28th
& 29th June, 2008
New concerts announced!
Click HERE for details.
July autograph signing
event.
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Photo by Dan Chapman ©2001
Stanyan Entertainment Group
A Thought for Today
Love is the bed you imagine others lie
in, when you find yourself alone.
TO BEGIN WITH
Sinatra, Dolly Parton and the loss of George Carlin are among the topics
covered in this mail this week. Hard to believe that in a couple of days
we’ll be closing out the month of June, relegating the first half of
2008 to the history books.
Time doesn’t walk these days, it runs like hell.
.ASK
ROD
GEORGE CARLIN
Dear Rod, I thought of you this past week when I heard that George
Carlin had passed away. I remembered when the two of you had a TV series
together so I’m really sorry for your loss. Roseanne Wiley, Omaha
Nebraska
Dear Roseanne, The death of George Carlin is everyone’s loss. He was one
of the good guys and his use of American idioms and language was
inspiring. Seinfeld had a moving tribute to George last week in the Los
Angeles Times and the actor and comedian Richard Beltzer spoke with
great affection of him a few nights ago on Letterman.
Beltzer was on the show to plug a new HBO Special but used his allotted
time to praise Carlin’s work and generosity; which was in itself a
generous act by the talented Beltzer who has parlayed his own unusual
voice and dry wit into a long running role on Law & Order.
In the good old days of variety television George and I were part of a
team (that included Richard Pryor and John Davidson) producer Bob Banner
put together as a summer replacement for The Kraft Music Hall. We were
kind of like a family and despite the pressure of doing a new show each
week from scratch we had good times and a mutual respect for each
other’s work. One of the more interesting aspects of working so closely
with Pryor and Carlin was the chance to watch each of them as they
developed their unique styles.
This was TV presented during The Family Hour and both Richard and George
were able to tailor their ‘push the envelope’ styles accordingly. Carlin
and Pryor were fun and easy to hang out with and it was a terrific time
to be young and on the way up in Hollywood.
While waiting around the set George and I would play a game he called
“Let’s Pretend.” Let’s pretend we’re Hope & Crosby on ‘The Road to
Nowhere’ or Let’s pretend we’re two deep-sea divers without a clue and
no spears or Let’s pretend it’s Inauguration Day and we’re the two
losing candidates for president and vice watching the winners being
sworn in. Gags a-plenty, some good, some awful, would come out of such
made-up situations. We even talked about writing the script for a flick,
but never did.
The last time I saw George was in the parking lot of a now defunct
record store. We exchanged numbers and promised to stay closer in touch,
but in a busy business where careers usually take place over pleasure
neither of us made that first call. He did leave me with a final Let’s
Pretend: Let’s pretend we’re hosts on QVC and can’t stand the product
we’re pushing. Beltzer told Letterman that George had wanted his epitaph
to read, “he was around here someplace a few minutes ago.”
ROSES, ROADS AND TRAINS
Dear Rod: Some time in 1967 or 1968 a neighbor let me hear The Sea & The
Earth albums. I was hooked and fell in love with all your books and
albums. “Momma said it’s just a road, but she knew….” The freeway cut my
Uncles farm and you so nailed it with that poem true to form. I lived
all those words because I spent so much of my summer time there in my
youth. My girlfriend and I saw you 2 or 3 times in Mpls. Minn. Each time
I would cut a fresh rose from my father’s garden and she would carry it
down and hand it up to you during the concert. It was a very small gift
of thanks, to give you…. for your music that so stamped me indelibly and
softly and for your words that created such vivid pictures in my minds
eye and spoke to my heart. I am grateful for your gift and to have had
this opportunity to say….. Thank You.
Did you ever get to see Frank Sinatra’s model train lay out in his
basement?
Please, Just once more, come back to Mpls. Bring your 2 wooden stools,
your poems and songs and do one more show. Joseph Vanda
Dear Joseph, Thanks for the memories of "The Day They Built the Road" and
for the tale of the single rose. No doubt about it, my friends and fans
around the world are a gentle and thoughtful bunch –– and even a tad
romantic.
I spent many a happy and nearly always wet midnight till dawn playing
trains with Frank. He had a super set with endless tracks. It wasn’t in
the basement but on the main floor of the compound. It started off in
one room but his “set” finally grew large enough to take up two and a
half rooms. Ordering a drink was fun because one of his slow freights
would wind its way to the bar and a flatcar would bring the drink back.
Over the years whenever my tours took me to exotic places I always
looked for an engine or railcar to add to his already remarkable
collection. One of my proudest moments was finding a replica of The
Orient Express in Paris and I picked it up one year for his birthday.
Sinatra was a good friend, always there for so many people. I'll always
be grateful that he was there for me when I needed his friendship or
council and I hope he felt the same about me and mine.
What a pleasure it is these days to be able to use a Sinatra stamp on
all my snail mail. I think Frank would be very proud of the way Tina,
Nancy and Frank Jr. continue to keep his life and legacy in the
spotlight.
As to appearing in Minnesota again, I remain tanned and ready. As you
know over the years I’ve played the Minneapolis/St. Paul area often.
I’ve also written extensively about your city, most notably in “Moment
to Moment.”
All My Best to you and yours. Sincerely, Rod
PS: Speaking of trains, here’s a pic our Webmaster Ken Blackie took
while on vacation in Cape Town recently. This engine resides in a local
museum there. Sad that train travel has been relegated to museum status.
I loved train travel and still do.
HIT ‘EM IN THE HEAD WITH LOVE
I am looking for a copy of your poem that contains the line: “the next
time somebody knocks me down, I’m going to get back up and hit them in
the head with love” Can you please tell me where I can find that poem?
Thank you. Jan
Dear Jan, You’re speaking about a song rather than a poem. I wrote Hit
‘Em In The Head With Love as part of my first album of original songs
for Warner Bros. Records. The LP titled “New Ballads was released in
1970. Other songs in the collection included Rock Gently, As I Love My
Own, I’m Not Afraid and Philadelphia. Here are the words to ‘Hit ‘Em.’
HIT ‘EM IN THE HEAD WITH LOVE
Some towns have so many islands
you need a boat to go from block to block
and since the sand goes on getting deeper
I’m building my home upon a rock.
And the next time somebody comes along
and knocks me down I’m gonna get up
and Hit ‘Em In The Head With Love.
I know some people who ain’t much for action
they’d rather sit around and merely talk.
But talk is cheap the days are gettin’ shorter
so I’m buildin’ my home upon a rock.
And the next time somebody comes along
and knocks me down I’m gonna get up
and Hit ‘Em In The Head With Love.
I got a bed full of feathers
a hole or two in nearly every sock.
But I don’t owe nobody nothin’
so I’m building my home upon a rock.
And the next time somebody comes along
and knocks me down I’m gonna get up
and Hit ‘Em In The Head With Love.
I’m crazy for crossword puzzles
so I got my dictionary out of hock
and since the nights are gettin’ longer and longer
I buildin’ my home upon a rock.
And the next time somebody comes along
to knock me down I’m gonna get up
and Hit ‘Em In The Head With Love.
Words & music by Rod McKuen
© 1969, 1970 by Rod McKuen & The Stanyan Music Group Copyright renewed.
All My Best to you Jan. Warmly, Rod.
DOLLY PARTON
Dear Mr. McKuen, Allow me to start by saying how much of a fan of your
work I am. You have been such a huge inspiration in my life. I follow
your writings with great enthusiasm.
I believe you appeared on the Dolly Parton show some years ago (A show
that I very much enjoyed!), You sang a duet with Dolly but I have been
unable to find out the name of the song. From what I can remember Dolly
sang the line "Feelings, nothing more than feelings. Trying to forget my
feelings of love" I was wondering if you could perhaps better inform me
on a title and is it available on CD? I recently lost my very best
friend and though her funeral has passed I would very much like to play
this song in memory of her. I hope it is also not too bold of me to ask
for an autographed picture of you as I have just finished converting one
of my spare rooms into a music room and would very much appreciate an
inspiration such as yourself to have a place there. I am 23 years old
and am an avid fan of country music and poetry. Many thanks. Yours
Sincerely, David Jackson, North Yorkshire, England
Dear David, Thanks for the nice words. My condolences on the loss of
your friend.
Dolly and I did several duets when I appeared on her series but the song
you are referring to is Morris Albert’s “Feelings.” A new 2 DVD set
featuring half a dozen of Dolly’s best shows has just been released and
I’m happy that the producers of the discs selected the one where I
guested with Dolly as one of the six. Other entertainers featured on the
DVD’s include The Everly Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, Kenny Rogers, Anne
Murray, Linda Ronstadt and Emmy Lou Harris. You can order it from
Stanyanhouse.com
Last year I had the pleasure of presenting The Johnny Mercer award to
Dolly Parton at the annual Songwriter’s Hall of Fame dinner in New York.
I’ll be writing over the summer about that event and experience on The
Flight Plan and showing off some of the photos that were taken during
the evening. Meanwhile I hope it’s enough to say that I’m a big C&W fan
too and one who loves the indelible, incredible Dolly. One more thing
David, you haven’t lived until DP looks deep into your eyes while
singing I Will Always Love You.
Warmest Regards, Rod.
UNITED AS ONE
Dear Mr. McKuen: I have a friend who has been trying to find a copy of
the above poem. Please let me know where he can find a copy, or if one
is available on the web. Thanks, Ruth Anne Blumenstein
Dear Ruth Anne, Wish I could help with your query but I haven't written
a poem by that title. Perhaps your friend has the title or the author
wrong. Thanks for writing and warmest regards. Rod
MAC ARTHUR PARK
Rod: Just wondering if you could tell me if you wrote “MacArthur’s Park”
and if so what the lyrics represent? Thanks, Patti Davis
Dear Patti, My friend the great Jimmy Webb wrote McArthur Park and I’ve
always felt the lyrics were pretty easy to understand, still it would be
pretty presumptuous of me to offer an explanation of another man’s song.
For the lyrics to McArthur Park and everything Jimmy check out his
Website:
http://www.jimmywebb.com/
All My Best, Rod
RM 6/26/08
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