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Music notes
LIU |
Friday, February 17, T<984 3
By LOUIS HILGARTNER
Staff Columnist
I've had it.
Every time I turn around, an
other manufacturer is claiming
to be the official something-or-
other for the 1984 Olympics.
This is to let you all know that
I have proclaimed this column
the OFFICIAL MUSIC COL
UMN FOR THE 1984 OLYM
PICS.
Actually, revenge is not my
only motive. There is a music
story in Sarajevo.
It seems that ABC (the official
television station for the Olym
pics) has hired John Denver as a
special musician/reporter. Yes,
the same John Denver that gave
us the immortal quote "Faaar
out!" and songs about moun
tains and trees now is a sports
reporter. Denver has written a
theme song for the Olympics,
and will be interviewing both
the athletes and the common
folk that have made their pil
grimages to the Games.
Faaar out.
Now that I've gotten that out
of my system, let's get down to
business.
In case you can't read, or
haven't bothered to notice, this
is Leap Year.
Leap Year is unique in a mu
sical sense in that, unlike most
other holidays (if you can call
Feb. 29 a holiday), it hasn't
inspired anyone to write songs
about it.
Through the ages, there have
been lots of songs written about
various holidays or special
times of the year.
ABC sports musician/reporter
John Denver wrote a whole sec
tion of tunes for his "Rocky
Mountain High" album ded
icated to the different seasons.
Titled "Season Suite," the songs
really do kind of give you the
feeling of whatever season it is
he's singing about.
The Beach Boys immortalized
summer.
It doesn't matter if there's six
feet of snow outside, once you
slap on a Beach Boys record, it's
time to put on some shorts and
a Hawaiian shirt and start wax
ing up your surfboard.
While Valentine's Day
doesn't have any songs written
about it specifically, the theme
of the day — love — has
inspired poets and songwriters
for thousands of years.
Without a doubt, the reigning
champion of seasonal music is
Christmas.
What would the holidays be
like without Rudolph, Frosty,
the Grinch and all the beautiful
carols we have sung since day
one?
Let's face it, if Bruce "the
Boss" Springsteen can sing
"Santa Claus Is Coming To
Town" every Christmas, there
must be someone, somewhere,
who could write a tune about
Leap Day that Bruce can sing
when he goes on tour in the
spring.
You would think a day as
special as Leap Day would at
least have a little ditty written
about it.
On the other hand, I am told
there is an error of .373 minutes
between the calendar and the
solar year and I guess that's
more than enough to wipe out
any chances for a song Leap
Day might otherwise have had.
I guess Leap Day is the Rod
ney Dangerfield of special days:
It doesn't get any respect.
That kind of puzzles me.
After all, it only happens in
the official year of the Olym
pics.
Other note-worthy tips:
Can you make a career in mu
sic without being a rock star?
Guitar Player magazine pub
lisher Jim Crockett has con
ducted seminars on this subject
and has come up with more
than 75 alternative occupations
for both guitarists and "mirror
stars."
Suggestions include careers
as a recording engineer, music
historian, patent advisor or in
strument designer. You don't
necessarily have to be a musi
cian to have a job in the music
industry. If you want more in
formation, there are several in
formative books you can read
including "The Music Business:
Career Opportunities And Self-
Defense" by Dick Weissman.
You also can write Crockett do
Guitar Player Magazine, 20085
Steven's Creek, Cupertino, CA.
95014; or you can call me in the
At Ease department of the Bat
talion (845-3312) Monday,
Wednesday, or Friday between
11a.m. and 1 p.m.
In a recent interview on the
Global Satellite Network's
"Rock Line," a weekly radio
show where listeners can call
and talk to their favorite musi
cians, Ozzy Osbourne was
asked about the possibility of
releasing any old studio tapes
of the late Randy Rhoads, for
mer guitarist for Ozzy's band.
Ozzy replied that although he
had met all the necessary legal
requirements, there would not
be any release of those tapes for
a long time. This was out of re
spect for Rhoads, Ozzy said.
"That guy was dear to me,"
he commented.
Osbourne said filming for his
latest video from his new album
"Bark At The Moon" would be
gin in a few weeks.
You can see Ozzy Osbourne,
with special guests Motley Crue
and Wasted, tonight at the
Summit in Houston.
Queen has a new album on
the way and it should be find
ing its way into music stores in
a couple of weeks. The advance
single "Radio Gaga" is begin
ning to get some airplay. The
last I heard, the album is to be
titled "The Works."
CONCERTS:
Michael Schenker... Tuesday
night... at Cardi's in Houston.
Formerly of UFO and Scor
pions, Schenker is one of the
foremost rock guitarists in the
world.
The Motels ... Sun., Feb. 26
... at Night Moves in Houston.
Break out the skinny ties and
the polka-dot shirts, the Motels
are bringing their brand of new-
wave to Night Moves in Hous
ton. My only question is "How
do they plan to keep the place
in one piece?!"
Entertainment
Singer-songwriter will perform here
rifd '
KiUHiil*
■ : ■ ■
* ♦
Businesswoman, loving
mother of two children and
prime singer/songwriter Anne
Murray will be performing
Thursday night in G. Rollie
White Coliseum.
Murray is one of Canada's fa
mous musical exports. In 1980
she was named as the Canadian
Recording Industry's female
artist of the decade for her
many talents in the studio. The
winner of 19 Juno Awards, the
Canadian equivalent to the
Grammy, Murray is without a
doubt the country's most suc
cessful songwriter. Murray has
done well in this country also.
In 1967, after working in va
rious night clubs and coffee
houses, Murray was on tele
vision in a nationwide broad
cast. Her blonde, girl-next-door
image helped her popularity
grow, and by 1968 she released
her first album. What About
Me?. Her next step was to sign
with Capitol Canada, but two
albums with the company
brought little notice to the
singer.
Murray's big break came in
1970 with the release of "Snow
bird." The tune advanced to
number one on both America's
country and pop charts, and es
tablished Murray as a talent to
be reckoned with. In November
of that year she became the first
Canadian woman to sell over a
million copies of a single in the
U.S.
More albums soon followed,
including Talk It Over In The
Morning and You Won't See
Me. Her singles included "Send
a Little Love My Way," "Dan
ny's Song" and "Love Song,"
for which she received her first
Grammy as best female vocal
ist.
Anne Murray will be per
forming in G. Rollie White Col
iseum on Thursday, Feb. 23, at
8 p.m.
Mime will roller-skate into town
Sometimes he is dressed
shabbily, sometimes nice, but
when his apparel is combined
with roller skates people ask,
"Who is that guy?" f
"That guy" is Tim Settimi, a
mime who will perform
Wednesday in Rudder Theater
as a presentation of MSC Base
ment. Settimi's talents span
from the classic style of Marcel
Marceau, to newer types of en
tertainment such as ventrilo
quism and comedy.
Settimi broke into show busi
ness while attending Western
Illinois University by perform
ing in a rock band for clubs and
fraternity parties. After college
he studied at the prestigious
Pocket Mime Theater in Boston,
where he developed many of
the characters that are a major
part of his show. He then began
touring at colleges across the
nation.
Settimi has become one of the
most popular performers on the
college circuit, performing to
over 75 colleges a year, where
he has appeared as an opening
act for Steve Martin, REO
Speedwagon and others. As a
mime, Settimi has been able to
hold his own against mains
tream comics in contests like
the Atlanta Laff-Off seen on
Showtime. He also has made
appearances on PM Magazine
and with Tim Conway in his
feature film. The Prize Fighter.
One of Settimi's most distin
guishing features is his roller
skating antics prior to his con
certs. At A&M he will be skat
ing in the MSC fountain area,
the fountain by the Harrington
Building and in front of Sbisa
Dining Hall.
Settimi also plays the guitar
and flute and sings during his
concerts. He has choreo
graphed several productions
ana is an accomplished acrobat.
Tickets for his show are $4
and are on sale at the MSC Box
Office.