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August 1, 2002:

THE FIRST NOTES OF AUGUST

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, welcome the first notes of August. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, these here notes are the first notes of August. And just what are the first notes of August? Well, I’ll tell you what the first notes of August are because frankly you have a right to know. The first notes of August are A, C#, E and G#, or to put it another way, an A major seventh chord. Aren’t those lovely August notes? Aren’t they just too too? Well, it’s lovely to start a new month on a major chord isn’t it, especially one like an A chord. That is just so festive and gay, is it not? And there’s a reason for it being festive and gay, and that reason is not arbitrary in the least or even in the most. For you see we have reason to celebrate once again, dear readers, because as of two days ago we whupped June’s statistical rating to a frazzle. We razzle dazzled ’em, dear readers, we toppled the June record and toppled it handily, despite having three count them three days where no stats were counted at all because of statistical malfunctioning. What do you think of that, dear readers? Let us give ourselves a collective pat on the back, that is what I say. And now we are on our way to topping July – we must be moving ever upward in our quest to topple all previous records.

I am actually writing these here notes just after midnight because I must leave early in the morning to deal with things that must be dealt with. The things that must be dealt with are an all day ordeal, so I won’t even be able to check back in until after six. But check back in I shall – so remember, keep it light, keep it gay whilst I am away. And don’t forget to send me lots of positive Hainsie/Kimlet good vibes all day long. I shall need them.

Your questions yesterday reached new heights of excellence, and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into them. Answers will be posted in what should be an endlessly long Saturday column, which is good in a way, since that may keep our Saturday traffic at normal viewing levels.

So, I must hurry these here notes along, because I do need my beauty rest and I must be alert and sharp and I must have my full wits about me. Since I’m in a hurry, maybe I shouldn’t hurry these notes along, maybe I should hurry these notes ashort. Well, let us not tarry and dally further, let us click on the Unseemly Button below and go on with the show.

Has anyone noticed that these are the first notes of August? I’ve located yet another wonderful Meltz and Ernest song, this one is one of their later songs, circa late sixties, and it is quite controversial. I’ll be printing it very soon.

I have been listening to a most wonderful CD – if you’re a fan of soundtrack recordings I cannot recommend this highly enough. And if you end up wanting it I also recommend you buy it quickly, for it is a limited edition and I’m quite certain they will sell out very soon. It’s Mr. Jerry Goldsmith’s superb score to The Sand Pebbles, a film of Mr. Robert Wise. This was written at the height of Mr. Goldsmith’s creativity, when he literally could not do an uninteresting score. It is achingly beautiful. Originally released on LP as a thirty-something minute album which was a mish-mash, it then had a rerecording a few years ago, a recording I’m not very fond of at all, for a variety of reasons. The bottom line with that recording is that I played it once and put it on the shelf – it just didn’t do the score justice, despite the fact that Mr. Goldsmith himself was conducting (the original soundtrack sessions were conducted by Lionel Newman). Well, Varese Sarabande’s Soundtrack Club has issued a wonderful and long CD (70 plus minutes) with great sound, produced by our very own Nick Redman, along with Robert Townson. What a glorious way to spend an hour and ten minutes. Those Fox people really knew how to record music – it’s so present and vibrant and warm sounding. This CD is only available through the Varese website (www.varesesarabande.com), and as I said it is a limited edition. I also got two other releases from this batch of club titles, but I haven’t had a chance to hear them yet.

Well, dear readers, I must hit the sack, although the sack really hasn’t done anything to warrant being hit. Still and all and also all and still, I shall hit it nonetheless. I shall be back tomorrow, although it’s another long day of dealing with the same sort of things I’m dealing with today. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could get in a time machine and go back to any decade since the beginning of musical theater, which would you choose and why, and what one opening night would you attend? I’ll start: the fifties – tie between West Side Story, The Most Happy Fella or Gypsy. Your turn.

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