DO WE KNOW MORE ABOUT VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES THAN WE KNOW ABOUT THE BLACKS AND THE JEWS?
October 31, 2010
Even though I’m half-Black and half-Jewish and allowed to use “Oy” and “Yo” in the same sentence, I’m the first to admit that I know very little about either culture. As a kid I knew that I could stop a vampire with a silver cross, or keep werewolves away with garlic, but I couldn’t stop the Jewish bullies in school from picking on me for insisting I was Jewish.
It seems that you’re considered a Jew only if you’re mother is, and since my father was the one to carry the blood of Abraham…I didn’t count!
The “colored” and Puerto Rican kids who were starting to dominate the formerly all-white Bronx neighborhood were more than happy to think of me as Jewish, since it gave them another reason to kick my ass. I relied upon the genes of my father (who I never met) to outsmart them, and the genes of my strong single African-American mother to give me the athletic prowess to outrun them.
As I grew up I never was allowed to become part of “Team David” which I named for the kid who slew Goliath in the Bible, or join “Team Martin”, named for Martin Luther King, who slew other kinds of monsters in the ‘60s. I was an only child, and stayed a loner as I examined each of the cultures I had roots in.
As a “Negro”, I was trying to assimilate into the White American culture and at first considered Jews and Blacks, who were militantly leading the fight for civil rights as troublemakers, until I realized they were fighting for me.
As their opponents were sharpening their wooden stakes, and melting down their silver and turning them into bullets, I said to myself, “Wait a second…it’s time to choose sides, and then I realized that the sides had already been chosen for me!”
I weighed fact against fiction, put fantasy aside and finally realized that I am related to all men genetically and spiritually, and I have to do whatever I can to ultimately promote a dialog between all people.
And if I learned anything, it’s that understanding each other begins with conversation, not confrontation. And if you can only lift one finger you still can point the way!
Copyright 2010 by Artie Wayne
NOW HERE ARE THE TOP 25 HALLOWEEN MUSIC VIDEOS OF ALL TIME including…“The Monster Mash”, “Unchained Melody’ from Ghost”, “Disturbia” UNEDITED, UNCENSORED Rhianna, The Addams Family theme, “Time Warp” from “Rocky Horror Show”, “I Put A Spell On You” Screaming Jay Hawkins, “Halloween theme” John Carpenter, Michael Jackson’s “THRILLER” 14 minute version! ..MORE!https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/the-top-halloween-music-videos/
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB! EXCLUSIVE “MOVIE MONSTERS I HAVE KNOWN AND FED!” “Freddy Kruger, Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper were all customers at Genghis Cohen, the Hollywood restaurant I named and hosted, which is why I kept a sharpened chopstick on me at all times! https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/movie-monsters-ive-known-and-fed/
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BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
CONGRATULATIONS TO JERRY ROSS ON 50 YEARS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS!
October 26, 2010
It’s the 50th Anniversary of my longtime friend, and sometime collaborator, producer/ songwriter Jerry Ross. After cutting classics with The Dreamlovers and The Sapphires, he had an amazing string of hits with Bobby Hebb, Keith, Spanky & Our Gang, Jay & The Techniques, Dee Dee Warwick, Jerry Butler, The Temptations and the Supremes.
If that wasn’t enough, he introduced many incredible acts on Colossus Records, including Shocking Blue…so why isn’t he in some kind of Hall of Fame?
Artie Wayne
JERRY ROSS JUST DOESNT GET ENOUGH CREDIT FOR THE THINGS HE DID IN THE MUSIC WORLD, HE HAD SOME OF THE BEST EARS AND BEST INSTINCTS IN THE BUSINESS. HE FOUND GREAT ARTISTS, AND GREAT SONGS, AND EVEN SOME OF THE STUFF THAT DIDNT WIND UP IN THE TOP 10 WAS IMPRESSIVE: 2 OF MY FAVORITES WOULD BE, AND SUDDENLY, BY THE CHERRY PEOPLE AND I DIG EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, BY THE MOB, JUST 2 OF HIS GREAT TRACKS.
IM A BIG JERRY ROSS FAN!
SCOTT SHANNON
DEEJAY
“Because of Jerry Ross, I still receive emails today from fans around the world of my group’s music.
Thank you Jerry for believing in the The MOB and getting us our first record success on the charts. Happy 50
Regards,
James Holvay
Dear Jerry,
Congratulations on your 50th Anniversary.
And here’s to fifty more.
We love ya,
Artie Kaplan
“Jerry Ross knows talent, is a talent, influenced many careers, and he demonstrated to many new-comers how it’s done.”
Joe Renzetti
Hi Artie,
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to say a “thank you” to Jerry Ross for the music he has given us during his 50 years in the business. He was involved with many of my favorite records by the likes of Keith, Bill Deal & The Rhondels, the Dreamlovers, Dee Dee Warwick etc.
Here in Rhode Island we have another great celebrating his 50 years in the business; Peter Anders is performing in concert tomorrow (October 16). Peter with his then partner, Vinnie Poncia, wrote “You Gave Me Somebody To Love” with Jerry Ross, a song which Jerry worked on with the Dreamlovers and Jay & The Techniques. Anders and Poncia also wrote “Gonna Make Him My Baby”, which Jerry’s wife, April Young, recorded.
Going further back, you can even find Jerry Ross-Kenny Gamble songs recorded by Freddy Cannon; “Everybody Monkey” and “That’s The Way Girls Are” from 1963. It has been varied.
Keep the faith Jerry, Mike Edwards
Jerry Ross put me and my old partner on the road of knowing what a hit song is….And with this knowledge we both went on to having many charted records. Jerry is a gentleman and I want to say to him thanks for putting in the time to teach….Barry Oslander
I had a lot of fun working with Jerry and many interesting and successful songs and records came out of our relationship.
mark barkan
Jerry Ross produced so many great records that each time I think of a new
one I remember it as my favorite. Also, the more I learn of his career — of
the names of artists he worked with and records he produced — the more
impressed I become, as there’s scarcely a slouch in the bunch.
I don’t know that Jerry would view his career the same way I do, but from my
perspective it’s been one of moving from triumph to triumph with almost
unheard-of consistency. And so I extend him my deep gratitude, and my
sincere congratulations on a “colossus” of a career!
–Phil Milstein
JERRY PRODUCED A BEAUTIFUL RECORDING OF A SONG WE WROTE CALLED ‘MR DREAM MERCHANT’ THAT WAS BEAUTIFULLY SUNG BY THE ‘ICE MAN’ HIMSELF, THE GREAT JERRY BUTLER..
IF WE’RE AROUND, DO I GET AN ANNIVERSARY NOTE LIKE THIS? BEST WISHES..
LARRY WEISS
Wow – not only did he produce hit after hit in the ’60s and after (my faves:
The Dreamlovers’ “When We Get Married” and Spanky & Our Gang’s “Sunday…”),
but he had the “ears” and business sense to import talent like Shocking Blue
and The Tee Set. Congratulations on 50 big years (and, if I stopped to
count, at least as many big hits). May your ears never go out of tune, and
the hits just keep on comin’!
Country Paul Payton
I have known Jerry Ross since I began my career at MRC Music on West 57th Street and we were the co-publisher of “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”…
Jerry was always and will always continue to be the perfect role model both for me and any aspiring young person who wants to succeed in the music industry…certainly we all know that the industry has changed since “Sunny,” but the one thing that has not changed are the disciples that Jerry Ross has always lived by…love people, live by the philosophy of helping somebody even though you know up front they can’t do anything for you in return, and just work your ass off to be one hell of a great music man and hope you know a hit song when you hear one!
Congratulations Jerry on a stellar career and the best is yet to come; I promise!
Joel Diamond
”
Jerry Ross … where to begin? Well, he’s one of my favourite producers and songwriters, and a really great guy to boot. A few mates and I got to hang out with him for an afternoon a few years ago – a highlight of our trip to New Jersey , although he never did show us how to do “The 81”. Heck, if only for all those classy little records he made with the Sapphires – “Who Do You Love”, “Slow Fizz”, “Evil One”, “Gotta Have Your Love”, “Let’s Break Up For A While”, “I Found Out Too Late”, “Where Is Johnny Now”, etc – he’d be up there with the greats. But things got even better when Mercury Records bagged him to work with Dee Dee Warwick and Jerry Butler. I’d like to congratulate him on 50 years in the business.
MICK PATRICK – SPECTROPOP
PS: Check out Artie Wayne’s in-depth interview with Jerry at spectropop.com: http://www.spectropop.com/JerryRoss
When I asked Jerry How he felt about his 50th Anniversary in the music business he said,
“I owe the extraordinary journey to my goals and body of work to the remarkable and special people in my life who were my collaborators !!!!
The songwriters/ my Artists/ my arrangers/ the musicians/ my background singers/ the audio engineers/ the promo men /the marketing teams/ my wife April, and the Radio deejays and media programmers, all, who with their support and collaboration respectfully made it all happen … You know who you are !!!!
I am so grateful …I can’t thank you enough. !!!!
I enjoyed the journey
“ The greatest risk is not taking one ”
Jerry Ross http://www.myspace.com/producerjerryross
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=661334839
Copyright 2010 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
CONGRATULATIONS DENNIS LAMBERT AND BRIAN POTTER!
October 12, 2010
CONGRATULATIONS TO MY FRIENDS, DENNIS LAMBERT AND BRIAN POTTER WHO HAVE JUST BEEN NOMINATED FOR INDUCTION INTO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME. Dennis e-mailed me.
Artie…I’ve just been notified that I’ve been nominated, along with Brian Potter, for induction into the SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME for the year 2011. This is too much great news for any one guy in so short a time !!
We’ll be on the ballot that goes out to voting members sometime in late October. If you’re a member, please consider us and support our nomination if you think the body of our work is worthy. If you’re not a member, the requirements for voting membership are rather simple and non-specific. This is what the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Songwriters Hall of Fame had to say about membership in the voting category:
To see and hear Dennis and Brian’s biggest hits click onto the DENNIS LAMBERT VIDEO JUKEBOX https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/the-dennis-lambert-video-jukebox/
JON STEWART WTF! HOW CAN YOU HAVE A MARCH WITHOUT A THEME SONG?
October 12, 2010
I don’t have to tell you that political ad campaigns on all sides are getting nasty as it gets closer to the election. While opponents, like primitive apes, are hurling turds of discontent at each other, only one man has come forth with a plan to bring America together! That man is Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show” on Comedy Central.
In Stewarts own words, “We’re looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard; and who believe that the only time it’s appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles.”
Jon, continues, “Are you one of those people? Excellent. Then we’d like you to join us in Washington, DC on October 30 — a date of no significance whatsoever — at the Daily Show’s “Rally to Restore Sanity.”
Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence… we couldn’t. That’s sort of the point.”
Jon, you’ve everything going for you except an inspiring theme song…that is until now…wait until you hear the chorus of “United We Stand” by the Joel Diamond experience featuring Benny Mardones and Teresa James!
Copyright 2010 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
To reach Jon Stewart and The Daily Show http://www.thedailyshow.com/
For Joel Diamond http://www.joeldiamond.com/
SAY IT LOUD…I’M BACK AND I’M PROUD!
October 7, 2010
On July 4th, when I moved to another place in the desert, I noticed that I was having trouble seeing out of my right eye, which got progressively worse until I realized I was going blind. When I told my friend Allan Rinde about it, he rushed me to the eye doctor who diagnosed me with a growing cataract.
He said he can remove it with laser surgery when it gets a little larger, so I have to suffer a growing loss of vision until then. In the meantime, I’m looking into Dragon voice recognition software and someone who can teach me how to use it, so I may continue blogging.
Last year I exposed an organization that held onto songwriter royalties until they were at least $250 before they issued a check, collecting interest on millions of dollars in the process. I took on two social networks who tricked people into joining them so they could appropriate their address books and personal information! I’m happy to say most of the problems have since been corrected.
This year I plan to go after corporations who take advantage of their customers. Why does an $11 prescription at Costco cost $44 at Walgreens? Why is there special Senior menu at Denny’s, where seniors are charged a higher price for some of the very same dishes on the regular menu?
Finally, I’m happy to say that I finished my book, “I Did It For A Song” (if you don’t like the music of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and 80s, you can kiss my past!) Here’s a little photographic preview for you https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/arties-photos-volume-one/ as well as https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/arties-photos-vol-2/#more-5901
I’ve also archived the ROCK IN PERPETUITY articles I’ve written about my friends in the music business who have passed away. https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/rip-rock-in-perpetuity-archives/
Here’s hoping you’ll be a regular visitor to Artie Wayne On The Web for my investigative reports as well the best in music, films, and TV.
Regards, Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2010 by Artie Wayne
Artie Wayne On The Web 