Well, dear readers, Kritzerland has moved to a new web host and we will never again have to hear we have too many files and directories at the root level. The move happened surreptitiously yesterday morning with no fanfare or ballyhoo. Now we have to try to get refunded the hosting money I paid in advance a year ago since we’re not using a year of that time. We’ll see how that goes. This has been a long time coming and I knew it was inevitable because we have had real problems with our former host – they once took our site down for six hours because someone called them and told them we didn’t have the rights to an album we released, that this person owned those rights. Of course, they didn’t. This person who called was never asked for proof of ownership, it was all on us. It had to be dealt with through e-mails and it took hours to get responses. I asked them a simple question: So, I can call you and say that some other person’s website is selling something illegally and you will, based on my call, without knowing a damn thing about me, take their site off line? The answer was – yes. But see, I believe there’s a little thing in this country and this little thing is innocent until proven guilty. We provided the proof they needed and they put us back on line. But the same troublemaker called them back and made more allegations and they took us off line again a day later. This time I had a lawyer call them and they swiftly put us back on line. But since that day, I vowed to leave them because who wants to be with a bunch of creeps like that – you can’t actually have a conversation with anyone about it – all via e-mail. No discussion, no nothing. Well, bye bye Daddy. When we had this other files and root business that was it – and the first question I asked of our new host is how they would handle things if they got a call from some guy saying he owned the rights to something and we were selling illegally. The response was just what you’d want to hear: We’d demand proof of the GUY, not you. We’d demand a court order, in fact, and IF they could provide such a thing, we’d still come to you to see what’s what and the site would never be off line. The worst case scenario is you’d remove the product. Seems like a reasonable way to deal with such things. But the fact that our previous host could be called by ANYONE, any IDIOT who could make any false claim and someone’s website would immediately be taken off line is just heinous (HEINOUS, do you hear me). When questioned about it their answer is always the same – read our terms of service. Well, Daddy, your terms of service can kiss my ASS.
What a long and passionate paragraph that was, wasn’t it? In any case, the move to the new host was without incident and I don’t have to worry about such silliness again. I was up at nine thanks to the ringing of the telephonic device. It was film restoration expert, Robert A. Harris, and we had a nice chat about some things that I cannot talk about. After that, I had a nice chat with composer David Shire – it looks like he’ll be able to come out and see our October Maltby and Shire show, so that’s very exciting. We’re trying to set that cast now and we’re trying for a big guest star. We went to Maureen McGovern, but her schedule is wonky that week. We’ve got an e-mail out to another singer of her stature (bigger, actually). After that, I had a sandwich and no fries or onion rings and had another long telephonic conversation, this time with our very own Mr. Nick Redman. I picked up one package, then came home and did a three-mile jog.
After that, I began writing one set of liner notes. I got about halfway done, but then had to listen to the master for another project – that came out really well and I’m jiggy with it. Then the raw takes for the CD I was writing the notes for began to upload to Dropbox, so while that was happening I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Bus Stop, starring Miss Marilyn Monroe, Mr. Don Murray, Mr. Arthur O’Connell, and Miss Eileen Heckart. I first saw Bus Stop back when it came out – I was pretty young at the time, but I pretty much loved all Cinemascope and stereophonic movies as they played at my beloved Stadium theater. Interestingly, I don’t believe I’ve seen it all the way through since then. I’ve watched bits and pieces, certainly. Maybe I watched the DVD all the way through but I can’t remember – it would probably be in our notes archive if anyone wanted to search. I have to say, I just loved seeing it again. Marilyn Monroe was just magical. She seemed to be putting her all into this part and the camera just loves her. She’s got that old black magic and when she sings that song you just sit there (even though she’s not supposed to be good) and smile – she just had that indefinable something. Don Murray is also terrific, just a wonderful performance. And Arthur O’Connell is always great no matter what film. He was one of the best character actors ever. I’ve told the story before, but my father’s late in life career change from restaurant owner to CPA included Mr. O’Connell as a client. They became very close and the night we previewed The First Nudie Musical in Westwood (where we previewed with Woody Allen’s Love and Death and got more laughs – and it was the first preview after we removed the Where Is a Man musical number), my father brought Mr. O’Connell with him. My father didn’t really know anything about what I was doing with this film so he didn’t know what to expect. That screening was jammed with incredible people and the reaction was rather spectacular – our sale to Paramount was because of that screening. After, my father introduced me to Mr. O’Connell. My father had loved the movie and Mr. O’Connell was gracious but later I found out he found it VERY outrageous and offensive – funny, but offensive. I liked that.
Eileen Heckart was also wonderful in it, and Hope Lange in her first film is just adorable and perfect. Joshua Logan’s direction is top notch, and the script by George Axelrod (from the play by William Inge) is excellent. The transfer, while not quite up to Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, is still quite good, with mostly excellent color. It is highly recommended by the likes of me.
After that, I got all the raw tracks from Dropbox and put them in iTunes. I then spent several hours doing the edit road map for it – very time consuming, but I got it all done and it should be a great album. I finished the liner notes for that project and got all that stuff to the designer because we’re on the fast track to make it the next release. If we don’t make it, I have two other CDs ready to go. But I think we will make it – the cover had already been designed so we were a little ahead in the first place. The edit road map should make things easy for the mastering guy, but there are some tricky things with this album, including several cues that have choir overlays to do – luckily we have the previously released CDs and they can be matched perfectly to those in terms of level and synch. And that was my day and that was my night or as Cole Porter put it, Night and Day.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. I then have to listen to all the Sandy Bainum mixes very carefully so I can make notes about anything I want to finesse. I began doing it yesterday but only got through one song, and there was one tiny thing to finesse there. I’ll do a jog, eat, start another set of liner notes and also start the commentary for the anniversary show. And I’ll relax because it’s really the only day I’ll have where I can actually do that.
Tomorrow, I meet Lanny at Westlake Studios and we listen to all the mixes, finesse whatever needs finessing and then the mixes are locked and get sent to the mastering guy. Then I have to figure out the album order. I’m hoping we all feel like a nice Astroburger lunch. Monday, I have a work session with the musical director of the anniversary show, and I think there’s something going on Monday night but I have no idea what it might be. The rest of the week is meetings and meals and mostly writing liner notes and commentary.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, listen to mixes, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, write and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Marilyn Monroe? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall get up and sing that old black magic or maybe even that old green magic.