The Unmistakable Sounds of Nelson Riddle Transformed Generations of Music
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Frank Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” Judy Garland’s “Come Rain or Come Shine” and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” would not be the same immortal melodies without the musical genius of prolific composer and arranger Nelson Riddle, arguably the greatest of his era.
Riddle collaborated with the biggest musical stars of his time, including Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. But it was his work with Frank Sinatra that made him a household name the world over. By the time his career was winding down, Riddle was working with new names on the scene like Linda Ronstadt. He also wrote the hit TV theme “Route 66” from the 1960s series of the same name, composed the score to Batman: The Movie (1966) and turned down an offer from Paul McCartney to collaborate on a song. His shelf included Grammy and Oscar awards.
A revealing new biography from Geoffrey Littlefield, Nelson Riddle: Music with a Heartbeat, takes readers inside the world of the wildly successful but enigmatic Riddle. With the help of the late composer’s musician son, Christopher, Littlefield shares first-hand anecdotes, never-before-seen photographs and stories of some of the 20th Century’s biggest names in entertainment.
Littlefield traces Riddle’s life from the small town of Oradell, New Jersey, through a career that saw him hailed as the veritable king of what came to be known as the Great American Songbook — the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century.
But Littlefield reveals that, like so many creative souls, Riddle was a complex and troubled figure. His marriage to Doreen, with whom he had seven children, was rocky and constantly under threat from his numerous affairs.
“A complex and often forlorn genius, he will forever be remembered for his work with Sinatra,” Littlefield says. “But like fine wines, his later vintage was just as palatable, if somewhat of a surprise.”
Author Geoffrey Littlefield is a baby boomer born in London, England, whose lifelong passions include soccer and music. His first magazine article was published when he was just 13 years old, featuring interviews with Chelsea FC and England soccer players. His love of music grew simultaneously, with particular focus on the Great American Songbook. Geoffrey eventually moved into professional music management and record production, and his written works include an exclusive interview with singer Vic Damone. He has been the subject of several radio and television interviews about the Great American Songbook, both in the U.K. and U.S. Littlefield continues to write, produce and direct. He has two movie screenplays in development and a documentary set for release later in 2021.
Follow author Geoffrey Littlefield on Instagram at musicheartbeat1; on Twitter at @GeoffreyLittl13; and on Facebook at NelsonRiddleBook.
Nelson Riddle: Music with a Heartbeat Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing ISBN-10: 1839754400 ISBN-13: 978-1839754401 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com, www.getmybook.tv and many other outlets
Trish Stevens Holly McClure Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Don’t Stop Dancing Shares Untold Stories From The Life Of Michael Jackson
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Everyone knows that Michael Jackson was discovered by Motown Records, the label that launched Michael and his brothers into the recording industry’s stratosphere, right? Not quite, says music producer and history buff Gary Revel, who interviewed former music producers Ben Brown and Gordon Keith for his latest investigative effort, Don’t Stop Dancing: Stranger Than Fiction.
Brown and Keith were two of the founders of Steeltown Records, a short-lived label in Gary, Indiana, and the first label to record a Jackson 5 single featuring the iconic voice of Michael Jackson. The long-held narrative that Motown Records initially discovered the Jackson 5’s immense talent was perpetuated by Berry Gordy (Motown’s founder) and the Jackson Empire, according to Revel’s account in the book.
“Ben [Brown] and Gordon [Keith] had produced the Jackson 5 in Gary, Indiana, before they started making music recordings for Motown,” Revel writes. “The first single record ‘Big Boy’ was produced by them and released on their label, Steeltown Records. It is the first music release on which Michael Jackson sang.”
Even though Michael has been gone for more than a decade, “he continues to sell more albums than many music icons of our time and his fan club still has over 3 billion card-carrying, dues-paying, faithful members worldwide! It’s no wonder that Rolling Stone Magazine deemed him the 12th most important figure in rock music history.” The King of Pop lives on today through his music and videos and “we believe Michael’s billions of fans around the world will want to know the many never-before-told facts that are in this updated edition of the book,” says Revel.
In the early 1990s, Revel, who had investigated the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., was asked to help expose the truth of the secretive life, music and career of Michael Jackson. But his efforts were put on hold when child sex charges against Michael Jackson took center stage. Later, Revel resumed his research, and he “not only found the truth but he also found those who wanted to keep the truth secret.” Revel says that Don’t Stop Dancing: Stranger Than Fiction “answers all the questions the world has about the life, music and career of Michael Jackson.”
Author Gary Revel was born in Florala, Alabama. After his parents divorced when he was just 5, music became a trusted companion, and he formed his first band when he was 15. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy. His Honorable Discharge came, and Hollywood called, then New York, Memphis, Nashville and back to Hollywood. Along the way, Revel investigated the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in association with the US Government’s House Select Committee on Assassinations. Revel is currently writing, publishing and developing music, as well as literary and motion picture projects. For more information, please visit http://garyrevel.com.
Don’t Stop Dancing: Stranger Than Fiction Publisher: Jongleur Books ISBN-13: 979-8635490112 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Patricia McCune Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
To Live or Maybe Not Takes Readers On Adventurous Ride With Musician Gary Revel
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Musician and historian Gary Revel fully expects readers to say, “No way this could be true,” as they peruse the pages of his colorful memoir, To Live or Maybe Not.
“Don’t worry, I feel the same way when I remember some things I have done in my life,” he quips in the book’s prologue.
Part coming-of-age and part adventurous road trip, To Live or Maybe Not begins in Florala, Alabama, near the Florida state line in 1949. Readers who experienced the nomadic, hippie culture of the ’60s and ’70s will be overcome with nostalgia, as Revel takes a long, winding stroll down a memory lane paved with colorful characters and unforgettable situations. We follow Revel through his unusual upbringing, his high school days and his US Navy service during Vietnam.
Most people associate Revel with his accomplishments in the music industry, and it was after his honorable discharge from the Navy that he found himself in Hollywood, California, where his music career blossomed. He eventually traveled back across the country to New York City, Memphis and Nashville. Revel includes entertaining anecdotes from his music career and his pivot toward family life before his life took yet another turn and he began his investigation into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
To Live or Maybe Not leaves off with Revel and his family back in Hollywood. It’s the end of the book but the beginning of more adventures and books to come.
Author Gary Revel was born in Florala, Alabama. After his parents divorced when he was just 5, music became a trusted companion, and he formed his first band when he was 15. After a long career in music, Revel found himself investigating the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in association with the US Government’s House Select Committee on Assassinations. Revel continues to release and distribute music via his Jongleur Music company as well as develop motion pictures via his Jongleur Pictures company. He is also the author of My Angel from Heaven, Milestones, Grempk and Don’t Stop Dancing: Stranger Than Fiction, his investigation into the life of Michael Jackson.
Trish Stevens Jenny Crain-Harrison Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
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Meryl Streep: On the Couch Offers Intimate Look At Hollywood Icon
The widely popular On the Couch series by Alma Bond, Ph.D., has given readers unique and revealing perspectives into the lives of Marilyn Monroe, Jackie O, Hillary Clinton and Barbara Streisand as seen through the eyes of fictitious New York psychoanalyst Dr. Darcy Dale.
Dr. Bond’s latest, Meryl Streep: On the Couch, takes us inside the life of this Hollywood icon and political activist who’s been nominated for more than 20 Oscars. Her film-ography reads like a greatest hits from the past 40 years, from Kramer v. Kramer to The Devil Wears Prada and the enchanting Mama Mia! ― Streep has seemingly checked every box. But who is she when the cameras aren’t rolling? Readers are about to find out!
When Streep decides to pay Dr. Darcy Dale a visit, it isn’t for treatment. Streep is preparing for her next role, and she’s come to observe and study Manhattan’s most successful psychoanalyst. The two women strike a deal: Streep will have to undergo psychoanalytic treatment herself as part of her research. What follows is a tale that explores the journey and the psyche of a character whose spell never wears off on fans.
Author Alma H. Bond received her Ph.D. from Columbia University and became a highly successful psychoanalyst in private practice for 37 years in New York City. She “retired” to become a full-time writer. She has written more than 26 books, including her On the Couch Series, Camille Claudel, a Novel; The Autobiography of Maria Callas, a Novel; Old Age is a Terminal Illness; I Married Dr. Jekyll and Woke Up Mrs. Hyde; On Becoming a Grandparent; and a children’s book, The Tree That Could Fly. Dr. Bond also wrote the play, Maria, about the life of Maria Callas.
Her late husband, Rudy Bond, was a well-known actor, appearing in many films such as A Streetcar Named Desire, top Broadway shows and in more than 100 TV shows. He also wrote the book I Rode a Streetcar Named Desire. The Bonds have three children, all of whom have published books, and eight grandchildren, none of whom have published books … yet.
Meryl Streep: On the Couch
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Release Date: December 2019
ISBN-10: 161088499X
ISBN-13: 978-1610884990
Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and BancroftPress.com
Trish Stevens Shelby Morrison Ascot Media Group Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Phone [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
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“The World’s Most Expensive Jacket (Ten Million Dollars),” Designed By Farrah Gray And Diamond Extraordinaire Peter Marco
“The world’s most expensive jacket is here! Valued at ten million dollars, it was first revealed in a private unveiling in Beverly Hills, CA, on February 18, 2019,” says designer Farrah Gray. The unveiling took place at Peter Marco’s world-renowned, extraordinary jewelry store on the world-famous, ultra-posh Rodeo Drive. It’s stunning, to say the least!
The jacket is available at Peter Marco’s Extraordinary Jewels, 252 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. This diamond bejeweled jacket was designed and created with award-winning fashion designer Farrah Gray, and this beautiful jacket is a piece of art, bedazzling over 460 carats of flawless diamonds. It is a piece that will never be reproduced!
The world’s most beautiful trendsetters and tastemakers who can appreciate it, nicknamed it “The One.” It is constructed of 100% black python leather, featuring a posh, silk interior lining. This beautiful and handsome jacket is handmade using the finest of quality materials and fabric. “Sewn together with 99% GIA certified diamonds by Peter Marco, it is truly a one-of-a-kind art installation and jacket for the fashion extraordinaire with ten million dollars to spare!” says Gray.
“The jacket can be worn by the opulent man or woman who yearns for quality, taste and extravagant, stunning works of art when rubbing shoulders with their elite colleagues. It sets a new world record and a new standard of high couture fashion and wearable art.”
Viewings are by appointment only. A percentage of the proceeds will go to several charitable organizations chosen by the purchaser. It is available now, exclusively at Peter Marco Beverly Hills. “And it is the first of its kind in any line of diamond bejeweled jackets in the world,” adds Gray.
For more information, visit or follow Farrah Gray and Peter Marco on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/petermarco90210 and www.instagram.com/farrahgray_ .
Interviews are available upon request with Farrah Gray and Peter Marco who will be accompanied by the ten million dollar bejeweled jacket.
Trish Stevens Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Main/Office 832.334.2733 Cell [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
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Bailey, No Ordinary Cat Delightful For All Ages
For fans of Grumpy Cat and Cats of Instagram, there’s a new cat in town — Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, of Facebook and Instagram fame, is an extraordinary cat with a growing fan base. His videos have garnered millions of views and have been shared by Ellen, Good Morning America, ABC News, CBS News and more.
What makes Bailey more addictive than catnip? In addition to his adorable expressions and hilarious, heartfelt antics, Bailey has a penchant for doing things that are demonstratively uncatlike — things like taking bubble baths (and enjoying them), sitting attentively in a chair and being read to (for hours), getting a “pet”-icure and exuding unending patience while co-raising his human siblings Abby and Hannah (yes, there is photographic evidence that Bailey helped with potty-training).
To celebrate the unique, quirky spirit of this one-of-a-kind feline, his human mom, Erin Merryn, has released Bailey, No Ordinary Cat. Filled with more than 100 pages of color photographs and captions from the voice of Bailey himself, this personal peek into the life of one purr-fectly precious feline will delight cat lovers of all ages.
Bailey, like all cats, was not destined to live forever. But through Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, his big heart and even bigger personality will continue to evoke love and laughter well beyond his years here on earth.
About the Author
Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife and mom. She was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year in 2012 and a People magazine Hero Among Us for her tireless work promoting Erin’s Law nationwide with a mission to keep children safe through age-appropriate education about personal body safety. In addition to Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, she is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today and An Unimaginable Act.
Baily, No Ordinary Cat
Publisher: HCI Books
Release date: April 5, 2019
ISBN-10: 0757321844
ISBN-13: 9780757321849
Available wherever books are sold. To order from the publisher, contact
(800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com.
Trish Stevens Ascot Media Group Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Phone 832.569.5539 Fax [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
Playing Back the 80s Takes Readers On Nostalgic Romp With Decade’s Most Memorable Hit Makers
Old Forge, PA. From Modern English and the Hooters to Bananarama and the B-52s, the music of the 1980s bounced to a distinctive beat that defined the decade as one of the last great glory eras of pop music. And thanks to the dawn of MTV and shows like “Friday Night Videos,” a generation of music lovers suddenly had faces — and often elaborately staged mini-movies — to make the music’s messages stick.
To get to the heart of what made this decade’s music so special that it still streams endlessly in businesses and on satellite radios everywhere, music journalist Jim Beviglia weaves an en-tertaining narrative of the stories behind the phenomenal pop music era in Playing Back the 80s: A Decade of Unstoppable Hits.
Anyone who’s ever rocked a mullet or painstakingly made a mix tape will find memories in every line of lyrics as Beviglia delves deep into the creative process with artists such as Huey Lewis, Rick Springfield, Kim Carnes, Vernon Reid, Dennis DeYoung, Colin Hay and Eddie Money. All told, Playing Back the 80s features original interviews with more than 60 artists, producers, session players, writers and others who were directly involved with the most memorable songs of the decade, sharing the stories of how they created — often against im-posing odds and in the midst of bizarre circumstances — the unstoppable hits and unherald-ed gems that still enchant so many fans today.
Playing Back the 80s will have music fans pulling their old cassettes out of storage and re-membering when and where they heard the songs first. For those who didn’t grow up in the 80s, this endlessly fun book will show them what the fuss was all about and maybe reveal a few surprises along the way.
Jim Beviglia is the author of Counting Down Bob Dylan: His 100 Finest Songs; Counting Down Bruce Springsteen: His 100 Finest Songs; Counting Down The Rolling Stones: Their 100 Finest Songs; and Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, all published by Rowman & Littlefield. In addition, Beviglia is the featured writer at American Songwriter mag-azine, where he writes about both new and classic artists for the print and online editions. He also hosts his own blog at countdownkid.wordpress.com, where he focuses on the back cata-logs of some of rock and pop’s greatest artists and songwriters.
Playing Back The 80s: A Decade Of Unstoppable Hits
Release date: November 15, 2018
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN-10: 1538116391
ISBN-13: 978-1538116395
Available from all online booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Walmart, plus the Rowman & Littlefield website at rowman.com
