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Post by bluemarble on Dec 17, 2023 3:52:00 GMT -5
Van Dyke's orchestral arrangements and production on Joanna Newsom's album Ys are absolutey divine, one of my favorite all time albums. Also love the album he released in 2008 with Inara George (daughter of Lowell George of Little Feat) titled "An Invitation", though I appreciate that Inara's (and Joanna's) voice may not be everybody's cup of tea. Van Dyke's work on both albums is exceptional.
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2023 10:31:02 GMT -5
Van was a co-star in A GIFT FOR HEIDI (RKO 1958) along with Douglas Fowley, Kim Fowley's dad. Kim told me that he felt robbed; that he was denied the opportunity to play the son of his actual father. He didn't sing, he wasn't cute, and he was likely already gangly by then. Still, he held onto that feeling for some years. One other Van/Kim connection... HIGH COIN by Skip Battin was issued in about 1965 on Record Records. The B Side was written by Kim and Skip. Both sides were "arranged" by Van Dyke Parks. The label was likely Kim's but could also have been a subsidiary of Chattahoochee Records. Interestingly, no production credits are given. The B Side sounds like a Kim production, but the A Side sounds very much like Van might have produced it. PS - Rick Jarrard had a version of High Coin on Chattahoochee in '65, as well. Kim had been the A&R person for that label and also produced the Murmaids' Popsicles And Icicles. Attachments:
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Post by jk on Dec 17, 2023 17:59:44 GMT -5
Van Dyke's orchestral arrangements and production on Joanna Newsom's album Ys are absolutey divine, one of my favorite all time albums. Also love the album he released in 2008 with Inara George (daughter of Lowell George of Little Feat) titled "An Invitation", though I appreciate that Inara's (and Joanna's) voice may not be everybody's cup of tea. Van Dyke's work on both albums is exceptional. How about a track from each album by way of illustration? "Cosmia" from Ys... …and "Rough Design" from An Invitation: pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12586-an-invitation/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ys_(Joanna_Newsom_album)
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Post by John Manning on Dec 17, 2023 18:10:48 GMT -5
Utterly f*ing gorgeous. When I listen to music like this I shift into a different plane, and hate that real life tethers me to the mundanity of washing pots, driving kids to extra-curricular activities and walking the dog. This stuff is transcendent. I want to spend my life listening to music like this but I have to pull my pants on and do “stuff”. Thank you, thank you for sharing these. Please don’t do it again… 😖
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Post by John Manning on Dec 17, 2023 18:17:57 GMT -5
Even this is superb:
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Post by Cam Mott on Dec 17, 2023 18:38:29 GMT -5
One other Van/Kim connection... HIGH COIN by Skip Battin was issued in about 1965 on Record Records. The B Side was written by Kim and Skip. Both sides were "arranged" by Van Dyke Parks. The label was likely Kim's but could also have been a subsidiary of Chattahoochee Records. Interestingly, no production credits are given. The B Side sounds like a Kim production, but the A Side sounds very much like Van might have produced it. PS - Rick Jarrard had a version of High Coin on Chattahoochee in '65, as well. Kim had been the A&R person for that label and also produced the Murmaids' Popsicles And Icicles. Speaking of connections, two of the Murmaids sued the owner of Chattahoochie Records (Ruth Conte) in February 1965 for not paying them for "Popsicles and Icicles", their attorney was Abe Somers: soon to be Van Dyke's attorney. ("do do dodo" = Twilight Zone theme)
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Post by jk on Dec 18, 2023 9:02:33 GMT -5
One other Van/Kim connection... HIGH COIN by Skip Battin was issued in about 1965 on Record Records. The B Side was written by Kim and Skip. Both sides were "arranged" by Van Dyke Parks. The label was likely Kim's but could also have been a subsidiary of Chattahoochee Records. Interestingly, no production credits are given. The B Side sounds like a Kim production, but the A Side sounds very much like Van might have produced it. PS - Rick Jarrard had a version of High Coin on Chattahoochee in '65, as well. Kim had been the A&R person for that label and also produced the Murmaids' Popsicles And Icicles. I couldn't find an audio version of the Skip Battin version of "High Coin" anywhere. I did unearth a couple of other VPD arrangements on singles by Mr B, "Mr. Responsibility"... ...and "Love Minus Zero": To say nothing of a welter of other versions of "High Coin"...
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Post by jk on Feb 4, 2024 13:58:42 GMT -5
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Post by jk on Mar 7, 2024 15:51:18 GMT -5
In 1996 Van Dyke was interviewed on Dutch TV by Han Reiziger, who was something of an institution in this country: Here (at 4:55) Van Dyke accompanies himself on "Orange Crate Art", AGD's choice of best song VDP ever wrote for himself. Here's his second choice, "Clang Of The Yankee Reaper", which unlike "OCA" I'm not familiar with at all. What an extraordinary song: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clang_of_the_Yankee_Reaper
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Post by Cam Mott on Mar 10, 2024 16:08:31 GMT -5
RE. Surf's Up and the passing of the Old Met.
The Daily News of NYC described the final gala of April 16 thusly:
"A 4 ½ hour diamond necklace studded black tie affair of the rich and famous with the top ticket going for $200 raised $292,000 from a 3600 seat packed house with 100 Met employee standees."
VDP would have written his lyric in early September by my reckoning; by May 1966 Keystone Associates had already applied for permits to demolish the Old Met and build a new office. September 10 1966 the new Metropolitan Opera had a pre-opening in its new home at Lincoln Center, on September 16 1966 it had its official opening.
Up until the last minute various groups and people attempted to save the Old Met building, but the Old Met was demoed beginning January 17 1967.
VDP mentions on the vlog on his website that he had performed as a street urchin in La Boheme at the Old Met in 1952. I have not found mention of a performance with the conductor and artist he mentions. There was a recorded performance with those artists for RCA Victor but it was in March/April of 1956 and at the Manhattan Center. Still looking. On the other hand VDP also describes a 1954 performance under Toscanini which was aired as described on NBC on March 14 1954. So there is that.
In other words, a whole lot of nothing....but interesting.....?.....(waving from the caboose as his train disappears in the sunset)
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Post by jk on Mar 10, 2024 17:13:43 GMT -5
RE. Surf's Up and the passing of the Old Met. The Daily News of NYC described the final gala of April 16 thusly: "A 4 ½ hour diamond necklace studded black tie affair of the rich and famous with the top ticket going for $200 raised $292,000 from a 3600 seat packed house with 100 Met employee standees."VDP would have written his lyric in early September by my reckoning; by May 1966 Keystone Associates had already applied for permits to demolish the Old Met and build a new office. September 10 1966 the new Metropolitan Opera had a pre-opening in its new home at Lincoln Center, on September 16 1966 it had its official opening. Up until the last minute various groups and people attempted to save the Old Met building, but the Old Met was demoed beginning January 17 1967. VDP mentions on the vlog on his website that he had performed as a street urchin in La Boheme at the Old Met in 1952. I have not found mention of a performance with the conductor and artist he mentions. There was a recorded performance with those artists for RCA Victor but it was in March/April of 1956 and at the Manhattan Center. Still looking. On the other hand VDP also describes a 1954 performance under Toscanini which was aired as described on NBC on March 14 1954. So there is that.In other words, a whole lot of nothing....but interesting.....?.....(waving from the caboose as his train disappears in the sunset) Certainly interesting! I dug out these fun facts. Hopefully they add some grist to the mill but are just as likely to cloud the issue: La Boheme at the Old Met 1952: www.amazon.nl/Boheme-Met-New-York-1952/dp/B00008UEDPAt the Manhattan Center March/April 1956: www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7953383--puccini-la-bohemeVDP apparently performing at the Met in 1953: www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-van-dyke-parks-largo-coronet-20150512-story.htmlLa Boheme that year: historicalnewspapers.lib.purdue.edu/?a=d&d=ALU19530201-01.2.18&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN--------1
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Post by jk on Mar 11, 2024 7:18:15 GMT -5
RE. Surf's Up and the passing of the Old Met. The Daily News of NYC described the final gala of April 16 thusly: "A 4 ½ hour diamond necklace studded black tie affair of the rich and famous with the top ticket going for $200 raised $292,000 from a 3600 seat packed house with 100 Met employee standees."On the subject of the Gala Farewell (and in the interests of completeness), you can view the full concert programme here... And here's some silent footage from that evening (see the YouTube blurb):
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Post by Cam Mott on Mar 11, 2024 8:22:07 GMT -5
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Post by filledeplage on Mar 11, 2024 8:26:15 GMT -5
RE. Surf's Up and the passing of the Old Met. The Daily News of NYC described the final gala of April 16 thusly: "A 4 ½ hour diamond necklace studded black tie affair of the rich and famous with the top ticket going for $200 raised $292,000 from a 3600 seat packed house with 100 Met employee standees."VDP would have written his lyric in early September by my reckoning; by May 1966 Keystone Associates had already applied for permits to demolish the Old Met and build a new office. September 10 1966 the new Metropolitan Opera had a pre-opening in its new home at Lincoln Center, on September 16 1966 it had its official opening. Up until the last minute various groups and people attempted to save the Old Met building, but the Old Met was demoed beginning January 17 1967. VDP mentions on the vlog on his website that he had performed as a street urchin in La Boheme at the Old Met in 1952. I have not found mention of a performance with the conductor and artist he mentions. There was a recorded performance with those artists for RCA Victor but it was in March/April of 1956 and at the Manhattan Center. Still looking. On the other hand VDP also describes a 1954 performance under Toscanini which was aired as described on NBC on March 14 1954. So there is that. In other words, a whole lot of nothing....but interesting.....?.....(waving from the caboose as his train disappears in the sunset) Cam- You did very well to get the exact date. I couldn't find the exact date. And I wasn't paying the NYT paywall. But wouldn't the demo have followed the completion and the taping of Brian (December of 1966) for Inside Pop? Maybe contemplation of the demo? My initial take hearing it in the earlier days, for "domino" would have been as in actual dominos falling on a table or other surface. Or metaphors related to a civilizational collapse. Only Parks knows his connotation. That theater was pretty famous for Disney's Fantasia and I think that was Stokowski, leading.
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Post by Cam Mott on Mar 11, 2024 8:55:39 GMT -5
Fill,
Thanks.
My thought was SU had been written long before the IP filming or the building demo or IP aired.
It's all speculation but the proposed demo of the Met was known and published in May 1966 and efforts under way to stop it were also known. Maybe VDP's autobio will settle it.
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Post by filledeplage on Mar 11, 2024 9:05:36 GMT -5
Fill, Thanks. My thought was SU had been written long before the IP filming or the building demo or IP aired. It's all speculation but the proposed demo of the Met was known and published in May 1966 and efforts under way to stop it were also known. Maybe VDP's autobio will settle it. Agree - 100% - it could have been generic columns falling from Rome or Greece or wherever. Or a movie set version.
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Post by jk on Mar 11, 2024 9:51:16 GMT -5
Cam- You did very well to get the exact date. I couldn't find the exact date. And I wasn't paying the NYT paywall. But wouldn't the demo have followed the completion and the taping of Brian (December of 1966) for Inside Pop? Maybe contemplation of the demo? My initial take hearing it in the earlier days, for "domino" would have been as in actual dominos falling on a table or other surface. Or metaphors related to a civilizational collapse. Only Parks knows his connotation. That theater was pretty famous for Disney's Fantasia and I think that was Stokowski, leading. Another VDP connection...
As for the Met Opera's connection with Fantasia (it was indeed Stokowski leading in 1940), do you mean Met conductor James Levine's work on Fantasia 2000 fifty years later?
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Post by filledeplage on Mar 11, 2024 10:10:17 GMT -5
Cam- You did very well to get the exact date. I couldn't find the exact date. And I wasn't paying the NYT paywall. But wouldn't the demo have followed the completion and the taping of Brian (December of 1966) for Inside Pop? Maybe contemplation of the demo? My initial take hearing it in the earlier days, for "domino" would have been as in actual dominos falling on a table or other surface. Or metaphors related to a civilizational collapse. Only Parks knows his connotation. That theater was pretty famous for Disney's Fantasia and I think that was Stokowski, leading. Another VDP connection...
As for the Met Opera's connection with Fantasia (it was indeed Stokowski leading in 1940), do you mean Met conductor James Levine's work on Fantasia 2000 fifty years later? Not Levine, but Disney also worked with Serge Prokofiev for Peter and the Wolf so he was prime time with his composers. I'm sort of a Disney follower (the earlier stuff, up to Mencken and Ashman) since I taught in Early Childhood and pretty much wanted authenticity in the literature as well.
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Post by David Prokopy on Mar 14, 2024 11:57:35 GMT -5
I have nothing significant to add to this thread, other than to say that Van Dyke blocked me on Twitter years ago, and I still have no idea why! It was back when I used to use my real name on there, so maybe he recognized my name from my old "Smile" tape days? Who knows.
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Mar 14, 2024 13:03:15 GMT -5
I have nothing significant to add to this thread, other than to say that Van Dyke blocked me on Twitter years ago, and I still have no idea why! It was back when I used to use my real name on there, so maybe he recognized my name from my old "Smile" tape days? Who knows. And good stuff it was. Welcome to the Forum, David!
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Post by AGD on Mar 14, 2024 13:36:25 GMT -5
Fill, Thanks. My thought was SU had been written long before the IP filming or the building demo or IP aired.It's all speculation but the proposed demo of the Met was known and published in May 1966 and efforts under way to stop it were also known. Maybe VDP's autobio will settle it. VDP has stated -I think in the 1985 videobiog - that "Surf's Up" was the first song he and Brian wrote, which would place it late spring/early summer 1966.. Then again, pretty much everywhere else he's said it was "Heroes And Villains". Go figure.
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Post by filledeplage on Mar 14, 2024 14:09:16 GMT -5
Fill, Thanks. My thought was SU had been written long before the IP filming or the building demo or IP aired.It's all speculation but the proposed demo of the Met was known and published in May 1966 and efforts under way to stop it were also known. Maybe VDP's autobio will settle it. VDP has stated -I think in the 1985 videobiog - that "Surf's Up" was the first song he and Brian wrote, which would place it late spring/early summer 1966.. Then again, pretty much everywhere else he's said it was "Heroes And Villains". Go figure. Heroes was out July 24, 1967. Don't they need about Heroes almost seems the thematic overview of the project. Surf's up almost seems the culminating project more than the initiation. All a mystery, I guess... 🤷♀️my bad on the date...edited...
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Post by David Prokopy on Mar 14, 2024 14:15:49 GMT -5
VDP has stated -I think in the 1985 videobiog - that "Surf's Up" was the first song he and Brian wrote, which would place it late spring/early summer 1966.. Then again, pretty much everywhere else he's said it was "Heroes And Villains". Go figure. And Heroes was out in August of 1966. Don't they need about 6 weeks lead time to get a record out? Heroes almost seems the thematic overview of the project. Surf's up almost seems the culminating project more than the initiation. All a mystery, I guess... 🤷♀️ "Heroes..." was released in July of 1967. Recording began in May 1966.
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Post by filledeplage on Mar 14, 2024 19:16:26 GMT -5
And Heroes was out in August of 1966. Don't they need about 6 weeks lead time to get a record out? Heroes almost seems the thematic overview of the project. Surf's up almost seems the culminating project more than the initiation. All a mystery, I guess... 🤷♀️ "Heroes..." was released in July of 1967. Recording began in May 1966. Thanks! I'm a year younger than I thought! Welcome to EH! 🎈
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Post by John Manning on Mar 15, 2024 3:37:07 GMT -5
I have nothing significant to add to this thread, other than to say that Van Dyke blocked me on Twitter years ago, and I still have no idea why! It was back when I used to use my real name on there, so maybe he recognized my name from my old "Smile" tape days? Who knows. Snap! VDP blocked me after I pointed out (gently, I’d thought) an error in a Tweet he’d written (about the last time he’d been in a room with BW… I suspect he’d forgotten about the Smile gigs in London Feb 2004). Ah well, now I know I’m in good company!
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