June 12th, 2025 § Comments Off on Brian Wilson § permalink
For those of us growing up in the late 1960s while “rock music” was exploding, the Beach Boys were making old fashioned music. Although they did take their genre to new heights with the quality of their songwriting, recordings, arrangements, and performances.
Brian Wilson was the musical director of the Beach Boys, and after a number of albums he decided to make full use of the best studios and session players in Los Angeles to “produce” their sound, therein setting the gold standard for the recording industry in the process.
There is no question of Brian’s genius and musical influence on the world of music, especially audible on the Beach Boys album, “Pet Sounds,” with its timeless and holy song, “God Only Knows.” I can vouch for a lot of songwriters who pinched a thing or two from that one!
In the mid 1990s I started playing golf at Holmby Park, on the nearly 100 year-old, 18-hole “pony golf course,” next to the Los Angeles Country Club. The park has two Lawn Bowling greens and a children’s play area, and sits below the “ungodly” Spelling/Ecclestone mansion, next to what was Bing Crosby’s house. The Holmby course was saved from “lack of budget” in 1981, by donations from neighbours, Armand Hammer and Hugh Heffner! In 2008 I researched and wrote a history of Holmby Park for the Golf Division of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department.
On a few occasions over the years I saw Brian Wilson walking laps around the park. At first he was alone, and usually in a Hawaiian shirt, but the last time I saw him in the 2010s he was in a dressing gown with support following/helping him around. As far as I saw, no one bothered him, or didn’t recognise him. I’m sure those that did were happy to leave him in peace. We were all hoping his walks would contribute to his long good health!
These past few years when I walk our dogs around Holmby Park, I always think of Brian. “Requiescat in pace”
May 31st, 2024 § Comments Off on The George Floyd Protests Aftermath. Los Angeles. May 31, 2020. § permalink
“Meet you at 3rd and Fairfax”!
I heard the protest coming along 3rd street. I jumped on my bicycle and headed towards them only to find people with bats and knives and police with bats and guns committing some serious violence against each other which frightened me to death and I raced home! All night the pops and bangs and helicopters and sirens rang on and on like in a war zone! Crazy scary!
The photos in the video were taken the next morning.
I awoke to complete silence and empty streets. I grabbed my bike and rode around and took snaps. Later the California National Guard and the cleanup crews arrived to clean everything up and erase any memory of the night!
The song “Dear John” was written as a letter to John Lennon in December 1999. I was working with Mick Fleetwood on a project where I had his drum stem and it inspired me to write the music. The words are a letter to John.
The Aftermath of the George Floyd Protests at 3rd & Fairfax, Los Angeles, May 2020.
May 18th, 2024 § Comments Off on Have we been wasting our lives on Social Media? § permalink
@Facebook has been around longer than the most inventive years in Popular Music History, which might have been between “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles in 1964 and “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes in 1984! Have we been wasting our lives on Social Media?
June 4th, 2023 § Comments Off on The Road to Meddazaland – Duran Duran § permalink
The Barbarella Pictures interviews with many of the musicians, producers, and engineers who worked in the studio with Duran Duran. @DuranDuran
The documentary was written, produced, filmed and edited by Carsten Windhorst and Gerard Hynes!
I’ll admit, this interview was my first foray out in public in nearly a year.
If I hadn’t found a parking meter on Sunset Boulevard I might have been a no-show.
Carsten and Gerard were brilliant and supportive! We are overdue a pint!
Enjoy!
Part 2 of the Barbarella Pictures interviews with some of the people who worked in the studio with Duran Duran. The documentary was written, produced, filmed and edited by Carsten Windhorst and Gerard Hynes.
Part 3 – An awesome album! Not my story. Good music!
November 13th, 2022 § Comments Off on Rock Hall 2022 for Duran Duran § permalink
After massive support from fans around the world, Duran Duran were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame by Robert Downey Jr., on November 5 (Guy Fawkes night), 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
We went to the show, and were truly blown away by everyone on stage, and the audience! Although it as a very long show there wasn’t a moment wasted between segments. An incredible stage set, and light show, with no need for a host.
Neither Andy Taylor or Warren Cuccurullo from Duran Duran were there, and sadly, Andy wrote his thank you’s in a letter, and told us he had terminal cancer. A bittersweet night.
My highlights were everything, but of course hearing Ordinary World was very special. Otherwise,
I can’t get those Eurythmic songs out of my head! Annie and Dave were awesome! Eminem, Judas Priest… They all were! Seriously one of the best concerts ever!
For many years I have been a fan and a student of the Beatles and all who sailed their ship. But, there was one person on the team I knew little about – Norman Smith, the musician, engineer, producer, recording artist and the 6th Beatle!
Norman Smith
Norman recorded the Beatles from the very beginning through the Rubber Soul album. At the end of 1965 George Martin founded A.I.R. with his EMI producing partners and Norman was promoted to producer and took over the Parlophone label from George.
Norman signed Pink Floyd in 1967 and produced and engineered three of their first four albums, including Ummagumma, and then in 1971 went on to have a #1 hit in America as recording artist Hurricane Smith!
When I was in London a few years ago recording Joey Niceforo and the Steve Sidwell orchestra in Studio One at Abbey Road with Steve Price, I met Richard Hale, longtime engineer at E.M.I. Studios. I’ll save Richard’s story for another day, but suffice to say that he regaled me with tales of Norman Smith, and lent me a copy of Norman’s “auto biography” – John Lennon Called Me Normal.
Norman was in the glider division of the Royal Air Force in the last year of World War II. Fortunately for him he was never deployed and ended up spending a couple of years in a jazz band playing on the roof top of a hotel in Venice, Italy.
But, the best part for me is finally seeing the man himself, and he is fantastic, and definitely the missing link in all the stories of the greatest band of the 1960’s!
An interview with Beatles engineer and Pink Floyd producer/engineer Norman Smith
August 26th, 2019 § Comments Off on An Especial Pint With jj frazz II § permalink
A few weeks back I decided to put together a 15 minute “podcast” of various demo recordings that I have produced over the years. I have had the luxury of recording everyday since my parents bought me a Sony Sound-On-Sound real-to-reel tape recorder in the 1970’s, so I have recorded hundreds of songs in my life. Quantity over quality!
This week’s A Pint With jjfrazz II is a flock of covers, special to me, but not ready for prime time. Here are they in all their one take demo goodness.
March 11th, 2019 § Comments Off on Remembering 3.11 (Tohoku) § permalink
Eight years after the Tohoku Earthquake tragedy in Japan, “the fourth largest earthquake in history”. Our thoughts are still with the victims, who are still facing the gigantic task of rebuilding their homes. The situation in and around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is still critical.
