FOUR PREPS / BRUCE BELLAND AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WAIT 'TIL YOU HEAR IT FROM ME: Theirs was one of the most all encompassing adventures through all phases of the entertainment industry. Editor / Publisher Michael McDowell celebrates Icons, Idols And Idiots Of Hollywood, the all new autobiography by BRUCE BELLAND of the FOUR PREPS (Click on above image to enlarge).

ICONS< IDOLS AND

IDIOTS OF HOLLYWOOD -

Bruce Belland (Bear Manor Media)

By Michael McDowell

"What a group!"

So said the late Ed Cobb in a landmark, three-part interview that was published in Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People in the 1980s. As co-founder of the iconic and groundbreaking vocal quartet, the Four Preps, it had taken Cobb years to come to terms with that phase of his extraordinary legacy. 

Cobb had subsequently gone on to work in various capacities (including composer, arranger and producer) with such legendary artists as Ketty Lester, Brenda Holloway, the Standells, the E-Types, Stark Naked And The Car Thieves and the Chocolate Watchband, to name but a few. In view of the extraordinary accomplishments of those artists, Cobb (who, at the time of that summit meeting with Blitz Magazine headed the Hollywood-based AVI label with Seymour Heller) had gone through a phase of self reassessment in terms of his own capabilities in the spotlight, which had led him to downplay his own role in that capacity for a season.

Ultimately, Cobb need not have worried. The Four Preps' unique mission statement of combining their impeccable vocal harmonies with material that often leaned towards humor, satire and socio-political commentary permanently established their formidable legacy. In turn, the Four Preps' remarkable vision was a direct inspiration for such like minded groups as the Cowsills, Harpers Bizarre and APO Hiking Society. 

Sadly, Cobb (who served as the group's bass vocalist) passed away in September 1999. Cobb's death came just six months after the passing of Four Preps tenor Marvin "Marv Ingram" Inabnett. Baritone Glen Larson followed in November 2014 at age 77.

All of which has left lead vocalist and Chicago, Illinois native Bruce Gerald Belland to tell the tale. Indeed, he does so quite candidly (with occasional irreverence) in Icons, Idols And Idiots Of Hollywood.

From a geographical standpoint, the Four Preps were at a decisive advantage. Belland, Cobb, Inabnett and Larson were students at Hollywood High School on Sunset Boulevard, which is located at about an equal distance from the Sunset Strip to the west, and their future record label to the east. An executive from that label (Capitol Records) spotted them at a talent show at the school in 1956, and signed the ambitious quartet to the label that same year.

One classic Four Preps single after another followed at Capitol. They included Dreamy Eyes, Twenty-Six Miles, Big Man (which was covered by Herman's Hermits in the late 1960s), Where Wuz You, Again And Again And Again, Cinderella, Lazy Summer Night, Down By The Station, Big Surprise, I Ain't Never, Got A Girl, a vocal rendition of Lawrence Welk's monster classic instrumental Calcutta, the comedic More Money For You And Me, The Seine, The Big Draft, Let's Call It A Day Girl (also recorded by the Razor's Edge for the Pow label) and Draftdodger Rag, among others. 

In turn, their studio albums for Capitol were rife with vocal harmony laden material.  They were augmented by acclaimed live albums that primarily showcased their aforementioned penchant for topical material.

While riding high with Capitol, the Four Preps were soon also working with rock and roll pioneer Rick Nelson. In addition to backing Nelson vocally during live appearances, the Four Preps also found themselves in recurring roles on Nelson's family's acclaimed ABC television series, The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet. 

To be certain, theirs was and is a tale with an abundance of aesthetic riches. Thankfully, Belland has chronicled it all in candid terms in this remarkable autobiography.

Being a part of the Capitol roster in that most productive period meant having a wealth of top drawer talent as labelmates. They included the Kingston Trio, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Ron Goodwin, Gene Vincent, Peggy Lee, the Journeymen and Dwayne Hickman. And while the Four Preps crossed paths with most of them in various capacities, they in turn carved out their own equally formidable niche.

In the process, the Four Preps also found themselves in a variety of circumstances with such diverse figures as Ed Sullivan, Dick Clark, President John F. Kennedy and humorist Lenny Bruce. And given the various accounts of those encounters outlined by Belland herein, it is in some ways remarkable that the members of the Four Preps lived to tell those tales. 

Thankfully, Belland has done just that in this extraordinary account. In some respects, he has emerged from his own period of self reassessment with a candor that had apparently heretofore eluded him. In the process, apologetics (a most disconcerting byproduct of survival for veteran artists who had successfully endured the protracted aesthetic slump of the immediate post-Woodstock ers) have given way to an ad hoc "vengeance is mine" approach. 

Nonetheless, that approach is tempered with the forgiveness maxim found in Matthew 18:21-22, which in part is in keeping with Belland's legacy as the son of Stanley Belland, the one time Senior Pastor of West Hollywood Community Church. All of which serves to make Belland's book an essential read. 

"It took me eight years to write", said Belland.

"What a kick it is to grab a pen and contribute to the fun".

Or, in the words of the aforementioned classic track from the Four Preps' 1958 debut album, Icons, Idols And Idiots Of Hollywood is a first class first person account that is worth revisiting Again And Again And Again.

RECORD STORE DAY 2024

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO: By definition, The Tortured Poets Department album by TAYLOR SWIFT (pictured above with Post Malone, with whom she collaborated on the albums debut single, Fortnight) should be the highlight of Record Store Day 2024. Blitz Magazine Editor/Publisher Michael McDowell takes a deep dive below into what's available, including new releases from the Rolling Stones, the Monkees, the Yardbirds, Sun Ra, Ernest Tubb, Olivia Rodrigo and much more. (Click on above image to enlarge). 

    

SHAKE YOUR HEAD

AND SPEAK YOUR MIND:

RECORD STORE

DAY 2024

By Michael McDowell

When the late country music pioneer Ernest Tubb released his classic Thanks A Lot single for Decca in 1963, he could not possibly have envisioned that he would have much to be grateful for in 2024. 

To wit, Org Music's collection of archival Tubb material, The World Broadcast Recordings 1944-1945 is one of the highlights among the wealth of material making its debut for Record Store Day 2024. Recorded in Los Angeles and Chicago during the closing years of World War II, this fourteen-track collection features some of the brightest lights among his Texas Troubadours (including guitarist Jimmy Short and fiddle ace Johnny Sapp), soaring through a wealth of Tubb triumphs, including That's All She Wrote, I Lost My Ace Of Hearts, Just Rollin' On, Action Speaks Louder Than Words and his signature single, Walking The Floor Over You.

Also available from Org Music on Record Store Day is the highly anticipated Various Artists collection, Love L.A. Released on gold vinyl, Love L.A. spotlights a number of Southern California's finest, paying tribute to the artists that inspired them. They include Leslie Stewart and Jim James' interpretation of Don Henley and Stevie Nicks' Leather And Lace, Mark Marron and Paige Stark's tribute to Love with Signed D.C. and Particle Kid and Sonny War's salute to Depeche Mode with Never Let Me Down Again. Proceeds from Love L.A. will benefit the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center in South Central Los Angeles.

But suffice to say that Org Music outdid themselves with the third offering in their Record Store Day 2024 trilogy. The Westbound Sound collects eleven of the best loved tracks from Armen Boladian's legendary Westbound label, including C.J. And Company's Devil's Gun, the Detroit Emeralds' Do Me Right, the Ohio Players' Funky Worm, the Fantastic Four's Alvin Stone, Dennis Coffey's Live Wire, Denise LaSalle's Hung Up Strung Out and Funkadelic's 1969 monster classic cover of Theresa Lindsey's I'll Bet You. 

Given that it is impossible to consolidate the essentials from the label's archives into a single vinyl disc, The Westbound Sound is certain to generate as much controversy as praise. Indeed, there is a wealth of material available for future volumes, from Funkadelic's Music For My Mother, the Counts' Why Not Start All Over Again and the Detroit Emeralds' You Want It You Got It to Bob "Catfish" Hodge's Boogie Man, Damon Shawn's Feel The Need and the late Gary "Byron MacGregor" Mack's groundbreaking narrative, The Americans.

As has been the case for the past several Record Store Day celebrations, leading the pack will be the latest album from composer and vocalist Taylor Swift. The Tortured Poets Department follows on the heels of the album's debut single, Fortnight, which was released five days earlier. Fortnight was Swift's premier collaboration with composer and vocalist Post Malone.

"I've been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is", Swift said.

"His musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever. I got to witness that magic come to life first hand when we worked together on Fortnight".

As before, Swift has collaborated with the Target Department Store chain to make The Tortured Poets Society available on the day prior to the Record Store Day celebration. In recent years, Target has made great strides in reaching out to vinyl conoisseurs, augmenting their inventory with limited edition variations. 

Conversely, one eagerly anticipated single release will sadly not be available for the Record Store Day celebration. First generation garage rock greats the Cherry Slush recently recorded a brand new single, Girl On The Beach. The central Michigan band is of course best known for its monster classic I Cannot Stop You single, which was first released on Coconut Groove in late 1967 and reissued on the USA label in early 1968. 

Girl On The Beach was released online only earlier this year to widespread acclaim. It was hoped that a vinyl release would be available in time for Record Store Day. But pressing plants continue to be backed up for months, due to high demand that has been exacerbated in part by an ongoing materials shortage, which was triggered by a fire that destroyed a plant in Northern California four years ago. 

"Waiting to hear back from the pressing plant", said Cherry Slush drummer and co-founder, Dick Coughlin.

As a result, orders are backed up to the degree that beloved composer, vocalist and keyboard virtuoso Alicia Witt (who was celebrated with an extensive interview in March in Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People) is presently in a Nashville studio working on her forthcoming Christmas album in order to have it available in time for the Christmas season.

In addition to all of the aforementioned, there is a wealth of other new releases on tap that will make Record Store Day 2024 a cause for celebration. They include Pearl Jam's Dark Matter, a fiftieth anniversary remix of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, the 40th anniversary edition of Generation X front man Billy Idol's Rebel Yell, a pair of live albums by the legendary Cannonball Adderley, a heretofore unissued collaboration between jazz greats Jack Sheldon and Chet Baker, a remastered edition of the Amboy Dukes' 1968 Journey To The Center Of The Mind album (originally issued on the late Bob Shad's Mainstream label), CD and vinyl versions of Nat King Cole's landmark Live At The Blue Note, a live in Stockholm 1968 offering by the Doors, a most welcome return to print of the 1968 debut Capitol album by SRC, a collection of rare outtakes from the Dream Syndicate's landmark Days Of Wine And Roses album, a coral vinyl reissue of the Monkees' The Birds The Bees And The Monkees album in the rare monaural edition, a four album commemoration of a 1959 European tour by Sonny Rollins, a pink vinyl edition of Sun Ra's Pink Elephants On Parade, a red vinyl edition of the Yardbirds' Five Live Yardbirds album and the Rolling Stones' Live At Racket NYC album. Rounding out the highlights are new singles from Pharoah Sanders, Queen and Olivia Rodrigo.

True to form, North America's leading record retailers are welcoming the faithful with open arms. Hollywood's Amoeba Records will forego international shipping for the Record Store Day releases in order to maximize availability for those visiting their Hollywood Boulevard location. In turn, Bob Say's venerable Freak Beat Records in the San Fernando Valley is offering a ten percent discount on all purchases made over the Record Store Day weekend. As before, Dearborn Music in Dearborn and Farmington, Michigan will fill orders on a first come first served basis from wish lists filled out at the store, while the fan favorite Solo Records in neighboring Royal Oak is offering a fifteen percent discount on all non-Record Store Day items from their vast inventory. 

"I seem to always pass on Record Store Day", said one veteran collector.

"But that Westbound label (collection) sounds very interesting."

Solo Records assures that even the most discerning of musicologists and collectors will not be disappointed.

"We plan on having some surprises", said one store rep.

As previous Record Store Day celebrations have underscored time and time again, surprises, sales and satisfaction are the order of the day. And in the words of one of the aforementioned Westbound label's most beloved alumni, Denise LaSalle, Now Run And Tell That.