An update on two previous essays in this space, after the jump …………..
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In 2014, I profiled my favorite stand-up comic, Robert Klein — who had a career that also included film and stage work, as well. Though it was his numerous TV appearances and two Grammy-nominated comedy albums of the 1970’s that made him famous: it was only reading his 2005 memoirs that I learned that he had a masters from Yale Drama School, so that acting was his first love. In that vein, he was nominated for a Tony award for playing alongside Lucie Arnaz in the Neil Simon/Marvin Hamlisch/Carole Bayer Sager play They’re Playing Our Song and won an off-Broadway (Obie) award for his appearance in The Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein.
And in hearing the sad news that the “Night Tripper” music legend Malcolm “Dr. John” Rebennack has died at the age of 77 — on one of his comedy albums, Robert Klein recalled meeting him on a variety show and singing the chorus to “Right Place, Wrong Time” to him …. with Rebennack giving him a voodoo look.
To read my original 2014 essay, it is at this link.
Now …... an update.
In the intervening years: Robert Klein has kept busy. In 2014-2015, he portrayed the mayor of New York City in both Sharknado 2 and 3 films. A documentary from 2016 entitled Robert Klein Still Can’t Stop his Leg— referring to an old musical comedy song of his — was a career retrospective of sorts, and also included his take on the comedy scene of now. Last year, with the re-boot of Will & Grace— Alan Arkin was unable to reprise his role as Grace’s father Martin Adler, so Robert Klein took over the occasional role. This past February, he and Lucie Arnaz both reprised their roles on the 40th anniversary (to the day) premiere of They’re Playing Our Song on Broadway.
And now at age 77, he sometimes tours with Louie Anderson. As someone who included jokes in the early 1970’s about his dentist filling his mouth with cotton, then going to work on his teeth while saying, "Why don’t they get off President Nixon’s back?" — with him squirming to respond — surely there will be jokes about politics. He does allow, “My aim is for laughs, not to preach,” and adds ………. “Trump himself at the moment is not that funny.”
Robert Klein in recent yearsGoing back six years to 2013 — after a visit to Memphis, Tennessee, I did a profile of one of that trip’s highlights: a visit to the old Stax Records studio/offices, now serving as a museum, school and modern recording facility. If you are ever in Memphis, it is an easy drive or simply take the #4 bus from Front Street in downtown … and if you love soul music from the 1960’s-1970’s, you will hear part of the Soundtrack of Your Life inside.
Artists such as Rufus and Carla Thomas, Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Same & Dave, David Porter, Booker T and the MG’s, the Staple Singers ….. come at you through the speakers, and it is heartwarming to see that an old, dormant treasure was brought back to life. The label catalogue is owned by other record companies, yet remains vital for re-releases.
To read my original 2014 essay, it is at this link.
Now …... an update.
Speaking of re-releases …. just last week, the archive label re-released a fiftieth anniversary compilation album Soul Explosion— with songs on the original release (featuring Albert King, Eddie Floyd, the Mad Lads, the Staple Singers, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T, Carla Thomas and more) all re-mastered. In addition, this will also include a selection of rare tracks, many of which are exclusive to this collection. These include the Bar-Kays’ “Hot Hips,” Ollie & The Nightingales’ “Heartache Mountain” and Eddie Floyd’s “It’s Wrong To Be Loving You.” As the late bluesman Albert King said at the time, “If you don’t feel this, you got a hole in your soul”.
Add to that: the label has just begun to re-release thirty of its classic recordings to digital (in some cases, for the first time in their entirety). And in order to celebrate Black Music Month— these will be released individually one day during the entire month, with Isaac Hayes’ Shaft soundtrack album to be featured on June 14th.
Sadly, just last week one of the singers for the label’s Mad Lads band — John Gary Williams— has died at the age of 73 (and he was living not far from the neighborhood where Stax is situated). His career was interrupted by service in Vietnam, and felt a changed man upon his return — indeed, he recorded a 1973 single entitled “The Whole Damn World is Going Crazy”.
On a more positive note, the co-founder of the label Jim Stewart — who was the ST (along with his late sister Estelle Axton, who was the AX) in Stax — will turn age 89 in late July, and it is gratifying to know he has survived to see this fifty year retrospective release.
Re-released & remastered compilation discLet’s close, of course, with a Stax Records classic. Booker T and the MG’s were not only the house band for many artists there (sometimes augmented by the Memphis Horns) but also recorded in their own right — this instrumental was the 25th most popular song the label released in the 1960’s.
x xYouTube VideoNow, on to Top Comments:
(Nothing from the field this evening)
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And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening .......
In the diary by Frank Cocozzelli about you-know-who’s appearance at the D-Day ceremonies (including his delay of the ceremonies in order to have an interview with Laura Ingraham) — blue jersey mom worries about the post-war international institutions set-up, and whether they will survive this Administration.
And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
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