Omaha Rainbow : Issue 23
The end of year charts in the American music trade newspaper, Billboard, made unusually welcome reading for all fans of John Stewart. The success in 1979 of the album, ''Bombs Away Dream Babies,'' and the singles, 'Gold' and 'Midnight Wind,' led to his appearance in no less than eight categories. I think they are well worth recording here:-
No.37 Top overall male artist (including male groups), based on a combination of Hot 100 singles and Top 200 albums.
No.51 Top singles, for 'Gold.'
No.62 Top albums, for "Bombs Away Dream Babies."
No.35 Top singles artist for 'Gold' and 'Midnight Wind.'
No.84 Top albums artist for "Bombs Away Dream Babies."
No.8 Top solo male singles artist.
No.24 Top solo male albums artist.
No.31 Top singles producer.
"Bombs Away Dream Babies" reached No.10 in the album charts.
'Gold' reached No.5 and 'Midnight Wind' reached No.28 in the singles charts.
The Billboard end of year charts were actually based on the period from November 1978 through October 1979.
At the beginning of February, Record Mirror printed a Chartfile '79, based on Billboard's charts from 6 January 1979 through 29 December 1979. The initial chart positions of the third single, 'Lost Her in the Sun,' which eventually peaked at No.34, were included in the calculations, which gave John the following:-
No.30 Top Artist of 1979.
No.49 Top singles, for 'Gold.'
John also appeared in four categories in the end of year charts compiled by another American trade paper, Cashbox:-
No-35 Top singles, for 'Gold.'
No.87 Top albums, for "Bombs Away Dream Babies."
No.5 Top solo male singles artist.
No.2 Special Encore Award (behind Michael Jackson!)
You can make of all this whatever you will, but it does indicate that 1979 was a pretty good year for John Stewart. I'm sure that 1980 is going to be even better, a statement that is based on the evidence of "Dream Babies Go Hollywood," his superb new album which will have been released both in America and the United Kingdom by the time you get to read this.
Just in case any of you have been cut off from civilisation, and haven't secured a copy, here are the full details.
Released on RSO Records RSD 5007 (UK) and RS-1-3074 (US), the album is produced by John and Recorded by Jim Hilton.
Side One: Hollywood Dream/Wind on the River/Wheels of Thunder/Monterey/Odin
(Spirit of the Water)
Side Two: Lady of Fame/The Raven/Love Has Tied My Wings/Nightman/Moonlight
Rider.
All guitar parts are played by John; Drums: Russ Kunkel and David Plotshon; Bass: Chris Whelan; Keyboards: Joey Carbone; Percussion: John, Russ and Steve Ross.
Among the additional vocalists are Henry Diltz, Phil Everly (wonderful on 'Wind on the River'!), Nicolette Larson, Linda Ronstadt, Chris Whelan and Wendy Waldman, who was also responsible for the background vocal arrangements.
Capital Radio's Roger Scott travelled to America in February to talk to John about the album, and his interview will appear in full in 0R24.
This, then, is the essential new album to buy, but for the John Stewart completists among you, it's time to dig into your hard-earned savings.
Back in June of last year I was contacted by Lee Simmonds of RCA in London, who was putting together a compilation of material John had recorded for that company between 1973 and 1975. We had several lengthy, but always amicable, arguments about what should be on the album...can you imagine any two people agreeing on their favourite tracks from that period. One thing we did agree on, however, was that it should not be a shoddy compilation put together to cash in on John's subsequent success.
The real aim was to make available to recent converts, some of the past material since deleted by RCA - I would have preferred RCA to re-release "Cannons in the Rain" and "Phoenix Concerts," but that wasn't the name of the game.
I think what we've ended up with is pretty good value. 14 tracks, with a total running time of well over 50 minutes, and including three tracks previously not available in this country...the US single release of 'Wheatfield Lady,' a live version of 'Let the Big Horse Run' and an outtake of the "Wingless Angels" sessions, 'Rodeo Mary.'
At my suggestion, the album was originally going to be called "Holiday Inns and the 2 Dollar Gin,'' but when the Holiday Inn Company refused to allow the use of their name, it was changed to "Forgotten Songs of Some Old Yesterday," which I arrived at through a chance conversation with Pete Frame.
So nine months after Lee Simmonds first telephoned me, the album has
been released on RCA PL 43155 in the UK only, and with the following track
listing.
Side One: Wheatfield Lady/You Can't Look Back/July, You're a Woman/Let
the Big Horse Run/Cody/California Bloodlines/Mother Country.
Side Two: All Time Woman/Anna on a Memory/Armstrong/ Cannons in the
Rain/Hung on the Heart (of a Man Back Home)/Road Away/Rodeo Mary.
While we've been involved with this, RCA in America have put out "John
Stewart in Concert" on AFLl-3513. This is a single album culled
from the contents of the "Phoenix Concerts" double album. Two
tracks, 'Let the Big Horse Run' and 'Freeway Pleasure,' were not on the
original, while all the tracks were remixed by John in September 1979.
The photograph on the front sleeve is the one used on the back cover
of OR19. It was always one of my favourites, and very fine it looks,
too. On the back is a photo of John with Nik Venet, and includes
the enigmatic message, "Personal Friends of Linda Ronstadt.''
Side One: Wheatfield Lady/Kansas Rain/You Can't Look Back/Kansas/California
Bloodlines.
Side Two: Mother Country/Oldest Living Son/July, You're a Woman/Freeway
Pleasure/Let the Big Horse Run.
The true test of your O'Bsession with John Stewart, however, comes from Capitol Records in America. Not only have they re-released "Signals Through the Glass", "California Bloodlines" and ''Willard" on their budget label, but at the beginning of 1980 they released a double album on SABB-12O2O called "The Chicago Conspiracy Trial."
Produced by Nik Venet, this is a theatrical arrangement of the original trial transcripts, performed and recorded live by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble at Capitol Records Studio A, October 2 and 3 1979, in Hollywood, Ca1ifornia...with narration by John Stewart.
Two things I must say. John's contribution is exactly what it implies on the sleeve, and his narrative is brief and to the point. Secondly, the entire double album makes riveting listening, and everyone involved in it can be very proud of what they have achieved.
Having given you plenty to listen to, how about something to read? For several issues now I've intended to tell you something about an American monthly magazine called Goldmine, subtitled The Record Collector's Marketplace. Selling for $1.5O in America, $1.75 in Canada and 90p in the United Kingdom, the March issue has 156 11.5" x 14.5" pages, of which over a hundred are listings of records for sale. If you are into serious record collecting, you can advertise in there, along with dozens of other fellow addicts. And if you think the size of print in this magazine is liable to damage your eyesight, you should try to spend an hour reading through Goldmine's listings! Apart from the pleasure of searching through the magazine for long-wanted records, there are also carefully researched articles and interviews with a whole range of artists and musicians.
What makes it particularly interesting to fellow John Stewart addicts is a regular column edited by Ben Blake and Jack Rubeck called Kingston Korner. These two have recognised the importance and influence of The Kingston Trio, and each issue traces the story of the group through their recorded work, as well as keeping readers abreast of the current activities of the group's former members. Other groups and artists from the Folk Era are investigated, while one of the things to look forward to shortly will be an interview with Nick Reynolds.
I should also mention that Big John Koenig, who used to edit the fanzines' fanzine, 'Cowabunga,' has his own monthly column called Fandomania, in which the fanzines of the world are regularly reviewed.
If you would like to explore this Goldmine, send $3.00 to Goldmine, Box 187, Fraser, Michigan 48026, USA. Tell them where you read about their magazine and ask them to send you a sample copy.
If you are going to visit America, you will find that Goldmine is achieving a good distribution across the country, so you should certainly be able to find it in the larger cities. Another thing a lot of you are hoping to find out is if and when and where John Stewart will be appearing in concert while you are there. Certainly, I get a lot of enquiries myself from readers who are heading for the States.
John is managed by Management Three, 9744 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90210, USA. When you are in America, telephone them on (213) 550-7100, ask for Linda Cannon, and with any luck she will make sure that you don't miss any performances Johnmay be giving.
I think that about covers the John Stewart related information I had for this issue, but as there is still some space left on this page, I'd like to put it to good use.
To begin with, PETE FRAME'S ROCK FAMILY TREES is out at last on Omnibus Books, price 3-95 pounds. The book has 30 big 18" x 12" fold-out pages, beginning with Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps and going through to Ian Dury and The Blockheads, taking in such diverse groups and artists as Screaming Lord Sutch, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, Soft Machine, Deep Purple, Hawkwind, Genesis, Uriah Heep, New York Dolls, Bees Make Honey, The Clash, and many, many others along the way.
The Poco and Eagles Family Tree in OR20, the CSN&Y Tree in OR21 and the Cliff Richard and The Shadows Family Tree in this issue are all included in Pete's book. As you will already be aware from these, his work has a rare combination of wit and scholarship, a fascination for trivia, a keen sense of the ridiculous, a combination of chaos and precision, a cheerful willingness to deflate overblown egos...and, above all, an abiding love for the best moments of rock 'n' roll that shines through all his work. He, more than anyone I know, is well aware of the hype and bullshit that permeates every corner of this business, but has never let that obscure the power of the music to do its magic one more time.
Every page is a visual delight and packed with enough absorbing detail to keep the most ardent fax 'n' info addict happy for hours on end. I may not feel deprived if I never hear another Deep Purple track in my life, but tracing their career through one of Pete's Family Trees is something I'm quite happy to do.
If Pete weren't a friend of mine, I would still urge you to go out and buy at least one copy of his book. As he is a friend, I'm instructing you to buy two copies for yourself and one for each of your friends. That way, Omnibus Books will be persuaded to chain him to his drawing board until he's put together a second volume.
Incidentally, the book is available in America. The US ISBN is 0-8256-3957-6 and the US Order No. is 030947. Okay, now you can order it even if you're living in Billings, Montana!
On now to WEST TEXAS SQUEEZEBOX BOOGIE! This is an EP put out by Amazing Records on AM-EPAl, featuring Ponty Bone with Lewis and The Legends. Ponty is, of course, the accordion player with Joe Ely's band, whose presence in England recently was one reason for the lateness of this issue...they are a wonderful distraction. Incidentally, I must congratulate New Musical Express on getting Joe Ely onto their front cover a mere two years after he first made it onto the cover of Omaha Rainbow.
Back to the record! The EP was cut at the Caldwell Studios in Ponty's hometown of Lubbock, Texas, and using a band he works with a lot in America. The four tracks are Travelin' Mood/Woman/Beer-drinkin' Woman/ Don't You Lie To Me. The initial pressing is limited to 1,000 copies, and Richard Wootton has got 175 to sell here in the UK. The record is housed in a picture sleeve showing Ponty and Lewis and The Legends outside the famous Cotton Club in Lubbock. The record is available for 1-45 pounds plus 15p post and packing from Richard Wootton, 21 Melbourne Court, Anerley Road, penge, London SE20 8AR.
If you care to send Richard a large (OR sized) sae, he will send you a copy of the twelve page Cajun newspaper published by Sonet Records to tie in with the release of their most recent batch of Cajun LPs. In all, there are about 15 releases, some of them Cajun Collections, others by artists such as Clifton Chenier and Nathan Abshire, as well as Zydeco Records by Rocking Dopsie whose recent visit to Europe has proved so successful.
That's about it for now. "Bombs Away Dream Babies'' made
John Stewart a star. "Dream Babies Go Hollywood" is a wonderful
follow-up. Go get it!