Entertainment BEAT - THE BEAT GOES ON

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

After coming across an old music column that we wrote in the 70's it brought to mind after three decades what has happened to those talents. Who that was happening then is happening now. David Foster then a musician/songwriter is one of the hottest producers today with Celine Dione being one of his credits.

Sunday August 23, 2009

TURN THE BEAT AROUND

One of the greatest saxophone solos ever played was that of Raphael Ravenscroft on Jerry Rafferty's late 70's hit Baker Street. At the time of our interview back in the day he revealed that he was paid only $49 for his efforts. That was typical of the record business who often took advantage of its artists. When the Rock N' Roll business began in the 50's many of the recording artists/songwriters were paid a pittance or not at all.

After coming across an old music column that we wrote in the 70's it brought Ravesncroft to mind. Within that piece were other notable talents of that era. The question is after three decades what has happened to those talents.

The column also featured Patrice Rushen who continues to have a music career as well as becoming a musical director. Neil Diamond is also alive and well as is Quincy Jones who after we wrote about his then record production tasks went on to produce three of Michael Jackson's greatest albums Dynasty, Off The Wall and Thriller. David Foster then a musician/songwriter is one of the hottest producers today with Celine Dione being one of his credits.

A sidebar to Foster is that we first me him at a rehearsal studio in Hollywood where he was with the band Skylark which also featured Donnie Girard on bass and Floyd Snead on drums. Snead went on to become the drummer with Three Dog Night.

Unfortunately others mentioned in the column John Denver, Rick James and Willie BoBo have passed away but their contributions to music will live on.

This past year the MGM Network in the Asian Pacific region repeated a titled film the Commitments several times. It's about the Irish band of the same name. For lovers of 60's era music ie. Mustang Sally, Knock on Wood this is a classic, a must watch and worthy of your video library.

The film is brilliantly done with great musical performances by the band interspersed with accurate band humor with an Irish twist. In musician speak the dialog is SPOT ON and funny.

Kenneth McCluskey who was the guitarist in the film but currently tours as the bands bassist functions as the spokesperson of the group. He and drummer Dick Massey are the only tow of the current members of the band who are in the film. Massey has a key role in the movie and speaking role. In the film he has a disagreement with another band member and leaves the group.

The other major role in the film was by the trumpet player who McCluskey says "Is really an actor who can play some trumpet."

Typical of many bands who experience internal strife and break up at the end of the film a scene depicts two of the Commitments playing on the street for money. True or not we asked. "The bit at the end was just for the film," McCluskey noted.

An interesting point McCluskey brought up during our email interviews was he and the band played with guitar great Steve Cropper. In our column from the 70's we mentioned Cropper whom we met at that time at a party at his home. At that party Cropper mentioned that nobody knew who he was. That may be true for the general public as he was a musician backing up recording artists who had major hits. In musician circles Cropper was well known and respected as one of the greatest rock guitarists of that era. He was somewhat of a rock guitar playing legend in his own time.

Cropper was a member of the famous Stax Records house band in Memphis Tennessee who backed such stars as Otis Redding and were members of Booker T & The MG's who had their 60's hit Green Onions. Jones was also in the house band. Booker T. & the MG's consisted of Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Al Jackson, Booker T. Jones, and Lewie Steinberg. As the house band at Stax Records , Booker T. & The MG's had tight, impeccable grooves that can also be heard on classic hits by Wilson Pickett and Carla Thomas, to name a few.

Besides his influential work with the MGs, Cropper co-wrote "Knock On Wood" with Eddie Floyd, "In the Midnight Hour" with Wilson Pickett, and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Otis Redding. His partnership with Redding was particularly fruitful; "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of the Bay" alone has been played over six million times, making it the sixth most-played song of all time (and the ASCAP catalog's second most). Cropper was in the band in the film The Blues Brothers and continues to have a career.

The Grammy Awards presented Jones with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He continues to produce records. One of his most notable productions was that with Willie Nelson a collection of old standards. Jones released his first solo album in over two decades April 21st titled Potato Hole. Neil young is one of the musicians on the album. The CD was released on April 21st. and can be ordered at his web site www.bookert.com

Potato Hole is Booker's first new solo record in two decades. The album was recorded in Athens and San Francisco. Jones has been touring with his band in Australia, New Orleans JazzFest, Bonnaroo and tours of the west coast, east coast, Canada, Japan and Europe. More dates can be obtained from his web site www.bookert.com.

For those interested in seeing the Commitments band on tour go to: www.thecommitments.net

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