SUNDAY
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Polaroid photo by Edward McKuen, August
2002 ©2002 by Stanyan Music Group. All rights reserved.
A Thought for Today
September is the turning home. Ask the
man whose livelihood is apples or anyone who lives for love.
FLIGHTS FROM6THE
PAST
Good Morning. This past week I’ve been mixing down unissued tracks from my
RCA years for the upcoming Bear Family boxed set covering the RCA Victor
period of my recording career. I’m still at it with no light at the end of
the tunnel; so until I can find the time to write about this current
experience I thought I’d share with you again a similar time in my life a
few September’s ago.
RM 8/31/2002 4:20 PM PST
9 SEPTEMBER 1998: A SUNDAY NIGHT SESSION
I always forget how much fun it is to make records until I get into a
studio and begin doing so. It's been awhile since I've made any new live
recordings with musicians also alive and well and playing and contributing
beautifully. I do some voiceovers to keep various wolves from the door,
but it's not the same. Not my copy and my music and though I'm usually the
spokesman for something I believe in [or I wouldn't do it], there's a big
difference in producing your own session with an engineer you know, love,
admire and trust than working with an ad executive you've never met and
are not likely to see again. Even working with new musicians, especially
today's young crop, is a treat.
Sunday night was such a high for me. I went into my favorite studio,
Private Island Trax, to work with my favorite anal-retentive engineer,
Michael McDonald [nothing gets by this guy] on two new tracks for the
reissue of "Beatsville". Recent poems, "I Always Knew" and as is my want a
final track that probably won't even be listed on the album's contents.
Just a little added something.
The musicians were two young men whose names I want you to remember. These
guys are so talented you'll be hearing a lot more about them and not just
from me. Chris Anderson tripled on piano, guitar and a very haunting
musette like accordion solo on "I Always Knew". Brent Harding shined on an
honest to God standup bass [you know how I love acoustic instruments. Have
you ever seen an electronic bass at one of my concerts?]
Before the first take on "Poem X" was finished, I knew we'd be making more
music together. It will be soon if I can get a few Flight Plans ahead and
a few hundred Ask Rod letters condensed & answered. The plan is to do all
60 or so new poems from "A Safe Place To Land" for a CD/Book combination.
Have made no publishing/recording deals on either, but like most projects
I undertake I have a gut feeling about this one, so I'll back it myself.
"Beatsville" seems like a good place to start for a preview. Am not sure
how most of you will react to these new efforts, they are a bit different
than most of the things I've done. Still, usually when I like something,
you do too. That’s why we're all still here, I guess.
Also included on the "Beatsville" reissue are two tracks from "In Search
of Eros". And, "The Yellow Unicorn" (original version, uncovered by the
intrepid Jay Hagan). . .which according to recent letters you nearly all
seem to like better than the revised version, "Six Songs For The Sun", "If
I Could Fly". . .yeah you know that like "I've Been To Town" & "The Ivy
That Clings To The Wall", I love singing that song. At Richard Kegler's
insistence [he's the honcho at P22] we even included "The Beat Generation"
by Bob McFadden & Dor, only record I ever made with Bill Haley & his
Comets. Watch out or "The Mummy", "The Dracula Cha, Cha, Cha" & "The
Beverly Hills Telephone Directory Mambo" may be next.
I'm not sure what any of these added tracks have to do with "Beatsville",
but you know me, love to add tracks to just about anything. And this is
some stuff I like a lot. Can't think of a better excuse to tag them onto "Beatsville.”
than to hear them again myself.
Hope all your Sunday nights were as good for you as the full moon of
9/6/98 was for me.
RM September 8, 1998, First published 9/9/1998
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