ASK ROD

1) What does the little shoe symbol mean and where did it come from?
2) Can I get a tattoo of it?
3) Will you ever do a tour so that your younger fans have a chance to see you perform?
4) Did you write the first version of ‘Port of Amsterdam’?
5) Did David Bowie ask you permission before he made his version of 'Port of Amsterdam'?
One of my favorite memories of listening to your music is my boyfriend singing Joanna to me. Thank you for your work. A devoted fan, Joanna.

Dear Joanna, Thanks for all the nice compliments and of course the nicest one of all is that you’re nineteen. I love the idea of spanning a couple of generations. Thank God for parents, grandparents and CD reissues. The Japanese import of "Joanna" is finally available in this country at Stanyan. As to your questions, WHEW!

1. The Crossed Sneakers are sort of a life long logo. I live in sneakers. Lots of questions about them lately and the downloadable font designed by P22 Type Factory as a special feature of the Beatsville CD even includes that logo.

2. Guess if you wanted the sneakers as a tattoo you could download it from the Daddy-O Beatsville font, take it to your local tattoo parlor and have him get out his needles.Ouch! Do you need a tattoo? My nephew Joey teed me off by getting the Safe Place To Land Logo tattooed on his butt & I’ve had other letters about people doing the same. Am I missing something here? Incidentally, the famous jeweler OTTE who is designing the logo "c" as a pendant has talked about licensing the sneaker too. I suppose if enough people wanted it Edward would let Otte have that one too.

3. I’m dying to tour again, still need to find a manager, agent or booker to arrange a tour or set it up. More about this question in an Ask Rod later the month. But it’s pretty safe to say that if John Laws, Stargirl, Johan Grobbelaar or Jill Bonny have anything to say about it that tour will begin in Australia & New Zealand & then head off to Ken’s favorite haunts in Africa before Europe and finally the USA.

4. "Amsterdam" was written by the great Belgium Chansonier [singer-songwriter] Jacques Brel. He and I have a long history of collaboration, translation and adaptation. Songs we’ve done  together include If You Go Away, Seasons In The Sun and I’m Not Afraid.

5. I like David Bowie and his version a lot, but it was not approved by Jacques and he asked me to do another. I call mine "The Port of Amsterdam."

Thanks again, Joanna, ‘you fill my heart with hope . . . your smile’s like Cinemascope.’

IN THE DAYS WHEN WE WERE ALL NUTSO WIDE-EYED RADICALS

Rod, I doubt if you remember me, but you were my first publisher. We met at the"Stanyan St. Music" offices at, I think, Vine and Yucca. I believe that Alex Hassilev, Perry Botkin and possibly George Tipton were there. Stanyan closed shortly thereafter and I went with Alex, "Tamara Music" and Warner Brothers. It was a great pleasure to hear you on the George Putnam birthday show.

I am still writing, but now, operas, oratorios and Music Theater. Then, 1966, I was a nutso wild-eyed radical. I will now explore your site. I invite you to "www.yangna.org", our site. Yang-na was the original Tongva/Shoshonean name for Los Angeles. Happy trails and sleep warm, Peter Boyd.

Dear Peter, I do remember, with great affection, those days when Stanyan Music was just getting started. And I think of you and Ivan Ultz in particular as being two of the most creative writers I met during the 1960’s.

In those days Glenn Yarbrough, Jimmie Rodgers and The Kingston Trio were the chief interpreters of my songs and I used to shop around the works of all the talented young songwriters I knew hoping all of us could have a healthy influence on music. Hated to lose you to Alex, but my own career started taking off to the point where I could no longer chase after artists entreating them to do my songs or anybody else’s.

Writers and artists like yourself take lots of care and feeding, unfortunately a small company like Stanyan found it impossible to break new artists, which is why we ended up concentrating on my works and established but neglected artists like Dinah Shore, Mercer, Stafford, Garland, Dietrich etc. As for new writers, most of the singer-songwriters of the day wrote and published their own songs. Nobody at Stanyan, including me, understood much of the music of the eighties. And Wade Alexander, my chief collaborator as a producer, left for greener pastures when some of his best work with Chris Connor, Sylvia Syms, Dinah Shore & Vera Lynn were denied space in record stores in favor of the latest Rock, Rap or Heavy Metal wonder.

Great to hear about the direction you’ve taken recently & I wholeheartedly recommend your site. I checked it out and liked it very much. Hang in there, you’re a great talent. Your old friend, Rod.

NO COLLABORATIONS AT THIS TIME

Rod, A certain woman [note name withheld] drops your name a lot on rec.arts.poems. Could you please tell me what the relationship is between you and her? Having seen samples of the poetry written by each of you, I cannot imagine a joint effort. Perhaps you can find time to post directly to rec.arts.poems and let us all know at the same time what is going on. Yours in enjoyment as always, Rex

Rod, I hear you are doing collaboration with a woman who writes poetry. When will this book be out and what is it called? Nancy Willis.

Dear Rod, Earlier in the year I found a web page with you and a young woman’s poems that formed a sort of story. Is this going to be a book and when will it be published? Anne Renking.

Dear Rex, Nancy & Anne; While I’ve had lots of collaborators on songs, I wouldn’t consider writing poems with anyone. A poem is such a private thing and even my ‘muse’ keeps such irregular hours that if I sat around waiting for her to arrive I’d go crazy. I write alone and that’s hard enough. From time to time rumors arise that have no foundation. This is one of them.

POETRY & PASSION

Rod - how do I begin to tell you how happy I am to see and hear from you again? I was introduced to your work (The Sea) by an 11th grade literature teacher and you've been with me ever since. A couple of years ago I went through a divorce and have since re-fallen in love with a wonderful lady. I send her at least three poems ever day and have for over a year. There's some real crap out there on this wonderful medium and it was with joy and relief to see your new page spring up. My lady friend sometimes doesn't comment on some of the poetry I send her, but yours always, without fail, elicits a positive response. I want to spend my remaining years with this woman and your words have always said what I feel but couldn't seem to find.

Thank you for coming "back" Mr. McKuen...without even knowing it you may help this guy persuade his perceived soulmate into joining him for a joyful lifetime together. Looking forward with great anticipation to your forthcoming book. Sincerely, Dave Calhoun.

Dear Dave, Thanks. Glad to know poetry works for your romance. Don’t dare use it for mine. It’s bad enough when I kiss and tell after a love gone wrong by writing a not so thinly disguised report.

Don’t sell poetry on the net short, I’ve come across some good things when I’ve had time to play in cyberspace. And with sites dedicated to the works of Auden, Whitman, Millay, e. e. cummings and Plath among others coming on line every day, there’s lots for all of us to learn and be inspired by out there.

Hang in there on that romance, Dave, it’s nice not to have to envy guys like you any more. Ain’t love grand!!!

This Day In History

Today is the birthday of quite possibly the greatest female singer ever to inhale air and exhale song, Jo Stafford. In a four-decade plus career she had more number one hit singles than any singer in history including Sinatra and Crosby. Her influence has spread from folk, jazz and opera divas to pop singers of several generations. And, many an instrumentalist has learned to breath and phrase from her. I’ve written about Jo extensively in my "Songs That Won The War" series and every other place I’ve had a chance to shout her praise.

Once when someone asked me what I considered a perfect day I replied "Any day that I can turn someone on to the voice of Jo Stafford and/or the songs of Johnny Mercer." I’ll stand by that. More about Jo soon and expect more of her great recordings from the Stanyan Works.

"Have a gooder" as my Canadian friend Bill Learning would say.

                                              - RM 11/11/98

FOR JO ON HER BIRTHDAY

                                - Rod McKuen 11/12/98