Thursday, May 10, 2018

FELIX CAVALIERE OF THE RASCALS: ROCK LEGEND SPECIAL GUEST ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW

RASCALS LEGEND
F  E  L  I  X    
C  A  V  A  L  I  E  R  E
'The King of Blue Eyed Soul'

EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW

ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
BBS RADIO


The message has always been to stand for peace, love, and happiness. For legendary singer songwriter, FELIX CAVALIERE, making people feel good is primary to his illustrious 50-year career that includes the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriter Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and Grammy Hall of Fame. Few artists can claim they defined a generation; FELIX CAVALIERE continues to remind us to keep listening for the world’s beauty.
The classically trained pianist, born in Pelham, New York, idolized Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cook. FELIX CAVALIERE embraced the Hammond Organ and pioneered a fresh, rock and roll sound. Upon leaving Syracuse University to form the Escorts and become a backup musician for Joe Dee and the Starliters and later Sandy Scott, who knew that his legendary next stop would be the beginning of an illustrious hall of fame career.

Early in 1965, FELIX CAVALIERE formed the ‘Young Rascals’ with Dino Danelli, Eddie Brigati, and Gene Cornish. That October, they caught the attention of promoter/manager Sid Bernstein with their high-energy set at Long Island’s elite club, Barge. Signed to Atlantic Records, and now called The Rascals, the mega hit “Good Lovin’” struck No. 1 in February 1966. They followed suit with a string of hits like “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long,” “Groovin’ (No. 1 in 1967), “How Can I Be Sure,” “A Girl Like You,” “A Beautiful Morning,” and “People Got to Be Free” (No. 1 in 1968). The Rascals are considered the best ‘blue-eyed soul’ group to come out of the 1960s, as well as one of the groups with the most record sales. 
By the early 70s, The Rascals experimented with more jazz-influenced sounds, and moved to Columbia Records. The Rascals disbanded in 1972. FELIX CAVALIERE’s solo career thrived during this decade. He released his self-titled debut album with Todd Rundgren at the producer helm. His follow-up albums were Destiny (1974), Castles in the Air (1979) (Castle in the Air produced another Top 40 hit – “Only a Heart Sees” reached No. 2), Dreams in Motion (1994) and in 2008 he collaborated with Stax guitar legend, Steve Cropper, on the Grammy-nominated Nudge it Up a Notch and again in 2010 with Midnight Flyer.

FELIX CAVALIERE calls Nashville home base, where he is constantly collaborating and writing new material. He’s also finishing his memoir and has an active tour schedule with FELIX CAVALIERE’S RASCALS.
Visit FELIXCAVALIEREMUSIC.COM.

The Rascals have generated …
20 -Top 40 Hits
7 -Top 10 Hits
3 -No. 1 Mega Hits
Their Hits include "Groovin'," "Good Lovin'," "Beautiful Morning," "How Can I Be Sure," and "People Got to Be Free."
Felix Cavaliere is The King of Blue Eyed Soul. His songs helped define a generation.

He is a member of…
The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
Grammy Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame


Some people may not realize it, but The Rascals were the first rock band in the world   
— Steven Van Zandt

For more information about Felix Cavaliere and the Rascals visit www.FelixCavaliereMusic.com





F  E  L  I  X    C  A  V  A  L  I  E  R  E 

OF THE RASCALS
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
-BBS RADIO
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTMgmrHdTWw




And don’t forget to purchase a copy of my book entitled Check the Gs -the true story of an eclectic American family and their Wacky family business … or the second edition entitled … Wacky Shenanigans on F Street- ‘Proud to be Politically Incorrect in Washington DC’ ... available now at amazon.com. You’ll live it!!!

Have a great week everybody!

Friday, April 27, 2018

'MELANIE' SAFKA ONCE HAILED AS THE FEMALE BOB DYLAN INTERVIEWED ON BBS RADIO

'M   E   L   A   N   I   E'
SONGWRITER -MUSICIAN-
'THE VOICE OF A GENERATION'
SPECIAL GUEST ON
THE RAY SHASHO SHOW

Melanie Safka (Melanie) was once hailed as the female Bob Dylan. Her awe-inspiring lyrical connotations were accompanied by her majestic voice and an acoustic guitar. She was a lone entity onstage but radiated a powerful force that became the voice and spirit to one of the most important generations the world will ever know.
When I asked Melanie how she developed her unique and sensational singing style she said …
“I went out to imitate Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf and got it wrong.”

Melanie was born in Queens, New York to a Russian-Ukrainian Father and an Italian Mother. Her musical career began in Greenwich Village and eventfully landed her first recording contract with Columbia Records. She released several singles on the label but retained greater success after signing with Buddah Records.
 Her debut album Born to Be (1968) was acclaimed for her independent music styles. It became clear that there was an exciting new singer on the block. In 1969, the single “Bobo’s Party” a track from her debut album reached #1 in France. Her second studio release Affectionately Melanie (1969) spawned the single “Beautiful People,” the song became a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands.

 Melanie’s songs began gaining momentum but she was still, for the most part, considered an unknown to the U.S. music scene until August 15th 1969. Melanie was invited to perform at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair held on a dairy farm in Brethel, New York. Her mother drove her to the event. She had been clueless to the size and significance of the concert until she witnessed Sly Stone walking around and Janis Joplin sipping Southern Comfort while being interviewed by reporters. After arriving at the hotel she was separated from her mother and rushed onto a helicopter. While descending towards the stage area, she was in total disbelief over the mass of people attending the three-day event. Melanie shared a tent with folk musician and composer Tim Hardin while she awaited her turn to perform at the most famous concert event in music history.
  
Several hours later, she was called upon to perform after Ravi Shankar’s set. Melanie was terrified … a lone woman performer with a guitar in front of a half a million people. Without a setlist to guide her, she opened with “Close to It All” followed by “Momma Momma,” “Beautiful People,” “Animal Crackers,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Tuning My Guitar,” and concluded with “Birthday of the Sun,” a song she chose simply because it was raining.
Before and during her performance, concert organizers had distributed candles throughout the crowd. The lit candles during her performance while it rained inspired her profound composition, “(Lay Down) Candles in The Rain” (1970 #6 Billboard Hot 100 singles chart). She also inspired the etiquette of raising candles and cigarette lighters at concerts while portraying an audience of fireflies.

After Woodstock, Melanie became the concert festival queen, performing at such outdoor events as The Isle of WightStrawberry fields Festival and Glastonbury Festival. She was also asked to perform on numerous Television programs including Dick Cavett, Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson.

“(Lay Dow) Candles in The Rain” was followed by “Peace Will Come (According to Plan)” (#32 Hit),” and her Rolling Stones cover, “Ruby Tuesday” (#52 Hit).

Melanie and husband/ producer Peter Schekeryk formed their own record label called Neighborhood Records in 1971. Also in 1971, Melanie landed her biggest commercial hit entitled, “Brand New Key” (#1 Billboard Hot 100 singles chart). A song inspired after a stop at a McDonalds fast food restaurant.Melanie also released “What Have They Done to My Song Ma’” which was also covered by The New Seekers and Ray Charles. The New Seekers also covered “Beautiful People” and “Nickel Song” composed by Melanie.

Melanie set a record for the first female performer to land three simultaneous Top 40 hits … “Brand New Key,” “Ring the Living Bell” and “Nickel Song.”

Melanie was awarded Billboard’s #1 Top Female Vocalist for 1972. She also became a UNISEF Ambassador that same year.

In 1973, Melanie spawned the hit “Bitter Bad” (#36 Billboard Hot 100 singles hit).
In 1989, she won an Emmy Award for writing the lyrics to “The First Time I Loved Forever” the theme song for the TV series 'Beauty and The Beast.'
Melanie’s songs have been covered by countless musicians over the years.
She has sold more than 80- million records to date.


You can purchase Melanie’s latest EP release Ragamuffin at amazon.com
For further information about Melanie Safka please visit
www.melaniesafka.com  …Official website

MELANIE

RAGAMUFFIN



AVAILABLE
AT

AMAZON.COM 




'M   E   L   A   N   I   E'
INTERVIEWED ON
THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
-BBS RADIO
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN




And don’t forget to purchase a copy of my book entitled Check the Gs -the true story of an eclectic American family and their Wacky family business … or the second edition entitled … Wacky Shenanigans on F Street- ‘Proud to be Politically Incorrect in Washington DC’ ... available now at amazon.com. You’ll live it!!!
Have a great week everybody!




Friday, April 13, 2018

LEE KERSLAKE: URIAH HEEP AND 'OZZY' LEGEND INTERVIEWED ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW-BBS RADIO

L    E    E

K    E    R    S    L    A    K    E

LEGENDARY DRUMMER
WITH
URIAH HEEP
AND
OZZY OSBOURNE
Lee Kerslake is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Uriah Heep, in addition to his work in the Ozzy Osbourne band
Kerslake joined Uriah Heep in November 1971, left the band in October 1979, and rejoined them in April 1982. In early 2007 it was announced on the Heep website that Kerslake left the band ‘due to ongoing health problems’.
With Heep, Kerslake also performed backing vocals both on album and on stage. On the Firefly album he was credited with the nickname “The Bear”, a reference to his beard growth and overall solid physical build.

During his time out of Uriah Heep, he worked with Ozzy Osbourne, with whom he recorded Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, and played with bass guitarist Bob Daisley, who later joined Uriah Heep. On the Diary of a Madman notes, Kerslake and Daisley weren’t credited. The two musicians  were fired in late March 1981, just after the recording session, and replaced for the tour by Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo. Aldridge’s and Sarzo’s photos were put on the album and they were credited as studio musicians, but they didn’t play on the album.
In 1998, Kerslake and Daisley filed suit against Ozzy Osbourne and his manager (and wife) Sharon Osbourne, seeking royalties and songwriting credits for their contributions to the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman albums. Osbourne subsequently erased Kerslake and Daisley’s playing on both albums, replacing their performances with tracks by bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin.

In 2003, Kerslake and Daisley’s lawsuit was dismissed by the United States District Court in Los Angeles. This dismissal was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Lee now performs with his own band “The Lee Kerslake Band”, guests with various bands and regularly joins ex-Heep members Ken Hensley and Paul Newton in “Uriah Heep Legends”

For more information about Lee Kerslake visit …
http://www.leekerslake.com/



BERGGREN
KERSLAKE
BAND

THE
SUN HAS
GONE HAZY

available at amazon.com


L    E    E     
K    E    R    S    L    A    K    E
INTERVIEWED ON
THE RAY SHASHO SHOW -BBS RADIO

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN


And don’t forget to purchase a copy of my book entitled Check the Gs -the true story of an eclectic American family and their Wacky family business … or the second edition entitled … Wacky Shenanigans on F Street- ‘Proud to be Politically Incorrect in Washington DC’ ... available now at amazon.com. You’ll live it!!!


Have a great week everybody!




Saturday, March 31, 2018

JOE DENINZON OF 'STRATOSPHEERIUS' SPECIAL GUEST ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW-BBS RADIO

J   O   E
D   E   N   I   N   Z   O   N
'THE JIMI HENDRIX OF THE VIOLIN'
SINGER-SONGWRITER-
MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST
WITH
'STRATOSPHEERIUS'

Joe Deninzon has been hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin,” because of his innovative style on the “Viper” electric sevenstring electric violin. Joe has worked with Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Phoebe Snow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Skolnick, Smokey Robinson, Les Paul, Peter Criss from KISS, Renaissance, and as a soloist with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York City Ballet.
Joe is the lead singer and violinist for the progressive rock band, Stratospheerius (www.stratospheerius.com), which has recently released their fifth CD entitled GUILTY OF INNOCENCE on Melodic Revolution Records.
Joe Deninzon can be heard on over a hundred CD’s and jingles as a violinist and string arranger. A BMI Jazz Composer’s Grant recipient and winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has written a solo piece for violinist Rachel Barton Pine, and in 2015, premiered his “Concerto for Electric Violin and Orchestra” with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.
Joe’s original music has been featured on CMT, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, National Geographic, the Travel Channel, the History Channel, and the Will Ferrell/ Adam McKay- produced film “Virginity Hit.” He also co-wrote the score for the independent film, “What’s Up Scarlet” (Open City Films). Joe is also a member of the Sweet Plantain String Quartet www.sweetplantain.com), which combines Latin Jazz with hip-hop and Classical music, and has toured throughout Europe and the U.S. Joe has also released a CD with his Acoustic Jazz Trio, titled “Exuberance.”As an educator, Joe has taught at Mark O’Connor’s String Camp and Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp, and makes annual appearances performing at the Grand Canyon Music Festival with renowned harmonica virtuoso Robert Bonfiglio.
In 2006, Joe co-founded the Grand Canyon School of Rock, an annual music program for local high school students. He regularly travels as a clinician and has contributed articles to Strings, Downbeat, American String Teachers Journal, and Making Music Magazine. In 2012, Joe wrote a book on electric violin techniques for Mel Bay Publications, titled “Plugging In.”

Joe has made the Downbeat Critic’s pole for “rising stars” in jazz/rock violin. Chris Haigh’s book, “Discovering Rock Violin,” lists one of Joe’s recorded solos among the “Top 20 greatest rock violin solos of all time.”Joe holds Bachelor’s degrees in Violin Performance and Jazz Violin from Indiana University and a Master’s in Jazz/Commercial violin from Manhattan School of Music.

For more information about Joe Deninzon visit … www.joedeninzon.com and www.Stratospheerius.com



Purchase Joe’s Book

Plugging In: A Guide to Gear and New Techniques for the 21st Century Violinist 

available at amazon.com


JOE DENINZON &
STRATOSPHEERIUS


GUILTY
OF
INNOCENCE



available at amazon.com



J   O   E  
D   E   N   I   N   Z   O   N
OF STRATOSPHEERIUS
SPECIAL GUEST ON
THE RAY SHASHO SHOW-BBS RADIO
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN

And don’t forget to purchase a copy of my book entitled Check the Gs -the true story of an eclectic American family and their Wacky family business … or the second edition entitled … Wacky Shenanigans on F Street- ‘Proud to be Politically Incorrect in Washington DC’ ... available now at amazon.com. You’ll live it!!!

Have a great week everybody!