ASK ROD AND "TARA"
& THE GREAT MAIL ORDER EXPERIMENT |
|
I hope you aren’t too bogged
down on this 2nd day of the workweek. Things are a bit hectic as I write this . . . . and
something tells me that by the end of the Flight Plan, Stanyan’s workweek will have
only just begun.
On Sunday I mentioned that the newly married "tara", who is always full of good
ideas, came up with a dilly regarding some way of easing the pressure of writing the daily
flight plan and getting on with the much neglected answers to questions that come to Ask
Rod. Here’s her E-mail on the subject:
Rod, Just a thought...and one that's probably been suggested already. Why not combine
Ask Rod and the Flight Plan? Answer a question, and tie it in to a
thought...poem...whatever. Not only would you get two things done, but also you could put
the name of the person who asked the question on the page. I know what it means to have
you mention my name...can't imagine anyone else would find it less exciting.
I hope you find the answer to your dilemma of keeping up with all you’ve set out to
do, soon. Time between lovers is endangered... Don't let it become extinct. Love and
fairydust, tara
Tara, A good idea is a good idea is . . . . Well, here’s a go at trying it out and in
the bargain answering the question most asked on your McKuen Bulletin Board - "Where
can I get Rod’s books & records?" Thanks & love, Rod. PS: Do you really
think I have a new love?
THE SEA
Dear Rod, Re. The Sea. For a number of years, I have been unable to find out if this
CD exists. I have contacted Warner Bros. and not received any reply. I have searched the
net and I can not locate it either. Has this CD been released? I hope so. Many of my
friends have fond memories that they would like to relive ... on CD since records are now
gone to garage sales (or worse). Thank you for your help. Lynda
Dear Linda: Indeed, "The Sea" was released. Though Warner Bros. kept it a big
secret. Anita Kerr & I have finally figured out a way to get the entire San Sebastian
Strings series back into print, all 20 or so albums . . . plus new and unreleased
material. More about that in an upcoming flight plan. As to how to get a brand new copy
right now, read on . . .
LISTEN TO THE WARM
Hi, my copy of the "Listen to the Warm" LP is warn and in not that good of
shape anymore because of me playing it over and over again. Question: Will that album ever
be out on CD? If it is now, I cannot seem to find it. Dave Hajek
Dear Dave, "Listen To The Warm" was released on CD in 1991 by DCC. It was
allowed to go out of print, but just before it did, Stanyan purchased several hundred
copies for mail order. Alas, shortly afterward Stanyan abandoned the mail order part of
the company because we just couldn’t find the personnel available to run it. What
happened to those copies? They are available now. Read on. . .
BEATSVILLE [aka "Rod McKuen Takes A San Francisco Hippie
Trip"]
Hi Rod, I was reading through your "complete" discography and there was no
mention of my favorite album of yours: "Rod McKuen Takes A San Francisco Hippie
Trip". Was it not an official release or forgotten when the discography was put
together? Or maybe it's one that you'd prefer to forget about? I can send album
information if that would be helpful. I love the cover and have seen another copy for sale
here in Portland, OR for $45. Cheers, Wink Jr.
Dear Wink, "Rod McKuen Takes A San Francisco Hippie Trip" was a pirated and
unauthorized version of the original "Beatsville" album. Not only was it stolen
and republished, it was heavily edited, issued in psudo-stereo, titles were changed and
the entire concept bastardized to the point on non-recognition. I sued the company, got
the masters back and after a month of editing and remastering by Michael McDonald the
original has been reassembled and issued by P22-Stanyan in a 40th Anniversary Original
Stereo Edition. In addition to the original 16 tracks, there are eight [if you count the
secret unlisted track] bonus selections. And, in what I’m sure is a first for
CD’s, a special Daddy-O Beatsville fun font that can be downloaded to PC’s and
Macs. Incidentally, P22-Stanyan [remind me to try and do something about the order of
those names] are working on a number of upcoming cross media releases. How can you get an
autographed copy of "Beatsville"? Read on . . . .
READ ON . . .
All three of the above albums are finally available by mail order. Yep. And this was no
easy feat. Closing down Cheval-Stanyan several years ago was a tough blow to me, but I was
still determined to keep and warehouse the inventory of LPs, first edition books,
calendars and what have you. My brother Edward was not too amused by the decision to keep
the books and records from a few landfills, because he writes the checks every month for
the warehousing. He went along with me only because I begged and pleaded to the point of
no return. Hey, the prospect of seeing a lifetimes work in the garbage dump is not
amusing.
Cut to the chase. Enter Dwight Michaels, a former record store owner who bought Warner
Bros. Records remaining inventory of "The Sea" CD, my copies of "Listen To
The Warm" and has just obtained a supply of "Beatsville." As an experiment
to see if any of us want to get back into the Mail Order business again, we’re
letting him use the Stanyan Mail Box to see just what kind of business can be drummed up
in the remaining six weeks till Christmas. If it works and the demand is great enough,
he’ll go down to the warehouse and inventory all of the Stanyan and Rod McKuen
material and Stanyan by Mail will continue in the coming year.Right now there is no facility to order by
check, credit card, 800 number or on the net. Obviously if the experiment works that will
change. For now only money orders made out to Stanyan can be accepted. Sorry, but till
Christmas this is a Pop & Pop operation. The address is:
Stanyan, PO Box 2783, Hollywood Ca.
90028
[At least we kept the mailbox]. For prices and books and
records available please check the WebMaster’s LogBook on the Homepage of A Safe
Place To Land.. There are only several hundred copies of each item available.
So much for the sales pitch on this first edition of Ask Rod on The Flight Plan. Hope
those of you interested will prove to Dwight [and Edward] that Stanyan Mail Order can
work.
PS: Thanks again tara
for the idea of adding ASK ROD to the flight plan.
Have a good Tuesday and if you look hard enough you can glimpse that not so far off
weekend.
- RM 11/4/98 |
THREE POEMS FROM "FIELDS OF WONDER" |
|
1. Will
I want love
for those I love
to come from all sides
not just selfish me.
If the moon can rise for me
it ought to rise for those
who comfort me, direct or indirectly,
banked by paths that take the dreamer home
even when the dreamer doesn’t know
that I have willed his pleasant journey.
2. Brahms
The clock was running down
and I had taken no precaution
for the coming night.
All the while
your arms were disengaging,
your smile receding
and your touch not tender or not there.
Then-
(Please don’t ask me
what the hour was)
It must have been
Within the Brahma,
You went to sleep unsmiling.
If I knew
then I’d forgotten
that we were loving
at your option
entangling at your convenience
and elevating one the other
only just by your design.
Unprepared I was
and am
when any door
I thought I helped to open
closes while I look
the other way.
3. Other People's Music
I stay awake by choice
pretending to a pillow,
my arms wrapped `round it,
that the music coming through the walls
is being sent to me.
Then conversation kills the radio.
The pillow falls
and lullabies give way
to distant laughter
imagined movement
forced memory
and semi-perfect sleep.
- from "Fields of Wonder", 1971 |
