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    0 Harvey Mason Sr Talks Marching in the Street

    Drummer Harvey Mason Sr. was 28, and I was 24, when we chatted up a storm live on-air in the WUSS 1490 AM Atlantic City radio studios. We discussed the life of a studio musician, growing up in the shore resort, and the release of Harvey’s first solo album, Marching in the Street. The conversation happened on a chilly, January day in 1976. In 2024, you can say that Harvey humbly reflects a persona of understated confidence. It goes without saying that you need a lot of talent to sustain a '50 year plus career.' In the video you’ll learn how the teenage Harvey played with his home town musical group while he matured in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before going on to be one of the most requested players for studio sessions among the greats. I had only been at WUSS for fourteen months, in what was my first full-time on-air gig. My entire story is in the highly rated audiobook, eBook, and paperback Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth available at Amazon and other online retailers. Experience, Credentials, Expertise If you are not impressed by the artist shout-outs you'll hear in the video, check out this incredible list of Harvey Mason artist credits on his website. Harvey Mason Sr. attended Berklee, one of the leading institutions for music, dance, and theater study. He graduated from the New England Conservatory. Here's my nine minute and change, exchange with the amazing Harvey Mason. Previous Post

  • 0 Good Friday Divine Emotions

    What do Whitney Houston, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jeff Beck, and Gladys Knight have in common? They all have been touched by Narada Michael Walden. Drummer Walden played with the fusion-rock group Mahavishnu Orchestra, and with British guitarist Jeff Beck. As a solo artist, Narada Michael had a bunch of R&B hits: "I Don’t Want Nobody Else (To Dance With You)"  "I Shoulda Loved Ya" "Tonight I'm Alright" He produced and arranged hits for Whitney Houston "How Will I Know" "So Emotional" Walden co-wrote "Licence to Kill" for Gladys Knight in the James Bond movie. The songwriter, producer, and drummer is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. His groove laden music emphasizes bass and drums, marching through galloping dance tracks.   'Jam on Good Friday,' so says Narada Michael Walden, in his 1988 hit song "Divine Emotions." We love the longer eight minute, forty-eight second 12" single remix with additional Shep Pettibone production. Hear the 'lyric line' in this 15 second segment from the 8:48 track: Your browser does not support the audio element. Here is a shorter, full-length 5:14 song version on YouTube. The "jam on Good Friday" song lyric is mixed down in the final quarter of the song. It is loud and clear in the 8:48 remix!  Walden shares writing credits and the arrangement for Gladys Knight's "Licence to Kill." Here's Gladys on YouTube: I saw Narada Michael Walden perform at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey with Rufus and Chaka Khan and The Brothers Johnson. Walden was the opening act. The entire show, as well as Michael, was fantastic! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Black History Month Book Signing at L'Ouverture Books

    • Photo
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 02/14/2024

    Three fans join me (Kingsley H. Smith), among other attendees, at L'Ouverture Books in Pleasantville, New Jersey for a book signing on February 10, 2024. Discover my complete story, relevant to students or professionals who are learning about digital media, announcing, audio production, podcasting, content management, and life. African Americans in radio broadcasting is a sub theme discussed as the story develops. The important concept of specializing in a niche without abandoning broader opportunities to grow is detailed. It's in Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth. eBook, audiobook, and paperback available at Amazon (above link) and at other online retailers. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Sly Stone - Thank You! Review

    • Review
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 01/24/2024

    I love this in-depth story about Sly Stone: Thank You (Faletttinme Be Mice Elf Agin). He tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth in his electric 2023 musician memoir, co-written by Sly with Ben Greenman.  During my entire professional radio career I played Sly's music: the hits, the heavies, and the near misses. Mr. Stewart's word-driven, song-laden, narrative timeline is accurate and all-encompassing as he tells the Sly story. The book is long. It's almost 300 pages before you get to the selected discography and other back of the manuscript matter. Who is Sylvester Stewart, the architect of the hit making Sly & The Family Stone machinery? Sly enters the world of Denton, Texas in 1943. He says "a little while after I was born, we moved out to California." He and family settled in Vallejo, a port city that was the home of the first naval shipyard on the west coast. Soon there were seven members in the family unit. Sly recalls that music was front and center as the eighth sibling of the clan. Sly became a jack of all instrument trades playing piano, keyboards, bass, guitar and other melody maker devices, joined by his eventual Family Stone brother Freddie (on guitar). The whole family rejoiced together singing gospel songs at home and at church. They bonded through the chorus of praise.  After high school, a strong music theory teacher at Vallejo Junior College was a big influence. Sly credits instructor David Froehlich for helping him "recognize chords, scales, intervals, and rhythms." He says he "learned how to learn," crediting Froehlich for his appreciation for "music as a language." We learn how Mr. Stewart acquired the sobriquet "Sly." Not how you might think! Before jumping into music full-time, the medium of radio knocked as a possible opportunity. If you want a broadcasting job, you have to be aggressive. Our hero explains how he got his first radio gig at KSOL San Francisco after completing training at the Chris Borden School of Modern Radio Technique. Listen to this aircheck of Sly Stone at KSOL inside my blog post from 2006: The Secret Life of Sly Stone. Singing and Playing Simple Songs Progressive forward thinking creative people at Black radio stations always open up the song airwaves to multi-cultural artists. KSOL was a Black station. Sly took some heat in 1964 for including "Beatles, Stones, Bob Dylan, and Mose Allison" in his on-air playlist. This era was the heyday of the three minute or less hit song. Stations could jam in more ads by playing short records so artists created those records! Sly emphasizes his philosophy of writing short tunes throughout the book. Even in the radio studio, Sly was never far from a musical instrument. Styling the thank you words If you've ever watched a Sly Stone talk show interview, you may have noticed his innate ability for non sequiturs. The Random House Dictionary defines them as "an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises." So when Sly says "arrest records were my new records" or "I didn't really keep score except when it came to scoring" (talking about good and bad days), you know this is authentic and this is the real Sly. The book uses this technique to move the story along. Another of his gems: "if I wasn't straight, I didn't have much interest in being straightforward." Producing hits While still at KSOL, Sly shares anecdotes about early success producing hits for Bobby Freeman "C'mon and Swim," and both "Laugh Laugh" and "Just a Little" by the Beau Brummels. Sly Stone shares ideas and interacts with a who's who of performers, stars, and musicians. He has a lot of interaction with Bobby Womack, Billy Preston, George Clinton, and others. George 'Mr. P. Funk' Clinton is at the center of a famous story related by Sly. If you've watched the documentary "Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic," this birthday suit story is shown in the film and recalled by Sly's summary in the book. Sports, Cars, and Everyday People Sly loves boxing and collectable cars. He talks fondly about interactions with Muhammad Ali. He lustfully describes his army of personal automobiles. Everything is on the table during his story. Mr. Stewart wanted an everyday people concept for his band Sly & the Family Stone. "White and Black together, male and female both, and women not just singing but playing instruments." It's 1967. Sly was missing shifts at KSOL. He hops across The San Francisco Bay to Oakland's KDIA. The interracial Sly & The Family Stone drop "A Whole New Thing" into the marketplace while Sly is still at KSOL. This collection of songs showed some promise but received mixed reviews. By the time "Dance to the Music" is released, the legend of Sly as a saint, sinner, and performer takes off. I've written about seeing Sly & the Family Stone live at both The Apollo Theater and at Bill Graham's Fillmore East during the same short period in NYC. Sly touches on this dynamic in "Thank You..." At these two shows I sensed the tension in the Black audience uptown, and the welcoming embrace of the white audience downtown. Let's face it. Sly & the Family Stone were not the Temptations wearing matching suits. When "A Whole New Thing" was released by the Epic record label, Sly describes the Family Stone band outfits as "eclectic." Sly recalls label chief Clive Davis asking "if I thought that our fashion might distract people from the music." Sly said no, continuing "it was fashion but it was also a feeling" responding to Davis. These songs took off in 1968 and 1969: "Dance To The Music" "Everyday People" "Sing a Simple Song" "Stand" "I Want To Take You Higher" "Hot Fun In The Summertime" "Life And Death in G & A" (Georgia and Alabama) by Abaco Dream "Everyday People," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mic Elf Agin)" in 1970, and "Family Affair" in 1971 are the three Sly & The Family Stone number one records. Between all of the girl friends, marriage, children, talk show appearances, problems with promoters, gun culture, drugs, and dogs, Sly details the progression of his music year by year alongside his personal and professional challenges. Each book chapter summarizes a couple of years through his timeline. There are so many behind the scene stories that this element makes Thank You (Faletttinme Be Mice Elf Agin) a book you won't want to put down.  Sly discusses all of his album covers and why specific art was used. You'll discover what really happened between Sly and Larry Graham, his bassist who left and went on to score Graham Central Station music fame. Sly gets into expressing how hip-hop artists have sampled his music. He likes this and thinks that sampling their music in his tracks might be wonderful to try out! He says "working on music settles his mind." There are unsettling stories within the prose about his experiences with the drug culture that I don't need to detail. Read the book to learn more. There's also a nice explanation about the "no show" reputation he was branded with and the justification he offers for why he missed so many concerts. Sly made his reputation with the Family Stone performing at some of the biggest shows: Woodstock, Isle of Wight, Summer of Soul (The Harlem Cultural Festival), and others. In the later years new musicians would come and go passing through the Family Stone circle of players. There's a good story about the original group's induction into the Rock Hall of Fame. We learn what was said, and who was there. Sly talks candidly about superstars Michael Jackson, Prince, and James Brown. He knew them all and has lots to say about them. Mr. Stewart shares his practice to use cameras and microphones to keep tabs on the pulse of the action inside of his home front. He is a tech guy. I give him credit for moving smoothly from the analog world into the digital age. His music production benefited. He got interested in using computers. He mentions the digital audio editor Pro Tools that was used to lay down tracks. Sylvester says his Alexa smart speaker "let's me request any song I want." As Sly now navigates through his eighties, I'm happy that this book was finally written. It's his story in his words. This is how he did it. Sly says he loves to read 'how to' books. Here is his. There's much more that I haven't touched on. Now it's your turn to discover more! I got the hardcover and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Back in the day, Sly was and still is one of my favorite all time artists. If you are curious about what shorty song clips I used in the video, here they are in order: "Higher" "I Want To Take You Higher" "M'Lady" "Love City" "Sing A Simple Song" "Dance To The Music" "Hot Fun In The Summertime" "Everybody Is A Star" "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin" "Everyday People" "Family Affair" "Life" All photos of the record labels are from my personal music collection. I learned during the early Sly era to finally stop putting numbers and my initials on vinyl records! Big Apple Showtime The pictures below are from my May, 1969 Fillmore East program. Yes I was there. Seventeen years old. You'll notice that Sly's birthday is wrong in the group biography. I supply the correct date in the Denton, Texas paragraph above!  A Nice Bonus! This 12" single from my collection was released in 1986 with former Time guitarist Jesse Johnson recording "Crazay," featuring Sly Stone. "Crazay" became a number two R&B hit. Jesse has Sly's name in pretty small print on the front cover! Can you even read it (in purple)? The top photo is the front of the 12" single. Underneath is the flip side that features Sly.     Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 QBR Thoughts About the Powerhouse Radio Book

    I'd like to thank my editor, proof reader, publisher, special family members, and wonderful friends who provided sparkling feedback after reading copies I provided to them of Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance and Rebirth. Today, the paperback becomes available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Baby, and other retailers. The audiobook dropped in December, 2023 on Audible and iTunes. EBook launched in Fall, 2023. Here's a part of what QBR, The Black Book Review had to say in a commissioned review: "Racial discrimination in commercial radio in America has been a persistent issue throughout its history, reflecting broader societal inequalities having broader implications for communities, as it affects the types of stories, music, and cultural content that reach audiences." "Lack of diversity in content creation result in a limited representation of the tapestry of American culture. But Smith allows little of this to thwart the passion for his work or his persistence in achieving his measures or learning from the greats in the business on either side of the microphone." "He is technically astute – generously sharing hard earned "how-to's" – and is gifted in his craft. And he spills tea on music artists and influencers, known and lesser known, giving backroom details that only an insider could know." Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Powerhouse Radio Year In Review

    • Video
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 01/02/2024

    Here are some of our 2023 memories in thirty seconds beginning with an appearance on Blackman (Chris Fraley's) Nodcast the Podcast at the Black Label Comicon in Philly. He's on the left. Peace Moore is in the center.  We drift into Vampire Bobby P. at Tapped in Berlin, NJ. Andre' Gardner at WMGK FM Philadelphia's Sweetwater Marina event in NJ is the next pic. I'm with Olivia Burton at the Philly Odunde Festival followed by Superwoman at the Black Label Comicon. The next frame features Darren Palmer who owns L'Ouverture Books in Pleasantville, NJ. Wrapping up is his honor the Mayor Eric Adams who strikes a pose at the Harlem Book Fair, NYC. Mayor Adams wrote me a nice letter via postal mail expressing his gratitude for my book that I gave him! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Audiobook Assembly Anecdotes To Learn From

    Plan 'B' might have to be your go to solution if plan 'A' fails! When producing an audiobook, your best made plan might lead you down an alternative highway if a wrong turn is taken. Five voice talents were auditioned for my project. The winner was a guy with FM broadcast experience. Great! He fit the bill. It was the second week in July, 2023. July is a long month. Four weeks later when the project was not delivered as promised, my voice talent asked for a two week extension. No problem. The middle of August had just arrived. I gave the talent a second two-week extension to record this nearly 40,000 word book as he had only completed: Opening credits Preface Chapter One Professionals have to meet deadlines. Since the Labor Day holiday had just arrived, and my talent could not meet deadlines, he had to go. Dude was released and fired. I received a full refund for a large deposit that was put into escrow.  When your intuition tells you something is not right, you implement plan 'B,' your backup plan. Plan 'B' action came early On the day the first extension was granted to the talent at the end of 30 days, an alternative reader began to record the audiobook simultaneously. This was not  disclosed to the first talent. The second voice talent took eight weeks working part-time to finish the read. Not bad! Once the audio level matching, editing, and fine tuning was complete, audio files had to be converted to ACX, Audible, iTunes and Amazon requirements. Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance and Rebirth; My True AM - FM -Satellite - And Audio Streaming Survival Story audiobook was finally submitted to those gatekeepers in early December, 2023 and approved on December 8. It is available right now. That's good, because the promised audiobook release date was January 3, 2024. A six month pre-promotion period was a perfect buffer zone for unexpected issues. The paperback version of the book was submitted to the publisher BookBaby on June 1, 2023. I hope you enjoy my story. If you didn't guess, the second voice talent who made the cut to tell my story was me. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Art Blakey Interview

    Art Blakey with his Jazz Messengers had an amazing career. Anyone who was anybody played with Blakey during the golden era of the art form. He showcased and featured fresh talent who were on the way up. How many albums did Art record? If you counted one per day each day consecutively you'd still be counting for several months! Thirteen years before he passed in 1990, I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with him at radio station WUSS AM in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Enjoy! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Soul of the Beatles

    • Songs
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/15/2023

    Soul of the Beatles past and present Why has everyone under the sun recorded John Lennon - Paul McCartney songs? Why have artists from all genres recorded Beatles music? Because whether it was John, Paul, George Harrison, or Ringo Starr, the fab four are icons of twentieth century music.  Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. even note the iconic status of the Lennon - McCartney songwriting team in the subtitle of their 2021 record Blackbird. In the early 2000s, I named one of my two online music streams fabfoursoul. You'd hear all Beatles music performed by R&B, soul, and jazz artists. I mention it in my book Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth. Read on to discover more about the fascination hundreds of musical performers share with Beatles songs. Recently, I finally listened, for the first time to all of the songs on the McCoo & Davis CD multiple times. Lucky for me and other CD owners with a paper package, Marilyn and Billy present written social posts we can see within the art space on the CD jackets. You don't get that if you pick their MP3 downloads. There are six panels containing art. The cover above is a "say their name" tribute. Whose name? People who are no longer with us due to murder, violence and hate. Another panel shows a timeline titled Blackbird Tears listing eighteen violent attacks on Black churches and worshippers from 1822 to 2019. Yet another page takes a lighter tone. Davis & McCoo are depicted in a colorful illustration brushed in oil painting style. The pair walk cross "Abbey Road." The depiction mimics the famous cover from the Beatles album. One super benefit of the CD: complete song lyrics are printed in an easily readable font size inside of a stapled booklet. The songs "Got to Get You Into My Life" featuring Yancyy "The Fool on the Hill" featuring Natalie Hanna Mendoza "Blackbird" "Yesterday" "Ticket to Ride" "The Long and Winding Road" "Silly Love Songs" "Help!" "(Just Like) Starting Over" featuring James Gadson "And I Love Her" The Marilyn and Billy husband and wife team have called their record "Blackbird." If you are not familiar with the reason why Lennon - McCartney wrote "Blackbird," I will point you to an audio interview McCoo & Davis Jr. did that partially explains the social awareness of their album name and covers. See below for more information. Here's a summary of the CD. "Got to Get you Into My Life" is sung in a medium tempo by Billy who takes the lead with help from Yancyy. This one is breezy, bouncy, jazzy and soulful. The explosive energy igniting Earth, Wind & Fire's "Got To Get You Into My Life" is still my favorite cover version. "Fool on the Hill" gets a slow to medium pop treatment and reminds me of the 5th Dimension's "Love Lines, Angles and Rhymes" in the way it is orchestrated. Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. were members of the hit making group the 5th Dimension. You may not know the 5th Dimension, but you've heard their songs. "Fool on the Hill" features McCoo, Davis, and Natalie Hanna Mendoza sharing lead vocals. Nice! "Blackbird." This is my favorite song in their collection. Marilyn's lead carries the song's gospel overtone while she is accompanied by a sublime choir. Crafted orchestral touches are prominent in the arrangement. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. have different vocal styles. They do know how to blend them together on duet parts. Marilyn's controlled voice has lots of pop appeal. That's why the 5th Dimension were so successful back in the day. Billy Davis Jr.'s song styling is harder edge with a subtle touch of R&B rasp when he sings solo. He's smooth, but reminds me of Johnnie Taylor, Wilson Pickett and Charles Bradley. That's a compliment. Track four, "Yesterday," features McCoo immersed in a medium to up-tempo Bossa nova style. Think South American and Brazil. Think Astrud Gilberto and Flora Purim. The treatment is jazzy. Marilyn gives it a fine rendering. This song is the only one on the album that fades out. "Ticket to Ride," handled by Billy Davis Jr. is certainly bluesy. A blues guitar solo takes charge during this medium to up-tempo song. A touch of neck bone ad-libbing by Davis Jr. near the end of the song reminds you of traditional blues belting. "The Long and Winding Road" is done slowly with just enough rhythm to keep the pace toe tapping with a delightful beat. Marilyn sings this one close to the Beatles original. It's the closest cover on the record to a Beatles original version. I really like "Silly Love Songs." It is the only real up-tempo song here.  The rapid pace echoes an Al Green - Willie Mitchell produced styled (but faster) with lots of horns that even Isaac Hayes would love. Billy Davis Jr. takes the Paul McCartney song and gives it new life with his strong delivery. We get a tight 4 minute 18 second song rather than the almost 6 minute Wings original. "Silly Love Songs" was written by Linda and Paul McCartney and appears on their album Wings at the Speed of Sound (by Paul McCartney & Wings). You might choose something else, but this is my second place personal favorite on this collection. Songs eight, nine, and ten are fine and should be slotted where they are. "Help!" is turned into a slow ballad. I wasn't expecting that. The Beatles original is fast. You get some good emotional expression here from Billy Davis Jr. in this slow interpretation. "Help!" is sung with spiritual soul that exposes the desperation of the original song lyrics. This one is different. "(Just Like Starting) Over" featuring James Gadson is light and bouncy with a big pop treatment style that opens with dare I say a touch of new jack swing! This is a charming, middle of the road duet. It is not father John Lennon's style. I had to pull out the original 12 inch vinyl single from my library to listen to the John Lennon original (off of the John Lennon / Yoko Ono album Double Fantasy). The Lennon version teases with nostalgia. Music artist Big Bopper and other styles from the 1950s and 1960s are used while Lennon frolics along with a heavy rock and roll beat. Finally, "And I Love Her," presents Billy and Marilyn trading duet and lead parts giving the tune a sweet, torch song treatment. If you like Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. and the Beatles, then you'll like "Blackbird." The McCoo - Davis Jr. versions are strong. Musicians backing the songs are excellent. Beatles: Motown, folk, reggae, acappella, and more Here are five other soul of the Beatles albums that are quite good. We'll list them in chronological order. Motown Meets the Beatles: seventeen songs are on the CD released in 1965. Who doesn't love The Supremes, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jr. Walker, Edwin Starr, and Syreeta. All of the Beatles favorites are here along with the feel-good Motown Motor City magic. It is wonderful to listen to Diana Ross in her prime singing John Lennon's "Imagine." That's one of the standouts. We played this version often in our fabfoursoul R&B, jazz online Beatles stream.   Richie Havens sings eleven of the eighteen Sings Beatles and Dylan songs from the Beatles songbook. Subtitled Old & New Together & Apart, this CD dropped in 1987. Vocals are mixed upfront so you can hear the clarity of Haven's voice. Acoustic guitar, synth-bass, drums, electric guitars, conga, and percussion is all that's needed to convey the Beatles musical message. Top notch. As 2001 rolled in, the Snapper Music label released A Reggae Tribute to The Beatles. There are thirty-two tracks on this double CD. Among the artists, John Holt might be the most familiar. He sings two songs, including John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." All reggae and all Beatles. Nuff said.   This is the back of the CD that I chose instead of the front so you can easily see the songs. The Persuasions are an all voice only group. Their style is commonly called acappella. KEM who sings "Doo Wop Christmas (That's What Christmas Is All About)" is a contemporary acappella group. What do you get with no instruments other than the authentic human voice? You get a street corner vocal style with The Persuasions giving you Beatles melodies with soul.   Soul Tribute to the Beatles was released in 2003. You can see the artists above. Fats Domino, Otis Reading, and Esther Phillips are performers you might not expect. As I've already noted, everyone in music could record the Beatles without any fear or reservations. I had digitized just under 400 tracks from R&B, soul and jazz performers belting out the Beatles during the days when I presented the fabfoursoul online stream that won a Best of Live365 station award. Here's one song that was very different. James Brown's version of "Something," was written by George Harrison. I found Brown's "Something" on the 'B' side of one of his hit 45 RPM vinyl singles. James' version is unique! It's certainly soulful, certainly unexpected, and certainly James Brown. Tropical Tribute to the Beatles A sixth bonus for you is below. Our Latin community amigos can't be left out. "Live" from Radio City Music Hall: Tropical Tribute to the Beatles was released on DVD in 2003. Video clarity shot at the New York City venue is not 2023 high definition 4K quality, but it's good enough to experience exciting Latin flavor lighting up Beatles songs. Thirteen performances are captured live. Half of the songs are sung in Spanish. Half are sung in English. A couple of the featured stars are Tito Nieves who sings "Let It Be" accompanied by percussionist Tito Puente on timbales / drums. Celia Cruz closes out the show singing "Obladi Oblada." How do you sing "Obladi Oblada" in Spanish?" You sing "Obladi Oblada" and it works! Here are some of the many Beatles books in my library: Max Milk, Yellow Submarine, New American Library, 1968. This is a picture book building off of the "Yellow Submarine" movie based on the song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Edwin Goodgold and Dan Carlinsky, The Compleat Beatles Quiz Book, Warner Books, 1975.  What's inside: Questions about song lyrics Song rhymes to complete Song titles Beatle history Beatle travel trivia Beatle bio facts The Compleat Beatles Quiz Book also contains games and other fun stuff. Penelope Rowlands, The Beatles Are Here!, Algonquin Books, 2014. If you want to read what fans, musicians, disc jockeys, writers, and significant personalities of the Beatles era have to say, The Beatles Are Here! is the book for you. I learned a lot from this one. Organized into chapters, reflections of Beatles memories and influence are told by 50 folks including: Billy Joel Cyndi Lauper Renee Fleming Janis Ian "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow, disc jockey David Dye, radio host Gay Talese, reporter Other musicians, writers, and fans talk about their connection to the Beatles in a historic context. The complete title: The Beatles Are Here!: 50 Years After the Band Arrived in America, Writers, Musicians, and Other Fans Remember."  More about Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Summer of Soul…or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Stay Sweet 5th Dimension Catalog to be Reissued  You'll find the location of the McCoo - Davis Jr. "Summer of Soul" and "Blackbird" interview in post #1. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Jerry Butler Ice Man Interview

    You'll love what Jerry Butler is cooking up in this classic conversation I had with him at radio station WSSJ AM, Camden, New Jersey just outside of Philadelphia. In 2023 we finally added it to YouTube with some visual dynamite. Our chat is an upgrade to the audio only version that lived in our Powerhouse Radio Archive. Butler had four number one songs on the Billboard R&B Charts: "He Will Break Your Heart" 1960 "Let It Be Me" 1964 "Hey, Western Union Man" 1968 "Only The Strong Survive" 1969 His career was rejuvenated in the late 1970s - early 1980s when he recorded for Philadelphia International Records, and on his own label as you'll hear in my conversation with him. Watch the Jerry Butler audio interview on YouTube. Previous Post | Next Post

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