Ian Whitcomb
His biography, "Irving Berlin & Ragtime America", recounts the songwriter's early years. He was Mae West's last producer.
At Bryanston, a public school in Dorset, England, Whitcomb started a skiffle group and then a rock & roll band. In the early 1960s, whilst studying history at Trinity College, Dublin, he became a founder member of Dublin’s first R&B band, “Bluesville”. Their second record release, "This Sporting Life”, charted in America in 1965. Whitcomb's next recording, "You Turn Me On”, hit #8 in the Billboard chart in July 1965. During that year's summer vacation he went to America to appear on such TV shows as “Shindig”, “Hollywood A Go Go” and “American Bandstand”. He played the Hollywood Bowl with the Beach Boys and then toured with the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs.
“N-Nervous!”, Whitcomb's next release, was recorded in Hollywood and made the top 50. He returned to Dublin for his history finals and received a B.A degree. In 1966 he turned back to early popular song: his version of a 1916 comedy number, “Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On Saturday Night?”, was a West Coast hit, reviving the ukulele before the emergence of Tiny Tim. After making four albums for Capitol and producing Mae West on an album called “Great Balls Of Fire” for MGM, he returned to England where he wrote “After The Ball”. He later wrote “Tin Pan Alley”, and a novel, “Lotusland: a story of Southern California” (Wildwood House).
Returning to Hollywood, Whitcomb starred in and wrote “L.A. — My Home Town” (BBC TV), and “Tin Pan Alley” (PBS) as well as providing the music for a documentary film, “Bugs Bunny: Superstar” (UA), which was narrated by Orson Welles. For Playrite Music he cut 18 piano rolls, included in an album, “Pianomelt”. His other albums reflected his research into ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, Vaudeville and Music Hall. These, beginning with “Under The Ragtime Moon” (1972), were released on several labels including Warner Bros., United Artists and Decca. During this time he also wrote and produced singles for Warner Bros' country division, most notably “Hands”, a massage parlor story, and “A Friend Of A Friend of Mine”.
In the 1980s, Whitcomb published “Rock Odyssey”, a memoir of the 1960s and described by the New York Times as the best personal account of this period. He also published a Ragtime America (Limelight Editions, 1988), followed by a memoir of life as a British expatriate living in Los Angeles, "Resident Alien" (Century, 1990). He also produced a British documentary on black music, “Legends Of Rhythm & Blues”. At the same time he hosted a radio show for what turned out to be 15 years, taking it from KROQ to KCRW and finally to KPPC. His songs can he heard in “Cold Sassy Tree”, “Encino Man”, “Bloody Movie”, “Stanley’s Gig”, “The Cat’s Meow”,“Last Call”, "Grass","Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes", "After The Storm","Lonesome Jim", “Fido”.
Since the early 1990s Whitcomb has been publishing songbooks for the Mel Bay company, notably three based on the ukulele.
At Bryanston, a public school in Dorset, England, Whitcomb started a skiffle group and then a rock & roll band. In the early 1960s, whilst studying history at Trinity College, Dublin, he became a founder member of Dublin’s first R&B band, “Bluesville”. Their second record release, "This Sporting Life”, charted in America in 1965. Whitcomb's next recording, "You Turn Me On”, hit #8 in the Billboard chart in July 1965. During that year's summer vacation he went to America to appear on such TV shows as “Shindig”, “Hollywood A Go Go” and “American Bandstand”. He played the Hollywood Bowl with the Beach Boys and then toured with the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs.
“N-Nervous!”, Whitcomb's next release, was recorded in Hollywood and made the top 50. He returned to Dublin for his history finals and received a B.A degree. In 1966 he turned back to early popular song: his version of a 1916 comedy number, “Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On Saturday Night?”, was a West Coast hit, reviving the ukulele before the emergence of Tiny Tim. After making four albums for Capitol and producing Mae West on an album called “Great Balls Of Fire” for MGM, he returned to England where he wrote “After The Ball”. He later wrote “Tin Pan Alley”, and a novel, “Lotusland: a story of Southern California” (Wildwood House).
Returning to Hollywood, Whitcomb starred in and wrote “L.A. — My Home Town” (BBC TV), and “Tin Pan Alley” (PBS) as well as providing the music for a documentary film, “Bugs Bunny: Superstar” (UA), which was narrated by Orson Welles. For Playrite Music he cut 18 piano rolls, included in an album, “Pianomelt”. His other albums reflected his research into ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, Vaudeville and Music Hall. These, beginning with “Under The Ragtime Moon” (1972), were released on several labels including Warner Bros., United Artists and Decca. During this time he also wrote and produced singles for Warner Bros' country division, most notably “Hands”, a massage parlor story, and “A Friend Of A Friend of Mine”.
In the 1980s, Whitcomb published “Rock Odyssey”, a memoir of the 1960s and described by the New York Times as the best personal account of this period. He also published a Ragtime America (Limelight Editions, 1988), followed by a memoir of life as a British expatriate living in Los Angeles, "Resident Alien" (Century, 1990). He also produced a British documentary on black music, “Legends Of Rhythm & Blues”. At the same time he hosted a radio show for what turned out to be 15 years, taking it from KROQ to KCRW and finally to KPPC. His songs can he heard in “Cold Sassy Tree”, “Encino Man”, “Bloody Movie”, “Stanley’s Gig”, “The Cat’s Meow”,“Last Call”, "Grass","Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes", "After The Storm","Lonesome Jim", “Fido”.
Since the early 1990s Whitcomb has been publishing songbooks for the Mel Bay company, notably three based on the ukulele.
posted by Brendan Fowler at 10:21 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home