GENE PITNEY RARITIES FEATURED ON HIS BIRTHDAY, FEBRUARY 17

GENE PITNEY RARITIES

FEATURED ON HIS

BIRTHDAY, FEBRUARY 17

ABOVE FROM GENE’S WEBSITE, http://genepitney.com/ . We suggest you check it out. Lots there and like Gene says, he’s ‘giving it away’…lots of free music samples. So, we’ll offer a few of the rarer ones in our birthday tribute feature today as we once again share bittersweet memories of the wonderful artist Gene Pitney. We know it’s trite to say about many of the early artists who never got their due, but in Gene’s case it’s especially true. Gene didn’t fit nicely into one ‘bag,’be it rock and roll, country or even rhythm and blues – he fit all three! It’s a wonder he even made it into the Rock Hall of Fame – finally – a year or two before he passed. As we wrote in our Beatles tribute last week, rock and roll didn’t attain respectability until after the Beatles and Gene fell victim to that during the biggest part of his career.

A true rarity we’d never seen before, from 1961.It has a haunting quality to it, capturing the feeling of the song and the movie, from which it never made the cut.

What can you say about this beauty. We certainly don’t want to put something up that was offered by the fan club, but since it’s on You Tube we figure it won’t hurt. However, we suggest going to the website or Amazon and purchase items.

While we’re in this vein of religious ballads, here’s another unreleased beauty , Ava Maria,in Italian, no less, again , with chilling organ accompanyment. We know nothing about this but you might write to the website if interested.

gene pitney , crade of your arms

HEAR THE UNLIKELY PAIRING OF GENE PITNEY and country great GEORGE JONES

CLICK ON BELOW COUPONS and then CLICK ‘CASH BACK’ WHEN YOU GET TO NEXT PAGE

GENE PITNEY RARITIES FEATURED ON HIS BIRTHDAY, FEBRUARY 17

George Jones Unlikely Pairing with Gene Pitney

Gene Pitney & George Jones – I’m A Fool To Care

A nice country song by unlikely duo

Interesting angle on George Jones passing… ‘the world’s greatest country singer. ‘ George just happened to record at the same record label, Musicor, as Gene Pitney, rock and roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter but who really defied categorization. What seemed like an unlikely pairing recorded over 20 songs and an album together… and it worked… witnessed by this sampling. George called Gene his younger, ‘little friend,’ and ironically the hard-living Jones outlived Gene by 15 years. More @ http://oldiescountry.blogspot.com/

MORE ON GEORGE JONES… ARTISTs PAY TRIBUTE TO

‘WORLD’S GREATEST COUNTRY SINGER’…

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/04/26/11292071-george-jones-the-greatest-american-pop-singer-ever-recorded?lite

By Matthew Diebel, NBC News
Opinion: Johnny Cash had a stock answer to that oft-asked question, “Who is your favorite singer?” “You mean,” he teased, “apart from George Jones?”
Yes, there’s pretty much universal agreement among country singers that Jones, who died Friday at age 81, was the greatest of all time. From the oldies – Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard – to the relative newbies – Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis – all were of one mind.

******************************

GEORGE JONES FUNERAL WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC…

‘That’s the way he would have wanted it,’ says wife Nancy….

from Grand Ole Opry May Thursday May 2

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Vince Gill: ”There aren’t words in our language to describe the depth of his greatness. I’ll miss my kind and generous friend.”

Garth Brooks: ”The greatest voice to ever grace country music will never die. Jones has a place in every heart that ever loved any kind of music.”

Alan Jackson: “Well, heaven better get ready for some great country music. While George was known for his wild and crazy days, I’ve known him for 25 years as a friend. He had grown into a real good man. Of course, he will always be the greatest singer and interpreter of real country music – there’ll never be another. Like the song says, ‘You know this old world is full of singers, but just a few are chosen to tear your heart out when they sing. Imagine life without them…Who’s gonna fill their shoes.’”

Hank Williams Jr.: “Today is a sad day in Country music. We have lost another piece of history. George Jones was not only a good singer, but was a good friend. He will be missed by many.”

Merle Haggard: ”The world has lost the greatest country singer of all time. Amen.”

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS – Carole King, Gene Pitney, Don Everly

(Don, on right, with brother Phil) EverlyDon Everly with brother Phil doing Crying in the Rain, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin

Donnie Brooks doing his big hit, Mission Bell from Hollywood A Go Go, 1965. Brooks was a fixture at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasantono, CA where he headed up his cavalcade of oldies acts. He is much missed.

Gene Pitney is also missed and to think I never got to see him perform live. Every Little Breath I Take was as good as anything Gene ever did – and he did a lot of great ones, this under the exquisite direction of the one and only Phil Spector

Lots of big name birthdays in February… including Hall of famers Carole King, Don Everly of Everly Brothers and Gene Pitney plus notables Ral Donner (best Elvis soundalike but great in his own right), Bob shane (last surviving original) of Kingston Trio, heartthrob and underrated singer Fabian, top saxophonist King Curtis who played with so many and helped make Buddy Hollly’s True Love Ways one of the classic songs and Donnie Brooks, who was as great an emprasario as he was a singer (Mission Bell and Doll House). Here are a few samples (wish we could include them all…

FEBRUARY 1-17 BIRTHDAYS

01 – Don Everly, 1937; Bob Shane (The Kingston Trio), 1934;

02 – Graham Nash, 1942;

03 – Dave Davies (The Kinks), 1947; Eric Haydock (The Hollies), 1942; Dennis Edwards (The Temptations), 1943; ; Angelo D’Aleo (The Belmonts), 1940; Johnny Cymbal, 1945 (died 1993)

06 – Fabian Forte, 1943; Natalie Cole, 1950; Georgeanna Tillman (The Marvelettes), 1943 (died 1980); Bob Marley, 1945 (died 1981); Donnie Brooks, 1936 (died 2007)

07 – King Curtis, 1934 (died 1971);

09 – Carole King, 1942; Barry Mann, 1939; Brian Bennett (The Shadows), 1940; Barbara Lewis, 1943;

10 – Ral Donner, 1943 (died 1984)

12 – Ray Manzarek (The Doors), 1939

13 – Peter Tork (The Monkees), 1944

16 – Sonny Bono, 1935 (died 1998)

17 – Gene Pitney, 1941 (died 2006)

Coverlettes Bring Back Spectorian Christmas 1963

SPECTOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM HOLDS UP WELL TODAY

Listen to Phil Spector, himself, as he introduces his famous Christmas album, circa 1963; then, watch and listen as some of those who actually worked on the album discuss the long hours they all put into it. Cher was one of them, a 16-year-old back-up singer on the album. Then, in the second video, listen to side one of the great Spector album, featuring with ‘White christmas’ like you’ve never heard it along with all the others… Phil Spector may be wallowing in jail today, but the his incredible music lives on and credit all those who played a part, ie the Wrecking Crew (Google ‘Wrecking Grew’ and learn a lot more and even subscribe to their updates.) They don’t make classic Christmas music anymore . Just think of all the songs we hear at Christmas time and they’re largely oldies, from these Spector classics to Brenda Lee’s ‘rockin ’round the Christmas Tree’ to Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Paper’ to Bobby Helm’s ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and a lot more good ones from artists like the Beach boys, the Four Seasons, etc we don’t hear quite as much. Next, we hear and see the two most famous Spector artists, Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love, perform some of their classics in a recent live performance . Love still performs her Spector classics on David Letterman every Chrstmas and both continue to perform well in concert. And finaally, how’s about a vintage clip of the Crystals peforming the great Gene Pitney-penned ‘He’s a Rebel,’ not a Christmas song but a Spector / Girl Group classic. As for the Coverlettes, they are a local, San Francisco ‘cover’ group, as their name implies. Actually the three ‘girl’ singers are long-time band members of ‘Big Bang Beat’ and other Bay Area groups, who do especially well with the oldies and started up the goup as a Christmas sppof some years ago. This was the first year I was able to get tickets and the December 23 show did not disappoint. No, it wasn’t the wall of sound – it was a more sparce, yet effective arrangement with only two guitars, drums and piano as lead instrument. Check out the Coverlette’s Facebook pages for some of their music clips @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Coverlettes/127724880622754?sk=wall So, I Thouroughly enjoyed the show tonight at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley (12-23-11). First time I’ve been able to catch the Christmas show. Enjoyed the classic Spectorian hits as welll as the more recent tunes like ‘Someday at Christmas.’ Nice sparce backing allowed the voices to stand out in a nice venue, again the first time I’d been there. Hope I don’t have to wait until next Christmas to hear this type of girl-group music again. How’s about the ‘Spector-ettes’ in the meantime. Great CD, too, and only $5.

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

It was sure good to see and hear a good Christmas music show. For years I had gotten great joy seeing the great Charles Brown reprise his Christmas and blues songs of the 1950s era, until his passing five or six years back. Now I hope to make this a regular part of my Christmas, and highly recommend it to anyone who likes good Christmas music or oldies or both.

The 50s for Sale – The Music, Films, Cars, Clothes, Culture

The 50s for Sale – The Music,

Films, Cars, Clothes, Culture – The

Fifties Live

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