BITS AND PIECES - NEWS ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS By Michael McDowell

ALL: His extraordinary sixty-eight year career in film, television and music produced one of the most impressive track records to be found in each of those three disciplines. Editor / Pubisher Michael McDowell salutes the remarkable legacy of JAMES DARREN below  (Click on above image to enlarge).

THIS ONE'S FROM THE HEART:

REMEMBERING

JAMES DARREN

(1936 - 2024)

"Let's stop by the record store. I want to get the new James Darren album".

Those words were spoken not in 1959. Nor in 1963 or 1966. They were said in 1999 by my late wife Audrey, in reference to Darren's album This One's From The Heart on the Concord Jazz label. 

Indeed the nineteen years of married bliss that Audrey and I shared felt in some ways  as though we were living out our own Camelot experience. To that effect, I have often said that it felt like we were married from 1948 to 1967, rather than the reality of 1995 until her sudden passing in 2014.

That thought had also crossed my mind when we returned to the car, as Audrey clutched her purchase with considerable delight. While of course not oblivious to the world in which we lived, the fact remained that an artist such as James Darren was as much a contributor to the current cultural landscape as anyone benefitting from the mainstream media spotlight at the moment.

That is as much of a testimony to the timelessness of Darren's art as it was our own preferences in the world of entertainment. Born James William Ercolani in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June 1936, Darren was by virtue of geography in a position of considerable advantage, given that city's formidable contributions to rock and roll during its formative years. 

Indeed, after completing his studies in New York City with an eye towards a career in acting, Darren found himself co-starring in the motion picture, Rumble On The Docks in 1956. By 1959, he was in the spotlight for his portrayal of Moondoggie in the motion picture Gidget, as well as two sequels.

Darren's rendition of the film's title track for Colpix (his second 45 for the label) provided a tremendous kick start for his recording career. Numerous triumphs for Colpix followed, including I Ain't Sharin' Sharon, They Should Have Given You The Oscar, Goodbye Cruel World and the utterly stupendous Her Royal Majesty. Various collaborations with Colpix label mates Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen were also well received.

For much of the 1960s and 1970s, Darren continued to flourish in a variety of disciplines. They included a starring role in The Time Tunnel television series, an acclaimed album (All) for Warner Brothers and an appearance in the 1963 motion picture, The Lively Set. 

His various recordings for Kirshner and Private Stock during the 1970s were also well received, as was his work on the T.J. Hooker crime drama television series in the 1980s. By the 1990s, he was also working as a director, with episodes of the iconic Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 series to his credit.

By the turn of the century, Darren had turned much of his musical attention towards the jazz that inspired the aforementioned This One's From The Heart album. Throughout much of the twenty-first century, he also weighed in frequently on his social media sites, concurrently keeping his profile high via the occasional live appearance, as well as a role in the 2017 motion picture, Lucky.

Sadly, Darren's This One's From The Heart album now comes full circle. He was recently admitted to Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for aortic valve surgery. Tragically, he passed away there in his sleep during the morning of 02 September. Survivors include his wife Evy, and several children. Darren was 88.

I'D RATHER HAVE A MEMORY

THAN A DREAM:

REMEMBERING

MAURICE WILLIAMS

(1940 - 2024)

Sometimes less is more.

Few artists underscored that point more decisiviely than did the great composer, vocalist, producer and Lancaster, South Carolina native Maurice Williams. His 1960 signature single, Stay for the Herald label with the Zodiacs packed more punch in one minute and thirty-eight seconds than did the average 45; ultimately earning cover versions by the Four Seasons, the Hollies and Jackson Browne (among others). Stay was rivaled in terns of brevity with high impact perhaps only by the Dave Clark Five's Please Tell Me Why and Lesley Gore's Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows. 

A remarkably gifted wordsmith, Williams' inclinations towards music were already in place early in life. At age six, he joined his mother and sister as a member of his church's choir. In due course, Williams and childhood friend William Gainey formed the Gospel group, the Junior Harmonizers. As rock and roll took center stage, the Junior Harmonizers became the Royal Charms.

Convinced at this point that their future was in music, Williams, Gainey and their colleagues (tenor William Massey, baritone Willie Jones and bass Norman Wade) began to audition for various record labels. Their endeavors brought them to the Nasnville-based Excello label, which then was the recording home of Beulah Bryant, Arthur Gunter, the Marigolds, Lightnin' Slim, Jeremiah "Jerry" McCain and numerous Gospel groups. Excello CEO Ernie Young was interested, but suggested that the group change their name in order to avoid confusion with Otis Williams And The Charms, who were at the time recording prolifically for DeLuxe. 

Young's strategy paid off. The newly named Gladiolas put Excello (and the group itself) on the map in a big way with the monster classic single, Little Darlin'. That exercise in euphoria was covered by the Diamonds for Mercury, and remains one of rock and roll's definitive masterpieces.

Over the next two years, Williams balanced a variety of pursuits, from academia to various music related activities. The group again changed their name after being inspired by a Ford Motor Company model sold in Europe called the Zodiac. As Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs, the group caught the attention of the Herald label in late 1959 after brief affiliations that year with the Selwyn and Cole labels.

Herald was encouraged by Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs' in house acumen to the degree that they took the rare step of cutting an album on the group. Interestingly enough, Stay (which Williams had composed in 1953) was initially an afterthought in the process. But it ultimately became the album's title track in the wake of its massive success in early 1960.

Following the group's successful affiliation with Herald, Williams went on to record prolifically for other labels, including Veep, Decca, Dee-Su, Ripete and 440/Plus. The group also recorded a live album in 1965, with Williams ultimately amassing a most impressive legacy as one of the founding fathers of the beach music sub-genre. 

In his later years, Williams fielded a steady stream of inquiries and proclamations of support on his various social media outlets. One particular post from March 2016 spoke volumes about the so-called man of few words.

"I don't want any of you to think that I don't want you as my friend of fan", he said.

"This way, I can tell each of you, 'Thank you for being my friend' ".

Sadly, that beloved friend and inspiration to many lost his battle against a lingering illness on 06 August 2024. Williams was 84.

HOT SHOT:

BABE'S MARGA BULT'S

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

OF GRATITUDE

Birthdays can be a mixed blessing.

On one hand, a birthday can signify accomplishment and joy. Conversely, birthdays can also serve as a reminder of everything from loss to the aging process. 

In general, Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People does not chronicle birthday and / or anniversary celebrations, primarily because of the high volume of celebrants involved. Nonetheless, exceptions are made upon occasion when the event occurs in tandem with other developments in the career of a given artist. 

Such is definitely the case this year with Babe lead vocalist Marga Bult, whose recovery from injuries sustained in a fall at home several weeks ago has been chronicled extensively in Blitz Magazine. Thankfully, Bult's recovery has progressed to the degree that she has pretty much been able to resume her normal day to day routine.

Since succeeding outgoing lead vocalist Gemma Van Eck (who opted for a solo career) in the closing weeks of 1981, Bult and her Babe colleagues Rita van Rooy and Margot van de Ven spent the next half decade establishing the beloved Dutch trio as one of the premier vocal groups of the twentieth century. 

In the process, Babe also tirelessly championed the most essential attribute of relentless optimism in their mission statement. Not surprisingly, that virtue (along with her trademark sense of humor) continued to serve Bult well as she made plans for her 02 July birthday celebration in the wake of her recent challenges. 

"I notice now that I'm getting older that I'm getting much stronger", Bult said with tongue in cheek.

"I can lift 150 Euros' worth of groceries now! That didn't work before".

On a slightly more serious note, Bult opted to trransform her 02 July birthday observance into a combination celebration with her son (whose celebrated his own birthday on 01 July) and a family holiday.

"I turned a year older, but for the first time, I'm celebrating it in Altea", she said.

"You have to experience everything in life at least once, right? (My family and I) are making it a very sunny and cozy party together".

Meanwhile, Babe's legions of devotees continue to hold out hope that one of Bult, van Rooy and van der Ven's frequent reunion meetings will result in the most welcome news of  a return to the recording studio, to live performance or both. Babe has been on a professional sabbatical since 1986, although they remain in close contact with one another. 

"Sweet, thank you", said Bult, who is also a registered nurse.

And a reciprocal thank you to Marga Bult from Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People, with a benediction for birthday blessings in abundance.

HANG ON TO A DREAM:

REMEMBERING

FRANCOISE HARDY

(1944 - 2024)

Learning from rack jobbers could well be akin to taking a grad level crash course in the industry.

During the height of the so-called British Invasion, the cerebral approach to music appreciation was beginning to avail itself in the retail sector in a manner theretofore unseen on a grand scale. Indeed, there were occasional noteworthy examples prior to that time, such as the late, great John Dolphin's Southern California-based Dolphin's Of Hollywood, or New York City's fabled Times Square Records. But few took it to the next level as well as did the rack jobbers that serviced the legendary Arlans Department Store chain (among others) during that most productive of eras. 

To wit, in April 1965, Kapp's subsidiary 4 Corners Of The World label released the debut American album by vocalist, composer and Paris native, Francoise Madeline Hardy, The Yeh-Yeh Girl From Paris. But in reality, the label's categorizing of the ambitious visionary's work as being a part of the same movement that brought the world France Gall, Chantal Goya and Sylvie Vartan was somewhat akin to Manfred Mann and Georgie Fame being lumped in with their British Invasion colleagues as being of the same vision by virtue of such periphery as geography.

Indeed, by 1965, Hardy already had roughly two dozen releases to her credit at home on the Vogue label. To their considerable credit, the aforementioned rack jobbers (who were pioneers in bringing import releases to their market) made available some of those 45s upon occasion, including her 1962 J'suis D'accord / Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles and 1963's Oh Oh Cheri.

Irrespective of any such concerns about mission statements, having American releases available made it all the easier for those forward thinking distributors to bring Hardy's work to the attention of their target audience. Despite minimal television exposure (including an appearance on NBC television's Hullaballoo) and scant radio play, the rack jobbers gave Hardy's 4 Corners Of The World releases prominent display within the stores' vast archives. Word of mouth (as well as a slowly but steadily growing profession of appreciation from the music press) got the news out in due course, and Hardy began to enjoy the acclaim in the United States that her work so richly deserved.

By 1966, circumstances began to change again in Hardy's favor, as she took a quantum leap that would help break down the peripheral barrier of provincialism and forever endear her to the faithful in the process. That same year, pioneering rocker, composer, vocalist and Milan, Lombardy native Adriano Celentano released a groundbreaking, self-penned single, Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck. A pillar of high drama, Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck told in the most compelling terms the tale of places of natural wonder beng subjected to commercial development in the name of "progress". 

Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck at last saw U.S. availability in mid-1966 on Capitol via the magnificent rendition by Verdelle Smith as Tar And Cement. But prior to the release of Smith's single, Hardy likewise recognized a solidarity of vision with Celentano's masterpiece, and recorded her own version as La Maison Ou J'ai Grandi. All three renditions were subsequently hailed by Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People as being among the best singles of the twentieth century. 

Seemingly unfazed by such accolades, Hardy went on to record a series of ambitious albums over the next several years that both reveal and reaffirm a well developed and unique vision. They include Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp, Comment Te Dire Adieu, Soleil and Le Question. That upward aesthetic trajectory perhaps best expressed itself in the seemingly oxymoronic relentless optimism of 1972's Et Si Je M'en Vais Avant Toi.

Although Hardy retired from live performance in 1968, she continued to compose and record prolifically. In the ensuing years, she also pursued a career in cinema, and released her autobiography, The Despair Of Monkeys And Other Trifles in 2018. She married singer Jacques Dutronic, with whom she had a son, musician Thomas Dutronic.

In late 2004, Hardy began a protracted battle against lymphoma, with which she would contend for the rest of her life. Sadly, she succumbed to laryngeal cancer on 11 June 2024.

"Maman est partie", or "Mom is gone", said Thomas Dutronic in an online statement.

Mom, composer, vocalist and visionary of the highest order, whose impact can be heard in the works of numerous artists who likewise knew no such periphery as geography in their endeavors to realize their own visions. Hardy was 80.

FULL CIRCLE:

REMEMBERING

JOHN SINCLAIR

(1941 - 2024)

First impressions are not necessarily enduring ones.

From a musical standpoint, poet, author and Flint, Michigan native John Sinclair found himself in the spotlight in the late 1960s as the manager of the Lincoln Park-based quintet, the MC5. Encouraged by the acclaim afforded their earlier 45s for AMG and A-Square Records, the band recorded their debut album, Kick Out The Jams at Detroit's Grande Ballroom in October 1968. It was released by Elektra in the opening weeks of 1969, to no small amount of fanfare. The increased attention came about in light of the title track's incorporation of a particular four letter word (occasionally referred to as an "f-bomb") in its spoken introduction.

Indeed, such developments may seem to be an anomaly of sorts to a twenty-first century audience. To wit, while the enormously successful 2023 Midnights album by composer and vocalist Taylor Swift (in which Swift invokes the so-called "f-bomb" on multiple occasions) has not impacted the artist's considerable momentum to any discernible degree, Kick Out The Jams was only the second such release to have done so in the 1960s and still be afforded widespread mainstream media exposure (the first being the Kingsmen's 1963 cover of Richard Berry's Louie, Louie; and according to some, only allegedly so). 

A 1964 graduate of the University Of Michigan's Flint campus (where he had served on the staff of the university's newspaper), Sinclair used the MC5's success as a springboard for his many socio-political causes. However, his considerable momentum and media presence in that respect was abruptly derailed late in 1969 by a conviction for marijuana possession. 

The ten year sentence imposed upon Sinclair did not sit well with his many musical colleagues and supporters. A number of them (including the Up, Phil Ochs, Bob Seger, Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, Archie Shepp, David Peel, John Lennon and the Fugs' Ed Sanders) came to Sinclair's defense at a Free John Now rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan in December 1971.

After Sinclair's early release in 1972, he pursued a variety of business ventures. They ranged from radio announcer and author to the founder of an ambitious but short-lived graphics production house.

And it was at that point that the notion of revisiting first impressions first availed itself.

In the early days of Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People, our Graphic Arts Director, Dennis Loren concurrently worked on a number of projects with Sinclair's former wife, photojournalist Leni Sinclair. Although the Sinclairs had parted ways in 1977, they continued to collaborate in a professional capacity. 

At the time, the firm that had been handling typesetting for Blitz Magazine had abruptly gone out of business. In the search for a replacement, Leni Sinclair mentioned to Loren that her former husband's production firm was offering such services. And so, for a season, John Sinclair became a part of Blitz Magazine's production team.

Sinclair's business, which operated from the basement of his Detroit home, offered a quick turnaround time that was welcomed as a major plus for his deadline-conscious print media clientele. After introductions were made at our initial meeting, the genial Sinclair invited Blitz Magazine to wait in the ad hoc lobby that served as his living room while he processed the typesetting job on his well worn but reliable Compugraphic machine. 

While the aforementioned Kingsmen once sang that, "The waiting's gonna hurt", that was never the case at Sinclair's home. His living room also showcased his enormous vinyl collection, which he invited his clientele to peruse at their leisure. While a sizeable percentage of Sinclair's record library featured the many jazz masters who recorded for such labels as Impulse, ESP, Riverside, Atlantic and Prestige, he also had in his recorded archives a rich variety of genres and artists, from Fabian Forte to Donovan Leitch. 

Blitz Magazine's eventual relocation to Southern California meant an inevitable  parting of the professional ways with Sinclair. He nonetheless persevered and flourished in his many subsequent ventures, from radio announcer to a successful run as a recording artist in his own right. 

Sadly, Sinclair's multi-faceted vision came to a close on the morning of 02 April 2024, when he succumbed to congestive heart failure at Detroit Receiving Hospital. He was 82.

LET ME THROUGH:

REMEMBERING THE REMAINS'

KEYBOARD MAN BILL BRIGGS

(1946 - 2024)

"No". 

It was that decisive, one word response with which Remains front man and guitarist Barry Tashian concluded his interview with Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People some years ago. The question was, "Do you think the Remains will ever get back together?"

Tashian's response was not borne of a lack of interest. Rather, it was the reality of the circumstances at hand at the time. 

The Boston quartet was hailed from the onset as being among the absolute masters of first generation garage rock. Their 1966 debut album for Epic most assuredly supported that distinction, as did their singles for the label. They include You Had A Hard Time Coming, I Can't Get Away From You and the monster classics Why Do I Cry, Diddy Wah Diddy and the Billy Vera-penned Don't Look Back.

Indeed, the Remains' numerous television and concert appearances also earned them a reputation in short order as one of the most formidable live bands around. In mid-1966, the Remains opened for the Beatles on the latter band's final tour. With the Beatles growing increasingly disenchanted with the rigours of touring, the Remains seized the moment. By the accounts of many eyewitnesses, in terms of sheer prowess and enthusiasm, the Remains either equalled or surpassed the headliners on a number of those dates.

All of which served to underscore Tashian's resignation to the finality of it all. There was a brief reunion in 1969, which resulted in a live album. A final Remains studio album, Movin' On also surfaced in 2002. But the fact remained that such a powerhouse entity, no matter how determinedly it persevered, would by definition implode in due course.

Much of the Remains' impact in that respect came from keyboard man and Boston University alumnus, William Henri "Bill" Briggs III. An avid motorist, Briggs shared Marty Robbins, George Harrison and Tommy Smothers' passion for drag racing. That spirit of adventure often reflected in his work on stage with the Remains, as he and his colleagues demonstrated consistently via their mastery of the rave up. Those combined passions led to a fruitful career in auto sales in Briggs' later years.

Sadly, the Remains' Rudolph "Chip" Damiani passed away from a cerebral  hemorrhage on 23 February 2014. In turn, Bill Briggs succumbed to a lengthy illness on the morning of 26 March 2024. Survivors include his son Jake and daughter Jan. Briggs was 78.

WHAT ABOUT ME:

ANNE MURRAY

STEALS THE SHOW

AT THE JUNO AWARDS

The Snowbird has flown home with a vengeance.

After introductions by host Nelly Furtado at the annual Juno Awards in Halifax on 24 March, Capitol Records legend and Springhill, Nova Scotia native Anne Murray made a rare public appearance to present the award for Best Group. The honors went to the ambitious and hard rocking quartet, the Beaches. 

Nonetheless, it was Murray who received the lion's share of adoration from the Scotiabank Centre audience. Her upbeat observations about having attended the first Juno ceremony in Toronto, Ontario in 1970 with no television coverage and yet being "one big party" won over the crowd which, "like Nelly", Murray added, "hadn't even been born yet!"

"Lots of people got hammered", she joked.

"But not me, of course!"

Other winners included Montreal, Quebec composer and vocalist Charlotte Cardin for Album Of The Year (99 Nights), and Toronto's Tobi for Rap Album Of The Year. 

Murray's 1968 psych-tinged What About Me LP for the Arc label led to a series of acclaimed albums and 45s for Capitol in the 1970s. Among the highlights of her singles legacy were Snowbird, Just Bidin' My Time and Uproar, along with memorable covers of classics by the Monkees, the Everly Brothers, the Beatles and George Jones. Murray was also an occasional participant in the ad hoc group, the Hollywood Vampires with Micky Dolenz, Alice Cooper, Harry Nilsson and John Lennon in the 1970s.

PARTY'S OVER:

REMEMBERING THE

RASPBERRIES' ERIC CARMEN

(1949 - 2024)

While history has been somewhat forgiving, as it was unfolding, it truly was the worst of times.

The early 1970s found the musical mainstream immersed in a protracted aesthetic slump. The rich diversity and relentless optimism that had graced the musical landscape for decades had given way to an atmosphere of negativity. The so-called AM/FM wars fueled an unprecedented rise in genre myopia, with heart and optimism often taking a back seat in the creative process.

But it was in those worst of times - 1972 - that a quartet from Ohio was among those who led the charge. The Raspberries were armed with an album's worth of relentless optimism, original material with a strong verse, chorus and bridge template and a keen understanding of the power of vocal harmony. Capitol Records took a chance, and the Raspberries made the disenfranchised sit up and take notice with their debut single, Go All The Way.

Over the next several years, the Raspberries sustained their momentum with four superb albums for Capitol, as well as a wealth of acclaimed singles that included I Wanna Be With You, Overnight Sensation, Drivin' Around, Let's Pretend and I'm A Rocker.

The creative visionary behind the Raspberries was composer, vocalist and Cleveland native, Eric Howard Carmen. Inspired at an early age by such consummate entertainers as Jimmy Durante and Johnnie Ray, Carmen went on to front Cyrus Erie, who briefly recorded for Epic.

After the Raspberries had run their course, Carmen embarked upon a solo career with Arista, resulting in such enduring singles as All By Myself, Never Gonna Fall In Love Again and the utterly stupendous Sunrise. He was also interviewed at length in Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People at that time.

Sadly, Carmen passed away at his home over the weekend of 10-11 March. Survivors include his wife, Amy and his two children. Carmen was 74.

REAL TRUE LOVIN':

REMEMBERING

STEVE LAWRENCE

(1935 - 2024)

was one of many moments that has made publishing Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People an immeasurable blessing.

In June 2011, legendary composer, vocalist, arranger and producer Carmine John "Ron Dante" Granito reached out to Blitz Magazine with a bit of good news.

"I'm currently in the studio, producing Steve Lawrence", he said.

That summit meeting could not have been more fortuitous for both artists. As front man of the Detergents, Dante turned out a series of first rate novelty tracks for the great Morris Levy's Roulette label, incuding Double O-Seven, the Herman's Hermits spoof Mrs. Jones ('Ow About It) and the late 1964 monster classic Shangri-Las send up, Leader Of The Laundromat. He went on to record several acclaimed solo singles for Musicor and Columbia, before returning to center stage as lead vocalist of the Archies in 1968 and the Cuff Links in 1969. 

By 1973, Dante had taken on the role of producer for the solo recordings by one time Featherbed front man Barry Manilow for Bell and Arista. Manilow returned the favor by producing Dante's 1976 Yellow Van single for RCA Victor as lead vocalist of Ronnie And The Dirt Riders.

All of which made that 2011 summit meeting all the more fortuitous. 

Born Sidney Liebowitz in Brooklyn, New York, Lawrence worked as a demo singer in his high school years. He concurrently signed with Syd Nathan's King label in 1952. In 1953, Lawrence was hired by Steve Allen as a vocalist for the prototype of what was to become NBC's Tonight Show. Their working partnership lasted until 1957, when Jack Paar succeeded Allen as the program's host.

In terms of timing, the transition was perfect. Lawrence had joined forces with Decca's affiliate Coral label in 1955, garnering a bit of acclaim with such Gospel-themed singles as Open Up The Gates Of Mercy and The Lord Is A Busy Man. But with rock and roll in full swing by 1957, Lawrence went back into the studio that year and cut an ambitious version of Buddy Knox's Party Doll.

A brief stop at ABC Paramount at decade's end produced the highly acclaimed Footsteps and Pretty Blue Eyes singles. Following an equally fruitful association with United Artists, Lawrence went on to sign with Columbia. That partnership resulted in his signature single, Go Away Little Girl in 1962, inspiring covers by the Happenings for B.T. Puppy and Donny Osmond for MGM. 

But it was Lawrence's partnership with Eydie Gorme that reaped the greatest aesthetic and personal dividends for him. Lawrence and Gorme met while working together on The Tonight Show. They married in 1957 and worked prolifically together in the recording studio, on television and on the Broadway stage.

By 1969, the musical mainstream was well on its way into a protracted aesthetic slump. The rich diversity that had characterized music in general prior to that time was giving way to a polarization by genre that availed itself most disconcertingly in the so-called AM/FM Wars of the day. 

Nonetheless, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme rallied in the face of adversity, turning out their finest moment in the recording studio in the process. In early 1969, RCA Victor released an all new Steve And Eydie album, whose title track was the recipient of Blitz Magazine's ultimate high praise designation of absolute, utter perfection. Blessed with their trademark relentless optimism and an abundance of vocal harmony euphoria, that single, Real True Lovin' went on to tie with Los Payos' utterly stupendous Maria Isabel as Blitz Magazine's pick for Best Single Of 1969.

Sadly, by the time Lawrence and Dante had joined forces for that 2011 summit meeting, Gorme had retired from live perfomance due to declining health. She passed away in 2013. 

Nonetheless, with the unwavering resolve that the process of making music is therapeutic, Lawrence and Dante persevered accordingly.

"I'm doing classic songs for Steve's album", Dante said at the time. 

"Garth Brooks, Neil Sedaka, Elton John and Barry Manilow".

At that point, Lawrence suggested to Dante that they pause momentarily in the recording process to take a selfie to forward to Blitz Magazine. It is that selfie which accompanies this article. 

Although Lawrence continued to perform and record sporadically up to 2019, he announced in June of that year that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. Tragically, that disease claimed his life in Los Angeles on 07 March.

Steve Lawrence is survived by his son, David. He would have celebrated his eighty-ninth birthday on 06 July. 

MAN SMART:

PIONEERING ROCKER

ADRIANO CELENTANO

CELEBRATES 86TH BIRTHDAY

The prevention of procrastination has come full circle.

Recent articles in Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People have addressed in detail the subect of procrastination, and how tendencies towards perfectionism can exacerbate it. In the new year, the reduction and/or elimination of this counter-productive trait remains front and center in our mission statement.

To that effect, a pioneering musical giant celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday on the sixth of January. For years, Blitz Magazine has hoped to add him to the long list of visionaries whose work has been championed in our pages. 

However, various concerns have come into play that have prevented such a summit meeting to date. They range from the obvious distance factor to the fact that he continues to maintain one of the most demanding schedules in the entertainment industry at large. 

As such, in light of the occasion of his birthday, it seemed prudent to at least take the necessary steps forward to allow for a celebration of his extraordinary legacy. And with Blitz Magazine's focus in recent months on the work of some of his fellow European visionaries, the time was definitely right to give this beloved pioneer of the movement his due.

Born 06 January 1938 in Milan, Lombardy to Leontino and Giuditta Celentano, Adriano Celentano spent his formative years as an apprentice watchmaker. Although musically gifted, his occasional forays into performance were primarily for his own edification while plying his trade.

But in 1959, that all changed.

At that stage, the good news of rock and roll was still traveling by word of mouth throughout much of the European continent. That year, Bill Haley And The Comets' 1954 signature single, Rock Around The Clock found its way to Celentano, and there was no turning back. 

The aspiring watchmaker at once immersed himself in this new found art form, drawing inspiration from everyone from Elvis Presley to the humor of Jerry Lewis. By year's end, he had a single available, covering both the Diamonds' The Stroll and Paul Anka's sublime Tell Me That You Love Me for the Music label with considerable high drama. 

As his nation's first and most visible champion of rock and roll, Celentano's momentum contunued unabated in the ensuing months. He starred in two acclaimed motion pictures, 1959's Ragazzi Del Juke Box and Federico Fellini's 1960 international smash, La Dolce Vita. On record, Celentano joined forces with fellow musicians Giorgio Gaber and Enzo Jannacci. They were recruited by Jolly Records' A&R head, Ezio Leoni, who went on to co-author with Celentano some of the latter's earliest hits, including the magnificent 24,000 Baci. 

By 1962, Celentano had founded his own record label, Clan Celentano. Among his initial signings were first generation garage rock greats, Ola And The Janglers (whose classic What A Way To Die was released in the United States on the GNP Crescendo label) and actress Claudia Mori, whom Celentano married in 1964. 

Celentano's profile continued to grow exponentially. His trademark athleticism and unique sense of humor endeared him to many and earned him countless appearances in motion pictures and television throughout the 1960s. 

But in 1966, his biggest breakout moment to date put him in the upper echelons of it all.

Long motivated by environmental concerns in his native Lombardy, Celentano in 1966 was inspired to compose a ballad that would bring those concerns into the forefront. But the resultant Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck more than exceeded expectations. 

A black and white video clip of Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck found its way to Dick Clark, whose American Bandstand and Where The Action Is were among television's hottest outlets for new music. Meanwhile, other artists also took notice. The beloved composer and vocalist, Francoise Hardy (whose records were released on the 4 Corners label in the United States) turned in an inspired cover of Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck as La Maison Ou J'ai Grandi. And at Capitiol Records in Hollywood, a bit of astute transliteration enabled the great Verdelle Smith to release a masterpiece of her own with her interpretation of Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck as Tar And Cement.

With that, Celentano could well have found himself at an impasse not unlike that which impacted the Beach Boys in the coming months. With the game changing Smile/Smiley Smile project under wraps by mid-1967, the only way to go was back to basics, which they did with their R&B-inspired Wild Honey album before year's end.

For Celentano, a change was also coming. But for many, it was a change that still generates inspired discussions more than a half century after the fact.

While demand for live concert appearances, film and television guest shots and the like continued unabated, by the early 1970s, Celentano was still compelled to take it to the next level. And in what by North American standards was arguably the worst of times aesthetically to date, Celentano instead rose to the occasion and delivered his masterpiece.

Although the European continent overall had more than proved its mettle as a primary go to source of the best in musical creativity, in 1972, there was still an undercurrent of "us versus them" that inspired visionaries such as Celentano on to even greater heights. Amused and motivated by what he perceived was a sound pattern that was unique to the English language, Celentano composed a three minute single in which he (in spoken word fashion) waxed eloquently on the subject with random syllables which only paralleled the English language upon occasion. Filmed in a classroom setting (with Claudia Mori as his harmonica playing student) Celentano as a language professor created an anthem for the ages with his larger than life Prisencolinensinainciusol single. Since its 1972 release, Prisencolinensineinciusol has been hailed as a forerunner of punk, rap and several other genres.

For much of the remainder of the twentieth century and well into the twenty-first century, Celentano has maintained a rigorous schedule of film and television appearances. After a sabbatical of several years, he returned to live concert performances in 2012 to a hero's welcome. Most notably, his 2016 high drama remake of Prisencolinensinainciusol as MinaCelentano with Roberto Bolle was saluted by Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People as one of the premiere singles of the decade of the 2010s.

For his eighty-sixth birthday, Celentano has opted to take in the occasion with loved ones. In the process, he has also fielded literally thousands of well wishes from the faithful, who have kept his social media platforms saturated with benedictions. He remains a hero for the ages. Buon Compleanno, good sir.

THE RACE IS ON:

JACK JONES TAKES

A VICTORY LAP

OVER CANCER

Jack Jones has never been one to back away from a challenge.

For more than six decades, the legendary composer and vocalist George Jones (no relation) was regarded by many as the greatest living voice on the planet. In September 1964, George Jones recorded the rocking The Race Is On single for United Artists. That single was a career defining moment, eventually earning cover versions by Dave Edmunds, the Grateful Dead, the Georgia Satellites, Waylon Jennings, Jody Miller and others. 

But first out of the gate with his own rendition for Kapp Records in March 1965 was Jack Jones. With its rocking arrangement and sublime overdubbed vocal harmonies, Jack Jones' version of The Race Is On is considered by many to be the definitive one. 

However, in recent months, Jack Jones has been involved in a race of a much more serious kind. Yet despite grim odds, it seems that he has nonetheless crossed the finish line unto victory.

"Not long after we finished the album Art Work (around Thanksgiving 2022), my wife Eleonora tested positive for Covid", Jones said. 

"I then hunkered down and waitied for it to get me. It did".

At first, it seemed as though the disease would run its course, and that was that.

"As the days went on, we both got over our Covid symptoms", Jones said.

"However, I started having feelings of extreme tiredness and weakness. After a blood test, my primary care doctor told me to go right to emergency at Eisenhower in Palm Desert."

After running a series of tests, Jones was discharged. But then things took a turn for the worse. 

"I then went to see my oncologist, who was not connected with Eisenhower", Jones said.

"He discovered cancer in my bone marrow. Acute leukemia. He told me there was nothing he could do, and that I was going to die. Hello!"

However, Jones then heard from long time friend, Dick Oliphant. 

"He told me about a doctor at Eisenhower. He was able to accept me as a patient. I followed his advice from then on. Since that time, after some hard work and brilliant guidance, I am cancer free and in remission."

One other critical element in Jones' recovery was the outpouring of love, prayer and support from family, friends and fans alike. 

"I am flabbergasted and grateful for your expressions of love", Jones said.

"I wanted to thank each and every one of you individually. Your messages were understood".

Jones summed it up by noting that in the process, he has lived out another one of his landmark recordings for Kapp.

"Thank you for sharing", he said.

"Winning our battle is not always an Impossible Dream".