ChuckKelley's blog

LuxuriaMusic to Beatles: “Got to Get You Out of My Life” on Dec. 8

2008-12-01T16:02:59-08:00

Internet Radio Station Stages Annual Salute Number 9, Number 9…

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.–In observance of the 28th anniversary of John Lennon's death, Internet radio station LuxuriaMusic (www.LuxuriaMusic.com) will celebrate the music of the Beatles in its own quirky way on Monday, December 8: by not playing one single Beatles performance. Instead, LuxuriaMusic DJs will dig deep into their CD and vinyl vaults to spin a solid 24 hours of artists--from the sublime to the psychotic--covering Beatles songs. This marks the station’s ninth annual observation of Beatles Day.

Fans of the Fab Four will want to visit www.LuxuriaMusic.com to hear artists such as Ramsey Lewis, the Ventures, the Beach Boys, Enoch Light, Bud Shank, the Hollyridge Strings and Vinnie Bell interpreting Beatles classics. Beatles non-believers can tune in to “enjoy” artists such as Pinky & Perky, Homer & Jethro and choruses of canines and out-of-tune children butchering the Beatles much like the band did to dolls on the original cover of its Yesterday and Today album.

“All of us at LuxuriaMusic genuinely love the Beatles,” says station manager Chuck Kelley. “But really, pop culture is still so saturated with Beatles music on oldies radio, television and commercials that you don’t really have to sit down and listen to them anymore - you can just hear them in your head and you’re satisfied. So one of the few steadfast rules at LuxuriaMusic is DON’T PLAY THE BEATLES. There’s no reason to when there are so many other great under-appreciated artists to play. That said, we still love ’em and we want to celebrate their music in our own special way. The way we do that is by playing idiotic moog synthesizer versions of ‘Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds,’ wordless-vocal covers of ‘Yesterday’ and then also the unquestionably great non-ironic ‘covers’ that exist out there. It’ll be fun for both the DJ and the listener, I promise!”

The complete DJ schedule for LuxuriaMusic’s December 8 Beatles Day No. 9:

12-2 AM: Chuck Kelley
2 - 3 AM: Dennis Kelley
3 - 6 AM: Luxotron
6 - 7 AM: John T
8 – 9 AM: Derrick Bostrom
9 – 10 AM: Il Facile Duo
10 - Noon: Luxotron
Noon - 1 PM: Vic Tripp
3 – 5 PM: Kristian Hoffman
5 - 6 PM: Andrew Sandoval
6 - 7 PM: Switched-On Audrey
7 - 8 PM: Strike
8 - 9 PM: Agent Kari
9 - 10 PM: Howie Pyro
10 - 11 PM: Sheryl Farber
11 PM - Mid: Jim Lespesa

Ennio Morricone Tribute Week on LuxuriaMusic

2008-11-05T09:33:37-08:00

Ennio Morricone, the highly respected and influencial Italian film composer will celebrate his 80th birthday this Monday, November 10. The award winning “Maestro” who has written distinctive film scores for such films as Once Upon A Time In The West, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, Duck You Sucker, The Thing, The Mission and many others. He will soon be able to boast of another milestone - a week long tribute by LuxuriaMusic.com - arguably the world wide web's best radio station.

From Saturday November 8 to Saturday November 15, LuxuriaMusic will pay tribute to Morricone by adding mucho Morricone to the stations playlist rotation. In addition, many of LuxuriaMusic’s DJ’s will either be paying tribute by either playing brief sets or entire shows featuring music from Morricone’s extensive body of work.

Here’s a guide to some of the shows on LuxuriaMusic that will be airing Morricone tributes :

Saturday November 8, 11 AM - Noon*: Thrifting For Tunes Morricone Special #1. (To be repeated on Monday November 10 at 11 AM).

Sunday, November 9 from 2 - 4 PM*: Switched On Audrey will play selections from her all-time favorite Mondo Mod Morricone score, Danger Diabolik.

Tuesday, 6 - 9 PM*, fellow film composer and Nov 10 b-day boy, Ron Sures will devote a full three hours to Morricone. After that, tune into Howie Pyro’s show, Intoxica, for more mondo Morricone madness!

Wednesday, November 12, 6-7 PM*, Angel Baby and Doctor Nod get “Between The Sheets” with Ennio.

Friday, November 15, from 5 - 7 PM, On the KAOS-A-GO GO Show, Agent Kari will bust out some of the grooviest and most MOD Morricone dancefloor tracks. Get ready to shake your hips and move your feet!

Saturday November 15, 11 AM - Noon* - Thrifting For Tunes Morricone Special #2.

Saturday November 15, Noon - 1 PM - EasItaly Morricone Special.

*All times are Pacific Standard Time.

The entire staff of LuxuriaMusic.com would like to wish Mr. Morricone a very happy 80th Birthday.

Earl Palmer Tribute to repeat this week.

2008-09-23T18:27:51-07:00

Due to popular demand, the Earl Palmer Tribute Show will be repeated twice this week.
Date and times are as follows:
Wednesday, October 1 from 4-6 PM
Sunday, October 5 at 9 PM.
* All times are Pacific Standard Time.

This Friday, September 26, from 3 - 5 PM (PST) on LuxuriaMusic.com, I will celebrate the life and career of session drummer Earl Palmer. He died last week at the age of 84.

Mr. Palmer grew up in New Orleans and as a child he performed as a tap dancer in Vaudeville shows. And it was there on the Vaudeville stage that his keen sense of rhythm took root.

Fresh from a stint in the US Army during World War 2, Palmer began playing drums at the ripe old age of 24. A jazz drummer at heart, he soon found himself playing alongside pioneering New Orleans based r&b and rock & roll musicians like Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino (I’m Walkin’, My Blue Heaven), and Little Richard (Tutti Frutti, The Girl Can’t Help It, Lucille).

In the mid-50’s Mr. Palmer moved to Southern California to escape the racial tension of the American South. He also moved there in order to further his career as a musician. He quickly found work beating the skins on early rock and roll classics like Rick Nelson’s cover of I’m Walkin’, Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues, La Bamba by Richie Valens and You Send Me by Sam Cooke, among hundreds of other sessions.

ABOVE: A Mystic Moods Orchestra session. Earl's back in to the camera.

ABOVE: Earl Palmer with Percy Faith

It wasn’t long before his talent and musical education made him the ideal choice for film and television composers like Henry Mancini, Lalo Schifrin, Neil Hefti, Michel Legrand, Vic Mizzy, Stu Phillips & Quincy Jones. From the late 50’s to the early 1970’s, Palmer was one of the most prolific session drummers working in Los Angeles. He played drums at recording sessions for such artists as Sam Cooke, Phil Spector, Sonny & Cher, The Righteous Bros, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Neil Young, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Randy Newman, Tom Waits, and Andy Williams....to name a few. Maybe you’ve heard of the other more famous session drummer, Hal Blaine? Earl gave him his first break in studio work.

In 2006, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Palmer for a documentary film about Los Angeles based session musicians. Though at the time he was suffering from declining health, (he’d even been in an auto accident the night before!), he was a true professional. He was everything I hoped he would be - a very sweet, funny and gracious man, who emanated inner strength and integrity.

I'll miss sharing this planet with him, but I'm happy that he's no longer suffering.

Rest In Peace, Earl.

Earl & Jeline Palmer in 2006.

Below is a sampling of some of the recordings you’ll hear during Friday’s tribute set:

Ike and Tina Turner - River Deep-Mountain High
The Beach Boys - Please Let Me Wonder
Hugo Montenegro - I Dream Of Jeannie theme
Nino Tempo & April Stevens - Deep Purple
H.B. Barnum - Golden Boy
Lalo Schifrin- Mission Impossible theme
David McCallum - House Of Mirrors
David Axelrod - Song Of Innocence
Frank DeVol - The Brady Bunch theme
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
Quincy Jones - Happy Feet
Neal Hefti - Batman Theme
The Ronettes - Born To Be Together
B. Bumble & The Stingers - Nut Rocker
Fats Domino - I Hear You Knockin’
The Mystic Moods Orchestra - The Look Of Love
H.B. Barnum - Calypso Blues

See you all Friday afternoon.

Chuck Kelley

From the LuxuriaMusic Archives - BACKBEAT: Earl Palmer's Story

2008-09-23T07:02:49-07:00

Session Drummer Earl Palmer passed away on Friday at the the age of 84. Culled from the LuxuriaMusic archives, this is Guy Benoit's review of Mr. Palmer's autobiography, "Backbeat - Earl Palmer's Story," that we first published back in 2000.
You have heard Earl Palmer

You have heard Earl Palmer.

You've heard Earl Palmer even if you've never heard of Earl Palmer. One of the most imitated musicians of the 20th Century, Palmer is a drummer of astonishing ability.

Palmer has played with everyone. He provided Little Richard's best efforts with their unique drive. Phil Spector employed him on "You Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." He drummed behind Sinatra, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn, Neil Young and Ray Charles. Goddamn it, he even played on the theme to The Brady Bunch. Once again, you've heard Earl Palmer.

The man's reflections on his career are collected in this work, co-written with Tony Scherman. It is an essential read for anyone interested in American Popular Music.

Earl Palmer began his show-biz career at age 5, performing as a tap dancer in Ida Cox's Darktown Scandals vaudeville show. These evocations of a Jim Crow-era South are unforgettable. So are Palmer's caustic descriptions of spending WWII in a thoroughly segregated US Army. After the "good war," he returned home and became the top drummer in New Orleans. That sort of means he became the top drummer in the world. Later, he moved to L.A. to play with Phil Spector and...

Ah hell, you don't need to know what this book is about. You need to actually read this book. Scherman, the work's co-writer, begins each chapter with a useful introduction and then allows Palmer to tell the story in his own words. The results are much grittier than the average "show biz" auto-bio. Palmer's language is clear and direct. His views on racism and the machinations of the music business are startling in their immediacy.

Once again, most people who should know Earl Palmer unfortunately do not. The limited publication of Backbeat probably won't do much to change that. However, if you're a fan of American Popular Music, you could do much worse than to pick up this earthy, engaging work.

Hardcover - 196 pages (May 1999) Smithsonian Institution Press; ISBN: 1560988444

We have winners!!

2008-08-20T14:39:18-07:00

On Friday, September 26, Becky Ebenkamp announced the winners of the signed limited edition prints by artist, Iggy Medeiros.

Ian Pollard won "La Matadora" (above).

And Ingemar Gustavsson won "Santo Sebastikian" (below).

Congratulations guys!!

For more information on Iggy check out his website at http://www.iggymedeiros.com/

Chuck Kelley Goes Latin LIVE every Thursday Night in Los Angeles

2008-08-20T09:06:55-07:00

I've just started a new Thursday night DJ residency at El Chavo Restaurant in Los Angeles where I'm playing Luxurious Latin Music. Come have a bite to eat in the main room (be careful, hot plate!) or a drink at the bar and hear me spin vintage Latin Jazz, Mexican Pop, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Rhumba, Cumbia, Boogaloo y mas!! You know, the same kind of stuff you hear on my show, CK Goes Latin (which will hopefully be back on the air next week).

Chuck Kelley Goes Latin
Every Thursday Night from 7-11 PM
@ El Chavo Restaurant
4441 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA. 90027

Pablo Beltran Ruiz R.I.P.

2008-08-18T10:41:21-07:00

The Sociedade de Autores y Compositors de Mexico, the Spanish affiliate to ASCAP, is reporting the passing of their member, bandleader and composer Pablo Beltran Ruiz, at age 93. Pablo Beltran Ruiz was little known outside of his native country. The same could have been said of his work, had it not been for a piece of music he composed 55 years ago. Originally written as a cha cha, "Quien Sera" was recorded by Pablo Beltran Ruiz and his orchestra in 1953. But that was merely the infancy of this songs' life. By the end of 1954, it was one of the most widely recognized songs in the world.By then U.S. songwriter Norman Gimbel had written the English lyric and title: "Sway".

And then the hit records began: Dean Martin, Perry Como, Perez Prado,Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Rydell, Edmundo Ros and Julie London were among the countless performers who had various chart successes with"Sway" in the U.S. and/or the U.K. Canadian crooner Michael Bouble included it in his recent PBS special.It has been featured in dozens of movies, most recently "Shall We Dance" starring Jennifer Lopez , as well as numerous tv commercials for consumer products. The song has found a lasting place among Latin American standards such as "La Bamba" and "Granada". Pablo Beltran Ruiz may have passed away at 93, but "Sway" is destined to have an equally long life.

Have you seen this guitar?

2008-08-06T11:58:26-07:00

A guitar belonging to David Nowlen was stolen from his son's apartment in Los Angeles on July 29. The guitar is a Jonathan Rose Tele with serial #57 stamped on the neckplate and "Rose" on the headstock. It's been signed by James Burton, Duane Eddy and many others.

Nowlen, pictured here with the guitar, is a longtime friend of Brian Wilson and was a member of "The Survivors" - a group produced by Brian consisting of himself, his roommate Bob Norberg, their next door neighbor Nowlen, and Rich Alarian. Their single "Pamela Jean/After The Game" was released by Capitol Records in January of 1964.

The person suspected of taking the guitar lives in Alabama, so the hot guitar is probably somewhere between here (L.A.) and there. If you have a message for Dave about the whereabouts of the guitar, email me at chuck@luxuriamusic.com and I'll forward your message to him.

Photo by Chuck Kelley.

Donate $5 and you might WIN nine brand new Arthur Lyman CD's!!

2008-07-09T12:59:03-07:00

Donate $5 or more to LuxuriaMusic.com between Monday June 23 and Monday July 21 and you will be automatically entered into a raffle to win nine brand new Arthur Lyman two-fer CD's (a whopping 18 lp's worth of exotica!!) courtesy of Collectors Choice Music. The winner will be announced on July 21 by Strike during his show "Strike's Kitsch Niche. "

EVERYONE that donates during this promotion will receive a LuxuriaMusic bumpersticker. What have you got to lose?

To enter the contest, just go to our donations page and float us at least five bills.

Here's what you might win...

Bwana’A / Bahia.
Recorded on the heels of Lyman’s million selling Taboo these 1958 and 1959 releases offer 24 tracks of quintessential exotica. Possibly the purest exotica of the bunch.

On Broadway / The Colorful Percussions.
On Broadway from 1959 takes a brief detour from the tropics to the Great White Way, while 1962’s The Colorful Percussions returns to Lyman’s mix of popular melody and Polynesian flavor.

The Many Moods of Arthur Lyman / Love For Sale.
Two bracingly eclectic albums, from 1962 and 1963, respectively, featuring “Sicilian Holiday,” “Jungle Flower,” “March of the Siamese Children” and more.

Cottonfields / Blowin’ In The Wind.
These two 1963 releases share a folk flavor, highlighted by Lyman’s take on the Bob Dylan title tune as well as nods to the then-hot bossa nova sound.

Isle of Enchantment / Polynesia.
These are 1964 and 1965 releases from the exotica master. But despite the titles, these two albums are salted with standards along the more piquant Polynesian fare.

Lyman ‘66 / The Shadow of Your Smile.
A little exotica, a little Broadway, a little Hollywood, even a little rock ‘n’ roll. Tracks range from “E Lei Ka Lei Lei” to “Hang On Sloopy.”

Ilikai / At The Port of Los Angeles.
This pair of 1967 releases contains “Ilikai,” “Sea Breeze,” “Medley from South Pacific” and even “La Bamba” - 25 tracks in all.

Latitude 20 / Aphrodisia.
A pair of 1968 releases that draw from everywhere - Brazil, Hawaii, Ireland, Mexico, Japan and the U.S.A. Features “Latitude,” “The Day the Fish Came Out,” “Manha de Carnaval,” “Island in the Sun,” “Maori Flea” and more

Winner’s Circle / Today’s Greatest Hits. The 22 tracks on this two-fer wre winners indeed as Lyman forsook his tropical blend to tackle contemporary chart smashes on these two 1960 albums. Contain’s “Love Is Blue,” “Everybody’s Talkin’,” and “Hawaii 5-0.”

Happy Birthday to Brian Wilson!!!

2008-06-20T12:16:08-07:00

Founding member of the Beach Boys AL JARDINE on Heroes & Villains!!

2008-06-10T10:42:59-07:00

Al Jardine, a founding member of The Beach Boys, has given an exclusive interview to Chuck Kelley, host of the weekly Beach Boys internet radio show, “Heroes & Villains” which will air on LuxuriaMusic (www.luxuriamusic.com) at the following dates/times...

Friday June 13 at 4:00 PM
Saturday June 14 at 10:00 AM
Sunday June 29 at 9:00 AM
*all times are Pacific Standard Time.

During the interview, Jardine and Kelley spoke at length about the guitarist’s first ever solo album, “A Postcard From California,” which features guest appearances by Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Steve Miller, Flea, Glen Campbell, Brian Wilson and others. Jardine also spoke about the reunion he had with his fellow Beach Boys on top of the Capitol Records tower in 2006, touring with Brian Wilson in 2007, and now that all the lawsuits between Jardine and the rest of the Beach Boys have been settled, a possible Beach Boys reunion.

At his website (www.aljardine.com) Jardine has made a number of tracks from the “A Postcard From California” available to sample. And listeners to Jardine’s appearance on “Heroes & Villains” will be treated to an exclusive sampling of two tracks that haven’t been heard anywhere else - a re-recording of the Beach Boys #1 hit single Help Me Rhonda with guest vocalist Steve Miller , and the long-in-the-making recording of Jardine’s song “Dont Fight The Sea” which features vocals by Jardine, his son Matt Jardine, Brian Wilson, and Carl Wilson who died in 1998.

Photo courtesy of the Jardine Archive.