Gene Pitney, 1940-2006
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10 Grapevine GRAPELEAVES Gene Pitney, 1940-2006 Singer/songwriter and News & notes: The James Gang rides Yoakam and others... There are two new Rock And Roll Hall Of again! For the first time in 35 years James titles in Music Video Distributors’ Under Fame member (2002), Gang members Joe Walsh, Jim Fox, and Review series, Velvet Underground, Gene Francis Allan Dale Peters will tour together. The first Under Review and Captain Beefheart, Pitney, age 66, died show kicks off Aug. 9 at Colorado’s Red Under Review. Each DVD features rare unexpectedly of natural Rocks Amphitheatre. Complete tour date performances and interviews along with causes in his Hilton info is available at jamesgang commentary and criticism from band Hotel room April 5, ridesagain.com... This spring will find members and music writers... Other 2006, in Cardiff, Wales. another band on the road for the first time recent DVD releases include Judas He was midway through in many years. Seattle’s Alice In Chains Priest, Live Vengeance ’82. This 17-song www.goldminemag.com GOLDMINE #673 May 12, 2006 • GOLDMINE #673 May www.goldminemag.com a 23-city United members Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and set features the band’s 1982 Memphis, Kingdom tour; he had Sean Kinney haven’t toured together as a Tenn., show ripping out fan faves such just played Cardiff’s St. band since 1996. A re-linked Chains will as “The Hellion/Electric Eye,” “Heading David’s Hall and was hit the stage May 26 at Lisbon, Portugal’s Out To The Highway” and “Hell Bent scheduled to perform Super Bock Festival. Helming the lead For Leather.” (Columbia/Legacy); next in Bristol. vocal duties will be William DuVall, lead Gillan, Live Edinburgh 1980, Bernie According to his family singer of Comes With The Fall. AIC’s Tormé, Stratocaster Gypsy and After and Small & Pietras original singer, Layne Staley, died of a The Fire, Live At Greenbelt (Angel Air); Funeral Home, the drug overdose in 2002... Arthur Lee, Willy DeVille, Live: In The LowLands “Rockville Rocket,” as he leader of ’60s psychedelic band Love, has and Otis Rush And Friends Featuring was affectionately called, been diagnosed with leukemia. According Eric Clapton And Luther Allison: Live was born Feb. 17, 1940, in Hartford, hits such as the Phil Spector–produced to fan site www.Love WithArthurLee.com, At Montreux 1986 (Eagle Vision). Conn., correcting previously published “Every Breath I Take” (’61), “I Wanna Lee doesn’t have health insurance. A Los Sites and sounds: Goldmine readers data of his birth in 1941. Raised in Love My Life Away” (’60), “I’m Gonna Angeles benefit show for Lee is being looking for music from the indie scene Vernon’s Rockville section in Tolland Be Strong” (’64), “It Hurts To Be In organized for May or June. After serving a should check out Alexa Digital Radio County, he, wife Lynne, and three sons Love” (’64), “Mecca” (’63), “Town prison term from 1996-2001, Lee formed (www.alexadigitalmusic.com). The had resided in Somers since 1970. Without Pity” (’61), plus Burt a new version of Love and toured, often Internet radio station specializes in In September 1958, local entrepreneur Bacharach–Hal David songs including playing the band’s 1967 masterpiece music from independent artists (a recent John F. Rys (1933-79) recorded Pitney’s “(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance” Forever Changes in its entirety... Interior visit found a playlist of 305 songs first recordings and compositions, (’62), “Only Love Can Break A Heart” Secretary Gale Norton joined Priscilla encompassing a multitude of music “Darkness,” “Runaway Lover,” “So Tired” (’62) and “Twenty Four Hours From Presley March 27 to announce the desig- styles.) The site has its own media play- and “Victory.” Nearly all are a cappella Tulsa” (’63). Pitney was also one of the nation of Graceland as a National Historic er that streams in hi-fi or lo-fi, and there demos with vocal group The Embers. first artists to cover a Mick Landmark, the highest such recognition is no fee to listen. Though not issued until 1992 (by Relic Jagger–Keith Richards song, “That Girl accorded by our nation to historic proper- For analog kids: Among the many Records), these four sides are excellent and Belongs To Yesterday” (’64). ties. These special places are the actual vinyl releases in April and May are: show how influenced he was by singer In all, Pitney recorded more than 20 sites where significant historical events Beth Orton, Comfort Of Strangers (180- Clyde McPhatter. A fifth Pitney composi- Musicor albums, including country occurred or where prominent Americans gram vinyl, Astralwerks); Al Green, tion, “Tremble,” features a Larry Lee albums with George Jones and Melba worked or lived and represent the ideas Greatest Hits (180-gram, Getback (Harper) lead with The Embers. In 1959, Montgomery and albums sung in Italian that shaped our nation. Fewer than 2,500 Records); Donald Fagen, Morph The Pitney recorded four songs for Decca and Spanish. In 1989, his duet re-record- historic places carry the title of National Cat (180-gram, Reprise); Ray Davies, Records with Ginny Mazarro as Jamie & ing with Marc Almond (formerly of Soft Historic Landmark. Other People’s Lives (V2); Ben Harper, June, followed by a rare recording as Billy Cell) of his composition “Something’s For couch potatoes: The first docu- Both Sides Of The Gun (Everloving); Bryan (Blaze Records). Finally, in 1960 Gotten Hold Of My Heart” was a Top mentary film about singer/songwriter Dinosaur Jr., Where You Been and Green under his own name, Pitney recorded a sin- U.K. hit. In October 2005, Joseph A. Gram Parsons — Gram Parsons: Fallen Mind (180-gram, Rhino); and The gle release on Festival Records — his own Angiolillo Jr.’s book Gene Pitney, His Angel (by Gandulf Hennig) — is being Flaming Lips, At War With The Mystics composition “Please Come Back” backed Climb To International Success was pub- released by Rhino Home Video July 11. (180-gram, Warner Bros.). Classic with Otis Blackwell’s “I’ll Find You.” lished. In March 2006, the BBC aired The DVD chronicles the short but aston- Records is releasing The Who’s Direct Pitney’s career as a major artist began excellent TV and radio interviews with ishingly creative life of Parsons and the Hits on 150-gram vinyl. Originally in earnest in 1960. As a songwriter, Pitney, detailing how he prepared for this many myths surrounding him and fea- released in 1968 by the United some of his songs became hits for The tour, how he met Jagger and Richards, tures music and performances from his Kingdom independent label Track Crystals (“He’s A Rebel”), Ricky Nelson what CD projects he was preparing and stints with The International Records for the European market only, (“Hello Mary Lou [Goodbye Heart]”), how his career began. These are available Submarine Band, The Byrds, The Direct Hits features single sides plus and Bobby Vee (“Rubber Ball”). Non- on the Web at http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Flying Burrito Brothers and from his various album cuts including “I Can hits covered by others include 1/hi/wales/4884316.stm and www. solo albums. Fallen Angel also includes See For Miles,” “Substitute,” “Happy “Loneliness” by The Kalin Twins and bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/art interviews with Parsons’ colleagues and Jack” and “Pictures Of Lily.” The tracks “Today’s Teardrops” by Roy Orbison. icles/2006/04/05/gene_pitney_inter- admirers Peter Buck, James Burton, were all cut from the original full-track As a singer, he joined Art Talmadge’s view_feature.shtml. Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman, mono takes. Musicor Records in late 1960, recording — Eric S. LeBlanc Bernie Leadon, Keith Richards, Dwight — Todd Whitesel.