Jerry Wexler has died. He was born in 1917, the same year as singer Jo Stafford, but Wexler preferred a different genre of music. He produced this recording in 1959. It has the sort of wide separation sound, typical of the early days of stereo, that I really enjoy hearing.
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/WhatdISay.mp3]Category: Music
Music & Politics In Western Massachusetts
Last Sunday we were at Tanglewood, in Lenox, MA, where the Boston Symphony Orchestra plays every summer. It was an all Mozart program, and well attended, although the age of the audience skewed decidedly 40 and up.
While waiting in the “wine line” during intermission, I happened to stand next to political consultant and former presidential adviser David Gergen. I overheard him discussing — what else? — politics.
Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music” On 8-Track
Here is the ultimate 8-Track cartridge listening experience. Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music” is ideally suited to this particular electronic audio medium. 8-Track tapes were notorious for leakage between channels, but in this case, if that were happening who could tell?
I suspect the tracks are identical, but again, who can tell? Nevertheless, here are all four of them, with the “click” between tracks left intact to simulate the 8-Track listening experience. (Four tracks in stereo, for a total of eight.)
Track A-1
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic1.mp3]
Track A-2
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic2.mp3]
Track A-3
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic3.mp3]
Track A-4
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic4.mp3]
Meet Prudence Bury!
Thank you so much to a comment writer named Janis [Lia Pamina’s old online handle], for identifying the extraordinarily beautiful young woman who was with Pattie Boyd on the train with the Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night! She’s Prudence Bury-Fuchs, and here she is today, still very lovely.
Prudence Bury-Fuchs
That photo is from a French article, and if you click here you can read a Google translation of it. Here’s something in English, about a fund-raiser that Prue organized.
This is great! I’ve wondered for decades about the mystery girl on the train with Les Beatles, and now I know. Thanks again, Janis!
Jo Stafford Was A Lady
Fool that I am, I missed Jo Stafford in the 1943 movie “Dubarry Was A Lady,” shown recently on Turner Classic Movies. Somebody has posted a clip from it, but the quality is only so-so, especially the sound synch. Now that YouTube has blessed us with working playlists again, you’ll find Dubarry after Jo’s appearance on “What’s My Line” from October 14, 1956.
The Buzz on Mitch Miller
An audio magazine I used to get, back when audio magazines existed, had a memorably succinct review of a CD release of a Mitch Miller Christmas Album — “Welcome to Hell.” Jonathan and Darlene Edwards paid tribute to the unforgettable music of Mitch Miller, as only they could, in “Baby Bumble Bee.”
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/BabyBumbleBee.mp3]Darlene’s friend, the late Jo Stafford, can be seen with Frank Sinatra in this old film clip, performing “I’ll Never Smile Again,” a song I featured at this link.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/AUG/PiedPipers.flv 400 300]