John Till Interview

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 04 October 2009 08:10

On December 28, 1945 guitarist John Till was born in Stratford, Ontario. You can read his AllMusic.com biography which I wrote a few years back: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kzfpxqlgldte~T1 It's a succinct overview of his career http://tinyurl.com/johntillbio When Janis Joplin left Big Brother & The Holding Company she took Sam Andrew, one of the guitarists, with her onto her next adventure, the Kozmic Blues Band. Wolfsgang's Vault, the Bill Graham official site, posted a February 12,1969 concert with Janis and the Sam Andrew-led band. The ten songs total 55 minutes and 17 seconds. This concert helps you put into perspective the transition from Sam Andrew to John Till, and all of John's work with Janis as well as his later recordings and activities. ON JOINING UP WITH JANIS JOPLIN How did Janis and/or her organization find you and were you an active member of Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks at the time? How long were you with the Hawks? ON TOURING WITH KOZMIC BLUES ON THE WOODSTOCK 40th Joe V's review of Joplin at Woodstock here: http://www.gemmzine.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=151:janis-joplin-live-at-woodstock&catid=31:artist-reviews&Itemid=28 TWO WEEKS AFTER WOODSTOCK, THE TEXAS INTERNATIONAL POP FESTIVAL http://www.texaspopfestival.com/HOME.HTM FESTIVAL EXPRESS The making of the film. John's participation in the movie. HARVARD STADIUM, CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS - THE FINAL FULL CONCERT On the Sony repackages Pearl: Legacy Edition ON THE RELEASE 40 YEARS LATER OF SO MANY CONCERT RECORDINGS AND DVDs John Till has played on Bob Burchill's HUGS CD http://www.gemmzine.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=152:bob-burchills-hugs&catid=28:cd-reviews&Itemid=28 as well as on Peter Yarrow's PETER album which also features John Simon, who produced the first Big Brother & The Holding Company album. Here's the AMG review http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0pfwxqwgldhe

Last Updated on Sunday, 04 October 2009 11:52

Allen Klein

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 05 July 2009 20:04

R.I.P. Allen Klein Allen Klein, born December 18, 1931, died on Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 77 years of age. I met Allen twice at his office on 1700 Broadway, 41st Fl. in Manhattan while I was in business with the late Jimmy Miller, producer of over 100 songs by The Rolling Stones. Klein's reputation was one of a tough businessman - and that he parted ways with two of the biggest acts in history is as important to the story as the fact that he represented two of the biggest acts in history. The Huffington Post and the Associated Press noted that "He is survived by a longtime companion, Iris Keitel; his estranged wife, Betty; three children, four grandchildren and a sister." Ms. Keitel ran the ABKCO offices on Broadway and was always polite ...it is a fact that I was in awe listening to Allen's son, Jody Klein, as he played us back production work by Sam Cooke on a three track machine. There in the very professional offices atop of Broadway in Manhattan were big cardboard boxes chock full of reel-to-reel tapes and there we stood - the legendary Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller and this writer listening to Sam Cooke's voice being played back for the first time in maybe 30 years. Cooke (who passed away on December 11, 1964) was producing - not singing- on these tracks and he could be heard talking to the artist in the studio. It is also interesting to note that Cooke was born on January 22, 1931 and Klein on December 18 of that same year. Love him or not, Klein's company has carefully catalogued important music and, though there is controversy over the mixes and the master tapes in regards to The Rolling Stones recordings, that only adds to the intrigue. We can always find a company to go back to the master tapes - the fans getting ahold of rare mixes and out-takes, that makes for collectible discs and the Hot Rocks issues have had their share of collectible offerings. The original Hot Rocks had the rare "Brown Sugar" including slide guitar while latter day Hot Rocks reissues were said to be different on the two sides of the Atlantic ocean. Something worth doing a search on. In any case, Allen Klein was certainly a notable character in Rock & Roll and his passing marks the end of an era.

Last Updated on Monday, 06 July 2009 19:31

Wayne Wadhams

Written by Joe Viglione Written by Joe Viglione Wednesday, 13 May 2009 13:29 Though his group, The Fifth Estate, found fame in June of 1967 when a hit version of "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" (Jubilee Records) from The Wizard Of Oz circled around the Top 10, Wayne Wadhams is better known in Boston circles as a Berklee Professor who has produced rock and jazz for major labels as well as re-releasing classical music forgotten by some of those same major recording companies, successfully packaging and selling that important art on his Boston Skyline imprint. Professor Wadhams has many great stories - recently discovered footage of his pioneering 60s band capturing the spirit of their mission. It should do much to insure their legacy alongside Peter Wolf's Hallucinations, Barry Tashian's Remains and Victor "Moulty" Moulton's Barbarians as the guys who helped build the vital New England music scene. But as essential as that work was and still is, the foundation it created is equally important, if not as visible. You see, Wayne Wadhams is the man who developed six recording studios at the Berklee College of Music in Boston - which constitute the Music, Production & Engineering Department. Studios where producers from the late Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones) to George Massenberg (Linda Ronstadt) and many other artists have lectured and held master classes while working on their own projects. Wayne Wadhams founded Studio B, a commercial Boston facility, before his work at Berklee, and Arts Media Magazine asked him how all this developed back in the day. A.M.M.: Wayne, what gave you the idea for Studio B? W.W.: "That was really just an accident. The Orson Welles Film School, of which I was one of the founders and Vice President, had a recording studio in it, which I put together for narration and music recording - just a 4 track room at the time. At some point in the early 1970s we bumped it up to 8 track, which was pretty good for that time. In 1974 the school itself went out of business, so the owner of the complex said "Make me an offer". I did. I bought the entirety in one lump and put it in a van, and it sat in my backyard for a year, till we decided what we wanted to do. During that time I met Allen Smith, who became our head engineer. We rented the space on Boylston Street - between Arlington and Berkeley (the street, not the school) in Boston, where we were for more than a decade." During that time the studio upgraded from 16 track and then 24 track at the end. Studio B's business consisted of commercial clients doing ads, tv work, the kind of projects now mostly done by the facility known as Soundtrack (where Allen Smith has worked since Studio B), and other clientele such as local artists and regional bands. In mid-1982 Berkelee College hired Wadhams to do research and consultancy and decided to go ahead with the new MP&E department later in 1982. Towards the end of 1983 Wayne effectively closed Studio B taking most of his staff and putting them all to work at Berklee installing the studios and developing curicculum. "Even Allen Smith became a teacher there," Wadhams explained, "but he didn't like teaching much. That's when he got an offer from Soundtrack and took it in 1984." Wayne also explained the Berklee philosophy at the time: "the core was always the performance division -people teaching players to play, that was the central part of it - arranging, songwriting, film scoring and other things of that sort. I designed the recording studios, not all of them, because there are eleven. I designed the first six." The work included basic acoustic design, layout... "they've been renovated since then, I've had little to do with that. They are still in the same configuration, the basic design for Studios A - F (is the same)." What happened was that Berklee asked Wayne to write up a report. "They asked me "should we be teaching recording techniques or anything related and if so, what - and how should it be oriented?" "I interviewed students, a lot of faculty, alumni here in NY and L.A., interviewed the heads of CBS studios, Atlantic studios, you name it, to ask if they thought it viable and worthwhile for a college to be teaching engineering and/or technical areas of recording. They said "Absolutely" because recording itself was getting so much more technical" and so said my report." Wadhams was in the middle of a motion picture audio mix with the famous screenwriter/director John Sayles in New York, the 1983 picture "Lianna", when he was surprised to receive a phone call (within a month of his turning in the report) asking "How quickly can you get all this up and running?" He replied "If you want this done within six months you have to give me full control of the whole thing." They said OK. "They set it up so that I was working with the Provost, and the new president, then Lee Berk (the school was, in fact, named after Lee Berk), who was just taking over from his father, who had founded the school in 1945. Everything was done in direct concert with the president's office." This accelerated the closing of Wadhams' own "Studio B", helping them make the decision not to move, but to work on the Berklee project. "This was also a time when the industry itself was so rapidly increasing in technical detail and complexity" Wayne told Arts Media Magazine. Moreover, at this point in time, an "audio" version of the "Oscars" was created by Mix Magazine - the "TEC Awards" for Outstanding Technical Achievement. Berklee won the first, second and third "TEC" Awards. The AES (Audio Engineering Society) also awarded Berklee top honors as an educational institution, and held their executive meeting at Berklee, which they had never done at any school before. This signified to the industry that the school had done the right thing. Although Wayne intended the Berklee job to be a turnkey operation in his career, the college had different ideas. They said "Now that you've built the MP&E department, don't you want to teach?" Wadhams reflected: "The next thing I know, I'm a full professor." Today Wayne is still busy, currently producing a CD of Bach organ music with organist David Carrier at the Wellesley Congregational Church. He's written a number of books including a three volume set called "Sound Advice", and most recently "Inside The Hits", a wonderful exploration of what makes many well-loved Top 40 hits tick. It is published by Berklee Press and is worth seeking out. Originally published October 18, 2005 Read more about Wayne here Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 May 2009 18:14

Dream Road David Hudson

Written by Joe Viglione

Saturday, 09 May 2009 18:48

Dream Road Track by Track with David Hudson 1 Love You Forever Hudson, Mannock 4:03 Composed by: Hudson, Mannock Performed by: Hudson, Irene Cara 2 Solid Rock Howard 4:41 Composed by: Howard Performed by: Hudson, Shane Howard 3 Don't Look Back Hudson, Mannock 4:37 4 Waiting for the Rain Hudson, Mannock 4:10 5 Walk on My Own Hudson, Mannock 3:39 6 Empty Days Hudson, Mannock 3:39 7 Ride On Hudson, Mannock 3:50 8 One Chance Hudson, Mannock 3:54 9 Take It and Run Hudson, Mannock 4:03 10 Rockin' Years Parton 3:36 Composed by: Parton Performed by: Hudson, Cindy Hudson

Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 May 2009 13:07

Stacie Rose The Complete Collection

Written by Joe Viglione

Wednesday, 06 May 2009 12:33

Gemm Magazine intends to have full pages on essential artists that our readers want to know more about. From Genya Ravan of Ten Wheel Drive to Alvin Lee from Ten Year's After, Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits to Eddy Pumer of Kaleidoscope, the UK band that opened the Isle Of Wight Festival, biographies, discographies and anecdotes about rare recordings from all of these artists help make the Gemm.com experience more than just shopping for your favorite music - it becomes an education that we feel confident will also be filled with a sense of discovery and wonder. THIS IS MINE by Stacie Rose (2002) Produced by Robert L. Smith With the release of a new 11-song compact disc, "This Is Mine" (Enchanted Records), the music of Stacie Rose is beginning to attract major attention. She appeared on national TV singing the chorus of Simon & Garfunkel's "America" in August of 2002 when ABC-TV launched a campaign for Peter Jennings' six part series "In Search Of America." "Mine", the title track from the album, This is Mine, was utilized in a promo campaign for the month of March 2003 on American Movie Classics, while "Shine" - the third track from her disc of all original material - found itself in the independent film "Closing Time", and 4 songs we licensed by MTV for the hot reality shows Sorority Life and Fraternity Life.Stacie Rose chose producer Robert L. Smith, and not just because he's the guy who recorded discs by Rickie Lee Jones, David Bowie, Garland Jeffreys, Puff Daddy, The Spin Doctors and many others while having produced and recorded Long River Train and The Prodigals. His experience and Stacie's vision were a very successful pairing: the music has a polished sound without feeling too slick. That down to earth vibe is an integral component of Rose's artistry. THIS IS YOURS a very rare e.p. that is now a collectible Born and raised in Jersey to music loving parents Stacie grew up surrounded by song. Sounds of the Beatles, Billie Holiday, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, and the Bee Gees - from jazz to folk to classic rock these impressions steered her creative development, so much so that the future vocalist/writer began playing and singing at an early age.In college Rose bought a guitar in a London pawnshop, which served in putting her thoughts and ideas into musical form. She played in her room late at night, at parties, and to roommates. Rose wrote and wrote, experimenting with her voice, playing Neil Young songs, always making a statement. She started The Stacie Rose Band as soon as she graduated Ithaca College, and a rep from, Maverick Records, liked the songs and voice, but not the heaviness of the group. Stacie knew she wasn't in the right situation, so she went back to square one, wrote more songs, and began a quest for someone to help shape her sound.Robert L. Smith was one of a half dozen producers who came to see Stacie live. Having cut his teeth on helping such singers as Mariah Carey develop their sound, he knew what was needed to get Stacie's songs the attention they deserved. SHADOW & SPLENDOR by Stacie Rose (2005) Produced by Robert L. Smith & Stacie Rose Surrounding her with some of NYC's best musicians proved to be the key to retaining a simple and clean sound. Interviews in the February 2003 issue of the prestigious FemaleMusician.com WEBzine, the ever present Aquarian's Arts Weekly, The Hudson Current and Relix Magazine, among others, brought print attention to the woman who was seen nationally on ABC during times when Monday Night Football, The Practice, and other ABC Prime Time shows aired.Five songs from the "This Is Mine" CD were released in early 2002 with the full CD promotion initiated in the fall of that year, the disc officially released in February of 2003. The engaging artist is a conversationalist who first performed at the age of four singing "You're A Grand Old Flag" in a huge church to a great many people - this while she was in Lollipop Nursery School.A gifted artist with many talents, Stacie Rose has the intuition and drive to not only create great pop tunes which future generations will love and cherish, she has the potential to develop a wide audience as the music unfolds, fans experiencing music that corresponds to the recordings live, never copying exactly what the musicians and she crafted before. The mainstream needs something to move people and bring some harmony, heartache, and maybe a little hope and joy into their lives - and that's what Stacie Rose is expressing, continuously challenging herself and the musicians performing these original tunes, sharing her individuality with colleagues and audiences. It's a mission that Stacie achieves with a simple elegance that has already garnered appreciative reviewsStacie is not a product of the studio. A real singer and writer, and performer, her most recent project, This is Yours an official bootleg, is a prime example of an artist in touch with what it takes to transform studio perfection to live energy. Originally intended as a document for personal use, the performances captured, along with endless requests from fans, demanded the Recordings to be released. Stacie Rose is putting rock, as we know it in a slightly different and beautiful new direction. - Rock Journalist Joe Viglione MBM Exclusive review by Joe Viglione 8-31-08 Stacie Rose has created a mature and authoritative gem on her third full-length disc augmenting her long-time producer, Robert L. Smith, with co-producer Jeff Allen. There are many stand-out tracks here, "Run Out" has a little nod to Janis Joplin (not in vocal or sound, but in spirit) - very hooky, as is "Mr. & Mrs. Happily Ever After", nice sequencing two as the pair of songs are different but work well together. There's the intriguing "Not Listening", the jazzy and quite moody "December" and "Love Saves" which actually sounds like "Love waves...", a nice little Lady Mondegreen, misheard lyric. You can check out my previous review of Rose's THIS IS MINE CD from 2002 on AllMusic and SHADOW & SPLENDOR. SHOTGUN DAISY is a beautiful component to the triology and points out a good direction for this important artist's future. Shawn Mullins appears on Shotgun Daisy.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 May 2009 21:52

Interview with Spanky McFarlane

Tuesday, 05 May 2009 02:57

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/interviewspanky Spanky & Our Gang Masters of melodic radio-friendly hits return to the stage - a biography by Joe Viglione When the soul-stirring notes from "Like To Get To Know You" spring out of the radio, we're reminded of how the distinctive sound crafted by Spanky and Our Gang and their producer, Jerry Ross became an indelible imprint on the soundtrack of our lives. Just as the first top ten hit, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" did the year before, "Like To Get To Know You" has irresistible staying power - and that it hasn't been heard in its original form in concert halls for years makes this music's return such an anticipated event. The incredible string of hits, 5 in the Top 40, stretched from June of 1967 into May of 1968, a collage of strong melodies and brilliant harmonies that established this band as a pop sensation for the ages. Booking agent Bob Birk remembers meeting Spanky when he was 15 years old and she had yet to cut a record. Spanky came to see the now-famous agent performing in Chicago, and she and her boyfriend back then generously gave of their time, forming a lasting impression on the lad and his band, The Underprivileged, who would sign with Smash, a subsidiary of Mercury -the label that issued all the Spanky And Our Gang Hits. Performer Various Artists Title Sixties Rebellion Vol. 4: The Go-Go UPC 72372465252 Genre Oldies Sub Genre Garage Band The Underprivileged appear on this new compilation on tracks 10 and 14 "You Hurt Me" and "Come On" Bruce Eder says in the biography on Allmusic.com "Their hits, particularly "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," "Lazy Day," "Like to Get to Know You," and "Give a Damn," were as much a part of the ambience of the middle to late '60s as any of the best known songs of the Mamas & the Papas with whom they're frequently compared." As well they should be, Spanky joined John Phillips, McKenzie Phillips, Denny Doherty and sound engineer Dinky Dawson in the 1980s combining her hit songs with those of the John Phillips catalog - with the expected quite wonderful result. Those shows should have been videotaped for DVD, as they were the harmonic convergence of two pop titans, Chicago meets Monterey, with McKenzie Phillips adding a bit of "One Day At A Time" for good measure. John Phillips refers to Spanky in his book "Papa John, An Autobiography", as "my old friend, Spanky McFarlane", and notes how they "played the Bottom Line for four nights in the summer (of 1984), all standing-ovation sellouts." WHAT THE NEW CONCERTS WILL HOLD: Listening to Spanky onstage is like falling in love again and hearing "can't Promise...can't promise...that I'll love you" creates that soul-stirring scenario via a lyric and vocal prowess that graced the stage with Gary Puckett, The Association & The Turtles on the Happy Together Tour. "Yes I would, if I could" McFarlane sings in "Like To Get To Know You", a song that her audiences relate to in a multitude of ways. Bette Midler/Carly Simon songwriter Buzzy Linhart is still in awe of her voice - and he says that her personality is just as loving and friendly as the music she makes. "When we were seventeen Spanky's group, The New Wine Singers, were the house band at Farragher's Bar in Cleveland Heights, one half a block from the local synagogue. When I played in Chicago solo at Mother Blues, a big folk club at the time, The New Wine Singers put me up at their house for two weeks so I could learn about the town. She's one of those ladies that treats all the guys like a mother, as did Cass Elliot. Just a sweet, wonderful human being. " Buzzy went on to say "Because she had that folk experience, she could very well be the first bona fide lady folk-rocker. She had encompassed traditional folk completely and joined the new sound. All of us - with message music - were encouraged to feel that it could actually be a commercial direction." Spanky's appearance on the "This Land Is Your Land" special on PBS was just a taste of what the new band has in store for her audiences. This "Spanky" brings the songs you love with something new, different and exciting. The band appeared with Willie Nelson on stage on March 14, 2009 in St. Augustine, performing gospel tunes "I'll Fly Away", "Will The Circle be Unbroken" The all-new Spanky & Our Gang brings the music you remember with a special something extra. Here's what I've been told is in store for the fans of the new millennium - meet the new members of the band: JIM CARRICK "Augustine's Jim Carrick is no stranger to the Florida Folk music family.Called a master storyteller on the guitar whose warm, sure ballads can sooth any listener's woes, Carrick spent his early career touring with singer/songwriter Steve Young and opening shows for country music legends Barbara Mandrell, Jerry Jeff Walker, Hank Williams Jr., Charlie Daniels and Gamble Rogers to name a few. Karen Dumont Found by Spanky in a choir the multi-talented Karen Dumont has an earthy and soulful jazz/blues voice that is the perfect counterpoint to McFarlane. Her own "Blues Cruise" CD gives a precise picture of what she brings to the invigorated Spanky & Our Gang. Bob Ebenstein, keyboardist, is called "the heart and soul" of the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir, where he and Dumont met (she was the choir director from 1993-2004). They both found Spanky (and in turn, Spanky found them) in Northern California. Bob was raised in Princton, New Jersey where he began playing violin at the age of ten. He played in a youth theatre orchestra and credits his classical violin teacher, Helen Thompson, for instilling in him a love for music. Chris Matheos (bass & vocals) Bassist, author, and instructor Chris Matheos is a native of Rochester, New York. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He published many instructional bass books with Mel Bay Publications. He has toured with national acts in about every style of music. He also performs and composes his own music and tours as a bass clinician. He endorses Washburn fretted basses, Keith Roscoe fretless basses, Conklin electric upright basses, Washburn accoustic/electric basses, David Eden amps, David Eden strings and Pigtronix pedals. Eddie Ponder John Rhys of BluesPower.com says: "Eddie was born in Florida and raised in Mississippi. He played Jazz along the East Coast until he received a call to join the popular West Coast duo, Zimmerman and Greenberg for an album produced by Al Schmidt. He was then selected as drummer for Bobbie Gentry's band and traveled the world behind her monster hit, "Ode To Billy Joe". In early 1975, Eddie went on the road with Don Everly (the Everly Brothers weren't on speaking terms at that time). How's this for a band?....Don Everly (vocals and rhythm guitar), Eddie Ponder (drums), Warren Zevon (keys), Paul Uhrig (bass) and Lindsay Buckingham (lead guitar). Eddie played on sessions for Timi Yuro, The Coasters, Bobby Vee and Warren Zevon in those early days. Soon, he was to be called on to play with one of the greatest country rock groups in American musical history; The Flying Burrito Brothers. Mr. Ponder is currently keeping his sticks in play with the fabulous Ms. Spanky McFarlane and Our Gang. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Buzzy Linhart gave a little more insight on the group's magic "Stuart Scharf, their great classically trained arranger lent a modern classical air to those arrangements that allowed it to be a pop group that was completely accessible to older folks also, not only intelligent listening for the youth." As Stewart Mason says in his AMG review of that 1969 Greatest Hits package "The hit singles "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" and "Lazy Day" are pinnacles of sunshine pop, and album tracks like "Three Ways From Tomorrow" and "Yesterday's Rain," both written by guitarist Lefty Baker, are nearly their equal." Direct link to this article: http://tinyurl.com/interviewspanky Remember to click on the photo images and album covers to link to Gemm.com itself and find product

Last Updated on Friday, 30 October 2009 10:03

Re-Exploring Band On The Run with producer Eddy Pumer

Tuesday, 05 May 2009 02:44

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/lp3zco Eddy Pumer Interview On Friday evening, September 10, 1999, Visual Radio interviewed Dave Juvet of the Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire. The special event: wonderful photographs by Linda McCartney of Big Brother & The Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin, The Association, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Young Rascals, Bob Dylan, Grace Slick, Aretha, Otis Redding, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Steve Winwood - all captured by Linda's camera...We are talking about a body of work that is timeless and stunning in its beauty. Ponder this: had Linda Eastman not married Paul McCartney she would no doubt be remembered as one of the greatest rock photographers of all time. In many ways, her eye and her intuitive skills are as magical as her husband's mastery of words and melody. August 26, we interviewed John and Paul's original band mates, The Quarrymen, who appeared in Somerville at Johnny D's. And on September 14th, 1999, Eddy Pumer, producer of British Airways two hour "In Flight" programme special on The Beatles' film, Yellow Submarine, chatted with Visual Radio host Joe Viglione via the wonderful world of the internet... JV: Eddy, we spoke in November of 1998, you were in Los Angeles conducting interviews for the 25th Anniversary edition of Band On The Run. Whose idea was it to put this collection together in this way? EP: At the time, Paul wanted to release a remastered version of Band On The Run album to celebrate 25 years since its first release. As always, Paul wanted to give the fans something more. When I talked with Paul, the initial idea was to do an interview with him and have some music examples to accompany this and basically tell the story of how it was made. We've all heard stories of how Paul and Linda were mugged in Lagos (Nigeria) and the meeting with Dustin Hoffman from which Picasso's Last Words was composed. This led to other ideas about reflecting on that time and the end result was to get as many of these celebrities to talk about that event. So it was an amalgamation of ideas that put this collection together. However, I give Paul total credit for coming up with the initial (idea) for the second cd. JV: How difficult was it tracking everyone down, and what kind of recording equipment did you use for this historic package? EP: Getting in touch with the celebrities was a very difficult task because it's a process of finding out their agents/managers, then writing to them, then waiting for the reply. Because these are all very busy people, it was difficult to secure dates. Having said this, they all, without exception, wanted to do an interview. Dustin Hoffman was the first to get back with a date so then I had to coordinate the other artists based in L.A. to fit around the same time. In LA I managed to interview Dustin Hoffman, James Coburn, Denny Laine, and Al Courty who was the promotions president of Capitol Records. In the UK I interviewed Christopher Lee, Michael Parkinson (TV celebrity and writer), John Conteh (Ex boxing champion and now a writer), Kenny Lynch (actor, TV celebrity), Clement Freud (Writer, TV and radio celebrity, celebrity chef). Everyone really got into the spirit of the whole venture, you've only got to listen to the second CD to know how enthusiastic they all were about it. Some of Paul's interview was done in 1985 with Mike Read for the BBC and the rest was recorded in Paul's studio. All interviews (except Paul's) were recorded on a Sony DAT walkman TCD-D7. A wonderful machine. JV: It must have been fun going through all Paul's tapes. Were the "demos" in good shape, or did you have to spend time cleaning them up? And, if so, what was the process? EP: Because there were a little or no out takes or other versions of songs from the Band On The Run sessions, Paul asked me to go through some rehearsals/sound checks of the songs pertaining to Band On The Run album. Again, giving the fans great value. It was difficult choosing which takes to use because they were all skull crackers. When we finally made the choice they were then re-equalized because they were basically monitor mixes but because the fire in the performance was so great it made the job easier. It was Paul and Geoff Emerick that did the re-equalizing through the sound desk. JV: The disc was mastered by Steve Rooke and Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road Studios. Did you give them a finished product, or did they piece it together from your instructions? EP: I gave Steve and Geoff the finished product and we all went through it for the mastering in Steve's mastering suite at Abbey Road Studios. JV: For CD-1 the disc says "re-mastered by Greg Calbi and Geoff Emerick at Sterling Sound", is this in reference to the vinyl "Band on the Run" or this 25th Anniversary edition? EP: Because I wasn't involved with CD1, I understand from Geoff that Sterling Sound was used for both the Vinyl and the CD. JV: What is Sonic Solutions (Abbey Road Studios) on CD2 ... were there two different mastering jobs for each CD? EP: Sonic Solutions is a digital Mac based computerised system for mixing and editing. You feed the content into the computer and if the sound waves appear on the screen. From this image all work necessary can be carried out. JV: Does MPL Communications choose a cd pressing plant, or does EMI handle this? EP: As far as I know EMI deal with all pressing. I believe a test pressing is always made for Paul's approval. JV: The packaging is exquisite, especially the out-take of the famous cover of the CD which is included in the booklet (also used for the promotional poster). Did you oversee the booklet and artwork? EP: I had nothing to do with the artwork. Paul always works closely with the artwork director and always had tremendous input in this area. JV: What was the immediate response in the UK? EP: The response in the UK was five star. This is a classic album, a milestone in popular music, one of Paul's greatest works and it received the applause it deserves. JV: What was your involvement with Yellow Submarine? EP: I had nothing to do with the re-mixing or re-mastering of the DVD or CD. I produced a two hour In Flight programme for British Airways and also a two hour show for radio. These contain new up to date interviews with Paul, George, and Ringo which Laura Gross conducted. JV: What is the next project you are working on for Paul? EP: At present, I have just finished mastering a second CD for Paul which will come out with his new album, Run Devil Run. This CD is purely an interview, again carried out by Laura Gross. Paul talks about the making of the album and how he went back to the method of recording which he used with the Beatles and much more. JV: Eddy, thanks so much for your time, and for the incredible work you do. Beatles fans everywhere are lucky to have you bringing us these treasures from the vaults. (C)1999 Joe Viglione, Visual Radio-Television, all rights reserved. KALEIDOSCOPE White Faced Lady From Fontana Records, France 1969

Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 September 2009 19:41

Peter Calo Interview

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 26 April 2009 16:52

When singer/composer Carly Simon and master songwriter Jimmy Webb need charts done for their upcoming album, it's Simon's long-time guitarist, Peter Calo, who flies from his home in Croton on the Hudson New York to the island of Martha's Vineyard, ready to work with the two legends as their creativity gets into high gear. "Thursday I was with Jimmy Webb all day working with Carly's stuff, recording at Legacy with Frank Filepetti. "Jimmy is just one of my favorite people and songwriters. One hell of a cat" Calo told Modern Guitar in July of 2007. "(Webb's) worked with everybody and... he's beyond the music - he can talk about anything, he's a listener too." Jimmy Webb's arranging, production, songwriting and piano credits are staggering including work on Carly Simon's 1997 epic "Film Noir", the Arista album which Calo appears on with this pair of musical giants. Simultaneous with his work with Simon and Webb, Mr. Calo is credited as guitarist on the hit film Hairspray, and for good reason. He's also on the Grammy winning Original Broadway Cast Album of Hairspray which was recorded at Right Track Studio in New York between June 29 and July 1 of 2002. On the recording of the film soundtrack Calo told Modern Guitars that he, guitarist Dave Spinozza, drummer Chuck DeGanon and bassist Frank Centeno trekked up to Toronto in June of 2006 where the music from the Broadway show was modified. With the film breaking the 140 million dollar mark in gross receipts worldwide as of September 5, 2007, the credit becomes all the more impressive. Calo met Dave Spinozza when they were worked on the Joe Pesci record, "Vincent Laguardia Gambini Sings Just for You". Hired by Hall & Oates producer Tom "TBone" Wolk who, coincidentally, played guitar on Carly Simon's Coming Around Again and was multi instruments on her Greatest Hits Live, they spent about a week with a staggering cast of musicians on a project coordinated by Tommy Mottola. It was that work with Spinnoza that led to Calo's first Broadway show. Calo initially thought it would last about six months, "6 months is a pretty long gig" the guitarist noted considering also that "I'll get to play with my friend Dave Spinnoza."Come August 15, 2008, those initial six months will turn into 6 years. In between his work on Hairspray and with Carly, not to mention flying to London to perform on James Taylor and Carly Simon's son, Ben Taylor's album, Peter is producing a number of artists including Jan Horvath, New York pianist/vocalist Mary Gatchell and a variety of others including show tune singer Ingrid Saxon (famous vocal coach David Sorin-Collyer's daughter). Calo's production work gets a pristine sound with dynamic performances, an interesting mix of bringing the talent to a place where they can be at their best, complementing but never getting in the way. A LITTLE HISTORY Peter Calo was born in a small town in Alberta Canada and moved to Boston with his family when he was in high school, 9th grade. At that point in time he took up the guitar and within two years or so was invited by the MIT Classical Guitar Society (founded in 1971 by Vo Ta Han) to perform a concert at Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge. "I started out playing classical guitar, that was my first love along with the blues and funk" the guitarist told this writer back in November of 2005 during the Carly Simon tour. By 1982 his jazz band Bellvista released a six song E.P. followed by his own "Spoonerism" in 1983 and a track, "Fine Line", on 1985's "Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #7" for this writer's label, Varulven Records. With Sarah Caldwell and Leonard Bernstein in Bernstein's masterpiece, "Mass", Peter Calo was the only person to have performed both the singing role of the rock musician in that opera as well as playing the guitar. "After the performance Leonard Bernstein came up and gave me a hug as I took my bow - I'm looking for the photo of that" (in Calo's personal archives). A mainstay of the Boston scene, Calo was involved as an original member of both Down Avenue (the band which had Charles Pettigrew of Charles & Eddie "Would I Lie To You" fame) and The Heavy Metal Horns. After his stints with both groups Peter moved to New York where he began doing session work, producing and eventually hooked up with Carly Simon, beginning what is now a ten year relationship with the legendary singer/songwriter. Peter worked on the Julie Taymor filme "All You Need Is Love" and also released an instrumental tribute to the fab four entitled Here Comes The Sun. Enclosed is the American album art with the Japanese rendition right next to it. THE INTERVIEW GemmMagazine.com: Peter, with over a half a decade of work on the Broadway show "Hairspray" how does that experience differ from playing in concert with Jane Oliver, Lesley Gore or Dobie Gray? Calo: In some way they are the same in that it's a show with set arrangements. But most pit bands are not on stage and so you don't feed off the energy of the crowd. That's left for the actors and this creates a separation from the emotion of the show. The Hairspray show is pretty energetic and the band is pretty much into the music every show. But it's the musicians playing for the musician as we don't see any one and don't really see the actors and some musician don't even know what's going on on the stage. GemmZine.Com Do you throw in new licks or if there's a different crowd response do you create something spur of the moment? Calo: Yes at my show I get to play whatever I want. GemmZine: Do you feel any different about your role in the music industry performing both on Broadway and with artists like Jane Oliver, Carly Simon, Lesley Gore and Jan Horvath - and how does that affect your solo work? Calo: All the lovely women you mentioned all have their own personalities which I really dig. Comparing who they are as people and their music is apples and oranges. And well, the music of "Hairspray" is Marc Shaiman. He is an amazing person and of course... what a talent. I'd like to think that I've gotten something wonderful and useful from all these musicians and it comes out in my music in some way. GemmZine.com: Do the contacts help your solo work? Calo: No and, well... yes. I don't actively do my solo work. I just let it happen. Probably not to great results. GemmZine.com: We disagree with you, Peter, your body of solo work over the past few decades is deep and worth exploring. The Bellvista discs in the early 80s show a communication through instrumental music that the audience at jazz club Ryles turned out for and enjoyed; the post-Bellvista recordings with John Cafferty engineer Phil Green captured on "Spoonerism" featured a pop side the fans might not have detected prior to its release, as well as the instrumental work in between Carly Simon's releases Letters Never Sent (1994) and Film Noir (1997) that was the "Cape Ann" CD. Bur your 2001 disc on North Star, "Cowboy Song", is a beautiful ode to traditional songs from the old west that would make C & W fan (and Elton John lyricist) Bernie Taupin proud. North Star's instrumental tributes to The Beatles and The Eagles also provide insight into the wide range of music that you embrace and re-visit. And then you switch hats from that array of genres to participate in Hairspray. Calo: Hairspray is a wonderful, wonderful group of people. from the band to the stagehands to wardrobe, hair production, the producer of course and the actors. It is a small village. Sometimes, well many times, folks sub in the band - all the different instruments - so it's kind of not even the same band for two nights in a row... and yet it is as we all know and play together all the time. The hang is as great as any backstage - jokes, talk, gossip and all that. Sometimes we are tired so we play in silence. Sometimes we are cracking jokes all night long. Sometimes we shed in between tunes. I'm fortunate to be in a great show with a great band with a great conductor. It could be a lot worse. The road show to Les Mis in Teledo OH. sorry Teledo..... Hey you get the point. GemmZine.com: And in juggling the Broadway work, Carly's new CD, the production of a variety of artists as well as raising a family, you continue to come up with new idea for your solo work. Calo: I have always written. Now I'm in a (more intense) writing period and I feel a recording or two coming out. I want to put out a CD of songs. I also want to do an acoustic guitar CD out. I'm very excited about this. I'm currently working with Carly simon on her next release which will be out on the Starbucks/Hear Music label. Jimmy webb is the co producer with Frank Filipetti engineering. I had a treat writing with Carly and Jimmy and throwing my two cents in guitar wise. GemmZine.com: Do you - on your own or perhaps with some of the other musicians - want to create new music for Broadway? Calo: Yes, I would love to write a very successful Broadway show and make a lot of money. It's kind of a dream of mine. GemmZine.com: What did you do on the soundtrack to the film Flawless? Calo: I played classical guitar throughout the film. It was an amazing score. Very clever and a really nice film GemmZine.com: Your filmography is impressive http://www.petercalo.com/ct_discography_f.shtml how does working on a PBS special differ from your interaction with directors like Julie Taymor? Calo: It's all the same. When you work with talented people with a vision and who like to be creative and like when you're creative, well it's just wonderful. Calo noted, on his work with Carly: "we've been working off and on for ten years...the first tour was 1995. I met her in August - we did an impromptu gig." They also did a concert taped exclusively for "Lifetime" and Calo's datebook filled up quickly. Over the years he's performed on shows with Dobey Gray, Debbie Boone, Lesley Gore as well as "The New York Voices", a four piece vocal band which toured with Peter as part of the backing trio, performing on their 1993 GRP album, "What's Inside", as well as their 1998 RCA disc "New York Voices Sing The Songs Of Paul Simon". He also worked on Carly Simon's 1994 disc "Letter's Never Sent" (Arista) and, as mentioned above, on her Grammy nominated 1997 disc "Film Noir". "He (Peter) goes to bat for the artist when he's producing" said well-known Boston vocalist Pamela Ruby Russell. "He's very inspiring, I learned so much from him. He's kind, professional, very organized, great producer ...and a guitarmaster." Russell also feels that Calo's musical vocabulary is phenomenal "because he plays in so many genres, in so many types of music." Ingrid Saxon echoed Russell's sentiments: "Peter knows so much about the recording process - he's been on so many sessions; he knew how to work with the engineer, work with the pro-tools. He had every angle covered. "Along with involvement soundtrack to the 1999 Robert De Niro film "Flawless" and other movies, Calo's recorded output is becoming voluminous - work with Linda Eder, Rosie O'Donnell, David Osborne, Kate Taylor and so many others. In early September, 2007, he is going to the premiere of Julie Taymor's film "Across The Universe" where Taymor utilizes the music of the Beatles to forward the plot. Peter Calo's involvement with the film came early on working with the actors in the very beginning, singing some of the tunes in rehearsals and helping the actors get into character. Calo also appears on the soundtrack to the film as his guitar work does in the aforementioned Flawless and Hairspray movies. If he's not jet-setting in L.A. with Tara Macri (who just finished a successful run on Broadway as "Amber Von Tussel" in Hairspray) or performing music director duties for Gospel/Classical/Opera/Pop singer Jeeminn Lee he might be tearing it up at clubs like The Town Crier where bassist Peter Donovan and drummer Joe Mowatt join him to jam. The singer/songwriter/guitarist always finds interesting projects coming his way - at the present time working on a "Spoken Arts" children's book entitled "Mississippi Morning" which is based in the South in 1933. The subject matter - racism in the Depression era - is a heavy theme for a children's book. With all this output his own work gets somehow lost in the shuffle. It shouldn't. Peter Calo's "Cowboy Song" album is historical and an instant classic that should be in libraries across the country. The artist recorded contemporary arrangements of songs from the American West including "Shenandoah", "Red River Valley", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." A big departure from his instrumental tribute albums to The Eagles and The Beatles, two separate discs, on the North Star label, and his own "Wired To The Moon" and "Cape Ann" albums. An overall look at Peter Calo's body of work is wonderfully time consuming and fun - over a decade with Carly Simon, an essential part of her new collaboration with Jim Webb, current soundtracks to Hairspray and Across the Universe as well as nightly performances on Broadway as a guitarist in Hairspray as well as his production work, the children's book and his solo career. One needs a scorecard...or a page with plenty of room for a perpetual discography. For more information on this influential and important artist who worked many a Boston/Cambridge nightclub and theater, go to http://www.petercalo.com Read more about Peter Calo on Gemmzine: http://tinyurl.com/petercalobeatles

Last Updated on Monday, 09 November 2009 07:09