Author Topic: Who's Alive and Who's Dead  (Read 3051 times)

mshray

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Who's Alive and Who's Dead
« on: August 11, 2008, 03:33:43 PM »
you're all going to waste a few minutes at least:

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/default.asp

band leader Mitch Miller is still alive.  My grandparents had some 78's of his iirc.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2008, 12:58:02 PM by mshray »
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RGMike

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Re: Who's Alive and Who's Dead
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2008, 10:11:40 PM »
you're all going to waste a few minutes at least:

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/default.asp

band leader Mith Miller is still alive.  My grandparents had some 78's of his iirc.

if you mean MITCH Miller, we had tons of his "Sing Along With Mitch" LPs in the house when I was a kid; his TV show was quite popular with the Lawrence Welk crowd in the early '60s.  I didn't find out until years later what an asshole he was as head of A&R at Columbia Records.
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Gazoo

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Re: Who's Alive and Who's Dead
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2008, 11:11:40 PM »
you're all going to waste a few minutes at least:

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/default.asp

band leader Mith Miller is still alive.  My grandparents had some 78's of his iirc.

if you mean MITCH Miller, we had tons of his "Sing Along With Mitch" LPs in the house when I was a kid; his TV show was quite popular with the Lawrence Welk crowd in the early '60s.  I didn't find out until years later what an asshole he was as head of A&R at Columbia Records.
The only thing I have ever heard him do was a flaky, too-cherry cover of "Give Peace a Chance," on a Golden Throats comp.  I'd heard he was largely anti-rock but know nothing of his asshatery.  Dish, Mike!   :o
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RGMike

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Re: Who's Alive and Who's Dead
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2008, 07:45:10 AM »
you're all going to waste a few minutes at least:

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/default.asp

band leader Mith Miller is still alive.  My grandparents had some 78's of his iirc.

if you mean MITCH Miller, we had tons of his "Sing Along With Mitch" LPs in the house when I was a kid; his TV show was quite popular with the Lawrence Welk crowd in the early '60s.  I didn't find out until years later what an asshole he was as head of A&R at Columbia Records.
The only thing I have ever heard him do was a flaky, too-cherry cover of "Give Peace a Chance," on a Golden Throats comp.  I'd heard he was largely anti-rock but know nothing of his asshatery.  Dish, Mike!   :o

summed up nicely by Wiki:

Quote
As a record producer, Miller gained a reputation for both innovation and gimmickry. Although he oversaw dozens of chart hits, his relentlessly cheery arrangements and his penchant for novelty material (e.g. "Come on-a My House", "Mama Will Bark") has drawn heavy criticism from some admirers of traditional pop music. Music historian Will Friedwald wrote in his book Jazz Singing (Da Capo Press, 1996) that "Miller exemplified the worst in American pop. He first aroused the ire of intelligent listeners by trying to turn — and darn near succeeding in turning — great artists like Sinatra, Clooney, and Tony Bennett into hacks. Miller chose the worst songs and put together the worst backings imaginable — not with the hit-or-miss attitude that bad musicians... traditionally used, but with insight, forethought, careful planning, and perverted brilliance."

Miller was the main reason Sinatra left Columbia for the friendlier climate at Capitol. And yes, he was known to hate rock.



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ggould

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Re: Who's Alive and Who's Dead
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2008, 09:46:17 AM »
you're all going to waste a few minutes at least:

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/default.asp

band leader Mith Miller is still alive.  My grandparents had some 78's of his iirc.
if you mean MITCH Miller, we had tons of his "Sing Along With Mitch" LPs in the house when I was a kid; his TV show was quite popular with the Lawrence Welk crowd in the early '60s.  I didn't find out until years later what an asshole he was as head of A&R at Columbia Records.
In his prime on TV, it was classic family fare.  I remember how much fun it was to sing along with all those corny songs.  I was much younger then...
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RGMike

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Re: Who's Alive and Who's Dead
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2008, 09:55:02 AM »
you're all going to waste a few minutes at least:

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/default.asp

band leader Mith Miller is still alive.  My grandparents had some 78's of his iirc.
if you mean MITCH Miller, we had tons of his "Sing Along With Mitch" LPs in the house when I was a kid; his TV show was quite popular with the Lawrence Welk crowd in the early '60s.  I didn't find out until years later what an asshole he was as head of A&R at Columbia Records.
In his prime on TV, it was classic family fare.  I remember how much fun it was to sing along with all those corny songs.  I was much younger then...

2 Mitch memories: there was always a "surprise" celebrity cameo in the final sing-along of each show. And Bob McGrath of early Sesame Street fame was one of the "Sing-Along Gang"
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round