Monday, January 31, 2011

This Week On Treasure Island Oldies


January 30th, 2011 to February 5th, 2011

There was sure a lot going on this on the show. With the sad news of the passing of Gladys Horton, founding member and lead singer of The Marvelettes, I did a small tribute to her and played three of the many hits by The Marvelettes: Beechwood 4-5789, Please Mr. Postman and Playboy. And in addition, there was our annual Tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, our Salute to The Day The Music Died. Thank you for the many comments I have already received.

My sincere condolences go out to the entire Perry family on the passing of their mother, Betty Perry. I will be attending the funeral in Calgary next weekend with my son, David, and his mom Nancy. I will be back in Vancouver in time for next week's show.

If you have a birthday approaching, please let me know. Send the details to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com and I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the show and play our official birthday song for you, Birthday, by The Beatles.

The Treasure Island Oldies Blog is playing The Marvelettes, in tribute to the passing of Gladys Horton. Please Mr. Postman, the first Number One hit for Motown Records, is our Song of the Week. Enjoy!

A couple of classic instrumental hits are vying for your votes on Voice Your Choice. We spotlight B. Bumble & The Stingers with Bumble Boogie and Nut Rocker. Cast your vote for the record you'd like to hear at the Voice Your Choice page. The winner will be played in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

Our next special, the 14th Annual Valentine's Day Special, will be on Sunday, February 13th. Remember to get in your requests and dedications for your Valentine. Click the Requests button on any page of the website or call the Listener Line at our new number 206-339-0709 to record your request and dedication. I'll play your message back along with your request. And for a complete list of the upcoming specials for 2011, go to the Schedules page.

Did you recently get a new Android or Blackberry? Or is it an iPhone or a new Windows phone? No matter which type of smartphone you have, you can now hear Treasure Island Oldies at any time of the day and any day of the week. WunderRadio is the app you need to buy; and at only $6.99, it is not a bog outlay of cash. You can get the app at WunderRadio.com. Where are you listening to Treasure Island Oldies? Let me know. Drop a quick voicemail to me at 206-339-0709 or an email to michael@treasureislandoldies.com. Bet there could be some interesting stories out there.

 Let the world know you're a proud listener of Treasure Island Oldies. Send in your name, photo, city and province or state for the Listener Gallery to michael@treasureislandoldies.com and our Webmaster, Eddy Fisher, will post it on the Listener Gallery page along with the many already received.

You can also let all your friends know you enjoy the show with your personal Treasure Island Oldies Email Signature. A selection of complimentary signatures to be placed at the end of your outgoing emails is available for download. Click Goodies on the upper menu on any page on the website. Thanks to the many folks that have downloaded their own copy of the Email Signature. That's great!

I hope you have a great week and see you next Sunday for the live show.

Bye for now.

Michael

B. Bumble & The Stingers - Voice Your Choice

B. Bumble & The Stingers were actually Los Angeles studio session men. Ernie Freeman played piano; Tommy Tedesco was on guitar; Earl Palmer played drums and Red Callender played bass.

While they were short-lived as this group, they scored three hits on the charts in 1961 and `62. This week on Treasure Island Oldies, Voice Your Choice features two of the three hits for your votes: Bumble Boogie and Nut Rocker.

Bumble Boogie was an adaptation of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight Of The Bumble Bee, which was also a #7 hit in 1946 for Freddy Martin. Nut Rocker was adapted from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite.

Which would you like to hear? Cast your vote for either Bumble Boogie or Nut Rocker at the Voice Your choice page. The winning song will be played in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

The Marvelettes - Song of the Week

In tribute to the passing this past week of Gladys Horton, the founding member and lead singer of The Marvelettes, the Treasure Island Oldies Blog is pleased to play a great clip by The Marvelettes.

I know you will enjoy this classic hit, in fact, the first Number One Hit for Motown Records. Here then are The Marvelettes and Please Mr. Postman, our Song of the Week.

Enjoy!
Michael

Friday, January 28, 2011

Gladys Horton of The Marvelettes Has Died

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Gladys Horton, a co-founder of the Marvelettes who helped put fledgling Motown Records on the musical map with its first No. 1 hit "Please Mr. Postman," has died at age 66.

Horton died Wednesday at a nursing home in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles, where she had been recovering from a stroke, her son Vaughn Thornton said.

Horton was a teenager in the Detroit suburb of Inkster when she and friends formed a group they called "The Casinyets," short for "Can't Sing Yet."

By the time she was 15, Motown had given the group a new name and a hit song in "Please Mr. Postman." The tune, more pop-oriented than much of Motown's early recordings, was later covered by the Beatles and others.

"Gladys was a very, very special lady, and I loved the way she sang with her raspy, soulful voice," Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement. "We will all miss her, and she will always be a part of the Motown family."

He noted that "Please Mr. Postman" was the first No. 1 hit for the record label that would become known as Hitsville USA and produce such other popular all-girl groups as the Supremes and Vandellas.

The Marvelettes also had a hit with "Beachwood 4-5789." Their other popular songs included "Playboy," "Too Many Fish in the Sea" and "Twistin' Postman."

By the mid-1960s, however, the group's success began to wane as it was eclipsed by the Supremes and other Motown acts.

Horton was replaced as the group's lead singer in 1965, and she left the Marvelettes two years later.


Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press

Monday, January 24, 2011

This Week On Treasure Island Oldies

January 23rd, 2011 to January 29th, 2011

My apologies to you if you were unable to get to the website this past Sunday, January 23rd. The company that is the host of our website had maintenance issues and, as a result, many of their clients' websites were not available. That meant people could not come to the site for the live stream links, chat room, or to have their say on Voice Your Choice. Fortunately, it was all working again by the third hour of the show. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it was completely out of my hands and there was nothing I could do to fix it at the time.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to long time listener and Chat Room regular Fred Waterer in Ste. Catharines, Ontario, as well as to my sister Louise Godin in Gatineau, Quebec, and to my good friend Hanny van Engelen in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Her son, Alexander, lives in Montreal attending University and listens to the show every Sunday night. It was great to see Hanny and Alexander at her birthday party I attended before heading off to the studio for this week's show. If you have a birthday approaching, please let me know. Send the details to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com and I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the show and play our official birthday song for you, Birthday, by The Beatles.

The Treasure Island Oldies Blog is playing the group that started off this week's show. The Spencer Davis Group featured a young teenager on lead vocals and keyboards by the name of Steve Winwood. Check out this live TV concert performance of Gimme Some Lovin', our Song of the Week. Enjoy!

Voice Your Choice spotlights Johnny Rivers whose career got kick-stared with a collection of songs recorded live at the Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. We've got two of his many hits for your votes: Under Your Spell Again, a Top 5 country hit in 1959 for Buck Owens, and Secret Agent Man, the theme song from TV series Secret Agent starring Patrick McGoohan. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page. We'll play the winner in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

Our next special will be our Valentine's Day Special on Sunday, February 13th. Remember to get in your requests and dedications for your Valentine. Click the Requests button on any page of the website or call the Listener Line at our new number 206-339-0709 to record your request and dedication. I'll play your message back along with your request. And for a complete list of the upcoming specials for 2011, go to the Schedules page.

Did you recently get a new Android or Blackberry? Or is it an iPhone or a new Windows phone? No matter which type of smartphone you have, you can now hear Treasure Island Oldies at any time of the day and any day of the week. WunderRadio is the app you need to buy; and at only $6.99, it is not a bog outlay of cash. You can get the app at WunderRadio.com. Where are you listening to Treasure Island Oldies? Let me know. Drop a quick voicemail to me at 206-339-0709 or an email to michael@treasureislandoldies.com. Bet there could be some interesting stories out there.

 Let the world know you're a proud listener of Treasure Island Oldies. Send in your name, photo, city and province or state for the Listener Gallery to michael@treasureislandoldies.com and our Webmaster, Eddy Fisher, will post it on the Listener Gallery page along with the many already received.

You can also let all your friends know you enjoy the show with your personal Treasure Island Oldies Email Signature. A selection of complimentary signatures to be placed at the end of your outgoing emails is available for download. Click Goodies on the upper menu on any page on the website. Thanks to the many folks that have downloaded their own copy of the Email Signature. That's great!

I hope you have a great week and see you next Sunday for the live show.

Bye for now.

Michael

Johnny Rivers - Voice Your Choice

Johnny Rivers was born John Ramistella in Brooklyn, New York on November 7, 1942, but was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Legendary DJ Alan Freed named him Johnny Rivers in 1958.

To say Johnny was persistent would be an understatement. He recorded for no less than 12 different labels between 1958 to 1964, without having one record hit the national charts. However, things sure changed when he was signed to Imperial Records in 1964. It was then that his career took off with cover versions that he recorded at the Whiskey A GoGo nite club on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, including Memphis, Maybelline, Seventh Son, Secret Agent Man, and others. He even started his own label, Soul City Records, in Los Angeles in 1966, eventually signing the Fifth Dimension.

Between 1964 and 1978, he appeared on the Billboard chart a total of 29 times and attained 9 Top Ten hits along with 2 Gold Records.

This week on Treasure Island Oldies, Voice Your Choice spotlights Johnny Rivers with two of his hit songs: Under Your Spell Again and Secret Agent Man. Which song would you like to hear? Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page. We'll play the winner in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

Spencer Davis Group - Song of the Week

We opened up the show this week with the Spencer Davis Group featuring a young 16 years old on lead vocals by the name of Steve Winwood. What a group they were and what a talent Steve Winwood was and still is today. Here they are in a live TV concert performance of Gimme Some Lovin'. It's our Song of the Week.

Enjoy!

Michael

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Don Kirshner Has Died At Age76

Don Kirshner, music publisher, personality and major music industry player has died at age 76. He is pictured at far left with Carole King and Gerry Goffin, two of his staff songwriters at Aldon Music in the famous Brill Building in New York.

Here is the complete story from CNN.

(CNN) -- Music producer and promoter Don Kirshner, who found songs for The Monkees to sing and whose live TV rock show helped wean 1970s audiences off lip-synched programming, died Monday in Boca Raton, Florida, his publicist confirmed Tuesday.
Kirshner, 76, died of heart failure, according to Sharon Ellman of the public relations firm Dash Media.
A renowned song publisher and rock producer, Kirshner is best known for managing the songwriting talent behind the successful pop music television series "The Monkees," and for his signature TV program, "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert."
He achieved his first major success in the late 1950s and early 1960s as co-owner with Al Nevin of the influential New York-based publishing company Aldon Music. The firm had under contract several of the most important songwriters of the so-called Brill Building, including Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.
As a producer-promoter, Kirshner was influential in igniting the careers of artists such as Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond and Tony Orlando, as well as discovering rock acts such as Kansas. He also produced hits such as "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "Where The Boys Are."
Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra were among the many performers who recorded Kirshner-produced songs.
Kirshner, who had supervised the music for the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Bewitched," was hired in 1966 by the producers of "The Monkees" to provide hit-worthy songs to accompany the TV program. Within a demanding time frame, he quickly corralled songwriting talent to craft catchy tunes for the show, which became a smash hit among teen audiences.
In September 1973, Kirshner created, produced and eventually hosted his own syndicated, weekly rock-concert program, "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." The show's long-form, live performances distinguished it from the often lip-synched fare typical among TV music performances up to that time.
The show aired until 1981 and featured performances from many of the big-name acts of that era, including The Rolling Stones, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Fleetwood Mac, the Bee Gees, the Police, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie.
Kirshner was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 2007.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sheila, two children and five grandchildren.

 

 
 
 

Monday, January 17, 2011

This Week On Treasure Island Oldies


January 16th, 2011 to January 22nd, 2011

Every week we have listeners from various parts of the world listening to the show via the Mediaontap Network. This week we had people from across Canada and the United States, as well as Moscow, Russia, Auckland, New Zealand, plus Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, Jundiai in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Anoual in Nador, Morocco, as well as the Czech Republic. Add to that the number of listeners via the Broadcast Partners Network in Singapore, Scotland, Sweden, England, United States and Canada, and you truly have a worldwide show. How fantastic!

My sincere condolences go out to long time listener and friend Tim Sykes in Cambridge, Ontario on the passing of his father. We were sorry to hear the news of your loss Tim. Our thoughts are with you and Jill.

I know that we have some birthdays coming up that I'll tell you about next week on the show as well as here in the Weekly Update. If you have a birthday approaching, please let me know. Send the details to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com and I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the show and play our official birthday song for you, Birthday, by The Beatles.

The Treasure Island Oldies Blog is playing the great Dion DiMucci in a clip introduced by Dick Clark. I know you'll like Ruby Baby; it's our Song of the Week. Enjoy!

Voice Your Choice spotlights Chris Montez with two of his Adult Contemporary hit songs he recorded under the guidance of Herb Alpert at A&M Records. This week we feature The More I See You and Call Me. Which song would you like to hear? Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page. The winning song will be played in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

Our next special will be our Valentine's Day Special on Sunday, February 13th. Remember to get in your requests and dedications for your Valentine. Click the Requests button on any page of the website or call the Listener Line at our new number 206-339-0709 to record your request and dedication. I'll play your message back along with your request. And for a complete list of the upcoming specials for 2011, go to the Schedules page.

Did you recently get a new Android or Blackberry? Or is it an iPhone or a new Windows phone? No matter which type of smartphone you have, you can now hear Treasure Island Oldies at any time of the day and any day of the week. WunderRadio is the app you need to buy; and at only $6.99, it is not a bog outlay of cash. You can get the app at WunderRadio.com. Where are you listening to Treasure Island Oldies? Let me know. Drop a quick voicemail to me at 206-339-0709 or an email to michael@treasureislandoldies.com. Bet there could be some interesting stories out there.

 Let the world know you're a proud listener of Treasure Island Oldies. Send in your name, photo, city and province or state for the Listener Gallery to michael@treasureislandoldies.com and our Webmaster, Eddy Fisher, will post it on the Listener Gallery page along with the many already received.

You can also let all your friends know you enjoy the show with your personal Treasure Island Oldies Email Signature. A selection of complimentary signatures to be placed at the end of your outgoing emails is available for download. Click Goodies on the upper menu on any page on the website. Thanks to the many folks that have downloaded their own copy of the Email Signature. That's great!

I hope you have a great week and see you next Sunday for the live show.

Bye for now.

Michael

Chris Montez - Voice Your Choice

Chris Montez was born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez on January 17, 1943 in the Los Angeles, California suburb of Hawthorne. Happy Birthday Chris! 

His career began as a protégé of Ritchie Valens and during that time he recorded one of Rock & Roll's anthems, Let's Dance in 1962.

By 1966 he switched record labels and music styles. Under the guidance of Herb Alpert and A&M Records, Chris recorded several Adult Contemporary records and this week we present two of them for your consideration.

Voice Your Choice is pleased to feature Chris Montez with The More I See You and Call Me. Cast your vote for the song you'd like to hear at the Voice Your Choice page. We'll play the winner in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

Dion - Song of the Week

He started out with The Belmonts and together they had 9 charted singles. However when he went solo, he scored an impressive 33 songs on the Billboard charts.

This week the Treasure Island Oldies Blog is playing Dion with one of his big solo hits, Ruby Baby.

It's our Song of the Week.

Enjoy!
Michael

Monday, January 10, 2011

This Week On Treasure Island Oldies

January 9th, 2011 to January 15th, 2011

It was so good to see so many friends in the Chat Room during this week's live show. It is quite amazing to have a group of people from all parts of Canada and the United States, who for the most part have never met in person. Despite that fact, it is a great group of friends who enjoy each other's company week after week and share in the great music and memories. And what a friendly bunch they are too; most welcoming to first time visitors who are made to feel right at home right from the start. If you have an opportunity, enhance your experience of Treasure Island Oldies by stopping by the Chat Room for a visit. Click Chat on the Menu and follow the instructions. You'll soon be among the regulars whom I warmly refer to as the Nuts in the Hut. Hope to see you next Sunday night between 6 to 10 p.m. Pacific time.

My condolences go out to long time listener Chris Witmer in West Liberty, Iowa on the sad loss of his father last week. Chris, our thoughts are with you. We wish you all the best; and the energy and courage to get through this very difficult time.

Happy Birthday wishes go out this week to Judy Covington in Canton, Ohio. I also enjoyed playing one of her favourite instrumental hits, Soul Coaxing (Ame Caline) by Raymond Lefevre, as this week's Instrumental Gem of the Week. Say, if you have a birthday coming up, I'd sure like to help celebrate your special day with you and the Treasure Island Oldies Listeners. Send the info on your upcoming birthday to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com. I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the show and play our official birthday song for you, Birthday, by The Beatles.

The Treasure Island Oldies Blog is playing You're Gonna Lose That Girl by The Beatles, from their second movie Help! It's our Song of the Week. Enjoy!

Voice Your Choice is pleased to feature Motown's Stevie Wonder with just two of his many fantastic hit songs. Do you want to hear I Was Made To Love Her or My Cherie Amour? Let me know by casting your vote at the Voice Your Choice page. We'll play the winner in the 3rd hour of next week's show. Vote now.

Did you get a new Android or Blackberry? Or is it an iPhone or a new Windows phone? No matter which type of smartphone you have, you can now hear Treasure Island Oldies at any time of the day and any day of the week. WunderRadio is the app you need to buy; and at only $6.99, it is not a big outlay of cash. You can get the app at WunderRadio.com. Where are you listening to Treasure Island Oldies? Let me know. Drop a quick voicemail to me at 206-339-0709 or an email to michael@treasureislandoldies.com. Bet there could be some interesting stories out there.

Let the world know you're a proud listener of Treasure Island Oldies. Send in your name, photo, city and province or state for the Listener Gallery to michael@treasureislandoldies.com and our Webmaster, Eddy Fisher, will post it on the Listener Gallery page along with the many already received.

You can also let all your friends know you enjoy the show with your personal Treasure Island Oldies Email Signature. A selection of complimentary signatures to be placed at the end of your outgoing emails is available for download. Click Goodies on the upper menu on any page on the website. Thanks to the many folks that have downloaded their own copy of the Email Signature. That's great!

I hope you have a great week and see you next Sunday for the live show.

Bye for now.

Michael

Stevie Wonder - Voice Your Choice

Stevie Wonder, was born Steveland Morris on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan and blind since birth. He was only 13 at the time of his first hit Fingertips Pt 2. He was signed to Motown Records as a backup singer when he was only 10 years old! He was named Little Stevie Wonder by Motown owner Berry Gordy Jr.

Stevie has received many awards, including his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 1996 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammy Awards.

Since his first charting single, Fingertips Pt 2, a number one record for three weeks in 1963 through 1997 1997, he appeared a total of 65 times on the Billboard chart. He has had an astounding 28 Top Ten hits, including 10 Number One songs!

It was no easy task trying to select just two songs from his increbible repertoire for Voice Your Choice this week on Treasure Island Oldies. Here they are: I Was Made To love Her and My Cherie Amour. Do you have a preference for once of these top ten songs? Come to Treasure Island Oldies and cast your vote. We'll play the song with the highest results in Hour 3 of this week's show.

The Beatles - Song of the Week

The second full length feature film by The Beatles was Help! It was many years since first seeing it in the theatres during its initial release that I got to see it again. The day it became available on DVD, I snapped up my own copy and watched it on the big screen at home. What a treat it was to see and hear the movie again. As in A Hard Day's Night, Help! was filled with great songs by The Beatles; and this week I'm pleased to play for you You're Gonna Lose That Girl by The Beatles.

It's our Song of the Week.

Enjoy!
Michael

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Gerry Rafferty Has Died

I am sad to inform you that Gerry Rafferty, famous for both his group work with Stealers Wheel and as a solo recording artist, has died.

Here is the complete story by Michael Gray from guardian.co.uk:
The Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who has died aged 63 after a long illness, wrote the multimillion-selling hit Baker Street, which more than 30 years after its 1978 release still netted him an annual £80,000. At the end of the 1970s he did his best work, a series of richly resonant albums that gave no hint of their creator's inner troubles.

Rafferty was born in Paisley, near Glasgow, an unwanted third son. His father, Joseph, was an Irish-born miner. His mother, Mary Skeffington, whose name would provide a Rafferty song title, dragged young Gerry round the streets on Saturday nights so that they would not be at home when his father came back drunk. They would wait outside, in all weathers, until he had fallen asleep, to avoid a beating. "If it wasn't for you, I'd leave," Mary told Gerry. Joseph died in 1963, when Gerry was 16.

That year, Gerry left St Mirin's academy and worked in a butcher's shop and at the tax office. At weekends, he and a schoolfriend, Joe Egan, played in a local group, the Mavericks. At a dancehall in 1965, Gerry met his future wife, apprentice hairdresser Carla Ventilla. She was 15, from an Italian Clydebank family. They married in 1970, after courting at the bohemian bungalow of the artist and future playwright John "Patrick" Byrne and his wife, Alice. Byrne, also educated at St Mirin's, had long been Gerry's mentor, and had first interested Gerry in playing the guitar. Billy Connolly was also in Clydebank, and after Gerry's song Benjamin Day failed as a Mavericks single, Gerry and Egan quit the group and Gerry joined Connolly's outfit, the Humblebums, a Clydeside folk act.

The Humblebums' first LP, on the folk-oriented label Transatlantic, predated Gerry's involvement, but he and Connolly were the group for the albums The New Humblebums (1969, with cover art by Byrne, a partnership that later spanned the albums of Gerry's heyday) and Open Up the Door (1970). Despite US releases, singles written by Gerry (Shoeshine Boy and Saturday Round About Sunday) and John Peel sessions for the BBC, there was little reaction and tensions grew between these strong personalities. It was Gerry who urged Connolly to go it alone as a comic. He went solo too. Staying with Transatlantic, his characteristically titled first album – Can I Have My Money Back? – began his real career in 1971, establishing him as a singer-songwriter, bringing folk fans with him and promoting his songs.

Yet in 1972, now with a young daughter, Martha, Gerry rejoined Egan to form Stealers Wheel, a soft-rock group. Their eponymous debut album climbed the US charts and included the million-selling Stuck in the Middle With You, memorably resurrected for a key scene in Quentin Tarantino's film Reservoir Dogs (1992). But their A&M record contract tied them to huge touring and album commitments, and imposed musicians upon them. Gerry quit.

He was persuaded back, and he and Egan became the sole group members, using backing musicians in the studio and on tours. A now-forgotten single, Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine, preceded the minor hit Star and the 1974 album Ferguslie Park. But Rafferty learned that their royalties had been filched, Egan returned to Scotland, and Stealers Wheel collapsed before the release of the album Right Or Wrong in 1975.

Disentangling Gerry from his contracts took three years, but his second solo career, beginning with City to City, was constructed more cannily. Demos for the album were made in Carla's parents' old house, on a four-track machine. Gerry played every instrument, including lentil-jar percussion. Signed to United Artists, he and Hugh Murphy co-produced the album for £18,000 in 1978. Fuelled by the smash hit single Baker Street, it sold 5m copies and Gerry became a millionaire "overnight".

Refusing to tour America, he played a few British dates and recorded his successful follow-up, Night Owl (1979), which yielded further hits: Days Gone Down, Get It Right Next Time and the title track. These, plus the less popular Snakes and Ladders (1980, recorded in Montserrat), are the gorgeously produced works of Gerry's prime. The voice, redolent of both Lennon's and McCartney's, yet unmistakably his own; the music, a shimmering delta of sound; the songs, romantic yet pushily sardonic – all came to fruition thanks to Gerry's gift of perfect pitch and an obdurate determination to stick to his guns.

These were the years I worked for him. I was his personal manager – employee, not svengali – visiting the record company in LA, accompanying Gerry when he was working, and running the small office we set up for him in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Sadly, my job was mostly to say "no" to people.

He did not want to have to out-platinum himself: he had money enough, and disliked being recognised. But behind an aggressive front, and a strong awareness of his own musical excellence, was fear. He turned down working with Eric Clapton, McCartney and others, telling Carla "nobody was good enough". In truth, he dared not sit down with superstars without a drink or five. So he sat at home – now 300 acres of Kent farmland and a Queen Anne house in Hampstead, north London – and convinced himself he could work alone with Murphy. Carla said later: "He was just stalling for time. Maybe some new project would suddenly happen, but I knew he'd crossed the line as far as the record business went."

His last successful foray was when, after contributing a vocal to the soundtrack of the film Local Hero (1983), he produced the Proclaimers' 1987 hit Letter from America. Gerry made two more albums that decade – Sleepwalking (1982) and North and South (1988). On a Wing and a Prayer followed in 1992, Over My Head in 1994 and Another World in 2000. They marked a decline in sales and standard.

He had always drunk too much, and now he spiralled into alcoholism, putting on weight, which made him unhappier. "He became dangerous at airports," said Carla, "and he'd scream across restaurant tables at me." In phases of renunciation, he smashed cases of superb wines into a stream on his land. Carla finally left in 1990: "There was no hope. I would never have left him if there'd been a glimmer of a chance of him recovering." She remained a source of dependable help, in contact until the end.

After their divorce, farm and Hampstead home gone, Gerry eventually moved to California, near to Martha, who worked for him. In 2008 Gerry left America, helped from wheelchair to plane by a woman he met in a video store. They rented a house in Ireland, until taxis and doctors refused to attend him. That August, a five-day binge at a five-star London hotel ended when the management had him admitted to hospital. He vanished in the night.

Splashed across the Sun, this story was otherwise ignored until 2009, when the Daily Mail resurrected it. Rafferty, urged to issue a statement, announced that he was "extremely well", living in Tuscany and preparing a new album. He was relatively well, but in Dorset, not Tuscany. He never made another album. For two decades, alcohol had dominated this creative and intelligent man's life.

He is survived by Martha, his granddaughter, Celia, and brother, Jim.
• Gerald Rafferty, musician, born 16 April 1947; died 4 January 2011

Monday, January 03, 2011

This Week On Treasure Island Oldies

January 2nd, 2011 to January 8th, 2011

Happy New Year! I hope that 2011 will be filled with good health, much happiness and great music and memories for you. It is always a fun way to start off the new year with our Annual New Year Dance Party Special. I wore out four pairs of shoes with all that dancing - gee, that's a pair of shoes per hour! LOL We'll be back to (ab)normal next week with all of our regular features next week.

As I mentioned on the show, we had technical issues with the Listener Line and had to get a NEW Phone Number: 206-339-0709. You can call the Listener Line at any time 24/7 and record your message for the song you'd like to hear. I look forward to hearing from you and playing back your call and song.

Happy Birthday wishes to Shirley Ham in Cincinnati, Ohio and Stirling Faux in New Westminster, British Columbia. If you have a birthday coming up, I'd sure like to help celebrate your special day with you and the Treasure Island Oldies Listeners. Send the info on your upcoming birthday to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com. I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the show and play our official birthday song for you, Birthday, by The Beatles.

Thanks very much for the great feedback at the Blog, via email to me and on Facebook for the Music of Christmas video series we presented. There sure were some classics among the songs played for you. And we start off 2011 with a great dance anthem at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog. I'm pleased to play for you Chris Montez in a live performance from the Diamond Awards in Antwerp, Belgium from 1992 with the classic Let's Dance. It's our Song of the Week. Enjoy!

Voice Your Choice returns on next week's show with The Beach Boys and two of their classic dance hits: Dance Dance Dance and Do you Wanna Dance. Which song would you like to hear? Make your selection at the Voice Your Choice page. We'll play the winning song in the 3rd hour of next week's show.

Did you get a new smartphone for Christmas? If so, you can listen to Treasure Island Oldies on your phone using an app called WunderRadio. There is a version for an Android, iPhone, Blackberry, or the new Windows Phone. Once installed, you'll be able to listen to Treasure Island Oldies whenever and wherever you are. Check it out. Happy Listening! By the way, I'd really like to hear from you once you've listened to the show using WunderRadio. Send your comments to michael@treasureislandoldies.com.

You can download the weekly Rock & Roll News as a Podcast? It's easy; go to iTunes and search for Treasure Island Oldies Rock & Roll News. There are now over 12,000 downloads of the Podcast every month! You can also listen to the Top 5 Countdown at any time, when you only have time to listen to a few songs. Go to the Listen page and click Top 5 Countdown.

Let the world know you're a proud listener of Treasure Island Oldies. Send in your name, photo, city and province or state for the Listener Gallery to michael@treasureislandoldies.com and our Webmaster, Eddy Fisher, will post it on the Listener Gallery page along with the many already received.

You can also let all your friends know you enjoy the show with your personal Treasure Island Oldies Email Signature. A selection of complimentary signatures to be placed at the end of your outgoing emails is available for download. Click Goodies on the upper menu on any page on the website. Thanks to the many folks that have downloaded their own copy of the Email Signature. That's great!

I hope you have a great week and see you next Sunday for the live show.

Bye for now.

Michael

The Beach Boys - Voice Your Choice

The most popular American rock and roll group from Hawthorne, California is in the spotlight this week for the first Voice Your Choice of 2011 on Treasure Island Oldies.

The Beach Boys
are featured with two of their great dance songs: Dance Dance Dance and Do You Wanna Dance. Which song would you like to hear? Come to the Voice Your Choice page and make your selection. The song with the most votes will be played in Hour 3 of next week's show

Chris Montez - Song of the Week

For our first Song of the Week of 2011, we have a song that it very much in keeping with our New Year Dance Party theme of this week's show. 

Here is Chris Montez with a real dance anthem, Let's Dance. This is a live performance from the Diamond Awards in Antwerp, Belgium in 1992.

Happy New Year!
Enjoy!
Michael

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Happy New Year

I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and hope that it is filled with good health, good times and much happiness.

I hope you'll join me for the first show of 2011 on Treasure Island Oldies, our Annual New Year Dance Party, Sunday, January 2nd from 6 to 10 pm Pacific time.

Put on your dancing shoes and join me for some great fun and wonderful music memories.

Happy New year!
Michael