Well, dear readers, we lost a wonderful composer yesterday and far too young at sixty-eight. I first saw the name Marvin Hamlisch when I bought the soundtrack to the motion picture The Swimmer. I was working at Sight and Sound Records in the Valley, liked the cover, and bought the album, which I played over and over again. The next time I saw his name was when I saw the Woody Allen film, Take the Money and Run, which also had a wonderful score. Then it was Bananas. Then he was everywhere and suddenly he was taking home a plethora of Oscars for The Sting. I bought everything I could, because I just loved his gift for melody. Then it was The Way We Were, which was a gorgeous score with a gorgeous title song. In 1974, I went to the opening night of Gypsy, starring Angela Lansbury, at the Shubert Theater here in LA. I heard two people gabbing loudly in back of me. I sort of turned around and sitting in the row behind me were Marvin Hamlisch and Jule Styne. The overture began and Hamlisch said to Styne, “Greatest overture ever!”
A year after that, I found myself in New York to sneak preview The First Nudie Musical. I was walking in Shubert Alley and ran into a friend from LA, Rick Mason, who’d been in my musical, Start at the Top. He told me he was doing a show in previews at the Shubert and asked if I’d like a house seat to see it at the following day’s matinee. Since our preview wasn’t till eight, I thought that would be a great way to alleviate being nervous all day. So, off I went to the Shubert and my sixth row house seat to a show called A Chorus Line, then in its first week of previews. To say I was bowled over by it would be a severe understatement. I had a lump in my throat from the minute the lights came up right through the end of the show. And one of the things I’d loved most about it was its music – by Marvin Hamlisch. For me, Marvin could do little wrong nor could he do much wrong in any way, career-wise. He did Sophie’s Choice, Ice Castles, They’re Playing our Song and on and on. But, like everyone, he began to do things that weren’t successful, and despite all that success, the flops were really painful for him.
When I became a record producer, and we were prepping the first Unsung Musicals album, the entire reason for that album was to record Marvin’s song, Disneyland, from the flop musical, Smile, which he wrote with Howard Ashman. But while prepping it, Frank Military of Warner Chappell also got me the title song, which I fell in love with, plus In Our Hands, ditto. But he said I’d have to call Marvin and get his permission. So, I called, got his service, and asked him to call me at my office at Varese Sarabande. Thankfully, Frank Military had told him about me and my former label, Bay Cities and it turns out Marvin was a fan of what I’d been doing, and had really liked Unsung Sondheim and Liz Callaway’s album. About an hour later, the phone rang at Varese, I was told it was for me, and five seconds later I was conversing with Marvin about Smile. He was gracious and funny, but he simply didn’t understand why I would have any interest in recording songs from a big flop show. I was my usual relentless self, telling him how much I loved the score and that I thought the show’s failure had nothing to do with him and that had it opened either a few years earlier or several years later, that it might have had a different fate. I guess I did a good job, because he said, “Fine, do them if you really want to.” And we did, and they were wonderful and I believe he was very happy with them.
Flash forward to Kritzerland. After much trying, I finally got the deal to issue Bananas on CD for the first time – that was just so exciting and we sold out of it pretty quickly. And then we did another Hamlisch score, the beautiful Romantic Comedy. Meanwhile, our very own Adyran Russ had become kind of friendly with him through the Society of Composers and Lyricists, where she’s on the board. Several months ago she told him I’d been thinking about an all Hamlisch show, because I’d wanted to do a Hamlisch album way back when. She asked him if he would come and maybe play a song, and he was completely open to the idea – I even know that September was talked about. But then his schedule wasn’t going to work out, and that was that. But Adryan and I still wanted to do it and we were going to try and figure out when would be best. We’ll still do the show, but sadly Marvin will be making his marvelous music elsewhere. He was one of a kind.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled notes. Yesterday was fine. Nothing wrong with yesterday that I can think of. I got up at nine, answered a lot of e-mails and by the time I was through I had to get ready for my on camera interview for Author House. The cameraman arrived at eleven, right after the helper came and picked up invoices. We decided to shoot the interview in the book room. He set up the shot and we began. He had the questions Author House had provided. And I was my usual long-winded self and made sure I covered everything I wanted to. There was a lot of repetition in the questions, so I just sort of took them in other directions because when it’s edited they can just use all of it without questions, because I always rephrase the question (or one of my own) before giving the answer. It was fun and I think he had a really good time, because he’s had to shoot some of these that weren’t so much fun. It helped him that I knew the routine. We shot some b-roll – me sitting at the computer typing, me outside by the pool reading, that kind of stuff. It took a little over two hours.
Then I went and had a turkey sandwich and no onion rings or fries, then picked up no packages (an Ontrac arrived after I’d been there, which I hate, so I’ll get it today), then came home. The helper came back because I had to write three little notes to Hal Prince, Jonathan Tunick, and John McMartin, to send with their Follies CDs. I also had a sweet private message on one of the Broadway boards from the daughter of Dorothy Collins asking if she could get one. And as soon as she gets me her address, she shall.
Then I buckled down, Winsocki and finished one set of liner notes. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Outland. I’d never seen the film before – don’t know why really, as I kind of liked its director back then (Peter Hyams) and it had Sean Connery and a Jerry Goldsmith score. I bought the DVD when it came out and never even took it out of the package. So, it was fun to finally see it. It’s not a very good movie, but I enjoyed it for what it was, which was not a very good movie. It sort of goes along for an hour, has a good chase and some okay bits, and then, at that point, it becomes High Noon. But it doesn’t work as High Noon because the geography of the space thing they’re on is so confusing you never know where anyone is. High Noon works because the entire film plays in eight-something minutes in a very small one-street town. So, the last thirty minutes just aren’t all that compelling, and unlike High Noon, you never really have a clew as to who the supporting characters are who won’t help the space marshal.
The Blu and Ray sports a nice transfer, and the Goldsmith score works well in the film. Also, Mr. Connery is always a pleasure to watch, and Frances Sternhagen is really fun as a crusty nurse.
After that, I began the second set of liner notes and got a few paragraphs in, so that was progress. Then we had a teeny-tiny temblor, and then I received a completely wacky telephonic call from Cindy Williams, who’s in Alberta doing a play called Sylvia, with Eddie Mekka. They were trying to figure out who sang Anyone Can Whistle. Of course I said Lee Remick, but that’s not who they were thinking of. Then Cindy thought it might have been someone from Plaza Suite, but that wasn’t right. Then she was sure the name of the singer was Barbara – I said the only musical theater Barbara I knew from that era (besides Streisand) was Barbara Harris. Cindy thought that’s who it was, but frankly I don’t know when Barbara Harris would have ever sung Anyone Can Whistle back then.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I need a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I must have an early lunch with Miss Daisy Eagan, after which I have errands and whatnot to do, hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, I have to call the shipping company to see what’s what about the Thursday delivery, I have to finish the second set of liner notes, I have to continue choosing songs (only about six to go, I think), and then I’ll be able to relax. In fact, I may just treat myself to one of them there foot massage things.
Tomorrow, it’s more of the same, Friday it’s more of the same, Saturday I’ll be taping our radio show with Mr. Donald Feltham (an all Follies show you won’t want to miss), and Sunday I may actually be able to have a ME day, but I’m not sure about that yet.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora or the samba, for today is the birthday of the very errant and truant dear reader der Brucer. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to the very errant and truant dear reader der Brucer. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO THE VERY ERRANT AND TRUANT DEAR READER DER BRUCER!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have an early lunch with Daisy Eagan, I must do errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up some packages, I must talk to the shipping company, I must continue choosing songs, and I must relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall sing The Way We Were.