Author: DOuG pRATt

Separated at Birth?

Here is actor Alan Rickman…

Alan Rickman

…and below is Beatles recording engineer Norman Smith, who was a recording artist himself under the pseudonym Hurricane Smith.

Norman Smith
From Recording the Beatles © 2006 Curvebender Publishing

Norman Smith first joined the Abbey Road staff in 1959 as an assistant and quickly progressed to Balance Engineer. He served as the Beatles’ engineer from their Artist Test in 1962 until the completion of Rubber Soul in 1965. In addition to every album made during that time period, he also engineered all of the accompanying singles, including such standouts as “She Loves You”, “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, “I Feel Fine”, “Day Tripper”, and “We Can Work It Out.” Nicknamed “Normal” by the group, he left the engineer’s seat in 1966 when he was promoted to EMI’s A&R department (assuming George Martin’s former position as the head of Parlophone). From there, he went on to produce Pink Floyd’s first two albums — Piper at the Gates and A Saucerful of Secrets — as well as notable work with The Pretty Things. Smith also tried his hand as a recording artist, and in the early 1970s he scored a #3 US hit with “Oh Babe, What Would You Say?” using the alias “Hurricane Smith”.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/DEC06/OhBabe.mp3]

Obituary: Frankie Laine

I made one quick reference in passing recently about Frankie Laine, and now he’s died. He’s best known for having sung the theme to “Rawhide” — the song that saved the hides of the Blues Brothers!

1950s singer Frankie Laine dies at 93

By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 6, 8:45 PM ET

LOS ANGELES – Frankie Laine, the big-voiced singer whose string of hits made him one of the most popular entertainers of the 1950s, died Tuesday. He was 93.

Laine died of heart failure at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Jimmy Marino, Laine’s producer of more than a dozen years, told The Associated Press.

“He was one of the greatest singers around,” Marino said. “He was one of the last Italian crooners type.”

With songs such as “That’s My Desire,” “Mule Train,” “Jezebel,” “I Believe” and “That Lucky Old Sun,” Laine was a regular feature of the Top Ten in the years just before rock ‘n’ roll ushered in a new era of popular music.

Somewhat younger listeners may remember him best for singing the theme to the television show “Rawhide,” which ran from 1959 to 1966, and the theme for the 1974 movie “Blazing Saddles.”
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