I've been thinking about my co-songwriter from my New York days, who became the kind of friend who proves himself to be real, DON DARCEL.
I tried to locate Don a few years back and gave up, but I would really like to talk to him again! I have fond memories of my days in New York with him.
So if you read this Don (or you know how I can get in touch with Don) please contact me!
Wes
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
WE WANT TO THANK OUR FRIEND BARRIE MOORE FOR STICKING WITH US AS WE FIGURE OUT THE STUCK FEED!
Not every blogger has a stubborn stuck FEED like us but we are working on it, and we want to thank our friend Barry who has been experimenting with us to figure this all out.
Barrie Moore is honing the patience of a guru!
Just so our readers know, we have taken down the post that the feed seemed to be stuck on and also deleted (temporarily) some Followers just trying to detangle.
THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO FOLLOW A GOOGLE BLOGGER.
You can SUBSCRIBE TO A FEED, become a Follower, put the site in your Reader, and there's always (good old fashioned) BOOKMARKING.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Barrie Moore is honing the patience of a guru!
Just so our readers know, we have taken down the post that the feed seemed to be stuck on and also deleted (temporarily) some Followers just trying to detangle.
THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO FOLLOW A GOOGLE BLOGGER.
You can SUBSCRIBE TO A FEED, become a Follower, put the site in your Reader, and there's always (good old fashioned) BOOKMARKING.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
ELVIS BUNNY IS THE MOST POPULAR IN THIS PASADENA BUNNY MUSEUM
We haven't stopped by the museum yet, but we've seen this on television. A couple started collecting rabbits and giving each other gifts of bunnys as love gifts. These two even called each other "honey bun." After gifting each other for years, their collection grew, and they had to open their house as a museum.
Linking above to the BUNNY MUSEUM!
"28,012 Bunny Items! Multiplying Daily!"
Sunday, April 17, 2011
(356) JAMMING AND INNOVATION : JIMMY BOWEN AND WES BRYAN BEAT THE QUOTA AT THE SONGWRITING FACTORY
Jimmy Bowen and I had to write a certain number of songs while we we worked for Sylvester Cross at American Music. One night we wrote dozens of songs.
Of those dozens a few were made into demos and then presented to artists. But that wasn't the point the evening we were jamming together.
We were under a certain pressure at all times to meet quota but Cross wanted quality.
We were also having a good time at it. We were kind of making fun of our situation, a couple laborers in a song-writing factory, but at the same time being willing to go with the flow, keep the critical voices in our heads on vacation.
Jamming with other musicians and songwriters fuels creativity. PS. FROM WES: JIMMY PLAYED THIS ONE ON THE DICK CLARK SHOW.
Of those dozens a few were made into demos and then presented to artists. But that wasn't the point the evening we were jamming together.
We were under a certain pressure at all times to meet quota but Cross wanted quality.
We were also having a good time at it. We were kind of making fun of our situation, a couple laborers in a song-writing factory, but at the same time being willing to go with the flow, keep the critical voices in our heads on vacation.
Jamming with other musicians and songwriters fuels creativity. PS. FROM WES: JIMMY PLAYED THIS ONE ON THE DICK CLARK SHOW.
Friday, April 15, 2011
WES BRYAN CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK PUBLICITY PHOTO
An Acting - Singing publicity photo taken in Central Park, New York City, of me in about 1957- 1958. I was being groomed by United Artists to be The Next James Dean. Mine was an opportunity many actors could only dream of. I got a Gold Record for performance of my first single LONESOME LOVE! But at the end of the story who could ever replace the one true JAMES DEAN?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
(355) THE CREATIVE PROCESS : THERE'S ALWAYS A SONG IN MY MIND
Though at times in my career I was called "The Singing - Acting Sensation," or "The Next James Dean," or simply "entertainer" or "singer-songwriter," I think "singer-songwriter" is the title that I've earned since my song "Freeze" was recorded by me at United Artists back in '58 and then covered by other artists.
Freeze is a rare record these days, with just a few disc jockey copies (promo) showing up in auctions. That's because the record was played on record players till it broke. (And yes, as a reader pointed out, the song is available on a compilation CD.)
I played it on American Bandstand. The song inspired a dance craze, a dance called The Freeze.
"Singer-Songwriter" is also a title that was also applied to many of my friends who I started out with in the late 1950's in New York, many who also headed west to California in the early 1960's, such as Ersel Hickey, Bobby Darin, Buddy Knox, and Johnny Rivers...
If you've been a reader of this blog, you know I've mentioned certain creative collaborations I've enjoyed as well, with artists such as Jimmy Bowen, Red West, Fred Horton, Glen Campbell and Mae Axton.
I've talked about the Cover Tune Era, when every singer was trying to find a hit song that someone else wrote (or already recorded) to cover, small labels and regional markets, and the days when I traveled around the country performing on dance parties and radio programs live; I traveled while with United Artists for a couple years, on the Buddy Knox tour with Buddy for a couple years.
Some of my collaborations happened spontaneously, just sitting around my house, or Elvis', other collaborations were part of my job when I was a staff songwriter at American Music in Los Angeles, where a lot of artists came through, for a day, or a few months, or were on contract as well.
I also sold songs independently and worked as a freelancer for Pat Boone's CoogaMooga.
I lost track of just how many songs I'd written or co-written over the years. Then the Intellectual Properties that had been owned or co-owned by others started returning to me several years ago. Lots of paperwork.
One day my lawyer said "It's up over 800, Wes!"
There's always a song in my mind, always something I'm working on.
Some of my songs were recorded as demos only by some now famous people and the studio musicians on them went on those demos to have entertainment careers of their own. Some of these were pressed, some may be in tape vaults, some are lost forever as recordings, but because I REGISTERED the song, they were understood to be my Intellectual Property.
I can't help but hope that someday songs that were recorded as demos or in studios that did not make it onto records at the time will be discovered.
Freeze is a rare record these days, with just a few disc jockey copies (promo) showing up in auctions. That's because the record was played on record players till it broke. (And yes, as a reader pointed out, the song is available on a compilation CD.)
I played it on American Bandstand. The song inspired a dance craze, a dance called The Freeze.
"Singer-Songwriter" is also a title that was also applied to many of my friends who I started out with in the late 1950's in New York, many who also headed west to California in the early 1960's, such as Ersel Hickey, Bobby Darin, Buddy Knox, and Johnny Rivers...
If you've been a reader of this blog, you know I've mentioned certain creative collaborations I've enjoyed as well, with artists such as Jimmy Bowen, Red West, Fred Horton, Glen Campbell and Mae Axton.
I've talked about the Cover Tune Era, when every singer was trying to find a hit song that someone else wrote (or already recorded) to cover, small labels and regional markets, and the days when I traveled around the country performing on dance parties and radio programs live; I traveled while with United Artists for a couple years, on the Buddy Knox tour with Buddy for a couple years.
Some of my collaborations happened spontaneously, just sitting around my house, or Elvis', other collaborations were part of my job when I was a staff songwriter at American Music in Los Angeles, where a lot of artists came through, for a day, or a few months, or were on contract as well.
I also sold songs independently and worked as a freelancer for Pat Boone's CoogaMooga.
I lost track of just how many songs I'd written or co-written over the years. Then the Intellectual Properties that had been owned or co-owned by others started returning to me several years ago. Lots of paperwork.
One day my lawyer said "It's up over 800, Wes!"
There's always a song in my mind, always something I'm working on.
Some of my songs were recorded as demos only by some now famous people and the studio musicians on them went on those demos to have entertainment careers of their own. Some of these were pressed, some may be in tape vaults, some are lost forever as recordings, but because I REGISTERED the song, they were understood to be my Intellectual Property.
I can't help but hope that someday songs that were recorded as demos or in studios that did not make it onto records at the time will be discovered.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
CHUCK BERRY : LEON RUSSEL'S COVER 1964 : ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN !
Leon Russel ! Really! that is him! Leon Russel is someone who I admire greatly and worked with a little in the studios as a studio musician back in the early 1960's! Here he appears on a show that was extremely popular - Shindig.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
(354) MISSING PICTURES MISSING PETE! (HOW I MET MARLON BRANDO!)
One day my friend Pete Tambunga took me down to the Dick Cavett Show.
The show started in 1968 and went on for a few years. He was friends with Marlon Brando and wanted to introduce me to Marlon!
(Pete was also friends with Marlon's son Miko.) He knew Brando from their mutual Native American involvments. I'm also a bit Native American, a great grandmother was Cherokee, now Eastern Band Cherokee, near Murphy, North Carolina.
Dick had a talk show and interviewed so many of the famous over the years. He was (and is) an intellectual and so the conversations could be sophisticated. But when we met, Pete, who had a way of turning phrases around (I still use Tambungaisms), and me started telling jokes.
Someone took out a camera and took a picture of me, Marlon and Pete. Then Pete took one of me and Marlon. So I want to see those pictures again, though not as much as I'd like to talk to Pete again!
On the show Marlon is talking about social causes, in particular the racism experienced by Native Americans. Surprise! We're linking to the DICK CAVETT BLOG website THE OPINION PAGES from the New York Times above!
PS: FROM WES : This is the show! Marlon was coming out of the studio and yelled "Hey Pete!" And then Pete introduced us. He gave Pete a hug and then me a hug.
The show started in 1968 and went on for a few years. He was friends with Marlon Brando and wanted to introduce me to Marlon!
(Pete was also friends with Marlon's son Miko.) He knew Brando from their mutual Native American involvments. I'm also a bit Native American, a great grandmother was Cherokee, now Eastern Band Cherokee, near Murphy, North Carolina.
Dick had a talk show and interviewed so many of the famous over the years. He was (and is) an intellectual and so the conversations could be sophisticated. But when we met, Pete, who had a way of turning phrases around (I still use Tambungaisms), and me started telling jokes.
Someone took out a camera and took a picture of me, Marlon and Pete. Then Pete took one of me and Marlon. So I want to see those pictures again, though not as much as I'd like to talk to Pete again!
On the show Marlon is talking about social causes, in particular the racism experienced by Native Americans. Surprise! We're linking to the DICK CAVETT BLOG website THE OPINION PAGES from the New York Times above!
PS: FROM WES : This is the show! Marlon was coming out of the studio and yelled "Hey Pete!" And then Pete introduced us. He gave Pete a hug and then me a hug.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
THOUSANDS OF FANS OF P.J. PROBY WANT HIM TO KNOW HE IS NOT WALKING ALONE
We recently posted a comment on an Youtube video or two that featured older P.J. Proby performances. We said that P.J. Proby was going to sing his heart out in the show he's featured in and was still going strong.
We took a little criticism for saying so, because we posted on these older videos, which we enjoyed listening to!
Today we found this 2011 video of P.J., apparently recorded in conjunction with his tour, which proves our point. If ELVIS PRESLEY were alive today, would be a little bit older than P.J. and we would hope also be in such good voice. But we will never know because Elvis died too young, and for a time, though this is not well understood today, it was almost as if he had never been.
And if Elvis were alive today, believe me when I say that he would feel honored to be covered by P.J. who once did demo records for Elvis, and he would reach out to P.J., who as the world knows, has been going through a difficult time financially in his senior-citizenhood. P.J. has loved singing - has loved entertaining - since forever. Like Elvis he knows his voice is a gift from God.
It's a gift he loves to use.
He's earned a lot of money over many years time and he's stimulated the economy of Great Britain and the United States over the years with his spending. Though we can't calculate it (one magazine attempted to monetize Britany Spears recently) anyone with a successful performance career keeps other people working - from the ushers in the stadium, to the truckers delivering records to clerks in the stores, hundreds of people. P.J., who is also a songwriter, seems to have spent more career time in Great Britain, a country he has embraced wholeheartedly.
In this world wide Depression, we are reminded of how money flows. No one with talent or energy likes to retire or give up their hope of earning or contributing. Like thousands of P.J. Proby fans worldwide our thoughts are on P.J.
We took a little criticism for saying so, because we posted on these older videos, which we enjoyed listening to!
Today we found this 2011 video of P.J., apparently recorded in conjunction with his tour, which proves our point. If ELVIS PRESLEY were alive today, would be a little bit older than P.J. and we would hope also be in such good voice. But we will never know because Elvis died too young, and for a time, though this is not well understood today, it was almost as if he had never been.
And if Elvis were alive today, believe me when I say that he would feel honored to be covered by P.J. who once did demo records for Elvis, and he would reach out to P.J., who as the world knows, has been going through a difficult time financially in his senior-citizenhood. P.J. has loved singing - has loved entertaining - since forever. Like Elvis he knows his voice is a gift from God.
It's a gift he loves to use.
He's earned a lot of money over many years time and he's stimulated the economy of Great Britain and the United States over the years with his spending. Though we can't calculate it (one magazine attempted to monetize Britany Spears recently) anyone with a successful performance career keeps other people working - from the ushers in the stadium, to the truckers delivering records to clerks in the stores, hundreds of people. P.J., who is also a songwriter, seems to have spent more career time in Great Britain, a country he has embraced wholeheartedly.
In this world wide Depression, we are reminded of how money flows. No one with talent or energy likes to retire or give up their hope of earning or contributing. Like thousands of P.J. Proby fans worldwide our thoughts are on P.J.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
KAHIL GIBRAN Quote on Friendship
"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing, and pleasure!" - Kahil Gibran
Friday, April 1, 2011
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