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STILL UNABLE TO USE MY HANDS I WANTED TO PAY TRIBUTE TO PHIL RAMONE, AN ALL AROUND GOOD GUY WHO I ONCE CONVINCED THE RAMONES DIDN’T NAME THEMSELVES AFTER HIM!

HERE IS WHAT MIKE BARNES AT THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER WROTE

A former violin prodigy and expert engineer, he worked with Dylan, Sinatra, McCartney, Bennett, Charles, Streisand, Simon, Joel and Bacharach and spent more than 50 years in the business.

Phil Ramone, the instinctive music producer whose mixing mastery for Frank SinatraBarbra StreisandBob DylanRay CharlesPaul Simon and Billy Joel helped fashion some of the most sumptuous and top-selling albums of his era, has died. He was 79.

The 14-time Grammy winner and 33-time nominee once dubbed “The Pope of Pop” was hospitalized in late February with an aortic aneurysm in New York and died Saturday morning at New York Presbyterian Hospital, according to Ramone’s son Matt.

A native of South Africa who at age 10 performed as a violinist forQueen Elizabeth II, Ramone spent years working as a songwriter, engineer and acoustics expert in New York before charting a path that would make him a trusted studio partner in the eyes (and ears) of the industry’s biggest stars.

STORY: Music Industry Reacts to Death of Producer Phil Ramone

Among the albums on which he worked were Streisand’s 1967 liveA Happening in Central ParkPaul & Linda McCartney’s Ram(1971), sandwiched between the Beatles and Wings eras; Dylan’s aching Blood on the Tracks (1975); Simon’s pop classic Still Crazy After All These Years (1975); Joel’s critical and commercial breakthrough The Stranger (1977); Sinatra’s last-gaspDuets (1993), a model of technical wizardry; and Charles’ final album, the mega-selling Genius Loves Company (2004).

Ramone served as a songwriter in New York’s famed Brill Building music factory and worked early on with Quincy JonesTom DowdCreed TaylorJerry Leiber & Mike Stoller and Burt Bacharach & Hal David, among others. In 1959, he launched the A&R Recording studios on Seventh Avenue in New York, where Blood on the Tracks and so many other classics were recorded.

TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER CLICK ONTO http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-producer-phil-ramone-ray-charles-frank-sinatra-425444

PHIL, I’LL MISS YOUR BRILLIANT WORK IN THE STUDIO AS WELL AS OUR LIVELY CONVERSATIONS WHENEVER WE’D RUN INTO EACH OTHER AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

MAY YOUR LEGEND CONTINUE TO GROW, AND MAY YOU ROCK IN PERPETUITY!

Respectfully, your friend Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/celebrating-two-million-views-today-on-artie-wayne-on-the-web..

HERE ARE SOME MUSICIANS REACTING TO THE PASSING OF PHIL RAMONE ON TWITTER   http://ultimateclassicrock.com/musicians-react-to-the-death-of-phil-ramone-on-twitter/

 

Artie:
I cannot imagine losing two of my closest pals in the same week. It’s a
shock to my nervous system and they leave a hole in my heart the size of:
“all the years we’ve been colleagues and friends” …
These are not words I’m writing, these are my tears which mystically create
the text in this e-mail to you.

Brooks Arthur
BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB  http://artiewayne.wordpress.com

 

art hugh

Not only was Hugh McCracken a good friend he was one of most important musical influences in my life!  During his divorce he slept on my couch and one night he took he took me to the opening of club Salvation where I saw Jimi Hendrix play for the first time and was “Galactically inspired”

The next day Hugh took me to Manny’s music store and he helped me pick out a white telecaster, like he and Jimi played! Then we went back to my apartment and wrote, “IT”S ONLY THE DOG” which I produced on the Kingsmen (“LOUIE, LOUIE”.) The song was covered a few years later by the Australian group the Night Riders and has become a cult classic.

Hugh’s songwriting abilities were always overshadowed by his success as a musician, which included playing guitar on each of the Beatles solo projects and being seriously considered to replace the late Brian Jones in the Rolling Stones.

While he encouraged my guitar playing, i encouraged his writing and even got Ray Charles to cut, “Go On Home”, but he preferred doing studio work.

  

Condolences to Hollye McCracken, his family and friends, i know you’re gonna’ miss him!

Hugh McCracken, you were a very special man , may you ROCK IN PERPETUITY!

Respectfully, your friend Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/celebrating-two-million-views-today-on-artie-wayne-on-the-web/

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Other comments about the passing of Hugh McCracken from around the  web include 

From Artie Kornfeld  (“Father Of Woodstock”…”Incredible memory with the greatest man and musician I have ever known.Please get me a copy of my just departed best friend HUGH McCracken and me. (see PHOTO AT TOP)
My heart is broken but my Spirit is holding the Light-artie

Fellow session artist Elliott Randall posted his condolences to his Facebook page on Friday (March 29), along with a picture of McCracken.

“It is with unspeakable sadness that I share with you the passing of one of the greatest friends and greatest guitarists/musicians who ever graced this planet,” he wrote viaUltimate Classic Rock.“I am truly privileged to have known this man throughout all of my adult life. See ya on the other side, Hugh McCracken…”

Carole King posted, “So sad to lose Hugh McCracken. Deepest condolences to friends and family of this great New York cat”.

Artie:

I cannot imagine losing two of my closest pals in the same week. It’s a
shock to my nervous system and they leave a hole in my heart the size of:
“all the years we’ve been colleagues and friends” …
These are not words I’m writing, these are my tears which mystically create
the text in this e-mail to you.

Brooks Arthur

IF YOU HAVE ANY  COMMENTS ABOUT HUGHS’ PASSING PLEASE LEAVE THEM IN THE SPACE BELOW or EMAIL ME AT artiewayne@gmail.com AND I’LL PUT THEM IN THE ARTICLE ABOVE

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i’m still unable to use my hands so i’m turning over my column today to my long time friend patti dahlstrom and the passing of songwriter producer deke richards…

Deke-Richards

“Deke Richards was one of those wonderfully creative men, who also happened to be a good man, a kind man. I met Deke in 1970 at Motown, in fact Deke Richards was the sole reason I was signed to Jobete as a staff writer. Herb Eiseman, then head of Motown’s publishing division, Jobete, was listening to a tape of my songs when Deke happened to be passing by his open door and heard “What If” wafting into the hallway. He stopped and listened till the end saying, “Who wrote that?” Herb looked at the tape box and said “Patti Dahlstrom.” Deke answered, “Sign her.” 

Several weeks later signed, sealed and delivered I was a Motown writer! Deke very kindly took me under his wing. He gave me tapes of completed tracks for various artists and asked me to write a lyric. Once he was in the hospital and asked me to come up to see him. There in hospital gown attire, headphones connected to a small tape player, he sat in bed bobbing his head to the beat. I felt very uncomfortable, “Shouldn’t you be resting?” He assured me he was fine and began playing the track for me. “The title is open but here’s the first line.. you can change it. It’s about someone who takes and takes and never gives back until there’s nothing left.. until it’s too late.” The metaphor was about a well running dry. We sat listening over and over and no thought came to me except the hospital room and post- operative Deke. I took the tape home and had a lyric by the time he returned to work. 
The great thing about Deke was that he was always thinking, creating, excited about it all, and he had the most beautiful manners, always a gentleman to me.  Nothing ever came of our efforts together, still it was wonderful trying with him. 
In the last 4 years we renewed our friendship when the UK released a compilation CD of my music. I contacted Deke to let him know, and to share memories and update each other on what had happened since. We stayed in touch until recently when his illness took him from us. I will be forever grateful, as it was Deke Richards who gave me the break I needed just in time. I do not believe in death as a final parting, only as a new beginning. When I cross I’ll see you then, Deke, and we’ll write another song, a heavenly one. Until then, dear friend, thank you for everything.”
 
He wrote one of my favorite Motown songs, Love Child. 
For a career profile: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/deke-richards-motown-songsmith-dead-at-68-20130326
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PHOTO AT TOP L-R FONSE MIZEL, DEKE RICHARDS, AND FREDDIE PERREN
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Finally. originally written for our friend, Jim Croce on the night of his plane crash dedicated also to Deke Richards “Sending My Good Thoughts To You”written by Patti Dahlstrom and Artie Wayne, performed by Patti Dahlstrom.

To reach Patti Dahlstrom http://pattidahlstrom.com

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MURRAY2

 

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY FROM ARTIE O’WAYNE ON THE WEB!

(PHOTO OF MURRAY BUDESKY BY STEVE BUDESKY ENHANCED BY PHIL X.MILSTEIN)

 

2007-06-27_Shadow & Seth 3

Although my partner Kelli Ross and I ran Janis Ian’s publishing catalog, somehow i never met “Shadow” Morton, who produced ”Society”s Child”, which was one of Janis’ biggest hits! I’ve always been curious about this enigmatic figure who produced some of the ground breaking records of our generation, “REMEMBER (WALKIN” IN THE SAND)” by the Shangri-Las and “YOU KEEP ME HANGIN” ON” by Vanilla Fudge

I asked a few of my friends if they had any stories about “Shadow” , my friend Seth Greenky from GREEN KEY MANAGEMENT emailed me..

“I was still a teenager and I had gone to 1650 Broadway. I was in the office of Red Bird Records, just about to play a demo for the label head, George Goldner. Mary, from the Shangri-Las, still only 17 years old, dressed in black leather, was there (lucky me), looking amazing. Just as George was about to drop the needle on my acetate, the door to the office flew open and this very hip looking guy came barreling in….practically flying. “George, George!” he implored. “You gotta hear this!”

SHADOWIt was Shadow Morton who had just finished recording someone down in the studio (Allegro) located in the basement of the building. So, my demo came off the turntable and George Goldner put the acetate, still warm from being freshly cut on the lathe downstairs, on the turntable. Well, you know the phrase “my brains fell out?” Well, I came as close there as anywhere. It was the Vanilla Fudge’s recording of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.” As if that was not enough there was another side. “Eleanor Rigby.” So, along with Shadow Morton, George Goldner and Mary Weiss, I was among the first to hear these recordings. My life has not been the same since. RIP (Rock In Perpetuity) Shadow Morton”  

Then i heard from my friend of 50 years, producer/engineer Brooks Arthur

“It was an honor & a privilege sitting by George “Shadow” Morton’s side as his recording engineer for the making of: The Shangri-Las “Remember (Walking In The Sand”), “Leader Of The Pack” and Janis Ian’s, “Society’s Child” … I will miss his smile, his style and his unique way of making “three minute movies” (masterpieces),that you can listen to!

Sleep well my wonderful friend. My heart will never forget you.”

Brooks

SHAD JAN 1

Former CEO of UNI AND 20th Century records Russ Regan had this to say

SHADOW
WAS A WONDERFUL GUY
AND A GREAT MUSIC MAN.
MY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES
TO HIS FAMILY.

 RUSS REGAN

IF YOU HAVE A STORY ABOUT SHADOW” OR A COMMENT TO MAKE ABOUT THIS REMARKABLE MAN YOU CAN LEAVE IT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW OR E-MAIL ME AT  artiewayne@gmail.com AND I’LL INCLUDE IT IN THIS TRIBUTE

You can reach Seth Greenky at Green Key Management, LLC www.GreenKeyManagement.com

his FB page is:  www.facebook.com/GreenKeyManagement 

photo at top “Shadow” Morton and Seth Greenky

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blu-ray-searching-for-sugar-man
SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN (PART TWO)
By Joe Klein
The Oscar nominated documentary SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN is the work of Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul who first learned of the story of Sixto Rodriguez while traveling the world for a few years in search of a great story for a docupic. In 2007, he made a stop in Cape Town, South Africa and wandered into a record store called Mabu Vinyl, co-owned by Steven “Sugar” Segerman, one of the Rodriguez fans who had spent several years looking to confirm the rumors of the artist’s death or find him if he was still alive and well. Segerman told the Rodriguez story to the filmmaker, who quickly decided that this was to be the story he’d document on film. It took nearly four years to shoot all the footage and complete the film, which debuted at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. Audiences at Sundance raved and the documentary received to awards at the festival. Last November, 60 MINUTES broadcast a segment about the artist and movie, which was rebroadcast a few weeks ago.
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Happily, the rumors of Sixto’s death were greatly exaggerated, and Rodriguez lives on to this day, enjoying the fame that avoided him for so many years. He remains modest and humble about his elusive superstar status, even giving most of his recent earnings away to family, friends and others he feels worthy of the funds. His latest new-found fame resulting from all the acclaim for the Sugar Man movie resulted in several high profile media appearances since last summer. In addition to the 60 Minutes profile, Rodriguez has performed on The Late Show with David Letterman and, just last week, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has made dozens of live concert and club appearances in the US, Canada, England and Ireland in recent months and, next month, makes his latest triumphal appearances in South Africa, with shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg that have been sold out for weeks. Concerts in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia follow in March.
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A jaw dropping moment occurred for me watching the movie, when Dennis Coffey mentioned working on the Cold Facts album at the legendary Detroit recording studio,TERA SHIRMA, owned by Ralph Terrana, the brother of one of my other lifelong close friends, engineer RUSS TERRANA. Russ left Motown Records, where he had become one of the labels top engineers, to work for his brother at Tera Shirma for a couple years in the late sixties before returning to Motown, where he worked for nearly twenty more years as chief engineer until the sale of the label late in 1988. Russ got such a great sound that he was one of the most sought-after engineers of the Detroit music scene when he worked at Tera Shirma, engineering scores of hits to come out of the studio. Surely, I thought, Russ recorded the first Rodriguez album.
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I called my old pal and asked if he had any recollections about the project. Russ told me, “Wow, Joe. I worked on so many albums at Tera Shirma that I just can’t remember if that Rodriguez album was one of them. But I do remember the name. So maybe I did work on it!” I had to laugh, because I’ve talked to Russ countless times about the days spent in Detroit, working at Motown and his brothers studio, and he couldn’t remember many of the number one hits he recorded or mixed (and there were 89 of those)! If that’s not the mark of a successful genius, I don’t know what is…..
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SM DEN MIKERuss suggested that I call his brother and ask what he remembered, if anything, about the Rodriguez sessions at the studio. I called Ralph Terrana and he was pretty excited that his studio had been mentioned by name in the Oscar-nominated docupic. But, like his brother, he could remember very little about the Rodriguez project. “Hell, Joe, ya’ gotta’ remember that this was over forty years ago,” Ralph told me. “There were so many artists coming in and out of the studio. Producers Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore (“SCORPIO”, “NICE TO BE WITH YOU”) were working at Tera Shirma constantly. I even gave them their own office in our building! But I do remember the name Rodriguez, probably from seeing it on a studio schedule.”
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I asked Ralph if Russ could have been the recording engineer. Ralph said, “You know, probably not. Dennis and Mike would often come in at night and work well past midnight on projects. Russ always preferred the day shift. Mike usually engineered the sessions himself at night.” I wondered if Russ might have mixed the tracks even if he didn’t record them. Ralph told me, “Russ was such a damn good mixer that everyone wanted him to mix their stuff if they could get him. So it wouldn’t surprise me if Russ mixed the album. 
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TO BE CONTINUED……

Rodriguez, the Detroit singer-songwriter at the center of the Oscar-nominated documentary Searching for Sugar Man, will perform at the Coachella, Glastonbury and Primavera festivals this year, Billboard reports.

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Special thanks to Joe Klein for putting this story together!
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Joe can be reached via email joe@newmediacreative.com
Joe’s production company’s website is www.newmediacreative.com
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For more about “super engineer” Russ Terrana and to see my MOTOWN VIDEO JUKEBOX of the incredible 89 number one hits he engineered and/or mixed, click here: http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/the-motown-video-jukebox/
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I’VE BEEN IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS FOR OVER  50 YEARS AND I’VE NEVER KNOWN A GREATER CHAMPION OF THE SONGWRITER THAN JOHN BRAHANEY! (SEEN ABOVE WITH DIANE WARREN (“UNBREAK MY HEART”, “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU?”, “IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME”)

When I moved to LA in 1970, to work as a songplugger for VIVA Music, my new songwriter friend Alan O’Day (“Undercover Angel”, “Angie Baby”, “Rock and Roll Heaven”) who took me to a meeting of the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase (LASS), where I met Len Chandler, the late Mandy Martin, and John Braheny for the first time. I was impressed by the loving support system they built for new and seasoned songwriters to shield themselves from the harsh reality of the music business while they developed their craft.

Over the years I stayed in touch with John, helped me out whenever I needed it, from showcasing my staff writers at Warner Brothers and Irving/Almo music to finding me new writers when I went into business for myself.

HERE ARE A FEW RESPONSES TO JOHN BRAHANEY’S PASSING FROM VARIOUS WEBSITES…

To my dear friend John Brahaney, thank you for being there when no-one else was and believing in me when no one else did. Rest in Peace.

from Diane Warren

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REST IN PEACE, JOHN BRAHENY (ONE-OF-A-KIND SONGWRITER MENTOR, EDUCATOR, AND AUTHOR WHO LEFT US THIS (SATURDAY) AFTERNOON)

John said to me last Sunday, “It’s those of us left behind who feel the pain.”

I believe he is in a place of peace. But we have to endure, keep his spirit alive, and try to be as giving & generous as he was. And be as helpful as possible to JoAnn, without being intrusive. She has been brave and positive through John’s years of worsening illness. This is a terribly sad day. But there is a silver lining in the insights and heart he has shared with so many of us.

God bless you, John.

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Alan O’Day and Yuka

 

 

John and the LASS also presented performing  talent that was stellar. Here are a few of the super talents who showcased during that period: Jules Shear IRS Recording artist & hit writer who then had a day gig sewing sequins on shoes; Keith Green who in his short life brought inspiration to many as a Christian artist on Sparrow Records; Alan O’Day later was a staff writer for Warner Bros., had a hit as an artist/writer with “Undercover Angel”; Ed Sanford & John Townsend showcased their soon-to-be hit “Smoke From A Distant Fire”; Stephen Bishop showcased “On And On” and other great songs; Diane Warren began auditioning for the Showcase at the age of 15, and, shortly after, performed in her first public Showcase in April ’74. Len and John critiqued over 150 of her songs; Larry Groce showcased his novelty song “Junk Food Junkie” before it became a #1 hit on his independent label; Baker Knight later wrote the Mickey Gilley country hit “Don’t The Girls All Look Prettier At Closing Time;” Warren Zevon showcased “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Werewolves Of London” and other songs that later became hits for both Linda Ronstadt and himself. John Rhy’s saw his set at the showcase and produced the first LP of those songs before Warren signed with Warner Bros Records; David Clayton Thomas Blood, Sweat & Tears’ former lead singer; Rotunda featuring super guitarist/artist Steve Lukather; Franne Golde just arrived in Los Angeles from Chicago. Later a recording artist, co-wrote the Commodores smash “Night Shift” (see bio for further list of hits); R.C. Bannon has become a successful country hit writer/artist/producer. Other country hitmakers showcased then include Robert ByrneKerry ChaterChick RainsKieran Kane and Sandy PinkardStevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham turned in a powerhouse performance several months prior to joining Fleetwood Mac.

for additional comments and information about John Brahaney click onto http://johnbrahaney.com  and http://facebook.com/johnbrahaney

My condolences to Joann, John’s family and friends, and the thousands of people whose lives he enriched.

May you ROCK IN PERPETUITY …Your friend, Artie 

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