Johnny J. Blair "Singer at Large"

Musician, entertainer, singer-songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, producer, curator, journalist

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SATURDAY MUSIC VIDEO MATINEE: “Dancin’ in the Aisles” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0hTVxSexw –I composed this during a "rockabilly phase," paying tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and Little Richard. A vocal version, with slap-back tape echo, exists somewhere. The lyrics imagine a 1950s rock'n'roll movie where an upstart Jeannie C. Riley-type of teacher gets a gig at a college and persuades this uptight professor to cut loose and go dancing.

#rockabilly #piano #JerryLeeLewis #FatsDomino #LittleRichard #boogiewoogie #rocknroll #JeannieCRiley #teacher #dancing #johnnyjblair #songwriter #Williamsport #Pennsylvania #grandpiano

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to British singer-songwriter Jeff Christie, best known in the USA for his 1970 single “Yellow River.” He wrote it as a demo for The Tremeloes, then one of the UK’s biggest bands. They recorded it but then scuttled it, so their angry producer took off their vocals and gave the track back to Jeff to sing and record. The result was a phenomenal hit that went to #1 in five countries, Top 40 in nine other countries (#6 in the US), and Top 100 in twelve more countries. Since then, this and other Christie songs have been covered in more than 10 languages. Some critics compared “Yellow River” to The Beatles, perhaps because of the McCartney-ish bass line, but (in my opinion) it bears more of a resemblance to The Kinks. That said, “Yellow River” checks off all the boxes for what makes British Rock great. Jeff said the lyrics were inspired by tales from the American Civil War, but because “Yellow River” was released in 1970 during the Vietnam War, it was interpreted as depicting a modern soldier coming home. My video cover of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbFVyjyRrT4  features images of Dennis Storm, a real-life Vietnam War soldier who purchased a guitar from the Red Cross Doughnut Dollies to write songs while he was there (and has amazing stories to go with). Meanwhile, HB JC and thank you for your gift of enduring songcraft.

 

#yellowriver #christie #jeffchristie #tremeloes #johnnyjblair #dennisstorm #vietnamwar #thekinks #beatles #mccartney

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SONG OF THE WEEK “Josephine” by Tim Andrews a.k.a Chris Andrews, who wrote and sang this psych-pop anthem to a special woman. https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/josephine ...The arrangement comes laden with echoplexed harpsichords and strings—right out of the late 60s “chamber pop” playbook, when classical music forms and instrumentation are integrated with psychedelic rock, a style championed by The Beach Boys, Beatles, Bee Gees, Left Banke, etc. Recorded at Abbey Road, this track (released 1970 as a B-side) was produced by Tony Hall and David Mackay (Gene Pitney, Cliff Richard, Bonnie Tyler) and arranged by Paul Buckmaster—the great composer and orchestrator who’d soon go on to work with Elton John. On a cosmic jukebox this song would play between “See Emily Play” (Pink Floyd) and “Sugar On Sunday” (The Clique). Download the remastered “Josephine” here: https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/josephine

#josephine #timandrews #chrisandrews #chamberpop #britpop #psychedelicrock #echoplex #harpsichord #beachboys #beatles #beegees #leftbanke #parlophone #abbeyroad #tonyhall #davidmackay #paulbuckmaster #eltonjohn #pinkfloyd #sydbarrett #clique #sugar #Sunday #tommyjames

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the phenomenal Linda Rondstadt. She built an unsurpassable career on a singular voice and a classic stage sensibility, interpreting hundreds of songs on virtually every musical platform I could name: Classical, country, New Wave rock, opera, pop, showtunes & standards, theatre, and world music (I recommend that musicians and singers read her memoir).

 

Linda retired from performing and recording in 2011 when she came down with a form of aggressive palsy, but she still gets around. I met her in 2013 when she came into Guitar Center to get her guitar worked on. She and I have mutual acquaintances in the music biz and, once I got over the dazzle of meeting her, the vibe became easeful and low-key, like a multiple award-winning artist was really just another musician hanging out in a music shop with the crew. To me it’s heartening that someone with an affliction such as hers can still go home and enjoy music-making.

 

Here’s a cover of her breakthrough song “Different Drum.” Mike Nesmith wrote this in 1966 and, a year later, it became a hit for Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys. The original track had a unique blend of Californianized baroque pop and country. Our cover is from a 1998 recording session I did with The Third National Band, a Mike Nesmith tribute project. The original had a strings, but since we didn’t have a string orchestra handy, I played those parts on harpsichord:

 

https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/different-drum

 

Meanwhile, HB Linda—thank you for your years of innovation and for giving us an incredible body of song!

 

#lindaronstadt #birthday #michaelnesmith #mikenesmith #differentdrum #johnnyjblair #sanfrancisco

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SONG OF THE WEEK! “Woody Guthrie’s America” https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/woody-guthries-america I was contacted by Seth Olinsky (of the furry freaky psychedelic folk band Akron/Family) to cover one of his simple songs. It was part of a worldwide project where other musicians, non-musicians, artists, actresses, etcetera, were invited to record their own takes of this song. Then Seth posted them on a website. For my arrangement, I "took it to church," in a Beach Boys style (circa HOLLAND), playing the piano and all the vocals in 1-2 takes at Mind’s Eye Studio (with Xavier Francis at the board). https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/woody-guthries-america

#woodyguthrie #setholinsky #akronfamily #beachboys #holland #piano #choir #johnnyjblair #xavierfrancis #church #america #americana

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Polly Bergen, Ingmar Bergman, my sister Jennie Blair, Bebe Buell, Bob Casale, John A. Chapman, Gerald Ford, Lee Friedlander, Rosie Grier, Maulana Karenga, Angélique Kidjo, Gustav Klimt, Jamie Johnson, Paul McCartney’s 1986 “Press” single, Tommy Mottola, Peta Murgatroyd, singer-songwriter Bret Putnam, Adam Quinn, Phil Reeder, Del Reeves, Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons), Dale Robertson, Jerry Rubin, Dirty Dave Rudabaugh, Matthew Seligman, Stan Shaw, Harry Dean Stanton, Rubberlegs Williams, and the social activist and iconic figure in American folk music, Woody Guthrie. The legendary singer-songwriter gave us The Dust Bowl Ballads and “This Land is Your Land.” He was a major influence on Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Sixto Rodriguez, Pete Seeger, and many others. He also fathered a musical family with son Arlo and grandchildren Gabe and Nora (out there with their own legacies, and I’m grateful to have met Arlo and Gabe).

 

Woody gave us the song, “This Land is Your Land”—a land for all people. He taught people how to view America and social issues through the lens of a song, saying, "I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim or too ugly or too this or too that." 

 

Here’s my take of Woody’s autobiographical song “Oklahoma Hills,” co-written with his cousin Jack Guthrie (a cowboy star who went #1 with this in 1945). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aYTpJETVcQ Meanwhile, HB Woody, and thank you for creating “the machine that kills fascists.” 

 

#woodyguthrie #birthday #arloguthrie #johnnycash #bobdylan #sixtorodriguez #peteseeger #americana #machine #fascists #johnnyjblair #jackguthrie

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Chris Andrews VIDEO OF THE WEEK: “In the House” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzWOLcOHD-c —If you’re aching with curiosity, wondering what’s behind someone’s front door, here’s some midtempo finger-snapping synthpop from Chris’s pen (his songs have been covered by Roger Daltrey, David Essex, and Davy Jones of The Monkees). On a cosmic jukebox this would play next to Human League, Pet Shop Boys, and Leo Sayer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzWOLcOHD-c

#chrisandrews #britpop #synthpop #midtempo #humanleague #cliffrichard #leosayer #singersongwriter #door #rogerdaltrey #davidessex #davyjones #monkees #house #hughlaurie #johnnyjblair

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SUNDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO! “Dumb Angel (live)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1adaRT-TVpU A 2002 live take of my surrealistic pop song that I wrote after a dream that included Brian Wilson, Lewis Carroll, and Elvis Presley. In my dream they all made an appearance where I grew up in the backwater Appalachian village of Avis PA.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1adaRT-TVpU

#dumbangel #angel #surrealism #brianwilson #lewiscarroll #elvispresley #chapel #johnnyjblair #singersongwriter #avis #pennsylvania #appalachian

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SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO! “Lei Mi Aspetta” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Jk1dMrHpI Translated from Italian to English, “Lei Mi Aspetta” describes a young man pushing away temptation from a beautiful woman as his heart longs for his true love, waiting at home. In January 1966, this song was presented at the 2-day XVI Festival di Sanremo in Italy. According to Festival rules, every song competes in a double performance by a couple of singers or groups. In this case, “Lei Mi Aspetta” was performed by Nicola Di Bari and Gene Pitney. Di Bari is an actor and singer-songwriter, called one of the “sacred monsters” of Italian pop music. Similarly successful was Gene Pitney, the American singer-songwriter who had a remarkable voice and hits around the world. Both artists released singles of the song in Italian, and it was Pitney’s 1966 version that I fixated on as it resonated with the artistry of later artists that influence me, such as Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. I finally worked up the nerve to do my own “Lei Mi Aspetta,” if for the challenge of mastering the chords, the melody, and singing phonetic Italian with gusto (please forgive any mispronunciations and misphrasings). Several Italian artists have covered it, and Mexican rock’n’roller Enrique Guzmán did it in Italian and Spanish. In English iterations, the song was retitled “She Believes in Me” and was recorded by Los Bravos in 1967. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Jk1dMrHpI

#leimiaspetta #italian #italy #english #festivaldisanremo #nicoladibari #genepitney #sacredmonster #bryanferry #roxymusic #gusto #johnnyjblair #enriqueguzman #losbravos #AlbertoBaldanBembo #VitoPallavicini #europop

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peter chauncey’s SONG OF THE WEEK "Mother of Pearl"—Cheers to peter for his cover of the Roxy Music song. Here are notes from Johnny J. Blair (who produced & performed on the music track):

“'Mother of Pearl' is a two-tiered rock operetta created by Roxy Music in 1973. The lyrics allude to Boticelli's ‘Birth of Venus’ painting, the Bible, and Frederic Neitzsche. The original RM version opens with a sinister shindig, like a Sam Cooke party crashed by speed freak bikers. Abruptly, the party-groove cuts to a pensive, down-tempo Velvet Underground-style chord meditation. Bryan Ferry's lyrics take the dead end of 'party love' and measures it all against the durability of pure love. “peter extrapolated the second tier of Ferry's operetta, with hypnotic VU-like noise drones (the piano channeling Nicky Hopkins). When I played the piano on this, I didn't know we were tracking, and this is the take peter wanted..." 

Listen here (feedback welcome)… https://peterchauncey1.bandcamp.com/track/mother-of-pearl

#peterchauncey #johnnyjblair #roxymusic #bryanferry #venus #bible #neitzsche #velvetunderground #nickyhopkins #piano

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Chris Andrews a.k.a. Kris Ryder SONG OF THE WEEK! “I Don’t Want to Fuss With You” https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/i-dont-want-to-fuss-with-you A brilliant “deep cut” from the 1979 KRIS RYDER LP. The track features the bass work of studio legend Mo Foster as well as the vocal harmony teamwork of Bugati & Musker. https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/i-dont-want-to-fuss-with-you

#chrisandrews #krisryder #mofoster #bugatiandmusker #dominicbugati #frankmusker #yachtrock #newwave #synthpop

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SONG OF THE WEEK! “Collo & The NY Spaceboys” https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/collo-the-ny-spaceboys This song pays tribute to my friend and music guide, Collo Gerstenberg, who died in 2018. We met in high school and had big dreams of becoming rock stars while playing stacks of records and jamming. In summer 1975, when I was in NY playing in the band Opus, he spent time with us and was present at this spacey Mellotron jam session used as a backdrop in this track, which I overdubbed in 2024. The title sounds is intended to sound like an obscure comic book. Meanwhile, RIP Collo and thank you for the music and good times. https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/collo-the-ny-spaceboys

#collo #gerstenberg #opus #comicbook #johnnyjblair #mellotron #singersongwriter #bilbryant #prairieprince #newyork #hauppage #longisland #progrock #artrock #davidbowie #mickronson #garywright

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Chris Andrews MONDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO “Gentle Harp—A Tribute to Harpo Marx & Harpists Everywhere” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRPQYrQE6hIWhen Chris Andrews is not creating musicals, rock’n’roll, or funky pop songs, he composes ambient instrumental music to ease the ears and the soul. "Gentle Harp" began as an easeful lullaby, but the video expands into a tribute to the lighthearted genius of Harpo Marx. It also pays tribute to the harp and the diverse people and characters who play it. On a cosmic jukebox "Gentle Harp" would play somewhere between Enya and Vangelis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRPQYrQE6hI . 

#harp #chrisandrews #ambient #newagemusic #enya #vangelis #harpomarx #johnnyjblair

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SUNDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO—“United” is a song I co-wrote with ex-college football player Marlon Walker and sung with power by the gospel singer Henrietta Hadley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAoSUA0YhPY&list=OLAK5uy_ldcCSNSbWqUJEEMAxGf1tbT731U5P14mc

The song was commissioned by Penn State University to be used in a video that addressed racism problems going on at that time. Obviously, the message still applies years later—and it occurs to me that, if you look at American history and our best times of breakthrough in different circles (cultural, ecclesiastical, social, technical), these breakthroughs occurred when people crossed racial lines, studied one another, and worked together—examples abound! There are far, far more advantages and benefits to being “united” than not.

#united #unity #gospel #inspiration #racialharmony #BLM #AAPI #pennstate #football #PhillySoul #soul #johnnyjblair #henriettahadley #marlonwalker

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HAPPY JULY 4TH + SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO! “America the Beautiful” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjbPyhTULcI Most people know the first verse of this enduring song, composed by Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward--two remarkable people. To me, when you read all the lyrics, the lyrics provide a more apt description of our nation than "Star Spangled Banner," depicting a country where people are accountable, courageous, sacrificial, just, and merciful. Bates wrote at least 6 verses for this song. Over time the words have been altered and edited. For the sake of deliverance and brevity I used this 4-verse hybrid version: 

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain 

For purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain America 

America God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet whose stern impassioned stress 

A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness 

America America God mend thine every flaw Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law 

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife 

Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life 

America America may God thy gold refine 

Till all success be nobleness and every grain divine 

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years 

Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears 

America America God shed His grace on thee 

And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea 

#america #independenceday #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #katharineleebates #samuelaward #patriot #god

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the 1839 Amistad Mutiny, Roy Bittan “The Professor,” David Blood, the 1991 film BOYZ IN THE HOOD, Michelle Branch, Burna Boy, Ken Chine, Jose Canseco, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Ken Curtis, Larry David, Medgar Evers, Rick Freas, Jerry Hall, Herman Hesse, the 2005 LIVE 8 concerts, Chris Lockheed, Lindsay Lohan, Marconi’s radio (1897), Thurgood Marshall, Austin Liu Mello (good to worked with you), the band Mountain (1969), Dee Palmer, Guy Penrod, Brock Peters, Richard Petty, Elvis Presley’s 1958 KING CREOLE film, Joe Puerta (Ambrosia), Marvin Rainwater, Sibelius’s “Finlandia” (1900), Rick Wharton, Paul Williams (The Temptations), and my friend, actor and singer-songwriter Christopher Andrews (a.k.a. Tim Andrews a.k.a. Kris Ryder). I’ve had the pleasure to work with him since the late 90s, starting as a liaison with him and Davy Jones (The Monkees) as they were working on a musical—Chris was Davy’s oldest friend, going back to 1962 when they were both working on the hit musical OLIVER! Chris went on to join the legendary British “freakbeat” band Fleur de Lys, then he segued into a vibrant solo career and collaborator with Roger Daltrey, Andy Desmond (a.k.a. Miten), David Essex, Paul Korda, Davy Jones, and others. He’s still cranking out new material, which you can check out here: https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com  ...Meanwhile, HB CA, and thank you for your years of service and talent-sharing.

 

#chrisandrews #krisryder #timandrews #singersongwriter #britishrock #davyjones #monkees #birthday #rogerdaltrey #miten #andydesmond #davidessex #paulkorda

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SONG OF THE WEEK “I’ve Been Trying” by Fleur de Lys w/Chris Andrews. https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/ive-been-trying Fleur de Lys was the lively British rock band credited for starting the “freakbeat” sound—a mash-up of psychedelia, r’n’b/soul, and garage rock. In April 1966 FDL was embarking on a series of line-up changes. Chris Andrews signed on as guitarist-vocalist, replacing Frank Smith who’d quit FDL right as their single “Circles” (a Who cover produced by Glyn Johns) was getting airplay. Then FDL signed to Polydor Records and were set to lay down new tracks in IBC Studios in London (Sidebar: The studio where the first tapes were made for the famed Mellotron keyboard). They went in with 2 new tracks—a cover of The Impression’s “I’ve Been Trying,” and the “jagged, pounding” A-side, “Mud In Your Eye,” now celebrated as a touchstone of psychedelic British Rock. Meanwhile, check out their soulful take on the song written by Curtis Mayfield:  https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/ive-been-trying

#chrisandrews #fleurdelys #freakbeat #psychedelic #soulmusic #garagerock #circles #TheWho #GlynJohns #polydor #IBCStudios #london #mellotron #impressions #curtismayfield