60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
12/23/24 - Brian Wilson suffers a nervous breakdown on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston. Afterwards, Wilson decides to leave the band to concentrate on writing and producing. Beach Boys’ session guitarist Glen Campbell is first brought in to replace Wilson (on bass, no less!) before he decides he’d rather pursue a solo career … so Bruce Johnston was invited to replace him. He’s been there ALMOST ever since.
Paul McCartney was joined on stage Thursday Night (12/19) by two music legends during his final 2024 tour stop in London …
Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones came out to perform “Get Back” … while former Beatle bandmate Ringo Starr joined him for the encore, sitting in on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “Helter Skelter.”
And as if that isn't cool enough, Paul's daughter Mary McCartney posted this video on her Twitter / X account ... of the famed Beatle singing a Monkees tune!!!
And it's not the first time!!! This clip is from four years ago!
And wait ... there's more!!!
This just in from Tom Cuddy ...
Meanwhile, Darlene Love performed “Christmas (Baby, Please
Come Home)” on “The Tonight Show, Starring Jimmy Fallon” Wednesday night
(12/18), accompanied by both Paul Shaffer (who led the band on “Late Night With
David Letterman” for decades, where Love performed this tune annually for nearly
thirty years, and Little Steven and the Disciples Of Soul. It was a Christmas Miracle (and an annual
milestone reborn.) kk
Congratulations to The Royal Guardsmen ... who were ranked #9 in the new list put out by Rock Cellar Magazine of The Top 11 Best Rockin' Christmas Tunes. (Not in bad company ... a couple of former Beatles made the list, as did Bruce Springsteen and the chestnuts by Bobby Helms and Brenda Lee. But what??? NOT The Eagles???) You'll also find The Beach Boys, Elton John and The Kinks on the list! But it's Darlene Love's track that tops the list. (kk)
And, speaking of The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards celebrated his 81st birthday on Wednesday (December 18th) Whodaeverthunkit?!?!
Happy Birthday 🎉🎂 Keith Richards!
Kent,
I was walking up the hill one night on Alta Loma and I see a limo in front of The Sunset Marquis Hotel. Out steps Keith Richards and family. Right after I took this, he was holding his two girls in his arms. A fan was asking him for an autograph and he yelled, "Hey mate! Can't you see I have my hands full!!!" Also Keith and Ronnie cruising Sunset Strip late one night around the same time?
Jim Roup
And, speaking of old, Sam Goody will close its last two remaining store locations in February of next year. At one time, the chain boasted over 800 stores, located across America (and in shopping malls everywhere!) It marks the end of an era. (kk)
Another glowing review for the new Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” opening Christmas Day … with special kudos to the supporting cast …
https://rockcellarmagazine.com/a-complete-unknown-movie-review-bob-dylan-biopic-timothee-chalamet/
And another …
And another!!!
https://bestclassicbands.com/bob-dylan-biopic-a-complete-unknown-review-12-18-24/
And from The New Yorker (by way of Harvey Kubernik ... more Harvey below, btw) ...
If Bob Dylan didn’t exist, “A Complete Unknown” would be an absorbing if conventional drama about a fictional folk singer with that name who, in the nineteen-sixties, shows up in New York and turns himself into a rock star at a time when the concept was novel. But, given the complex ubiquity of Dylan’s music and life story, the movie’s synthetic simplicity is bewildering. The director, James Mangold (who wrote the script with Jay Cocks), emphasizes the protagonist’s own sense of self-invention, and offers a bland and smooth official portrait—which nonetheless remains fascinating. Timothée Chalamet stars, delivering an impressive yet emotionally muffled impersonation of Dylan; the rest of the cast—principally, Edward Norton, as Pete Seeger; Monica Barbaro, as Joan Baez; and Elle Fanning, as the pseudonymous Sylvie Russo—push vigorously against the narrow limits of their roles.—Richard Brody (In wide release.)
There's already Oscar talk about this film ... can't wait to see it on Christmas Day when it opens around the country. (kk)
kk:
I really enjoyed your recent coverage of Micky Dolenz's Troubadour album.
My bio-regional relationship with actor-singer Micky Dolenz and The Monkees (1966) began in 1965 when producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider formed Raybert Productions. Writers Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker developed the comedy-music sitcom about a struggling rock quartet for TV. Rafelson and Schneider oversaw The Monkees at the Columbia Pictures/Screen Gems studio in Gower Gulch off Sunset Boulevard.
Rafelson had been a story editor on the Play of the Week TV series and later worked as an associate producer for Desilu Studios and Screen Gems. Schneider’s father, Abraham Schneider, was president of Columbia Pictures. Bert’s career started at the Screen Gems television division where he met Rafelson, and, after they partnered, it was home of The Monkees.
My mother Hilda typed scripts for The Monkees, Banyon, and Bewitched TV series, and was a studio stenographer. She also worked for Marty Erlichman, manager of Barbra Streisand, and Peter Guber, in his first job in 1968 at Columbia as a management trainee.
In the summer of 1965, Dolenz (aka Mickey Braddock) was a former child actor auditioning around Hollywood, looking for his next job. Peter (Thorkelson) Tork was a Greenwich Village folkie. Michael (Blessing) Nesmith possessed real musical chops — a guitarist and songwriter bursting with ambition.
English lad Davy Jones had Cockney charm and stage training. At the time, he was a contract player with Screen Gems/Columbia and had appeared onstage at the Music Center in Los Angeles when Mazursky and Tucker said, “We’re going to write a show for you.”
Jones was cast for The Monkees before Rafelson and Schneider held auditions for his three bandmates. Out of the 500 young actors who tried out that summer, Dolenz, Tork, and Nesmith passed the audition. The Monkees premiered on NBC on September 12, 1966.
My first encounter with the four stars of The Monkees was when they held their initial press conference before the series’ debut. I remember two other events introducing the Monkees, one at the Columbia Pictures studio in Hollywood and one at the Columbia Pictures ranch in Burbank.
My brother Kenny and I, with our mom, assembled the first-ever yellow-colored studio press kit packages introducing The Monkees on our kitchen table on 5th Street in L.A. Unit publicist Howard Brandy created them. He worked on the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night and Help! Nick LoBianco designed the Monkees’ logo. I was around the Raybert offices monthly, and on the set of The Monkees many times, watching episodes being filmed. I met Mazursky, writer/comedian Stan Freberg, deejay Rodney Bingenheimer, photographers Henry Diltz and Nurit Wilde, songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and comedian/actor Godfrey Cambridge.
The Columbia studio had a wardrobe department, with assorted props and costumes used for The Three Stooges shorts in the 1930s and 1940s. Once in a while, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper were in the studio’s coffee shop. Jack co-wrote Head, the Monkees’ 1968 feature-length film. Jack mentioned he saw a Bob Dylan concert in 1963 at the Hollywood Bowl. Dennis said he went to two 1968 Donovan concerts there. I spoke with Larry “The Mole” Taylor, the bass player in Canned Heat, and guitarist Gerry McGee of the Ventures. Both played on the first two Monkees albums. Frank Zappa guested twice on The Monkees.
The Monkees shooting schedule was high energy. Set visitors were politely instructed not to speak with the directors. James Frawley directed more than half of the episodes. One contributor to The Monkees’ ongoing success was employing many first-time directors. Another contributor was the experimental interstitial editing technique that drove the show’s action.
The Monkees recorded for Colgems, a joint 1966-1971 venture between Screen Gems and RCA Victor distributed via RCA. In 1966, the group’s singles and album outsold the Beatles.
In 1967, The Monkees won Emmy awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy.
There weren’t entourages in Raybert’s world. The environment is where the seed for his later venture, BBS Films, was planted. Bert Schneider told me the success of The Monkees made the BBS movie Easy Rider possible in 1969.
A 2014 interview I conducted with Micky will be featured in my next book "Screen Gems: (Pop Music Documentaries & Rock 'n' Roll TV Scenes)," set for a 2025 publication.
Thanks for your support on my first 20 books.
Harvey Kubernik
Now This Comment from "420 News!"
As seen in Forgotten Hits ~~~~~
>>>Here's the ultimate version of ( Brewer and Shipley's ) biggest hit ( "One Bloke Over the Line!" ) performed on “The Lawrence Welk Show”!!!" kk
And every time this story comes up, I continue to be amazed that not ONE person on the show's staff said, "Say, Larry. Do you have a moment here so we can talk? I don't really want to pop your champagne bubble but there's something you should know!"
Or, maybe Lawrence of Oblivion blindsided everyone with his on-air remark!
Even so, a Heads Up would have been nice!
CB
This from a friend in Florida. We all knew it was coming, but he is verbalizing it now.
Bowzer announces retirement at yearly Christmas DooWop - Bowzer's Holiday Party
Sadly, Bowzer announced he is retiring. Have enjoyed going to this event the past ten years!
Shelley
He has brought joy to SO many people during this time … but the one thing none of us can beat is Father Time. Cherish the memories … because they’re good ones. (kk)
I just heard that the new Questlove Sly and the Family Stone documentary will premier on Hulu on February 13th after its debut at The Sundance Film Festival in late January. This is GREAT news as we have been SO looking forward to this film since we first heard Questlove was making it! (kk)
Sad to hear from Ron Dante that his former Detergents bandmate Danny Jordan has passed away.
So sad to hear of the passing of my band mate from The Detergents Danny Jordan yesterday. He was one of the good guys in the music business. RIP Danny. You will be remembered.
Here we are on the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars tour. That's Danny with the fur coat.
The Kinetic Playground was a very popular club here in Chicago back in the day before I was old enough to even think about going to such places ...
And it was really just a club ... not a big arena of any sort ...
But look at this line-up of talent they had booked for the months of May and June back in 1969 ... some "up-and-comers" that would go on to become some of the most acclaimed names in Classic Rock and Roll History!
