WOW ! WHAT A FUN SITE ! TED STAUNTON's LABELS COLLECTION!

Just to take a pause here, you all just have to link to this fantastic site. A fellow named TED STAUNTON's got a RECORD LABEL COLLECTION (These are 78 RPM) that really illustrates the originality and beauty of functional art! (Now we know that Ted collected the records beneath these labels and we wonder what a record collection he has!)

Here's a little technology talk. These days there are still people who play music on hi-fi's, on 8 track cassettes, on reel to reel tape... Maybe nobody you know but we know them!

These people are using the equipment that plays the recordings the way they bought them or recorded them live because that sound quality is vintage - maybe the artists haven't given over to converting the recordings. These vintage music enthusiasts love the crackle and the pops - the vintage sound of the old recordings. They love being able to change the bass or the treble. They can remember being off stage when a band performed and like the screaming in the background.

Christine and I are often trying to figure out which Youtube or other video we want to post because we love original performances and think our readers should see what the artists looked like when they sang those songs - history! (OK, no more cracks about how I'm History!)

People were buying 78 RPM versions of records that were also released on 45 RPM's for some time. I bought my first GUY MITCHELL record on 78 RPM in the mid 1950's and I believe that my first United Artists release was also put on a 78 RPM version.

Wes

(I'll blog about my on label, BLUE STAR someday!)

"BEAR" DID A NICE WES BRYAN PAGE and RSS FEED

This fellow in England, I believe, Bear, was nice enough to devote a page of his blog to me. Believe me, after years as a private citizen - mowing my own lawn and all that - I'm still thrilled to be remembered like this.


We hope that the RSS feed problem he was also nice enough to tell us about is resolved as well!


Thanks Bear!

Wes

My old friends P.J. PROBY and JAMES BURTON talk about RICK NELSON

"Hello Mary Lou" is maybe the song most associated with Ricky Nelson... It was written by Gene Pitney

(302) RICK NELSON IT'S UP TO YOU written by JERRY FULLER

One of the many great songs that Rick recorded...

We're linking above to the official RICK/RICKY NELSON site which is terrific!

JIMI HENDRIX #1 ELVIS PRESLEY #2 FOR RECORD SALES AFTER DEATH

"No other artist has cracked the top five this long after his death. ELVIS PRESLEY is in second place. ... Elvis: 2nd To None debuted at #3 in October 2003, a little more than 26 years after his death." - Paul Grein in Chart Watch.

Here's some breaking news from Yahoo on line. Link now to the story!

JERRY FULLER and FRIENDS at KULAKS WOODSHED

Jerry is still in fine voice...

OUR TECHNORATI BLOG LINK IS BACK!

Technorati has gone through some changes as a small search engine, and for a while we seemed to be missing in action. Recently we found that our Technorati link is back up on the net. Back in 2007 we first contacted Technorati and told them we wanted to be part of their search engine. Since that time they have eliminated the need to "ping" to remind them that we're around. If you have a moment check out the link!

(301) JERRY FULLER SONGWRITER OF OVER 30 "RICK NELSON" SONGS

We're linking to a bio of Jerry Fuller, who is known for his songwriting, especially involved with the success of Rick Nelson, who recorded about 30 of his songs. Jerry followed the singer-songwriter tradition of the times of giving some of his songs to another artist. And likewise, Jim Seals, who became famous with his "Seals and Crofts" duo was the cowriter on this song called "First Love Never Dies."



I'm proud of the fact that Jerry Fuller recorded one of the songs I wrote with Jimmy Bowen called "Don't Stay Away."

RARE LONESOME LOVE SHEET MUSIC UP FOR E-BAY AUCTION NOW

Looks like someone in the UK is auctioning off the Lonesome Love sheet music over the next couple days! WOW! I didn't know this existed! Wes

(Link to the auction here!)


PS. It sold for about $150 U.S.

(300) HONEY BABY and DAVID "BABY" CORTEZ

Looking at all those labels, I'm reminded of being on Clock and then having the song "Honey Baby" pressed in England for London American label. Someone I remember, a truly nice man, over at Clock was David "Baby" Cortez who was one of the writers of "Honey Baby" for me.

He had his own #1 record on Clock in 1959, an instrumental, called "The Happy Organ." His birth name David Clowney is the third name on the label.

We're linking above to a small site we found on Baby that has a picture of him as I remember him.



Dave and Wally Moody over at Clock were so successful, they had about 10 number one hits in the late fifties - 1959. That was the most for any medium sized label in the nation.


COMING UP SOON we're going to link to the amazing on-line record label collection !

HONEY BABY ON LONDON AMERICAN RECORDS

The third name over of the three man songwriter team is David Clowney also known as David "Baby" Cortez who had a hit record with "THE HAPPY ORGAN." I listened to it the other day for the first time in many years and you know what? It still makes me happy to hear it.

I wrote the song on the flip side of this one, "So Blue Over You."

SO BLUE OVER YOU on LONDON AMERICAN RECORDS

When I recorded for United Artists, I wrote the song "Freeze." Then "So Blue Over You" was the second song I wrote and recorded on a record, originally on Clock out of New York City.

I didn't know it then, but this was moving my career into being a composer! It was a career that paid my bills and then some! I love the creative process and collaborating! Wes

WES BRYAN SO BLUE OVER YOU on CLOCK RECORDS

Listening to the song all the way through brought tears to my eyes. And Wes' voice is still this good! Christine Trzyna



We want to thank Arne once again for posting this video on Youtube! The video with all the Marilyn Monroe and James Dean art is very beautiful and we know it took a lot of effort to do this! So THANK YOU!

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE MARCH 2010 HOLLYWOOD'S HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Link now to this a Smithsonian.com article with a lot of pictures. It brings up a lot of memories for me. The Pantages theatre, The Cinerama Dome, the Egyptian theatre, The El Capitan, the Max Factor make up factory, and most of all the Capitol Records building, which we all thought looked like a big stack of records.

In the early 1960's you could still see stars shopping, dining out, and driving their own cars around Hollywood. It was a wonderful time to be part of things.

(299) PHIL SPECTOR - PHILLES RECORDS

Because Phil Spector started out as a music producer, recording in New York City where I met him, and then moved to Los Angeles, where I still sat and talked to him at a deli once in a while, people don't realize that though he had an uncle in New York who gave him a lucky break, he was born and raised in Los Angeles, and from the time of his lucky break until he succeeded he worked, worked, worked.

In the early 1960's Phil was working not only for himself but for various other lables, including Liberty Records, as a producer, and as contracted.

Who could turn work down?

Not even Phil Spector.

He's famous (and infamous) now but then he was one more producer, until he developed a recording technique that relied on his own ear, as much as playing with the equipment. It was called THE WALL OF SOUND, and it was the hottest sound going, at least through 1963.

Phil Spector formed his own label with Lester Sills, Philles Records, and one of his prime objectives was to record a "girl group" called The Crystals, who had a couple hits on that label.

Darlene Love, who was with the Blossoms, a background group, who I also hired to work with me many times, was also on the scene then.

We feel fortunate to have found this video of Phil Spector in the studio with the Crystals and Darlene Love...this little video gives you some idea of the equipment we were working with then...

THANKS TO A YOUTUBER!

See that songwriters name SHARON SHEELEY on POOR LITTLE FOOL?

We'll be blogging about Sharon in the next several weeks. She and P.J. Proby were real close, and she was one of the people I rung in the new year -1960 - with back in New York City!

(298) SUNSET STRIP RECORD COMPANIES : IMPERIAL RECORDS

Lew Chudd was known for discovering Fats Domino but in the early 1960's he signed Ricky Nelson. Ricky put out his first album "Ricky" on Imperial and several singles that are memoriable hits for him. Ricky was famous for being part of his on television family "Ozzie and Harriet," but when Lew signed him he had his first taste of being a Teen Idol.




The kids called him Ricky and he was a Teen Idol for sure, but Rick Nelson, when I met him was a shy guy who let loose playing touch football with Elvis and his team, E.P. Enterprises.

I know some of you who know me these days (and know my sense of humor is till intact) may not believe this... but I am basically a shy guy myself. Being a Teen Idol pulled me out of my shyness... but I can retreat back into it. I think the same could be said for Rick... for Elvis...

Rick Nelson recorded a good number of songs written by one of my American Music songwriter peers, Jerry Fuller. "Travelin' Man" was recorded by Rick, using Elvis Jordanaires as background vocalists.

Rick also recorded "Poor Little Fool," and "It's Up To You" on Imperial.

In 1963 Imperial was sold to the Liberty label.

Christine here: Wes said to add a bit to this blog post. He said "Poor Little Fool" had no bridge but had a great arrangement by JAMES BURTON (who I hired in the studio and who went on to work for Elvis Presley) and a good storyline to it."

JOHN LEONARD Quote on Friendship

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." - John Leonard

(297) SUNSET STRIP RECORD COMPANIES : CRYSTALETTE

Crystalette was a small label in Hollywood that seemed to be most interested in signing local talents like Johnny Stark and Dodie Stevens, who had a hit with 'Pink Shoelaces' and then headed over to sign with Dot Records to make albums. I confess I never met either of them, but I knew of them, because of the association I had with Dot.

Johnny is profiled over at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame site:
http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/johnnystark.htm
According to this site "Johnny also sang on the Gene Vincent show doing his hit record Be-Bop-A-Lula and sang with Elvis's past group the Bill Black Combo. Johnny also worked with Eddie Cochran & Ritchie Valens..."

JOHNNY STARK :



And here is DODIE STEVENS in an interview along with a song sample:

AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME - NOMINEE LIST FOR 2010

Kevin Richards reporting for AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE: You can go to the article linked above but this is the list as it applies to those we have or will be blogging about here at WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC!

Non-Performer Songwriters
Jackie DeShannon – * Bette Davis Eyes * Breakaway * Dum Dum * Everytime You Walk In The Room * Put A Little Love In Your Heart" (Jackie was a performer but these hits that she wrote were recorded by other artists.)

Performer/Songwriters
Dion DiMucci – * Born to Cry * Donna The Prima Donna * King Of The New York Streets * Love Came To Me * Runaround Sue."

David Gates (Bread) - * Baby I’m-a Want You * Diary * Everything I Own * If * Make It With You

Leon Russell - * A Song For You * Delta Lady * Superstar * This Masquerade * Tight Rope

A CONVERSATION with WES BRYAN on CAROL KAYE

It's Tuesday February 22nd, 2010 at 4:19 PM. Wes Bryan and I are sitting here together on the computer...

WES BRYAN: I knew Carol Kaye. "The Wrecking Crew" was originally all of Phil Spector's people... people like Jerry Cole. Carol was a member of Musicians Local 47 and in the studios with a lot of other great musicians, some who became my friends or who I hired when I was producing.

CHRISTINE TRZYNA: Which friends were those?

WB: Glen Campbell for one. Jerry Cole...

CT: Did you ever work with Carol?

WB: No, I was working with Jerry Cole and Joe Osborne but I saw her around studios and I knew her work. Carol could play the hell out of that bass. In fact if you were giving out a GOLD MEDAL, a SILVER MEDAL, and a BRONZE MEDAL, Carol, Joe, and Jerry would be scrambling to win within seconds of each other...

CT: What was the relationship between Carol, a woman in the studio in the early 1960's music business in Los Angeles, and the men?

WB: There was a hell of a lot of competition, because there is good money to be made as a studio musician, and lots of people went from the road into the studio or the studio onto the road. THE GREATEST BASS PLAYERS WERE IN LA!

Carol Kaye was THE ONLY WOMAN playing the bass in the studios. The guys treated her like a little sister. She was personally a little bit on the shy side and very particular about her playing.

She had a lot of class, a lot of elegance - bet she still does!

CT: If there was anything you could say to Carol Kaye right now what would it be?

WB: She's been there and done that, and I look forward to reading the memoir she's been working on for a decade! It'll be a big seller, especially among the music loving crowd, and all the people - the fans - who love all the people she worked with as well! I'll be sitting in the front row at her book signing, waiting to buy my copy!

C Wes Bryan and Christine Trzyna All Rights including Internet and International Rights Reserved.

(296) SUNSET STRIP RECORD COMPANIES : DOT RECORDS

Pat Boone was the star of Dot Records, owned by Randy Wood, a Southerner, who may've been more open to talent from the South. According to Mike Callahan and Dave Edwards, who we are linking to here, he had over 60 hits on Dot, as late as 1968. While working for Pat and in and out of Randy's offices I met Lawrence Welk's son. Thanks to this YouTuber who loaded up three of Pat's earliest Dot Records recordings!

L.A. WEEKLY article on CAROL KAYE - WOMAN MUSICAN and MEMBER OF THE WRECKING CREW

Christine here: I have been reading the L.A. Weekly for years. Like many publications during this Recession/Depression, it's getting a little slim and deciding what articles to publish based on how much paper advertisers are supporting must be a nightmare! Truly, so much great journalism by great writers has come out of the L.A. Weekly, which is still free.

Link now to the article (excerpt below) on bass player of studio fame Carol Kaye by Jessica Hopper...

Thursday, Feb 18 2010

"You may not know Carol Kaye's name, but you know her work. You've probably heard at least a few dozen examples, and all the words, too. She spent the '60s as the most requested session bassist in L.A., playing on many of the tracks and albums that form the American pop canon: the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, "La Bamba," "These Boots Are Made for Walkin," Joe Cocker's "Feelin' Alright," the Doors' "Light My Fire," "I Am A Rock," "Wichita Lineman," the majority of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound"–era productions, as well as most of the Monkees discography. ...

Carol Kaye is said to be the most recorded bassist in history, with a purported 10,000-plus tracks to her credit."

(295) SUNSET STRIP RECORD COMPANIES : SPECIALTY RECORDS

Little Richard was the pride of Specialty Records, a label that also had Sonny Bono on board as a promotions man. We're linking to Dave Edwards and Mike Callahan for the story of the label here - they do a great job of it!



Little Richard once gave me a Bible!