November 29, 2013

101 Reel-To-Reel Tapes 28: Neil Diamond ~ Serenade

Neil Diamond ~ Serenade
reel-to-reel tape box
photo by Suzanne Ayres
photo of tape box by Styrous®

In addition to my vinyl collection I'm selling, I have hundreds of reel-to-reel, pre-recorded tapes I'm selling. This is an entry about the Neil Diamond ~ Serenade reel-to-reel tape album. Interested? Contact me by email, please, not by a comment.

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Serenade was the second album by Neil Diamond for Columbia Records and his ninth studio album; it was released in 1974.

I've Been This Way Before is a beautiful easy rock waltz with orchestral backup written by Neil Diamond. The single was the second release from the Serenade album. It was Diamond's third number one on the Easy Listening chart and also peaked at number thirty four on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart.

Longfellow Serenade is a cheerful and bouncy song. It was written by Diamond and produced by Tom Catalano. It spent two weeks at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1974. It became Diamond's second #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, following his 1972 single, Song Sung Blue. Diamond described Longfellow Serenade in the liner notes to his 1996 compilation album, In My Lifetime: "Occasionally I like using a particular lyrical style which, in this case, lent itself naturally to telling the story of a guy who woos his woman with poetry." The title of the song is a reference to the 19th-century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.


reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®




reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®




reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®




reel-to-reel tape
photo by Styrous®





reel-to-reel tape label detail
detail photo by Styrous®



 Links to music on YouTube below.





Track listing

All tracks composed by Neil Diamond.
  1. "I've Been This Way Before"
  2. "Rosemary's Wine"
  3. "Lady Magdelene"
  4. "The Last Picasso"
  5. "Longfellow Serenade"
  6. "Yes I Will"
  7. "Reggae Strut"
  8. "The Gift of Song"

Personnel

Credits

Notes

(P)&(C) 1974 CBS Inc.
Manufactured by CBS Records
Made and printed in Holland


Music links:

I've Been This Way Before on YouTube
Longfellow Serenade (live concert) on YouTube
Song Sung Blue on YouTube


reel-to-reel listings on eBay

more reel-to-reel tapes on the Styrous® Viewfinder:
                                             reel-to-reel tape archive



Styrous® ~ November 29, 2013
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November 28, 2013

101 Reel-To-Reel Tapes 27: Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek

reel-to-reel tape box cover photo by Ed Caraeff
detail photo by Styrous®


In addition to my vinyl collection I'm selling, I have hundreds of reel-to-reel, pre-recorded tapes I'm selling (see link below). This is an entry about my Interested? Contact me by email, please, not by a comment.

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Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek Theatre, reel-to-reel tape, is a recording of a concert at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California. This album was released in conjunction with a television special broadcast of the concert footage that aired in the United States on February 21, 1977. The television special, broadcast on NBC (and simulcast on FM stations nationwide) was also titled, Love At The Greek. The special was nominated for four Emmy Awards.

Included in the concert was the music from the film, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a 1973 American film directed by Hall Bartlett, adapted from the novella of the same name by Richard Bach. The film tells the story of a young seabird who, after being outcast by his stern flock, goes on an odyssey to discover how to break the limits of his own flying speed. The film was produced by filming actual seagulls, then superimposing human dialogue over it. The film's voice actors included James Franciscus in the title role, and Philip Ahn as his mentor, Chang. The film was not very successful but the soundtrack album was a critical and commercial success, winning a Golden Globe Award and a Grammy Award. Of course, I have that album on vinyl.

I had listened to the album and loved the music but I didn't see the film until sometime in 1975 or '76. I remember the occasion so well; it was showing in a dinky, run-down theater on Powell Street in downtown San Francisco. The theater had seen better days; there were popcorn boxes, candy bar wrappers, spilled soda cups and who knows what else (you don't even want to think about it) on the floor making it a sticky mess that made my shoes stick to the floor when I walked in. But I was transported to another world by the film. It was schmaltzy but I loved it for the music, if nothing else. I had taken a friend with me who hated it and he has never let me live it down even after almost 40 years. Oh, well!

links to music on YouTube below


reel-to-reel tape box cover photo by Ed Caraeff
photo by Styrous®



 Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek Theatre
reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®



  Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek Theatre
reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®



Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek Theatre
reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®




 Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek Theatre
reel-to-reel tape
photo by Styrous®


Neil Diamond ~ Love at the Greek Theatre
reel-to-reel label detail
detail photo by Styrous®


Track listing:

Side 1:

1 - Streetlife – 2:00
2 - Kentucky Woman – 1:57
3 - Sweet Caroline – 3:59
4 - The Last Picasso – 4:29
5 - Longfellow Serenade – 4:14
6 - Beautiful Noise – 3:11
7 - Lady Oh – 4:04
8 - Stargazer – 2:37
9 - If You Know What I Mean – 4:11
10 - Surviving the Life – 4:49

Side 2:

1 - Glory Road – 3:37
2 - Song Sung Blue – 4:09
3 - Holly Holy – 4:38
4 - Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show – 5:31
5 - Jonathan Livingston Seagull – 15:43
        "Be"
        "Dear Father"
        "Lonely Looking Sky"
        "Sanctus"
        "Skybird"
        "Be (Encore)"
6 - I've Been This Way Before – 4:56


Credits:

    Reinie Press - Bass Guitar
    Dennis St. John - Drums
    Doug Rhone, Richard Bennett - Guitars
    Alan Lindgren, Tom Hensley - Keyboards
    Percussion – King Errison
    Linda Press - Vocals

    Andy Block - Engineer [Recording & Mixing Engineer]
    Tom Mooney - Coordinator [Production Coordinator]
    Liner Notes – N.D.*
    Mastered By – AZ*
    Photography By – Dan Flannery (2), David Kirschner, Michael Montford
    Photography By [Front And Back Covers, Innerspread And Sleeve] – Ed Caraeff
    Producer – Robbie Robertson
    Producer [Associate Producer] – Dennis St. John
    Producer [Associate Producer], Engineer [Recording & Mixing Engineer] – Neil Brody
    Supervised By [Production Supervisor] – Patrick Stansfield
    Technician [Monitor Mixer] – Tim Charles (2)
    Technician [Sound - Assistant] – Val Lane
    Technician [Sound] – Stan Miller (5)
    Written-By – Neil Diamond
Recorded live at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
Mixed at Village Recorders in Los Angeles.

© 1977 CBS Inc. / ℗ 1977 CBS Inc. / Manufactured by Columbia Records.


Music links:
Love at the Greek on YouTube


reel-to-reel listings on eBay

more reel-to-reel tapes on the Styrous® Viewfinder:
                                             reel-to-reel tape archive


Styrous ~ November 28, 2013
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November 24, 2013

Theatre Flamenco ~ Con Nombre y Apellido Pt. 2

 
            photo by Styrous®


This is the second of two articles (link to first one below) about the Theatre Flamenco production of Con Nombre y Apellido. I had an opportunity to see it for the second time last night. This time it was presented at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. 

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts ticket
 photo by Styrous®


The technicals (lighting, sound, staging, etc.) were superb and the stage was cavernous in comparison to the previous performance I'd attended at the Southside Theater at Fort Mason in San Francisco.

setting up the stage
photo by Styrous®


So as not to spoil the impact for those who intended to go to this evening's performance, I did not go into a description of the show in my last article on this wonderful new experience. As it is over, I will do so now.

The program was presented without intermission, but there were three definite and different sections to it. 

program notes
photo by Styrous®


The first section, Con Nombre y Apellido (Name and Surname), started in a blackout. The three dancers, Carola Zertuche, Cristina Hall and Marien Luevano, entered in turns holding small lights as they would castinets. They used traditional flamenco hand movements; the effect of which was their bodies were illuminated as the lights in their hands played over them. There was a partial scrim behind them and as they danced, words and sentences were projected on it. As the scrim was semi-transparent, the shadow of the words fell on the rear wall and gave them a three-dimensional effect that made them even more pronounced. The dancing was accompanied by the computer electronics of Fermin Martinez, and some pretty psychedelic work by both José Luis Rodríguez, on guitar, and Sascha Jacobsen, on double-bass. The voice of singer, José Cortes, was softly computer processed by Martinez giving it an other-worldly sound. A great opening for what was to follow.

There was an exciting instrumental interlude with guitar (Rodríguez), double bass (Jacobsen) and vocal (Cortes) creating a very intriguing and creative trio; then, the dancers returned to begin the second section.

The second section, Viajando a las Raices de me cuerpo (Traveling to the roots of my body), was, more or less, traditional flamenco; traditional but with exciting post-modern touches. The floor had 'hot' spots that picked up the sound of the dancers steps on the stage and sent them to Martinez' computer which processed them; this added another dimension to the sound of the dancing feet. A great effect! The three dancers were dressed in black dresses, carried fiery-red fans and executed some terrific fan work!

There was a break during which the singer (Cortes) and guitarist (Rodríguez) performed a blood-pumping duet.

The dancers reentered the stage, this time dressed in long skirts and tailored white shirts. They performed with Zertuche on castanets and Hall and Luevano on finger cymbals, very exciting, traditional flamenco at its best.

After the dancers left, the musicians, Rodríguez (guitar), Jacobsen (double bass) and Cortes (voice) took solo turns at some marvelous music playing. Jacobsen did some incredible things on his bass that would have done justice to any jazz or modern music performance.

The dancers returned in raje de flamenca (black dresses with long, trailing ruffles). They wore huge, white shawls and the dancing was furious, fun and exciting. The footwork with the ruffles was spellbinding. They were accompanied by double bass (Jacobsen) and vocal (Cortes) with distorted, jagged projections of the dancers against the rear wall. They stepped out of the ruffle part of the dresses at one point then the dancing REALLY got hot.

photographer unknown

The third and last section, Mi tiempo presente mi cuerpo en Movimiento (My present time my body in Motion), began with what sounded like static then a beat slowly developed setting the heavy, primal feel of the music which went on to get VERY trippy. The dancers, entered again, this time dressed in RED (I mean RED) dresses. This was the most experimental part of the performance and it was fantastic! The dancers interacted in a narritive I really didn't understand but I didn't care because it was brilliantly non-traditional flamenco; out-of-this-world experimental theater at its very best. It was a thrilling experience!

I learned that the Southside Theater at Fort Mason had lacked proper sound, lighting and staging facilities, so Zertuche had to cannibalize her studio for equipment and did some pretty cleaver make-do for the set for the performance there; it did make for some really creative improvisation. The performance at the Center had a clean and slick look to it. But though the Center may have had the technical facilities that were lacking at the Southside, I think I liked the Southside performance better as it had an intimate, raw and impromptu feeling which added to the excitement. 
 
theater program
photo by Styrous®



theater program detail
detail photo by Styrous®


backstage shots



photo by Styrous®



photo by Styrous®



Ricardo Rubio and Pattyann (la iluminadora)
photo by Styrous®

Carola Zertuche - Artistic Director/Choreographer/Dancer
Ricardo Rubio - co-Artistic director/set Design
José Luis Rodríguez  - music Director/Guitarist
José Cortes - singer
Sascha Jacobsen - bassist
Fermin Martinez- Sound Design and Mutimedia
Cristina Hall and Marien Luevan - Dancers/Choreographers
Pattyann - Lighting

Theatre Flamenco
150 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone & Fax: (415) 826-1305
http://www.theatreflamenco.org/


Links to:

Theatre Flamenco performances
 ~  on YouTube 
 ~  on Vimeo

Ricardo Rubio performances
 ~  on YouTube  

Carola Zertuche performances
 ~    on YouTube

Cristina Hall performances
~  on YouTube

Marien Luevan performances
 ~  on YouTube
 ~  Migration  - Vancouver International Flamenco Festival
 ~  Yo "La Morris" on Vimeo

Ricardo Rubio and Fermin Martinez performances
 ~ on YouTube
 ~  Egiptanos on YouTube

Ricardo Rubio blog (en español)  




Thanks for two beautiful evenings.


Styrous® ~ November 24, 2013

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November 22, 2013

20,000 Vinyl LPs 28: John Fitzgerald Kennedy ~ That Was the Week That Was


Any one who was more than 5 years old on this date fifty years ago, November 22, 1963, knows exactly where they were and what they were doing. I vividly remember where I was and the circumstances. I had an alarm-clock radio that would wake me up with gentle music in the mornings to go to work. It came on that morning not with music, as usual, but with a news bulletin announcing the shooting of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in Dallas, Texas. I remember the shock and horror of the news and the surreal feeling I was still sleeping and I was having a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. I just couldn't believe it was true. But the horrible truth was, I was not sleeping and the nightmare was real. The bizarre thing is, almost five years later, on June 7, 1968, that same alarm-clock radio woke me up to the news of the assassination of Robert Francis Kennedy the night before. It was a hideous déjà vu I never wanted repeated so I threw the alarm-clock radio away and used a regular alarm clock from then on.

Kennedy was a hero to me as he was to many of us in those times. The date is marked in American history, and for the world, as one of the saddest days in modern times. The shock of the event can still be felt after 50 years.



This album is a recording of a broadcast of the BBC weekly political satire program, That Was the Week That Was; this night it was not a humorous or satirical show but a tribute to the life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy with readings and musings by various famous people (tracklist below). It was broadcast the day after the assassination, November 23, 1963. The usual humorous bantering was absent from it. It was a shortened 20-minute program with no satire, reflecting on the loss, including a contribution from Dame Sybil Thorndike and the tribute song In the Summer of His Years sung by Millicent Martin with music by David Lee and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. This edition was screened on NBC in the US the following day, and the soundtrack was released by Decca Records ‎– DL 9116. There must have been millions of copies of the album sold.

Mahalia Jackson sings a moving a-capella version of In the Summer of His Years with drums accompanying her vocal (link below).

A studio recording of In the Summer of His Years, by Millicent Martin, was issued in the US by ABC-Paramount, other versions were recorded and released by Toni Arden (a 7" 45 rpm single on Decca), Bobby Rydell, Connie Francis (MGM), Mahalia Jackson (Columbia), Kate Smith (RCA Victor), Sarah Vaughan (Vernon), Hettie Palance and The Chad Mitchell Trio (Mercury); the Francis recording became a Top 40 hit on the Cash Box pop singles chart in January 1964 (links to music on YouTube below).


photos by Lewis Morley Studios


      The BBC Telecast Saturday November 23, 1963
      In Order Of Appearance
    David Frost        
    Roy Kinnear        
    David Kernan        
    Al Mancini        
    Kenneth Cope        
    William (Willie) Rushton        
    Lance Percicent        
     David Frost        
Millicent Martin – In The Summer Of His Years        
    David Frost        
    Robert Lang        
Dame Sybil Thorndike* – To Jackie        
    Bernard Levin        
    David Frost



photos by Lewis Morley Studios




photos by Lewis Morley Studios













TW3 - Death of President Kennedy with Millicent Martin singing, In The Summer Of His Years, on YouTube

In The Summer of His Years by Mahalia Jackson on YouTube
In The Summer of His Years by Kate Smith on YouTube

there is another John Fitzgerald Kennedy article on the Viewfinder

 

Where were you?



Styrous ~ November 22, 2013

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November 20, 2013

20,000 Vinyl LPs 27: Kennedy In Germany ~ June 1963

June 1963 ~ Berlin
detail of photo by Ulrich Mach
detail photo by Styrous®

One of the gems of my vinyl LP record collection is a recording documenting the 6 day diplomatic visit by John F. Kennedy to Berlin in June of 1963. Kennedy In Berlin is housed in the spoken word section of my record collection as it is a verbal documentation, day by day, of the historic visit.

Kennedy In Germany
cover photo by Ulrich Mach
photo of cover by Styrous®



Kennedy In Germany
back cover photo by Ulrich Mach
photo of cover by Styrous®


The album is a gatefold with pages of photos and commentary about each day of the Berlin visit. The photographs in the 5 page, book-style album are beautiful but, oddly enough, there is no credit for the photographs anywhere on the album; I had to really scour the net to find out who took them.

Kennedy In Germany
photos by Ulrich Mach
photo of open gatefold by Styrous®


Kennedy In Germany has narration by one of the most celebrated journalist/reporters of that time, Howard K. Smith.

Kennedy In Germany
narrated by Howard K. Smith
detail photo by Styrous®


left: about the time of the recording
photographer unknown
right: March 1947 (check out the do)
Photo: Getty Images



There's a really cool seal on the cover of the record album simulating sealing wax. It says, "Philips Connoisseur Collection".

Kennedy In Germany
detail photo by Styrous®


Page one begins the narrative with a great shot of President Kennedy riding through the streets of Berlin amidst adoring crowds, in an open car, no less.

Kennedy In Germany
page 1 photo: ride through Berlin
photo by Ulrich Mach
photo of interior pages by Styrous®


Page five contains the famous speech by Kennedy on June 26, 1963 at the Schoeneberg Town Hall, Berlin, and a photo from that event. In an impassioned speech to a crowd of 120,000 people, the president told them West Berlin was a symbol of freedom in a world threatened by the Cold War. "Two thousand years ago," he told the crowd, "the proudest boast in the world was 'civis Romanus sum' (I am a Roman citizen). "Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner.'" Years later, a German-speaking friend once told me that in Berlin, "ein berliner" is a slang word for a jelly doughnut. So, in essence, Kennedy told them that he was a doughnut. "Ich bin Berliner" would have been more appropriate but they loved him, though, and they didn't mind the fauxpax. 

Kennedy In Germany
"Ich bin ein Berliner." speech
lower photo: Berlin Tegel Airport
both photos, June 26, 1963
photo by Ulrich Mach
photo of interior page by Styrous®


there is another John Fitzgerald Kennedy article on the Viewfinder


What an exciting time in our history it was; most of the world loved us (not all, perhaps) and we held it in the palm of our hands. We didn't know that it would be for the last time.


Styrous ~ November 20, 2013

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