Here is a video of Ricky Nelson singing “Honeycomb.” I”m not sure of the date but I’d say this is somewhere between 1958 and 1962. You hear all the difficulties involved in being a child actor, but when I look at Ricky’s face I see a fairly mellow kid. It must have been difficult being Ricky Nelson. Look at those eyelids. When he blinks they stay shut just a fraction of a second longer because they are so heavy. And that lower lip. It’s a real challenge holding up that big fat pouty lip and singing at the same time. And that sphinx gaze keeps him completely in control of the scene.
Wyatt Kindcaid wrote these notes about the song on the YouTube post of this video:
The backup singers in this video are The Four Preps. Also the blonde girl Ricky kissed (on the cheek) is actually his aunt. She married his uncle Don Nelson who was about twenty years younger than Ozzie. I saw her on a biography of the Nelsons on A&E Biography which i taped. Where’s Jimmie Rodgers video of Honeycomb? I bet it was taken down because of copyright infrigments.
Do you think Ricky had a botox treatment before this session?
Run to the theaters to see the new movie based on Edith Piaf, La Vie en Rose (2007). The acting by Marion Cotillard is superb, in fact some of the best acting I’ve seen in my life. (Read Roger Ebert’s review.)
Here are two videos celebrating Edith Piaf. I am happy to report that a good deal of her music has been cleaned up. I have a 3 CD set of all the old crackly, poor fidelity songs which I look forward to tossing in favor of a new collection.
“Non, je ne regrette rien” (”No, I regret nothing”) is a French song written in 1956 which is best known through the recording made by French singer, Édith Piaf, on 10 November 1960. It was composed by Charles Dumont [plays piano here] and its lyrics, describing the singer’s defiant attitude toward the past, were written by Michel Vaucaire.
Crusader Rabbit is a cartoon I remember from the 1950s, not exactly fond memories, actually I found it a kind of irritating cartoon, but I got sucked in to watching it anyway. As I went through life, I didn’t seem to meet many people who had indeed seen CC. Imagine my happiness (I guess that’s what you’d call it) to find the first irritating episode. I’m fairly sure this is a Jay Ward production who went on to do Bullwinkle and the rest. Actually, this little cartoon IS amusing.
Hardcore Gram Parsons fan Will Harnack has started an online petition to get his hero into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It won’t do much good this year, though – the petition went live a couple days after the first-round voting for this year’s Hall of Fame class ended. Besides, Parsons wasn’t on the nominees ballot, which is put together early in the year. Parsons, who fatally overdosed in 1973 and whose body was subsequently stolen and burned in Joshua Tree National Monument, certainly has some Hall of Fame-caliber credentials. His music, both solo and as a member of the Byrds, influenced generations of country-rockers and alt-country performers. He also launched the career of Emmylou Harris, who sang harmony on the two Parsons albums released during the singer’s lifetime. The bigger question seems to be: In a Hall of Fame that typically inducts only three members a year, does Parsons deserve inclusion before the likes of Roy Clark, Tom T. Hall, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, the Stanley Brothers, the Statler Brothers and Mel Tillis – all of whom still await their inductions, as well? — Brian Mansfield
I, for one, would answer YES on that Brian. Bringing country music to the baby boomers was a huge task and and talent, and his influence can still be heard today.
Speaking of Emmylou, here she is talking about Gram:
I went to two graduations this year: the Lavender Graduation — for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and friends of, and the School of Arts and Architecture. The first was a two and a half hour ceremony — much elation, hugging, description of donors, staff founders, and faculty and all for maybe 30 students. This was the 10th anniversary. The last one I attended was very small. The momentum is building. Judging by the students represented there, gay and lesbian students at UCLA are people of color. Mark, Mitchell and I really didn’t see any white students in the whole batch. We know there are queer white students at UCLA but why weren’t they there? Hmmm, curious. Sheila Kuehl was the keynote speaker (Zelda from the TV series “Dobie Gillis” now CA State Assemblyperson) and she was terrific.
We lauded Al Aubin who was a pioneer for LGB rights in the UC System after being screwed around by the administration after his lover died. My partner was cured from bacterial meningitis through terrific health care under MY insurance plan that covered HIM in my insurance plan. That happened because of Al Aubin’s action. So I owe Daniel’s life in part to Al Aubin. Al was one of the many people celebrated this year (he is “retiring”). Thank you Al.
I only knew one of the students in the ceremony, but I was touched by the support of “biological and extended family” who showed up not really knowing what to expect. To those who were there: thanks for taking a risk.
Timothy Mangan writes in his Orange County Register classical music blog about music critics’ need to prove themselves through their rankings or face losing their jobs, or abandon any hopes of security of employment. He encourages us to subscribe to our local music critics’s blogs, read them, click all the links, and leave comments. His original post:
Well, I do have an idea, or a few of them. Here are some easy ways to keep this critic at least, writing for this newspaper. Adjust as needed for the critic in your area.
1. Subscribe to The Orange County Register.
2. Bookmark this blog and visit daily. Newspapers are religiously counting “hits” on blogs and Web sites these days. I get between 1,500 to 2,000 a week. This is considered decent for a classical critic, but the real estate blogger here gets up to 40,000 a week. I’ll never get there, but more hits certainly equals a relatively higher degree of job security.
3. When I offer a link to a Web page for one of my reviews, click on it and indicate that you have read it by pressing the Yes or No buttons at the bottom, which register whether or not you recommend the review to others.
4. Send links of reviews and blog items that interest you to friends and colleagues.
5. Leave comments on this blog (they are counted too).
Coda: One of the problems, I feel, facing classical critics is all this counting going on. My readers are generally older, and do not make daily treks on the Web. They read me in the print newspaper, and aren’t as easily counted.
I can’t help but grin to see how the playing field is becoming more and more level in classical music criticism. I am also fortunate to not have to answer to a boss on this blog. Read Scott Spiegleberg’s Musical Perceptionspost about the top classical blogs from last month. rogerbourland.com is ranked 28 this time by the Technorati guardian angels.
I must confess that I hear an enormous sucking sound the closer I get to July 1, 2007–the day I become the new Chairman (Chair is the non-sexist version) of the UCLA Music Department. I know that scientists do blood tests on people like me and find that the testosterone levels are rising as well as my serotonin levels – all part of my body’s plan to ramp me up to become an alpha-male – at least for a while. And at the end of my chairmanship, those levels will slide back to civilian levels.
I have been reading books on leadership; funny, I never learned about leadership in college. One doesn’t always truly respect and appreciate good leadership until one faces it themselves. I now look back at Chairs and leaders I’ve known with a different perspective.
The aspect of “professional distance” is one that each leader must determine themselves. Measuring tough love with my own cosmic predilection to like and care about people will be an interesting challenge. Learning to be oneself in a leadership role should be simple, but is surprisingly tricky. I must realize that I am no longer only Roger, colleague and friend, but also Roger, the Chair; and must incorporate that subtle difference into my existing personality and life habits, both on campus and in the community–but NOT at home, thank you very much.
I’ve been meeting with the staff over the past few weeks, learning what they do and listening to them. It’s a terrific group and I look forward to working with them. Next I’ll be meeting with a variety of Chairs on campus to eagerly listen to their advice. Then, next fall, I’ll meet with all the faculty, individually, draw a line in the sand, and move on. After a few weeks I’ll hold a town hall type meeting for all faculty, staff, and students.
Leadership carries with it a certain amount of stress. I’ve learned that we CHOOSE to be stressed. A little bundle of neurons in our brain starts developing whenever we activate that choice. I am making a concerted effort to choose NOT to stress out, but develop a neuron bundle that tells my body to secrete mellow but firm biochemicals. And it’s working.
[Image: RB's scan of a plate from "Taps for Private Tussie" (1943) by Jesse Stuart, with illustrations by Thomas Hart Benton.]
My old sometimes friend Michael Tilson Thomas, has turned into a little old Professor in addition to his role as Music Director for the (lucky) San Francisco Symphony. He has taken on a unique way of educating listeners that Robert Winter and Russell Steinberg utilized some years back with CD-ROMS, but now on the internet.
I encourage you to spend a little time with MTT and have some music education, courtesy of the SF Symphony. Here is a lesson that features the gay rabbi of American composers, Aaron Copland. There are two lessons about Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony and Stravinsky if you want more. Good job Michael!
Here is a striking pairing: Maurice Béjart choreographs Anton Webern’s “Five Movements for String Quartet” (Op.5) for dancers Loipa Araujo and Jorge Esquivel. The music is played on a scratchy phonograph player.
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