April 20, 2022

Greetings guys!
 
I hope you’re all safe and well.
 
I can’t tell you how lucky I feel to have all of you to reach out to month after month. (This is my 90^th Newsletter!)
 
The pandemic protocol has kept this 85-year-old people-loving extrovert out of circulation for a long time and you’re my lifesaver from floundering on the shoals of solitude or drowning in the deep, dark waters of loneliness. (Look Ma – I are a writur!)
 
 This time, wha’ d’ya say we keep it light with no commenting on what’s going on in the world.
 
First – my “book report”.
 
We’re being very selective about who we submit my book to. At this point, I’ve sent it to exactly one publisher.
 
They read it, liked it, and asked for a zoom chat, which we did last week.
 
They’ll get back to me “soon”.
 
My editor is over the moon about getting a positive response to our first submission. “Bruce - do you have any idea how rare that is?!”
 
Hey – that’s great! But you’re talking to a guy who’s auditioned his entire life – so I’m not assuming anything.
 
“ICONS, IDOLS and IDIOTS of HOLLYWOOD – My Adventures in America’s First Boy Band” represents a decade of effort recalling an 85-year lifetime. (Geez. No wonder it’s so long!) I want to find exactly the right home for it.
 
I’ll keep you posted.
 
Now here’s what this edition is all about.
 
In 1969, after 13 high-flying years, I disbanded the original Four Preps and joined David Somerville to form Belland and Somerville. I told you all about that last time (“He Aint Heavy, He’s my Brother”).
 
When the Beatles exploded on the scene, David and I quickly became ardent admirers.
 
How could any singer/songwriter not be in awe of their amazing output of memorable songs?
 
So, in 1972 while under contract to Warner Brothers Music, we created  “A Different Kind of Song” - an affectionate ode to the band, in which I incorporated a slew of Beatles titles and song references in the lyrics.
 
We cut a terrific demo with our backup band – all 6 of us singing our heads off on one Beatle title after another. What a great day it was.
 
Neither David nor I could remember how it happened, but the song got lost in the shuffle at Warner Brothers and we forgot about it once the Beatles split up.
 
Fast forward to 2014. David is about to cut a new solo CD and looking over our catalog for material.
 
Ta-dah! There it is – Belland and Somerville’s tribute to Lennon and McCartney.
 
D. S. cuts it with his cashmere voice and trusty Martin guitar and sends me a copy.
 
I play it after all these years, and the memories come flooding back of the two of us in the studio that day with our band, loving them and what we’re doing. It’s a high you have to be in a band to understand.
 
Then, I get an idea (that happens to me now and then).
 
My Newsletter pals haven’t had a challenge or a contest for a while.
 
Why not ask them to listen to David’s track and see how many titles or references to Beatle songs they can count?
 
Come on you guys, have a little fun and take a shot.
 
There ain't no big prize involved, just the fun of seeing how sharp your ears are. (can ears be “sharp” ?)
 
And I’ll bet the titles kick up a lot of memories.
 
I dunno – maybe I’m just the crazy old Uncle who loves corny games, so humor me.

1. Give “A Different Kind of Song” a listen.

2. Count the songs mentioned and click through to see the answers.
 
    * Now boys and girls… here’s a clue:

The total of Beatle songs mentioned is more than the number of days in the week ending in “y”, and less than the combined marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Click here to hear the song!