D.

Hi Cheeba,

I’m so happy you’re having fun with “Twenty Things” and will soon dip into “Loser’s”! Judging from the way you write, you’re precisely the kind of audience I’m hoping to reach. To your question about the recording session dates: your guess of 1969 is pretty good. As I recall, there were four sessions stretched over two weeks. Might even have been 1968 — I guess one way to know for sure is to research which year those songs were still fresh in the minds of the audience. By the way, I also did several albums for the Columbia Record Club the years I lived in Paris (1971-1973), released under the name “Terry Baxter and His Orchestra.” I was one of several “Terry Baxters,” the others being Peter Dino; the wonderful Italo-British arranged/composer Johnny Gregory (born Primino Grigori!); Ed Shanaphy and I think Ron Lockhart, one of the producers of the series, wrote some charts also. These masterworks by the totally fictional Maestro Baxter are REALLY easy listening chestnuts! Yow! If you think “Images” was musical silly-putty, get hold of some of those. But they went a long way toward financing my first two years in Paris, so I have no complaints.

About the book, yes, the entire “Twenty Things” book is my writing. Despite the “By the editors of Discover and Dean …” (that original collaborative plan fell through) it’s all my stuff. The contribution of the other editors — actually one editor’s assistant, Jason Stahl — was limited to sending me weekly Fed Ex packs of hundreds of pages of printouts from the internet on the topics they chose in conjunction with the publisher, HarperCollins. After a while I realized that most of what they sent was useless, since much of it was contradictory or outdated, and I had to re-check the facts. And since I also know how to use Google and Wikipedia for starting points, I stopped even opening the Fed Ex material — it was just cluttering up my already chaotic office. (It is amusing in a pathetic sort of way to note that Jason Stahl has been presenting himself as “co-author” of the book! If that is true, then it’s high time I revealed myself as Queen Marie of Romania.)

Soon I’ll be making daily additions; commentary, correspondence, whatever to this site. That will probably make it a blog instead of a website. One of my friends will help whip that into shape, since I’m a dolt when it comes to fiddling with zeroes and ones. Please give my regards to Arkadin. Let’s all stay in touch. Have a delightful weekend!

Dean

I saw the “Ark” blog comment on the “Images” album from 1967. Tried to reply, but I don’t know if my comment got posted (remember, I’m a techno-dunce). Funny thing is, and maybe you could pass it along, is that I completely agree with his assessment. The album WAS soft — that was the assignment Bobby Shad gave me. He wanted “easy,” so that’s what he got. My personal taste is for jazz and classical, but you have to deliver what they’re paying you for. The reviewer’s choice of “Eli’s Coming” was one I would have selected as one of the better ones. (The others are “Sound Of Silence” and “Scarborough Fair.”) I haven’t heard the album in 25 years or more, and wonder if I even have one! Anyway, if you get this message, please send my compliments to (is his name Arkady?) on his well researched and intelligent blog. In recent years I’ve returned to playing and writing jazz — but NOT for a living! For that I’ll stick to journalism, books and advertising. Have a fine weekend! Regards from Dean

I’m impressed that you spelled “Brasil” the way the natives do. (I love the country, the music, the people; have been there only twice but would cheerfully spend more time there.)

Xibaba. Hmmm. Even in the wild 60s (although immersed in the music world) I somehow never got deeply into the vegetal life, but have no argument with those who did. I hope you’re having an amusing and productive week. Regards, D.

It would astonish me to learn that there are actually internet surfers out there would would actually donate! I keep hearing about PayPal, just as I keep hearing about eBay and all the rest of the modern ways to do business. But I confess I am ignorant of how to use any of them. Luckily I have friends who are in the know (that’s how I hope to keep the blog — if that’s what it is — going).

A good weekend to you and yours,

D.

PS: Is Cheeba an Indian or Persian name? It has a nice Southern Asian resonance.

And again, thanks for continuing the exchange. I appreciate your ordering the Discover book (“20 Things …” ). For that volume I had to rein in my natural inclination to going a bit over the top. In the more recent one (“The Loser’s Guide to Personal Failure”), which I wrote after prodding by a small publisher I know in nearby Venice, CA, is under no such constraints.

Canajun there, eh? My maternal grandmother was from St John, NB. So from babyhood I have felt a keen fondness for Canadian civilisation (look — I even spelt it correctly! … Come to that, I have spelt “spelt” correctly, too!). Of course, being from an older generation, I still call July 1st “Dominion Day,” but that aside, I stand on guard for you.

Do not be disheartened by the hack chores being heaped upon you by dull clients; at least you do get to use your tools and practice your craft. It was much the same for me during my recording studio days. Whenever I was hired by others as a sideman (or as an arranger), the deal was simple: unless they want what I’d prefer to do, and ask for it, I saw my job as delivering what they were paying me for. They want corny? You got it, pal. You want tasteless? Coming right up! Louder? Fine with me. The, um, wrong chords? Well, there I might have to control my gag reflex, and would certainly take the producer aside and suggest that there may — just may — be an alternate perspective on the harmony at bar #41. And again at #63. And for that matter, from #84 through #109. If they went blank on me, because they couldn’t hear it was the wrong chord, I’d simply nod and give them what they wanted. (I hate to admit it, but some of those records with “wrong chords” actually became hits! So much for my Daddy Cool hot-dang voicings.)

You appear to be uncommonly insightful. To satisfy your curiosity, yes, I did that easy-listening album on Mainstream for the late great Bobby Shad (he actually passed away during a recording session a number of years later; a real pioneer). That’s from my earlier incarnation as a studio musician. (In 1990, after an extended absence from music, I returned to playing and composing jazz, which continues to this day. One of the great joys in my life.)

Where are you copywriting? That can be great fun, provided you have a good client — which is rather rare, as you may have discovered.