SURF’S UP ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD!
October 31, 2009
An excerpt from Randy Lewis’ L.A. Times review on Rhino’s new collection “WHERE THE ACTION IS! LOS ANGELES NUGGETS 1965-1968”
“The mid-’60s was a remarkably dynamic time in pop music, so it’s no surprise that Rhino Records’ latest edition of the Nuggets series, this one focusing on L.A., has a breathtaking range of recordings from the city’s heavy hitters.
The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Doors, the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, Randy Newman, Arthur Lee & Love and, yes, the Monkees are all featured among the collection’s 101 tracks, as are dozens of colorful acts that largely have been forgotten by just about everyone but the producers of this four-CD set. “
One of those lesser known acts, The Impacts includes my longtime friend and sometime collaborator, Merrell Fankhauser, co-writer of one the biggest surfing instrumentals of all-time, “WIPEOUT.” Just yesterday, New Media Joe (Klein), interviewed Merrell for Kent Kotals’ Forgotten Hits special instrumental issue, which will appear on Monday.
New Media Joe gives us a preview…
“Merrell told me that he is very excited about the compilation and feels a deep sense of pride that one of his own songs “TOMORROW’S GIRL”, made the cut. “It really feels great to have this all but forgotten hit included on a package alongside such a great lineup of legendary acts from that era,” Merrell says. “It’s also great to be getting recognition for my own modest contributions to the music scene all these years later.”
He added that, “On Sunday, November 1, Merrell is attending a big shindig, video screenings, and signing event for WHERE THE ACTION IS, hosted by Rhino at the fabled Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. He’ll be signing copies of the album for fans, along with Forgotten Hits regular contributor Billy Hensche (Dino, Desi & Billy), Bobby Hart (Boyce & Hart), Van Dyke Parks, and Mark Tulin (The Electric Prunes). Merrell is bringing a camera man and is planning to interview Andrew Sandoval, the man who put the Rhino package together, to include in an episode of his own cable television show, TIKI LOUNGE.“
Read New Media Joe’s whole story about the new Rhino compilation, which posts Monday on FORGOTTEN HITS. Then, later in the week, read the first installment of “THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A SURF MUSIC LEGEND—THE WIPE OUT STORY,” which documents Merrell Fankhauser’s incredible life and career, exclusively on FORGOTTEN HITS! http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/
Here’s the song that I co-wrote with Merrell “CALLING FROM A STAR,” which was produced by Art Munson (Dick Dale and the Deltones), New Media Joe, and myself.
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Here is the official page for the box set at the Rhino Records website: http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=519759
To visit Merrell’s website, click here: http://www.merrellfankhauser.com/
To read New Media Joe’s company blog, click here: www.newmediacreative.com/blog
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U2…THEIR MUSIC AND THE NEW MEDIA!
October 26, 2009
Whenever Elvis or the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, I’d get a call from my classmates to make sure I was watching. Not much has changed except it’s my Twitter pals and Facebook friends around the world who now make sure I’m tuned into a special musical event!
My friend New Media Joe (Klein), who did all the radio and TV spots for U2s “Rattle and Hum” advertising campaign, was the first to tweet me about it, and later sent me this e-mail.
“Artie…..Tonight was a VERY MONUMENTAL night for new media! YouTube streamed out the U2 concert from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena LIVE!
This was quite the event to be sure! A deal was made with YouTube for the rights to stream out the concert live. The concert will be available soon as a high-definition Blu-Ray DVD, so this is a total “win-win-win” for YouTube, U2, and NEW MEDIA!
The concert itself did not disappoint in any way, nor did the very well-produced “live” streamed video! (I am sure that all of the individual cameras and audio tracks were being simultaneously recorded so that they can be re-edited and remixed for the high-definition DVD release.) The “live switched” muilti-camera video streamed out on the YouTube feed was very well done and on par with the best of any live concerts I’ve ever scene on network, cable or satellite television.
At the height of the “buzz” during the live feed, there were as many as 9,000 tweets in the Twitterfall “queue” to be displayed! In the couple of years I’ve been using Twitter, I’ve never seen this kind of volume at any one particular moment or hour!
It would be interesting to see a stat on how many people tweeted about U2 and the webcast, It is estimated that TENS OF MILLIONS of people worldwide were watching the live YouTube stream! There must have been hundreds, if not thousands of tweets posted every second!
This is a great example of how new media can be employed to promote music! Create an incredible buzz through social networks like Facebook and Twitter and garner a huge worldwide audience by offering a well-produced, high quality live feed of the event itself. The “official” page on YouTube had links to purchase U2 music and merchandise, find out more about the causes and charities the band is championing and links to donate to the charities. On top of that, the whole event drives incredible amounts of traffic to the YouTube site (which hardly is starving for hits anyway) and becomes a promotion for the “up-sell” of the “premium content” (the actual high-definition Blu-Ray DVD of the event).
This really was a totally “BEAUTIFUL DAY” for NEW MEDIA! It’s now becoming clear that the internet is in the process replacing terrestrial, cable and satellite television as the primary delivery method for content. This transformation will only accelerate as broadband connectivity continues to spread and bandwitdth rates (the “speed” of the connections) improve.
“The revolution has not just begun, but is now in full gear!”
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
HERE’S A DIRECT LINK TO THE U2 CONCERT ON YOUTUBE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4QLFVrZ-fw
To reach New Media Joe email joe@newmediacreative.com
You can follow New Media Joe on Twitter www.twitter.com/newmediajoe
or read his company blog at www.newmediacreative.com/blog
Photo at top of U2 by Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / October 25, 2009)
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SOUPY SALES R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
October 23, 2009
SOUPY SALES 1/8/26 – 10/22/09
“Back in 1966, I was one of the first Americans to have open heart surgery. As they rolled me back in from the ICU, the doctor said to lie still or I could undo 122 stitches. I turned the TV on to Soupy Sales and started laughing so hard the nurse had to stitch me back up!
She turned the TV off, put the remote out of my reach, and tucked me in so I could hardly move. As soon as I heard the sound of her sensible shoes disappearing down the hall, I got up, walked over and turned the TV back on and watched the end of Soupy’s show with the sound off…holding back laughter and stifling tears of joy.
I didn’t know my doctor was watching all of this from the hall with a smile on his face. He told me later that I made medical history by walking 36 hours after such a serious operation. Of course I thanked God, but I also had a chance to thank Soupy a few months later during one of his personal appearances.
Although his fans were in frenzy all around him, he took a few minutes to talk to me. After he heard my story, and humbly accepted my gratitude. He ended our conversation by putting his hands to his ears and doing a little bit of “The Mouse”!
Soupy…you touched so many people’s lives in so many ways. Thank you again for the profound effect you’ve had on mine.
Soupy Sales…R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
Respectfully, Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
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BMI SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
October 22, 2009
I’ve been with BMI for almost half-a-century as a writer, a friend of the organization for 30 years when I was GPM of Warner Brothers music, and CEO of Irving-Almo music. And when I opened my own publishing company, my late friend, Ron Anton a senior V.P. at BMI, named it…WayneArt Music.
I’ve steered hundreds and hundreds of writers to BMI because I thought it was the best of the performance societies, but then I became outraged a few royalty periods ago when BMI started withholding monies from songwriters if they earned less than $250 in that quarter. I bitched about it on my blog and urged my songwriting pals not to take this lying down!
About a month ago when I got a check from BMI for $115, for a song I wrote 40 years ago, I felt proud that I might have been able to help in a small way to change the practice affecting thousands and thousands of songwriters who need every penny they could get their hands on…after all songwriters have always been on the bottom of the music business ladder.
Then got dozens of e-mails from my readers who offered praise, scorn, and conflicting information about what was going on at BMI. I guess it was my ego that stopped me from going directly to the company and finding out for myself. I was afraid of dealing with people I didn’t know, who didn’t realize that I am a legend in my own mind, expecting a certain level of respect.
Then while dealing with BMI on an unrelated matter, I was contacted by Phil Graham, a senior VP at BMI who once worked closely with the late Ron Anton.
Dear Artie,
I have been following your blog recently, with growing concern about the exchange of misinformation about BMI’s royalty payment policies. In an effort to provide accurate information, let me begin by listing several ways in which BMI writers are paid that I believe responds to the many concerns you have posted, and have been posted by others in your blog:
BMI writers have had available for many years the ability to receive payments on the day of the royalty distribution electronically, either through direct deposit with one’s bank, or through an industry leading initiative we call “The Card from BMI”… essentially an ATM card that draws money from an account into which BMI deposits royalties. The forms to set up these kinds of payment facilities are available on bmi.com and thousands of writers have already taken advantage of these methods. However, if a writer does want a check we will make payment in that form if requested through one of our Writer/ Publisher offices for amounts over $2.
As part of BMI’s “Green initiative” two years ago, we made a decision to mail out royalty checks only once a year for writers who earned $250 or less. It appears that the check you recently received was our annual royalty payment. We send out thousands of these annual checks for very small amounts… some of them as small as $2 to any writer who has earnings from BMI the prior year. Let me emphasize that this annual check in no way prevents any writer from receiving their royalties each quarter as outlined above. It has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars each year that reduces our overhead and increases the overall distribution. It is one of the efficiency measures BMI has put into place to bring our overhead rate down to approximately 12%… among the lowest of any copyright organization in the world.
I would be happy to talk over all of these matters in person with you, either on the phone or… even better… during an in person visit. I would also be pleased to personally set up an appointment for you with one of our senior writer publisher relations executives in our offices in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, or Miami.
Phil Graham
BMI Senior Vice President
Writer – Publisher Relations
New York
Thank you Phil, that clarifies a lot for me and I’m sure many of my readers. I also feel comfortable working with you and your staff…sorta’ like the old days. If we have any further questions I’ll contact you.
Regards, Artie https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
EXTRA!!!CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NOMINEES TO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME!
Click here for the complete list. http://www.examiner.com/x-16590-Manhattan-Local-Music-Examiner~y2009m10d16-Songwriters-Hall-of-Fame-announces-2010-nominations?cid=channel-rss-Arts_and_Entertainment
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EXCLUSIVE! THE ANATOMY OF A GIANT MEDIA HOAX!
October 19, 2009
Today I was planning to pitch a radical promotion idea for Tommy James (“I Think We’re Alone Now”) who’s about release a book, “Me, the Mob, and the Music”, but the “Balloon Boy” incident stopped me in my tracks!
I was going to propose that Tommy start using Twitter to let his fans know his every move up to the release of the book…then send one last message that says, “This will be my last “Tweet” for a while, I’m going into the witness protection program.”
Then go silent for three days.
Can you imagine the media frenzy…the world wide speculation? The attention “Me, The Mob, and The Music”, would get? But when Tommy returned and innocently said, he was “only kidding”, and needed some time to himself, would he be greeted by adoring fans throwing “Crimson and Clover”, or a torch bearing mob tired of media “Hanky Panky”?
I’m sure Tommy will get a laugh out of my “plan” when he hears about it, but he’s one artist who doesn’t need any gimmicks to get the attention he deserves. Here he is performing one his biggest hits “CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION” and you’ll see what I mean.
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
For complete story of Balloon Boy Hoax. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8313439.stm
For Tommy James http://tommyjames.com
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NEW MEDIA JOE COVERS BLOGWORLD EXPO!
October 14, 2009
The buzz is building at the last minute as the biggest blogging and podcasting event of the year is just about to kick off in Las Vegas simply called…Blogworld Expo!
Congratulations to my old friend New Media Joe (Klein) who’s announcing and co-producing the grand finale of the whole conference, featuring major new media and blogging entrepreneur, Guy Kawasaki.
Here is a link to the official Blogworld and New Media Expo blog with the latest information about the show: http://www.blogworldexpo.com/blog/
All About New Media Joe: http://newmediacreative.com/new-media-joe-klein-chosen-to-be-the-voice-of-the-blogworld-and-new-media-expo/
You can follow New Media Joe, who will be tweeting from the Expo on Twitter, here: www.twitter.com/newmediajoe
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
NEW MICHAEL JACKSON SONG EXPOSED!
October 14, 2009
Everyday It seems like a “new” Michael Jackson track rides a wave to the top of the internet, then crashes into the sea of reality the following day.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson didn’t do it his way after all.
Hours after the pop singer’s first posthumous single “This Is It” was released amid great hype on Monday, it emerged that the tune had been recorded 18 years ago by an obscure Puerto Rican singer.
Moreover the co-author of that tune, “My Way” songwriter Paul Anka, threatened to sue Jackson’s estate for proper credit and his share of royalties.
The administrators of the estate quickly acknowledged Anka’s claims and granted him 50 percent of the copyright, a potentially massive payday for the 68-year-old Canadian crooner. And an equally massive loss for the estate.
“They realize it’s a mistake, they realize it’s my song, they realize it’s my production of his vocal in my studio and I am getting 50 percent of the whole project, actually, which is fair,” Anka said in a video posted on the TMZ gossip Web site.
The song dates back to 1983, when it was known as “I Never Heard” — a co-write between Jackson and Anka — and intended for inclusion on an Anka album. But the pair fell out, Jackson took the master tapes and Anka got them back.
The song was eventually released in 1991 after Anka placed it with an unknown Latin singer named Sa-Fire.
Both “I Never Heard” and “This Is It” share the same vocal and piano line, although the latter track boasts new overdubs from Jackson’s brothers. But “This Is It” had been promoted as a new Jackson recording, one of a multitude of unreleased recordings likely to come out in the next few years.
It was released online around the world nearly four months after the singer died in Los Angeles of a prescription drug overdose at the age of 50.
Fans will be able to buy it when a two-disc album hits the shelves in two weeks to coincide with the October 28 worldwide release of the Jackson rehearsal-footage movie “This is It.”
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IF LIFE IS A LOTTERY, LET’S ALL TAKE A CHANCE…BUT IF LIFE IS A MONKEY…LET THAT MONKEY DANCE!
October 12, 2009
MONKEYS ARE NOT ONLY IN OUR HEARTS, BUT ALL OVER THE NEWS!
THEY’RE CUTE WHEN THEY”RE LITTLE…
BUT WATCH OUT WHEN THEY GROW UP!
Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
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MICHAEL JACKSON BREAKS THREE NEW WORLD’S RECORDS!
October 12, 2009
MICHAEL HAS THE NUMBER ONE SONG ON THE INTERNET WITH “THIS IS IT” FROM HIS NEW MOVIE ! http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/10/12/michael-jacksons-new-single-this-is-it-stream-it-here/
MICHAEL IS SINGING “SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME” ON THE CHORUS WITH ROCKWELL ON THE NUMBER ONE COMMERCIAL FOR GEICO!
MICHAEL HAS JOINED HIS BROTHERS ON THE JACKSON FIVE’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS ALBUM “SINGING “LITTLE CHISTMAS TREE” EXPECTED TO GO NUMBER ONE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Cn_PrHNfo
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
SHELBY SINGLETON R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
October 8, 2009
SHELBY SINGLETON 12/16/31 – 10/7/09
This morning I was talking to my friend “Country Paul Payton”, about some “Classic Hits” radio promos we’re working on, when he asked me if I knew that Shelby Singleton had passed away. I was taken aback and nearly dropped the phone; I told Paul I’d call him back, then spent the rest of the morning reflecting on one of the pioneers of the Modern Music Business…a man I was proud to call my friend
“The first time I met Shelby Singleton was in the mid-sixties, when he was head of Mercury records A&R department. I was a small publisher always trying to get a song cut. Fortunately, my new wife Sheilah is working at Mercury, one of her closest friends is Carol, Shelby’s secretary. It isn’t long before I’m able to go in and out of the inner offices whenever I want. One day as I’m talking to Carol at her desk, Shelby rushes in from the studio, with a record he just produced and he invites us in to listen to it. It’s a cut from the next Brook Benton album, and although it doesn’t sound like a hit single, it’s a cut an artist can be proud of.
This is the first time I have a chance to sit down with Shelby. We talk for a bit about music, and he plays me a new band he’s signed, The Blues Magoos, and describes them with a word I never heard before, “Psychedelic”,
Shelby remembers, “The Blues Magoos were the first Psychedelic group I ever heard-My thought was this was so different it had a shot in the market- We decided to call The album “Psychedelic Lollypop” as the stories of the day in all the news was hippies putting LSD on lollipops to get high. The first single from the album was “Tobacco Road“ It was a immediate success. Mercury wanted me to find more groups like the Blues Magoos, but I said no, let’s work on this group!”
Shelby always kept his door open and encouraged me to do more producing, in fact when he left Mercury and started his own record company, I produced the first record he released by 9 year old Dewey Jones, “Please Mr. Johnson (Send My Brother Home) protest against the Viet Nam War.”
Over the years we lost touch, but reconnected on Facebook. I talked to him a few months ago and asked him for a few paragraphs to include in my book. True to his generous nature, he gave me pages more than I asked for, including a few hilarious stories that are some of the highlights of my book!
I was fortunate to have known Shelby and shared some of those stories. Perhaps legendary singer/songwriter Ray Stevens, himself one of the most unique souls to smack boot heels on a Music City sidewalk, says it best, “Shelby Singleton was absolutely one of a kind.”
Shelby Singleton R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
Respectfully, Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne from his book “I Did It For A song” https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
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