Motown Was The People
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Motown, Music Industry
I spent this evening watching vignettes produced by the Detroit Free Press. They traveled the entire country collecting interviews that celebrate 50 years of Motown. I posted several links of interest below.
Motown Engineer Ed Wolfrum – Inventor of the “direct box”
Bob Dennis on Motown recording techniques
Mickey Stevensons | The Funk Brothers
Phil Spector Convicted Of Murder
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Music Industry
Legendary music producer Phil Spector was convicted Monday of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson in his Alhambra mansion six years ago.
The verdict means Spector, famed for his work with Tina Turner, the Beatles, the Righteous Brothers and others, faces 15 years for murder and at least three for gun enhancement when he is sentenced May 29.
After nine days of deliberations, a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury concluded that Spector, 69, killed Clarkson, a statuesque 40-year-old blond actress, on Feb. 3, 2003, just hours after they met in the Sunset Strip club where she worked as a hostess.
As the court clerk read the verdict, Spector’s wife, Rachelle, who is four decades younger than he, began weeping in the front row of the courtroom. Her husband, however, bore the same stoic expression he wore throughout much of the trial.
His lawyer asked the judge to allow Spector to remain free on bail until sentencing The prosecution objected to the request, saying Spector’s long history of “drawing guns” on people made him a danger to others.
Judge Larry Paul Fidler rejected the request and ordered that Spector be taken into custody immediately.
“Public safety and public protection are paramount,” Fidler said.
Spector, dressed in one of his trademark knee-length suits, spoke only once during the hearing — a hoarse “Yes” in response to whether he agreed to the date of sentencing. He then shuffled out of the courtroom surrounded by half a dozen uniformed court officers. He looked briefly in the direction of his wife before the door closed behind him.
After the verdict, the jury forewoman broke into tears at a press conference as she described the “painful” process of convicting someone of murder.
“You are talking about another human being. We all had hearts. We all have people we love,” said the forewoman, a paralegal who declined to give her name.
Over the course of the trial, which began in October, the prosecution portrayed Spector as a sadistic misogynist who had a three-decade “history of playing Russian roulette with the lives of women” when he was drunk. A prosecutor told jurors in her summation that “by the grace of God, five other women got the empty chamber and lived to tell. Lana just happened to be the sixth woman, who got the bullet.”
Spector’s defense contended that Clarkson died by her own hand. They said she was depressed over her flagging career and accompanying financial worries and that she may have committed suicide impulsively after hours of late-night drinking with Spector.
“In that moment, given all of the things that were wrong in her life . . . can you say she would not have been capable of committing a self-destructive act?” defense attorney Doron Weinberg asked jurors in his closing arguments.
The panel of six men and six women included three gun owners, seven people who reported knowing someone who committed suicide and one man who said he was a fan of Spector.
A 2007 trial ended when the jury deadlocked 10 to 2 in favor of conviction.
Motown Celebrates The 70th Of Marvin Gaye
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Motown, Music Industry
Santa Monica, CA (March 30, 2009) /PRNewswire/—In the 50th anniversary year of Motown, April 2, 2009 will mark the 70th birthday of the late great Marvin Gaye. Sadly, April 1 will also mark the 25th anniversary of his tragic death the day before his 45th birthday. Motown’s top solo male artist of the ’60s, led by his “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”—at one time the biggest selling single in Motown history—Gaye became the label’s most revolutionary artist in the ’70s, breaking down barriers whether singing about the body or the soul, social consciousness or sexual politics. From his ’60s classic “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” to his legendary rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, he defined the soul in “soul music.”
Marvin Gaye’s popularity and influence continues. His 1971 album What’s Going On forever changed the subject matter of popular music; it’s one of Rolling Stone magazine’s top 10 albums of all time. In 1973, Let’s Get It On became perhaps the most passionate and sexual album ever recorded, led by its title track, which remains one of the most popular songs of all time, a certified Gold single back in the day, and in the digital music era it’s a Gold digital download and a Platinum-selling ringtone as well. In 1987, three years after his death, Gaye was rightfully among only the second group of artists honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. More recently, Marvin Gaye was No. 6 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time.
Noting the milestones of his birth and passing, Motown/UMe will issue a special digital-only album on March 31, Marvin Gaye: Then & Now, a 14-track set of rarities highlighted by the previously unreleased “Soulie” (pronounced “sue-lee”), a 1966 recording recently unearthed by Motown’s New York-based producer Mickey Gentile, and a hot funk 2009 remix of “I Want You,” Marvin’s No. 1 hit from 1976, by the renowned John Morales of M+M Productions. Other tracks making their online debut are: the deep vault track “It’s Your Party,” and his two super-rare late ’50s Chess recordings with Harvey & The Moonglows (”Mama Loocie,” “Twelve Months Of The Year”). Rounding out this special collection are Marvin’s earliest, pre-hit Motown singles (”Witchcraft,” “Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide” and more).
Motown/UMe is also issuing a vinyl-only edition of United (Motown/UMe), Gaye’s classic duet album with Tammi Terrell, on April 14. The standard by which all R&B male-female duos are measured, Gaye and Terrell first teamed on the 1967 album that included “If I Could Build My World Around You,” “Your Precious Love” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
In addition, the ongoing, acclaimed “Motown 50″ podcast series will feature special episodes on Marvin Gaye’s life and music; Gaye is also well represented on the deluxe 10-CD box set Motown: The Complete No. 1’s, which kicked off the year long celebration for Motown’s 50th anniversary. Both The Real Thing, a DVD collection of his greatest television and concert appearances, and Gold, a 2-CD overview of his career, have recently been certified Gold. Gaye will also figure prominently in a two-hour documentary about Motown produced by the label’s founder, Berry Gordy.
San Francisco Video Blog
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Personal Blog
Kimberly and I posted our video blogs from San Francisco on Facebook and now here they are for those who missed them. It was Kimberly’s idea to post video everyday and we were both surprise at just how many people followed our vacation via the blog. Enjoy!
Thanks for watching Steve & Kimberly Allen’s San Francisco video blog!
San Francisco Vacation Photos
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Personal Blog
Click on the photos to open the picture set on Flickr.
Motown Drummer Uriel Jones Dies At 74
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Motown, Music Industry, Personal Blog
As most of you know, I’m a huge Motown fan. I looked Uriel up and discover that he lived just three streets away from Kimberly in Lincoln Park, MI. I’ve had several phone conversations with him and I can say he will be truly missed.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Motown drummer Uriel Jones, whose hard-driving funk propelled classic tunes by the Temptations and Marvin Gaye, died in a Michigan hospital on Tuesday after suffering complications from a heart attack, a family member said. He was 74.
Jones, the last surviving drummer in the Motown session band known as the Funk Brothers, was stricken in mid-February but had been showing signs of improvement, said his sister-in-law Leslie Coleman. He relapsed last Tuesday, and died at Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center in Dearborn, she told Reuters.
He was a key component of the “psychedelic soul” foray by the Temptations, including “Cloud Nine” and “I Can’t Get Next to You,” and brought a party feel to their earlier hit “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg.”
But Jones also applied a sensitive touch to such ballads as “The Tracks of My Tears,” by The Miracles, and “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,” by Jimmy Ruffin.
Jones came to Motown in 1964 after touring with Gaye, and recorded for Motown’s enfant terrible on “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
“Uriel’s drum sound was the most open and laid-back, and he was the funkiest of the three guys we had,” said Motown arranger Paul Riser. “He had a mixed feel and did a lot of different things well.”
Motown’s primary drummer was Benny Benjamin, but Jones and Richard “Pistol” Allen increasingly shared the duties as Benjamin was sidelined by drug addiction. Benjamin died in 1969. Allen succumbed to cancer in 2002 shortly after completing production on the Funk Br
others documentary “Standing in the Shadows of Motown.”
The film, released to great acclaim in 2003, gave a new lease of life to Motown’s forgotten session musicians. The band toured the world and won two Grammy awards. While Motown recordings utilized many musicians, the film focused on 13 players, of whom five were already dead. Just four Funk Brothers are alive now.
Jones is survived by his wife, June, and three children. Funeral services are pending.
Paul Harvey 1918 – 2009
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Personal Blog
One of my heros past away on Saturday. Paul Harvey was unlike any other radio broadcaster. His point of view was thought out, wise, and consistent. Even people that disagreed with him respected him.
It was July 3, 2006 I was driving in my car when Paul Harvey came on the radio. He said had a different take on the idea of “independance.” I went back to the office and found it on the net and I kept it. I’d like to share here today.
Click the “play” icon below.
Here’s the story from USA Today…
Paul Harvey’s Singular Voice Falls Silent
Paul Harvey was radio’s original Prairie Home Companion.
The legendary commentator, 90, who died Saturday in Phoenix (no cause of death was released), was known for his homespun take on the day’s events, which reached 18 million listeners a day on the ABC Radio Networks. Harvey’s 15-minute monologues, delivered with frank but rhythmic drama, were punctuated by a signature signoff: “This is Paul Harvey. … Good day.”
Harvey’s radio career spanned more than 70 years, predating TV and continuing into the Internet age. And for the past 57 years, the appeal of Paul Harvey News & Comment truly transcended generations. Recalls Catherine Miller, a mother of two from Carlsbad, Calif.: “I have loved Paul since I was a kid. I remember listening to him on summer days, driving in the car with the adults, thinking that he had it right.”
Indeed, Harvey was known as the “voice of Middle America” for his apple-pie conservatism, although he was hardly part of the extreme breed who dominate talk radio today. When he first went national in the early 1950s, he was a staunch defender of communist hunter Sen. Joe McCarthy, and in the 1960s he frequently railed against the counterculture and what he perceived as permissiveness on college campuses and in the news media.
But in what many consider his most famous broadcast, Harvey in 1970 blasted his friend Richard Nixon’s expansion of the Vietnam War and instead urged the president to get out.
“Mr. President, I love you,” Harvey said, “but you’re wrong.”
In a statement, former president George W. Bush said: “Paul was a friendly and familiar voice in the lives of millions of Americans. His commentary entertained, enlightened and informed. Laura and I are pleased to have known this fine man.”
Harvey was born in Oklahoma in 1918 and made his on-air debut in Tulsa at age 14, at the urging of a teacher. He read the news and commercials. He gradually worked his way into bigger markets and ultimately hit Chicago in the late 1940s.
In 1990, Harvey was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Ten years later, when Harvey was 81, ABC signed him to a 10-year, $100 million contract. Harvey’s two daily news and commentary segments, and the evening “Rest of the Story” human-interest clip, were carried on more than 1,100 ABC radio stations and an additional 400 belonging to the Armed Forces Radio Network.
Said ABC Radio chief Jim Robinson: “As he delivered the news each day with his own unique style and commentary, his voice became a trusted friend in American households.”
Five New Music Business Models
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under SoGospelNews.com Articles
Retail music sales have declined steadily during the last nine years. Now the economy is in a major downturn and CD sales are slumping even more as consumers tighten their purse strings. Downloads are increasingly popular, but have yet to achieve revenue numbers equivalent to retail sales. On average only three percent of music on an iPod is purchased from the iTunes Music Store.
The industry is searching for a new business model. Here are five new methods of selling music that are currently being tested by many artists and labels.
Free Music
Many major music industry players hold the opinion that illegal downloads have been the culprit of falling revenue. Since illegal downloading is so prominent, many companies have embraced the concept by giving music to consumers at no cost. In many cases, free music is a loss-leader used promote other music related merchandise such as t-shirts and concert tickets. Pop artist, Prince, gave away a copy of his last album with the purchase of a British Sunday newspaper. This outraged music merchants, but Prince maintained that it was to promote his upcoming UK tour. As a result, every tour date sold out as soon as it went on sale.
SpiralFrog.com is experimenting with allowing users to download music for free after viewing advertising. Typically these type of sites have a revenue-sharing agreement with participating labels.
Pick Your Price
History was made when rock band Radiohead released their album with a voluntary price tag. The album was available for download and users then paid an amount equal to the value they perceived it was worth, including nothing at all.
Magnatune.com has built their business model around this technique. Albums carry a low minimum price and then users can express their appreciation for the music by optionally paying more. The minimum album cost is around $5 and users tend to purchase a higher quantity of music at this price.
Price Point = Demand
AmieStreet.com is based on a “pay by popularity” business model. All of the music on the site is free to begin with, however, the more a track gets downloaded, the higher the price goes up; the cap being $0.98. This contrasts iTunes model in which all tracks, regardless of popularity, are the same price.
Subscriptions
Subscription services have been around for several years. Rhapsody has come to the forefront of this business model. Users pay a regular monthly fee to access the extensive catalog of music. Music is played either through the company’s software or through a web browser. Songs can also be downloaded for $0.99.
Rhapsody is additionally available “on the go” for the user with their Rhapsody To Go service. The subscriber purchases a compatible MP3 player and loads it with songs from the Rhapsody catalog. Songs can be changed often as long the monthly membership is maintained.
Music Tax
The basic principal behind the music tax concept is that Internet service providers would charge a flat-rate fee as part of the Internet service plan in exchange for the right to download and share music. File sharing would decriminalized and the music industry would have a new stream of revenue. Many proponents are of the opinion that this would create revenue equal to or greater than CD sales 10 years ago.
Other variations of this concept could include a tax on digital audio players or direct taxation through the government.
Conclusion
Gospel music is one of the last genres to be affected by the changes happening in the larger mainstream music marketplace. The advantage to Gospel music being one of the last genres to be hit with digital revolution is that maybe a new business model will be developed and proven before Gospel music experiences the troubles that other genres have had in the past.
The demographic that primarily buys Gospel music is unlikely to illegally download their favorite quartet’s latest project. However, it is to the advantage of everyone to develop new techniques to market and distribute music. The Gospel music audience tends to regenerate itself every five to 10 years. That being said, the next generation will be familiar with advancing technology. By then, all of the companies that have tried with no success will have dwindled and the mainstream media outlets will become status quo. I believe it is a positive challenge for all of us to embrace the technological changes in the secular music and media industry. Not only for success, but for the possibility that a life could be changed via these unconventional outlets.
Tags: business model, downloads, ipod, music business, music tax, Rhapsody
The Day The Music Died
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Music Industry
This post has been updated. Phil corrected a few inaccuracies in my first posting.
My good friend Phil White is an authority on the plane crash. He has been featured on numerous media shows every year discussing the plane crash and the impact Buddy Holly’s music had on the larger music community. He told me that Waylon Jennings was on the same tour and was supposed to be on the ill fated flight to Fargo, ND, enroute to their next tour stop in Moorehead, MN, when J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, who was fighting a bad cold, asked Jennings if he could have his seat on the plane. Waylon replied, “If it’s OK with Buddy, it’s OK with me.” When Buddy heard of the seat switch, he jokingly told Waylon, “I hope your old bus freezes up again!” to which Jennings replied, “Well, I hope your old plane crashes.” It took Waylon Jennings some 20 years to get over his feelings of guilt, thinking he had somehow caused the plane crash with that statement. In another ironic twist of fate that night, Ritchie Valens actually won a coin toss for his seat on the plane exclaiming, “This is the first thing I’ve ever won in my life!”
The following news story is from the TimesOnline.com
Buddy Holly fans around the world today proved that 50 years after his death, the singer remains one of music’s most-loved icons.
As American fans headed to a commemorative concert at the Iowa venue where the singer played his last concert, Australians snapped up tickets to a new musical of his life and British newspapers teemed with tributes.
The Peggy Sue singer died, aged 22, on February 3, 1959, alongside fellow musicians J.P “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens, when their four-seater plane crashed in Iowa, a few minutes after take-off.
Immortalised as “the day the music died” by the Don McClean song American Pie, their deaths remain one of the most poignant moments in rock history.
The trio had just played a concert at The Surf Ballroom. Holly chartered a four-seater plane to take them to North Dakota for the next leg of their Winter Dance Party tour. The plane took off in the early hours amidst light snow but crashed into a cornfield a few minutes later.
Over the past week, fans have converged on The Surf Ballroom to take part in The 50th Anniversary of The Winter Dance Party event, culminating in a tribute concert last night, starring Graham Nash.
Holly’s widow, Maria Elena, who suffered a miscarriage on hearing of his death, attended the evening, which ended poignantly with the Holly song Don’t Fade Away.
Holly had been famous little more than 18 months when he died. He had hit No 1 with Peggy Sue, but following his death, sales of his music shot up and his contribution to rock ‘n’ roll recognised
A plethora of big-name musicians, including Elton John and Eric Clapton have held Holly up as a hero.
Paul McCartney once said: “At least the first 40 [Beatles] songs we wrote were Buddy Holly-influenced.”
Bruce Springsteen has revealed: “I play Buddy Holly every night before going onstage. It keeps me honest.”
Tags: bruce springsteen, buddy holly, don mcclean, j.p. richardson, paul mccatney, phil white, Ritchie Valens, the big bopper, the day the music died
25 Random Things About Me…
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Personal Blog
If you’re on Facebook, you know all too well about the “25 Random Things About Me” post that is going around. If you are not familiar with it, here is what it is about. If you were “tagged” to do this, you were supposed to write 25 random things about you. Then list 25 people and send it to them in addition to re-tagging the original person who sent it to you. I thought I would post it here too.
25 Random Things About Steve Allen…
1. I’ve seen several of my friends from WV get tagged in the “25 Random Things About Me” and just last night I was wondering how long it would be before I got tagged. I got tagged twice today.
2. I once had a pet cow named Robbie. He has provided several funny stories that I tell as often as I can. Oh, I had a pet chicken too. Her name was Christina.
3. I’m a huge Motown fan. I’ve collected every Motwon single every released. I’ve also tried to make contact with everyone that I can who worked there. Often times I use some of the Motown musicians on my studio recordings and those guys are still awesome. I’m just glad they answer the phone when I call.
4. I’ve got to work with or meet most of my heroes including Brian Wilson, George Jones, Vestal Goodman, Tommy Emmanuel and Dottie Rambo.
5. If the doctor told me I only have six months to live and I could do just one more recording session, I would want to record James Taylor.
6. I grew up in the smallest incorporated town in West Virginia. Current population 92 people in 2.2 square miles.
7. I am very proud of where I came from. I actually named my company after my hometown: Worthington Music Group.
8. My mother wouldn’t allow me to run for mayor when I was 11. I can remember not making any sense of why she didn’t think I could do a good job if I would be elected.
9. My mom really discouraged me from pursing music as a career. She thought the only thing available for me was playing local dive bars for $50 per night. When I was in high school she wanted me to take vocational classes to become an electrician. I followed my heart and it paid off. Today my mom is one of my biggest supporters.
10. I lost my dad to leukemia in October. I miss him dearly. He used to call me in the middle of the day and sing these hilarious songs that he just made up off of the top of his head.
11. I was always very close to dad. When he got sick I went to be with him in WV as much as possible. Some of the best times we’ve ever shared were in room 403 at Fairmont General Hospital.
12. I have a dog named Chloe, but dad wouldn’t let me bring her to TN when I moved here 10 years ago. He wanted her. He just called her “dog.” Four days before he died he wanted to see her. So I took her to his hospital room. You should have seen the look on both of their faces when they saw each other. Simply priceless.
13. I’ve been dating Kimberly Allen for the past three years. No, we’re not related. We checked. The ironic thing is that her brother is also named Steve Allen.
14. I’ve never loved anyone so dearly as I do Kimberly. I never take it for granted that she is willing to put up with me. (In case you don’t know, I’m am an incredibly quirky person.)
15. I have had a couple horrible date experiences. I’ll briefly describe two of them. The first was when I had a date scheduled with “Girl A” to attend an award show but she cancelled at the last minute. I ask “Girl B” to go with me. At intermission “Girl B” and I run into “Girl A.” They knew each other!! It turned out they were former roommates. They chatted while I devised an escape plan. The second, and worst, date experience I’ve ever had was when I asked a girl to attend one of my client’s concert with me. She agreed, but when I went to pick her up… SHE BROUGHT HER BOYFRIEND! She never once mentioned she wasn’t single. I don’t know why she didn’t politely decline the date. She did however bring yet another girl with her so It wouldn’t be overly awkward. Let me say that this girl had some rocks in her coin purse if you know what I mean.
16. I am so thankful for my Aunt Louise, Aunt Betty and Uncle Walter who nurtured my interest in music all of my life. I don’t know what would have happened if they did not do what they’ve done.
17. I once wrote a song for a girl that I had a crush on back in high school. I played it for her and then she spilled a Sprite down my back. I’m did not take that as a compliment. However, the song as since been recorded. I laugh all of the way to the bank with my royalty check every quarter.
18. I was a four year member of the North Marion Noteables (show choir) back in high school. Those four years taught me the fundamentals that I use every day in my business. I can’t believe other teachers criticized it for being a two-period class.
19. I have taken private music instruction all of my life. Randall Hall was my teacher from middle school till my freshman year of college. He taught me how commercial music worked. By the way, he played with all of the Motown groups too. He lives back in Shinnston, WV. Kimberly, my mom, and I ran into him a couple months ago.
20. I used to be made-fun of a lot growing up. Especially during elementary school. It is amazing how those things stick with you for the rest of your life. I’ve learned to use it as motivation. I think I will homeschool my kids though.
21. I am love old recording microphones. I have mics from the 1930s to the 1970s. The old ones just sound better.
22. I just bought a Hammond organ. If you don’t know what that is, its the King James version of the organ. Just turn on the radio and you’ll hear it. They are on everything. I bought it from a church I attended from 1998 to 2001. They called and asked me if I wanted it. I told them yes. Then they asked if I could pick it up before Wednesday because they wanted to set up the Christmas tree and the organ was in the way.
23. I love vinyl records. My favorite artists are Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, Mills Brothers, Four Freshman, old soul recordings.
24. I also have a 1923 Edison Diamond Disc record player in my office. It sounds amazing. I really think I was born forty years too late.
25. I always try to let people know how much they mean to me. Here is a reminder to a few people that I have thought of while writing this note (in random order): Kevin Haugh, Kimberly Allen, Aunt Betty, Cheryl Stanley, Crystal Johnson, Rod Batson, Brad Baton, my mom, all of the Unthanks, Aaron Minick, Michael Sykes, Scott Fowler, the late Roger Bennett, Les Butler, the people that I went to high school with back in WV, Kelly Back, Bruce Watkins, Mark Drury, David Smith, Gwen Embrey, Gary Harmon, Dean Newkirk, Phebe Braik. Trust me there are more…
Tags: items, random, steve allen
thank's for the interesting information...