By Bob Berry

Tom Who?, you say.  Gimme a few minutes.

Tom Dowd was already an accomplished musician when, while studying and working in the physics lab at Columbia University, he worked on the Manhattan Project, helping to invent the atomic bomb.

It was perhaps his only bomb.

Because Tom Dowd left physics behind, and went to work as an audio engineer, joining a nascent Atlantic Records as that legendary label was exploding. It was Tom Dowd who captured the magic of some of the earliest hits in rock and roll, The Chords’ “Sh-Boom” and “Money Honey” by Clyde McFatter and The Drifter’s.

And the hits (and important jazz recordings) just kept on comin’! Ray Charles, Charlie Mingus, The Modern Jazz Quartet, LaVern Baker, and more. Including an all-time classic, #1 in 1959, #251 on the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs list. Ladies and Gentlemen, Bobby Darin’s Grammy Award winning Record of the Year.

In the 60’s, Tom Dowd was there, as Ahmet Ertegun pushed Atlantic into the stratosphere. There was The Drifters with “Under The Boardwalk“. He traveled to Memphis and later Muscle Shoals, to supervise the recordings by Stax Records artists like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. He engineered Disraeli Gears by Cream. He engineered and produced The (Young) Rascals’ first album, and their first Number One song, “Good Lovin’“.

And, in 1967, Tom Dowd, Jerry Wexler and “The Swampers” from Muscle Shoals, Alabama captured the brilliance of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s lyrics, with the singular, superlative voice  of Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin.

In the 70’s, Tom Dowd alternated between engineering and producing, making sound come alive and helping to shape the recording visions of artists who became legends. He produced The Allman Brothers” debut album, and later, their masterpiece “At Fillmore East“. He produced virtually the entire Rod Stewart album catalog of the 70’s, including Atlantic Crossing, A Night On The Town and Blondes Have More Fun.

Almost done.  Tom Dowd, in fall of 1970, while working at Criteria Studios in Miami, introduced Duane Allman to Eric Clapton, and the result was one of the greatest recordings, and albums of all-time. Here is Eric, with guitar wizard Mark Knopfler, capturing that magic at in 1988.

Tom Dowd continued his musical journey through the 80’s and 90’s, engineering, producing, supervising the digital re-releases of the Atlantic catalog. He passed away in 2002. Ten years later, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and given an Award for Musical Excellence. Rock and Roll has never been so understated.

If you wish to learn more, about this fascinating man, I recommend perhaps the best music documentary ever produced, Tom Dowd and The Language of Music.  Thanks for lingering over Sunday Brunch on Keener.

By Bob Berry

Confession. The Rascals were, and are, one of my favorite groups.

I loved the songs, love-love-loved their blue-eyed soul sound. Dino twirling the sticks, Gene ripping power chords, Eddie with two tambourines, Felix half-hidden behind the Hammond B-3. They were “Jersey Boys”, with all the attitude (and “hug-ability”, right ladies?), dressed up in a combination of Carnaby Street meets Greenwich Village meets Plus Fours.

Bottom line, when the Rascals came on Keener, my volume knob went to loud. When I got into radio, and a Rascals song came up, it got very loud.

So today (10/23), we celebrate Eddie Brigati’s birthday. Eddie, along with Felix Cavaliere, co-wrote the vast majority of the Rascals’ library, including “A Girl Like You”, “Groovin”, “A Beautiful Morning”, “People Got To Be Free”, and “Lonely Too Long”. Mostly, Felix sang lead, with a notable, wonderful exception late summer of 1967.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the Friday Song on Keener!

By Bobby “Boris” Berry

It is, I believe, the all-time novelty record, and has been for more than 50 years. (Or at least since streaking ceased being a craze on college campuses!)

Released in late August of 1962, it caught on in a flash and by the week of October 20-27th, the “Monster Mash (was) the hit of the land“. Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt Kicker 5 were Number One!

“The Monster Mash“, was the graveyard smash based, in part, on DeeDee Sharp’s “Mashed Potato Time” and on producer/co-writer Gary Paxton’s “Alley Oop” by the Hollywood Argyles.  And in addition to Bobby’s spot-on imitations of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, sharp ears will recognize  Darlene Love and The Blossoms sing the background vocals!

It’s ThrowBack Thursday on Keener. Tell them Boris sent you!

By Bob Berry

The Colonel.

The nickname might not mean much to you, or, heaven forbid, you might think of Elvis’ manager, Tom Parker.

Songwriter, Producer, lead guitarist for Booker T and the MG’s, one of the great session guitarists. Nickname still might not mean much to you, but it will.

Because when Sam Moore and later, Joliet Jake yell “Play It, Steve”, you know exactly who I’m writing about.

Steve “The Colonel” Cropper.

Who co-wrote “In The Midnight Hour” and “Knock On Wood”. Who produced (co-wrote and played guitar) on Otis Redding’s posthumous Number One Song, “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay“. Who laid down the classic licks on Booker T and The MG’s “Green Onions“, “Hang ‘Em High”. Who, with the MG’s, was part of the house band for the classic Stax Records artists like Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave.

Steve Cropper celebrates his birthday today (10/21). Join  Keener 13 in wishing “The Colonel” Happy Birthday.

And dare we say it? Play It, Steve!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFZ-YXm03r4

By Bob Berry

Plane crashes.

From Buddy, Richie and The Bopper, to Otis Redding, Rick Nelson, Jim Croce, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and so many more, plane crashes have taken too many rock and roll souls.

And on October 20th, 1977, a plane crash near Gillsburg, Mississippi took Lynyrd Skynrd.

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, named for their high school phys-ed teacher, Leonard Skinner. Scratched and clawed for recognition, wrote some of rock’s great anthems, and became one of the great live bands of all-time.

They beat the odds, sang “Songs about the Southland“, and had a blast doing it. And, having lived in Florida since 1999, I can tell you they are beloved in their home state the way those of us from “The D’ feel about Motown’s stars and Bob Seger.

May the souls lost that day, and of their band mates lost over the years, rest in peace.

By Bob Berry

(Updated 10/19/2015 with the new Star Wars trailer previewed on Monday Night Football, 10/18, below)

I blame most of my affection for the movies  on Detroit’s Bill Kennedy.

The long run (1956-1983) of his “Showtime” show on Channel 9 and  his “Bill Kennedy at the Movies” on Ch. 50, complete with the stars and stories, and Bill’s over-the-top delivery; gave me an appreciation for the movies (and old Warner Brothers films) that continues to this day.

And, so, when LucasFilms unveils the official poster (left) for the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, I’m in, I’m geeked and I’m sharing! 🙂

Especially with news that “an exclusive look” at the new film was shown during Monday Night Football tonight (10/19) on ESPN.

10/20 Update: Here it is, if you have followed the previous two trailers, all we know is the visuals are stunning!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens premieres December 18th.

By Bob Berry

Chuck Berry turns the Big 89 today, 10/18.

He’s one of the original Six inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

He’s a guitar innovator and a poet, who showed the way for every guitar player who followed. Especially those English chaps, from John, Paul and George to Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and the rest of the British Invasion.

His songs are indelibly printed into our collective musical DNA. “Maybellene”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “School Days”, “Memphis”, “Rock And Roll Music”, “Sweet Little Sixteen”, and (the partly biographical) “Johnny B. Goode“.

As John Lennon said, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

We’re serving Keener’s Sunday Brunch on the dance floor today, as we honor  a true National Treasure.

Hail, Hail, Chuck Berry!

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

By Bob Berry

Funny how checking out one thing can lead to a whole new thing.

Wednesday’s Rolling Stone featured a story and just released audio of “American Trilogy“, coming October 30th in the new Elvis LP, If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  It’s one of my favorite Elvis songs, so naturally I checked it out. (two thumbs up, btw)

But it was the next video that led me to the Keener Friday Song. The remix of 1968’s “A Little Less Conversation” by Dutch composer/producer Junkie XL.

Killer tune, killer re-mix.

Originally done for a Nike 2002 World Cup campaign, the video builds with the song, the action and edits coming at you at 128 beats a minute!

Get ready for some seat dancin’, and enjoy the Friday Song on Keener13.com!

By Bob Berry

Keener’s Scotty Regan tells a great story about The Four Tops, and their lead singer Levi Stubbs.

It seems one day Scotty was walking into Motown’s offices on W. Grand Blvd, when he runs into Levi, and asks how he was doing. The answer (which I am paraphrasing) threw him for a loop:

“Man, Holland-Dozier-Holland just had us record our worst song ever. They had me singing like a black Bob Dylan..”. And off Levi steamed.

As it turns out, Levi was wrong, twice. “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” became the Tops’ second Number One single, 49 years ago today, October 12th, 1966.

And he forgot that Levi Stubbs, pushed to imitate Dylan or not, was always, unmistakably, Levi.

I hope you enjoy Throwback Thursday, with “Reach Out” (and Scotty helping out on vocals!) recorded live at The Roostertail for Keener’s Motown Monday. May Levi, Larry and Obie rest in peace, with thanks for the joy they brought us, then and now.

By Bob Berry

Some say the answer to the question is simple: it was your senior year in High School.

So, for me, 1968 works pretty well. “Hey Jude”, “Love is Blue”, “People Got To Be Free”, “Dock Of The Bay”. Great tunes, great memories on instant recall.

Some say the answer is based simply on the significant music released. And on that basis, 1965 is your year.  “In The Midnight Hour”,  “Satisfaction”,  “Like a Rolling Stone”, “My Girl”, “Wooly Bully”, and a couple of albums by The Beatles, Help and Revolver.

But for the sake of discussion, try 1957 on for size. “Wake Up Little Susie”, “Come Go With Me”, “Little Darlin'”, “Party Doll”, “School Days” and “You Send Me”. On the strength of those alone, you got a new soundtrack for American Grafitti!

And there’s one more. One of the singularly iconic songs in the history of rock and roll, a monster that was Number One for 9 weeks, and was on the charts for almost a half a year!

You just knew Elvis was in here somewhere!

By Bob Berry

I have long thought the greatest songs are the ones where just one or two lines can bring back memory, and enable you to sing the entire lyrics.

Think Lennon & McCartney, the Great American Songbook writers, the Brill Building contingent, and Motown’s Smokey Robinson and Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Or think Paul Simon.

“A winter’s day, in  deep and dark December…”.

“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school..”.

“When you’re weary, feeling small…”.

“And it was late in the evening, and all the music seeping through…”.

“The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls…”..

Paul Simon’s songs , with Art Garfunkel or as a solo artist, are beautiful poetry. They are highly personal, autobiographical, endlessly romantic, even at their most bitter or cynical. They are also, thinking “At The Zoo”, “You Can Call Me Al”, and, of course, “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)”, just plain fun.

Today (10/12), on his birthday, we at Keener13 feel lucky to have enjoyed his great gift.

By Bob Berry

“Blue”.

You probably know him as Melvin Franklin. You may only know of him as the “and the band played on” guy from Motown’s Temptations.

Melvin, who hooked up with Northwester High School classmate Otis Williams to join Otis’ first group The Distants in 1958, was the soul, the fat-bottom, “the glue guy”, the one, who along with Otis, never left Motown’s original and greatest Fab Five.

Until he died, far too young in 1995, of complications from cortisone treatments for arthritis.

Today, 10/12, would have been “Blue’s” 72nd birthday. Put on some of those old Motown Records and listen closely to Melvin’s rich bass voice on these vocal only mixes of The Temptations’ hits, from “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”, to “My Girl” and yeah, “Papa Was A Rolling Stone“. You might be amazed at what you have never heard before.

But do it after you listen to this stunning mid-song solo. Love you, “Blue”, R.I.P.