What I am thinking about while writing my book...Besides Sparks music

Charles Aznavour


Public Enemy


Kenneth Williams


Jacques Tati with Ron and Russell Mael (Sparks)


Young and slightly older James Fox


Dave Clark 5

Sparks' "Exotic Creatures From The Deep"

In all honestly I can't think of an album that is more important than Sparks' "Exotic Creatures From The Deep." I bet my life on it. If you don't think it' s not that magnificent , then please don't even talk to me. We're not on the same planet. It's as simple as that.

The Mike Leander Sound

Mike Leander, arranger, songwriter, and the man behind Gary Glitter. But alas, he had a huge music past. For instance


Marianne Faithfull singing "As Tears Go By." Arranged by Mike Leander (with interview by Brian Epstein)


Marianne Faithfull singing "Summer Nights" Arranged by Mike Leander

And he worked for Atlantic Records where he worked as a Producer and Arranger and recorded this song


The Drifters singing "Under The Boardwalk" (Arranged by Mike Leander)

Even the great Billy Fury

Billy Fury singing "In Thoughts Of You (Produced and Arranged by Mike Leander


Billy Fury singing "I'll Never Find Another You"

As an one -off studio project, Leander and the Kink's manager of the late 60's got together to write, produce a single called "The Changing of the Guard." The lead singer is Robert Wace, the Manager of The Kinks. The video down below is Wace's voice but not his face or body. They found a good looking bloke on King's Road - and his moment of fame


Marquis of Kensington singing 'The Changing of the Guard" (1967)


The great and totally underrated Paul Jones. A song by Mike Leander for the film "Privilege"


Paul Jones singing "Privilege" (1967) Produced and Written by Mike Leander


The Punk and Horror version of Paul Jones singing "Privilege" Produced and Written by Mike Leander (this is a classic!)


Patti Smith singing "Privilege" Shot sometime in 2007

Gary Glitter and Mike Leander were really tight as friends, and it took many years for the both of them to discover the sound of "Gary Glitter."

Here are the results:


Gary Glitter "Do You Wanna Touch Me" Co-written, produced and arranged by Mike Leander


Gary Glitter "Hello, Hello I Am Back Again" (Co-written, Produced and Arranged by Mike Leander


Gary Glitter "Rock and Roll Part 2" (Co-Written, Produced and Arranged by Mike Leander

The Banality of Images and what lurks Evil Underneath...

This is from my diary while I was in Paris:

I brought up to the dinner party the subject of color photographs that were found recently of the German occupation of Paris. When I saw the catalogue in a bookstore I was shocked in seeing these images in beautiful color. The shocking aspect is that the city itself hasn’t changed since the Occupation. So when I see the images it is like seeing Paris now, but there are Nazis roaming around the streets. Everyone looks happy and going through their daily schedule except for the occasional old women or young man with a bright yellow star sewed on their winter coat.
What are captured in these images are the banal aspects of evil doing what they do best – acting totally normal. Frank told me that these were propaganda images from the Occupation and he was quite emotional about them saying that they told a lie. But to my eyes the images are just plain creepy and weird. Really scary and just awful yet fascinating at the same time. The image often, doesn't represent the reality.



Here is the layout I believe from the Sunday Times Magazine. Photographs by André Zucca.

My London Diary July 24, 2008

Look Back in Anger


Saturday Night and Sunday Morning


Mick Jagger singing 'Memo From Turner" from the film "Performance"


"Carry On" with Kenneth Williams

TamTam Books' Tribute to Immediate Records (Andrew Loog Oldham's label)

Small Faces with P.P. Arnold


Small Faces "itcycoo Park"


Small Faces "All or Nothing"


Billy Nicholls "Girl From New York (Audio only but a fantastic song backed by the Small Faces)


P.P. Arnold "First Cut is the Deepest"


P.P. Arnold "If You Think You Are Groovy"


The Nice "America" (with David O'List, who was in early Roxy Music before Phil Manzanera)


Little Andrew Loog Oldham documentary


"All I Want is My Baby" Oldham/Richards song. Recorded by Bobby Jameson and Mick Jagger


A very early Nico song (a year before the Velvets) produced by Jimmy Page for Immediate Records


The Poets "Now We're Thru"

And this is one of my favorite film footages ever of Swingin' London"

My favorite band Jean Paul Yamamoto Live show

Free show and they go on at 10:30 P.M. Why wait...

TamTam Book's Publisher Tosh Speaks! On Boris Vian! At the Mountin Bar

And here is the song list on the CD that was given out free to the audience:

1) Susan (The Sage) The Chico Hamilton Quintet / Elmer Bernstein
2) Cora (1958) Alain Goraguer
3) Ce Mortel Ennui Alain Goraguer Et Son Orchestre
4) Blues Andre Hodeir
5) Témoin Dans La Ville Barney Wilen
6) Final Pour Pierre et Béatrice Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
7) Le petit commerce Boris Vian
8) Brigitte Strip Blues Georges Arvanitas Quintet
9) No Hay Dinero Caballo (1961) Gonzalo Fernandez & Martial Solal
10) Générique (Le Saint Mène La Danse) (1960) Michel de Villers
11) Cha Cha Cha Du Loup Serge Gainsbourg & Alain Goraguer
12) Fuite Du Rouquin Serge Gainsbourg & Alain Goraguer
13) Maxim's Serge Gainsbourg
14) Generique Miles Davis
15) Danse André Hodeir
16) Trope A Saint-Trop Andre Hodeir
17) Tom Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
18) Amanda (1958) Alain Goraguer
19) Jazz Et Jazz Andre Hodeir

Images in my head while working on the Sparks' book Part 2

I am working on a book about Sparks and London and other things as well. These following images are what I am using for the work I am doing at the moment. I will put them up and you'll try to figure out what it means. ok?

Jean Paul Yamamoto's "Instant Couture"

My wife Lun*na Menoh just did a performance with her band Jean Paul Yamamoto, that did include music - but not in the regular way. I guess you had to be there to hear the amplified sewing machines mixed in with the music. Nevetherless here's lun*na's introduction to the afternoon

"Hello!
I am Lun*na Menoh from Jean Paul Yamamoto, a Los Angeles based band. We are known for combining high fashion, art performance, and rock n' roll theatrics. Today we have a special event that is not our regular 'live music' performance. Jean Paul Yamamoto will be doing an improvised sewing show in front of the audience. We will design and make 12 one-of-a-kind T-shirts (100% white cotton) and they will be completed during the art performance. If you would like to have a designed T-Shirt, please come inside and place an order – and yes, this is "Instant Couture!"

Also during our performance, we will have a floor fashion show, where every 5 minutes a series of models will be walking around the floor wearing stage costumes worn by Jean Paul Yamamoto from their various live music shows of the recent past.

Fashion models:

Maki Asako
Sachi Nina
Sam
Morgan
Yuki
Stacy

Hair and make up:
HAZUKI
RIN

Special appearance
Logan



Also a continuous DVD screening of Jean Paul Yamamoto & Seksu Roba performances, Relah Eckstein’s films (with Lun*na doing the art direction and costumes) and Lun*na Menoh’s previous Fashion/Art events in the Royal T’s VIP Room located back of the gallery.

Enjoy the Event"



Photographs by Hana Kidaka of the "Instant Couture" event that took place at Royal T in Culver City - July 6, 2008

Images in my head while working on the Sparks' book

Although they may seem to be random, these images are in my head as I write the Sparks' book.















...Nothing is straight forward in my life!

Islington, London

Revolutionary Islington


History of Graffiti in Islington

TamTam Books' Tribute to Angel Islington and of course, Upper Street

For the past month or so, this area had become a home to me. The streets, not anyone's house - but just me getting on and off buses, and eating on Upper Street before going to the Sparks' shows at the Carling Academy located in N1. So in a sense this is what i know of London, and today for some reason I really miss it.



London Bus 73 to Angel, Islington


London Bus 4, Upper Street, Islington

My London Diary: Dave Berry

The singer Dave Berry is almost a mythical figure to me. I know nothing about him, except what I know from watching him on old TV shows like Shindig. He had an incredible stage presence with his extra-slow movements on the stage. Almost campy, but not quite. More dream like and therefore he stayed in my memory for many years.


Classic footage of Dave Berry doing 'Little Things.'


Dave Berry doing Ray Davies (The Kinks) "This Strange Effect" live on some British TV show.


Footage of Dave Berry on tour.

"Crying Game" is probably Dave Berry's biggest hit in the States. Tragic song. And I can't find a version by him on YouTube. Go figure! But meanwhile here's Boy George's lovely version:


On a French TV show

"Goodbye to my childhood."

Paul Knobloch and Tosh Berman at Book Soup with Free CD on June 23, 2008 at 7:00 P.M.

To promote and encourage you to purchase Boris Vian's "The Dead All Have The Same Skin" i put together what i imagined is the soundtrack to the novel. Well, in other words, music that I thought of or was hearing during the production of this excellent book.

So the deal is (and it's a deal believe me) is that CD will be given away free to the first 30 people who purchase the book at Book Soup during our event on June 23, 2008 at 7:00 P.M. And like the excellent book, this CD is a remarkable mix of low jazz at the wrong time. After hearing this, one can smell the whiskey off your breath - and you don't even drink! It's that good, believe me. And don't even try to guess where the music came from or what film or any of that. It's an obscure one in a million type of stuff, believe me on this one.

Also if we are out, we're out. It's bad luck not to have this CD, and I realize your disappointment and etc. But I can only do what I can do. Ok?

Here are the selections for this special CD:

1) "Angoisse" Alain Goraguer
2) "Ascenseur (Evasion De Julien") Miles Davis
3) "Susan (The Sage)" The Chico Hamilton Quintet
4) "Jazz A Go Go" France Gall
5) "Brigitte Strip Blues" Georges Arvanitas Quintet
6) "Ce Mortel Ennui" Alain Goraguer Et Son Orchestre
7) "Blues" Andre Hodeir
8) "Générique" Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
9) "Complainte Du Chauffeur" Barney Wilen
10) "La Boheme" Charles Aznavour
11) "Goodbye Baby" The Chico Hamilton Quintet
12) "Track 6" Andre Hodeir
13) "Le Cinema" Claude Nougaro
14) "Le Samouraï" Francois De Roubaix
15) "Tom" Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
16) "Etude In "E" Jack Nitzsche
17) "Bach: The Well Tempered Clavier" Jacques Loussier Trio
18) "Dieu Est Nègre" Juliette Gréco

Katherine Hepburn by Sparks plus Shopping Mall of Love

This is my favorite Sparks' song that have not been recorded by them. It's an incredible song. Beautiful melody. Beautiful everything. I put this song up on my site, but this is a much better version sound and visual.


Sheperd's Bush in London June 13, 2008

The Incredible Ending to Sparks' 21 Concerts in 21 Nights

For me personally, it is one of the most moving moments i have ever had in a concert. The trip is finished, and i need to focus on the book I am writing on the shows - but wow, what an incredible series of live shows. Sparks did something that no other band or artist have done on stage. It's almost up there with Raymond Roussel's "Impressions of Africa."


Sparks 'Likeable' (Live at Sheperd's Bush, London May 13, 2008)



The end of the SPARKS set for Exotic Creatures of the Deep (Sheperd's Bush, London May 13, 2008)

One of my favorite Sparks songs ever. Sound not so hot on video, but...fantastic!

Paul Knobloch and Tosh Berman sign Boris Vian's THE DEAD ALL HAVE THE SAME SKIN at Book Soup

Paul and i will be presenting and reading from the latest TamTam Books' release of Boris Vian's "THE DEAD ALL HAVE THE SAME SKIN."

There will also be free CD's of Vian related music put together by yours truly for the event. First come first serve. And of course limited to a few.

The playlist will be posted on this blog in the very near future.


So the reading and signing will take place at:

Book Soup

8818 West Sunset Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310-659-3110

On June 23 at 7:00 P.M.

*Paul Knobloch* and *Tosh Berman* presents and sign *The Dead All Have the
Same Skin*

Translator Knobloch and publisher Berman are proud to present the newest translation nof Vian's classic. Written one year after the controversial (putting it mildly) "I Spit on Your Graves," you think Vian would have known better.

But no, he decided to do another violent shocker that is ripped out of today's (or was it all in my head?) headlines. This surreal masterpiece of 'dark' writing is about Daniel Parker who is a bouncer in a drink hell bar hole somewhere in New York City (Vian, a French man never been to the States) who is blackmailed by his long lost brother who is black and threatens him to tell the truth about his brother's racial blood. Parker is not going to take that. His life, by that admission, becomes a tipsy topsey
one-way ticket to hell.

"I'll be seeing you."


Ciao,

Tosh

"Tsui Hark"