I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES — multi-media exhibitions (using circuit boards, wires and computer hardware) designed by Taiwanese artist Shih Chieh Huang entitled Reusable Universes will be at the Worcester, Massachusetts Art Museum to November 12th.
In Worcester, MassachusettsCOFFEE NOTES — the South American nation of Peru is noted for its coffee, yet most of the finest blends are exported — and perhaps as a result, Peruvians drink less than their neighbors. A now annual National Coffee Day hopes to spur domestic consumption, by keeping some of the high-end grades at home.
THURSDAY's CHILD is an old visitor to this space, a Bulgarian port city’s Green Cat— who a few years back is believed to have slept in an old paint barrel (which fortunately had some sort of non-toxic food or textile dye, because it did not appear to be harming her). Now, a video indicates she has found a new sleeping spot, and nearly returned to her natural color except for …. “a couple of green highlights”.
No longer this colorCHEERS to a shopkeeper in the Tuscany region of Italy — the lone shop open on a national holiday — who had an American customer who wanted to buy bread right before closing time. Paolo Filippini had put aside the last loaf for his family; after a moment of hesitation, he cut it in half and gave it, free of charge.
That man returned four days later (with his family) — the American ambassador to the Vatican, who bought 8kg of T-bone steak and other items in gratitude.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Pixie the Hero Cat— who has won the category of Hero Cat in the 2017 National Cat awards in Great Britain (sponsored by Purina) — for awakening a couple at night, after their 15-month-old daughter April started choking on some fruit she had eaten earlier … who were thus able to rescue her.
Pixie — UK Hero Cat of 2017HAIL and FAREWELL to the stand-up comic Shelley Berman— who also appeared on TV shows from The Twilight Zone (in the 1960’s) to Curb Your Enthusiasm (just a few years back)— who has died at the age of 92.
And to one of the two founding members of Steely Dan, Walter Becker— who has died at the age of 67.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
Reader-suggested SEPARATED at BIRTH from Black Sheep1 — as young men: the late actor Pernell Roberts (don’t forget his Folonari Soave wine commercials) and former CBS newsman Dan Rather— who the other night (on Chris Hayes’ show) used this colloquialism in saying the Trumpster doesn’t have the ability to persuade anyone (who isn’t already with him) — contrasted with Reagan & Bill Clinton, who could …...… "talk a dog off a meat wagon".
Pernell Roberts (1928-2010)Whaddya think?
Dan Rather (born 1931)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… along with Ahmet Ertegun (founder of Atlantic Records) and Jac Holzman (founder of Elektra Records, whom I have written about in this space) … the other record company mogul I have appreciated is Clive Davis— who rose to the top of Columbia Records (from 1967-1973). Later he founded Arista Records and other labels — unlike Ertegun and Holzman, neither from scratch (nor as a boutique label) but instead with a powerful organization behind him. Still, he has had a stellar career with numerous stars who swear by him … and his 2013 autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life is a testament to it.
I first became aware of his career upon reading his initial memoirs, Clive: Inside the Record Business in 1975 while I had a work-study job at a public library. I found it an excellent description of the music business, noting that he and Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner always got along (even though his newspaper had to bash Columbia regularly, in order to keep its street cred). And he expressed his gratitude for impresario Bill Graham, who recommended Carlos Santana to him and would showcase a variety of performers that Davis would emulate at label events a few years later. A good look at rock music from 1967-1973.
Sometime in the 1990’s, I wrote to Davis: noting my approval of the book and asking if he had a sequel in mind? He replied in red pen on my original letter (answering another question or two that I posed) and then to my central question, he wrote (alas, I have misplaced this letter), “Any sequel will have to wait until the hits stop coming” — as he wrote the 1974 book when he was on the sideline.
When I saw Soundtrack in 2013, I had intended to read it: but was deterred by its 550-page size, so I skimmed it in the library and promised myself I’d read it someday. Well, the recent Netroots Nation plane ride offered such an opportunity — and so even though it is now four years old, it was worth the wait. And this is an even more comprehensive book than the 1974 version (with more family history). I am guessing the 1974 book is out-of-print (?) so he rehashed topics from it before moving on to subjects after 1975.
He had been forced-out at Columbia in 1973 after misdeeds by a subordinate (which Davis was later cleared of all except some minor expense account discrepancies) and later founded Arista Records in the autumn of 1974 with backing by Columbia Pictures. The book tells of the twists-and-turns he has had since (with Bertelesmann, RCA and Sony running the corporations behind his labels) but is still involved — and runs a legendary pre-Grammy Awards party that is only open to A-listers… so there is a scramble to get an invitation.
But it is the music that will entice the reader of this book — and since it covers the years of 1966-2010, he will cover a band/performer you will like. Some examples:
→ Miles Davis: how Clive was able to persuade Miles to perform at the Fillmore East (so that young people could hear his music) and — despite a testy relationship — Miles did achieve a new, younger audience.
→ Simon & Garfunkel: Davis pleaded with them to stay together, to no avail. Yet when it came time to release a single from a new album, Garfunkel was surprised that Davis thought Bridge Over Troubled Water had a chance to make it as a single. Did it ever.
→ Bob Dylan and Nashville: the original book went into detail over Dylan recording in Nashville — and Davis related that, despite being a Jew from New York, he came to love Nashville and the people there — from Johnny Cash to Brooks & Dunn to Brad Paisley.
→ Comebacks: he liked signing new talent, but especially working to revive the careers of stars who had fallen out of mass appeal, such as Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart (via the Great American Songbook series) and Aretha Franklin.
→ Grateful Dead: when they were due to leave Warners in 1972, he made a plea for them not simply to come to Columbia .. but to drop their idea of starting their own record label (expecting distribution and collections issues). Four years later, they acknowledged the plan had been a flop, and went on to sign with Arista.
→ Whitney Houston: “Without question this is the most difficult chapter to write”: and in thirty-three pages, he tells the story of her meteoric career/downfall. If you read nothing else from this book: the chapter “Whitney” (if it interests you) is worth going to the library to read.
→ Performers he had to let go: he had success with Loudon Wainwright, Jeff Healey, Annie Lennox and Kelly Clarkson, all of whom then decided on a different path in life and went their own way …. with Wainwright the most happy for it.
→ Big ones that got away: between a choice of signing either Dwight Twilley or Tom Petty … he missed big-time by signing Twilley. He lost Jackson Browne to a skillful maneuver by David Geffen, and passed on John Mellencamp because he thought he might sound like a second-rate Springsteen.
All-in-all … this book is a primer on popular music from the late 60’s through 2013 — covering rock, pop, country, jazz, hip hop, soul … just about all except classical — which you may well find at your public library ... and the 550 pages read easily.
At age 85 today, Clive Davis is still active as Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment … and we may not have heard the last works from him. But even if he retired tomorrow, his legacy is set.
He has won four Grammy Awards (as a producer), two Grammys (for his overall work in the music business) and in 2011, the 200-seat theater at the Grammy Museum was named the "Clive Davis Theater". The recorded music division of the school of liberal arts at his alma mater (New York University) is now the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. And he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a non-performer) in the year 2000.
Clive Davis (in the late 60’s) … and much more recentlyWhat to choose for a song? I finally settled upon Carlos Santana— whose band Davis had signed for Columbia in 1968 (as previously noted, after Bill Graham had recommended him) and Davis had followed his subsequent career, which had been up-and-down. Carlos then contacted him in 1997, suggesting Davis see his live show (which Davis was duly impressed with, including the wide-ranging audience in attendance). Yet Carlos lamented afterwards that he was unhappy his children could only hear him on … oldies radio, worried if he was becoming a ‘museum piece’ …. and asked Clive for help on his first record in five years.
Davis offered Carlos this deal: (1) Let me produce ½ of the album (with young guest performers and songwriters), and (2) you decide the other ½ of the album.
The result was Supernatural— which spawned two #1 hit singles, eight Grammys, 30 million album sales worldwide and is the highest-selling album (of original material) released by any artist who had already been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame prior to its release. Among the guest performers and writers were Lauryn Hill, Cee-Lo Green, Dave Matthews, Eric Clapton and Rob Thomas of Matchbook Twenty. In a way, this may be Clive Davis’ greatest success: signing a star performer when young, then helping a comeback thirty years later.
My favorite song from it is Put Your Lights On— written and sung by the singer/songwriter Erik “Everlast” Schrody — and below you can hear it.
x xYouTube Video