No stranger to music (or records, for that matter), Don Grady rode his early '60s TV sitcom success into a surprising ride on a Yellow Balloon who Sunshine-Popped a "Yellow Balloon"!
Hi, Brad. This comment has nothing to do with this post, which I I haven't read yet (but will do). But I just wanted to tell you that yesterday, after several years, I resurrected my Spotify account and was immediately reminded of the fact that I've done what you often do, ie create playlists of different versions of the same song. For example, I have a playlist called She's Not There. I resurrected Spotify because I wanted to compile a playlist of several versions of a jazz tune, for a post I'm working on. I'm nowhere near as well-informed as you on the various versions, but it's great fun isn't it, and fascinating. Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you :-)
Hey, Terry....thanks for thinking of me....in ANY format or configuration! And, thanks for the compliments! I can only think of the Zombies' "She's Not There." I hope you like this treatise on Don Grady....as usual, I might only know of these folks in passing (I watched "My Three Sons" a lot, and had vaguely heard of Grady's musical forays...but, MAN, he was busy)!
Anxious to see what you dig up with jazz-tune coverage; that'll be an interesting journey! Holler if you want to A) collab on a cover piece or B) wanna do a guest post on maybe some rock/pop covers! Thanks again for the note....my comment section is your comment section!😁👍
Thanks very much for the invite, Brad, but I don't know enough, I would lower the quality of your 'stack. Happy to write one about jazz, but I guess that's not your bag, as we jazzmen say
I doubt you'd lower the quality of the FR&B franchise! I'd be happy to house one about jazz, though...don't underestimate the flexibility of FR&B! Feel free to pitch me some ideas, or just one with proposed artists/titles!
I got jazz chops! Remember, I grew up around 20,000 jazz LPs & 78s, and was snuck into LaBastille Jazz Club in downtown Houston when I was 14! Arnett Cobb would visit Dad often at our house, in the '60s! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnett_Cobb Plus, my mom worked for bandleader Shep Fields (at his entertainment booking agency) at Houston's Shamrock Hilton Hotel in the early '60s! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shep_Fields
See wot I mean? I don't have any chops, let alone jazz ones. I'm like the amateur gallery-goers who don't know much about art but know what they like. What I'd like to do is write about how I was introduced to jazz, and spotlight some versions of the same tune by the same artist plus, if it didn't make the post too long, a few of my fave jazz tunes and why. If that doesn't float your boat, all I can say is: if you don't like my potatoes, why did you dig so deep? Oh, thanks very much for the invite and the (misplaced) vote of confidence
I'll be anxious to see what you end up with, then. It'll help me see "where you're at" jazz-wise. Another frequent visitor to the house in the '60s (I recalled after I sent the previous reply) was Julius La Rosa, who passed, at 86, in 2016. He was sort of a Tier 2 Sinatra crooner type, but with an excellent voice and personality! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_La_Rosa
Not entirely sure how my folks got to know him, but as they hung with the Houston show biz crowd (Dad in radio, with a nationally-syndicated weekly show, "...And All That Jazz", and Mom a booking agent), it's possible they met after a local show (Houston Music Theatre, Jones Hall?), and just invited him over!
I could see myself looking into his story in the future!
Great song, Terry. I am familiar with the Zombies version. I did a couple of those playlists too. One was titled "Woke" songs. I put together 10 songs titled "Woke up this Morning". Funny thing is a lot of them just have the name in common. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1U90IWA6L1N6aYBLfPzPuT?si=b1f29485868f4658
I never knew Colin Blunstone had a nom de tune! I also didn't know he performed under another name! Cool Playlist (I like the GLEE cover.....don't judge me!). Very "Inside Tracks," I must say! I'd insist on a licensing fee, but since you composed this 'List before FR&B launched the landmark series, I'll let it slide!
Yes, if you look here and play it, it's clear that it's Colin Bluntstone in disguise. I've got the 45 somewhere! https://youtu.be/6abJ9muSoVw. Licensing fee? 😂 I know my rights!
I'm wondering why Blunstone felt the need to record incognito (and not in Memphis, for example🤣). Did he maybe want to record a cover of his band's hit without being recognized as one of its members? Hmmmm. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, that was a typo...I meant to type "licensing, free."😉
I dunno. I always wondered whether it was because (IMO) the Zombies didn't get the recognition they deserved. Maybe he thought a new persona would help
Hey, Brad. Stellar piece, as usual! I'm going to have to dig a little deeper into this in the near future, but at first reading, it's amazing what developed from the 'Sunshine Pop' movement, as brief as it was.
I'd be onboard for a collab or similar, if you're interested! If pressed, I'd have to say my favorite sub-genre has always been power pop, and my favorite power pop-adjacent sub-genre has been sunshine pop. If you're thinking of an overview, I could add a deeper dive of a couple artists within; otherwise, my approach (for my purposes here) would be the periodic single spotlight (like Grady/YB).
Keep in touch, Marshall, and thanks, truly, for the compliment!
Fascinating, the amount of detail you provide is amazing. I'd never consciously heard of this dude before, even though I watched my three sons occasionally. (I preferred fred M in double indemnity) 😁
Thank you, Terry! The challenge, as you might imagine, is making sure the info is deep while also being easy-to-follow and interesting! Especially when I'm not dealing with The Eagles or Elton John, where presumably, a built-in audience would already be riveted, the challenge is in making Don's life (in this case) fascinating. Believe it or not, there WAS some editing down!
Ex: Sometime after I pretty much wrapped up final writing and editing, I ran across yet another solo single he had recorded in that same '60s era....I just threw up my hands and said, "No, gonna have to let that one slide.....Sorry, Don!"
Fun look back. Who'da thunk it? Wonder if he and Ricky Nelson ever met? Is that a genre? Young TV stars who also recorded music. I'm sure you know a bunch of them. Q: Were these guys actors first who also played music, or musicians who had the "it" look, and were made into actors?
Wow, Paul....you hit the proverbial nail on its proverbial head! I have a page in my Q with close to a dozen artists (I think the "Video to Vinyl" tag will be my running title) ready to go, one at a time. As for Don & Ricky meeting...I didn't run across that, but as both were firmly planted in L.A. show biz circles, they had to bump into each other at some point!
It's not a genre, per se (few people ever give it time or print...that's why I'M here!), but as it was a fave lane for me to collect records in the '70s, just me remembering my record collection gave me my list of close to a dozen!
And, your question is exactly how I'll approach each one....Don, actually (with his Mouseketeer entree) was thrust into acting AND singing simultaneously, but one could say he acted first ("MTS," which required a few more acting chops than trading lines with Annette wearing mouse ears!---plus, his bit Western TV parts prior to "MTS"), then transitioned to music. So, his recording career he came by "honestly," as he demonstrated that talent for years before Yellow Balloon!
Each one's different: Most seem to have had TV (or movie) success first, then because they were A) pretty and B) could maybe carry a tune, they were thrust into the studio (see Kristy McNichol, Cheryl Ladd, John Travolta, Donny Most, Lynda Carter, Scott Baio, Leif Garrett....and, we're not even out of the '70s with that bunch!).
David Cassidy is a famous "case"---simply answering a 1969 acting audition call (and nothing more), it was only step-mom, Shirley, off-handedly mentioning to the "PF" producers (she was the only one contracted to sing on the records), "Oh, David can sing!" did THAT whole thing start!
David, while realizing he could sing OK, hated the way his voice sounded...but, it was one of the most distinctive, instantly-recognizable voices in pop history! Every time I speak of David, I wanna say, "Bless his heart." He never asked for all that, and he's the perfect example of the machine we all want to propel US to Hollywood-dream fame and riches, is also the machine eager to chew and spit you out.
So, stay tuned! More peeks into the cross-pollinating music/acting folks of the past to come!🎬
Great answer. And you just wrote most of your next post! LOL There were a lot of Mouseketeers too that would qualify. Like Britney, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake.
Then you have the lesser known mouseketeers: Francis Zappa, Oswald Osborne, Tommy Lee Jonestown, Mick Jagger and so on...
Hi, Brad. This comment has nothing to do with this post, which I I haven't read yet (but will do). But I just wanted to tell you that yesterday, after several years, I resurrected my Spotify account and was immediately reminded of the fact that I've done what you often do, ie create playlists of different versions of the same song. For example, I have a playlist called She's Not There. I resurrected Spotify because I wanted to compile a playlist of several versions of a jazz tune, for a post I'm working on. I'm nowhere near as well-informed as you on the various versions, but it's great fun isn't it, and fascinating. Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you :-)
Hey, Terry....thanks for thinking of me....in ANY format or configuration! And, thanks for the compliments! I can only think of the Zombies' "She's Not There." I hope you like this treatise on Don Grady....as usual, I might only know of these folks in passing (I watched "My Three Sons" a lot, and had vaguely heard of Grady's musical forays...but, MAN, he was busy)!
Anxious to see what you dig up with jazz-tune coverage; that'll be an interesting journey! Holler if you want to A) collab on a cover piece or B) wanna do a guest post on maybe some rock/pop covers! Thanks again for the note....my comment section is your comment section!😁👍
Thanks very much for the invite, Brad, but I don't know enough, I would lower the quality of your 'stack. Happy to write one about jazz, but I guess that's not your bag, as we jazzmen say
I doubt you'd lower the quality of the FR&B franchise! I'd be happy to house one about jazz, though...don't underestimate the flexibility of FR&B! Feel free to pitch me some ideas, or just one with proposed artists/titles!
I got jazz chops! Remember, I grew up around 20,000 jazz LPs & 78s, and was snuck into LaBastille Jazz Club in downtown Houston when I was 14! Arnett Cobb would visit Dad often at our house, in the '60s! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnett_Cobb Plus, my mom worked for bandleader Shep Fields (at his entertainment booking agency) at Houston's Shamrock Hilton Hotel in the early '60s! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shep_Fields
See wot I mean? I don't have any chops, let alone jazz ones. I'm like the amateur gallery-goers who don't know much about art but know what they like. What I'd like to do is write about how I was introduced to jazz, and spotlight some versions of the same tune by the same artist plus, if it didn't make the post too long, a few of my fave jazz tunes and why. If that doesn't float your boat, all I can say is: if you don't like my potatoes, why did you dig so deep? Oh, thanks very much for the invite and the (misplaced) vote of confidence
I'll be anxious to see what you end up with, then. It'll help me see "where you're at" jazz-wise. Another frequent visitor to the house in the '60s (I recalled after I sent the previous reply) was Julius La Rosa, who passed, at 86, in 2016. He was sort of a Tier 2 Sinatra crooner type, but with an excellent voice and personality! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_La_Rosa
Not entirely sure how my folks got to know him, but as they hung with the Houston show biz crowd (Dad in radio, with a nationally-syndicated weekly show, "...And All That Jazz", and Mom a booking agent), it's possible they met after a local show (Houston Music Theatre, Jones Hall?), and just invited him over!
I could see myself looking into his story in the future!
Great song, Terry. I am familiar with the Zombies version. I did a couple of those playlists too. One was titled "Woke" songs. I put together 10 songs titled "Woke up this Morning". Funny thing is a lot of them just have the name in common. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1U90IWA6L1N6aYBLfPzPuT?si=b1f29485868f4658
The first one, by Neil MacArthur, who was actually Colin Bluntstone, seems to be no longer available: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Ib2wkBQ340tAyOBh0LAtN?si=0882b50b232b450b
I never knew Colin Blunstone had a nom de tune! I also didn't know he performed under another name! Cool Playlist (I like the GLEE cover.....don't judge me!). Very "Inside Tracks," I must say! I'd insist on a licensing fee, but since you composed this 'List before FR&B launched the landmark series, I'll let it slide!
Yes, if you look here and play it, it's clear that it's Colin Bluntstone in disguise. I've got the 45 somewhere! https://youtu.be/6abJ9muSoVw. Licensing fee? 😂 I know my rights!
I'm wondering why Blunstone felt the need to record incognito (and not in Memphis, for example🤣). Did he maybe want to record a cover of his band's hit without being recognized as one of its members? Hmmmm. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, that was a typo...I meant to type "licensing, free."😉
I dunno. I always wondered whether it was because (IMO) the Zombies didn't get the recognition they deserved. Maybe he thought a new persona would help
Yo. I listened to some this morning The Ten Years After version reminded me of an album called The Rock Machine Turns You On, which is on Spotify.
Thanks will have a listen
Hey, Brad. Stellar piece, as usual! I'm going to have to dig a little deeper into this in the near future, but at first reading, it's amazing what developed from the 'Sunshine Pop' movement, as brief as it was.
I'd be onboard for a collab or similar, if you're interested! If pressed, I'd have to say my favorite sub-genre has always been power pop, and my favorite power pop-adjacent sub-genre has been sunshine pop. If you're thinking of an overview, I could add a deeper dive of a couple artists within; otherwise, my approach (for my purposes here) would be the periodic single spotlight (like Grady/YB).
Keep in touch, Marshall, and thanks, truly, for the compliment!
Fascinating, the amount of detail you provide is amazing. I'd never consciously heard of this dude before, even though I watched my three sons occasionally. (I preferred fred M in double indemnity) 😁
Thank you, Terry! The challenge, as you might imagine, is making sure the info is deep while also being easy-to-follow and interesting! Especially when I'm not dealing with The Eagles or Elton John, where presumably, a built-in audience would already be riveted, the challenge is in making Don's life (in this case) fascinating. Believe it or not, there WAS some editing down!
Actually I do believe it!
Ex: Sometime after I pretty much wrapped up final writing and editing, I ran across yet another solo single he had recorded in that same '60s era....I just threw up my hands and said, "No, gonna have to let that one slide.....Sorry, Don!"
I have that problem with books on a theme. Sometimes you just have to stop!
Fun look back. Who'da thunk it? Wonder if he and Ricky Nelson ever met? Is that a genre? Young TV stars who also recorded music. I'm sure you know a bunch of them. Q: Were these guys actors first who also played music, or musicians who had the "it" look, and were made into actors?
Wow, Paul....you hit the proverbial nail on its proverbial head! I have a page in my Q with close to a dozen artists (I think the "Video to Vinyl" tag will be my running title) ready to go, one at a time. As for Don & Ricky meeting...I didn't run across that, but as both were firmly planted in L.A. show biz circles, they had to bump into each other at some point!
It's not a genre, per se (few people ever give it time or print...that's why I'M here!), but as it was a fave lane for me to collect records in the '70s, just me remembering my record collection gave me my list of close to a dozen!
And, your question is exactly how I'll approach each one....Don, actually (with his Mouseketeer entree) was thrust into acting AND singing simultaneously, but one could say he acted first ("MTS," which required a few more acting chops than trading lines with Annette wearing mouse ears!---plus, his bit Western TV parts prior to "MTS"), then transitioned to music. So, his recording career he came by "honestly," as he demonstrated that talent for years before Yellow Balloon!
Each one's different: Most seem to have had TV (or movie) success first, then because they were A) pretty and B) could maybe carry a tune, they were thrust into the studio (see Kristy McNichol, Cheryl Ladd, John Travolta, Donny Most, Lynda Carter, Scott Baio, Leif Garrett....and, we're not even out of the '70s with that bunch!).
David Cassidy is a famous "case"---simply answering a 1969 acting audition call (and nothing more), it was only step-mom, Shirley, off-handedly mentioning to the "PF" producers (she was the only one contracted to sing on the records), "Oh, David can sing!" did THAT whole thing start!
David, while realizing he could sing OK, hated the way his voice sounded...but, it was one of the most distinctive, instantly-recognizable voices in pop history! Every time I speak of David, I wanna say, "Bless his heart." He never asked for all that, and he's the perfect example of the machine we all want to propel US to Hollywood-dream fame and riches, is also the machine eager to chew and spit you out.
So, stay tuned! More peeks into the cross-pollinating music/acting folks of the past to come!🎬
Great answer. And you just wrote most of your next post! LOL There were a lot of Mouseketeers too that would qualify. Like Britney, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake.
Then you have the lesser known mouseketeers: Francis Zappa, Oswald Osborne, Tommy Lee Jonestown, Mick Jagger and so on...
You're right about all the latter-day Mouseketeers! "Oswald Osborne"!!🤣