More Frank Luther

Frank Luther
A while back I featured an interesting children’s record by Frank Luther. That being the only thing I’d ever heard by him, he sounded so old, although he wasn’t yet 60 at the time. So I thought I’d dig up a few recordings from Luther’s earlier days, as an urban musical cowboy. It was worth the effort. This is absolutely super stuff, that I know my buddy Dennis, in particular, will appreciate very much.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/APR07/BarbaraAllen.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/APR07/10Hours6Days.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/APR07/SwallerTailCoat.mp3]

Random Web Page — The Scott Wheeler Story

Scott Wheeler 1954At the link is a Web site I came across by chance. [Link] It’s by a Boston area guy named Scott Wheeler, “The website of the first official Liverpool “Merseycat” musician born in the USA — on the cutting edge of a classic rock and roll sound!”

My take on Wheeler is he’s one of those Beatles fans who’s always hovered around the edges of the entertainment business, looking for a way in. He got a band together in the 60’s, worked in the radio biz, and wrote for a small city newspaper, etc. I can relate, except I’ve never tried my hand at music. Art was my forté.

Wheeler’s site is typical of someone who hasn’t yet discovered blogging software. It’s a collection of static pages that haven’t been maintained for over a year. There are a lot of dead links and missing pictures, but it’s still worth browsing because Wheeler has done some interesting things in his life, including a writing a book about someone at the outer fringes of John Lennon’s life, his uncle Charlie. [Link] One thing’s for sure — Wheeler had a better Superman costume than I did when I was a kid!

Postcript: George Scott Wheeler obituary.

Antiques Rock Show

Ever watch The Antiques Road Show? Lots of boring old stuff for boring old people, huh? But what if there were an Antiques Rock Show? At the link is a very amusing video of exactly that. [Link]

WFMU Record Fair

Probably the closest the actual Antiques Road Show has gotten to doing something like this is a segment with vintage rock concert posters. [Link] The show’s pop culture collectibles appraiser is Gary Sohmers, whose business is near here.

Going to Potter

I think J.K. Rowling has done something marvelous by creating the Harry Potter series. She deserves every penny of the millions — or is it billions now? — she has earned.

Eric has read all of the Harry Potter books, of course. I’ve read the first two books and have seen the movies. In the second movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Jason Isaacs first appeared as Lucius Malfoy. He’s from Liverpool, but he doesn’t sound like it.

I’m of mostly British heritage. About 15 years ago I spent some time on business in England, and I felt very much at home there. Sometimes I wish I’d grown up in England, so that I might be able to speak with the flawless articulation and inflection that Isaacs displays with such panache in this scene. But it’s safer to assume that my speech would sound more like that of Mark Williams, who is in this scene as Ronald Weasley’s father, Arthur.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/APR07/HarryPotter.flv 425 232]© Warners