Spotify playlist: https://spoti.fi/3zflA8v

At this point Al Kooper is most famous for playing the organ on “Like a Rolling Stone.” The tale has been retold countless times, it’s become part of rock lore, overshadowing all the rest of Al’s musical contributions, which are formidable in number and scale.

You start with cowriting “This Diamond Ring,” a huge hit for Gary Lewis & the Playboys, despite being played in a completely different arrangement than Al imagined, he saw it as a soul number.

And then there was the almost forgotten tenure with the Blues Project which morphed into Blood, Sweat & Tears which ultimately broke through to gigantic success with Al’s blueprint on the second LP after he was kicked out of the band, but history has now been properly written, it’s the first BS&T LP that is memorable, that is the one, that still holds up today.

And then Al started the jam band record paradigm with “Super Session”…ultimately we ended up with Moby Grape’s bonus record “Grape Jam” and the third LP of George Harrison’s opus “All Things Must Pass,” entitled “Apple Jam.” One can even say that Al pushed the envelope with extended numbers, with the “Super Session” remake of Donovan’s “Season of the Witch.”

And then Al cut his first solo album “I Stand Alone,” an unrecognized triumph that never generated a hit record, that has been forgotten to the sands of time, but is one of my absolute favorites, I play it all the time.

The original, the title track, “I Stand Alone,” is marvelous, in the league of Al’s previous peaks. But then the album took a turn, Al went on an adventure, he covered Harry Nilsson’s “One” before Three Dog Night turned it into a regional hit and long before Nilsson’s own career gained traction.

Following that you got a cover of “Coloured Rain.” Superior to the original on the initial Traffic LP. Which Al also boosted by covering “Dear Mr. Fantasy” on his double live album with Mike Bloomfield. And at this point if you were paying attention you knew the original from FM radio, but it was these covers along with the aforementioned Three Dog Night’s rendition of “Heaven Is In Your Mind” that got me to buy Traffic’s album in its U.S. form, different from the original U.K. iteration. But I was disappointed, the songs were there, but not the production. Traffic peaked with its second LP, when Dave Mason was a full time member of the band. And Three Dog Night’s take of “Heaven Is In Your Mind” is more full-bodied with more energy than Traffic’s original recording. And Traffic’s take on “Coloured Rain” features an incredible full-throated vocal by Steve Winwood, but Al threw in horns, everything including the kitchen sink, along with raindrops, and turned the song into a tour-de-force. As for “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” no one could ever compete with Traffic’s original version, a stone cold classic that Steve renders accurately to this day, you’ll be stunned his voice is still intact, but even more you’ll be wowed by his playing, he’s not known as a gunslinger but after you see him picking the notes you’ll be re-evaluating.

And on the second side of “I Stand Alone” there’s a cover of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky” which became iconic when done by Elvis Presley, although in this case it’s almost an imitation, an homage, it’s fun, nearly a throwaway, then again when I first heard it on Al’s album I knew no previous recording, being nine years younger than Al, from almost an entirely different generation.

And then came “Toe Hold.”

But the piece-de-resistance was the second to last song on Al’s album, “Hey, Western Union Man.” It was the horn section flourish, the rich background vocals and the telegraph sound, sending a message throughout. “Hey, Western Union Man” is one of my go-to tracks, played constantly. That return of the horn flourish two-thirds of the way through…I wait for it, and then I want it to return when it won’t so I just play the track over and over again.

And then I was pushing the SiriusXM buttons one night and lo and behold I came across the original!

Jerry Butler’s take went to number 16 on the “Billboard” chart but in this era the chart didn’t necessarily square with local radio. Then again, by ’68 I was already dedicated to FM, I didn’t know it. But I was stunned when I heard it. It’s the same arrangement, the same song, but a different production. Butler’s take is soul, not rock, there’s a slower dreamy groove, and Al’s horns are strings, Jerry’s take is for making out, Al’s take is for sex, Jerry’s is a warm-up, Al’s is the main event, it’s pure action, it’s not deep, it’s all on the surface, it’s in-your-face, it’s undeniable, not that many people have heard it.

But even fewer have heard “Toe Hold.”

Now in the old days it was all about albums, you dropped the needle on a side and let it play through, so I know “Toe Hold” as well as “Hey, Western Union Man,” and after playing the entire LP the other night, “Toe Hold” got stuck in my mind, you know, you’re walking through your house and suddenly you burst out with the chorus and those in the vicinity think you’re nuts but you’re elated, entranced by the music.

And I needed to know more. Obviously it was a cover. But who did the original?

Well, depending on who you listen to you might be confused, Allmusic credits Sam & Dave, but that’s not true. The original was done by Johnnie Taylor. But Sam & Dave did do a version, but so did Wilson Pickett, so did Carla Thomas, even Ellen McIlwaine took a swing at “Toe Hold.” Imagine the songs of today being covered tomorrow… IMPOSSIBLE! First and foremost most are just beats. And as far as iconic pop numbers…they’re few and far between. But acts kept taking a swing at “Toe Hold,” and not one version ever broke through, became ubiquitous.

“All my life I been a po’ boy

It’s been hard to get a dime

Everythin’ I got, umm

I had to pay for it on time, but that’s all right”

Now wait just a minute, Johnnie’s singing from down there, not up here, he’s not talking down to us, he’s not drenched in jewelry, parading in his Benz on the way to the club to make it rain, he’s a nobody trying to survive, but he’s not depressed:

“Long as I got a toehold

As long as I got a piece of you

As long as I got a toehold

I can make it through”

That’s what gets you through, hope. If you have a little traction you feel you’re on your way, if they’re giving you the time of day, paying attention to what you have to say, you’re halfway there.

And I learned this wasn’t written by Johnnie Taylor but David Porter and Isaac Hayes, members of the Memphis Mafia, STAX bedrock. Nashville gets all the attention, Memphis is too often overlooked. but Nashville is country and Memphis is soul, it’s more southern, a stone’s throw from both Mississippi and Arkansas.

Porter and Hayes wrote the Sam & Dave hits. And ultimately Isaac Hayes went on to become Black Moses, a paragon of soul, and ultimately Chef on “South Park,” a role he ultimately ankled in a kerfuffle over the creators parodying his Scientology faith. And it’s funny how it’s the last thing people remember while what came before is plowed under, and the truth is Porter and Hayes didn’t only start with hits with Sam & Dave, actually their first big crossover number was “B-A-B-Y” by Carla Thomas, which was ultimately covered a decade later and made into a ubiquitous new wave number for a whole new generation of fans by Rachel Sweet, an American who recorded for the English company Stiff.

“Now listen

I said I went to my doctor

First thing he talked about is malnutrition

I’m not tryin’ to be a fat man

I’ve got to look after my ambition”

Doctors used to be a regular feature of songs, before the performers believed themselves invincible. And once again, Taylor is not looking for everything, just something, somebody, the object of his affection, who he is not observing from afar, but upon whom he’s got a toehold.

“So baby if you’re with me

I’ll let the whole world be against me

I don’t expect to ever get rich

You may find me diggin’ in a ditch”

It’s you and me baby, against the world. We don’t need everything, just each other. This is not an aspirational tale for the masses, but a situation, a vision they can identify with.

“Oh give it to me baby

A little little little little little little little little little toehold

A little little little little little little little little little toehold”

And now they’re together, participating in monkey business, intimacy, at first he’s singing the song from afar, but now they’re conjoined, having fun. Because he’s got a TOEHOLD!

That’s all we’re looking for.

And now I’m old enough for living history to rear its head, for me to go back and mine the past, and it’s easy to do as a result of the internet and streaming services, you can discover the roots. This music is ready to be found, as fresh as ever. And the provenance of them is there too. Who wrote them, who played on them, these giants.

And it all started with Al Kooper’s covers, he gave me a toehold!

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3nCgG30

https://www.apple.com/apple-events/september-2021/

It played like a commercial.

Actually, the product introduction was not the biggest Apple news today, no, that was the security update, to deal with an Israeli snooping program that infiltrated your device without any clicks, without you doing anything. It could listen and see you and… The best account of what transpired is here: 

“Apple Issues Emergency Security Updates to Close a Spyware Flaw – Researchers at Citizen Lab found that the NSO Group, an Israeli spyware company, had infected Apple products without so much as a click”: https://nyti.ms/3hyeoyh

Bottom line, update your Apple products IMMEDIATELY! Your iPhone, iPad, Mac… And if the update wasn’t automatically pushed to you yet, go into Settings and click on “Software Update,” on the iPhone and iPad it’s under the heading “General.”

So Steve Jobs staged a show. Then again, he was a showman. A natural born seller of products. Didn’t matter what he was offering, you were interested in the spiel. Today? You could have skipped it no problem. But if you watched it…

It began with a commercial for California that was so rich you’d want to fly out here or if you already live here get in your car and go for a drive. With all this focus on government, all the put-downs of the Golden State, one forgets what a cornucopia of attractions, of landscapes, of cities California is. However, the song that played during the montage…who came up with this? Talk about a track not being a hit.

So then Tim Cook comes on and tells us about Apple TV+.

Now that’s a flawed streaming network. It’s simple, THEY NEED MORE PRODUCT! The nature of making TV is you don’t know what you’ve got till you’re done. You can hire the best people and have the best script and still end up with a turkey, which is why you have to make more product to get more hits. Apple’s got a lot of flashy shows that aren’t worth watching. As for “Ted Lasso”… Believe me, when Apple gets rid of the free subscriptions no one is going to wait for week to week for the episodes, they’re gonna wait for the series to play and then binge it for one low monthly fee. Tim Cook babbled on about satisfying the company’s customers, how they’re number one, but nothing could be further from the truth with Apple TV+.

As for the Apple TV…

Apple was way ahead of the game. And then it blew it. The iPod was expensive upon launch but when competitors jumped into the game they kept improving the product and lowering the price and no one could compete. Apple’s TV hardware is still too expensive. Especially when you can get a competing streaming stick for fifty bucks. It doesn’t matter how good the interface is, the price point is insane.

But Apple is killing it with the Watch.

Actually, the Watch is akin to a Microsoft product. Released half-baked and then improved over time. The Watch still has a power problem, it has to be charged every eighteen hours, but if you don’t have a Watch you will, it’s just a matter of time. The Swiss timepieces are now jewelry. They weathered the initial launch of the Apple Watch, but youngsters are never going to lay down four figures, never mind five, for the icons of horology. And like Tesla, Apple is so far ahead of the competition that no one can effectively compete. And Apple has lowered the price to the point where it makes no sense to buy a cheap competitor, you can get a Series 3 for $199. But really, you want the new one, the Series 7, BECAUSE IT’S BIGGER! Not too big, but they shrunk the borders and increased the screen size just enough to make a huge difference. As for applications…

Seems like the Watch now interfaces with every sport. And it’s a direct line to your health.

And speaking of health/exercising… Apple Fitness+ finally looks mature. It could put a big dent in Peleton. Like the Watch, it will take time for it to burgeon.

As for the iPad…

The basic iPad, at $329, is a vast improvement. However, never forget you’re getting the A13 Bionic chip when the state of the art is the A15. In other words, you’re already two generations behind, which means you’ll have to replace it sooner.

As for the iPad Mini… A breakthrough, but vastly overpriced. It’s dead in the water at this cost.

As for buying an iPad…you either need one or you don’t. And if you already have one the only reason to replace it is if yours is too slow. And it eventually will be. The chips get faster, the software asks more of them and your old iPad is left in the dust. So, only buy cheap if you’re getting it for a kid or you’re going to replace it soon or you only watch movies. Otherwise, buy as much machine as you can afford. I’ve got one of the iPad Pros with the M1 chip and…it’s stupendous. Assuming you want an iPad.

As for the new iPhone?

You don’t need it, you don’t need to upgrade. Remember when you had product envy, when you needed the new thing, the latest iteration? Those days are through with the iPhone. If you’ve got a 12, you do not need a 13, no way.

The sales pitch was bogus. They kept comparing the speed of the new A15 Bionic chip to…other smartphones, the competition, whereas they used to compare the new chip to the old one. Can’t be much of an improvement if they didn’t say so.

And buy the most you can afford. I’ll tell you to buy an iPhone Pro Max hands down, it’s the one. You want that screen real estate, your smartphone is now you’re number one device, this is where you should not skimp. And since you’re going to keep it for a while, when you amortize the price over years, it’s worth it.

As for storage? Always bump up from the minimum amount. Sure, so much is in the cloud these days, files are in many cases history, but if you want to load up your iPhone or iPad with movies for an intercontinental flight, you want to have enough storage. Trust me on this. And unless you know you need the most, don’t even bother, it’s way overkill.

Going deeper…

You know whether you need a new iPhone or not.

If you still have an iPhone with a button, you can probably go one more cycle, one more year, but this might be a good time to upgrade.

As for 5G? The speed increase is imperceptible unless you have Verizon Ultra Wideband or the equivalent. But that speed is almost nowhere. Verizon has installed it in stadiums, so if you’ve got a 5G iPhone that’s great, but… Furthermore, the iPhone with 5G defaults to LTE to save battery life. At some point you’ll get a 5G phone, but you don’t need to rush to do so today.

However, one big caveat, if you’ve got an old iPhone and use it a lot, I heartily recommend going to a 13, because of the chip speed. You’ve got no idea how slow your old iPhone is until you’re on a new one. Ditto with the iPads with faster chips. It’s like going from a dial phone to a push button one.

As for the Wall Street perspective?

People will replace their devices, but there won’t be a rush to the store for iPhones. Sure, at first there will be demand, but we know it always falls off after Christmas. Unless the carriers offer incentives.

This time, Apple got out ahead. Instead of waiting for the carriers to blow out the iPhone, they made the providers part of the pitch. Trade in your iPhone, get up to $700! Yeah, if you trade in last year’s top of the line iPhone. Go into the fine print. The monthly price looks low, but it’s over thirty months! You’re essentially paying retail. Then again, after years of prices holding firm, last year AT&T started blowing out the new iPhone and T-Mobile and Verizon got on board too. So, if you’re looking for a deal, wait, up to two months. But I wouldn’t count on getting a big discount this year. Then again, you can never underestimate T-Mobile in its dash for market share.

So you’ve got a mature company with a great product line trying to expand into services. And if you’re locked into the Apple ecosystem, maybe, but if you’re not… Never forget, the United States is an outlier, in the rest of the world Android rules. And as smartphones become ever more mature and fungible Apple becomes Sony in the seventies and eighties, selling a premium product to a specialized audience for more money. Then there’s a product revolution and the advantage collapses. TVs went from tubes to flat screens and Sony has never recovered. So how does Apple plan to stay ahead? Well, it’s the ecosystem, and they’re doing a good job of it, but someone else could compete, if they cared, but they don’t seem to. Then again, imagine this spyware crisis on Android. Everybody’s on a different version of the operating system, many without a direct upgrade path. But it’s been learned that people will sacrifice their privacy for price, it’s no competition.

So this was maybe the worst Apple Keynote ever. It had no sizzle, no buzz. It had a rainbow of diversity on display, but in many cases that’s what you saw, the woman or the person of color more than the product. The woman who talked about the chip was the best. She looked like she knew what she was talking about, not just a talking head. She looked like she worked in the lab. She looked like she knew more than we could comprehend. And she wasn’t Hollywood beautiful, she was just a person. She couldn’t be replaced, but everybody else on screen could have been.

So Microsoft may overtake Apple as the world’s most valuable company.

But I’m still a member of the ecosystem.

Yet the truth is the biggest star in today’s presentation was California itself. Look at the landscape, check out the locations, you’ll want to go.

“Oh California, I’m coming home.”

Well, I sure as hell did listen and it was your Academy Award Show! I knew Paul a bit when I was at Buddah ’70-’73 and have been a  big fan of his since his beginning.  He’s now got more “wanna bees” than Paul McCartney!  We are all so very lucky to have him still with us and his shows and his music never gets old and tired!  You did a grand job of “getting him to share many of his thoughts” and it sounded like he was having a good time!  Thanks again for having Paul Anka as your guest!  jfs

Jerry Sharell

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Bob I’ve been listening to your pods since the beginning and I have to say that Paul Anka interview was the most entertaining,enlightening and enjoyable of all your pods to date.

Best Regards

Thomas Black

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I really enjoyed it Bob. As if Paul and Phil Everly were about to get beaten up by some thugs and their band arrived to look out for two young pretty boys. So good. You know we Canadians celebrate our own, Paul is a living legend here. I’ve read his book but you coaxed great stories out of him.

Jack Ross

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enjoyed it as well! great stuff…

Brad Byrd

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Loved the Paul Anka Show. The Norman he was referring to was my godfather.

Bill Gerber

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Totally agree…one of your best interviews.

Canadians rock!

Ottawa, home of Paul Anka and Alanis.

John Borsten

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I agree, Bob. The best since the Bob Ezrin podcast.
Thanks for doing what you do.
Alex Lopez Negrete

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Wow Bob.  Your interview with Paul was so revealing.  It felt like you were having a candid chat with an aperitif after dinner.  So many fascinating stories.  Can’t believe how much he remembered like it was yesterday. I barely remember past three decades  let alone six!

I had to look up Irving!

Those Sinatra stories are true gems!

Fiona Bloom

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Totally agree.  Totally alive musician on the planet.

Special bonus: coral electric sitar at 1:42 of Making Memories.

Hank Barry

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Couldn’t agree more!

I could have listened to another hour at LEAST!

Mr. Anka was one of the most interesting interviews of any musician/songwriter I’ve ever heard.

Heck I’d watch a Netflix show about his life!

Best,

Michael Leonard

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wow! I am a mid-level manager and agent, in middle age, during this brutal year and half in the music business. No retirement to speak of, but a love so deep for the game I just keep plugging away. Paul Anka was a total inspiration. I often listen to your podcast in 30 minute clips before hitting the hay. You had me up to midnight before I finally fell asleep, just kept adding another 30 minutes to the timer because it was just so entertaining. Listened to the last ten minutes this morning and was ready to run a lap around the block. Man, love Paul Anka now! Love you too Bob, keep it up, such a service to all of us!

Parker Forsell

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At the risk of you not including this – but i hope you do for balance

I listened to the Anka Podcast and it found it reeked of sour notes and desperation. Yes, before Buble there was Anka but there were also way better singers than those he considers his contemporaries. Anka was a child phenom that was eclipsed by the rat pack and peaked as a teen idol, He became a hanger on appendage to the legends that let him pal around. Everyone i now dead and can’t even verify his tales. What is the saddest element of the podcast is that Anka walks around with a chip on his shoulder demanding he be recognized and taller than the lifts he wears. He earns a black belt in name dropping. here is nothing wrong with a solid career in casinos and resorts, but this life long quest to be greater than that is boring.

Ron Davies

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I thought it was pretty cool he did the Masked Singer and still sounded damn good.

A legend who doesn’t get the credit for being one.

Richard Young

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Greetings Bob,

AGREED;  the Paul Anka Podcast was IT!!! or to paraphrase Mr Anka’s lyrics, THIS WAS IT!!!  The best ever podcast you’ve ever done, It was Mr Peabody’s wayback Machine x 10…. and we were all Sherman.

Will the new generation of performers ever understand the old school work ethic, the school of hard knocks etc etc??  I seriously doubt it.

“The kids making money for us, The kid can sing, The kid’s an entertainer”

“And I do what I Do”

Mr Anka is The Real Deal,  and what a Pro.  And not only one of the most outstanding songwriters of his generation, but  a philosopher to boot.

“IF you stop moving, they throw dirt on you”

WOW, Superb, and Extraordinary really are insufficient

And now all of your podcast guests are going to feel  like Sophie Tucker when she had to go on after Paul A at The Sahara

A truly inspiring, uplifting, and unforgettable interview.

Kudos to you and God Bless Paul.

 

Shanah Tova from NYC

David Bernstein

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Totally agree. Paul Anka was just amazing.

My Jewish surrogate father ran a one-stop in East Hartford CT who told me the story many years ago about Anka stopping by his little dingy shop to say hello and thank him for pushing his records. That’s all – just thank you. No women – no drugs – just a well-brought up kid who was maybe 17 and had manners.

Wow. -tony d’amelio

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Bob, I have to agree with the previous reply.  When I saw Paul Anka and it was just over 2 hours, I figured I would get info about “My Way” and a few other songs of his.  To start, You are one of my favorite interviewers, I listen to the ones I have no interest in,  Skier Bode Miller, fascinating, or the bit coin guy.   I always listen as you ask the best questions abs keep it moving.

Paul Anka was so compelling, I was disappointed when it ended.  His stories about the Rat Pack had me going back they Apple Music and listening to all 3 of them.

Listening to him talk about marriage I was both laughing and agreeing with him.

Great job with a great guest.

Thomas E. Melle

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I totally agree. This was one of the finest podcasts I have ever heard. Great stories, amazing dude, and you dug deep to get the stories out.

Happy New Year-

Rich Madow

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I am glad you did this. What an amazing podcast. My parents talked about Paul Anka but way before my time. I kind of blew it off the first time you posted. Nice one.  Cheers.

Alan Stewart

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I listened to it and I thought it was a spectacular podcast. I knew he was a teen idle. I knew he wrote The Tonight Show Theme. I did not know he was instrumental in bringing the Beatles to America. I did not know about his Rat Back days. He was entertaining, articulate,honest and funny. Totally blown away by it. He is truly one of a kind and has done it and seen it all. I especially liked the fact that he followed his mother’s advice.”Never look down on another human being,no matter what their status is in life. He even said he borrowed some of your writing to create a lyric. I wrote a song Tempting The Hands of Fate. I believe I wrote it before you used the term. I should write a song Paradigm because it is your favorite and most used word  other than the word the. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA The Guitar Master Disaster  I listened to it twice

Paul Donsanto

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Agreed from this geezer who grew up with him since “Diana”.
…..Read his autobiography about sneaking into Annette’s bedroom window at 16 and being called into Bridget Bardot’s bedroom while still a teenager!

Dennis Brent

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Just finished listening to the Paul Anka podcast.  You need to do another one with him.  It was great
Cheers
Kieran Stafford
Birdland Records

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I could not agree more, Paul was a fantastic guest and you did a great job bringing out the best in Paul.

I plan on listening again for it was so interesting!

Thank you

Bruce Ogilvie

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I completely dug that cast

Lew Enstedt

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Your Paul Anka interview was amazing!

Not sure if you’ve ever seen his doc Lonely Boy from when he was 19.

It’s no accident he reached that level of success.

He had it in him from day one.

Angelo Oddi

Toronto

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I wanted to compliment you on your questions for Paul Anka. Definitely kept me totally interested from start to finish.

You showbiz acumen is on full display in this Podcast.

Thank you so much. Everyone interested in the business during the last 50 years should check it out.

Cheers,

Jimmy

Jimmy Murphy Management

Nashville

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Actually it’s vert interesting that you sent this email. I was meaning to write to you about the Paul Anka podcast and people who on the surface I’m not as inclined to think ( and I stress think) that I would be that interested in but who turn out to fascinating conversations.
What I’ve learned is to get past my perceived view of what’s coming and just listen and learn. Paul Anka was fascinating, candid and dare I say very cool. And like Ezrin
quite the raconteur.

Peter Roaman

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Great job on the interview, love the candid questions such as how much the record cost and who paid for it — not sure many would have asked those, but that’s  also why we listen to your podcast 🙂

Al Walser

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I usually listen at work…my brother listened and said it was stellar so I’m setting some time aside so I can listen to it all the way thru on one listen…

Tom Clark on Maui

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Definitely need a part 2.. and 3, and 4 etc!

rdesjean

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Hey Bob,

I agree on Paul Anka.

What I love about your show is that you interview folks with amazing careers, and you’ve been on a roll with that lately, from Paul Anka to Ann Wilson, Rod Argent and Irving Azoff.

All of the hours deserved to be two hours. There was so much there.

I didn’t know much about Anka beyond the “Tonight Show,” early hits and “My Way.”

He wrote a tune for Buddy Holly! He made as much as $15 million from Doc and the band playing Johnny’s theme.

And he told great stories.

Congrats again Bob!

Jefferson Graham

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Keep it comin Bob.

…I think the PodCast is the best part of the Bob media empire — basically the greatest class I’ve ever taken.

I frequently send reminders like these to my fellow Bob heads when an outstanding episode comes down. This reminder will get me to move Paul to the top of my queue.

Steve Lindstrom

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The simple fact that he talked about little clubs he’d played and you knew the venues.  That’s it.  You cracked the code.  You’re the ultimate fan and it was a joyous conversation.  I listened to all the Joe Smith artist interviews.  He tried, but he didn’t know where the early, little venues were.  It makes all the difference.  You were thrilled in anticipation of each Paul Anka answer, and so was I.

These guys are getting older.  The conversation about white pop artists traveling in the south in the late 50s thru mid-60’s with mixed bands is a docu-series unto itself.  I know Pat Boone a bit, and he’s told me similar stories (he did a 10 day tour of South Africa in the early 60’s, but didn’t know they were white-only until he got there – and he refused to perform.  The South African president suspended apartheid so he could do integrated shows).  Pat has taken decades of crap for all kinds of things, but his work before and during the civil rights era supporting black artists is well known – among black artists of the time.  More people should know this about him.  It took courage – as Paul Anka described.  There are probably a dozen guys still around who could contribute to that narrative.

Thank you Bob,

Steve Okin

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I have to pass along my favorite (and only) Paul Anka story:

My daughters’ grade school used to do a video yearbook every year, and I would always volunteer to try to get low-cost sync and master use licenses for the project. It would usually run $200-500 a year.

One year the kids wanted to use Paul Anka’s “The Times of Your Life” – a great song for the purpose.

I wrote to the publisher and the label. A couple of weeks later, I got an e-mail from Paul Anka himself.
He attached a re-recorded version of the song and gave us gratis licenses for as long as we wanted.

My kids graduated 15-16 years ago. For all I know, the school is still using the song.

Thanks, Paul!!!

Charles McGarry

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That is SO sweet. Thank you!

And I’m planning on an evening with Paul as soon as we get back home.

Love,

Bob Ezrin