't made a record when the TV show was put together. But he was by far the most skilled instrumentalist of the group -- as distinct from best musician, a distinction Tork was always scrupulous about making -- and could play guitar, bass, and keyboards, all to a high standard -- and I've also seen him in more recent years play French horn live. His great love, though, was the banjo, and you can hear how he must have sounded on the Greenwich Village folk scene in his solo spots on Monkees shows, where he would show off his banjo skills: [Excerpt: Peter Tork, "Cripple Creek"] Tork wouldn't get to use his instrumental skills much at first though, as most of the backing tracks for the group's records were going to be performed by other people. More impressive for the TV series producers was his gift for comedy, especially physical comedy -- having seen Tork perform live a few times, the only comparison I can make to his physical presence is to Harpo Marx, which is about as high a compliment as one can give. Indeed, Micky Dolenz has often pointed out that while there were intentional parallels to the Beatles in the casting of the group, the Marx Brothers are a far better parallel, and it's certainly easy to see Tork as Harpo, Dolenz as Chico, Nesmith as Groucho, and Jones as Zeppo. (This sounds like an insult to Jones, unless you're aware of how much the Marx Brothers films actually depended on Zeppo as the connective tissue between the more outrageous brothers and the more normal environment they were operating in, and how much the later films suffered for the lack of Zeppo). The new cast worked well together, even though there were obvious disagreements between them right from the start. Dolenz, at least at this point, seems to have been the gel that held the four together -- he had the experience of being a child star in common with Jones, he was a habitue of the Sunset Strip clubs where Nesmith and Tork had been hanging out, and he had personality traits in common with all of them. Notably, in later years, Dolenz would do duo tours with each of his three bandmates without the participation of the others. The others, though, didn't get on so well with each other. Jones and Tork seem to have got on OK, but they were very different people -- Jones was a showbiz entertainer, whose primary concern was that none of the other stars of the show be better looking than him, while Tork was later self-diagnosed as neurodivergent, a folkie proto-hippie who wanted to drift from town to town playing his banjo. Tork and Nesmith had similar backgrounds and attitudes in some respects -- and were united in their desire to have more musical input into the show than was originally intended -- but they were such different personalities in every aspect of their lives from their religious views to their politics to their taste in music they came into conflict. Nesmith would later say of Tork "I never liked Peter, he never liked me. So we had an uneasy truce between the two of us. As clear as I could tell, among his peers he was very well liked. But we rarely had a civil word to say to each other". Nesmith also didn't get on well with Jones, both of them seeming to view themselves as the natural leader of the group, with all the clashes that entails. The four Monkees were assigned instruments for their characters based not on instrumental skill, but on what suited their roles better. Jones was the teen idol character, so he was made the maraca-playing frontman who could dance without having to play an instrument, though Dolenz took far more of the lead vocals. Nesmith was made the guitarist, while Tork was put on bass, though Tork was by far the better guitarist of the two. And Dolenz was put on drums, even though he didn't play the drums -- Tork would always say later that if the roles had been allocated by actual playing ability, Jones would have been the drummer. Dolenz did, though, become a good drummer, if a rather idiosyncratic one. Tork would later say "Micky played the drums but Mike kept time, on that one record we all made, Headquarters. Mike was the timekeeper. I don't know that Micky relied on him but Mike had a much stronger sense of time. And Davy too, Davy has a much stronger sense of time. Micky played the drums like they were a musical instrument, as a colour. He played the drum colour.... as a band, there was a drummer and there was a timekeeper and they were different people." But at first, while the group were practising their instruments so they could mime convincingly on the TV and make personal appearances, they didn't need to play on their records. Indeed, on the initial pilot, they didn't even sing -- the recordings had been made before the cast had been finalised: [Excerpt: Boyce & Hart, "Monkees Theme (pilot version)"] The music was instead performed by two songwriters, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who would become hugely important in the Monkees project. Boyce and Hart were not the first choice for the project. Don Kirshner, the head of Screen Gems Music, had initially suggested Roger Atkins, a Brill Building songwriter working for his company, as the main songwriter for The Monkees. Atkins is best known for writing "It's My Life", a hit for the Animals: [Excerpt: The Animals, "It's My Life"] But Atkins didn't work out, though he would collaborate later on one song with Nesmith, and reading between the lines, it seems that there was some corporate infighting going on, though I've not seen it stated in so many words. There seems to have been a turf war between Don Kirshner, the head of Screen Gems' music publishing, who was based in the Brill Building, and Lester Sill, the West Coast executive we've seen so many times before, the mentor to Leiber and Stoller, Duane Eddy, and Phil Spector, who was now the head of Screen Gems music on the West Coast. It also seems to be the case that none of the top Brill Building songwriters were all that keen on being involved at this point -- writing songs for an unsold TV pilot wasn't exactly a plum gig. Sill ended up working closely with the TV people, and it seems to have been him who put forward Boyce and Hart, a songwriting team he was mentoring. Boyce and Hart had been working in the music industry for years, both together and separately, and had had some success, though they weren't one of the top-tier songwriting teams like Goffin and King. They'd both started as performers -- Boyce's first single, "Betty Jean", had come out in 1958: [Excerpt: Tommy Boyce, "Betty Jean"] And Hart's, "Love Whatcha Doin' to Me", under his birth name Robert Harshman, a year later: [Excerpt: Robert Harshman, "Love Whatcha Doin' to Me"] Boyce had been the first one to have real songwriting success, writing Fats Domino's top ten hit "Be My Guest" in 1959: [Excerpt: Fats Domino, "Be My Guest"] and cowriting two songs with singer Curtis Lee, both of which became singles produced by Phil Spector -- "Under the Moon of Love" and the top ten hit "Pretty Little Angel Eyes": [Excerpt: Curtis Lee, "Pretty Little Angel Eyes"] Boyce and Hart together, along with Wes Farrell, who had co-written "Twist and Shout" with Bert Berns, wrote "Lazy Elsie Molly" for Chubby Checker, and the number three hit "Come a Little Bit Closer" for Jay and the Americans: [Excerpt: Jay and the Americans, "Come a Little Bit Closer"] At this point they were both working in the Brill Building, but then Boyce moved to the West Coast, where he was paired with Steve Venet, the brother of Nik Venet, and they co-wrote and produced "Peaches and Cream" for the Ikettes: [Excerpt: The Ikettes, "Peaches and Cream"] Hart, meanwhile, was playing in the band of Teddy Randazzo, the accordion-playing singer who had appeared in The Girl Can't Help It, and with Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein he wrote "Hurts So Bad", which became a big hit for Little Anthony and the Imperials: [Excerpt: Little Anthony and the Imperials, "Hurts So Bad"] But Hart soon moved over to the West Coast, where he joined his old partner Boyce, who had been busy writing TV themes with Venet for shows like "Where the Action Is". Hart soon replaced Venet in the team, and the two soon wrote what would become undoubtedly their most famous piece of music ever, a theme tune that generations of TV viewers would grow to remember: [Excerpt: "Theme from Days of Our Lives"] Well, what did you *think* I meant? Yes, just as Davy Jones had starred in an early episode of Britain's longest-running soap opera, one that's still running today, so Boyce and Hart wrote the theme music for *America's* longest-running soap opera, which has been running every weekday since 1965, and has so far aired well in excess of fourteen thousand episodes. Meanwhile, Hart had started performing in a band called the Candy Store Prophets, with Larry Taylor -- who we last saw with the Gamblers, playing on "LSD-25" and "Moon Dawg" -- on bass, Gerry McGee on guitar, and Billy Lewis on drums. It was this band that Boyce and Hart used -- augmented by session guitarists Wayne Erwin and Louie Shelton and Wrecking Crew percussionist Gene Estes on tambourine, plus Boyce and session singer Ron Hicklin on backing vocals, to record first the demos and then the actual tracks that would become the Monkees hits. They had a couple of songs already that would be suitable for the pilot episode, but they needed something that would be usable as a theme song for the TV show. Boyce and Hart's usual working method was to write off another hit -- they'd try to replicate the hook or the feel or the basic sound of something that was already popular. In this case, they took inspiration from the song "Catch Us If You Can", the theme from the film that was the Dave Clark Five's attempt at their own A Hard Day's Night: [Excerpt: The Dave Clark Five, "Catch Us If You Can"] Boyce and Hart turned that idea into what would become the Monkees theme. We heard their performance of it earlier of course, but when the TV show finally came out, it was rerecorded with Dolenz singing: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Monkees Theme"] For a while, Boyce and Hart hoped that they would get to perform all the music for the TV show, and there was even apparently some vague talk of them being cast in it, but it was quickly decided that they would just be songwriters. Originally, the intent was that they wouldn't even produce the records, that instead the production would be done by a name producer. Micky Most, the Animals' producer, was sounded out for the role but wasn't interested. Snuff Garrett was brought in, but quickly discovered he didn't get on with the group at all -- in particular, they were all annoyed at the idea that Davy would be the sole lead vocalist, and the tracks Garrett cut with Davy on lead and the Wrecking Crew backing were scrapped. Instead, it was decided that Boyce and Hart would produce most of the tracks, initially with the help of the more experienced Jack Keller, and that they would only work with one Monkee at a time to minimise disruption -- usually Micky and sometimes Davy. These records would be made the same way as the demos had been, by the same set of musicians, just with one of the Monkees taking the lead. Meanwhile, as Nesmith was seriously interested in writing and production, and Rafelson and Schneider wanted to encourage the cast members, he was also assigned to write and produce songs for the show. Unlike Boyce and Hart, Nesmith wanted to use his bandmates' talents -- partly as a way of winning them over, as it was already becoming clear that the show would involve several competing factions. Nesmith's songs were mostly country-rock tracks that weren't considered suitable as singles, but they would be used on the TV show and as album tracks, and on Nesmith's songs Dolenz and Tork would sing backing vocals, and Tork would join the Wrecking Crew as an extra guitarist -- though he was well aware that his part on records like "Sweet Young Thing" wasn't strictly necessary when Glen Campbell, James Burton, Al Casey and Mike Deasy were also playing guitar: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Sweet Young Thing"] That track was written by Nesmith with Goffin and King, and there seems to have been some effort to pair Nesmith, early on, with more commercial songwriters, though this soon fell by the wayside and Nesmith was allowed to keep making his own idiosyncratic records off to the side while Boyce and Hart got on with making the more commercial records. This was not, incidentally, something that most of the stars of the show objected to or even thought was a problem at the time. Tork was rather upset that he wasn't getting to have much involvement with the direction of the music, as he'd thought he was being employed as a musician, but Dolenz and Jones were actors first and foremost, while Nesmith was happily making his own tracks. They'd all known going in that most of the music for the show would be created by other people -- there were going to be two songs every episode, and there was no way that four people could write and record that much material themselves while also performing in a half-hour comedy show every week. Assuming, of course, that the show even aired. Initial audience response to the pilot was tepid at best, and it looked for a while like the show wasn't going to be green-lit. But Rafelson and Schneider -- and director James Frawley who played a crucial role in developing the show -- recut the pilot, cutting out one character altogether -- a manager who acted as an adult supervisor -- and adding in excerpts of the audition tapes, showing the real characters of some of the actors. As three of the four were playing characters loosely based on themselves -- Peter's "dummy" character wasn't anything like he was in real life, but was like the comedy character he'd developed in his folk-club performances -- this helped draw the audience in. It also, though, contributed to some line-blurring that became a problem. The re-edited pilot was a success, and the series sold. Indeed, the new format for the series was a unique one that had never been done on TV before -- it was a sitcom about four young men living together, without any older adult supervision, getting into improbable adventures, and with one or two semi-improvised "romps", inspired by silent slapstick, over which played original songs. This became strangely influential in British sitcom when the series came out over here -- two of the most important sitcoms of the next couple of decades, The Goodies and The Young Ones, are very clearly influenced by the Monkees. And before the broadcast of the first episode, they were going to release a single to promote it. The song chosen as the first single was one Boyce and Hart had written, inspired by the Beatles. Specifically inspired by this: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Paperback Writer"] Hart heard that tag on the radio, and thought that the Beatles were singing "take the last train". When he heard the song again the next day and realised that the song had nothing to do with trains, he and Boyce sat down and wrote their own song inspired by his mishearing. "Last Train to Clarksville" is structured very, very, similarly to "Paperback Writer" -- both of them stay on one chord, a G7, for an eight-bar verse before changing to C7 for a chorus line -- the word "writer" for the Beatles, the "no no no" (inspired by the Beatles "yeah yeah yeah") for the Monkees. To show how close the parallels are, I've sped up the vocals from the Beatles track slightly to match the tempo with a karaoke backing track version of "Last Train to Clarksville" I found, and put the two together: [Excerpt: "Paperback Clarksville"] Lyrically, there was one inspiration I will talk about in a minute, but I think I've identified another inspiration that nobody has ever mentioned. The classic country song "Night Train to Memphis", co-written by Owen Bradley, and made famous by Roy Acuff, has some slight melodic similarity to "Last Train to Clarksville", and parallels the lyrics fairly closely -- "take the night train to Memphis" against "take the last train to Clarksville", both towns in Tennessee, and "when you arrive at the station, I'll be right there to meet you I'll be right there to greet you, So don't turn down my invitation" is clearly close to "and I'll meet you at the station, you can be here by 4:30 'cos I've made your reservation": [Excerpt: Roy Acuff, "Night Train to Memphis"] Interestingly, in May 1966, the same month that "Paperback Writer" was released, and so presumably the time that Hart heard the song on the radio for the first time, Rick Nelson, the teen idol formerly known as Ricky Nelson, who had started his own career as a performer in a sitcom, had released an album called Bright Lights and Country Music. He'd had a bit of a career downslump and was changing musical direction, and recording country songs. The last track on that album was a version of "Night Train to Memphis": [Excerpt: Rick Nelson, "Night Train to Memphis"] Now, I've never seen either Boyce or Hart ever mention even hearing that song, it's pure speculation on my part that there's any connection there at all, but I thought the similarity worth mentioning. The idea of the lyric, though, was to make a very mild statement about the Vietnam War. Clarksville was, as mentioned earlier, the site of Fort Campbell, a military training base, and they crafted a story about a young soldier being shipped off to war, calling his girlfriend to come and see him for one last night. This is left more-or-less ambiguous -- this was a song being written for a TV show intended for children, after all -- but it's still very clear on the line "and I don't know if I'm ever coming home". Now, Boyce and Hart were songwriters first and foremost, and as producers they were quite hands-off and would let the musicians shape the arrangements. They knew they wanted a guitar riff in the style of the Beatles' recent singles, and Louie Shelton came up with one based around the G7 chord that forms the basis of the song, starting with an octave leap: Shelton's riff became the hook that drove the record, and engineer Dave Hassinger added the final touch, manually raising the volume on the hi-hat mic for a fraction of a second every bar, creating a drum sound like a hissing steam brake: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Last Train to Clarksville"] Now all that was needed was to get the lead vocals down. But Micky Dolenz was tired, and hungry, and overworked -- both Dolenz and Jones in their separate autobiographies talk about how it was normal for them to only get three hours' sleep a night between working twelve hour days filming the series, three-hour recording sessions, and publicity commitments. He got the verses down fine, but he just couldn't sing the middle eight. Boyce and Hart had written a complicated, multisyllabic, patter bridge, and he just couldn't get his tongue around that many syllables when he was that tired. He eventually asked if he could just sing "do do do" instead of the words, and the producers agreed. Surprisingly, it worked: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Last Train to Clarksville"] "Last Train to Clarksville" was released in advance of the TV series, on a new label, Colgems, set up especially for the Monkees to replace Colpix, with a better distribution deal, and it went to number one. The TV show started out with mediocre ratings, but soon that too became a hit. And so did the first album released from the TV series. And that album was where some of the problems really started. The album itself was fine -- ten tracks produced by Boyce and Hart with the Candy Store Prophets playing and either Micky or Davy singing, mostly songs Boyce and Hart wrote, with a couple of numbers by Goffin and King and other Kirshner staff songwriters, plus two songs produced by Nesmith with the Wrecking Crew, and with token participation from Tork and Dolenz. The problem was the back cover, which gave little potted descriptions of each of them, with their height, eye colour, and so on. And under three of them it said "plays guitar and sings", while under Dolenz it said "plays drums and sings". Now this was technically accurate -- they all did play those instruments. They just didn't play them on the record, which was clearly the impression the cover was intended to give. Nesmith in particular was incandescent. He believed that people watching the TV show understood that the group weren't really performing that music, any more than Adam West was really fighting crime or William Shatner travelling through space. But crediting them on the record was, he felt, crossing a line into something close to con artistry. To make matters worse, success was bringing more people trying to have a say. Where before, the Monkees had been an irrelevance, left to a couple of B-list producer-songwriters on the West Coast, now they were a guaranteed hit factory, and every songwriter working for Kirshner wanted to write and produce for them -- which made sense because of the sheer quantity of material they needed for the TV show, but it made for a bigger, less democratic, organisation -- one in which Kirshner was suddenly in far more control. Suddenly as well as Boyce and Hart with the Candy Store Prophets and Nesmith with the Wrecking Crew, both of whom had been operating without much oversight from Kirshner, there were a bunch of tracks being cut on the East Coast by songwriting and production teams like Goffin and King, and Neil Sedaka and Carole Bayer. On the second Monkees album, released only a few months after the first, there were nine producers credited -- as well as Boyce, Hart, Jack Keller, and Nesmith, there were now also Goffin, King, Sedaka, Bayer, and Jeff Barry, who as well as cutting tracks on the east coast was also flying over to the West Coast, cutting more tracks with the Wrecking Crew, and producing vocal sessions while there. As well as producing songs he'd written himself, Barry was also supervising songs written by other people. One of those was a new songwriter he'd recently discovered and been co-producing for Bang Records, Neil Diamond, who had just had a big hit of his own with "Cherry Cherry": [Excerpt: Neil Diamond, "Cherry Cherry"] Diamond was signed with Screen Gems, and had written a song which Barry thought would be perfect for the Monkees, an uptempo song called "I'm a Believer", which he'd demoed with the regular Bang musicians -- top East Coast session players like Al Gorgoni, the guitarist who'd played on "The Sound of Silence": [Excerpt: Neil Diamond, "I'm a Believer"] Barry had cut a backing track for the Monkees using those same musicians, including Diamond on acoustic guitar, and brought it over to LA. And that track would indirectly lead to the first big crisis for the group. Barry, unlike Boyce and Hart, was interested in working with the whole group, and played all of them the backing track. Nesmith's reaction was a blunt "I'm a producer too, and that ain't no hit". He liked the song -- he wanted to have a go at producing a track on it himself, as it happened -- but he didn't think the backing track worked. Barry, trying to lighten the mood, joked that it wasn't finished and you needed to imagine it with strings and horns. Unfortunately, Nesmith didn't get that he was joking, and started talking about how that might indeed make a difference -- at which point everyone laughed and Nesmith took it badly -- his relationship with Barry quickly soured. Nesmith was getting increasingly dissatisfied with the way his songs and his productions were being sidelined, and was generally getting unhappy, and Tork was wanting more musical input too. They'd been talking with Rafelson and Schneider, who'd agreed that the group were now good enough on their instruments that they could start recording some tracks by themselves, an idea which Kirshner loathed. But for now they were recording Neil Diamond's song to Jeff Barry's backing track. Given that Nesmith liked the song, and given that he had some slight vocal resemblance to Diamond, the group suggested that Nesmith be given the lead vocal, and Kirshner and Barry agreed, although Kirshner at least apparently always intended for Dolenz to sing lead, and was just trying to pacify Nesmith. In the studio, Kirshner kept criticising Nesmith's vocal, and telling him he was doing it wrong, until eventually he stormed out, and Kirshner got what he wanted -- another Monkees hit with Micky Dolenz on lead, though this time it did at least have Jones and Tork on backing vocals: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "I'm a Believer"] That was released on November 23rd, 1966, as their second single, and became their second number one. And in January 1967, the group's second album, More of the Monkees, was released. That too went to number one. There was only one problem. The group weren't even told about the album coming out beforehand -- they had to buy their own copies from a record shop to even see what tracks were on it. Nesmith had his two tracks, but even Boyce and Hart were only given two, with the rest of the album being made up of tracks from the Brill Building songwriters Kirshner preferred. Lots of great Nesmith and Boyce and Hart tracks were left off the album in favour of some astonishingly weak material, including the two worst tracks the group ever recorded, "The Day We Fall in Love" and "Laugh", and a novelty song they found embarrassing, "Your Auntie Grizelda", included to give Tork a vocal spot. Nesmith called it "probably the worst album in the history of the world", though in truth seven of the twelve tracks are really very strong, though some of the other material is pretty poor. The group were also annoyed by the packaging. The liner notes were by Don Kirshner, and read to the group at least like a celebration of Kirshner himself as the one person responsible for everything on the record. Even the photo was an embarrassment -- the group had taken a series of photos in clothes from the department store J. C. Penney as part of an advertising campaign, and the group thought the clothes were ridiculous, but one of those photos was the one chosen for the cover. Nesmith and Tork made a decision, which the other two agreed to with varying degrees of willingness. They'd been fine miming to other people's records when it was clearly just for a TV show. But if they were being promoted as a real band, and having to go on tour promoting albums credited to them, they were going to *be* a real band, and take some responsibility for the music that was being put out in their name. With the support of Rafelson and Schneider, they started making preparations to do just that. But Don Kirshner had other ideas, and told them so in no uncertain terms. As far as he was concerned, they were a bunch of ungrateful, spoiled, kids who were very happy cashing the ridiculously large cheques they were getting, but now wanted to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. They were going to keep doing what they were told. Things came to a head in a business meeting in January 1967, when Nesmith gave an ultimatum. Either the group got to start playing on their own records, or he was quitting. Herb Moelis, Kirshner's lawyer, told Nesmith that he should read his contract more carefully, at which point Nesmith got up, punched a hole in the wall of the hotel suite they were in, and told Moelis "That could have been your face". So as 1967 began, the group were at a turning point. Would they be able to cut the puppet strings, or would they have to keep living a lie? We'll find out in a few weeks' time...
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
