Octavia is back in town - you enjoyed them !
Almost 20 years ago, a group of singers lead by Deborah Gordan (founder of the Whalers) recorded a Christmas Album with her group Octavia.
Some singers from island. Some off island, No fancy equipment - in my living room with a couple of quilts suspended for sound absorption.
Singers included
Sue Burgess
John Howard
Jim Millinger
Back in 2014, when YouTube was kind of new, there was a podcast that captured some of the best stuff.
This is rather long, which is necessary, but it was before Deep Fakes. Turns out cows enjoy music !
You can skip to 3:40 and hear the cows’ “call and response” !
A five string guitar and all those voices.
Here’s the latest from Ola and her twin brother - and a few friends.
Below is an earlier post
Fathers and sons and daughters.
Paul’s dad was a piano player/entertainer and many attribute Paul’s melodic abilities are due to his early exposure to the famous melodies of his dad’s generation.
John’s father was a merchant seaman and not around much. His mom was the musical one, but he lost her when he was a teenager. His Aunt Mimi, who raised him, told him he never be able to make a living, playing guitar.
George’s dad was a “ bus conductor and a ship’s steward” wiki
Ringo’s father “left home in 1943, not long after Ringo’s third birthday.” wiki
Lots has been written - here’s a quick video.
Thank you, Thank you.
It was a great summer with over 500 attendees (some numerous times). We appreciate you allowing us on your lawns and are already planning Summer 2024.
The last Pop Up a Doughty’s was a barn burner.
The Dana Bourgeois Troupe - (Dana, Melissa Doughty, Ruthie and Chuck McCatherin, Mark Dyer and Cooper Bowman)
Josh Doughty and Herb Maine
The Stone Stoup Troupe (John Howard, John Layng, John Wilson, Cooper Bowman, Erika Neumann, Charles Hall, John Emery, Chip Emery)
A brief history of the PopUp concept
Who could have known that the last song of the last 2019 Island Music Night would be so Long It’s Been Good to Know Ya ?
Well, we just couldn’t see an easy way to put together the Island Music Night again. Too many moving parts. So, we came up with Waves On Water Pop Up Concerts - kind of a moveable musical feast. 45 minutes long, mostly acoustic, island performers in different locations, usually start 5:30. If you go to one, just bring what you’d take to the beach (chair, snack, beverage etc)
Sara has performed a number of times on the island.
We hope to have her back next year.
Charlie Chaplin wrote this in 1954.
Wikipedia
Chaplin, who composed the song, was inspired by Puccini's Tosca.[1] John Turner and Geoffrey Parsonsadded the lyrics and title in 1954.[2] In the lyrics, based on lines and themes from the film, the singer is telling the listener to cheer up and that there is always a bright tomorrow, just as long as they smile.
"Smile" has become a popular standard since its original use in Chaplin's film and has been recorded by numerous artists
You can find Sara performing some of her own music on iTunes and here
Never heard it like this before !
( Johnny Cash and Levon Helm - unforgettable voices)
Watch these pros make a magical impromptu musical moment. Les was 92 at the time and could still use his unique technique to coax beauty from the guitar named after him.
We lost Olivia’s extraordinary voice and style, only a few weeks ago.
No one wrote as many good harmonies as Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.
As summer winds down, listen to all that is going on with the multi part background.
Here’s some of the original recording session with background vocals.
Robbie wrote and performed some incredible songs. Many are woven into the island’s musical fabric. And, it seems, the world.
This is Part 1 about The Weight on Playing for Change
Part 2
The finished product
WRITTEN BY: J.R. ROBERTSON
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "No!", was all he said.
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide;
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side.
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?"
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog.
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog."
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man."
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can."
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.
Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time.
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.
Watch Billie Jean King’s interview about a different way to enjoy music.
He was 96 and sang all the way through.
From our own Barry Fitzsimmons who spent years as a professional photographer
In 1984, George Varga a writer for the San Diego Union and I went to San Francisco to do a story on Tony Bennett. He had a show coming to San Diego, which included some of his paintings. We were to meet him in his hotel in the late afternoon. We arrived early that morning and went to the hotel to search for spots to photograph him. We contacted the manager and asked if we could go up on the roof, using the San Francisco skyline as a backdrop. The manager agreed to take us up, and the view was fantastic.
Arriving that afternoon at the hotel we found it fogged in at the street level. We met Tony in his hotel suite. After looking at his paintings, which were spread out around the room, I took some photos of him with the paintings. I asked if he might go up to the roof. I was dreaming that the fog was down low and tthat the highrise hotel might give us a view above it. He very generously agreed and we went to the roof only to find you couldn't see your hand in front of your face because the fog was so thick.
Our time with him was pretty much over. As we got ready to leave, he said he was going to go to a little restaurant his friend owned and asked if we wanted to join him. Well, yes of course. We shared a cab to the restaurant and as we got out with him at Gino's little restaurant, I photographed him crossing the street. Several people in cars driving by recognized him yelling out "Tony, we love you. I left my heart"!
Tony Bennett was by far the most gracious celebrity I have ever photographed.
Photo by barry fitzsimmons
Don’t miss 40 seconds into his duet with Gaga.
Sometimes, you just have to listen to the original - sixty years ago
We will miss Marlene who was such an important part of the island - in so many ways. Singing was just one of them.
For over half a century - The Wagoneers made people dance. Brother Ross, Gary Ross, Med and Marlene Bowen.
Marlene sings Johnnie Ray’s 1951 Number One Hit -Cry.
This is the original mix which will be remastered.
In 2002, at the dawn of digital music recording, the Wagoneers and I recorded a bunch of songs. We are finding some new ones and having others remastered for a new tribute album. The version of Crazy (below) has just been updated and you can hear the sparkle.
If you’re not familiar with them, for over half a century - The Wagoneers made people dance. Brother Ross, Gary Ross, Med and Marlene Bowen.
HISTORY- listen to them talk about their early days
CRAZY - my understanding is this was recorded by Malcom Rice in 1970. Technology was a little wobbly back then but you can hear the nuances in Marlene’s wonderful delivery. She told me she that when she met Willie Nelson (who wrote it) she told him “I sing it better than you do” - she was right !
Here’s how he plays it (I had it wrong)
click the image
click the image
