Reviews of books that have held my interest. And things that happen along the way.
I have made it simpler to leave a comment. Just hit the comment selection and choose anonymous at the bottom- Or at my yahoo;
robertrswwilliams@yahoo.com
And let's not forget my friends at the Public Libraries!Most of my selections come from the Libraries listed on my sidebar. They are a great resource and a wonderful use of our tax dollars.
Have you hugged a Librarian today?
A wonderful film about American singer-songwriters Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and their love of the same woman, Suzane Clark. It is also the story of the early years of the Independent Music scene in the 1970's. And probably one of the greatest love stories ever told.
The film encompasses the impact these two men, and one remarkable woman, had on the shift of mainstream country music and it's shift from Nashville to Austin. It's a uniquely American story, told by the people involved, through film and also the words of those involved.
This is the first of a
new series of postings I will be doing about the artists who are in the NC
Music Hall of Fame in Kannapolis, N.C.
The music which has emanated out of North Carolina over the tears is
much varied and covers every musical genre you can possibly think of; from
Opera to Funk and everything in between. I plan on doing posts about these
artists to commemorate their birthdays. Mr. Bristol’s big day was Monday
February 3rd.
Johnny Bristol is a perfect example of the diversity of the
music which has originated in North Carolina over the past 100 years. Born
February 3, 1939 Mr. Bristol spent his early years living in Morganton, the
county seat of Burke County, in the mountains near Hickory. The town
boasts quite a few famous people. In addition to Johnny Bristol there is Etta
Baker, known for her version of the Piedmont Blues, a separate genre unto
itself. In addition to the likes of Senator Sam Ervin, the town also lays claim to
Frankie Silver who was the first woman ever hanged in North Carolina. On the
other end of the spectrum, the town is also the home of Paige Summers, the Penthouse Pet of the Year for 1998. Now, that's what I call diversity!
Mr. Bristol is mostly remembered as a musician-songwriter as
well as having been a producer for Motown during its most active period, from the
late 1960s to the 1970’s. His own hits include the one above, which is kind of
an Al Green thing from 1974, to the song he wrote about his home town of
Morganton, which can be viewed here;
His first real musical success came in Detroit, where he had
landed after serving in the Air Force in the late 1950’s. As part of the duo
Johnny and Jackey; aka Jackey Beavers; they
recorded about half a dozen songs on two different independent labels, both
owned by members of Berry Gordy’s family. While these records were only successful
in the Mid-west, they were instrumental in opening the doors for him at Motown.
By 1965 he was working at Motown as a songwriter and producer. He was the guy
behind the mixing board for such hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Your
Precious Love”.
This was probably the most creative period of Mr. Bristol’s
career. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold; as in gold records.
Wikipedia lists the following records among his accomplishments;
The Velvelettes "These Things Keep Me Loving
You" (1966); Gladys Knight & the Pips' "I Don't Want To Do
Wrong" (1971) and "Daddy Could Swear, I Declare" (1972); and Jr.
Walker & the All Stars, who charted with a number of Bristol-written
singles and albums, including "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)"
(1969), "Gotta Hold On To This Feeling" (1970), "Way Back
Home" (1971) and "Walk in the Night" (1971). Mr. Bristol even
recorded Jermaine Jackson's first solo record, "That's How Love Goes"
in 1972.
In addition to all the above, he was the last producer to
work with The Supremes and The Miracles, before they both lost their lead
singers. “Someday We’ll Be Together” is actually a cover version of Mr. Bristol’s
single with Jackey in 1961.His voice is even the male response on the final released
version by the Supremes.
In 1973 he was briefly associated with CBS Records as a
producer, but the label seemed to be unenthusiastic about his artists, which
included Boz Scaggs and also Johnny Mathis. By 1974 he was with MGM, where he
seemed to get his “second wind”. He was now ready to emerge as an artist on his
own.
With MGM he recorded 2 albums and placed several singles
in the charts. "Hang on in There Baby" was released in 1974 and hit #8 in the US on
the Pop charts; #2 on the R&B charts;
and even enjoyed success overseas, placing
#3 in the UK. "You and I", "Leave
My World" and "Do It To My Mind" followed one after the other in
1974, 75 and 1976. In 1975 he was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist.
After leaving MGM he went on to record with Atlantic
Records, a relationship which saw him working with some of the artists he had
worked with at CBS. In particular he was instrumental in creating Boz Scaggs “breakout” album “Slow
Dancer” in 1974. He also produced the Tom Jones album “Memories Don’t Leave Like People Do” which contained 5 cover versions of Mr. Bristol’s songs.
By the 1980’s he was firmly embedded in the European
market with such artists as Ami Stewart. He continued recording through the
early 1990’s, making music with Earth Wind and Fire, as well as a recording
with his daughter Shannon Bristol. He even enjoyed some degree of success in
the Japanese market at the time. Good music knows no borders.
Mr. Bristol passed away at his home in Michigan on March 21,
2004. He died of natural causes at the age of 65. Although some would not consider
him to be a major artist; or superstar; he was, and continues to be well
regarded in musical circles. NC Music Hall of Fame is pleased to include this artist
among its inductees.
For more on the NC Music Hall of Fame use this link;
When I was 1 year old Tennessee Ernie Ford hit it really big
with his recording “Sixteen Ton”. Consequently I don’t remember a time when
that song wasn’t around, either on TV, or radio. And you still hear the song
today, being played on “oldies” stations, as well as classic country ones. And
it’s a great song. But, aside from that song, just who was Tennessee Ernie Ford?
(As a child of 4, I thought it odd that he was named after a state and a car.)
In “River of No Return”, Jeffrey Buckner Ford, son of the
iconic entertainer, not only answers the question of who his father was, but
also explores just how he came to be who he was. A
man who seemingly had it all; from his good looks, wartime service, and his
eventual marriage to Betty Jean Heminger, whom he met while in training to fly
B-29’s; he was blessed at every turn with sucess. As luck would have
it, the war ended just as he was about to head for the Pacific.
The book is also a history of the music industry in the days after World War Two and the impact which television had on the industry. So much of what went on the air was live, and improvised. "16 Tons" was originally recorded in 1949 by Merle Travis for a folk music anthology. The song was risky to record, as it was pro-union in the early days of McCarthyism. The finger snapping, which Mr. Ford did before all his recordings, was left on by accident. As a matter of fact, the song was supposed to be the "B" side of "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry." It sold 400,000 copies in 11 days!
Although mainly known as a gospel singer, Tennessee Ernie Ford was much more. His sessions with Kay Starr in 1950 and 1951 produced several gems. He also recorded with Betty Hutton, resulting in the iconic "River of No Return", which became the title song for the Robert Mitchum/Marilyn Monroe film of the same name.
In addition to the musical history behind his Dad's career, Mr. Ford also tells the story behind the veneer of his parent’s
marriage, which looked picture perfect to the 30 million people who tuned into
his TV show weekly between 1956 and 1961. I say “veneer” rather than “façade” to note
the fact that these two people loved one other very much. But the rising star
of Tennessee Ford’s career eclipsed the talent which his wife possessed as a
painter, bringing a strain to that love.
With unflinching honesty, Jeffrey Ford writes of the
struggle his father endured with alcohol, and how that struggle affected those
whom the elder Mr. Ford loved the most. And when he is finished telling the
history of that portion of his life, the younger Mr. Ford talks of his own
journey to discover what is important in life beyond the fame and fortune which
beckon us daily.
Written with great warmth for his parents; and a proper
amount of disdain for his father’s second wife; Jeffrey Ford had done the
seemingly impossible. He has written an account of his father’s career, his
parent’s family history and marriage, and the demons that constantly lurked on
the perimeter. That he has done so without rancor, and without disrespect to
the memories which his father left us, is a credit to his spirit, and a
testimony to his ability as a writer.
It's hard to believe that George Harrison, my favorite Beatle, has been dead almost ten years this coming December. Always known as the "serious" Beatle, Mr. Harrison contributed quite a lot to the sucess of the band. And after they broke up, his last recording with The Beatles was done in July of 1969 for the "Abbey Road" album, he went on to establish a quiet, and varied career, touring the world with many different incarnations of a band. His most notable sucess came in the late 1980's when he teamed up with Jeff Lynne, of The Electric Light Orchestra, and old friend Bob Dylan, along with new friend Tom Petty, and an old influence, Roy Orbison, with whom the Beatles had toured Germany in 1962, to form The Traveling Wilbury's. They made two albums, one before Mr. Orbison passed away, for which he received a Best Vocalist Award, and the second one without him.
This song, "Handle me with Care", takes a hard look at the price of fame and fortune. The vocals are tight, and yet both Roy Orbison and George Harrison each come off as distinctly different vocalists in this song. That was the beauty of this band, it's sheer wealth of writing and performance talents, coupled with no egos. This was also a very unique band, centered as it was,around George Harrison, the man whose curiosity about a sitar on the set of the movie "Help" began a radical shift in pop music, as well as a resurgence in the Art of Yoga. We were lucky to have him for awhile. He would have been 68 years old today. Happy Birthday, George!
I hope that if you have the time, and inclination, you will take a few moments today to view the wealth of music that this quiet man left as a legacy. Here's a link to get you in the slip stream. It features George on his favorite instrument, the ukelele. The song is "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" by Ted Koehler. Mr. Harrison was a big fan of 1930's music, once responding to a news reporters question about what he had been listening to in his car that day with a very unexpected answer; "Barnacle Bill the Sailor and some Hoagie Carmichael." When asked if he was joking, he looked slightly annoyed as he answered, "No. are you?"
