R.I.P. Jami Jameson

R.I.P. Jami Jamison. He was the lead singer with Survivor on such songs as "High On You," "Burning Heart," "This Is Love" and "The Moment Of Truth," From "The Karate Kid" movie. He was only 63. I saw him in concert recently and he was still an awesome singer. In fact, I used to do "High On You" in a band because it was such a great song. That's too young to die.

Beatlemania 09-09-09

Well, today as you know, was the day that Apple Records were due to release the entire Beatles album catalogue in glorious remastered sound. And of course, I had to attend the festivities. (i.e., buy some albums!) Just yesterday I sent off about $200 for a new scanner, which I've needed for a while now, so my finances were a little short. But I did have enough to buy my two favorite albums, The Beatles first one and their last one. I speak of course about Please Please Me and Abbey Road. Please Please Me was their first album, which they recorded in a day and Abbey Road was the last album they recorded together. Apple was also releasing the new Beatles Rock Band game, which I'm not really interested in. I'm already in a real rock and roll band, you see!

The first thing that greeted me upon entering into the store was.... The Beatles themselves! It was great to see them again, even if it was only in a poster advertising their new game.

Back in the record department, (cd department?) I saw plenty of the Rock Band game boxes lining the shelves, such as the one above. I've seen clips of it, so if you're into that kind of thing, it looks like it will be the best experience yet.

Moving on to more important things, (at least to me, anyway!) were the actual audio recordings of The Beatles, what in my younger days used to be called "albums." This particular store devoted an entire end cap to display their remastered albums and you could find all of them but two. The White Album, which is a double album and The Past Masters, Volumes 1 and 2 which is now also a double album, were back on the shelf, along with some copies of "1," their greatest hits collection. I knew how much they were and how much I had to spend, so I had selected the two I would be able to afford before I even left the house. I oogled at the display, (a lot!), got some pictures so I could blog about the experience, and then selected my two albums. I paid for them in the electronics department and then I was on my way.

Outside in the parking lot, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the two latest additions to my Beatles Record Collection. I have all of their original albums, sometimes in almost every format they were released, and even the cd copies of the albums that were released in 1987. After I got my pictures of the new albums, I hurried back home so I could listen to them. Starting with their first release, (naturally!), I was amazed at how clear everything sounded! Especially their voices! Let me just say that these new discs are worth every penny, so now is the time to get those Beatles songs you always meant to get! (If you don't already own some of the older ones!) As I type this, I am preparing to be assaulted by the sound experience that will be Abbey Road in all it's remastered glory, so I'll just say goodbye for now. You say hello, but I say goodbye. (To listen to more music!) Remember.... all you really need is love!

Live'r Than You'll Ever Be

I thought it was high time I showed what my current band looks like when we're live on stage. The name of the band is Deuces Wild, and was created by the drummer, Jim, several years before I joined with him. Him and I have been playing together for 4 or 5 years now and our current bass player joined us late last year. He is also my cousin Kenneth Ray! Here we are playing a recent gig at the American Legion. It was a great show!

He we are together onstage.

Jim, on drums, and me on lead guitar.

Jim Garrett, our drummer and founder.

Kenneth Ray Jackson, our bass player and newest member.

Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, (that's me), playing a power chord.

The lyric "He's gonna be an angry young man someday," comes to mind for this picture.

Well, that's what it looks like when we play live. We have a pretty slimmed-down setup when we don't have much room for speakers and sound equipment. Most stages in our area are not very big. I hope all you rockers out there enjoyed the show! Oh, and these pictures were taken by the bartender's girlfriend, Tiffany. Thanks, Tiffany!

Doug McNew, R.I.P.

It came as such a shock when I heard the news that a good friend and former bandmate of mine, Doug McNew, had been killed in a motorcycle accident on July 10th, 2008. His mother, Pat, happens to be my banker and she always kept me updated on what Doug, his wife Rachel and his son Gage were up to. So, when she told me the news that her son had been killed in a motorcycle crash, I couldn't believe it. It absolutely floored me. Doug was such a nice guy and was great to be around. His life ended way too soon.

In 1990, Doug and a couple friends of his who all lived in his hometown of Carmi, Illinois, formed a band called Apache Rattle. The other two members of this band were Brian Mallow, on drums and Jess Hurlbert, on bass guitar. They weren't together very long until I was asked to join with them at which time, the band got a new name. I remember we chose a name specifically because all four of us could choose part of the name. That name turned out to be Mr. Speakeazy. Doug was our lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, with Brian, Jess and myself on lead guitar. We had some good times and played lots of gigs all over Southern Illinois. The one thing I specifically remember about the band was that we all got along so well together. Doug especially had a nice personality, funny and outgoing, one that suited being the front man of a rock and roll band. Mr. Speakeazy lasted for a year or so and we all drifted our separate ways, as things like this are prone to happen. I didn't hear much out of Doug during the ensuing years, but always knew what he was up to thanks to his mother's updates. That's why it came as such a shock to me to find out that he had passed. Checking around the internet showed me that he had kept up his musical aspirations. And with a great voice like he had, which was suited perfectly for rock and roll, I'm glad that he did. I only hope that he was able to achieve a level of success where he could enjoy it with himself and his bandmates and his family.

So, in special tribute to a fallen friend, I'm posting a couple songs by Mr. Speakeazy, featuring Doug McNew on lead vocals. They were all recorded in 1991 during the height of the band's heyday. Here is She Talks To Angels, Louie, Louie and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Doug might be gone, but I know his family or friends will never forget him. Rock on, Doug.

Farewell To Beulah Kershaw

A little over a year ago, I lost a good friend and fellow musician. Beulah Kershaw - poet, musician, songwriter, author and performer - well-known in the music field as Disco Beulah, was born on January 14th, 1914, in Florida, Missouri - also the birthplace of another famous American writer, Mark Twain. On February 22nd, 2007, she passed away at age 93. In that span of time, she accomplished many things. While it seems like her whole life was devoted to musical endeavors, that wasn't always the case in her younger years. She was a staunch Republican and helped in several campaigns. In fact, due to her local efforts in Southern Illinois, she was even invited to President Eisenhower's inauguration ball in Washington D.C., in the 1950's. In later years, however, her music began to take precedence.

I first became aware of her about 1980, which by this time, she was already almost 70 years old. She had recorded a song called A Woman In Love and it began to get lots of airplay on Chicago radio station WLS. The deejay who premiered it was Larry Lujac and thanks to him, Beulah's audience widened considerably. Now, she was no longer just a hit in her immediate area around Crossville, Illinois, her voice was beaming out all over the nation. From there, it was only natural that television executives would hear of her and she was offered a chance to be on the NBC television program Real People, in 1981. This appearance brought her even more attention and worldwide fame. I have personally seen a sheet that detailed countries located all over the world from which she received royalties, and it numbered in the dozens! Such was her widespread appeal.

I first met her in person in 1988. I had heard several of her records, from my personal collection no less, and had written a song that I thought would be perfect for her to record. I got up the nerve and drove to her house, (it wasn't far from where I lived) and knocked on her door. Gracious person that she was and always had been, she asked me to come in and sit down. On that first meeting, she played several of her songs for me, my own personal concert you might say, and I was enthralled. I think I had to come back a few other times before I got up enough nerve to ask her about my song. But, when I did, she agreed to work on it. I went back a little while later and she debuted it on her piano for me. I am proud to say that I have a recording of her doing my song! During this time, a friendship developed and we got together several times to jam - her on piano and myself on guitar. She even made a few recordings on a cassette that was just for me. Another way in which her kindness was readily apparent.

We wrote back and forth throughout the remainder of her life and I stopped in to see her whenever I was in her neck of the woods. I recall an article in our local paper that told about a show she did at a local nursing home toward the end of 2006. She was performing until almost the very end of her life. That's why it came as such a shock when I heard she had passed away. I thought she would be singing and playing a piano somewhere forever. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

Beulah in her political period of the 1950's.

I had collected all my recordings of hers, the ones she had made for me and ones I had recorded myself and burned them on a cd to give to her. Unfortunately, I never got the chance. The funeral was to be held in the town next to mine, so I placed the cd in my jacket and went to pay my respects. Once I got there, it was a little early still, I sat down in the back of the chapel and bided my time. After getting several stares from the family members seated up front, her niece came back and spoke to me. I mentioned that I had been a fellow musician friend of hers and she invited me to sit up front with the family. Apparently, Beulah passed on her cordial qualities to other generations as well. As people came through to pay their respects for her, somebody mentioned something about her music. Knowing I had a bunch of it in my pocket, I spoke up and said as much. The family was intrigued, especially when I told them about the song she had recorded of mine and in tribute to her, they requested the funeral home personnel to play the cd over their sound system. There was hardly a dry eye in the house, mine included, as song after song from her wonderful career played throughout the building. I was glad that I had thought to bring it because it turned out to be one last great tribute to an artist that many had loved and adored, and it gave her family members a chance to hear some things they hadn't heard before. Before it was all over, one of them asked me if they could get a copy of the disc. I ended up giving it to her, as I had another copy, and she made duplicates for the other family members later that evening. From the funeral home, we drove to the town she had lived in and there the funeral was held out in the open countryside. The rain was coming down in buckets and the wind was blowing quite briskly, so it was a bittersweet sendoff for her. Below, you can see what the countryside looks like where Beulah Kershaw was laid to rest.

So, in my own way, I would like to say farewell to a dear friend and a fellow musician. She was a wiz on the piano, of that there was no doubt. To prove it, please download this short collection of hers that I have compiled to share here. It is these following tracks:

1. All I Do Is Cry - the song I wrote especially for her

2. A Woman In Love - her big hit, recorded on a tape just for me

3. It Hurts To Be Hurt - another of her popular songs she recorded for me

4. Real People - her appearance on the NBC television show

5. A commercial for her songs and books, from a local radio station.

Be sure to download and listen to this collection of Beulah Kershaw songs. Click on this link here to get them.
One final thing I want share is that to prove she had a broad influence, here is a track from a rock and roll band I was in where we covered one of her songs. I regret that she never got to hear it herself, but I'm sure she would have been pleased to know that her music transcended genres. Click here to get A Woman In Love, by Terror In Tucson.

I hope this little remembrance of her will give her a smile if she's looking down in this direction. Farewell, Beulah.

April 13th, 2010 Update:

Beulah Kershaw's niece Dorothy has kindly telephoned me to let me know that, as she was going through some of Beulah's belongings, she came across some unopened boxes of her records, tapes and books. They were all in new condition and still in the shrink wrap, (tapes), and that if any of her fans would be interested in acquiring what will probably turn out to be the final copies of Beulah's music or writing, to just give her a call. I told her there might be a 45 or two that I might not have in my collection that I'd like to have, so I'm going to call her up once she gets it all just a little more organized. But, don't wait! If you're interested, call her as soon as possible, for these won't last forever. For those of us who remember Beulah fondly, these recordings and writings will be something with which to remember her by and a interesting piece of history as well. Dorothy resides in Crossville, Illinois, the town where Beulah lived for many years, and can be reached by calling this number: 1-618-966-3638.

 

Update on April 19th, 2025:

Her music transcended genres - here's her song "A Woman In Love," played by a punk rock band.

https://ia800501.us.archive.org/30/items/TerrorInTucsonUnreleasedVol1/09%20-%20A%20Woman%20In%20Love.mp3

Big Guns

Did I ever mention I used to play trumpet in a jazz band? If not, I did so for a period in 2001. I wish that band had never broken up, but it was only comprised of parents that had gotten together to perform at their children's school. I really loved that group. In memory of my belated jazz career, I'm rolling out the big guns on this track. (Notice the witty tie-in with the picture above.) Here is yours truly performing the classic jazz road song Route 66. It features me playing the piano and guitar, and I'm even the entire horn section! Plus, I get to play all the solos, which is always fun. Please enjoy this interpretation of Route 66, by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson.

IBM 704 And Me

This is just a short post because I want to mention a project I'm working on that I hope to upload soon. I am currently compiling an album of early computer music, and it goes back to the early days of the 1950's and 1960's when computers were first being programmed to play and sing music. This is an exciting project for me and I hope it will be received well. As a sort of preview for this project, I now offer a track from the album which you won't be able to find anywhere else. And I do mean anywhere. It features a duet sung by a 1962 IBM 704 computer, like you see pictured above, and myself. Yes, you heard right! A duet sung by an IBM computer "voice" and my voice harmonizing together and performing the old standard Daisy, Daisy (A Bicycle Built For Two). I ask you - where are you going to find entertainment of such high and unusual quality but right here on this blog? Download this track from the forthcoming compilation album entitled "A History Of Computer Music," featuring the IBM 704 computer and myself singing Daisy, Daisy (A Bicycle Built For Two). You won't want to miss this one (zero zero one)! If this project sounds interesting, please don't hesitate to drop me a line about it in the comments section.

Caravan Of Stars XIV - November 17th, 2007

I posted some pictures of the 1910 Fruitgum Company performing at this very rockshow here, but I thought it was high time the other acts that were also there got their due recognition. The show took place in the auditorium pictured above, and was part of the Freed-Hardeman University of Henderson, Tennessee. It was a very nice atmosphere in which to hear a show such as this and I had the absolute best seats in the house for taking pictures. At least, I felt so. No flash photography was allowed, but my camera performs well in low-light situations, so my seat in the sixth row, dead center of the stage was perfect for my needs. A row closer, and I would have been looking up from below the front lip of the stage. As it was, you can see from the pictures below that I was only just slightly above being level with the stage and this allowed me to get shots from the closeups pictured here to complete wide angles that included the entire width of the stage - and I managed it using only 1 lens! Yes, my 18-70 mm zoom lens is perfect for a wide variety of situations. I plan to employ the same lens on May 17th, when I return to the same venue for the Caravan Of Stars XV. I have a seat only one space away from where I sat for this show, and it's in the same row. That's one of the benefits of ordering your tickets early, I suppose, as I got to request the seat I wanted. It promises to be another great show and of course, I'll probably post some shots from it here in my blog. The artists scheduled to appear at that one are Al Wilson; Billy Joe Royal; Billy Swan; Bob Miranda - lead singer of the Happenings; Dennis Tufano - lead singer of the Buckinghams, making another appearance; Joey Levine - lead singer of Ohio Express; Merrilee Rush; Ron Dante - lead singer of The Archies, The Cufflinks and The Detergents; The Cowsills - the original inspiration for The Partridge Family; and Tony Burrows - lead singer for Edison Lighthouse, White Plains, Brotherhood Of Man, First Class and The Pipkins. I can hardly wait! Now, for the details on version XIV of the Caravan of Stars:

When we got there, the drummer of the group I'm currently in and I, the doors weren't scheduled to open up until 5 p.m. So, we waited in line with the 5 other people there ahead of us. The next two people to show up, were sisters. They fell into line behind us and we four began to talk. We all struck up an immediate friendship, and in fact, went out for a late dinner together after the show. When the doors opened, those of us who had purchased V.I.P. tickets got to meet the stars and get their autographs. Every one of the 9 acts were very gracious about this. I know they must have done this a million times before, but they acted like normal, friendly people. I managed to get all their autographs and photographs and I even purchased the 1910 Fruitgum Company's new cd, which they were kind enough to autograph for me. Once the show began proper, the lights in the house went down and Dickie Lee opened up the proceedings. He played such hits of his as I Saw Linda Yesterday, Patches, Rocky and others. I hadn't been aware of the fact that he played guitar left-handed, but he did and played it well, too!

Next up was Jimmy Gilmer, whose group Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs had some hits in the early 1960's with songs such as Sugar Shack and Daisy Petal Pickin'. He sounded exactly like he did all those years ago - his voice was as good as ever! I just recently found out an interesting fact that deals with him and his group. In the couple months before Buddy Holly died, late 1958 and January 1959, he had recorded some demos of songs in his New York apartment that he had written, but had not had a chance to record properly in the studio. After his death in February, 1959, those demos eventually got adorned with backing instruments and back-up vocals starting in the early 1960's. And, you guessed it, the group that played on a lot of these sessions was Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs! It seems they both recorded out of the same studio in Texas.

The third act to hit the stage was no stranger to bright lights and fame. Carol Connors had been a member of The Teddy Bears, whose late-1950's hit To Know Him Is To Love Him, had been a smash on both sides of the Atlantic. The Beatles even covered it in their early live shows. Next for her, she wrote the song Hey Little Cobra, which was a smash hit for The Rip Chords. Later, in the 1970's, she co-wrote the theme from Rocky - Gonna Fly Now. She still writes and performs worldwide. She came out on stage dressed like a boxer, to the strains of her theme from Rocky.

Next up was a group from the early 1970's who had a hit I remember quite well. I even have the 45 rpm of it still. Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods had a number one hit with Billy, Don't Be A Hero - you probably remember it, too. It was about a young boy that went off to war, against his girlfriend's wishes, but dies in the end and becomes a hero. Bo Donaldson, played keyboards for the group, but the lead singer was the guy pictured on the left above, named Mike Adams.

Next up was the singer who had been with The Association, who still tours, by the way. His name was Jim Yester. He performed many of their greatest hits, including my favorite, Never My Love. That song has the distinction of being the most-played song on the radio of all time. After he did hits by The Association, his brother, Jerry Yester came out and they did a couple songs together. Jerry was in the group The Lovin' Spoonful, of which you'll hear more below.

Somebody I never thought I'd see was Eddie Brigati, the lead singer of The Young Rascals, and later, just The Rascals. He came out of retirement to play this show and he was just marvelous! It seemed like he started out slow, and a bit unsure of himself, but after the round of applause came for his first number, he loosened up and let fly with a great many hits of The Young Rascals. He even performed Mustang Sally, which was a song they covered and I know this because, once when I was in a band, we couldn't find any version of this song to learn except for a version on an album by The Young Rascals!

After Eddie left the stage, Jerry Yester returned and sang several hits by The Lovin' Spoonful. And he played a couple new ones that must have been his own songs. Both were well received by the audience members.

Next up were the group I had originally come to see. When I first heard about this show, I didn't realize there were going to be any other groups besides The 1910 Fruitgum Company. I still own several of their singles and their songs were the soundtrack for my early childhood. They played such songs as Simple Simon Says, May I Take A Giant Step, Indian Giver, Goody Goody Gumdrops, Special Delivery and my favorite 1 2 3 Red Light. Let me tell you, they know how to put on a good show! I found out from their website that they were performing in London a few weeks after this show. It must be nice!

Dennis Tufano, lead singer of The Buckinghams, came on the stage last. There was supposed to be one other act, to make it an even 10, but Barrett Strong failed to show up. I heard event organizers talking about this. They said they sent him the money to appear, but he didn't make it, for some reason. But, Dennis Tufano more than made up for any shortage of talent and entertainment. He sang the greatest hits of the Buckinghams, who still tour without him, by the way, and then as an encore, he came back out and did a dead-on impersonation of Bobby Darin's Mack The Knife. I have since found out that he does a Vegas-type show of nothing but Bobby Darin songs. It's probably something to see! Dennis has a great voice and stage presence and had everybody on their feet when he was finished. I look forward to seeing him again at the next Caravan of Stars.

After it was all over, Jim and I met with Janie and Janet, the two sisters we'd met in line, and had a late dinner at an International House of Pancakes restaurant. We said goodbye and came home, but it was a great day, all in all! It was the first thing like it I had ever attended and loving music like I do, how can I not go to another one?

Jeff Healey - 1966 - 2008 R.I.P.

On March 2nd, 2008, Jeff Healey died of cancer at St. Joseph's Health Centre in his home town of Toronto; he was 41.

Healey, died in a Toronto hospital of a rare cancer - retino blastoma - that he had fought since birth and which claimed his eyesight at the age of one.
"Visually, Jeff was an intriguing player to watch, because he played guitar - by any conventional standard - all wrong, with it flat across his lap," his publicist Richard Flohil told broadcaster CTV. "But he was a remarkable, a virtuoso player."
The Jeff Healey Band's 1988 Grammy-nominated album See the Light, which included the hit "Angel Eyes", sold more than 1 million copies in the United States.
He played with blues legends BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, and recorded with George Harrison, Mark Knopfler and Jimmy Rogers.
His death came a month before the release of his new album, Mess of Blues, which will be his first rock album in eight years.

Jeff was much too young to be taken from us; another in the line of Rock and Roll tragedies. He will be sadly missed.

White Men Can't Rap

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm nearly 17 years older than my brother. Being born like he was in 1977, he started becoming aware of music about the time that rap music became popular. Naturally, he started rapping on his own, in reflection of this influence. Everything he did, he had to get me interested in, too, and since I was already into all kinds of music on my own, I naturally gravitated toward rap myself. Gravitated a little, that is. It's still not my most favorite musical genre for expression, but it does have it's attractions. So, one thing led to another, and my brother and I began writing and recording our own rap songs.

Now, if you're going to record rap music, you have to be rappers. Or at least sound like you're rappers. And that means you have to have a cool name, one that you definitely wouldn't be christened with at birth. And being as I knew how to run the recording equipment, I got to be the rapper front man and he became what is known in rap circles as my "deejay." And also being as the only white guy I'd ever heard of at the time that rapped, (around 1990, or so) was called "Vanilla Ice," the name I chose was only natural for me. You have to know that I love baking cookies, so I chose the moniker of "Vanilla X-Trac" for my name, taken from the flavoring vanilla extract, only I made it look cool by changing the spelling. My brother's rapper name was Sir DJ Rappafellow.

We recorded several songs back then - I never did really keep track of how many at the time - and they just remained "in the can," so to speak. Well, quite a few years drifted past and by chance, I came across them and thought they would make a nice little Christmas gift if they were all gathered up and burned on a cd. I did just that, and made a cool looking rapper cover and gave them out to family members about 3 years ago for Christmas. Of course, I had to play it for the whole family gathering! Everyone got a kick out of it, because they were mostly recorded in a funny matter. Some were serious, but most were not.

Therefore, it is with pride that I offer one of the songs from our album for download: X-Trac's The Man. And as a bonus, I'm including another track, one that I hadn't located in time to make it on the album, so you get a rare unreleased song, too! Here are Shook Up and X-Trac's The Man as recorded by Vanilla X-Trac and Sir DJ Rappafellow. Pictured below is what the album cover looked like:

As always, comments are quite welcome, but please take into consideration that these tracks were recorded in fun and are not meant to rival Tone Loc or Young MC in any way!

Sounds Of Christmas

I may have mentioned this before, but one of my all-time favorite blogs is Ernie (Not Bert). Ernie posts something that is near and dear to my heart - Christmas music! What he does is to go to thrift stores and find used albums, (yes - those big, black round things that revolve at 33 1/3 rpms!), record them to his computer and then upload them to the internet so that anybody that wishes to can download them. How great is that? I have personally downloaded several albums that he has offered and play them frequently. If you're interested, be sure to cruise on over there, (after you've finished here, of course!) and see what he has to offer! He starts uploading them after Thanksgiving, so he's got his season started already. Here's that link. Be sure to tell him that Kenny sent you over!

Well, I too love Christmas music. So much so that I usually record a Christmas CD each year to give out to my family and friends as a stocking stuffer gift. There have been around a dozen collections so far and I have loved recording each one. The great thing about doing it all yourself is that I not only get to sing all the voices and play all the instruments, I get to pick the songs! Of course, I pick all my favorite Christmas songs - from classic carols to modern pop hits. I even include some that I have personally composed on each CD. So, with no further ado, here is my most recent release, one from a couple years ago: Sounds Of Christmas by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson.

In case you're wondering whether or not to download it, here is a track listing to further convince you of it's Christmasy goodness:

1 We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2 Please Come Home For Christmas (the one the Eagles did in 1978)
3 Glory To God In The Highest (my own composition)
4 Deck The Halls (With Boughs Of Devo)
5 Angels Foretold This Glorious Thing (another one I wrote)
6 Feliz Navidad
7 The Chipmunk Song (yes.... that one with the Chipmunks!)
8 Mary's Little Boy Child
9 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (my favorite Christmas song)
10 Away In A Manger (the old medieval version)
11 Angels We Have Heard On High
12 Little Saint Nick (the old Beach Boys classic)
13 He's Santa Claus (And He's Comin' For You) (another one of my originals)
14 Listen The Snow Is Falling (the Yoko Ono song that was on the flipside of John Lennon's Happy Xmas [War Is Over] single)

Well, there you have it. If it turns out that lots of people like it and ask for more, then I might upload another one - my first Christmas CD, Peace On Earth, seen below: