Dan Wilson In Words and Music

When a musician tells a good story, it's a golden evening.  Dan Wilson took center stage last night at Joe's Pub (with the accompaniment of keyboardist and smart phone programmer Brad Gordon).  Dan told lots of great stories and played lots of great music. 

Dan Wilson at Joe's Pub

I met Dan when I managed his earlier band Trip Shakespeare.  They were a powerhouse. Their live shows were unmatched for excitement and sweat.   Dan had the hits with his next band Semisonic.  Last night he told us of the genesis of Closing Time.  Although Dan was happy to be in his routine of playing the same song each night to close the band's set, band members were bored and wanted something new.  At the same time, he and his wife were expected their first child.  He wrote Closing Time.  Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.  When I first heard that song, it brought back so many memories of hanging out in clubs and talking to bands after the show.  There was always someone to say gather your coats and head out, we're closing.

Dan has co-written with "very strong women":  Carole King (his second co-write), the Dixie Chicks, Adele, Pink, etc.   In a story arc that played out over the evening, he began by talking about how initially it was slow going to hook up with other writers. Finally John Titta his music publisher asked his manager Jim Grant, if he would be interested in writing with Carole King.  Dan's mother said to him, remember she spells her name with an "e".  Being nervous at their meeting, the first thing Dan could think of to say to Carole was "My Mom loves you."  She said, "That makes me feel old." 

Several songs later, Dan gets to his writing with Adele.  They meet in this small studio in LA and Adele says I'm not really that familiar with your stuff, but my Mum loves you.  The ironic circle closed.  They wrote Someone Like You.  She played the unfinished song for her manager (who loved it) and her Mum (she cried).  Dan said we must be on to something and they were.

It's the little touches that make a wonderful evening even greater.  Dan who I admire as an artist as well as musician, had printed up a take home memento of the evening. His illustration work can also be seen in the video for his latest single Disappearing. 

Dan has three more shows on deck tomorrow in Minneapolis, then to Hollywood and San Diego.  Go see him!

American Idol Sells Records

The April 27th episode of American Idol featured the songs of Carole King.  Billboard reports that on the heels of that show, her records "Live at the Troubadour" and the iconic "Tapestry" have both re-entered the Top 200:  "Troubadour"  at No. 170, up 106% and her No. 1 1971 effort "Tapestry" No. 178, up 135%.  There are still people out there who do not own Tapestry?

 Great songs endure. 

Carole King Ticket Prices Are So Far Away From Reasonable

I was looking forward to seeing Carole King. She's touring with James Taylor, which is an event. They are playing Madison Square Garden June 15th. Tickets go on sale at 11am this morning through Carole King's website.

I've been priced out of the show.

Here is a breakdown of the ticketing fees:

Base Price: $150.00 USD
Facility Fee: $4.50 USD
CaroleKing.com Service Charge: $15.00 USD
Transaction Fee: $4.00 USD
Our Price: $173.50 USD

Paying $173.50 ($23.50 of that in additional fees) for a show at the not-very intimate Garden in this economy is cost prohibitive.

The Garden is charging $4.50 a person/ticket. Capacity for a concert is 20,000, which means they are grossing $90,000 at sell out. They have to be taking a piece of the merchandise, concessions, etc. Do they also get a % of ticket fees? Does not seem like a great deal for the Garden.

Why is there a service charge and a transaction fee?
At sellout, CaroleKing.com will receive $300,000 in processing fees. Seems extreme for what is needed to execute the ticket sales. Tickets have to be picked up at the venue day of show. They are not physically sending tickets to buyers.

Not sure who gets the $4 ($80,000) transaction fee.

Once again, it seems like shows like this are a reality only for hedge fund managers. Too bad. I'm a huge fan of Carole's work. I've never seen her live and would love to, but it won't be on this tour.

I'm off my soapbox.

Carole King & James Taylor to Tour

The only US date posted so far is the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 16th. Tickets go on sale for that show on Nov 23rd. It's a reunion commemorating their first show together in 1969 at the Troubadour. Carole King's website has the full press release.

Ellie Greenwich: The Songwriting Leader Of The Pack Dies

Ellie Greenwich stands out as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. She died yesterday in Manhattan at the age of 68. Along with songwriting partners Jeff Barry (her husband at one time) and sometime collaborator, Phil Spector, she penned a string of hits that is staggering. She was also a stellar arranger and producer. Like Carole King, I think these women were unsung when it came to what they brought to the table, not only as songwriters, but as arrangers and producers. Early in her career she recorded a few of her songs under the band name The Raindrops. I think her song legacy and what she meant to other musicians will stand as a tribute to what she gave to this world.

"She was the greatest melody writer of all time," Brian Wilson told The LA Times on Wednesday.

"Those songs are part of the fabric of forever," said songwriter Diane Warren

“Ellie Greenwich was one of the most important people in my career.” Neil Diamond

Songwriting Credits:
Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts
Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry
Da Doo Ron Ron
Then He Kissed Me
Hanky Panky
Leader of the Pack
Chapel Of Love
Be My Baby
River Deep Mountain High
Out In The Streets
All Grown Up
Baby I Love You
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Do Wah Diddy
Gee Baby Gee
Girls Can Tell
Don't Ever Leave Me
Heartbreaker
Hold On Baby
I Can Hear Music
I Wanna Love Him So Bad
Look Of Love
Maybe I Know
People Say
Take Me Home Tonight
The Sunshine After The Rain
Wait 'Till My Bobby Gets Home
Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love




Producer Credits:
Cherry, Cherry
Kentucky Woman
Solitary Man


Vocal Arranger
Chain of Fool
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (contributes background vocals also)
Evil Woman -yes the ELO song
Baby I'm Gonna Make You Mine
The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Background Vocals:
Dreaming
In the Flesh
Man Overboard
Atomic

This is just a partial list of her accomplishments. For full list, see her website.

Thanks for the wonderful melodies!

Lillian Roxon An Unsung Pioneer

I read Girls Like Us last year. It's the story of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. I thought it would be a book about their rise to the top, delve into their craft and really dissect what made them successful. What struck me was the main thrust of book seemed to be who was sleeping with who. Hint: James Taylor, Steven Stills and David Crosby are a few of the repeat offenders. Needless to say, I was disappointed. The subjects are all extremely talented women and these stories played up their vulnerabilities rather than their strengths. Realizing what each of them has gone through, it becomes apparent that they are survivors and stronger than the men in their lives. This book did spark my interest when it mentioned Lillian Roxon, who was basically a footnote. I was not familiar with her. According to Girls Like Us she was an influential writer in the music world in the 1960's and early 70's. She was one of the first to write about rock music. Lillian was originally from Australia and she was the inspiration for the Helen Reddy's song I Am Woman. Eye Magazine is born in the late 1960's publishes about 15 or so issues and has offices on MacDougal St in Manhattan. Carly Simon gets an apartment a few blocks away. It seems that everything is exploding in this area of Greenwich Village. Roxon not only wrote for the magazine, but was an early champion of her photography and a friend to Linda Eastman (later on she marries Paul McCartney).

She was an early champion of David Bowie. Her writing is still fresh and her suggestions in a 1972 New York Sunday News piece, are very valid today. The subject of how "primitive by-products (we now think of it as merchandise) of the rock business are" comes up in a conversation with Bowie. Who knew Columbia Records put out a Sly Stone doll? Lillian mentions she would buy a David Bowie doll that comes with a few costume changes. Bowie was still unknown in the States and Ziggy Stardust was about to come out. Here is the tell tale sign that Bowie will be around for awhile:

In England, where he is incredibly popular (he's still just an in-group cult figure here but wait till "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" LP takes off) fans have already designed Ziggy Stardust stationery for themselves.

Isn't that what it's all about? Fans creating their own merchandise? She notes that most rock stars look like dolls and wouldn't you rather have a well-made doll than a poster with a bad enlargement of a photo? She offers advice for a hurting garment industry: Get the musician involved not only with the design of the clothes, but the design of the store also. "Buying and selling is a part of our everyday reality", she quips, so why can't musicians sell wares associated with them. She closes the article with "I'm not kidding, if its good enough for Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, why not Ziggy Stardust, Ruby Tuesday, Eleanor Rigby and the rest of the gang?". Why not indeed. The bottom line is that if it's a quality product and it's true to who the musician is, it makes sense.

How Long Has This Campaign Been Going On?

Doesn't it seems like Gilmore Girls ended 4 years ago or is that how long this campaign has been going on? I was listening to Carole King's Tapestry and heard "Where You Lead" which made me think of Gilmore Girls

. On the final episode of the show, Rory is leaving to go on the road as a political blogger following Barak Obama's campaign.

More Cowbell

The SNL skit with Christopher Walken as the record producer who tells "Blue Oyster Cult" the problem with Don't Fear the Reaper is it needs more cowbell, is legendary. Will Ferrell is the one playing the cowbell. I bought my husband a Tshirt that says More Cowbell. He gets comments on it. Now there is a website called morecowbell.dj that allows you to upload any MP3 and add cowbell and Christopher Walken. It takes at least a minute. I uploaded It's Too Late by Carole King. It's pretty funny. It surprised me that the cowbell was in snyc with the song. I'm sure this site will be getting plenty of traffic.