DOWN TIME OR TAKE YOU ALONG IN OUR TECH PROCESS? ENJOY OUR OLDER POSTS AND LINKS IN THE MEAN TIME?

Christine here.  As some of you who also read my blog CHRISTINE TRZYNA- WRITERLY LIFE know, I've removed my personal blog from the Internet, don't know for how long, but at least until I've got the stuff you don't see fixed. 

WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC  blog also needs work on its innards. 

So we planned down time for this blog too... But well, my personal blog and this blog are of a different nature.  My personal blog is more like a literary diary.  This one has value as a memoir and music history publication and we receive thousands of hits every month on older posts because it's still useful and interesting "as is,"  so I'm going to try to attend to technology issues, etc, and take you along in the process...  

(I know this can be deadly BORING for the reader... what a decision!)  

We feel responsible for keeping links and videos as fresh as possible and since we've been blogging since 2007 a lot of things have changed.  Many out of our control, some frustrating, all which need attention ; We used to post a technology update PAGE and one day it just went POOF!

Just the other day I checked on all the links in our extensive list on the side bar under A-B-C and found four that need replacement along with corresponding posts which takes an hour or two - so you have some idea of what's ahead.  We take pride in knowing that anyone interested in our subject can link to other writers, other sites.

Please be patient!

There will be musical intermissions!

THANKS FOR READING WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC!

OPRAH WINFREY ON FRIENDSHIP

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." - Oprah Winfrey

(470) THE SUPREMES : MOTOWN GIRL GROUP THAT HIT THE BIG TIME!

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME SUPREMES INDUCTEES BIO link

As you may know, Diana Ross and The Supremes had some personnel changes, and then Diana went solo.  They were Mod.  They were Glamour! They spelled Motown.  Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this bio is comprehensive.

Motown, the word, comes from Detroit's nickname "MOTOR CITY." Musically the sound put Detroit on the music map like it had never been.  (Years later Madonna put Detroit on the map again but she had to go to THE BIG APPLE to do it!)

SHINDIG MAGAZINE : COVERING MUSIC 1965 FORWARD

The name Shindig comes from the music television show. We've been hearing about Shindig Magazine... It covers the mid 1960's forward with articles about many artists you may have loved but have lost track of...

It looks like our kind of publication. Here's a link!

SHINDIG MAGAZINE WEB SITE

OUR CRITEREA FOR YOUTUBE VIDEOS : HAVE A LISTEN TO OUR YOUTUBE STATION

The YouTube station we have is embedded to the left is PLAYLIST ONE. On the net you can also see the station itself along with PLAYLIST TWO. Each features a different set of music. And from time to time we check to see what videos have expired and find the best substitute possible.

We often seek videos that have historical value because we like the idea that you can get a view of the performers and the times - the sets - the fashions - the overall style of a concert or television show.

We listen and watch each video because we want to make sure that it fits into our standards for the blog. That means parents should not be concerned if their child is watching that video, though we love creativity and innovation.

We also give lots of points when a YouTuber provides some historical information as part of their post. We know opinions vary, but we appreciate the effort.

Last but not least (not at all) we care that a YouTuber is following the guidelines that we all agree to in having these wonderful accounts. That means that the particular account owner does not indulge in any abusive practices. Let's face it. It's easy for people to hide out behind an account on the Internet and post just about anything, even things they would never say to someone's face. That is not at all in the spirit of helpfulness or cooperation.

WE THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SHARED VIDEOS and SENT US SUGGESTIONS!

Wes Bryan and Christine Trzyna

EBAY AUCTIONS HOT ON WES BRYAN !

I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS PHOTO OF MYSELF IN YEARS! WHILE THE ONE BELOW IS A BLACK AND WHITE OF MY RECORD COVER. Both pictures were taken by my then manager and used by United Artists for Press releases. Of interest is the back of the second photo which mentions my record as the United Artist Label's first release on a typed sheet of paper. And that these photos prove my likeness to James Dean.


You've seen this one before since it was used IN COLOR for the first colored record cover for a 45 RMP ever! (Elvis' came out very soon after!)

The Morning Call, according to the poster, was the Allentown, Pennsylvania local newspaper circa 1957. Now the Tribune, if we're reading that correctly! In some archives there are lots of press release materials.

THREE STARS sung by TOMMY DEE : THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED : A TRIBUTE VIDEO PUT UP ON THE NET BY A RITCHIE VALENS FAN!

Tribute to Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and J.P Richardson (the Big Bopper) and Roger Peterson (The Plane's Pilot!) includes radio broadcast announcing the tragic crash. Featuring Tommy Dee performing the song "3 Stars."

We're linking to the video posting website on Myspace called GOTTALOVERITCHIE! This fan site is approved by Ritchie's brother in Pacoima, California, up the road from us. I met Ritchie in New York back stage of a big Alan Freed Rock n Roll show!

(350) NAT KING COLE THE CHRISTMAS SONG

This song by NAT KING COLE is a classic among classics.


VIDEO REMOVED

(349) FRANKIE AVALON YOU'RE ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Frankie Avalon recorded more than one song that I was a co-writer on and we're always looking for a Youtube video so we can hear those recordings again. This recording is Frankie in his best voice.

(348) ELVIS PRESLEY IF EVERYDAY WAS LIKE CHRISTMAS

Another song that Elvis recorded that had Red West as a songwriter... Red is doing well late in life as an actor. (You can search for Red in our blog using the Google search feature!)

(347) ELVIS PRESLEY HOLLY LEAVES AND CHRISTMAS TREES

Here is what we said on post 89:

Elvis' recording of Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees is here in this YouTube Video presentation. It was written by entourage member and body guard Red West and another songwriter, Glen Dale Spreen. Elvis published it himself, buying it for his Elvis Presley Music, one of three publishing entities he owned.

Can you tell we're warming up to the holidays here? Well, we think today is the first of the twelve days of Christmas. And Elvis always made a big deal of Christmas, with gifts to others, gifts to The Entourage, gifts to his employees, gifts to his family, gifts to his friends, and gifts to strangers, through generous donations to a great number of charities, mostly Memphis-based.

But for Elvis this spirit of giving had everything to do with his idol, the only idol he ever had, King of all Kings, Jesus Christ.

(346) ELVIS PRESLEY BLUE CHRISTMAS

Here's what we said on post 96:

Elvis' recording of "Blue Christmas," that came out on his Christmas album in 1957 brought forth the Memphis sound he was known for with masculine background vocals and soul.

Elvis would sing this song hundreds of times in his life, and good thing, because he loved it personally.

Now, we've got the hang of posting YouTube video presentations to help illustrate the history of my story, but choosing which one, so you could listen to Elvis' rich baratone in the original version wasn't easy. The one we chose doesn't have any pictures of Elvis and it wasn't made as a "cover" by an Elvis interpreter or impersonator.

... This one is like a living Christmas card though, a real work of art, and with it we say "Merry Christmas," to all of you.

(345) ERNEST TUBB BLUE CHRISTMAS

Here is what we said in post number 95 about Ernest Tubb :

(95) ERNEST TUBB DOES BLUE CHRISTMAS FIRST

Country music star, Ernest Tubb did this song first. The song is more known as Elvis' now, "Blue Christmas."

Guess who owned publishing on it? Sylvester Cross, the owner of American Music, the music publishing company where I worked as a staff songwriter, who also had Cross Music.

My dad's cousin owned a coffee shop - restaurant with a juke box. I used to "pearl dive," wash dishes for him. This was when a juke box was stocked with big 78's. I went around singing "I'm Walking The Floor Over You," and "Blue Christmas," Ernest's hits. Elvis listened to this rendition of his favorite Christmas song too.

(311) RCA - VICTOR RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA - and ELVIS PRESLEY

While so many of us pitched songs to smaller labels, the bigger labels attracted artists with bigger deals.

RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA - RCA - was the label that Elvis, Ann-Margret, and a lot of star performers recorded on. They had the money to promote and the stars working hard to keep their status. We're linking to the OFFICIAL RCA web site.

Elvis Presley recorded this one in 1956 at RCA in New York City... and singing to an RCA-VICTOR like "Hound Dog" on television was a great public relations coup for Elvis and his manager-agent-promoter Colonel Tom Parker!




Just discovered this historical music video of Elvis performing live in Tupelo in 1957. This was the Elvis Presley I first met in '57. Compare the live performance with what the producers at RCA in New York did with the song...

We'll be posting on the SUNSET STRIP RECORD LABELS

Friends, we've been reading some of the comments come our way and we're going to write about some of the smaller labels that dotted the Sunset Strip in the early 1960's coming up...

Christine Trzyna and Wes Bryan