The Lonely Surfer

I ain't but barely scrapin the surface here. These are just a few of his songwriting, production and arrangement credits: "Needles and Pins" for Jackie DeShannon, orchestrated and arranged many songs with Phil Spector, notably Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High", works with L.A.'s Wrecking Crew, keyboards on "Paint It Black","Let's Spend The Night Together", "Ruby Tuesday" and the choral arrangement on "You Can't Always Get What You Want", Production credits along with David Briggs on Neil Young's self titled debut, arranging the London Symphony Orchestra on Harvest's "A Man Needs A Maid" and keyboard work for Crazy Horse, with and without Neil.

Notable film score composition credits: Performance, The Exorcist, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Heroes, Blue Collar, Hardcore, When You Comin Back Red Ryder?, Personal Best, Cannery Row, An Officer And A Gentleman, Breathless, The Razor's Edge, Star Man, Stripper, 9 1/2 Weeks, Stand By Me, Revenge, Mermaids, Indian Runner and The Crossing Guard.



Whoa, my writing hand just cramped up. Why anybody hasn't made a film on the late Jack Nitzche is unforgiveable. It would have to be done in installments much like The Godfather. And much like The Godfather, it would be dark.
This excerpt is nicked from Crawdaddy Magazine, November '74. It pretty well captures Nitzche's contempt for the major record labels.

"Record executives really don't care about the music-they care about 'numbers' " aserts Nitzche.
"They refer to the music as 'product' and the only thing that matters with product is numbers-big sales. Record companies are acounting firms"
So who does this surly studio musician think he is - biting the hand that feeds him! Scoffing at Hollywood's tinsel culture just when camp afficionados and Peter Bogdanovich have proclaimed it art. A kvetch like this the business can do without. Stylish Warner Brothers execs sporting aviator shades and cuffed baggies may assert their uniqueness by proudly displaying Thoreau posters on their office walls, but this Nitzche isn't just marching to a different drummer - he's out of tune with the whole band.
Why not pull the plug on him?
The trouble is, Jack Nitzche knows too much. He arranged everything from "He's A Rebel" to "River Deep" for the legendary Phil Spector. He started banging back-up piano for the Rolling Stones when they were a bad boy, British blues band. He's played with everybody from Elvis to Neil Young. After a point, rock-n-roll held no mystery for him so he ventured into film. Performance, a curious cult film Nitzche scored in 1969 was proclaimed the best integration of music and moving images ever, by golden boy Bill Friedkin.
Nitzche is familiar with all the nuts and bolts in the Hollywood Dream Factory. He's kept around because he knows how it all works - not because of his enthusiasm for management."

I wonder if Jack Nitzche ever knew Merle Haggard. Seems like they could've been good friends - or compatriots, even allies.


Did I mention Jack Nitzche grew up in Newaygo, Michigan? Unfortunatley, that association hasn't rubbed off either.

April 22, 1937 - August 25, 2000

CREDITS:
rogerbourland.com
themusicsover.wordpress.com
thehoundblog.blogspot.com - a great site
(also were I found the Crawdaddy piece)

(Pronounced 'Sim-zik')

When you're young and from a small farm town, your association with anything that resembles
greatness, importance or just odd are key to building Rural Credibility.

Muskegon - (Musky Gone) or, poor fishing, lies on the southeast side of Lake Michigan. About a 3 and a 1/2 hour drive around the south end of The Big Lake from Chicago was, at one time, a major industrial port city. But during the 60s and 70s, when manufacturing headed elsewhere, so did the jobs. But the bars were still standing as were some of the unemployed patrons. (Muskegon's always been a tuff gig for an out-of-towner musician, if it wasn't your buddy from the papermill flogging away on Slow Ride, you weren't squat.)

At about this same time, there was thiz guy, from Muskegon, who was putting his own stamp on American music.
Begining with the Navy as a sonar operator, Bill Szymczyk's developed ear led to work at New York's Regent Sound Studios and the Hit Factory as an engineer. But it was his engineering and production work with BB King in the late 60s that provided him with the opportunity to sign and produce his own acts for the ABC label.
One of the first being The James Gang with Joe Walsh. Then came Walsh's solo records, work with The J Geils Band, Rick Derringer and ultimatly The Eagles' cash cow: On The Border, One Of These Nights, Hotel California and The Long Run.
AND, Bob Seger, The Who and our Verve Pipe.
He done good, hunh?
CREDITS:
soundonsound.com
tuffrock.blogspot.com

Fair Weather King?

I've got a real hankerin' for Fair Isle sweaters, but this one is exceptional. This merino wool hoody is entirely hand knit in Mexico. It's part of the Yuki Matsuda designed, Chamula collection from the Meg Company of Hermosa Beach.
The collection is not only comprised of sweaters for men and women, but scarves, knit tuques, belts and jewelry inspired by the southwest.












Fair Isle sweaters, named for one of Scotland's Shetland Islands, were made popular in the '20s by King Edward the VIII. Ever the playboy, King Edward's eyes found the prize in Wallis Simpson. But for moral reasons and grace, the Royal family forced King Edward to choose between the throne and the divorced, mannish American who was still married to another as she carried on with Edward.
Under pressure, the King gave up the big chair for a broad.
Makes you wonder what it was about this women for a King to abdicate the throne to become the Duke & Duchess. There, I thought about it.

CREDITS:
Ryan from Meg Company
lisawallerrogers.com
easyandelegantlife.com

On The Horn With The Randy Mountain Boys

TT:"Gotta tell ya Kenny, till I did some homework, I had no idea this was a homecoming of sorts for a couple of you guys."
Kenny Shriftson:"Yeah, we made Knoxville our home cuz it's right there off I-75 and all and it don't have all the distractions and trappings of Nashville...plus, it's just a heck of a lot cheaper. Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of friends there and we've made a lot of records there, though they never really amounted to a hill a beans."
TT: "I bet you get asked where the name comes from alot."
KS: "Not really"..............silence.......
TT: " So, where does the name come from?"
KS: "We're all big fans of 70's Penthouse Forum. We gotta lot of those lyin around so, you know, it was just kinda right there."
TT:"It's gotta be pretty cool to visit home after workin your butt's off on the road and in the studio.I can tell you right now, the town's pretty amped."
KS:" We always look forward to swingin back around home, seein the folks, plus I gotta a couple a kids I think still live up that way. Sometimes, when I come back, I'll sit in my van across the street from the schoolyard for a while to see if I can spot em on the playground."
TT:"I understand your outfit has kind of a swingin-door type membership. Who's onboard this trip?"
KS:"Well there's me, Kenny Shriftson. Hey Folks! Then we have Billy"Big Britches"Sipky. And rounding out the group, we have bar-band veteran extroirdinaire and Ferment native, Van VanderVandenBerg."
TT:"Pretty cool. Hey, thanks for your time Kenny. I know you're busy guys. One more quick question. Recent press has you touring with the Wah Wah Pettles. Will they be joining you in Ferment this weekend?"
KS:"Funny thing, they actually hale from Michigan too so they'll actually be enjoying their own homecoming. I believe they catch up with us on the Northern Mecosta County leg of this run. We're real fortunate to have them along. They're just real neat kids. Sound like shit, but they're neat kids. Then both bands rejoin SPEEDGRASS CAVALCADE with The Toes Of Donner Pass and Homo Safty Pin as it hits Hamtramck, so we're real excited about that."
TT:"Again, thanks for your time Kenny and I hope to see you this weekend, although I've got that groin thing flarin up again. You never know where that'll take me. Take care!
KS:"No prob. Check ya later"

Gin Mill

There it is. THERE-IT-IS. It's beautiful isn't it? The clean lines. The contemporary feel.
It really belongs in the front yard for all to see. It just screams WE KNOW AND EMBRACE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY.
WE ARE A PEOPLE OF THE FUTURE.
But do I really wanna share this art form. Sometimes its way more cool for the public to find out...you know, second hand. So you actually come off somewhat humble.
Yes, yes lets keep it in the basement. Maybe even in the back corner. But we must be careful not to hang too many things from it, stack too many things on it. For we will forget its there.

PHOTO OF TINTURI-30 FROM myfitnessequipment.co.uk

Sea Hunt / The Dave Stanton Story

There was a quiet, eerie calm to the ocean's surface just off Santa Barbara. The fog had yet to burn off, leaving the sea an unsettling, murky black.
I checked my respirator one last time as I sat backward on the tail of the cabin-cruiser. Pushing off tanks first onto the dark, vast living room floor below.
(que Sea Hunt Theme)
The backward plunge was my favored Mike Nelson impression, usually off a small rug onto the greater sea of carpeting,
My Mom must have thought "what the hell" when she happened into the room while I writhed on the floor, grappling with some invisible assailant who successfully cuts my air hose to shreds. The show's ominous music plays against a thick burst of air bubbles shooting upward toward the surface.
This would be a great place to insert one of a couple of the more popular quotes from the show: "By this time, my lungs were aching for air."
"And then I saw it", the other trivia worthy quote could have stemmed from an episode where ex-Navy frogman Nelson stumbles upon one of those ball shaped, anti-submarine mines aimlessly drifting below the surface.
That...or his discovery of the lost flipper, angrily flung overboard in a fit of rage by an inebriated female guest crying out:"Was I just a port in the storm?"

This Just In: Recently, it's been found that the long running rumour of a link between Dave Stanton (possibly the brother just out of frame from Bridges family portraits) and Lloyd Bridges has yet to be substantiated.

Photo From insidesocal.com
Back Story Tidbits From tvparty.com And imdb.com

Cop Car Workhorse / Ford's Crown Vic

When law enforcement agencies converged on Detroit to ask for a vehicle utterly devoid of character, Ford answered with the Crown Victoria. In fact, it is so generic and unremarkable that it has actually become an icon.

If you've put some time behind the wheel on the interstate and happen to find yourself puttzing in the passing lane, chances are you've identified the menacing front end of a CVPI (Crown Victoria Police Interceptor) steadily approaching from your rearview mirror.
It's amazing how quickly you find the turn signal and zip over to the Lane For Retired People, or, LFRP.

It's difficult to imagine the words; "I gotta have one of these" when you stumble upon a row of gleaming, new Crown Victorias at your local Ford dealer. But there is a relatively thriving market for a used CVPI. Why? Most likely for the much sought after, beefed up, Interceptor motors that were well maintained and at the same time, had the shit beat out of. More often than not some of the gear is left on, the push bar, the utilitarian hubcaps and the hand-held search lights. And they're boats. People like boats.

So the potential for travelers to quickly head for the LFRP when you approach them from behind on our nations interstates is pretty great.
Someday I think I'd like to own a Vicky.

Photo From code3motorpool.com
A Few Details From auto.aol.com/undercover-cop-cars