Author/Photographer Victoria Jennings Mitchell

It's been said that dreams are the seedlings to reality. Victoria Jennings Mitchell has followed her dreams and they are as real as the sky is blue. She is a mother, photographer, writer, musical agent, spiritual healer and all around great person!
Her first book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" has just been published and it is getting rave reviews from all over the world. Her brilliant photographs capture the essence of the great rock stars whom she has crossed paths with. I had the great pleasure to speak with Victoria late one evening as her day was finally winding down...


MICK: Your new book is fantastic. When did you decide to write this book? It's your first book too, right?
VICTORIA: Yes, it's my first book. I decided to do this book about 20 years ago when I took all of those photographs. I knew someday I would write this book.

MICK: I saw in your book that it all began for you when you photographed rock star Jon Butcher.
VICTORIA: I had seen Jon play many times. When I started photography school, the first thing I wanted to do was take his pictures. I contacted him and he readily agreed to let me pictures. I took photos of him several times when he did shows up in Providence, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. After that, I photographed Stevie Ray Vaughn.

MICK: That's what I wanted to ask you about next. You got some great shots with him. What was he like?
VICTORIA: Stevie was awesome. I miss him. I cried for a week when he died. I had talked to his publicist, Charles Comer, many times and he was such a nice man. He arranger for me to shoot Stevie in Gardner, Massachusetts at an outdoor venue there. I was able to spend about an hour with Stevie. He told everything that was going on. I really commend him. He was truly on a good road and he was so talented, a really nice guy. Right before he died, I was suppose to photograph him the following week. Also, something very strange happened at the show where I photographed him. It was an outdoor venue and backstage, one of the supporting metal beams crashed down and snapped the neck right off of his guitar. It was the famous guitar that he used all the time. I was back there taking pictures and I saw this happen. I wondered if this was some type of weird omen or something. He got it fixed before the following show. But that was really strange. A year later, he died.

MICK: In your book, there's also a picture of you with Merv Griffin.
VICTORIA: Yes, he owned the radio station that I worked at in Providence. He was cool. A very smart man for sure. He had just bought the radio station and I approached him with my portfolio and told him I'd love to be the station's photographer. He was so impressed that they hired me right on the spot. I stayed with them for almost four years. Had a lot of fun and worked very hard too!

MICK: One thing that stands out in front of your book, in the dedication, you state that a portion of the proceeds was going to go to the victims and the families of the tragic fire that killed 100 people at The Station Night Club, in Providence. Did you know people who were there that night?
VICTORIA: Yes, one of my friends from the radio station, Dr. Metal, died in the fire. It was terrible. I found, within the last year, that the victims and their families ended up getting millions of dollars. They filed a law suit and they won. There was also a lot of benefits. I was unable to come up to help out because of family obligations down here.

MICK: I know you are also writing a children's book.
VICTORIA: That's right. It's being published right now. The publisher brought it to the Beijing Book Expo and it was purchased, along with other children's books from Eloquent Books in NY, to sell the books in Chinese. I still retain the rights to my book here but that's just for the rights in China. I heard that it sold and they are making us wait so I'm very excited. We should know very soon!

MICK: For the children's book, are you using photographs or illustrations?
VICTORIA: I'm using illustrations. I have several illustrators. I used my daughter Ariel as the model for my old friends book when she was 5 years old. I'm having another illustrator do my next book and my mom, who is also an artist, will do my third book.

MICK: I've read that you home school your children?
VICTORIA: Yes I do! Actually, we are unschoolers. Home schooling is when you sit down and do school at home. We don't do that. We don't use a set curriculum, we use everything for their learning...classes, CD Roms, computers, life in general. It's geared towards what they want to learn and are interested in. It's continuing learning; learning from the inside out, not the outside in.

MICK: So that is recognized by the state?
VICTORIA: It sure is. There are unschoolers all over the world. I wanted to do this even before I had children. It is basically non-forced learning.

MICK: Do you still photograph rock stars?
VICTORIA: Not at the moment. I've done some local band photos. My next book, that I'm halfway done with, is spiritual book with uplifting poems and photos. It's going to be called "Divinity On Earth". I have most of the photos for it already and I've written some poems and will also include some scripture.

MICK: Who is on your wish list to be photographed?
VICTORIA: I'd love to photograph Sting! I'd also love to photograph royalty. I've always admired royalty and their way of life. These people are not stressed about money. They used to be like tyrants for centuries but now I can see that they are more spiritual. I have several friends who have royal blood and I can see first hand how they live and what they feel. I am also descended from royalty! My great grand mother was Polish royalty. We are actually trying to find the rest of the family. She came here during their revolution by herself to Ellis Island and met my great grandfather. Shortly after, that got married! She was the matriarch of our family and died when I was very young. Her name was Anna Olactz.

MICK: What else inspires you?
VICTORIA: Talented people. People who have gone through a lot in their life and overcome it. People who use whatever talent they have and make the most out of it. People who help other people. I love Mother Theresa and I actually have rosary beads that were blessed by her. She inspires me with my healing work. I want to open a spiritual center here.

MICK: What's involved with the spiritual healing?
VICTORIA: It's spiritual energy healing. Energy travels through me. I've known since I was young that I was suppose to do this. About ten years ago it hit me and I began to start healing people. All types of healing, physical and spiritual. I take the negative energy out and replace it with healing energy and then let the body do the rest. I love helping people.

MICK: You've photographed hundreds of rock stars. Have any of them ever given you a hard time?
VICTORIA: No, they were basically all nice. I've had trouble with audience members but never the bands or entertainers. Once at a Black Crows concert, I was actually hit in the face by this drunk guy. The place was packed and I was taking some shots. I wasn't there long at all and this guy kept pushing me and then hit me. That's the only trouble I ever had.

MICK: You moved from Rhode Island to Florida. Why did you move?
VICTORIA: I was sick of the cold. I always knew that at some point in my life I would end up in Florida. I love it here and I loved it in Providence too. If I could transplant Providence down here, it would be ideal! Providence is a very artistic, cultural city.

MICK: I know you work with a great new musician named Pete Munroe and he has a new CD out. How are things going with that?
VICTORIA: Yes, the CD is out but we are going to add to it. I put it up on a place called RadioReddit.com. It's a radio station online and they also have a record company. I'm actually thinking about having a radio show on there. I would interview local musicians and bands and that would help them get recognition. I'd also take photographs of them too.

MICK: Do you have anything you would like to tell your fans and your future fans?
VICTORIA: I'd like everybody to buy my book! That's how I support my family and how the spiritual center will come to be. If anyone would like to be involved with that, I would definitely love that. I have my hand in a lot of things because we are only here for a short time. I want to have fun and help people. I can see that spiritual center in my head every day. My uncle, who is actually a well known architect, is going to help me with the blue prints. It is really going to happen. I thank God every day, even when things don't always go as planned. I'm very thankful for all that has happened and will be happening!

Victoria can be reached at:
http://www.myspace.com/rockstarsofthe80s...
http://www.myspace.com/healermom1

Her book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" can be bought on Amazon.com
Autographed copies are also available upon request
It's been said that dreams are the seedlings to reality. Victoria Jennings Mitchell has followed her dreams and they are as real as the sky is blue. She is a mother, photographer, writer, musical agent, spiritual healer and all around great person!
Her first book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" has just been published and it is getting rave reviews from all over the world. Her brilliant photographs capture the essence of the great rock stars whom she has crossed paths with. I had the great pleasure to speak with Victoria late one evening as her day was finally winding down...


MICK: Your new book is fantastic. When did you decide to write this book? It's your first book too, right?
VICTORIA: Yes, it's my first book. I decided to do this book about 20 years ago when I took all of those photographs. I knew someday I would write this book.

MICK: I saw in your book that it all began for you when you photographed rock star Jon Butcher.
VICTORIA: I had seen Jon play many times. When I started photography school, the first thing I wanted to do was take his pictures. I contacted him and he readily agreed to let me pictures. I took photos of him several times when he did shows up in Providence, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. After that, I photographed Stevie Ray Vaughn.

MICK: That's what I wanted to ask you about next. You got some great shots with him. What was he like?
VICTORIA: Stevie was awesome. I miss him. I cried for a week when he died. I had talked to his publicist, Charles Comer, many times and he was such a nice man. He arranger for me to shoot Stevie in Gardner, Massachusetts at an outdoor venue there. I was able to spend about an hour with Stevie. He told everything that was going on. I really commend him. He was truly on a good road and he was so talented, a really nice guy. Right before he died, I was suppose to photograph him the following week. Also, something very strange happened at the show where I photographed him. It was an outdoor venue and backstage, one of the supporting metal beams crashed down and snapped the neck right off of his guitar. It was the famous guitar that he used all the time. I was back there taking pictures and I saw this happen. I wondered if this was some type of weird omen or something. He got it fixed before the following show. But that was really strange. A year later, he died.

MICK: In your book, there's also a picture of you with Merv Griffin.
VICTORIA: Yes, he owned the radio station that I worked at in Providence. He was cool. A very smart man for sure. He had just bought the radio station and I approached him with my portfolio and told him I'd love to be the station's photographer. He was so impressed that the program director hired me right on the spot. I stayed with them for almost four years. Had a lot of fun and worked very hard too!

MICK: One thing that stands out in front of your book, in the dedication, you state that a portion of the proceeds was going to go to the victims and the families of the tragic fire that killed 100 people at The Station Night Club, in Providence. Did you know people who were there that night?
VICTORIA: Yes, one of my friends from the radio station, Dr. Metal, died in the fire. It was terrible. I found, within the last year, that the victims and their families ended up getting millions of dollars. They filed a law suit and they won. There was also a lot of benefits. I was unable to come up to help out because of family obligations down here.

MICK: I know you are also writing a children's book.
VICTORIA: That's right. It's being published right now. The publisher brought it to the Beijing Book Expo and it was purchased, along with other children's books from Eloquent Books in NY, to sell the books in Chinese. I still retain the rights to my book here but that's just for the rights in China. I heard that it sold and they are making us wait so I'm very excited. We should know very soon!

MICK: For the children's book, are you using photographs or illustrations?
VICTORIA: I'm using illustrations. I have several illustrators. I used my daughter Ariel as the model for my old friends book when she was 5 years old. I'm having another illustrator do my next book and my mom, who is also an artist, will do my third book.

MICK: I've read that you home school your children?
VICTORIA: Yes I do! Actually, we are unschoolers. Home schooling is when you sit down and do school at home. We don't do that. We don't use a set curriculum, we use everything for their learning...classes, CD Roms, computers, life in general. It's geared towards what they want to learn and are interested in. It's continuing learning; learning from the inside out, not the outside in.

MICK: So that is recognized by the state?
VICTORIA: It sure is. There are unschoolers all over the world. I wanted to do this even before I had children. It is basically non-forced learning.

MICK: Do you still photograph rock stars?
VICTORIA: Not at the moment. I've done some local band photos. My next book, that I'm halfway done with, is spiritual book with uplifting poems and photos. It's going to be called "Divinity On Earth". I have most of the photos for it already and I've written some poems and will also include some scripture.

MICK: Who is on your wish list to be photographed?
VICTORIA: I'd love to photograph Sting! I'd also love to photograph royalty. I've always admired royalty and their way of life. These people are not stressed about money. They used to be like tyrants for centuries but now I can see that they are more spiritual. I have several friends who have royal blood and I can see first hand how they live and what they feel. I am also descended from royalty! My great grand mother was Polish royalty. We are actually trying to find the rest of the family. She came here during their revolution by herself to Ellis Island and met my great grandfather. Shortly after, that got married! She was the matriarch of our family and died when I was very young. Her name was Anna Olactz.

MICK: What else inspires you?
VICTORIA: Talented people. People who have gone through a lot in their life and overcome it. People who use whatever talent they have and make the most out of it. People who help other people. I love Mother Theresa and I actually have rosary beads that were blessed by her. She inspires me with my healing work. I want to open a spiritual center here.

MICK: What's involved with the spiritual healing?
VICTORIA: It's spiritual energy healing. Healing energy travels through me. I've known since I was young that I was suppose to do this. About ten years ago it hit me and I began to start healing people. All types of healing, physical and spiritual. I take the negative energy out and replace it with healing energy and then let the body do the rest. I love helping people.

MICK: You've photographed hundreds of rock stars. Have any of them ever given you a hard time?
VICTORIA: No, they were basically all nice. I've had trouble with audience members but never the bands or entertainers. Once at a Black Crows concert, I was actually hit in the face by this drunk guy. The place was packed and I was taking some shots. I wasn't there long at all and this guy kept pushing me and then hit me. That's the only trouble I ever had.

MICK: You moved from Rhode Island to Florida. Why did you move?
VICTORIA: I was sick of the cold. I always knew that at some point in my life I would end up in Florida. I love it here and I loved it in Providence too. If I could transplant Providence down here, it would be ideal! Providence is a very artistic, cultural city.

MICK: I know you work with a great new musician named Pete Munroe and he has a new CD out. How are things going with that?
VICTORIA: Yes, the CD is out but we are going to add to it. I put it up on a place called RadioReddit.com. It's a radio station online and they also have a record company. I'm actually thinking about having a radio show on there. I would interview local musicians and bands and that would help them get recognition. I'd also take photographs of them too.

MICK: Do you have anything you would like to tell your fans and your future fans?
VICTORIA: I'd like everybody to buy my book! That's how I support my family and how the spiritual center will come to be. If anyone would like to be involved with that, I would definitely love that. I have my hand in a lot of things because we are only here for a short time. I want to have fun and help people. I can see that spiritual center in my head every day. My uncle, who is actually a well known architect, is going to help me with the blue prints. It is really going to happen. I thank God every day, even when things don't always go as planned. I'm very thankful for all that has happened and will be happening!

Victoria can be reached at:
http://www.myspace.com/rockstarsofthe80s...
www.facebook.com/victoriajenningsmitchell

Her book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" can be bought on Amazon.com
Autographed copies are also available upon request

LOUIS PRIMA JR. keeps Dad's music alive!

His father was known as 'The King Of Swing" and his exuberant personality and musicianship captivated audiences around the world for over 50 years. Louis Prima was truly unique. Though he passed away over 30 years ago, his legend continues to grow. Today, his son Louis Prima Jr. carries on the torch, keeping his fathers music alive and gaining new fans worldwide. A talented performer in his own right, Louis Jr has his own band, the Witnesses, and Dad would sure be proud! Prior to his upcoming East Coast gigs, I spoke with Louis Jr about his dad's music and his own music too....

MICK: You started out as a rock singer with moderate success. What made you want to go back and do your father's music?

LOUIS: When grunge hit rock and roll, I kind of gave up on the music business. I didn't like the depression trend or whatever was happening to it so I gave up on the music for quite a few years. Like any good stage person, I really loved being on stage. The only other music I could think to do that made me happy is my father's music, which was the obvious choice I suppose.

MICK: What was your dad like as a father?

LOUIS: He was exactly the way he was on stage in real life. He was a lot of fun, liked to laugh, liked to have a good time. He was kind to people, gentle to people. We had a good time together. I spent a lot of time with him. He taught me how to play golf, took me to rehearsals, recording studios and out on the town. He was a real fun guy!

MICK: Do you keep in touch with Keely Smith?

LOUIS: Unfortunately no. There's a little bit of bad blood between her and my mom [ Gia Maione; Smith was Prima 's 4th wife]. We actually don't talk at all. I saw her at jazz fest in New Orleans, the first time I was ever in the same room as her.

MICK: Does your sister Lena still perform?

LOUIS: Yes she does. She's actually performing in the area now.

MICK: Tell me about your band The Witnesses.

LOUIS: When I put this together, I didn't want to be hiring musicians out of town. I wanted to have a band like my father had. Guys that are dedicated to the music and enjoy what they are doing. It's been a process to find the right bunch of guys. I've got them now. They're fantastic !

I've got a girl singer with me now , Sarah Spiegel. We are putting on a really good show. It's one thing to just do the music but I want people to remember what it was like live, the energy, the fun. What they produced in their live show, we are trying to put that in ours. I'm very fortunate to have the guys I have now. We're really having a great time!

MICK: Is there anybody in your band from your dad's old band?

LOUIS: No, unfortunately there's not to many of them left.

MICK: Do you play the East coast often?
LOUIS: We haven't been back east in about two years. We always get a great reception, especially with the well to do Italian community out there. They come out in droves! Aside from playing in my home town of Las Vegas, New York and New Orleans are my favorite places to go.

MICK: It must have been a great thrill for you to see your dad get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

LOUIS: My management team and myself had an accidental meeting with somebody who really pushed this thing forward. Doing my father's music is to maintain and protect his legacy and get him some of the respect that he deserves, not just as an entertainer but as a musician and what he gave to the world for 50 years. This was a major step for sure. It was a grueling process but the team worked very hard and we were fortunate to have the help of Ricardo Montalban's son-in-law, Gil Smith ( he operates the Montalban Theater in Hollywood), kind of helped us along. Another cat by the name of Brian Sayre out in Hollywood helps us out also. We got it done! It was a fantastic day, fantastic reception and turnout. It's times like that you get to appreciate exactly how they loved him and his music.

MICK: Do you have a favorite song of your dad's?

LOUIS: Yes I do! Now that I have a dedicated band, we are going through the catalog and running new songs. My favorite arrangement's of his was "Them Their Eye/ Old Man River" a medley from the "King Of Clubs" album. that's probably my all time favorite. We just added " Five Months, Two Weeks and Two Days" to our repertoire. That is my favorite song right now. It's fun to perform and it truly demonstrates the power of the band that I have, showmanship wise.

MICK: Do you throw in new songs every now and then?

LOUIS: Yes, there's a wealth of material. My father always played what was popular. He took other people's songs that were popular and twisted them his own way. We eventually want to do that too and of course some original material. We are constantly adding things. when we come to New York, it's not the same show you saw last time. I'd love to play every single song every night but we mix it up good and play things different every show.

MICK: There's another singer who does your father's music by the name of Ron Gelato. Are you familiar with him?

LOUIS: I've heard the name but I've never been fortunate to hear him or see him.

MICK: There's been word that a motion picture about your dad's life is being made. What's happening with that?

LOUIS: My mother Gia Maione is the executor of the Louis Prima estate. She has passionately protected it and made it grow. We are constantly in talks with several different movie studios as well as Broadway shows. It's a matter of finding the right mix and people who are willing to tell the correct story. Whether good or bad, we want to make sure that this isn't one person's version of what happened. Richie Valens had a pretty good career but Louis Prima was around for 50 years, there's a lot to touch on. We'll eventually get it done, hopefully sooner than later.

We need the right team and the right script. The politics of Hollywood play into it but it's something I want to see done and it will get done!

MICK: Don't you have a new recording coming out?

LOUIS: We are, hopefully, going to be in the studio in November and December. We have Ron Dante, who was the Archies and produced many of Barry Manilow's hits and some of Cher's hits, on board. We are currently in talks with Capital Records to be in the same studio that my father recorded in. If that happens to fall through, we have couple of other people on board because I'm anxious to get recorded and getting something out there as well.

MICK: When you perform at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center on October 24th, you are sharing the bill with Dean Martin's youngest song Ricci Martin. Have you worked with him before?

LOUIS: I've never worked with him before and I'm very excited to do this. We talked quite a few times leading up to this. It's a very interesting pairing because my father was on stage with Dean Martin many times. We may actually share video footage of him and Dean Martin on stage. To close the show, Ricci and I will be doing a number together.

MICK: What are your future plans?

LOUIS: Besides the recording, they are finally going to put a statue up of my father on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I believe that's happening on December 4th. Also, in cooperation with Binion's Hotel here in Las Vegas, David Berman and Big Daddy Carlos, we are putting on a birthday party for my father December 7th. He would have turned 100 years old. We putting on a show, also in cooperation with the Veterans of Pearl Harbor. We'll be back east again in January at Feinstein's at the Hotel Regency in New York. We will be in New Orleans at the end of the month. We are also shopping for a home base here in Las Vegas so we can have a place we can call home. As long as I'm working, I'm happy!

Louis Prima Jr. brings his famous father's music to life this weekend, Oct 24th at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside, NY. at 5pm. 718-631-6311

-0http://louisprimajr.com/5

Actor BURT YOUNG the Artist!

Burt Young is truly a man for all seasons. Academy Award nominated Actor, artist, writer, playwright, he does it all with style and dignity. Best known for his role as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law Paulie in all of the "Rocky" films, Burt has appeared in over 70 films and show no signs of slowing down. His artwork is in collections all over the world and enjoys painting practically everyday. I spoke with Burt recently just after his art show at the Nassau County Museum of Fine Art opened on Oct. 1st...

MICK: How long have you been painting?

BURT: Forever! When I was 12, I won a New York City art department contest. I did a painting about playgrounds or bicycle safety. I've painted my whole life.

MICK: Does it take you long to complete a painting?

BURT: Usually not. I'm usually pretty crazed and I'm painting all night long.

MICK: I know you use acrylic paints. Do you use any other mediums?

BURT: Yes i do! I use oils and ink. Sometimes I combine acrylic and oil.

MICK: How long have you had your art studio in Port Washington?

BURT: I've been here about 3 years now.

MICK: Do you paint when you're working on a film?

BURT: Yes, sometimes right in the hotel room. I was staying in the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia and I did a couple of splendid paintings in the bath tub!

MICK: You are an accomplished painter, actor and author. What do you like doing the best..acting, painting or writing?

BURT: It's all communication whether you're a musician or a poet, there's thread through it all. Writing makes me feel bright sometimes when I make something that makes a little sense. Acting satisfies me sensually. I get lost. When I get used to doing the work, I'm riding high day and night. Painting does the same thing. I have more control over my own elements. I'm not worried about editors or directors, it's just all of me.

MICK: Do you have more shows coming up in the near future?

BURT: I have two coming up at a galleries in Manhattan. I keep a lot of my work here in Port Washington.

MICK: I was really impressed with your paintings at your art show in the Nassau County Museum of Art. It's the first time I've seen your work in person!

BURT: Thank you Mick. Sometimes I even impress myself!

MICK: As an artist, which artists do you admire?

BURT: I like the impressionists, the fellows who invented from inside out! When you go back, you can't help but admire Michelangelo, Rembrandt. People like Renoir and Monet saw with their eyes but they told you what their stomach was feeling. I sort of get that feeling very well.

MICK: Do you have any new films lined up?

BURT: Yes, I'm just finishing a movie called "The Win Win". It's a good movie with Paul Giamatti, a wonderful guy and a wonderful actor. A top group of actors. It's for Fox.

MICK: Any more plans to work again with Sylvester Stallone?

BURT: I would love to! I was so pleased to hang out with him on "Rocky Balboa". The guy is just a force! He carries everything from producing, directing, starring. He was just unstoppable. That was 17 years after the last Rocky movie! To me, in my opinion, "Rocky Balboa" was a flop. But 17 years to come back, that was so exciting! He wrote clear and clean and he performed that way too. It was a pleasure hanging out with him on the last one.

MICK: Do you keep in contact with him?
BURT: Oh yea. Actors are funny people. We either see each other by accident or when we have an assignment. I'm not really a Hollywood guy. I hang out in the old neighborhood and with my girlfriend. I'm not too "actorish". I've never been that way.

MICK: You've worked with many directors. Do you have a favorite?
BURT: Yes, I have favorites for different reasons. Sam Peckinpah was a crazy friend of mine. I think I did four or five movies with him. Close to being a genius. Robert Aldrich is another stand up guy that carried a team with him for 20 years or so. Same editor, same cinematographer. Many many directors I appreciated. I never really had a problem. I usually just do it my way though I'm not like a bully, usually with thought and knowing. I always feel that an actor, if he does the right homework, should know more about that character than the author. I think that's my responsibility to get the premise of what the author is feeling. Hopefully, my own research will take me deeper than where the writer was going. I have to make that person honest or even dishonest.

MICK: Do you still have your restaurant in the Bronx?
BURT: We closed three years ago. Not out of necessity, the two old guys that were really the heart of it were in the 70's and they just had enough. They wanted to get out of the kitchen and years there. It was a good place and good friends there.

MICK: Are you a sports fan?
BURT: Yes! I like the Yankees. What a team! A great bunch of players from top to bottom. And you can see they're having fun too. I love boxing too.

MICK: Do you have a favorite boxer?
BURT: I've got many! My good friend is Muhammad Ali. Once, I did an exhibition and did three rounds with him. I used to move around pretty good. That's how we became friends! Mike Tyson is a friend. I feel that he just might have been the best fighter ever. He was something else. I think he was a stronger version of Jack Dempsey.

MICK: Are you a religious man?
BURT: I believe that something made us. I don't know if I listen to man's religion to much. It's like politics, Republicans or Democrats, everybody that stands on a pedestal usually has self indulgence in mind. I do believe in an overall supreme being. Look, we all have pieces of Mussolini, pieces of everybody because nothing ever leaves the atmosphere. So it may be just a touch of one atom that's in us,. We are all regurgitated and recycled. I don't think I have any memory of that,, it would be nice if I did! When I get old I will start getting more religious.

MICK: What is your favorite time of the year?
BURT: I like Christmas! I like winter. I like the elements, I like rain. I like something that gives me a challenge to get out of the house. California was pretty tepid to me. I raised my kid there but I'd rather be in New York City .

MICK: How long have you lived on Long Island?

BURT: I've lived here about three and a half years. I chased my girlfriend out here!

MICK: What are your future plans?

BURT: I have a one character play that I wrote. It's called "Artist Found In Port Washington Flats". It's a one man show and I'm trying to see if I'm full of baloney or if it has some merit for an audience. I'm just testing it's wings now!

MICK: Is this something you will be doing locally?

BURT: I will do it all over the world if it works. It's 90 minutes uninterrupted. I will keep me sharp, that's for sure!

You can see Burt Young's fantastic paintings: Friday October 1, 2010 - Saturday January 15, 2011 from 11:00am - 4:45pm

Nassau County Museum of Fine Art

One Museum Drive
Roslyn Harbor, New York 11576

516.484.9338

www.burtyoungartandfilm.com

Tommy James comes to Westbury!

He is a living legend. His name is synonymous with hit songs from the late 1960s. In 1968-69, Tommy James and the Shondells sold more singles records (45's) than any artist in the world including the Beatles. His life has been one great roller coaster ride as he details in his new best selling book "Me, the Mob and the Music" . Today, Tommy James's star continues to blaze a celestral trail across the musical sky and will shine even brighter in the very near future! I had a real nice conversation with Tommy this week when he called me from his New Jersey home...

MICK: Your new book came out in February of this year. How is it doing so far?
TOMMY: It's doing great! It's in its sixth printing and I am frankly amazed at the response to this from the media and the fans. I've never been an author before so, this is really amazing to me. It's being turned into a movie and a Broadway show! I am flabbergasted by the whole thing!

MICK: How's that going with the play and the movie?
TOMMY: We are right on schedule. It's going to be brought to Broadway through the Nederlander family who owns 9 Broadway theaters and about 1000 theaters throughout the country. They are one of the oldest theatrical families. I just flipped out when I heard they were producing the show themselves. The Broadway show and the movie are being developed simultaneous. My guess is that the play will be out just ahead of the movie because of the time involved in each project. The movie is being produced by Barry Rosen and Mary Gleason. We will be making an announcement very shortly about the directors as we are talking to three directors right now.

MICK: Do you have anybody in mind that you would like to play you in the film?
TOMMY: Yes, I get asked this a lot. There's probably going to be two actors needed because of the amount of time involved. One of the actors being seriously looked at as the older Tommy James is Val Kilmer. He is a great actor and a good friend. He did a great job a few years ago as Jim Morrison. I'd be very honored for him to do it.

MICK: This is all very thrilling to say the least!
TOMMY: This is a project that's been a long time in the works. It was very therapeutic to get this out of my system. I've been wanting to tell this story for many years now. The book is called 'Me, The Mob and the Music" and it's really an autobiography with about two thirds of it devoted to my crazy, tumultuous and very dangerous at times relationship with Roulette Records. The reason why it was so dangerous was because Roulette Records, in addition to being a functioning record company (and a good one), was also a front for the Genovese crime family in New York. Of course none of us knew that at the time. We found out incrementally. It's quite a story. We started this project eight years ago, Martin Fitzpatrick and I. We were going to call it "Crimson and Clover" and we were going to write a nice music book abouts hits and writing songs. After we got about a third of the way into it, we realized that if didn't tell the whole Roulette story which really was the story, that we were cheating ourselves and everybody else. I was very uncomfortable writing it back then because some of these guys walking around. So we put it on the shelf for a couple years and got involved with other things. Finally, when the last of the Roulette regulars passed away, I felt is was safe to finish the book. It took us three more years to finish entirely and we got the deal from Simon and Schuster, which was very flattering as they are usually doing Presidential memoirs and things like that. Almost immediately after that came offers for the movie. The third thing was the Broadway show. I am very thankful for the response from the public and the media.

MICK: Are you still involved with the Democratic Party?
TOMMY: No, that was 1968 you are talking about. We were out on the road for almost the entire Presidential campaign with Hubert Humphrey. That was quite an experience. He [Humphrey} ended up doing the liner notes for the Crimson and Clover album! A lot happened out on that campaign that had to do with the music business. When we went out on the Humphrey campaign in August of 1968, it was all singles acts on the radio. There was us, the Rascals, The Association, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, etc... When we got back 90 days later, it was all albums! There was Blood Sweat and Tears, Led Zeppelin, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker. The whole industry had turned upside down! This was as a result of the "Sgt Pepper" album a few months before that made so much money for Capital Records. All of the record companies suddenly went for albums. We knew that if we were to continue, it would have to be albums and that was something Roulette had never done. They weren't an album label and we weren't either! We were basically a creation of top 40 radio. So we knew we were going to have to produce or own product, write our own songs completely, do album design and all the rest. Thankfully, we were working on a tune called "Crimson and Clover". That record allowed us to make the jump from AM top 40 singles to FM progressive album rock. I don't think there was another single that we worked on that would have done that in one shot. So that happened on the Humphrey campaign and he got involved in the album and doing the liner notes!

MICK: Are there any more plans to record again with the original Shondells? I know you did reunite once in 2007.
TOMMY: Yes, we did the last track on our Christmas album! The touring group I've been playing with now have been together for 25 years. I feel like Captain Kirk with two generations of Shondells! The original Shondells are from Pittsburgh so we are back in the studio doing music for the movie! We will probably do an album. The first track we did is going to be used in the closing credits for the movie. It's a very new, kind of different version of "I Think We're Alone Now". It's done acoustically with no drums, very surreal and slow. Totally different from the original record. The last scene in the movie is when Morris Levy dies, the head of the record company. "I Think We're Alone Now" completely changes the meaning of the lyrics in the film.

MICK: Do you still enjoy touring?
TOMMY: Oh yeah! We are out on the road probably eight months out of the year. If anybody would like to come to our website tommyjames.com, you can see where we are. We are winding things down now this year. Right now, we are doing the book tour which is basically going out to selected cities and talking bout the book in bookstores and so forth. At the same time we are doing the music dates so it's been a very hectic year. The next couple of years are going to be even more hectic.

MICK: Out of all your songs, do you have a favorite?
TOMMY: A lot of the hits probably. I think I'd have to say "Crystal Blue Persuasion". That is probably my favorite out of all the hits we've had. There's lots of other songs that were on albums that I really love but of the singles, I'd have to say "Crystal
Blue Persuasion". It was one of the hardest records we ever made. It doesn't sound like it but it was. When we went into the studio, it was that magic summer of 1969. It went number one right around the weekend of Woodstock. It's deeply ingrained in my mind. What happened was we went into the studio and completely over produced it. We had a full set of drums, three guitars, etc... The production smothered the song. When we got done with it, we said "this isn't the song that we wrote". So we started taking things out. Over the next four to five weeks, we unproduced the record by pulling things out. When we were done, we had a bongo drum, a conga, a flamenco guitar and an organ. That was it! That became "Crystal Blue Persuasion". I know that if we left it the original way, it wouldn't have fit. Plus, the song was all about us becoming Christians at that time.
There was no talk of being politically correct at that time because the phrase did not exist! Each song we did was sort of snap shots of where we were at that time.

MICK: Do you have any new music coming out soon?
TOMMY: Yes we do as a matter of fact! We have just released, first in Europe and imported here, the latest studio album called "Hold The Fire" and that includes our DVD in one package. Two discs in one package. We have our own label
We just put together a beautiful international deal together. we are also releasing here on our label in the United States which is independently distributed. We also have our 40 year package out which is all of the singles from 1966 through 2006. It's 40 years of consecutive singles. Our last album "Hold The Fire" had three top five adult contemporary hits. One of them actually went to number one called "Love Words", forty years to the week that "Hanky Panky" went to number one. I really feel like a complete circle has been made!
I didn't mean to get heavily into the music, I wanted to tell you the Roulette story which is a totally true story. We weren't able to tell it until now. Virtually none of the fans knew what Roulette was. Our first hit record was "Hanky Panky" and it sort of exploded out of Pittsburgh as a bootleg two years after we made the original record. When we first came to New York, we were thrilled because we got a yes from everybody. Got a yes from Columbia, got a yes from Epic, RCA, Atlantic, Kama Sutra Records. The last place we took the record to was Roulette. We weren't expecting much from them and didn't know much about them. The next morning, the phone started ringing at the hotel we were staying at in midtown Manhattan. One by one, all of the record labels that had said yes the day before suddenly said they would have to pass. I said "What do you mean? I thought we had a deal!" Jerry Wexler at Atlantic leveled with us. He told us that Morris Levy, the head of Roulette Records, had called all of the record companies and scared them off. He said "This is my record! Back off!!" They did! So we apparently were going to be with Roulette Records. Gradually we learned who we were dealing with. The head of the Genovese family was Tommy Eboli, who was Morris Levy's partner. He was up in Morris's office all the time. Roulette was used for everything from a social club to illegal bank accounts, money laundering and God knows what else was going on. There were some very scary moments up there. But I'll tell you one thing, they actually needed us. If we had gone to one of the corporate labels, like Columbia or RCA, especially with a record like "Hanky Panky", we would have been handed to an in house producer and got lost in the numbers. We would have been a one hit wonder. Roulette hadn't had a hit in about three years so they gave us everything we wanted except royalty money. Getting paid was impossible. We were making money from other directions like BMI, the road, commercials. We were going to be making mechanical royalties. That's the way is was at Roulette. It was like making a deal with the devil...do we interrupt all of the success and take them to court and place our lives in their hands or do we just go along. We decided to go along. But I will say this...the fact that we didn't go to a corporate label and went to Roulette, from a creative standpoint was the best thing we could have done. They left us alone and allowed us to morph into whatever we could become. There's no way we would have got an education like that with any other record company. It was a real trade off there and I feel we made the right decision.

MICK: When you were with Roulette, Morris Levy kept all of your gold records in his office. Do you have them all now?
TOMMY: Yes I do!! I had to steal them off his wall, that's how cheap he was. That is a true story.

MICK: Is organized crime still involved in the music industry that you know of?
TOMMY: Roulette was kind of the ground zero for all that stuff. It's not like it used to be. It's like Las Vegas, mobsters aren't really running it anymore. They were involved heavily in all aspects of the entertainment business. Roulette was financed and put together by Morris and his buddies. There were several other labels that were heavily involved with mob stuff. There's not nearly as much today as there once was.

MICK: Who do you listen to now?
TOMMY: I listen to a lot of smooth jazz to be perfectly honest! I don't listen to a lot of rock and roll anymore although I love to play rock and roll. For example, I will listen to Lady Gaga. She's made some great records! The problem today is radio. Chart active radio doesn't exist anymore. There's never been more hunger for music but there's almost no way, other tan the internet, to get new music in front of the fans. The problem is there's so many more fans than there are ways on the internet to do it. It's almost by chance that you hear something new that you like. Although that's growing, it certainly has not taken the place of what used to be normal radio and retail. That's changing but not as fast as it would have needed to save the industry. It's a brave new world we are into! I feel that once high definition TV is really a part of our life, which is the combination of computer technology and television technology, the whole industry will turn to television or what's left of it. Not like MTV; there will probably be a Sony channel, a Warner channel. Your TV will be like your Ipod. We will probably have video radio, networks of them. Trade papers will come back online and on TV. There will probably be charts based on the music you download on television.

MICK: This is a question I usually ask songwriters. For you, what comes first..the words or the music?

TOMMY: I've actually done it both ways. A lot of times I will see a title, something that just catches my eye. I've taken titles off of matchbook covers! "Mony Mony" was a sign Mutual Of New York! That's true! Sometime I'll come up with a riff on guitar that I like, three, four chords that I really like to repeat over and over. It gets into my mind and I will write the lyrics around the music, winding the song around the music. All of my methods have changed. You have to do it when you are really awake. There's a window for me from about 10am until around 2pm when I'm really alive and awake. When I start writing, the song tells me where it wants to go. You sort of get like that when you write a lot by yourself. If you have to think too hard, chances are when you play it for somebody, it's going to come out like a grind. Sometimes a beautiful thought will evoke a song. I have to be perceptive all the time because you never know when that next song is going to hit you!

MICK: Do you still live in New York?

TOMMY: I live in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. I lived in New York for almost ten years. I needed a squirrel and trees real bad. Here, you are close enough to New York where you can kind of treat it like a theme park and far enough away to have a squirrel in your yard! I' m close to the airports.

MICK: Are there any musicians you would like to work with or collaborate with?

TOMMY: There's lots of people I'd love to work with. I spend a lot of time with my players. We are very tight musically and personally. I love writing with my guys. One of the fellows, Jimmy Wizner, has been with me since 'I Think We're Alone Now" as an arranger. He's also a great producer and orchestrator. I'm still making music with the original Shondells! I dig meeting new people and making music with them because it takes you to another place. I'm a big experimenter. I love putting jazz in pop! Over the last few years. I've become very bored with the normal rock and roll chords on guitar. It's hard to explain. So many songs have been written on the same chord. I start sticking in a jazz chord or an inverted chord, chords and grooves I've never used before. I love playing around with drum machines. You constantly have to update yourself.

MICK: Do you still get lots of fan mail?

TOMMY: Yes I do! A lot of it is email now. The website is so great for communicating with people worldwide. It's just as easy now to have fans in Germany as it is to have fans in California! The book is being released overseas. The sales over there are astounding just off of Amazon alone!

MICK: Do you have any regrets?

TOMMY: Lots of them! I wrote about a lot of them in the book. One of the things about writing an autobiography is that you have to tell on yourself or it boring real quick. I would have loved to have had a bigger family. But you can only be in one place at a time. I would have liked to have spent more time with my son. I would have been a much better business man if I could do it over again. We were kind of floundering from one record to the next. But with all the craziness that went on, we ended up with 23 gold singles and around 110 million records sold. The good Lord has been very good to me in spite of a lot of failings and things I'm not proud of. I am very thankful!

You can see Tommy James and the Shondells on Saturday, Oct. 16th at the Capital One Theater at Westbury, Long Island, NY. Showtime is 8pm.

Learn more about Tommy at https://www.tommyjames.com/

'Me, The Mob and The Music" can be bought on Amazon, Tommy's website or most book stores. It is truly a great book that will keep you spellbound!