Archive for August, 2008

The Doors: My Wild Love (1968)

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

My wild love went ridin
She rode all the day
She wrote to the devil
And asked him to pay
The devil was wiser
Its time to repent
He asked her to give back
The money she spent
My wild love went ridin
She rode to the sea
She gathered together
Some shells for her head
She rode and she rode on
She rode for a while
Then stopped [...]

Bourland and Hall: Shame (1994)

Friday, August 15th, 2008

“Shame” from FLASHPOINT/STONEWALL (1994)
Music: Roger Bourland
Lyrics: John Hall
Chorus: Gay Men’s Chorus of LA, Jon Bailey, director
Video: Kim Paulsen
Published by Yelton Rhodes Music/Los Angeles
Alex Theatre, Glendale CA: 1994
Shame
As a a boy I was hated and called names
for being something different.
I did not understand.
I recognized the difference but could not comprehend
what that difference was.
I felt shame.
Later, [...]

Cutting

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

We have had to make some drastic cuts in our department related to the California budget crisis. The process is a painful one but necessary and interesting. To console myself, I think about patterns in nature, where when you cut off a branch, two grow back. Pruning is a pattern and is always good [...]

LPs for days man

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

I have a wall of LPs in my office. It’s not that I am one of those people who insist LPs are better and warmer, I just don’t see the point in replacing them with a CD unless it has a skip or is defective somehow.
I say this, but truth be told, my LP player [...]

You don’t always die from tobacco

Monday, August 11th, 2008

In the word to the wise is sufficient category, here’s a song for the list of songs with only one note in the melody.

Homer in Cyberspace: Stephen Hawking

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

“Stephen Hawking Came to Dinner” from HOMER IN CYBERSPACE
Music: Roger Bourland
Lyrics: Mel Shapiro
Bernie and La Belle Klops: Adam Carr, Julie Morgantaler
Computers sing:
Stephen Hawking came to dinner
“Boy, oh boy, he’s a winner
That boy of yours you call Sy”
So he said over pastrami and rye.
“He’s just a little mega now
But when he’s gets bigger
Whatta bigger little [...]

Bohdan comes to visit

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

On 8/8/2008 three month old Bohdan became our youngest guest. That’s a winning smile!

George Harrison and Ravi Shankar

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

What a find! A treasure trove about the friendship between George Harrison and Ravi Shankar.

George Harrison’s sitar lesson with Ravi Shankar

Chants of India, Part 1

Chants of India, Part 2

Update on rogerbourland.com

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Over the next few months I will be phasing out my website — the fancy and beautiful site designed by Pete Connoly and Daniel Shiplacoff — and expanding my blog so that one can find the same information without having to go to the website. At this point, being alive, I prefer having a dynamic [...]

Lou Harrison: Reel (1982)

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008

“Reel (Homage to Henry Cowell)” was composed by Lou Harrison, a pupil of Henry Cowell’s, here employs palm and arm clusters as a tip of the hat (homage) to his old friend Henry. The performer is unidentified, but I like his ponytail. I’m sure Henry and Lou would have too.