Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Jul 21, 2006 13:58:12 GMT -5
I wanted this post to count for something - at least to me - so I thought "what better place for it to go than in Tim's Corner" and, I have several topics I want to cover.
What a two years this has been for me. I have met so many incredible people - let's just start with Rick. Here is this guy who obviously loves the Carpenters and has devoted endless amounts of time to securing them a place in the internet world for discussion - good, open, honest discussion - opinions are always welcomed, not always agreed with, but never trashed. Nice, this. 
for this outlet, Rick. It has been wonderful meeting everyone who have both been regulars on the forum, and those who have come and gone. If I were to try and name everyone, there would surely be those I miss, and I don't want to do that. It's never my intention to hurt anyone's feelings. So, you all know who you are. You have brought me joy, tears, laughter, and true fellowship. To each of you, then, Rick has conducted some really wonderful interviews over the years, yes? Fantastic interviews with people like Russell Javors, who I've gotten to know better since his interview appeared (and for those of you who don't know, Russell has recently moved to Hong Kong). Liberty DeVitto - Liberty and I have chatted several times via email since that interview. He is happy that Rick asked him to do it, and I believe would give us any more information we wanted - as he indicated Rick was quite genuine to him, and he appreciated Rick's approach. Of course, the recent Chris Christian interview was great, too and I learned a lot of great information. But, I suppose for me, it's the Palma Pascale interview that will remain in my memory the best, because I have made a new "music business" friend in Palma.
Palm is one of the most delightful individuals I have ever met. She is very giving; that is, not only did she do a four part, very detailed interview with Rick for all of us to enjoy, she has also never failed to answer any question (at least that I have posed to her). She has generously answered musical "how to" questions for me, she has told me many of the back stories of her career - she has sent me her lead sheets so that I could more easily perform selections at my church from The Broken Cup (musicians just DON'T DO this!!!) But, Palma had enough trust in me that she DID send me copies of her lead sheets, and then some. I also have the full CD of the music of WHAT THE HELL, NELL! That, my friends, is yet another masterpiece.
Rick - because you did this interview with Palma - and because of Palm and my interaction with each other (and Fred Guarino - can't forget Fred, as he has been very helpful, too) I have been "spurred on" as it were, to perform more - and have decided to help others in the business (like Leo/Palma, and more) get their music heard by the right people. Who knows if I will have any success with that - but it certainly is worth the try. I have very much enjoyed making contacts and sending out CD's. Leo's work is to arrive any day now, and I'm very excited to hear it. He has compiled everything he has done so far, as I understand it. His newest song, Hijacked is just awesome.
Fred, on the other hand, has engaged me to try and write articles for a Long Island Entertainment Mag. I was very humbled when he wrote and told me that he thought my reviews were substantial, and well written, and that I should contact this publication and write for them, and that he would be my reference. Something I have yet to do, only because of time restraints, but Fear Not, Fred.....I will be contacting them, soon.
WE'D HAVE NEVER MET IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR CARPENTERS ONLINE.
Rick. All of this hs been possible BECAUSE OF YOU and your generosity and your incredible hard work to keep this forum alive.It means a lot to me, can you tell? AND TO HAVE MY VERY OWN CORNER?
Well, I felt as though that spoke VOLUMES. I am very pleased to be able to contribute my little thoughts and ponderings to this forum, and everyone here has certainly welcomed me with open arms - and I feel like this is just the right place for me to spend my extra time - conversing in this way with each of you.
One of the things I have been working on are the reviews for Palma Pascale's In & Out Of Love, and will be posting them here in Tim's Corner. However, having now become very familiar with NELL, expect to hear more about that, too. I plan here in this post to give you a bit of a treat, in that I've transcribed the first cut on the CD for you which actually tells the STORY of WHAT THE HELL, NELL! And, of course, Palma has graciously agreed that I should share with you all whatever I want to share.Before I get to that, however, I wanted to let you in on one more little thing that has happened that I think is absolutely marvelous. I have communicated somewhat with Palma's lovely mother, Anne (remember, she mentions Anne in her story). At any rate, when I told Palma what I felt when I first really listened to "I'll Leave You The Music" - which I believe I wrote that story in my review of it - she, of course, shared that with her mother. But Palma shared with me answers to a question I had for her at the time. That was "Palma, how could your mom listen to this song, and not just go haywire?" (as the words to this song can be taken literally and, well....you'll have to hear it to know what I mean. But it is quite a touching song with the lyrics saying "I'll leave you the gift I own to be where I'm not - in the mind of the ear, and the heart - I'll be there although we are apart - You won't be without me here - I'm in the song you hear, and if you can hear the song....you're here with me." Touching, eh?
Palma's response to me was that her mother reacted to this song exactly as I had suspected. In fact, she told Palma she, too, wanted to record it.
A few weeks ago, now, I received Anne Pascale's CD, also entitled "I'll Leave You the Music" and an awesome CD it is, too. Anne has a lovely, strong and clear voice...like mother like daughter. I can see where Palma gets her love for music, indeed. Anne did a lovely job with her CD, and her rendition of I'll Leave, though completely different, was definitely her own, and was beautiful. I felt truly complimented to have received this.Here's the NELL Sampler, as it is entitled:
WHAT THE HELL NELL is an original musical based on a truly All-American theatrical art form; the Melodrama. From classical melodrama with its highly stylized manner of acting came the American Operetta, and then the Broadway musical. The musical score of What The Hell Nell draws its flavor from the wonderful rhythmic syncopation of cakewalk and ragtime and spins a glorious web of memorable melodies, heart stirring ballads and operatic motifs. The piano underscore highlights the action on stage, signaling the arrival of good, doubt, mystery and evil, as was the custom in silent films. The audience cheers the hero and boos the villain.
The story takes place in a simpler time in the Pennsylvania countryside in the late 1800’s, at the turn of the 20th Century, when right was right and wrong was wrong. It was a time in America when there were strong family values, a strict moral code and an adherence to tradition. A line of demarcation was firmly drawn between honest country folk and morally corrupt city dwellers.
There is a hero, a heroine, and a villain; a mysterious detective and an orphan child. There is a gunfight, a snowstorm and a sad Christmas. All the characters speak and act in broad tones of black and white.
Bone-weary, God-fearing, widowed farmer Stanley doesn’t know there is oil under his land. And the unscrupulous city-slicker, Handsome Harry Howard, also known as Richard Murgatroid, will stop at nothing to inherit the old man’s farm; marriage, foreclosure, or murder.
Innocent Nell is tempted away from her honest fiancé, John, by the handsome, evil villain. She is banished from her home by her outraged father, leaving behind her devastated younger sister, Abigail and judgemental housekeeper, Lizzie. Nell winds-up cold, homeless and hungry in the dance hall saloon of Big Mike Slattery on the Bowery in wicked New York City. A nightly Showtime at Big Mike’s includes rousing performances by Kate, the barroom queen, and the tawdry Bowery Bruisers and Beauties. A den of iniquity holds many secrets and all worlds collide as our villain threatens to ruin our hero and heroine for good.
But, before her final downfall, Nell is rescued, just in the nick-of-time through the constant love and the noble efforts of her steadfast hero, John….through the help of a mysterious stranger and through the love of a child. The villain is arrested, the lovers are reunited, the homestead saved! Goodness and justice triumph, but then…..you knew how it would end….didn’t you???
The music to this melodrama, written by Palma, is outrageously wonderful - it's fun - it's sad - it's raucous - lovely. You will be able to "hear" pieces of this when Palma's new website is finalized. I am humbled in that my reviews will be a part of that website. Another great thing to have come from THIS FORUM.
to each and every one of you here at Carpenters Online for this wonderful forum, and the interactions, and the introductions, and, well.....for all of it. I never imagined all of this....but it's by far one of my favorite things.....and you're by far some of my favorite folk.What's the constant here? CARPENTERS. Karen...Richard...the voice - the creations - the MUSIC. Thank you CARPENTERS!!!
Carry on.....
I wish you ALL THE BEST from here in my corner,
Tim
