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.
April 25th, 2019 § Comments Off on Steve Ferrone’s Birthday Bash! § permalink
What an amazing time we had in old Pasadena thanks to Jason and Alan and Becky and everyone who helped to get so many great friends from all over the world together to celebrate Stephen’s 60th birthday.
Steve and the Band
The list of friends who came to play included Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, David Pack, Brian Auger, Alex Ligertwood, Benmont Tench, David Garfield, Malik Pointer, Steve Postell, Danny Halperin, Tim Scott and many others.
Brian Auger and John Jones
Songs included Josie and the Biggest Part of Me and some very serious funk!
David Pack, Nathan, Steve & the band
I managed to commandeer the piano in the sitting room for the gentle after hours show. After a few Beatles and Beach Boys numbers we floated back to earth. Happy Birthday Steve!
Becky and Steve
Steve Ferrone and John Jones at NAMM Los Angeles circa 1998
January 18th, 2018 § Comments Off on The Hollywood Sign § permalink
The news about putting another sign on Mount Lee, on the Valley side, made me think of my song from my 1994 album, One Moment in Time –The Hollywood Sign.
October 10th, 2017 § Comments Off on Be True To Yourself – Live in Burbank 2000 § permalink
This was a Live Internet Broadcast from netthistv.com‘s studio, recorded March 29, 2000, of John Jones and the Minstrels, performing songs from the album, One Moment in Time
On that rainy night in Burbank, the Minstrels were, Richard Martinez (djembe), Sean Halley (guitar, vocal), and Christoph Bull (accordion, vocal). Steve Ferrone was expected to play percussion, but couldn’t find a parking spot, and missed the show!
Richard, Sean, and myself, had played a couple of the songs at the Troubador, a few months earlier. For this show we were joined by Christoph.
Big Thanks to Kevin and Rob Carmony for the video!
This was a Live Internet Broadcast from netthistv.com‘s studio, recorded March 29, 2000, of John Jones and the Minstrels, performing songs from the album, One Moment in Time
On that rainy night in Burbank, the Minstrels were, Richard Martinez (djembe), Sean Halley (guitar, vocal), and Christoph Bull (accordion, vocal). Steve Ferrone was expected to play percussion, but couldn’t find a parking spot, and missed the show!
Richard, Sean, and myself, had played a couple of the songs at the Troubador, a few months earlier. For this show we were joined by Christoph.
Big Thanks to Kevin and Rob Carmony for the video!
January 7th, 2017 § Comments Off on Wrapped Around Your Finger – Dan Hill § permalink
This was Mick Fleetwood’s favourite song, of mine!
While we were producing Dan Hill’s, Seduces Me, for Celine Dion, at the end of 1995, we recorded my song, Wrapped Around Your Finger, for Dan’s solo album; I’m Doing Fine.
We recorded the basics for the song, at my Treehouse studio, in the Dell, Hollywood. I played the keys, acoustic guitar, and bass, then we overdubbed Steve Ferrone’s drums at Record Plant with Steve Churchyard, and Michael Thompson’s guitars, at his Cocoa Butt Studio, in the Baldwin Hills.
Wrapped was top 10 on radio, before it, and the album, were pulled from distribution, after 8 weeks! Oh well…
