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1999, December 26th

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

I added a review of Van Dyke Parks' recent performance in London to the writings section. I am sorry that it took so long to update this site, but I have been quite busy after returning from England last weekend. I hope everybody had and is still having a great christmas time - with lots of Van Dyke Parks' MGM singles under your christmas tree / in your christmas stocking... No, no, I didn't get any of them either... But I got a coupon for a top- level domain for this website, so vandykeparks.com will move during the next weeks - most likely in January.

London Interview Available

An interview held with Van Dyke Parks during his London visit is available at www.music365.co.uk.

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

I uploaded the first number of additions to theworks for other artists site. I will add more 1970s'/ 1980s' albums to the list the next days.

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

Since some questions about this site appear frequently in the e-mail correspondence I receive, I have added a page with some information about the intentions behind this site. You can enter it here or from the index site by clicking on "about this site".

Dublin Booking Details

Van Dyke Parks' performance in Dublin/ Ireland is scheduled for the 17th December 1999 at Dublin's Hall Of Fame. Tickets can be ordered by phone at Tel. 00 353-1-878-3345.

Correction To London Booking Details

By mistake a wrong telephone number for the Royal Festival Hall box office got in circulation on this site and on the mailing list. The correct number is: ++44/171/9604242.

VDP Mailing Lists Unite

Both VDP mailing lists at onelist.com recently united for one stronger list with more vivid discussions and news exchange. You can join at www.onelist.com/community/VanDykeParks. Some of the news and information presented on this page are taken from announcements on that list .

London Booking Details / Dublin Performance On 17th December

Via e-mail I have been informed that ticket for Van Dyke Parks' concert in London are also available online at www.sbc.org.uk. or - as announced - by phone: ++44/171/9604242. Van Dyke Parks' performance in Dublin is scheduled for the 17th December 1999.

Interesting Broadcast Downloads

This weekend I found links to interesting broadcast downloads on US radio station sites.Unfortunately I could not download the files myself, because all data received was heavily disturbed, so if you manage to download a listenable file, I would be very happy, if you could contact me.

At http://play.rbn.com/?livecon/kcrw-cp/demand/mb/mb960906Van_Dyke_Parks.rayou can download a 45 minutes program with VDP being interviewed in the studio. It was first broadcasted in September 1996.

At http://www.npr.org/programs/anthem/thisweek/980905.html you can download some segments of a September 1998 radio program including interviews and live in the studio performances.

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

I added new items to thewritings section. I enclosed a very interesting review by Micheal Kemp of Van Dyke Parks' great and unusual performance at the London Meltdown Festival on 2nd July 1999; and I copied the Warner Bros. Media Information to the Moonlighting CD. Furthermore I enclosed a review of a Brian Wilson concert by Gerry Borreggine. This review is published here, although vandykeparks.com is not a Brian Wilson site, since it is of particular interest to Van Dyke Parks fans: the author stresses his joyous impressions by citing from Parks' wonderful lyrics to the Beach Boys' tune "Surf's Up". I got permission from Paul Zollo to reprint his immensly interesting interview with Van Dyke Parks published in his book Songwriters On Songwriting. So this will be online in the near future. Thanks to everyone who has send me additions to the "works for other artists" page so far . I will also update this site soon.

There will be some major changes on this site in the not-too-distant future. I will leave my little members.aol.com webspace and move to another address, which will be a top-level domain. I do not have a new address yet, but I will keep you informed on that subject.

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

I revised the link page- I have updated and corrected the existing links and added links not yet posted on my site. The biography section now features Warner Brothers' official biography.

Link To Information about VDP's Brooklyn Concerts

For anyone interested in the upcoming concert in St. Anne's, Brooklyn, an URL for more info has been posted in the Van Dyke Parks mailing list: www.harrysmitharchives.com. The performances are charity performances for the Harry Smith Archive and feature, according to the concert flyer, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Wilco, David Johansen, Van Dyke Parks, Syd Straw, Kate and Anna McGarrigle and DJ Spooky. For other artists to perform, see below. The first performance will be held today (11th November 1999), the second tomorrow, on 12th November 1999.

New Van Dyke Parks Mailing List

A new mailing list on Van Dyke Parks has been started several days ago. The list is posted through www.onelist.com and you can subscribe at www.onelist.com/subscribe/VanDykeParks. It is great to finally have a new forum for fans of Van Dyke Parks' work! I hope that as many fans as possible will take part in it so that discussions and exchange of information can become as lively as possible.

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

I added Recollections Of Van Dyke Parks, an essay by musician Steve Young about his relationship with Van Dyke Parks to the writings section.

Performances By VDP in November/December

Van Dyke Parks will perform during Hal Wilner's Folk concerts next week at Saint Anne's, NY.organized in conjunction with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He will be joined by John Sebastian. Other artists performing include Nick Cave, NRBQ, The McGarrigle Sisters, Geoff Muldahr. As already announced on this page, Van Dyke Parks will perform in London on 15th December 1999 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (for booking details see below). Around the same time he will perform in Ireland's capital Dublin (no details about date and venue available). (Personal Note: On Wednesday I received my tickets for the London gig. If you plan to go there, too, send me a mail, if you like.)

Van Dyke Parks Writes Liner Notes For New Steve Young Release

Steve Young (subject of Van Dyke Parks' The All Golden) has finished recording a new album. The CD will be released by the Japanese record company, Dreamsville. Liner notes to the CD are written by Van Dyke Parks, a long time friend of Steve Young.

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

I added a review of Rudy VanderLans' great book Palm Desert to the writings section.

Van Dyke Parks Performance in London

On 15th December 1999 Van Dyke Parks will perform at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Supporting act will be the High Llamas. Tickets are available at 12.50 Pounds from the Box Office/Royal Festival Hall (Tel ++44/171/9604242).

latest additions to vandykeparks.com

In this section, I will regularly announce additions and/or changes to each page of vandykeparks.com, with the exception of the Newsflash page. I'll also keep you informed about plans for this site and works-in-progress, since your suggestions are always appreciated. In the Writings section, you will find some photos and scans of September's performances in Graz, Austria. The discography section is still a work in progress. Please be patient.
Your suggestions and contributions are always welcomed!

Musician Terry Gilkyson Died

On the morning of the 15th October 1999 musician Terry Gilkyson (born Henry Hamilton Gilkyson III.) died. He was a great friend and teacher of Van Dyke Parks. Gilkyson was an early devotee of folk music and the founder of the group The Easy Riders. In 1963 Gilkyson hired Parks to arrange and play on his Academy Award nominated tune The Bear Necessities for Disney movie The Jungle Book - Parks' first professional job in L.A. Van Dyke Parks will dedicate tonight's show to the memory of Terry Gilkyson. If you are interested in hearing some of Gilkyson's work, the entire Easy Riders catalogue is available on reissue specialis label Bear Family Records, P.O Box 1154, D-27727 Hambergen, Germany (Catalogue #04794 9300-20).

Performance On Oct. 16th In Santa Barbara

On Saturday, 16th October 1999 Van Dyke Parks will perform at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. He will be accompanied by Grant Geissman and Leland Sklar. The opening act will be Syd Straw. Phone 805 963-0761 for tickets.

New Book Releases

Two books of interest for people interested in Parks' works have been published recently.

Widening The Horizon is written by Australian musicologist Dr. Philip Hayward. In it you'll find a treatise on Van Dyke Parks' Tokyo Rose album. The ISBN code of the book is 1 86462 047 1. The book is available in paperback and has been published by John Libbey & Company Pty Ltd, who may be contacted via e-mail here.

Palm Desert is a book written and compiled by Rudy VanderLans. It includes essays by Kenneth FitzGerald and Brian Schorn. Its contents are inspired by Van Dyke Parks' lyrics and music to the song Palm Desert. The book is accompanied by a CD containing the original VDP version of Palm Desert and three adaptions of that song by Itchy Pet, Honey Barbara and Elliot Peter Earls. It is published by Emigre (ISBN 0-9669409-0-3) and costs $24.95 (96 pages + CD). The publisher has a website at www.emigre.com. You can also contact the author.

1999, October 10th

Van Dyke Parks To Play In London?

There may be another performance in Europe by Parks, Geissman and Sklar in the near future. A club engagement is scheduled for December of this year in London. Details will be posted on this site as they become available. If you get any concert information that might be of interest to readers of this site please mail me at webmaster@vandykeparks.com.

Studio Album In Preparation

During an interview conducted by an Austrian newspaper during his Graz visit, Van Dyke Parks mentioned a possible new studio release, which would contain folk songs like "Hard Times Of Old England". There has been no recording work done yet, but he is working on compositions and arrangements. During the Graz concerts, he played a new composition called Paradise Hill, which might appear on that new album.

New Info On Graz Concerts

I just received a press release from the "steirischer herbst" office with the exact times and places of Van Dyke Parks' two gigs announced earlier. He will be performing on electric piano, accompanied by Grant Geissman on guitar and by Leland Sklar on bass. This will be Van Dyke Parks second European gig ever!

The concert on the 25th September 1999 will take place on 16:30h at the Kasematten, Schlossbergbühne in Graz/Austria.

The club concert on the 26th September 1999 will take place at 21h at the Screen Club in Graz /Austria.

For booking details see below.

Van Dyke Parks To Play In Europe Again!!!

It has now been confirmed that after finishing his tour of Japan, Van Dyke Parks will definitely perform two nights in Graz/ Austria during a festival helt at the end of September. He will perform on the opening night of the festival on the

                      25th September at 16:30h.

Please note that this is not a full performance, but that Parks will be the musical guest at the two hour long opening of an avantgarde festival called "steirischer herbst".

He will however perform a full gig on the

                      26th September 1999.

This performance will be a full club gig. Tickets for the concert are available at the organisators of the "steirischer herbst" at ATS300 (that is about US$21). They may be reserved via fax: 0043/316/535788, and are mailed from the 1st September 1999. I will also be there, so if you plan to go there, too,drop me a mail.

(Festival information was provided by the organisation's press office.)

Rykodisc Re-Releases Parks' First Three Albums

Reissue specialist Rykodisc (visit their website at http://www.rykodisc.com, they also have a site dedicated to Parks' releases) reissued Van Dyke Parks first three albums in a remastered edition, including at least one bonus track on each CD. In each CD-booklet the original album artwork and an essay on Van Dyke Parks, written by Parks himself, are included. The sound quality of the recordings is better than ever before. For audio excerpts of some of the albums' tracks, visit the official Rykodisc website (see the link above).

The remastered edition of the landmark 1968 release Song Cycle includes one bonus track, the A-Side of the very hard to find 1971 single The Eagle And Me/ Out On The Rolling Sea (Where Jesus Speaks To Me). An absolutely unique record, the Song Cycle remains a true masterpiece which touched new grounds both lyrically and musically. It really crosses the borders between pop, Broadway musical, classical music, jazz, musique concrete - something many other records of its time tried to achieve with only small success. A record like the Song Cycle has never been made before and never since. It has been greeted with rave reviews by the music press at its time, but sold poorly. In a promotional campaign Warner Bros. even offered two new copies for customers who sent in their worn-out pressings of the record for one cent. Unfortunately that unusual campaign did not help increase sales either, but nevertheless the record has been immensely influential and has been rated as an unreached triumphal masterpiece by many ever since.

The B-Side to the above mentioned 1971 single can be found on the remastered edition of the 1971 album Discover America. In my opinion that cover version is one of the most unusual and experimental sounding songs Parks ever released. The album Discover America has been very much influenced by the calypso Steelband music of Trinidad and Tobago. It has been recorded with the Esso Trinidad Steelband, an ensemble for which Parks also worked as a producer. Furthermore the record is also influenced by 1920s music.

This edition of the 1975 album Clang Of The Yankee Reaper includes two previously unreleased versions of the classic Amazing Grace. The album itself - apart from the great title track - consists entirely of cover versions, treated with unique and haunting arrangements.The most unusual track on the album is surely an instrumental disco-calypso cover of the Lutheran choral Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott, falsly billed as Cannon In D (by Pachelbel) on all editions of the record. A rousing, unforgettable version - songs like that can only be found on records by Parks. Like this track, the whole album is again largely influenced by Caribbean sounds.