#Johnny j blair

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Happy Heavenly Birthday to Man Ray (1890-1976), the pioneer of visual art and “found objects.” He was born in American but spent most of his career in Paris, becoming an informal contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements surrounding him. His career intersected with Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, and a hit list of actors, artists, dancers, filmmakers, and musicians. Despite Ray tagging himself as “just a painter,” he produced major works in a variety of media and is best known for his pioneering photography—specially fashion and portrait photography. He is also noted for his work with photograms (photographic images made not with a camera but with light exposure) which he called “Rayographs.” In the 1920s he directed and appeared in a number of avant-garde films, including the 1924 urban fantasy ENTR’ACTE (directed by René Clair). Ray appears with Frances Picabia, playing chess on a chessboard that transforms into a city center with busses and cars. I used this scene in a video for my song “It’s In Your Hands,” with music that quotes heavily from Erik Satie (who also appeared in ENTR’ACTE). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxReq4Xr-U8 Meanwhile, thank you Man for getting us to see the art in everything.

#manray #birthday #visualart #foundobjects #foundthings #Paris #dadaism #surrealism #salvadordali #marcelduchamp #pablopicasso #painter #photography #photogram #rayograph #avantgarde #reneclair #francespicabia #eriksatie #entracte #art #johnnyjblair #gnosseinnes

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PAUL WILLIAMS. In addition to his amazing run as an actor and singer-songwriter, he wrote or co-wrote (with Biff Rose and Roger Nichols) songs covered by David Bowie, The Carpenters (“Rainy Days & Mondays,” “We’ve Only Just Begun”), Jack Jones, The Muppets, Helen Reddy, 3 Dog Night (“Old Fashioned Love Song”—also covered by Micky Dolenz), and Dionne Warwick—not to mention award-winning film and TV scores. He’s been Chairman and President of ASCAP since 2009 and is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In recent years he’s had a resurgence, working with Richard Barone, Daft Punk, and The Scissor Sisters. Somewhere he’s found time to take up skydiving and become a UCLA certified Drug Rehabilitation Counselor, co-authoring the book GRATITUDE & TRUST: RECOVERY IS NOT JUST FOR ADDICTS. 

Paul wrote the confessional “Someday Man” as a single for The Monkees. Upon release in 1968, it under-performed and got lost as a “deep cut” + Paul’s own version didn’t do much better. However, as cream rises to the top, in time the sophisticated and art-y song grew in popularity, in part because Davy Jones revived it for his solo set in 2009. Now it’s considered to be a Jones/Monkees evergreen and (speaking as a former band member) it was one of our favorites to play. Here’s the song from the 2011 tour Davy did w/The Monkees. Meanwhile, HB PW and thank you for your many musical gems.

#monkees #davyjones #paulwilliams #somedayman #paulgilbert #biffrose #rogernichols #davidbowie #carpenters #jackjones #muppets #helenreddy #3dognight #mickydolenz #dionnewarwick #detroit #johnnyjblair #foxtheatre #richardbarone #daftpunk #scissorsisters #recovery #skydiving

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MONKEES + SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO – The Monkees “Porpoise Song” (live 2011) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgV3KLUrhAw This week in 1966, THE MONKEES TV show premiered and changed everything in popular music, television, and multi-media. Someday I’m going to write out my “journey with The Monkees.” Like millions of other pre-teens in 1966-67, I caught on to their music and their cutting-edge show that was a form of rock’n’roll psychedelic vaudeville. Frank Zappa and The Beatles were amongst their fans, and John Lennon said he “never missed an episode.” Little did I imagine that one day I’d professionaly work with The Monkees. 

One day I was doing an interview and was asked, “What’s your favorite Monkees song?” My knee-jerk response is “Porpoise Song.” Besides being my #1 favorite Monkees song to perform and listen to, this was the only uncut footage I could find of us doing “Porpoise Song” on the American wing of the 2011 tour (thanks to Joey PGH1 for capturing this @ Merrillville IN 6-30-11). According to Monkees-authority/historian/manager Andrew Sandoval (who guided the 2011 international tour), the original recording was the most elaborate production in Monkees history. Cashbox magazine compared it to “I Am The Walrus,” and for me it felt like participating in a Pink Floyd set. Written by Carole King & Gerry Goffin (who created the porpoise theme), the song bookended the 1968 film HEAD, the deconstruction of The Monkees mythology.

Personnel on this performance: 

Micky Dolenz: drums & lead vocals 

Davy Jones: percussion & vocals 

Peter Tork: slide guitar & vocals 

Wayne Avers: lead slide guitar 

Eric Biondo: trumpet 

Johnny J. Blair: bass & vocals + video-enhancement (2023) 

Arnold Jacks: saxophone 

Aviva Maloney: keyboards, saxophone, & vocals 

Jimmy Riccitelli: keyboards & vocals 

David Robicheau: guitar & vocals 

Andrew Sandoval: visuals 

Felipe Torres: drums & vocals 

Chris von Sneidern: remastering (2023) 

#mickydolenz #themonkees #porpoisesong #headmovie #psychedelicrock #poprock #actor #director #producer #vocalist #singer #johnnyjblair #bassist #monkeestour #caroleking #gerrygoffin #andrewsandoval #birthday #davyjones #michaelnesmith #petertork

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MONDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO “Gentle Harp” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRPQYrQE6hI …When Chris Andrews isn’t creating musicals, rock’n’roll, or funky pop songs, he composes ambient instrumental music to soothe the ears and mind. "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 diverse people and characters who play the harp. On a cosmic jukebox this would play somewhere between Enya and Vangelis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRPQYrQE6hI

#HarpoMarx #MarxBrothers #harp #harpmusic #harpist #gentleharp #chrisandrews #composer #ambientmusic #neoclassical #vangelis #enya #newagemusic #hoveUK

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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. 

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 the dazzle wore off, 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. Since we didn’t have a string orchestra handy, I played those parts on harpsichord:

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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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PETER NOONE, the great singer/actor/musician and front man for the uber-successful British Invasion pop band, Herman’s Hermits. Their run included 3 feature films, countless TV appearances, tours with The Beatles and The Who, and 60 million records sold, with songs written by Sam Cooke, Ray Davies, Goffin-King, and Graham Gouldman. Originally from Manchester, Peter was 12 years old when he entered showbiz. Davy Jones (also from Manchester) told me that when Peter was a “teen idol” on magazines he still had to take the trash out as he was still living at home with his folks. Beyond the 60s, Peter kept on making records, intersecting with Bruce Johnston (Beach Boys), Tom Petty, Phil Seymour, and David Bowie—who produced and played on Peter’s cover of “Oh You Pretty Things.” I also recommend The Tremblers, Peter’s New Wave rock band from 1979. Meanwhile, Peter is still on the trail with the current Hermits line-up, crooning “Mrs. Brown,” “There’s a Kind of Hush” and his other hits. I crossed paths with Peter on the road many times, and I admire the way he avails himself to his fans. Meanwhile, here’s “Today’s the Day,” a Peter Noone/DavyJones collaboration from 1998. HB PN and thank you for the years of musical joy you’ve given to us.

#peternoone #hermanshermits #thetremblers #raydavies #grahamgouldman #manchester #davyjones #monkees #brucejohnston #beachboys #tompetty #philseymour #davidbowie #prettythings #seanmcguire #phillipthornalley

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HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY to the legendary Nico: Actress, model, musician, and singer-songwriter. Born in Germany as Christa Päffgen, her career is well documented—from being cast in Fellini’s LA DOLCE VITA and singing on the landmark first Velvet Underground album, then embarking on a long career as a Teutonic chanteuse. Her reputation as “Andy Warhol’s eye candy” couldn’t limit her as she went on to create music with a compelling future-primitive goth-folk quality—eerie and gauzy yet somehow endearing. Her best-known albums were produced by John Cale and Eno, but her 80s recordings are well-worth seeking out as well. She died suddenly and tragically at age 49 after a bicycle accident. 

In late 1978 she performed a series of shows at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco. It was just her voice and her harmonium— an enigmatic set considering The Mab mostly staged rowdy punk/New Wave bands. I met her briefly, recorded her shows for my own enjoyment, then uploaded them on reel-to-reel tapes. A few years later I loaned the tapes to an associate who never returned them. Many years after that, my recordings mysteriously appeared on a French bootleg series. Those tapes got a lot of mileage. HB Nico and thank you for your spirit. This video approximates what we saw at the Mab...

#nico #christapaffgen #velvetunderground #singersongwriter #johnnyjblair #harmonium #mabuhaygardens #sanfrancisco #birthdays

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SUNDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO: “Horsing Around With Davy Jones.” This was a 2006 mini-documentary produced by TVLand network. I thought they did a good job portraying how David balanced celebrity life and work with home, horses, and family. The home/farm sections were filmed in Indiantown FL and Beavertown PA—there are some great images of Spruce Lawn. The live concert sections were filmed in Minneapolis MN, with me (keyboards, vocals), Tim Breon (bass), Aviva Maloney (keyboards, reeds, vocals), David Robicheau (guitar, vocals), and Felipe Torres (drums, vocals).

#TVLand #documentary #davyjones #monkees #horses #family #indiantown #florida #pennsylvania #beavertown #sprucelawn #johnnyjblair #avivamaloney #felipetorres #davidrobicheau 

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Casey Affleck, swamp pop singer Rod Bernard, Sid Bernstein, Joe Besser, Cantinflas, John Cazale, Kid Creole, Del The Funky Homosapien,  Cecil B. DeMille, Leslie Duncan, George Hamilton, Roy Hay, Heintje, Mark Knopfler, Greg Langston (The Next, No Alternative), Ron Mael, Tiny McCloud, Pat Metheny, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Alexei Nikolaevich, Peter Ostroushko, Buck Owens, Marjorie Reynolds, Theodore Scaife, Erwin Alexander Schrödinger, Lakeith Stanfield, Matt Thiessen (Reliant K), Stefanos Tsitsipas, Mladen Vukic, Porter Wagoner, Deborah Walley, Wednesday 13, Jane Wyatt, and recording artist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Derrek Van Eaton. 

Classic rock-philes and deep Beatles fans will recognize him from the brother band Lon & Derrek Van Eaton. Prior to their association with Apple Records (the record label created by The Beatles), they were part of the eccentric New York-based folk rock band Jacob’s Creek. They shared a studio with Simon & Garfunkel and released one album on Columbia in 1969. Two years later, John Lennon and George Harrison “discovered” them as a brother-act duo and signed them to Apple. The Van Eaton’s music blended urban folk and dreamy rock with a blues-gospel undercurrent, which perfectly coincided with the sounds of Badfinger and latter-day Beatles. The Van Eaton’s excellent BROTHER album was co-produced by George with Klaus Voorman. The Van Eatons toured the USA to promote BROTHER. Their 1972 tour brought them to where I was living in Huntingdon PA, where they played Ellis Hall at Juniata College (I stood listening from outside, a lad with no ticket money).  

The BROTHER album launched a long association with George, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and other travelers in the Apple/Beatle legacy that unfolded in the 1970s. Then the Van Eatons became studio session players favored by producer Richard Perry, who hired them for recordings with Art Garfunkel, Martha Reeves, and Carly Simon. Perry also produced the Van Eaton’s 1975 WHO DO YOU OUT DO album. Following that era, the brothers created a non-profit film and music company called Imagine a Better World. 

The Van Eaton brothers since have released sporadic works (duo and solo), notably their acclaimed 1996 cover of “Apple of my Eye” on the COME & GET IT Badfinger tribute album. In 2013 they issued a career-spanning anthology with new recordings with contributions from Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, and Gary Wright, and the Van Eatons are still active in musical and spiritual pursuits. 

Some years ago I met Derrek some years ago at church we were both attending in Pennsylvania (where I picked his brains about that 1972 concert I heard but couldn’t see), and the last time we crossed paths was at a Monkees concert in Denver in 2011. Even in passive meet-ups I can see the creative spark in Derrek’s eyes. Here’s one of my favorite Van Eaton cuts “Sun Song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5VSJmb2VI0...Meanwhile, HB DVE and thank you for your years of remarkable creativity and soul.

#derrekvaneaton #lonanderrekvaneaton #brother #applerecords #birthday #georgeharrison #ringostarr #klausvoorman #richardperry #peteham #badfinger

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to STAR TREK the original series, launched today in 1966 on NBC-TV. Gene Roddenberry pitched the concept of 23rd-century interstellar exploration as an “outer space Western.” The series was cancelled just 3 seasons in, but reruns in syndication prove that the show will live long and prosper, morphing into countless spin-offs, films, books and other media. The stories and characters prophesied gadgets, tech ideas, cultural shifts, and catch-phrases that are now commonplace. To celebrate, I offer my “psychedelic surfing in space” song “We’re Getting Closer to the Sun.” The lyrics were prompted by Lt. Uhura’s (Nichelle Nichols) comments to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) in the 1968 episode “Bread & Circuses.” The song is the title track from a full-length album in the works—a  collection based on a childlike faith in themes of the cosmos and God, angels and astronauts. Please enjoy, and HB Star Trek and thank you for warp driving us to the final frontier...

#birthday #startrek #generoddenberry #interstellar #outerspace #uhura #nichellenichols #captainkirk #williamshatner #bread #circuses #johnnyjblair #singersongwriter

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SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO “Daydream Believer” w/Davy Jones live in Japan—a country that was always a favorite place for The Monkees. They toured there in 1968 and 1989, then with Dolenz Jones Boyce & Hart in the 1970s, then Davy Jones (solo) went there in 1982-83, 1999, and 2010. Recordings were made of those appearances but, surprisingly, there is little audio documentation of Davy's 2010 concerts. The audio of this track is from the Tokyo Billboard 7/6/10 but the video is from a Florida concert in May 2010. Davy passed away in 2012 but Japan will always love him and The Monkees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrGq-uEnncA

#japan #davyjones #monkees #daydreambeliever #johnnyjblair #tokyobillboard #tokyo #ericbiondo #avivamaloney

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SATURDAY MUSIC VIDEO MATINEE: “We’re Getting Closer to the Sun”—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uYsfZKue5s  It was 55 years ago today that man set foot on the moon, via the Apollo 11 Moon Mission. On that note, lyrics in this song were prompted by Lt. Uhura’s (Nichelle Nichols) comments to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) in the 1968 Star Trek TV episode, “Bread & Circuses.” The song is the title track from a full-length album in the works—a  collection of songs based on a childlike faith in themes of the cosmos and God, angels and astronauts, spirit and science. Musically it pulls from late 60s experimental pop and psychedelia, surf rock, spy movie music, and future-primitive sounds. I drew inspiration from the moral tales in “The Twilight Zone” TV series, the C.S. Lewis space trilogy, and science fiction books I read in grade school from Scholastic Book Services, particularly books by Alexander Key. Some modern sci-fi (especially in film) is dystopian, depicting the human race as grubby poltroons who deserve to be enslaved by machines or brutal corporate dictators. I defer to a gentler, cleaner, and constructive brand of sci-fi, speaking towards empathy, hope, possibilities, and divine dynamics.

#Sun #StarTrek #LtUhura #NichelleNichols #CaptainKirk #WilliamShatner #God #angels #astronauts #spirit #science #scifi #psychedelic #TwilightZone #CSLewis #AlexanderKey #chrisvonsneidern #sciencefiction #johnnyjblair #singersongwriter #singeratlarge #spacetrilogy #Bread #Circuses #surfrock #spymovie #experimental #pop #faith #cosmos #closer #dystopian #hope #divine #danieltidwell

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MONDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO “Daydream Believer” + “It’s Going to Be Different” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4biM3K_QCX8 Two songs I did as host of an Open Mic at San Francisco Lighthouse. I shared a memory about the many times I've played "Daydream Believer" with Davy Jones and The Monkees. The second song (my original composition) is getting a lot of interest and will be released on my next album, WE’RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE SUN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4biM3K_QCX8

#johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #monkees #davyjones #singersongwriter #sanfrancisco #powerpop #artrock #gospel #americana #lighthouse #sanfranciscolighthouse #neilfinn #paulmccartney #beatles

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SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO: The Monkees live at the Royal Albert Hall 5/19/11 (complete show) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxW1Cdo5LTo&t=3181s It's hard to believe it's been 13 years since this auspicious event. I was the bassist-vocalist on this tour and here are a few recollections: The Monkees 45th Anniversary Tour was a commercial and critical success, even getting good reviews in Rolling Stone (whose editors historically have been Monkees-bashers). It was a touchstone reunion featuring the excellent multi-media staging work of Andrew Sandoval, deep album cuts as well as the hits, and the entire HEAD film soundtrack performed live. It would also turn out to be the last tour with Davy Jones, who died 9 months later. The tour went around England, Scotland, Canada, and across the United States, but (surprisingly) no professional film or recording was made. What survives are countless phone videos of mixed quality. Thanks to Elixir101, who gathered videos from various sources and edited this summation of the sold-out Royal Albert Hall concert, booked after Eric Clapton gave up one night of his usual May residency at the Hall so The Monkees could perform. You can read the entire set list on the Youtube caption. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxW1Cdo5LTo&t=3181s

#monkees #mickydolenz #davyjones #petertork #royalalberthall #reuniontour #johnnyjblair #andrewsandoval #felipetorres #ericbiondo

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Desi Arnaz, Benedict of Nursia, Moe Berg, Ed Bournemann, Dale Bozzio, Larry Carlton, Karen Carpenter, John Cowsill, Daniel Craig, John Cullum, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Maxwell Street, Jimmy Davis, Becky G, Rory Gallagher, John Gardner, Mikhail Gorbachev, Laird Hamilton, Sam Houston, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Irving, Jennifer Jones, Léon Jongen, Jon Bon Jovi, Orrin Keepnews, the 1933 film KING KONG, Papa Lightfoot, BarBara Luna, Madonna’s 1989 single “Like a Prayer,” Chris Martin, Gates McFadden, drummer-producer Tony Meehan (The Shadows), Method Man, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Lauraine Newman, Jay Osmond, Ethan Peck, Elvis Presley’s 1956 single “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” Luke Pritchard (The Kooks), Dottie Rambo, Red Saunders, Dennis Seaton (Musical Youth), Shostakovich’s 14th Symphony (1969), Bedřich Smetana, the 1995 musical SMOKY JOE’S CAFÉ, Ludovico Spontoni, the 1965 film SOUND OF MUSIC, composer-trumpeter Derek Watkins (James Bond films), Kurt Weill, Tom Wolfe, "Théo" Ysaÿe, and the creative provocateur, poet, and singer-songwriter Lou Reed. He was the principal songwriter for The Velvet Underground and his solo career spanned 5 decades. 

Velvet Underground were not commercially successful but are now regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of rock. Brian Eno said that everyone who heard the first VU album wanted to start a band. Reed had a deadpan voice that, for me, required forgiveness as singers go (though he did step up on occasion, particularly when he sung with The Blind Boys on THE RAVEN album). Eventually I connected with his noir fiction, transgressive “eyewitness reporting” lyrics and songcraft. He neither approved or disapproved of the subjects he sang about and, in the end, he just wanted to write catchy rock’n’roll. Over the years I’ve performed at least 6 Reed/VU songs—recording 2: “What Goes On” and “Sunday Morning,” on which I was joined by members of The Badlees (who did a splendid job in one afternoon). Reed himself commended our cover and promoted it on his website in the mid-90s. HB and RIP Lou.

#loureed #velvetunderground #sundaymorning #singersongwriter #bretalexander #thebadlees #blindboysofalabama #raven #edgarallenpoe #noirfiction #poet #guitarist #eyewitnessreport #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #birthday

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SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO “Man in a Funky Shirt” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Krvzs0OOY  Many wardrobes ago on a hot May Day that felt like summer, I grabbed this lightweight, funky patterned shirt for do a solo gig in Massachusetts. The title refracts “Man in a Green Shirt” by Weather Report, and the music is a wild derivation of Duke Ellington’s “Doojie Woojie.” My left-hand plays Duke’s original bass line (sped up), but the right hand is my own oddball splash of chords and blues riffs. This as a piano warm-up exercise for me, and this video was from the pre-show sound check. Years later I played this for pianist Mike Garson, who said, “Man why’dja quit? You were just getting started…”

#funk #jazz #funky #piano #shirt #weatherreport #massachusetts #dukeellington #doojiewoojie #chords #blues #improvisation #improv #mikegarson #davidbowie #johnnyjblair