As we approach our 23rd anniversary, I have to share this story once again …
For years before I started Forgotten Hits, I dreamed of doing an oldies magazine … probably a quarterly publication that, if successful and gained a following, might turn into a monthly … spotlighting the music we all loved and grew up with, paying special attention to the songs and artists that radio just didn’t acknowledge anymore.
In my fantasy, the very first full
color cover depicted my interview with Herb Alpert … my DREAM interview at the
time, because he went toe-to-toe with all of the biggest recording artists of
the ‘60’s and managed to have more #1 albums than most of them … yet was never
regarded with the respect that I felt he deserved, particularly in hindsight.
Of course, the magazine never came
to be … but in November of 1999, I launched Forgotten Hits as an email
newsletter, whose reputation DID grow and grow due to great word of mouth and
the love of the oldies community. I’ve
probably written nearly 6000 issues since … but never got my Herb Alpert interview.
When Alpert and his wife Lani Hall
played The City Winery here a couple of years ago, I was told that they were
both adamant about not doing any interviews during this tour … and from what I
could see, they held true to their word in that regard, so while I was
naturally disappointed not to realize my dream, I totally respected their
decision. (I remember sitting across
from Neal Sabin of Me-TV-FM at the first show, who told me that he, too, was
trying to get a few soundbytes from Alpert for both his radio station and his
Decades Channel. As far as I know, he never
connected either.)
So I’ve got to tell you that I was
EXTREMELY pleased to see this new Herb Alpert interview that ran this past week
in Best Classic Bands.
You can check it out here … it’s a
goodie … and if you still haven’t seen the Herb Alpert Documentary from a year ago,
do yourself a favor and watch “Herb Alpert Is …” the next chance you get.
Congratulations, guys … and especially Jeff
Tamarkin … FINE job of capturing a recording legend. (kk)
Herb Alpert
Interview: Still Trying to Reach the Promised Land | Best Classic Bands
As we predicted / expected they
would, Genesis has added more dates to their 2022 tour …
They’re all European dates, as the
band will be making up their three London-based cancelled/postponed shows. Looks like this will keep them busy throughout
the month of March … could there be more?
New dates (for all our foreign
readers … or wealthy American readers who may wish to travel abroad to see the
band) are as follows …
(All dates 2022):
March 7th – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena
March 8th – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz
Arena
March 10th – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena
March 11th – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena
March 13th – Cologne, Germany – LANXESS Arena
March 14th – Cologne, Germany – LANXESS Arena
March 16th – Paris, France – La Défense Arena
March 17th – Paris, France – La Défense Arena
March 21st – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
March 24th – London – The O2 (Rescheduled)
March 25th – London – The O2 (Rescheduled)
March 26th – London – The O2 (Rescheduled)
Noise 11 (via The Guardian) is telling us
that the new “Voyage” album by ABBA will be, officially, the band’s last. (Damn … it’s not even out yet!!!)
The music of ABBA will live on forever …
and, thanks to the upcoming, new avatar live show, fans will still be able to
enjoy the experience of hearing and seeing the group in some fashion … but this
reunion album was never intended to be a “comeback record” launching the second
phase of their career.
Benny and Bjorn explain below in some
recent quotes from their Guardian interview …
BENNY: “This is it. It’s got to be, you know. I didn’t actually say that ‘this is it’ in
1982. I never said myself that ABBA was
never going to happen again. But I can tell you now: this is it.”
Bjorn goes on to explain that the decision to call it a day
following the release of the album on November 5th is not due to any
issues within the band. He insists that
the group really enjoyed recording together again, as they felt no pressure to
match earlier hits like Waterloo and Super Trouper.
BJORN: “Yeah. It was just fun, really, to try and see if we
could do something, I think everyone was
completely aware that if what we did was not up to the standard that we all
wanted, we would just forget about it. There was no pressure in that respect.”
Andersson admits that there were two
songs recorded for “Voyage” that were not completed in time for the album’s
release … but insists the group won’t be going back to revisit them … they’ll
just remain unreleased tracks. (Sure …
unless 49 years from now they all decide to get together one more time!!! Lol)
Now here’s something you don’t
expect to see every day … or at all, for that matter!!!
Mel C … Sporty Spice of The Spice
Girls … joined Chris Martin of Coldplay on stage to perform and acoustic
version of The Spice Girls’ hit “2 Become 1!”
The show took place at The Hollywood
Bowl last Saturday Night and was part of an Audacy Radio / Breast Cancer
Awareness Benefit Concert.
Mel C, recently eliminated from
“Dancing With The Stars,” was having her nails done earlier that same morning
when she got the call from Martin asking her to appear. (No pressure, right???) kk
OK, let’s all make a mental note and put this one on the list of songs that Chris Martin should NOT sing!!! (kk)
Meanwhile, here’s a little mini
Spice Girls reunion in honor of Mel C’s 40th birthday in 2014. (And doesn’t Baby Spice sound a lot like
Olivia Newton-John here??? She even
kinda looks like her a little bit!)
Damn! That means we’re going to
have 50 year old Spice Girls soon, too!
(kk)
From The Spice Girls to the original Boy Band …
Here’s another piece on The Mike and
Micky Show … The Monkees’ Farewell Tour (which hits Chicago in just over a week
now!)
From
Roger Friedman's SHOWBIZ 411 ...
https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/10/26/monkee-time-one-last-time-as-micky-dolenz-mike-nesmith-celebrate-55-years-of-hits-and-memories
There has been some discussion here
lately about “The Wonder Years” reboot …
Well, ABC Television announced this week that they have ordered up a full season of the new series, disclosing that it is now tying “The Connors” as ABC’s top-rated comedy. So, to all the fans of this new look back, congratulations! (TV Line recently commented that “The Wonder Years” is one of those rare television exceptions that, despite its history and its former legacy, doesn’t FEEL like a reboot … it stands alone as its own series, thanks to the strong writing and acting it contains. America is apparently falling in love with a NEW family from the ‘60’s, experiencing a different set of memories than our old stand-bys, The Arnolds.) kk
FH Reader Mike Wolstein reminds us
that tomorrow (October 30th) Grace Slick turns 82
Thanks, Kent, for running my Rolling Stones concert review! Glad to be a part of the community!
There are still a few dates left on the Stones
tour. Looks like Detroit is the closest venue to Chicago, on November 15th.
And believe it or not, there are still tickets available on Ticketmaster - for
as low as 66 bucks! Or, if you're looking for an excuse to go to Vegas,
they're playing there on November 6th.
Nick
Honestly, I’m still
thinking that The Stones may make a surprise stop here in Chicago before all is
said and done … they LOVE this city and many time in the past have shown up at
a random blues club just to jam. Problem
is, it’s always a last minute announcement (or a surprise.) I can’t believe they’d want to leave us
completely off the tour … especially if future tours are in the “maybe” stages
right now. Of course, in a blues bar
setting, you’re not going to see and hear the hits the way you would in a big
arena, but you WILL see them in their true element. (After all, they’re really just a Blues Cover
Band! Lol) kk
Different Strokes For
Different Folks …
While Justin Hayward
has decided not to perform any Moody Blues songs on his solo tour (save for
perhaps a track or two in entirely new arrangements), former partner John Lodge
has taken the exact opposite approach, stating in the promo material for HIS
solo tour that’ll he’ll be performing “More Moody Blues Songs Than Ever!!!” (It’s too bad the two can’t just go out
together and offer up a happy medium that all of their fans could enjoy … and
perhaps THEY could live with as well.)
kk
>>>So, I did a little guesstimation on
how many times (minimum) I must have played that song (“Aquarius / Let The
Sunshine In”) on the “CB Radio Shows” from its initial status as a “Pick Hit of
the Week,” its Rise UP the Chart … (Chuck Buell)
I can’t remember when Chuck did his 100 hours
on the air at WLS or whatever amount it was, but I imagine he hated EVERY SONG
he played that night!!!!
As to Ringo doing "Rock Around the
Clock," I’d just as soon he did a new version of "If You've Got Troubles"
I suppose.
Love the FHTV segment. Now on to
"Chaos" and "Radio Moscow" 45s!
Clark Besch
Billboard Magazine is
already looking ahead to the Christmas Season …
Bing
Crosby, Mariah Carey & Coverage of Christmases Past | Billboard
More from Tom Cuddy on the recent
passing of Robin MacNamara …
Robin McNamara Dies: Star Of Broadway’s ‘Hair’,
One-Hit-Wonder With ‘Lay a Little Lovin’ On Me’ Was 74
https://deadline.com/2021/10/robin-mcnamara-dead-obituary-broadway-hair-lay-a-little-lovin-on-me-singer-was-74-1234863684/
Do you remember the British group Status
Quo (or as the Brits pronounce it, STATE-IS Quo)? I thought they were
a long-gone one-hit wonder with "Pictures of Matchstick Men" back
around 1968. And that was the case, as far as the U.S. goes.
I have a great friend in West Palm Beach, FL,
who has seen them in concert in the UK some 150 - 200 TIMES!!! He convinced me to go with him to London in
2008, as they are still HUGE everywhere BUT the U.S. I've been back to
London in 2010, 2013 and 2016 to see them again, with some noteworthy
supporting (opening) acts. A great excuse to see London again and to see
"Quo" again, too. I could tell you more, but my buddy could
write a great article about his experiences seeing them in Europe, and about
the group itself, if you'd be interested.
Have a great day, and rock on!
Nick
We’ve covered Status
Quo’s on-going popularity back home before in FH … yes, one Top 20 Hit here in
The States (“Pictures Of Matchstick Men,” as you mentioned, which hit #11 in
1968 … but was a HUGE #2 Hit here in Chicago … and was definitely my favorite
song at the time) and yet 51 Top 40 Hits back home in The UK, including 21 Top
10’s, thru 2002. (That’s the most recent
UK chart book I have … so there may have been more.) A few years back they recorded a duet with
The Beach Boys, which we featured here as well.
If your friend has an interest in doing a piece on them, by all means
have him get in touch with me! (kk)
This one looks
interesting …
Have you seen or read
anything about the new film “Last Night In Soho,” out in theaters today?
With a heavy ‘60’s
soundtrack (and just enough evil to fit in for Halloween Weekend), we just may
have to check this one out! (kk)
TODAY’S BEATLE BREAK:
kk …
For Those Who Still Doubt That JAY &
AMERICANS Were At The Beatles Washington, DC Concert, Just Play The B-103
Interview I Sent You And You'll Hear Jay Talk About It.
The DJ asks Jay About It And He Says It Was
One Of The Worst Nights Of His Life … Audience Yelling And Screaming For The
Beatles. Jay Cursed Them Out And Said That
The Beatles Were Getting Dressed And Would Be
Out Soon. I Figured I'd Come Out And Sing A Few Songs For You While We’re
Waiting For Them. They Calmed Down.
Jay Also Said That They Weren't Advertised As
An Opening Act. I Think They Were Added
When One Of The Other Acts Couldn't Make It Due To The Weather.
Years Ago, I Used To See Jay Black All The
Time At Green Acres Off-Track Betting Office.
I Never Talked To Him. One Thing I Learned -- Never Talk To A Guy Who's
Trying To Pick A Winner.
COMMON SENSE 101 = Why Would You Ever Need A
Loaded Gun On A Movie Set?
I Just Read That WABC TALK RADIO Is Number One
In The Ratings. What's Wrong With This
Picture? Cousin Brucie Joins WABC 77 AM And They Become The Number One Talk
Radio Station.
FB
Historians ask “Why is the music of
The Beatles so relevant and worth discussing some sixty years later? This has never happened with any other form
of popular music … not Bing Crosby … not Frank Sinatra … not even Elvis … what
is it about the music created by these four lads from Liverpool that not only
changed the world but also expanded their predicted fifteen minutes of fame
into a sixty year legacy that continues to grow and draw in new fans daily?”
Certainly, they evolved quickly …
from playing American rock and roll covers in a bar in Hamburg to saying “We
want to write our own songs” and starting off their recording career with some
rather simple attempts (“Love Me Do,” “From Me To You”), yet balancing that
with much more sophisticated writing and chord changes (“Ask Me Why,” “P.S. I
Love You”) to just four years later leap-frogging into the artistry of “Rubber
Soul,” “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper.” It
really is quite a remarkable journey.
As such, everything they touched
along the way became relevant to a legion of worldwide fans … if The Beatles
were into it, we wanted to know more about.
One such foray would have to be
their trip to India … and so news of this new LP strikes a chord of, if nothing
else, curiosity …
“Songs Inspired By The Film The
Beatles And India” 2CD Set Available October 29, 2021
The album, “Songs
Inspired By The Film The Beatles And India,” features a diverse cast of Indian
artists (Vishal Dadlani, Kiss Nuka, Benny Dayal, Dhruv Ghanekar, Karsh Kale,
Nikhil D’Souza, Anoushka Shankar, Farhan Ahktar, Soulmate and many others), all
bringing their own musical styles, as well as contemporary and classical Indian
influences and techniques to the record. The album features Beatles’ songs
written during their stay in Rishikesh, India, including “Mother Nature’s Son,”
“Revolution,” “Sexy Sadie,” “Dear Prudence,” “Child of Nature” among others. It
also includes songs from their incredible catalogue which were colored by their
earlier leanings to the magical sounds of India.
The hypnotic, lyrical
soundtrack for “The Beatles and India” was written by award-winning composer
Benji Merrison and recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2, the legendary home of The
Beatles recording sessions, Budapest, Hungary and Pune, India. Both a
classically trained composer and a skilled music producer and engineer, Benji
has scored music for projects across film, television, installations and
events. His distinctive musical voice is in high demand and he is known for
SAS: Red Notice, Forces of Nature with Brian Cox, Dynasties, General Magic.
The award-winning
film, “The Beatles And India,” is a unique historical chronicle of the enduring
love affair between The Beatles and India that started more than half a century
ago. Rare archival footage, recordings and photographs, eye-witness accounts
and expert comments along with location shoots across India bring alive the
fascinating journey of George, John, Paul and Ringo from their high octane
celebrity lives in the West to a remote Himalayan ashram in search of spiritual
bliss that inspires an unprecedented burst of creative songwriting. It is the
first serious exploration of how India shaped the development of the greatest
ever rock band and their own pioneering role bridging two vastly different
cultures. “The Beatles And India” was directed by Ajoy Bose and co-directed by
Peter Compton. The film was produced by Reynold D'Silva (Renoir Pictures /
Silva Screen Productions) with executive producers Adam Greenup and Keith
Ferreira. The documentary won Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music at the
2021 UK Asian Film Festival.
Here's what the press
has said about “The Beatles And India”:
“…fascinating story
of how and why India fell in love with the Beatles” - The Guardian
“The Beatles: The Best
Films to check out” - The Times
“...a uniquely Indian
take on this pivotal event.” - Financial Times
“...impressive… Rich
in content, scope and its use of archive footage and interviews with the Fabs
and the other major players in this saga, this is a world apart from anything resembling
your stereo typical Beatles documentary.” - Shindig
“…a welcome new
perspective” - Radio Times
“As with his 2005 book
The Beatles In India, Ajoy Bose’s directorial debut (co-director Peter Compton)
suspends current censoriousness to catapult us to a world where it wasn’t
unforgivable to get things wrong about other cultures as long as you were
trying to get it right… Over 50 years later, what survives is gratitude on all
sides that the Beatles and Indian musicians, teachers and fans they met got to
be part of each other’s story.” - Uncut (Lead review)
“…fascinating
documentary” - Eastern Eye
CD 1: Songs Inspired
By The Film
01 Tomorrow Never
Knows (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Kiss Nuka
02 Mother Nature’s Son (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Karsh Kale /
Benny Dayal
03 Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon) Performed by Soulmate
04 Across The Universe (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Tejas / Mali
05 Everybody’s Got Something To Hide (Except Me And My Monkey) (John Lennon /
Paul McCartney) Performed by Rohan Rajadhyaksha /
Warren Mendonsa
06 I Will (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Shibani Dandekar / Neil
Mukherjee
07 Julia (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Dhruv Ghanekar
08 Child of Nature (John Lennon) Performed by Anupam Roy
09 The Inner Light (George Harrison) Performed by Anoushka Shankar / Karsh Kale
10 The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
Performed by Raaga Trippin
11 Back In The USSR (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Karsh Kale /
Farhan Ahktar
12 I’m So Tired (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Lisa Mishra /
Warren Mendonsa
13 Sexy Sadie (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Siddharth Basrur /
Neil Mukherjee
14 Martha My Dear (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Nikhil D’Souza
15 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
Performed by Parekh & Singh
16 Revolution (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Vishal Dadlani /
Warren Mendonsa
17 Love You To (George Harrison) Performed by Dhruv Ghanekar
18 Dear Prudence (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) Performed by Karsh Kale /
Monica Dogra
19 India, India (John Lennon) Performed by Nikhil D’Souza
CD 2: Original Score -
Composed by Benji Merrison
01 Main Titles
02 Diminutive Yogi
03 Crazy Trailblazer
04 Selling Like Hotcakes
05 A Few Lessons
06 Something Very Grateful
07 Rishikesh Bridge
08 Jai Guru Dev
09 A Simple Existence
10 Old Ashram
11 The Prayer Room
12 50 Years Ago
13 Feeling and Heart
14 All Of India
15 Birthday Party
16 Spiritual Teacher
17 A Dealbreaker
18 Secrets Revealed
19 Down To Kerala
20 Small Gift To The World
21 End Credits
Available October 29,
2021
To purchase/stream
album (album singles):
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Inspired-Film-Beatles-India/dp/B082154533/
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/songs-inspired-by-the-film-the-beatles-and-india/1586741514
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3WpfaqAZsMyrJnJx3fgXE0?si=a9aGUnL6R4C8uprDXwlnLA
For more information: WWW.SILVASCREENUSA.COM
For more information
about the film “The Beatles And India”: HTTPS://BEATLESANDINDIA.COM/
And check this out …
Little Known John Lennon
and Paul McCartney Song, “Because I Know I Love You So” From The Beatles’ Let
It Be Sessions Has Just Been Released By Thee Holy Brothers (Willie Aron and
Marvin Etzioni)
Now Available On Regional Records Distributed Digitally By Six Degrees (a Universal company.)
Originally recorded in 1969 by the Beatles during the Let It Be sessions, but not available on their 2021 released box set, the composition was first officially issued in 2003 from disc two on the Beatles Let It Be … Naked.
Thee Holy
Brothers give the song a Buddy Holly-esque treatment, mixed in mono by Jeff Peters (Beach Boys) and
mastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios (Grammy-winning
mastering engineer for
his work with the Beatles).
“I recorded a version on my own in 2008 with chief engineer for Regional Records, Adam Pike, before I knew I’d have permission to release it,” offers Marvin Etzioni.
“It was something
that felt like the right thing to do at the time. It had little to do with whatever else I was working on and seemingly nothing to do with what was going on in the musical landscape at that
time.
“Sometimes
when recording, an energy or point of view reveals itself after the session is complete. In this case, when I sent my version out to friends or played it for music industry professionals, the response was the same: Is this an un-released Buddy Holly song?
“The recording remained dormant until this year. Now that I have my own label,
Regional Records, I
can release records.
“When I
played my version for Willie, he suggested adding his vocal to create a
sparse two-part harmony record, in the spirit of early Simon and Garfunkel. Willie added his vocal in
a single pass and the result was magical, a performance never to be repeated
again. The challenge was to not overcook it, not add more layers of
anything, be it vocals or instrumentation, which would have been very easy to
do.
“You don’t finish a work of art, you abandon it,’ said Picasso. After Willie recorded
his vocal, Thee Holy Brothers single was ready to be released.”
“One of the things that keeps Thee Holy Brothers fresh for me is that we pay
attention to
immediacy,” underscores Willie Aron. “We try to seize the moment of inspiration
right as it’s presented to us. In the case of ‘Because I Know You Love Me
So,’ our mutual love of the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly lines up
perfectly with the Beatles’ primary influences. So I sang to Marvin’s track with that same sense of immediacy and intimacy.”
Willie Aron is an award-winning composer of film and television shows and a session musician/producer for the likes of Victoria Williams, Syd Straw, Peter
Himmelman and
Rickie Lee Jones. He served as a consultant on The Beatles: 8 Days a Week
— The Touring Years. Aron portrays a member of the famed Wrecking Crew in
the biopic Love and Mercy about Beach Boys founder
Brian Wilson.
Marvin Etzioni is a singer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, Grammy-winning record producer,
collaborating with such iconic artists as Counting Crows, Lucinda Williams, Dixie Chicks, Stephen Stills/Judy Collins, Toad the Wet Sprocket and many others. Etzioni was
the original producer and founding member of Lone Justice, who has two co-written tunes on the upcoming Trombone Shorty album for Blue Note Records due in 2022.
THEE HOLY BROTHERS (photo by Francis A. Wiley)
Thee Holy Brothers: A Brief History
A few years ago, at a Shabbat service in Los Angeles at the temple Ohr HaTorah in Culver City, Rabbi Finley saw Willie Aron and Marvin Etzioni standing next to each
other wearing black
suits and ties with fedoras, dubbing them “The Holy Brothers.” “The” became “Thee” (inspired by another Los Angeles group, Thee Midniters) and rehearsals began.
At their first show, Thee Holy Brothers received great encouragement and support from none other than Leonard Cohen, their friend and fellow temple member,
where Willie also serves as a Cantor at the
synagogue.
Long-time friends, Willie and Marvin, subsequently collaborated as Thee Holy Brothers and released their debut album, My Name Is Sparkle, on Regional Records in 2020. Ten songs are presented in two acts, built around an androgynous character named Sparkle who is on a spiritual quest. Thematically, their album has been associated with George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Pete Townshend’s Who Came First.
In October, 2021, Marvin Etzioni provides an additional backstory of hearing this Lennon/ McCartney songwriting gem and securing it for Thee Holy Brothers to record.
“In
August of 2008, my friend Stevie from junior high school mailed me a present
— bootleg CDs of the Let It Be sessions recorded by the Beatles.
I immediately pushed play. I had heard all of the songs before except one
with McCartney taking the lead and the boys playing a ragged but right
country feel behind the leader. Somewhere in
this incomplete attempt was a diamond in the rough. I studied the chords and lyrics.
“I went to engineer Adam Pike’s studio in Pasadena to record an acoustic version onmy
own. I’m a title driven songwriter. I got attached to the opening line ‘Woke Up
in the Morning’ and worked with that as the title since the homemade CDs
had no official titles printed on them.
“I met with a contact at ASCAP and said I found an unreleased Beatles song. He
couldn’t recognize it. He said, ‘Next time you’re in New York, I’ll introduce you to
Paul McCartney’s publisher.’
Soon enough, I was in the Big Apple. I played the Beatles’ version and
my version back-to-back. Still no recognition. I was told to contact Apple
in London. On the call, I said I have an unreleased Beatles song. I was
told there was no such thing and to send the Beatles’ version with my
version of the song and I would receive a call back in 24 hours.
“Like
clockwork, the phone rang the next day. I was told assuredly the song is
called ‘Because I Know You Love Me So’ and I was given permission to
release my version since it had been previously released on disc two of Let It Be … Naked by the Beatles.
“Cut to lockdown 2020, I signed a digital distribution deal with Six Degrees (a Universal company) for my label Regional Records. Earlier this year I played my
version of the little- known
Beatles song to Willie Aron — my better half in our duo Thee Holy Brothers.
He suggested ‘we turn it into a Buddy
Holly single.’
“We booked a night at engineer Jeff Peters’ studio (who had worked with Brian
Wilson and the Beach Boys). Willie added his vocal to my original recording. No punch-ins. This was a magical performance captured through a vintage RCA tube pre-amp and a RCA ribbon microphone.
Willie Aron and Marvin Etzioni are no strangers to supporting and touting the ongoing legacy of the Beatles. Since 2014, Etzioni hosted his creation called The
Record Theater at
the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, discussing and examining 50th
anniversary editions of Beatles’ albums including Rubber Soul,
Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Marvin also hosted a
tribute to the late great George Martin in 2016. While the vinyl was
spinning, Brian Kehew (author of Recording the Beatles)
provided rare and unseen photos of the Beatles.
Etzioni
is quoted extensively in the 2021 John Kruth book Hold On World about
John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jasxdezjnooztas/AADf7yj5QaeutLvgsWDAUM-ea?dl=0
Paul
Zollo (Conversations with Tom Petty) asked Etzioni to write an article on John Lennon
/ Plastic Ono Band — The Ultimate Collection for American Songwriter.
https://americansongwriter.com/review-marvin-etzioni-on-john-lennon-plastic-ono-band-ultimate-collection/
Willie
Aron served as a consultant on the Ron Howard and Nigel Sinclair heralded documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years. Aron is also a record collector
and has first edition pressings of every UK and US Beatles album
including Let It Be. As a musician, Aron is a charter member of The
Wild Honey Orchestra, an all-star ensemble that pays musical tribute to
the world’s greatest recording artists raising funds for autism. When the group performed the Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts
Club Band albums in their entirety, they were joined by Paul McCartney
guitarist Rusty Anderson.
During Lockdown 2020, Los Angeles power duo Thee Holy Brothers released their
debut album, My Name is Sparkle (Regional Records). Founded by singer-composer Willie Aron (ex-The Balancing Act) and singer-songwriter Marvin Etzioni (ex-Lone Justice), Thee Holy Brothers have fashioned an impressive, ambitious concept album.
Coachella
Valley Weekly says the album “echoes devotional touchstones like
George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Pete Townshend’s Who Came First.”
MOJO magazine reviewed it as a “Tommy-esque musical directed by Leonard Cohen.”
RnR in the UK gave the album five stars calling it “quite magnificent.”
The singles “Elvis in Jerusalem” and “My Name Is Sparkle” entered Top 10 Radio
Independent Alliance charts from around the world.
Previous reviews:
https://steemit.com/music/@willphoenix/now-playing-thee-holy-brothers-my-name-is-sparkle
http://threechordsandthetruthuk.blogspot.com/2020/11/album-review-thee-holy-brothers-my-name.html
https://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/reviews/TheeHolyBrothers/
https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/2021/04/08/rock-on-this-weeks-sound-
Thee Holy Brothers
Press release
by the group
The other day we ran the video of Ringo
Starr’s new, updated version of the Bill Haley classic “Rock Around The
Clock.” (In fact, we called it a
“totally unnecessary remake” … and we still stand by that assessment.)
But since Ringo felt the need to discuss
his recording of the tune with journalist Paul Cashmere, WE felt the need to
tell you about it.
“I was 15 when I first heard the song at the movies in the film
‘Blackboard Jungle’. “I’m sitting there,
I’d been in the hospital, don’t know much about what’s going on lately, and
they ripped up the cinema!!! They just threw the chairs and went crazy. I
thought, ‘Wow this is great!!!!’ I remember that moment like it was yesterday,
it was incredible. And the song just rocks. So when it came to choosing tracks
for this EP I thought of doing ‘Rock Around the Clock’ for all these good
reasons.
“I first did a brushes version of it, like old school … but then I
thought, ‘Nah, put the sticks on!’ And it rocked! Then I called Joe Walsh and
he rocked and it’s a separate solo. If you listen to cover versions of ‘Rock
Around The Clock,’ everybody plays that same solo, and Joe made this one stand
out. So, thanks to the great Joe Walsh, Nathan East, Bruce Sugar and let’s not
forget our back-up singers Amy Keys and Windy Wagner! Thanks for rocking out
with me through the pandemic! And Thank you Bill Haley! Peace and Love.”
And what’s the deal with Paul McCartney
saying he’s not signing autographs anymore.
(You may recall Ringo making the same declaration several years ago.)
McCartney downplays the importance and
significance of the autograph or, in this day and age, a “selfie” with the rock
star. (He has clearly forgotten his OWN
roots and being bowled over when HE came face to face with an American Rock
Star in the late ‘50’s at a concert back home in Jolly Ol’ England. Many a time he and John Lennon or George
Harrison would go see one of rock’s new legends … including the above mentioned
Bill Haley … and wait for autographs after the show. The Beatles even went so far as to send
letters or telegrams telling a particular act how much they meant to them,
inspiring them to pursue a career in music.
Ahh, how quick we forget.)
I mean, I get it … after being besieged
by fans for over sixty years, interrupting your daily routine for their own
selfish gains … but some of these fans today have followed McCartney for all
sixty of those years … so the chance meeting or opportunity to meet and spend a
moment (and walk away with a souvenir) just could be the most meaningful
experience of a lifetime. (Then again,
we have also covered the OTHER side of the story where people just try to get a
celebrity to sign something so they can turn around and auction it off on eBay
… which is REALLY a shame.)
McCartney says he would rather have a
conversation (yeah right … how likely is THAT?!?!) than take a blurry photo together, especially
with him looking miserable in it! (lol)
In an article in the brand new issue of
“Reader’s Digest” (Seriously??? This still exists?!?!?), McCartney says …
“It always struck me as a bit
strange. Here, can I write your name
down on the back of this till receipt please?’ Why? We both know who I am. What you’ve usually got is a ropey photo with
a poor backdrop and me looking a bit miserable. Let’s chat, let’s exchange
stories.” (kk)
No, Paul McCartney Will Not Sign Your
Wrinkled Receipt - Rolling Stone
kk …
Buy All The Crap I'M Selling But Don't Expect
An Autograph.
Sir Paul …
Here's A Good Reason To Sign Autographs …
Because Your Fans Want It.
And a final smile …
Introducing a new generation to the great
music of ours …
Special thanks to The Muppets!
A smiler from Frank B …
Happy Halloween …
Which, of course, left us wondering …
