Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Munch have his way with Tchaikovsky and am therefore feeling very Russian. But I shan’t be rushin’ to write these here notes, despite feeling Russian. I like the Russian composers, especially Rachmaninov, my favorite. In fact, several pop songs “borrowed” from Rachmaninov – two by Eric Carmen, who borrowed piano concerto 2 for All By Myself, and from Symphony 2 for Never Gonna Fall in Love Again. The first popular song I heard from a Rachmaninov tune was the very famous Full Moon and Empty Arms. And as I’m writing these here notes, there IS a full moon and certainly I have empty arms. I hate when that happens. I also have a full stomach and empty refrigerator, but that’s because I’ve eaten everything I bought the other day – enough for two chicken meals and then perhaps Wacky Noodles today or tomorrow, whichever strikes my fancy. Whichever often strikes my fancy, and occasionally my fancy strikes whichever. And vice versa. Now even though I’m listening to Walter Piston’s sixth symphony I’ve got the tune of Full Moon and Empty arms in my head and frankly they make uneasy bed partners. Walter Piston was not a Russian, he was an American through and through and he wrote no tunes that were ever used in a pop song. I wonder if there’s a complete list of classical themes adapted into popular song. We all know, of course, that Wright and Forrest had their way with Borodin for Kismet, which yielded some hits, and then they had their way with Rachmaninov, which did not yield some hits. But I think they had a couple of other shows where they used classical composers – is that right? Of course, I’m Always Chasing Rainbows is Chopin, Whiter Shade of Pale is Mr. Bach, A Lover’s Concerto is also Mr. Bach, Could It Be Magic is Chopin, well, apparently the Liszt is endless, if you get my meaning, and I know you do.
Yesterday was a day that annoyed me, delighted me briefly, and annoyed me, but ended on a quiet and relaxed note, namely A-flat. I got six hours of sleep and was up by ten. I did a few things, found we lost one of our guest stars for August, so I’ve sought a replacement, but I was so tired I went back to sleep and actually got two more hours, getting up again at two o’clock. I then moseyed on over to the mail place to pick a package I knew had been delivered. I was handed a package and I left – however, when I got home and opened it it was NOT the package that had been delivered – they were too lazy to go see if anything else had arrived, and this seems to be a constant issue there. I called and nicely but sternly said that it can’t keep happening, that this package, which I needed, now wouldn’t be able to be retrieved until the next day. Then I was hungry, so I sautéed some onions, mushrooms, and green beans along with the chicken that was left over, which wasn’t all that much. I put that over rice and ate it all up and it was very tasty, I must say, and therefore HAVE said. Then I got the delightful thing, part of the mystery thing I’m doing, and that was delightful and brought me some joy (yoj, spelled backwards).
Then I read some more of the Paul Hirsch book, which led me to have a hankering to watch The Fury, which he edited for Brian De Palma. I have both the Twilight Time Blu-ray and the Arrow Blu-ray, and frankly even though the Arrow is a newer transfer off the camera negative, I actually prefer the Twilight Time because it more accurately resembles the theatrical prints. It was interesting watching it, having just read the chapter about its editing. But wouldn’t you think if you were writing a book about your editing experiences, you would make sure everything is accurate by, I don’t know, watching the films? In The Fury chapter, Hirsch specifically talks about a shot that didn’t make sense to him, a close-up of Amy Irving’s hands scratching the arm of a couch, and how when he questioned De Palma about its intention, how De Palma snapped at him, “You’re the editor, figure it out.” He ended up doing a nice cross-cutting thing. The only problem here is that it’s not Amy Irving who’s scratching the arm of the couch, it’s Andrew Stevens – Amy Irving is doing a like movement (hence the cross-cutting) on a wall. Anyway, the movie has its moments, but it’s really not a great film.
After that, I listened to music, relaxed, and pondered the classical themes into pop songs question.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do some banking and hopefully not have a crazy wait time, I’ll pick up yesterday’s package today, I’ll eat (could be Wacky Noodles, could be egg burritos, could be something I’m not even thinking of), I’ll do work on the Kritzerland show, both the July 12 and the August 9 shows. After that, I’ll watch, listen, relax, and read.
Tomorrow will be more of the same and then at six we do our first Facebook Live test so please join us then – six west coast time, nine east coast time. It would be nice to have a nice number of folks in attendance so we can have some FUN. Friday is more of the same and we do our second Facebook Live test, and Saturday is our third Facebook Live test, and then Sunday we do our show. These three Facebook Live tests will be the last of them – they’re just designed to make sure we have no technical issues, but if we don’t, then there won’t really be any reason to do more of them, and they’re a little stressful for me. But you’ll hear three BK songs, so if that interests you, tune in.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do some banking, hopefully pick up packages, eat, work on the Kritzerland shows, then watch, listen, relax, and read. 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, happy to have realized how much great classical music has been “borrowed” for pop music and to know the Liszt is endless.