Gary Owen's Blog

I haven't posted here for nearly 4 years. Today, I thought I'd showcase one of my favorite videos of us Blue Meanies performing at the St. George Theater, Staten Island, NY. It was filmed in 2019 at our annual Beatles Blast as we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the "Abbey Road" album. A lot has happened since my last post. On May 11, 2019, we lost our drummer, JT, at the age of 69. Hence the reason this video features our original, and now permanent, drummer Drew Paradine. This was one month after JT had passed and- as a tribute- Drew played JT's Gretsch drum set.  Anyway, pump it up and sing along to our rendition of "Here Comes The Sun" ......which I dedicated to my Norwegian wife, Mette!

Hey! It's good to know this old blog is still here!  Here's a link to my latest blog on my now main website, "Gary Owen Musician". It deals with the scorn that is always thrown at the Beatles releases on Capitol Records in the USA. Check it out: In Defense Of The Beatles US Releases

Well, well, well! It's been so long!  Hoping this message finds you all feeling groovy. With that in mind, take a meander at my new website. Yes, please do. :) Gary Owen - Musician

The "I Feel Fine / She's A Woman" single was released on November 23, 1964 (US) and November 27, 1964 (UK). Naturally, the "A" side, which we concentrate on here, became a worldwide #1 hit single. This time, for us Yankees, George Martin intentionally mixed a Beatles single a bit differently. Capitol Records had a habit (sometimes good sometimes not) of adding reverb to their releases as they assumed Americans preferred a "bigger sound" (many did). With Beatles releases, it w as usually the stereo LP's which were slammed with the extra effect. Most notably, the stereo version of "The Beatles Second Album" . Many fans actually prefer hearing those songs in this beefed up manner. I must admit, I love what they did to "Roll Over Beethoven" as the dry mix- in both mono and stereo- makes George Harrison's Gretsch electric sound like he's playing inside a tin can. A Gretsch should never be "pointy" and that ...

In 1965, 437 hopefuls auditioned for what became the sitcom known as "The Monkees" . As we all know, four guys: Michael Nesmith, David Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork passed said auditions. .  Bla bla bla. Old news. Recording sessions for the project began in June, 1966 with the first single "Last Train To Clarksville" released that August. The TV show debuted on Monday, September 12, 1966. This was after "Clarksville" had already reached #1. The first LP was released that October and- along with the follow up "More Of The Monkees" - is still one of the biggest selling albums in history. Bla bla bla. Old news. Now, here's where my thread gets interesting...... Because of silly union rules, The Monkees were not allowed to perform the instruments on the first two albums and singles. This did not sit well with Nesmith and Tork. In fact, Nesmith made sure he would produce some of his original tunes and that they be included on the...

In June, 1964, United Artists' released their soundtrack to " A Hard Day's Night" . They were very anxious to get this LP out, so- excepting "Can't Buy Me Love" - EMI sent them rough mono mixes of all the songs. Meanwhile, Capitol Records- the label The Beatles were signed to in pretty much all the western hemisphere- somehow lost the rights to this gold mine of an album. They decided to release a "semi-soundtrack" with an album titled "Something New" . The company was also sent the same rough mono mixes of the tunes featured in the flick- plus one which was supposed to be in the movie....... ......and that song was "I'll Cry Instead" .  This Country-Rock flavored tune was originally going to be used during the police chase scene but director Richard Lester felt it wasn't quite right. Instead, he decided to repeat the hit "Can't Buy Me Love" . He also (stupidly) cut "You Can't Do Tha...

A continuation of my Beatles green "Starline Series" thread..... By 1969, Capitol Records had switched over to what is now known to collectors as the red and orange "target label" (my favorite). For whatever reason, in 1971, the company decided to reissue two of the unique 1965 Starline singles on said target label: "Roll Over Beethoven / Misery" and "Boys / Kansas City" . This time, they were released as regular reissues and did not bear the name "Starline". These singl es were only pressed at the Jacksonville, Illinois plant and are not common. At the same time (and plant) Capitol mistakenly pressed up a small run of the Canadian 45 "All My Loving / This Boy" which- in 1964- reached #45 in the US as an import. It bears the Canadian catalog number but has US markings. Once the error was discovered, production was immediately halted and the single withdrawn. Yes, it's rare. 

In January, 1962, Capitol Records launched it's "Starline" series as a vehicle for reissuing old hit singles. The 45's feature a greenish version of the classic yellow and orange swirl label which adorned Capitol's regular singles in the 1960's. IMHO, I think this label is more attractive, and, yes, their rarity does add to it. :) The six Beatles singles released in Capitol's Starline series were: 1. Twist And Shout / There's A Place (6061) 2. Love  Me Do / P.S. I Love You ( 6062) 3.  Please Please Me / From Me To You  (6063) 4. Do You Want To Know A Secret / Thank You Girl (6064) 5. Roll Over Beethoven / Misery (6065) 6. Boys / Kansas City (6066) The first four were reissues of singles which were released earlier on the Vee Jay and Tollie labels. The last two were unique creations by Capitol. For whatever stupid reason, three tunes:  "Misery" , "There's A Place" and "From Me To You" had not been releas...

Yes! Summer is on it's way! With that, let's celebrate by singing along with this groovy song from The Monkees new album "Good Times!"

Well, it's yet another new year. This means it's time for some Rare Earth. I am sure you see the connection? "I Just Want To Celebrate" was released in 1971 and reached #7. Grooviness abounds.

Thanks to everyone at CTV for helping me with this. :)

There's always room for new things....... Yes. Contrary to public opinion, this most certainly applies to Gary Owen Land. The latest new acquisitions being the following (click on the links): The first replaces my worn out Gretsch bar stool which has now been officially retired. The second will act as a back up for my constantly used PA. It most certainly shall be utilized at smaller gigs like house parties etc. All in all, two wonderful additions to the evolving- and currently under renovation- Gary Owen Land. See you in the next post.

With Michael Nesmith (2015): Click here:  Grand Ennui - Michael Nesmith & The First National Band  Click here:  Grand Ennui - Gary Owen

Well, here's an interesting one..... In 1983, ELO delivered their album "Secret Messages"  to the record label as a two-record set. CBS promptly told Jeff Lynne it was too expensive to press it up so he was forced to trim it down to a single platter. Many tracks were dropped- but over the course of a few years- some trickled out as "B" sides to 7" and 12" singles. Others finally saw the light of day via ELO box sets and "Hello My Old Friend" is one of them. It finally came out as part of ELO's 1990 US-only  "Afterglow" box set. I've read that- by 1983- Jeff Lynne wanted to end ELO to pursue a solo career- and as a sort of majestic send-off for the band- this epic 7-minute-plus opus was to be the closing track on "Secret Messages" .  The band owed CBS two more albums and I guess Lynne thought he could fulfill the contract with this double release. When it was finally released in 1983, the LP reached #36. ELO w...

My Facebook Artist page is now up and running. Click here:   Gary Owen Facebook Artist Page

Here is a video montage sample of some of the music I perform.

"Sea Of Tranquility" hails from one of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot LP's:  "Dream Street Rose" (reached #60). The hypnotic melody- with it's wistful and clever lyrics- describe life in and around nature (forest, rivers, ocean). Lightfoot has a knack for clearly describing all the colorful elements like "old rusty nails" or "where the varmints hang out". Quite an ethereal tune and one of his best. "Dream Street Rose" (1980):

It seems the "Winter Of Discontent" is doing it's best to hang on like a vice grip. This didn't stop Mette and I from meandering to nine different states within a week- and though it seemed as if it was warming up- the weather keeps falling back into February mode. I guess the best way to deal with it is just that: deal with it. Let's hear another bright and sunny tune. Maybe it will inspire Mother Nature to allow Spring to come in full blast. Sing it Simon, Crosby and Nash............ Here Comes The Sun (Simon, Crosby & Nash)

Well, what do you know? Nearly ten years after Mike Caro and I recorded the backing track for this Dennis A. Pickens recording, it seems it was finally released on the promised Rick Nelson tribute album as it was intended.  "Anytime" was written by Nelson and included on the 1971 Stone Canyon Band LP "Rudy The Fifth" (reached #204....ouch). Dennis A. Pickens is a musician who hails from the deep south- and around 2004-05- contacted Mike Caro (Submarine Studios, Staten Island, NY) about producing an online recording of this Nelson tune. Mike asked me to help with the session and arrangement which isn't too far off from the 1971 rendition. Fellow Blue Meanie John Thomas plays drums, I am on guitars and Mike does everything else plus backing vocals. He plays a killer keyboard solo which I helped arrange (I am proud of that). I also threw in a few extra riffs here and there and added the big major chord at the very end. Mike Caro is easily the most talented and ...

Lots of music this week. Between trekking up to Smallwood, New York for a benefit show (two miles from the original Woodstock site), rehearsing and meandering about the region, my blogging has become- for the moment, de-blogged. With that in mind, let's fill the void by listening to this cool, rare, late period, sung-by-Robbie-Krieger Doors track from their last LP "Full Circle" (1972): Four Billion Souls - The Doors (1972)