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| June 22, 2018, 07:04:28 PM |
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: D. J. Fontana - R. I. P.
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on: Today at 11:51:02 AM
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Max Weinberg's tribute to D. J. Check out the link for a couple of pictures. R.I.P. D.J. FONTANTA (March 15, 1938 - June 13, 2018)
Max Weinberg remembers his hero and friend, Elvis Presley's drummer
D.J. Fontana was the drummer I saw that made me want to be a drummer. Before Ringo. When I first saw D.J., I was five. I had older sisters, and I'm so grateful they were aware of Elvis Presley before The Ed Sullivan show. He was on The Milton Berle Show and The Dorsey Brothers [Stage Show] way before Ed Sullivan. There was only one camera, and they had to get everybody in one shot. I actually have a kinescope of that. So it looked like four guys: Elvis, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana. It wasn't just Elvis, it wasn't just the singer — it was four guys playing.
Bruce has said that the snare shot in "Like a Rolling Stone" was like an explosion that kicked open the door to his mind. As a five-year-old, D.J.'s drumroll in "Hound Dog" was an explosion for me. That drum roll, that triple roll, was shocking. So D.J. Fontana is someone who I was aware of as a little boy, and that's what got me started playing the drums. D.J. Fontana was my hero. And of course this is still kind of a surprise; it's a shock to have D.J. gone, the last member of that quartet.
I don't think that it's an understatement to say that he created and made famous rock 'n' roll drumming. What Elvis was to rock 'n' roll music — D.J. was the first guy. The archetypical rock 'n' roll drummer.
First, he was a Big Band drummer. Big Band drumming became rock drumming, and D.J. was the personification of everything that had gone on in drumming before. He absorbed all of that. In the '30s, Gene Krupa was the guy who drew attention to the drums. D.J. would speak about Don Lamond, who was about 15 years older and an amazing Big Band drummer — he played on all the Bobby Darin records, like "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea." Don Lamond, Buddy Rich… D.J. brought all that to rock 'n' roll music. He was an original.
D.J. was also very strong — a physically strong guy — so he had the big beat. As Levon Helm has said, D.J. added some architecture. D.J. had chops, he had power, he had taste... when he played the drums, no matter what he played on, it sounded like an Elvis Presley tune. It really did.
One of the greatest things I've ever seen was at that show in Red Bank that Garry [Tallent] put together [Alliance of Neigbors benefit, October 2001]. Garry was the musical director, and he had the Sun rhythm section come to play with Sonny Burgess. So Bruce came up to play a song with them, and they went into "Tiger Rose." As soon as D.J. hit the beat, the biggest smile came across Bruce's face — it sounded exactly like Elvis's rhythm. Nobody played that kind of music like D.J. Fontana.
Being a great drummer... he would have been a great drummer under any circumstances. But D.J. was a great drummer, and he played with Elvis Presley. It's so important to have the right platform, to have great songs to play. Otherwise, you can be a great drummer, but no one will know about it! I myself was so fortunate to connect with Bruce and the band, and to have that platform; I've had a number of great platforms during my career. So D.J. had it all — the chops, the passion, and the platform.
My son Jay and I went to see him, not too long ago, in Nashville. More than just my biggest influence and hero, D.J. became an extremely close friend of the family. In his kitchen, he has all these pictures — polaroid camera, old '50s pictures — that you've never seen before, of Elvis and the band, traveling around together. They've never been in a book. It just makes you realize… I mean, the lead singer of that group of musicians was Elvis Presley. Arguably the greatest singer in the history of rock 'n' roll. What a position to be in — to know Elvis Presley. To be in those close quarters with Elvis before he was successful… there are only three other guys in history who knew what that was like, and we just lost the last one.
And this is really crucial, a lot of people may not realize: they were a band. It was Elvis, sure, but it wasn't like Elvis was "Elvis Presley" yet. On a daily basis, it was the four of them in car, driving 400 or 500 miles, with only each other to count on. Taking turns driving, playing all these little honky tonks and small places — those guys were dependent on each other. Plus, D.J. was four years older than Elvis. Elvis was only 19 or 20, and D.J. promised Gladys, Elvis's mother, that he'd look out for him. And he always did.
One of my favorite stories of D.J.'s is in my book [The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers]. I asked him about his drum tuning, about the snare tuning on "Jailhouse Rock" and how he got that sound. Elvis bought him that drum set. They were driving through Houston, and there was a big music store, kind of like Manny's [Music] in New York, and it was called Brochsteins. They go there, and he sees this copper-colored set, and it had the animal skin on it that you'll see in the old pictures. And DJ told me, "That's how it sounded when I got it from Brochsteins!" The greatest drum sound ever, and he didn't do anything: "That's the way I got it from Brochsteins!"
I think they made about $100 a week when they were playing. A lot of people don't know this, but the band broke up when Elvis went into the Army. Basically, Scotty and Bill quit when Elvis went into the Army, because they weren't making any money. Which is understandable. But D.J. said, you know, I'm here. He did something — even if it was just tambourine — on just about every Elvis project until Elvis died.
In my book, he tells the story of the last time he saw Elvis. Elvis was standing by a horse rail fence, and he was in jeans. He never wore jeans in public; he wore a track suit or slacks. He never really dressed down. But here in private, he was in jeans and T-shirt. And he said, "D.J., sometimes I get so tired of being Elvis Presley."
But D.J. was a very successful session drummer for many years, and he did all the Elvis conventions. D.J. was softspoken, but he loved to talk about all those years, and he loved to sign autographs. For 45 years of his life, every day of his life, Elvis Presley. Always that guy, always happy to share his stories of the band, and fans loved him. He was a true gentleman.
It wasn't that long ago that D.J. wasn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Scotty Moore was, in the Sidemen category [2000], but D.J. was not. So I talked to Ringo, Charlie Watts, and Levon Helm — they were already in the Hall of Fame — and I said, "How about if I write a letter, and you'll all sign it? My signature might not mean much, but you all, as Hall of Fame members...." All three of them had a lot of weight. So I wrote this letter, and we all signed it. And I got a form letter back. "Gentlemen: We thank you for your interest in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At this time, we have no plans to continue the Sidemen category...." It was a form letter.
But everyone I ever talked to about it thought the same thing: D.J. should be in! Even if he'd only played on "Jailhouse Rock," he should be in. Llong story short, we finally got him in, in 2009. D.J. was still healthy — quite vigorous, actually — and it was the greatest honor to be asked to induct him. I really labored over the induction speech. And the first minute-and-a-half of the induction speech was just a list of the songs he played on.
Garry inducted Bill Black that night; he wasn't in either. One of best parts of the night was as the crowd was mingling before the event, we were standing near the stage, away from everyone else — D.J. Fontana, Scotty Moore, Garry, me. And suddenly, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck come running over to Scotty Moore and genuflect. I mean, like 12-year-olds. I don't know if they'd ever met him. It was so cool to see Jimmy Page, with all that guy has done, and Jeff Beck, too, suddenly become 12 years old again and listening to Elvis Presley. And of course Scotty was a gentleman, too. They were gentlemen.
D.J. had a bit of multiple sclerosis, which would come and go kind of like shingles. But about a year ago, he got laid up — he was in bed. He never got out. I was playing Nashville, and I called Karen, his wife, and we had a friend on our crew pick him up — and this guy's big and strong, so I mean literally pick him up. He had a big truck, so we went over to D.J.'s house and picked him up out of bed, put him in the truck, and they both came to the whole show. D.J. hadn't been out of the house in a year. I made a very impromptu speech about him, and he got a huge standing ovation from the crowd. We played "Jailhouse Rock" in his honor — Garry was there too, and he came up and played bass. But D.J. was not doing well. He was 87 years old, and still the sweetest guy, but it was not a fight he was going to win.
He had a wonderful life, and a wonderful wife in Karen. And he had a card: "D.J. Fontana, Hall of Famer." It took years to get him in, but to have him recognized... that was certainly one of the highlights of my personal and professional life, to be up there for the guy who made me want to be a drummer when I didn't even know what it meant. He moved me. He transmitted that thing to me, and it stuck. So here we are 62 years later, and I'm proud and privileged to call him my good friend. And I miss him.
- June 22, 2018 - Max Weinberg, as told to Christopher PhillipsSource: http://backstreets.com/news.html |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Fire Music - building which burned down
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on: Today at 11:18:33 AM
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There was also a fire at the L.A. Record Plant studio shortly after the Fire tape was re-discovered and played by Dennis and engineer Tom Murphy at Brother Studio in '78...
Wow, this is great. There was one of those Beach Boys Memorial Day or 4th of July Radio Show broadcast specials in which Dennis states "We found the Fire Tapes". I've been searching for that radio show for a long time but haven't had any luck. I guess it's my personal little Beach Boys Holy Grail item. I assume it went out to radio stations on vinyl. Late 70's sounds right. I was in High School at the time and being a Beach Boys fan I recorded it on cassette but those tapes are long gone. If anyone has a date or any information please let me know....please  . This is not what you are looking for, but I thought it would fit in here anyway. It's Carl (with Al and Mike) talking about Smile in '73. Though "Fire" isn't mentioned, Carl denies that anything was burnt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtaBudnUClo |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Album Discussion Thread
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on: Yesterday at 09:17:29 AM
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It's as simple as that. As ridiculous as some of the merchandising got - and I'm someone who remembers Elvis lamps in the stores in the few years after he died - the Elvis estate in more recent years has been pretty good stewards of the music catalogue.
The estate (which as I understand means EPE - see below) has nothing to do with the music. The catalog is owned by Sony/BMG. EPE is still destroying his legacy by making him to what must in every reasonal person's eyes look like a laughingstock. As a not native-speaker I don't know if "estate" only means Elvis Presley Enterprises or if it does include Sony/BMG. So if it does, please ignore my post, I just wanted to make sure that this is clear. |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: 76 Big ones!
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on: June 20, 2018, 09:04:10 AM
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Happy birthday, Brian! This one was just posted on the Buddy Holly facebook account: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A BRILLIANT CREATIVE,INNOVATIVE MUSIC GENIUS!
BRIAN DOUGLAS WILSON
June 20th 1942
Maria Elena and The Buddy Holly Education Foundation are thrilled and proud Brian has graciously accepted our invitation to recieve a very special Buddy inspired guitar.This particular instrument,titled "Everyday"was first presented to the late,great Ventures guitarist,Nokie Edwards,who was a wonderful supporter and Ambassador for TBHEF.
Brian was a huge fan of Nokie and The Ventures.
More details to follow later.
In the meantime we wish Brian,the incomparable music icon,a wonderful birthday with family and friends.
Here's a few stunning all-time classics from the great artist and his Beach Boy colleagues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPy18xW1j8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD4sxxoJGkA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSAoEf1Ib58
www.tbhef.org
Click this link to join our page https://www.facebook.com/thebuddyhollyeducationalfoundation/
www.tbhef.org |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Mike isn't surfing as much anymore
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on: June 18, 2018, 10:57:08 AM
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 He almost did it, but then realized that he didn't wear his wet suit. Next time  The '68 promo film for Do It Again is a good reference of which Beach Boys actually know how to surf. In it you see three surfers catching waves one is a non-Beach Boy (wearing half wet suit), one is Bruce (dark shorts), one is Dennis (white shorts). Mike? No. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=soSzv8bjPMgJon, I wondered if you could answer this: When did Dennis stop surfing? I imagine that he wasn't doing it during his last year alive (maybe I'm wrong). Oh, and do we know who the non-Beach Boy in that clip is? |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Fire Music - building which burned down
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on: June 17, 2018, 12:53:11 PM
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The date of the Record Plant fire was January 10, 1978 (an electrical fire broke out in Studio C, destroying it; the damage included a vintage pipe organ). On a Robert W. Morgan Special of the Week radio program, Dennis recounted how he had played the recovered "Fire" tape for Brian the day before (not at the same studio, though - as I mentioned above, that would most certainly have been at Brother)...
Did Brian learn about the fire at Record Plant? I wonder what his reaction was  |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Fire Music - building which burned down
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on: June 17, 2018, 01:00:25 AM
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Did you try to find some old newspapers? I guess you could go through them and look for reports about fires in the area. Wikipedia has the session dates as November 28, 1966 – June 29, 1967. I don't have my Smile box at hand but I would compare this with the session dates in the book. I think it would certainly be an interesting project. Did the number of fires really go higher or was it just Brian's perception?
Having said all that, it is true that there was a fire at an ABC radio broadcasting studio on Vine St. in Hollywood near Sunset - a few blocks north of Gold Star - in late December 1966. This would make it maybe close to a month after the actual "Fire" session, I think. Does that mean this was the mysterious fire of legend? It could be, but I don't think anyone could say that with any factual certainty.
That's interesting! Although it happened before Brian started the "Fire"-sessions, there was the big loop fire in L. A. County on November 1st/2nd 1966. Maybe that was also still on his mind. |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: It's about time - The Forgotten Song That Made The Beach Boys Cool Again
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on: June 16, 2018, 07:32:51 AM
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I still say that in my world, a junior in college, that SDT was what got them back on the FM dial that Summer, 1971. Things took off after SU was released. WMMS in Cleveland is no slouch. When they played that song in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday that mid-Summer day, I jumped out of my deck chair and yelled YESSSSS!!! They are back!! I was not wrong. The proximity of KSU to CLE probably helped get this done. It was one of those most memorable moments in my BB recollections.
They also played SDT live regularly and it definitely seems that it resonated with people. I love that song and think Mike's lyrics are very good, though some peope critisize them. Maybe it's because I'm not a native speaker, but I can't understand why. Feel Flows was the most frequently played track off of the Surf's Up album on progressive rock KGB-FM in San Diego. They starting playing it a couple of days before the album hit the record stores, and I'll never forget the first time I heard it - tuning in during the instrumental bridge and then jumping up when I heard Carl's voice and realized I was listening to a trippy new song by the Beach Boys.
Carl and Jack Rieley came up with some great tunes. Just look at "The Trader", what a great composition (lyrically and musically) that is. I wish the two of them had worked on more songs together. |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Mike isn't surfing as much anymore
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on: June 15, 2018, 04:35:06 PM
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I wonder if Bill Jackson joins him.
Does anybody else kinda feel like "Bill Jackson" is a bullshit name made up to describe a person that doesn't exist in a situation that never happened? Also, does Mike actually surf? The way he hobbles around, I can't see him surfing. I have searched long and hard for evidence of Bill Jackson on these boards and others. It's one of teh two big questions that have still gone unanswered. I heard he stranded on some island with his girlfriend Sue |
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Elvis Presley - 50th anniversary Comeback Special
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on: June 13, 2018, 06:30:07 AM
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Elvis Comeback Special: Book & Extension Enterprises  Elvis Comeback Special director and producer, Steve Binder has partnered with Spencer and Meteor 17 to publish the definitive table top book on Binder’s making of the Special and all activities that led up to, were part of and happened, as a result of the landmark television event.
M17 long time art director, Hugh Syme (http://www.meteor17.com/hugh-syme/), designed the stunning look and feel of the 279 page collector’s item book which includes commentaries, interviews and never before seen memorabilia presented to Binder by both Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker.
Grammy winning book manufacturing organization, Integrated Communications (http://icla.com), widely known for producing high quality limited edition collections for major music artists and companies (Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Universal Music Enterprises, Concord Music Group, and Warner Music Group) are handling the printing of the book, worldwide.
Here are a few prototype models of book packages that form the basis of our Elvis Comeback Book package:
https://www.rush.com/the-art-of-rush/
https://www.rushbackstage.com/rushbackstage/media-260/rush-sheet-music/art-of-rush-european-edition.html
JOHN LENNON BOOK BOX: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/11806 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx7m5Rjj57U
BOB DYLAN BOOK BOX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EeMGkWAddsElvis Comeback Special director and producer, Steve Binder has partnered with Spencer and Meteor 17 to publish the definitive table top book on Binder’s making of the Special and all activities that led up to, were part of and happened, as a result of the landmark television event.
M17 long time art director, Hugh Syme (http://www.meteor17.com/hugh-syme/), designed the stunning look and feel of the 279 page collector’s item book which includes commentaries, interviews and never before seen memorabilia presented to Binder by both Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker.
Grammy winning book manufacturing organization, Integrated Communications (http://icla.com), widely known for producing high quality limited edition collections for major music artists and companies (Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Universal Music Enterprises, Concord Music Group, and Warner Music Group) are handling the printing of the book, worldwide.
Here are a few prototype models of book packages that form the basis of our Elvis Comeback Book package:
https://www.rush.com/the-art-of-rush/
https://www.rushbackstage.com/rushbackstage/media-260/rush-sheet-music/art-of-rush-european-edition.html
JOHN LENNON BOOK BOX: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/11806 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx7m5Rjj57U
BOB DYLAN BOOK BOX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EeMGkWAdds
...
To further propel the book, there will be a highly visible launch at Graceland in Memphis, August 2018 during Elvis week there. Binder will conduct a town hall forum and panel, followed by similar events at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and The Paley Center, in both NYC and LA.
Following the book offering, on a special basis to Elvis fan clubs around the world, there will be podcasts about the Special, a one night theater event in over 800 AMC, REGAL & CINEMARK screens via Fathom Events in the top DMAs in America. A spoken word version of the book via Amazon’s Audible division, narrated by Binder will follow. The audio book will will contain actual excerpts from the Special, woven in with Binder’s reading.
Spencer and Steve plan to bring the book to life in a documentary, to be directed by M17's John Coltrane Chasing Trane talent, John Scheinfeld in 2019. It will center on the making of the Special and Binder’s role as director/producer,teaming up with Elvis in a true buddy story that helped inform the course of pop music history. The doc will highlight Steve's interface on the production process with Elvis and NBC to accomplish an evergreen and lauded result.
Binder has the most unique and informed perspective on how this landmark show was made and the events which transpired during production. Elvis bravely stood up and supported Binder in order to have the Special completed and broadcast. The success of this Comeback show propelled the course of Elvis' life and career.
This never before told perspective will be at the heart of our documentary. Our film will enlighten and inform Elvis fans throughout the world with a behind the scenes look at this seminal moment of pop music media history.
Before the Book becomes available to the general public through traditional retail outlets, the team will offer the book, DVD of the Special and other never before available items, through Elvis fan clubs around the world followed by a heavily promoted home shopping campaign.
Here is a recent article from Rolling Stone Magazine highlighting the importance to Elvis' career of this iconic Comeback show, directed and produced by Steve Binder.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/inside-elvis-presleys-legendary-1968-comeback-special-w477303?utm_source=rsnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=081617_11Source: http://www.meteor17.com/elvis-comeback-special/
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