So Let It Be Watched

I just had to post this quick update. As you are probably aware, Easter was yesterday and it was the time of the annual viewing of my all-time favorite movie - The Ten Commandments.

I have to relate two of my favorite lines from it. One is when the Pharaoh Sethi, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke is playing hounds and jackals with Nefretiri, portrayed by Anne Baxter, and his Priest Jannes, the great character actor Douglass Dummbrille, is petitioning him about Moses. Jannes comments that Moses is stealing the grain from the temple granaries and Sethi pats him on the stomach and says "You don't look any leaner." This is too funny!

The next great line happens right after this in the motion picture. Rameses, played by Yul Brynner, comes in and tells Sethi that Moses is trying to raise an army against him, using the Hebrew slaves and the Ethiopians. Sethi goes to see why Moses didn't obey his command to come to court and finds Moses, who is perfectly characterized by Charlton Heston, hard at work raising an obelisk. After it's safely in place, Rameses does the whole weight thing on the scales as an analogy for all the things Moses has done wrong. Moses picks up one brick and says "The strong make many.... the starving make few.... the dead make none. So much for accusations." And then he places the brick on the scales and it outweighs the other side completely. This particular line is one that has stayed with me ever since I saw it in the theaters on it's intial rerelease in 1966.

This is just a perfect example of the brilliance of everyone involved with the movie - the director, Cecil B. DeMille, the writers and Charlton Heston's acting abilities, along with the rest of the cast. Is there any wonder why this wouldn't be my favorite movie? Now, if only they would release an authentic soundtrack album for it.

And one final picture before I go. Here's me dressed as Moses one year for Hallowe'en which I photoshopped and added in the desert background. I really like this movie!

Do It Yourself Ark Kit -or- Chemtrails 101

Have you looked up into the skies lately and seen those trails that jets are leaving behind? They're not normal contrails, despite the fact that others try to say that's all they are. Contrails dissipate after a few seconds, that is a provable fact. These trails stay up there all day! If you've never heard the term Chemtrails, you need to realize that something is being sprayed up there above your head. I don't know who is doing it or the reason behind it, but I do know that someone is messing around with the weather. How else do you explain the fact that ending yesterday, in the span of only a day and a half, we got 11.64 inches of rain here in Southern Illinois? We got a foot of it, the equivalent of 3 months worth of rain in less than 2 days! That is not normal and anyone that has lived here in this area or has a brain in their head will agree with me. When will people wake up and discover the things that are being done all over this world right in front of their very eyes? This country called The United States Of America won't be around for very much longer, if this keeps up. Not like it used to be anyway. When it crashes, you can't say you weren't warned about it. Or will enough people wake up and prevent the loss of our beloved free country? Only time will tell.

To end on a humorous note, I have included this cartoon below. But, don't let it distract you from the truth. Smile! (While you still have the freedom to do so.)

"The woodpecker has got to go!"

12-02-46-33-9-78 26-0-0-01

Moody Blues - Tuesday Afternoon.
March of Dimes.

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.

The Wizard Of Destiny

Have I mentioned before that I love to write? If not, I probably also didn't pass on this little tidbit: I have had a novel published. It is the historical/fantasy you see pictured below:

Yes, it was published in May 2005 and I was quite happy with the way it turned out. I should have been, because I had a great relationship with my publisher. They were E-BookTime and let me have things the way I wanted them. I designed and created the cover art, did all the artwork inside and they even made sure that the words First Edition were prominent on the copyright page, just like I requested. That was probably the most important thing with me. First editions are always the most valuable!

First off, you have to know that I'm a big fan of the whole fantasy genre. The Lord Of The Rings cycle, by J.R.R. Tolkien, has always been my favorite fantasy books. To me, it holds the perfect recipe for a fine and engrossing fantasy novel - lots of magic, a fabulous quest, colorful characters and poetic writing. When I wrote The Wizard Of Destiny, that's the style I most emulated. Not that it's anything like it, mind you, but it is that type of quest-fantasy that I so adore. Above, you can see the map I drew for it; and like every good fantasy novel must have, I, too, have a map with places and names so you can follow along in your head wherever the characters go.

Seeing as I wanted to have a realistic background as it's setting, I chose medieval England, during some indeterminate year. I left the era vague for the simple reason that I wanted to speak about real people and places, but didn't want to be tied down to a specific year. As to the plot, it's about a young boy who becomes the great Wizard Simon's apprentice. Well, here is the blurb I wrote for the back cover:

Young Alfred doesn’t realize what lay in store for him when he goes to visit his local Wizard. But soon, through a strange quirk of events, he becomes the great Simon’s apprentice. At first, the lad has doubts as to his abilities to learn everything he will be taught. And to compound matters further, their King needs the services of his Wizard just then for a dangerous quest of great importance. With just a Friar to accompany them, they begin a journey that thrusts Alfred into an important and hazardous time in his young life. Does he have what it takes to become the Wizard of Destiny?

And of course I injected some humor into the whole melange. I hate reading those deadly serious and dry fantasy novels with characters who have such complicated names as to be unpronounceable by human tongue. Those kind of books are just so boring. Needless to say, if you want to find out all about how and why the people of Stonehenge lived, how to use a magic spell that will turn someone into a bagel, the beginnings of four lads from Liverpool - long before rock and roll came along, or the further tales of that bandit from Sherwood Forest, then this book is for you! It may not be 100% factual, (wink, wink!), but it will have you smiling as you get pulled into and along with their quest.

Why haven't I said anything about it before? Modesty, I suppose. I never liked pushy people myself, so that's something I try to prevent from happening in me. But.... if you happened to see this little blog and were more interested in my book.... here's a link where you can pick it up from my publisher's website: The Wizard Of Destiny, by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson. By purchasing it from them, I get a higher royalty rate, don't you know. But, you can also find it on any other online bookstore.