26th
& 27th July, 2008
New concerts announced!
Click HERE for details.
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Photo by Jay Hagan,
7/12/08 Burbank, CA
A Thought for Today
You can go home again, but don’t unless
you’re willing to pay your own way.
TO BEGIN WITH
Working on the mail and polishing off a basil martini or two. Maybe I’ll
provide you with the recipe for that delicious drink and some other
goodies next week.
.ASK
ROD
THE DATING GAME
Rod, Imagine my amazement as I was surfing the
Internet, to come across two videos of you on the Dating Game on You
Tube. Whatever possessed you to go on the show?
So, how did the date go? Linda Hill, Smithfield, RI
Dear Linda, The same thing that 'possessed' Harrison Ford, Tom Selleck,
Dustin Hoffman. Keith Carradine, Sally Field, Jack Nicholson, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Anthony Perkins, Russ Tamblyn, Ron Howard, Dusty
Springfield, Jon Voight, James Cahn, Nick Adams and dozens of young
actors and performers struggling for any kind of exposure at the time.
Even more important, in addition to a Screen Actors Guild scale payment
each of us got a set of Encyclopedia Britannica which could be hocked
for a couple of hundred bucks. It kept us off the unemployment line, put
food on the table and helped pay the rent. In short, it was a job. As a
guy who's been working since age 12 (my employment has included grave
digging in Denver, cookie catching at Nabisco in Oakland, sheep hoarding
in Billings, rodeoing in Cheyenne and Calgary. Selling blood –– and
myself in New York City, shoe clerking at Payless in Portland and
log-jamming in both Washington and Oregon) thirty minutes on a
nationally broadcasted game show was one of my easier tasks ––
especially when the young entertainment medium called television had
only so many jobs to go around. Would I have rather done an episode of
Alfred Hitchcock Presents? Yep, but work was work.
You see, in addition to making a living, I had this other habit that
didn't pay very well (if at all –– till I learned how to make it pay) I
was a practicing poet and songwriter. I can't think of anything I
wouldn't have done to be able to afford the luxury and joy of being able
to devote as much time as possible to writing. Do I regret the four or
five times I appeared on The Dating Game? Absolutely not. And not just
for the reasons sighted above; with the advent of the Internet it gives
judgmental people like yourself an opportunity to vent. Although I admit
yours is the first letter that inquired, "Whatever possessed you" as if
it was a heinous act akin to murder or armed robbery.
How did the date go? I'd love to be able to say, 'I popped the question
the first night and we've been happily married ever since.' No such
luck. The first date went badly and I never followed up on any of the
others. The rule was that if you don't take advantage of the date and
trip within a year then the contestant got the trip with a beau of her
choice. I like to think my refusal caused a spark or two with one or
more deserving couples. All my best to you and yours Linda, that naughty
Dating Game guy, Rod
MUSIC TO WORK OUT TO
Rod, After many years of absence, I happened to
Google your name and ran across flight plan. I was very gratified to
find it.
An interesting thing happened recently. I read and write poetry and also
an actor (no, I won't ask you to read any). On the occasion of the 40th
anniversary of my 21st birthday, I wanted to read something special at
my local poetry gathering, and to me, that is always Rod McKuen. I
happened to pull out my copy of "Listen to the Warm", and there on the
inside cover was an inscription from an old love when she gave the book
to me on my 21st birthday. I have read (and of course always credited
you) your stuff many times over the years at poetry gatherings. For this
occasion I chose a couple of my favorites to read: "A Cat named Sloopy',
and "The Art of Catching Trains"
Today while working out in my garage I decided to play some of my RM
cassettes, but alas, not much quality left after all these years. I
especially was distressed when I found my favorite "Live at Carnegie
Hall' was damaged. (need to replace with CD's if they have been
remastered into them) Anyway, I got to thinking that THIS is quality;
THIS is what everyone should be listening to still today - perhaps
especially today. Your message in the one "---and it makes me cry to see
the things some men do to one another etc." is SO profound. The world
still very much needs the message of Rod McKuen. I do hope you will
considering touring more, and, perhaps now after these years, a '60
minutes' or show of its ilk would consider an interview, anything to get
the name and message of Rod McKuen out there again. We NEED a Rod McKuen
resurgence.
But, I digress, anyway, I was going thru an old file cabinet and a
magazine was stuck inside (and this is at the exact time that I was
playing your music). It was a "Writers Digest" from February 1984 with
you on the cover and an article about 'finding your poet's voice'. Well,
that was too much of a coincidence for me, so I knew I had to at least
attempt to contact you.
An agent I used to have years ago, (and I still hear it on occasion)
stated she thought I sounded "exactly like Rod McKuen” even to the point
that instead of calling me by name she would say Rod. I probably have
most all of your material, and have had the honor of seeing you in
person twice many years ago. So, yes, I am an unabashed RM fan. Thank
you for your great work over the years. You have left the people of the
world an amazing legacy, one to be emulated and praised. Take care of
YOU!
Dear Jack, Thanks so much for your thoughtful letter. All those
references that trigger good memories for me . . . where to begin?
Because so much of my early life was spent moving from place to place,
job to job, I’m still somewhat of a hobo at heart and so The Art of
Catching Trains is as paramount in my life today as it was when it was
first written so many years ago. Most of the time I was an illegal
traveler, hopping freight trains and bunking in boxcars as I towned to
town around the American west. In later years when I could afford a seat
or birth on a sleek passenger train or joined the jet set as my life got
faster I always secretly missed the romance of the rails close up. I
still do.
I go on fighting the good fight against the things men do and it’s a
battle we all need to engage in because the banners of indifference,
hostility and bigotry still wave everywhere.
As for touring more, I’d enjoy that and there are still plenty of
venues, big and small, left where I could give the kind of concerts I
would like to but I’ve outlived all the promoters who used to present me
around the country and around the world. The presenters and producers of
today are a younger crowd and the McKuen name doesn’t ring any bells for
them. In these tough economic times it will probably be even harder to
convince bookers to take a chance on the ‘new unknown Rod Whatshisname.’
Why aren’t you a concert producer, Jack? We need more than a Rod McKuen
resurgence, what we really need is more promoters your age. I still make
appearances, do shows and give concerts –– just not on the scale I’d
like to.
Near the end of the year I have a supper club gig in Palm Springs and
I’ve announced that one of the shows will be an all request event, both
The Things Men Do and the Art of Catching trains look like they will
make the final cut so if you have a hankering to trade the hills of
Oklahoma for the California desert one weekend in November you’re more
than welcome to stop by.
Here’s another idea, since folks think you sound like me (and you have
the added advantage of being fifteen years younger) you might consider
mounting your own Rendezvous with Rod tour. Just a thought. Hope you
have better luck getting an agent than I do.
As for The Carnegie Hall album, a truncated version made its way to CD a
decade ago and sold out. The complete concert, including tracks that
didn’t even make the original double LP set is due for digital
remastering one day soon. Meanwhile complete versions of Live in London
and The Amsterdam Concert are available on CD from
Stanyanhouse.com and you can
check out the track listings at that website.
Thanks for all the compliments and comments Jack, glad you Googled me .
. . I’m richer for it and all smiles. Keep your head up and keep
singing, every hand and heart and song is needed in what often seems
like an increasingly hostile and impersonal world. It’s really only as
uncaring and impersonal as we make it. With affection, Rod
OCEANS ELEVEN
Hello Rod, I have been trying to find your album
The Sea and cannot find on CD, Tape other than an LP. Has anyone put it
on a put on a CD Thanks and hope you are well. A. Hucke
Dear A Hucke, You can usually find copies of "The Sea" CD on Amazon or
E-Bay. I’m hanging well, thanks for asking and for writing. Good
hunting. Best Regards, Rod
RM 7/25/08
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