"If That's All There Is..." -- Remembering Songwriter Jerry Leiber
WATCH "WORDS AND MUSIC"
I'll never forget the day they previewed "Yakety Yak" on KFWB. In those days the
songs were funny (Alley Oop, The Battle of New Orleans, Charlie Brown, even
Summertime Blues) and most of us didn't know who was behind the scenes writing,
producing and playing on all those hit records. Well, we're all a little older
and wiser now. We not only know that Leiber & Stoller wrote some of the
greatest pop/rock songs but we even know the session guys who played on all
these classics. My condolances to Mike Stoller and Jerry's family.
Read the article LOS ANGELES TIMES/Jerry Leiber dies at 78; lyricist in songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller
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Leiber wrote some of the catchiest lyrics of his era, often with a flair for comedy. Two of their great underrated tunes are "Shoppin' for Clothes" and "Three Cool Cats" ("Parked on a corner in a beat up car, dividing up a nickel candy bar, talking about how sharp they are"). The team referred to these as "playlets." Besides their songwriting, they were influential in adding strings and exotic instruments to their productions in the late 1950s and 1960s, starting with the Drifters' "There Goes My Baby." Thank you, Messers Leiber and Stoller, for writing songs that have given me great joy throughout my 30 odd years on this earth.
By the way, while Leiber and Stoller initially loathed Elvis' version of "Hound Dog", they later came to like its frenetic quality, especially after they got to know Elvis during the recording sessions for Jailhouse Rock.
Read the article Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Jerry Leiber, Prolific Writer of 1950s Hits, Dies at 78
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Leiber and Stoller are as important a songwriting team as Rodgers & Hammerstein, for another generation and another time. Like another great songwriting team of the era, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Leiber and Stoller wrote some of the most enduring R&B and rock 'n roll songs of the 20th century. It would be impossible to imagine my childhood and teenage years without their music as the soundtrack. Mr. Stoller and the Leiber family must be heartbroken. I feel like I lost a friend.
Read the article Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Jerry Leiber, Prolific Writer of 1950s Hits, Dies at 78
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" for Motown's Nickolas Ashford
SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
Years ago, Ashford and Simpson performed on EPCOT's America Stage at the
conclusion of a Disney World press tour.
I was a travel writer for AAA at the
time, and their performance remains one of my life's highlights. Stories had
been filed, and we had only a few hours before returning to our normal lives.
Nick and Valerie energized the crowd with their musical passion.
Afterward, it
was a mile walk from the stage to our awaiting buses. Fifteen to twenty of us
from different states and different countries started singing "Solid as a Rock,"
as we hiked past the China and Mexico exhibits. it was a joyful moment of
comraderie I will forever cherish. Ashford and Simpson ....Thanks for the
memories,
Read the article USA TODAY/Motown songwriter Nick Ashford dies
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Living in downtown Minneapolis in the 1990s, it was rare to have the police called for noise... But two burly officers (one white, one black) arrived at my door as I was blasting the Ashford & Simpson, dancing in my retro disco outfit, and making chocolate chip cookies on a hot summer afternoon.
Answering the door, I blurted out, "Will you forgive me? It's Ashford & Simpson!" Both of them cracked a smile, and the young black officer shook his head and wagged his finger in mock disapproval. They lightened my load significantly in terms of the cache of cookies I was making, but they walked away without issuing a ticket -- which would have set me back $770, a fortune for me at the time.
God bless Nick Ashford - he and his wife had the ability to make anyone rock and smile.
Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Nick Ashford, of Motown Writing Duo, Dies at 70
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What a beautiful person, such a beautiful wonderful wife, such a seemingly palpable "solid" relationship that always came across so naturally and genuinely positive without being corny.
Could two people in the music business be any more right for each other than these two? Have you ever seen another couple who could just force a smile out of your sourpuss face in a bad mood in a matter of seconds? You've been truly blessed in this lifetime, Valerie Simpson, rest easy that he led such a wonderful life with you and that you had each other as long as you did. You were, are, and always will be a wonderful shining beacon in an often very dark world.
Can a man carry himself any more graciously than Nick clearly did and, I'm sure, Valerie will continue to do?
You did much much better than just good, Nick Ashford, both musically, spiritually, and personably.
Bless you both and all who have been the closest to you and Nick, Valerie.
Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Nick Ashford, of Motown Writing Duo, Dies at 70
You had to be there to really appreciate the depth and soul of this
marvelously talented couple whose behind the scenes lyrical achievements read
like a whose who in black entertainment; whose ability to get to the soul of the
artist with just the right mood and lyrics, resulted in phenomenal successes for
the likes of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Teddy Pendergrass, Ray Charles, Chaka
Khan, untold Mowtown artists, Aretha Franklin, 5th Dimension.... and the list
goes on.
Ashford & Simpson forever. Never drama, always together. RIP Nick. The
world of soul music owes you a tremendous debt.
Read the article LOS ANGELES TIMES/Nick Ashford of Ashford & Simpson songwriting team dies at 70
The Mean, the Nasty and the Rude Earn More than Nice Guys
There are plenty of respectful and “agreeable” people who thrive and advance
in the workplace, so I don’t believe it’s a foregone conclusion that nice people
finish last. It is the case, however, that people who are unwilling to take some
risks are unlikely to advance. My guess is that people who evaluate themselves
as agreeable may be less likely to engage in the conflicts that are inevitably
part of leading and/or advocating for oneself.
Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/ Do Nice Guys Finish Last?
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The horrid jerks may earn more largely because they are good at manipulation
and immoral behavior but they also pay the price in broken lives-divorce,
juvenile delinquent children-few can leave the aggressive behavior at the office
and if it is genetic, their children will do it to them when the time comes.
Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/ Do Nice Guys Finish Last?
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Absolutely true. I've been in the business world for 35 years and the top tier
is full of sharp elbows, mean spirits, and profane egos. To me, it is nothing,
but the sad fact is American business suffers because the 90% of business people
who are none of the above possess better business acumen. This is why Scott
Adams is soooo right on. Dilbert is the only management guide worth reading.
Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/Hey, You! Mean People Earn More, Study Finds
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Why do we keep seeing studies telling us what we've know forever? Assertive,
tough, strong willed people who aren't afraid to "step" on others often get paid
more. There are times when it's deserved because they produce and there are
times when their superiors are just scared of them and do whatever it takes to
keep the peace. If you've been in the work world for any period of time, you've
seen the type. Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/Hey, You! Mean People Earn More, Study Finds
I think the author is confusing nice with doormat. I'm in sales, if I wasn't
confident, competent, excited about new/future products and likeable, I wouldn't
have been successful for as long as I have been. But I do not let people take
advantage of me or short change me when it comes to what I have worked for. And
in turn I do not short change others nor step on them. Trust me, I've been in
business long enough to testify that people who do things the wrong way and dont
treat others respectfully do not last long in any business. It's about having
standards of treating people well, not being a doormat and letting others take
advantage.
Read the article CNN/Nice guys earn less, study finds
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As I reflect, there is some truth to this article. I am a VP in a company that
builds developments. I am the nice guy, team player that embraces the "total
team approach" that the company established and in theory, this attitude should
be the model for the other leaders. However, one of my counterpart VP's is the
opposite. This person objects just for the sake of objecting and having a
different approach all the time. Secretly, my name for this person is Chicken
Little because the sky is always falling. But this person also gets the
attention and seems the respect from the other leaders. Maybe there is a
message/trend here I should consider.
Read the article CNN/Nice guys earn less, study finds
"They tried to make me go to rehab, I said No, no, no." -- Amy WInehouse
Sad to read the spiteful comments, but I suppose it's no surprise as there are so many spiteful people around.
My take on AW.
Contrary to the tone deaf commentators, it is beyond doubt to those who really knew her music that she was incredibly talented. I first saw her on London news with Jamie Cullum on a piece about new young jazz artists in the capitol. Must have been around 10 years ago and she was astonishingly good. Made a note to keep an eye out for her in future.
Saw her live at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland a few years later. Just her playing piano and singing with a double bass accompanying her. Small room, no more than 50 people totally entranced. All the greats have played the NSJ over the years and it was obvious if she kept on in the same vein, she'd join them soon enough. No signs of erratic behaviour and if she'd had a drink it didn't show.
She was scheduled to play at the same festival maybe 5/6 years later in front of 15,000, but didn't turn up. She was a star by then and Back to Black had long been released. At this point she was well into her drugs and drink and behaving in the way some folks seem to think she always did.
We all know what happened after then. A great loss to music and culture and a very sad decline.
Seems to me her problems started when she (or someone) decided she should be a pop star rather than a jazz artist. Back to Black was a great pop album, but I always hoped she'd go back to her jazz roots.
By all accounts she was a nice and highly intelligent person. Drink and drugs do destroy some people though and she was just another victim in a lot of ways. The only difference with her and the hundreds who die every year from abuse was her fame. If we don't show pity towards her, we also don't show pity to any of the many who die every year. The question should be how to tackle the drugs problem? What we do now doesn't work so radical new methods must be discussed, otherwise she'll just be another in a long line of poor unfortunates.
Read the article DAILY TELEGRAPH/ Amy Winehouse: Another burnt out case at 27
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Let's get real here, this was no shock, just something that was going to happen and we were just waiting for the announcement. Good voice, waste of space as a person. Someone who really wants to stop taking drugs and abusing themselves will. Amy most obviously did not want to stop her abusive lifestyle and this was the result. Lets stop applauding her and concentrate on showing kids that she was not cool and her lifestyle was not good. She didn't care about anyone else but herself and her immediate self gratification, she had no respect for herself, her family or her fans, if she had done she would have cleaned up and got on with a good and fulfilling career, and maybe then her so called talent and potential would have been reached.
Read the article DAILY TELEGRAPH/ Amy Winehouse: Another burnt out case at 27
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I feel vindicated that I gave up playing The Blues a few years ago. I played blues guitar from the age of 16, and it always took me down into low places. It wasn't until I got the blues guitar of my dreams, a cherry red Gibson ES335, that I finally let go of it.
When I realised all the songs I played were sad or depressing and at best melancholic, I knew there was an "image" I'd bought into from the age of 14: that self destructive behaviour was somehow cool and romantic.
And I'm glad I discovered classical music., which is something far more emotionally intelligent and broad minded than rock and The Blues will ever be.
It's very unfortunate that Amy bought into the whole image thing far too deeply, and it took her under. It's a dangerous thing, that edge, because you have to walk a fine line in order to be really good, but you can slip and fall into a chasm if you don't have your wits about you at all times.
And she did just that. She fell into that chasm.
In order to be good at any genre you must appeal to your audience. You have to go where they go, but further and deeper. How else can you understand them? But because you go further and deeper, because you empathize that much more, your candle had to burn that much brighter.
Pick a negative direction and you simply ask for trouble.
Hendrix was my era. I had my Stratocaster and I knew that mood his guitar spoke of. But when one day I listened to the lyrics of "Spanish Castle Magic" and "Manic Depression" I realised if I didn't believe that stuff, and live it with my whole heart and soul, I couldn't play the way I needed to to get that magic.
It's a choice, I think, that all soul and blues musicians understand. You know it's a dangerous path, and your ego tells you you can take it. You don't need help, and you don't need no rehab, because you have to go further down the rabbit hole than anyone else, or you're just a fake.
Rest in peace, Amy Winehouse.
Read the article DAILY TELEGRAPH/ Amy Winehouse: Another burnt out case at 27
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It's the comparisons to Billie Holiday that get me.
I'm not making light of Amy's demons,but Billie had a really horrible life; in her case the drugs weren't recreational or a creative tool, they were a necessary anaesthetic to get through beatings, racism, violent mysogyny and spiritual desolation. OK, Amy had psychological problems, but the support network (her parents especailly) was always there, she chose to forsake it and self-destruct; Billie didn't have that choice.
I'm an a recovering addict myself, and I speak from bitter experience; sometimes something really awful has to happen before you realise what you have to do to get yourself out of that deep, dark hole. Unfortunately, Amy didn't get a chance to reach that stage and have that revelation.
But Billie Holiday, she wasn't.
The saddest thing is that Amy appears to have died alone. No one should die alone.
Read the article GUARDIAN/Amy Winehouse's death was badly reported
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Top class article Hadley! And it's about time it was said. You summed it up in a very apt manner at the very beginning;
'What have we learned from the death of Amy Winehouse?" asked the hapless MSNBC news anchor.
We haven't "learned" anything. And nor are we trying to. Some would judge Amy Winehouse as being anything ranging from guilty of wilful and selfishly hedonistic auto-destruction to being one of the most wonderful singers and tragically free spirits the world has seen for many a year. I take the latter view as it happens and have always loved her music, but I haven't learned anything from her existence or her death. The events that led to, and why she died, are not, after all, an exceptional occurence in the world of artistic endeavour.
I am simply content not to judge. I do not wish to describe her death in terms which defend my views, and I have learned nothing from this. I just believe and hope that her music will live on for a long long time...
Read the article GUARDIAN/Amy Winehouse's death was badly reported
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Amy Winehouse killed Amy Winehouse. Drug addicts, when they overdose, are wholly responsible for their very own demise.
Blaming relationships or other people for their decisions is the same as blaming the drug dealer for selling it to them. Ultimately the person who put the drugs in their body is 100% responsible.
Unless someone else shot her up or force-fed her these drugs I fail to see how anyone else can be held accountable for her death. When does the person absorb any fault for their own misguided decisions to get high? Who put it in her mouth? Who shot it in her arm? Whoever that person is, catch them and prosecute them. Otherwise we must accept the fact that Amy Winehouse simply killed herself.
Read the article DAILY BEAST/Amy Winehouse's Dark Love Affiar
Casey Anthony Not Guilty of Killing Daughter
Big problem to prove murder when you are not certain of the cause of death and cannot prove it.
I'm 99% sure she murdered her kid, but this is a strong gut feeling supported by the evidence there is. The most important kinds of evidence--cause of death, proof of a murder by someone--were missing. The duct tape and chloroform are highly probative, but could have been post-death acts, i.e., wrapping up the body.
So there probably was reasonable doubt, and this unfortunate verdict and unfortunate gift to a sociopath is not an indictment of our justice system, which is supposed to let the guilty go free when the evidence is not there and there is "reasonable doubt."
Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/
Casey Anthony Not Guilty in Slaying of Daughter
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Oh I can't wait to read about 1,500 negative comments about stupid juries and getting away with murder and all that.
The jury does not have blood on their hands. The state failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and the jury did what they were sworn to do. From the parts of the trial I saw, the prosecutor and the defense counsel did good, very good, work. And the jury listened. And based on the evidence, I think did the right thing.
The majority of this country's population has zero compassion for anyone anymore. That makes me much more sad than any verdict could ever make me.
Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/
Casey Anthony Not Guilty in Slaying of Daughter
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Circumstantial evidence rarely leads to a murder conviction. This combined with mistakes by the medical examiner and the involvement of her father in the aftermath led to reasonable doubt.
I was once a juror in a murder case. In that juror experience, I, and all jurors, were instructed by the judge that if there is a plausible alternative to what the prosecutor puts forth that leads to reasonable doubt, you must vote not guilty.
There were so many plausible alternatives put in the minds of the jurors. The defense attorneys did an excellent job of sowing reasonable doubt. In short, if you believed it could have happened in a way other than what the prosecutors allege, as a juror, your duty is to vote not guilty.
It seems as if the jurors believed the accident theory and likely believed Casey's father was the primary actor in the cover-up of the death. If the jurors believed that about the father, they also likely believed he had something to do with the death. I bet none of the evidence about her behavior after the fact meant anything to the jury.
With dueling plausible notions of what could have motivated Casey's carefree behavior, a juror, if he/she believes the defense witnesses testimony, is bound by the law to give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant. I think even as the justice most wanted to be carried out was not that, in the end, the jury did the appropriate thing.
Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/
Casey Anthony Not Guilty in Slaying of Daughter
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I work with criminal offenders in community corrections and I have seen guilty
people convicted of murder with a lot less evidence and effort than the
prosecution put forward on this case.
Most offenders don't get the dream team
defense Casey Anthony had, and apparently those resources can buy you an
acquit al. Finding guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt" can open the door to a lot
of prejudice and subjectivity.
I feel bad for George Anthony who was vilified by
the defense in open arguments, but no proof was ever presented during the trial
to support those outrageous allegations.
Apparentlty, the defense tactic worked
as the jury unanimously overlooked a solid foundation of evidence and bought
into the plausibility of the bogus defense theory.
Read the article NPR/Casey
Anthony Found Not Guilty Of Killing Her Daughter
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OMG this is SO awesome! I am SO sick of the media trying to convict people before any evidence is introduced or a trial is held. Justice was done.
Nancy Grace and the rest of the media got PUNK'D big time and I couldn't be happier. Folks who are following this closely and are so invested in her being guilty....it's just their new 21st century version of Soap Operas.
The media is STILL basically saying "she got away with it" even hours after her being acquitted.
Fair and balanced...."truth telling"?
NOPE! Not these days. It's all about tragedy as entertainment and a lust for ratings.
Read the article DAILY BEAST/Jury Finds Casey Anthony Not Guilty
The Big Man - “King of the Entire Known Universe, including Hoboken."
I was 12 when " Born To Run" .and as Springsteen and his group were about to head into the stratosphere of musical popularity. Rock and roll was undergoing yet another sea-change as it fended off the challenges of it's ugly sister disco.
The E-Street Band kept music real,meaningful,and fun, -and in no small part kept rock alive. Bruce and Clarence represented the thing that many of us felt without putting much thought into it ,that a buddy was a buddy, a friend a friend, and whatever differences there were really had very little to do with skin pigmentation.
The integrated E-Street Band ( African-american David Sancious was also an early member) mirrored our society back then, and like the music it worked because it was effortless.
I was lucky enough to see him and the band perform in person 7 times,and I will cherish those times for as long as I live.This sad week is an end of an era for literally millions of us,and I want to thank Clarence .for his music, his demeanor,and that great big joyful smile.
In 1975 a 6 foot 5 inch black man that graced so many t-shirts and album covers wasn't a menacing figure to be feared by the ignorant ,but rather someone to emulate and admire.
I never got to meet Mr. Clemons, but little did I know at the time that I had made a life-long friend.RIP Big Man,I'm going to miss ya.
Read the artilce HUFFINGTON POST/Why Clarence Clemons Matters to Race Relations
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I love this post for many reasons, but mainly because Bruce and Clarence were amazing collaborators and race never entered the picture. In a way, I'm hesitant to commend them because their friendship is as it should be ... a shared love of music that transcended anything else.
That's what bonded them and kept them together. As it should be, race was a non-issue. I'm in my mid 40's and my sister, 12 years older, is a huuuuuuuge Bruce fan. Her musical choices shaped a lot of my early music choices and the E Street Band has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and the example of Bruce and Clarence together made an impression on me as well.
For as much as I'm going to miss the E Street Band and Mr. Clemons, Bruce is going to miss him so much more.
Read the artilce HUFFINGTON POST/Why Clarence Clemons Matters to Race Relations
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The music world and humanity has lost a true giant in every sense of the word. I
will never forget the first time I was lucky enough to see Bruce and the E
Street Band during a blistering hot Toronto day back in the spring of 1984. The
entire concert blew my mind and I will never forget the image of Clarence, all
decked out in a magnificent pink tuxedo, playing one mind blowing sax solo after
the other.
Springsteen's music has been the soundtrack of my life and his band,
the best who ever lived in my humble opinion, has left an indelible imprint on
my life. Clarence was an amazing and brilliant musician and showman and you
could always tell he was having the time of his life up on stage. His smile was
infectious and playing sublime and he made going to a Springsteen concert
unforgettable.
God bless you and now heaven has one wicked sax player to join
the band.
Read the artilce ROLLING STONE/E Street Band's Clarence Clemons Dies at 69
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I'm slowly seeing the lights burn out on E-Street, and it is BREAKING MY HEART! I know that the E-Street Band will live on forever, but first Danny gone and now Clarence, and I cant help but mourn this huge loss :(... Ive been fortunate in my young life to see Bruce and the Big Man perform about 6 times but thats nearly not enough!...
Everytime I saw them was the best night of my life, an experience that I think only other Springsteen & E-Street fans can understand... and like a drug I wanted more... knowimg that I will never see that big man and that saxophone walk into the spotlight of the stage again is like a stab in the heart...
And when I used to listen to that sax solo on Jungleland I would just close my eyes and I would get chills, but now I cry... RIP Clarence"Big Man" Clemons, the biggest man I have ever seen. We're thankful for the time we had with you and your wonderful music...
My thoughts are with Bruce, the band, his family & friends
Read the artilce STAR-LEDGER/Fans gather at the Stone Pony for a tribute to Clarence Clemons
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