ICON & MUSIC LEGEND HENRY STONE DIES IN MIAMI
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
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| Richie Sambora |
STONE’S END --- Henry Stone, whose music career has spanned the entirety of the rock era, died on Thursday at Mercy Hospital in Miami. He was 93.
Stone was born in the Bronx but brought up in an orphanage in Pleasantville, NY. Originally a trumpet player, he was part of a racially integrated band while in the Army between 1943 and 1947.
After the service, Stone moved to Los Angeles where he worked for Jewel and Modern Records, traveling the country doing promotion. Not satisfied to work for others, he moved to Miami a year later, starting his own distribution company (Seminole) and recording studio (Crystal).
In 1952, he added record companies (Rockin' and Glory Records) to his portfolio where he had his first major hit with the Charms' "Hearts of Stone" in association with King/DeLuxe Records. He was also one of the first to record a young Ray Charles with the tracks released on Rockin' and leased to DeLuxe.
More labels followed during the 60's and early-70's including Glades, Marlin and Alston Records along with one of the most successful distribution companies in the business, Tru-Tone (eventually just Tone).
By the early-70's, Stone's enterprises started to turn out hits that transcended the R&B charts and became major pop hits including Betty Wright's “Clean Up Woman” (1971 / #6 Pop / #2 R&B), Beginning of the End's “Funky Nassau” (1971 / #15 Pop / #7 R&B), Timmy Thomas' “Why Can't We Live Together” (1972 / #3 Pop / #1 R&B), Latimore's“Let's Straighten It Out” (1974 / #31 Pop / #1 R&B), Gwen McRae's “Rockin' Chair” (1975 / #9 Pop / #1 R&B), Peter Brown's “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me” (1977 / #18 Pop / #3 R&B), Bobby Caldwell's “What You Won't Do For Love” (1978 / #9 Pop / #6 R&B), and Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell (1979/#1 Pop/#1 R&B).
Stylistically, the Caldwell and Ward records were terrific; in fact, I heard“Bell” twice this past weekend on the radio and it sounded as great as ever.
Stone's career peak came when the news broke that a merging of Atlantic, Warner Brothers and Elektra would start doing their own distribution, cutting out Tone. Henry refocused on recording and producing, forming T.K. Records with Steve Alaimo. A warehouse worker at Stone's facility, Harry Wayne Casey, and one of Henry's engineers, Richard Finch, were paired up and began writing and performing together, eventually becoming K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Between 1973 and 1980, the group had sixteen top forty R&B hits and eleven on the Pop charts including five number 1's, “Get Down Tonight,” “ That's the Way (I Like It) (both 1975),” “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty (1976),” “ I'm Your Boogie Man (1977)” and “Please Don't Go (1979).”
Even before K.C. broke big, Casey, Finch and Stone collaborated on what some consider the first major disco hit, George McCrae's “Rock Your Baby.”
When disco crashed, so did T.K. Records which closed its doors in 1981 but, un-phased, Stone jumped into a new business with Morris Levy of Roulette Records with their Sunnyview Records which recorded artists from the early hip-hop group Neucleus to the Dixie Hummingbirds and Eartha Kitt.
Stone continued in the record business into later life and, in 2004, was the recipient of the first Pioneer Award from the Dance Music Hall of Fame. He also wrote the book The Stone Cold Truth on Payola! Cash, Cocaine, Cars and the Music Biz.
Stone is survived by his wife, Inez, seven children and fourteen grandchildren.
I knew Stone quite well in those halcyon days of T.K. Records on 55th street in NYC, where for a time they were indeed the premiere record label releasing disco music. He was bull-headed for sure, but reviewing the list of music he released, he was indeed a visionary.
His book is one of the most revealing ever written of that era. In fact, its right up there will Casablanca Records’ Larry Harris’ book, And Party Every Day – The Inside Story of Casablanca Records.
One thing’s certain: He was an intense and very successful businessman; no matter how he got it done … he got it done. Flamboyant, powerful, sinister … he definitely changed popular music. Big loss.
HAT’S OFF TO PAUL --- Paul Revere, the organist and namesake of Paul Revere and the Raiders for the last 56 years, had decided to call it a day.
Revere, 76, originally posted a message on the band's website on July 18, saying that he had been touring against doctor's orders but decided to take this summer's dates off:
Hey gang, Paul Revere here!
You know, 2014 has been just a great year for the band so far, thanks to you guys. We've played killer shows to great audiences all over America, and we're having a blast - Disney, Busch Gardens, the ‘Where The Action Is’ cruise, Las Vegas and every supermarket opening and pie eating contest along the way.
Even though I've had some health issues, nothing can stop the old man. I'm like the Energizer Bunny! I jump on my tour bus and go from city to city, packing a trunk full of great Raider songs, tight pants and bad jokes - all against doctor's orders, by the way!
I've been the worst patient these guys have ever seen, and they've been on me to take a break all year. So, we finally did take a break, and recorded two new singles (due out in September), but that's not good enough for them. They want a longer break. I told them, ‘Hey, I've got to hit the road, I'm booked! And I'm bored!!’
Well, you can't ignore doctor's orders forever, and I have to give in this time or these wonderful men and women might stop trying to help me. It breaks my heart to have to stay home while the band goes out without me to our next block of dates. You don't even know how much it kills me. But the truth is, The Raiders kick major butt with or without me. We've designed this show to run like a Ferrari, even if it's only firing on 11 cylinders. It's built for speed from the ground up. High energy and fun is what a Paul Revere and The Raiders show is all about, and that's always the same, no matter which one of us shows up in a body cast.
So come out and see my boys, and tell them how much you miss me. We have the absolute best fans. I love you all and will see you soon.
The show must always go on!
Love, Paul
Since then, Revere has reconsidered and has now decided to retire from performing with the band even though he will continue to be executive producer.
Pollstar, who broke the story, said that Paul's son Jamie would take over for his father.
Revere formed the band that would become the Raiders (originally the Downbeats) in the 50's while he was owner of a couple of restaurants in Boise, ID. He met Mark Lindsey, who would become the vocalist for the band, in 1958 and Paul Revere and the Raiders were born.
They had their first minor national hit in 1961 with the instrumental Like, Long Hair (#38), based on Rachmanioff's Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, but the band's momentum was interrupted when Revere was drafted and served time as a cook in an institution as a conscientious objector.
When they reformed, the hits finally started coming including Kicks (1966 / #4), Hungry (1966 / #8), Good Thing (1967 / #4), Him or Me, What's It Gonna Be? (1967 / #5) and their chart topper Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) (1971 / #1).
Lindsey left the band in 1975 but they have kept on going over the years as a popular touring group.
CLOSING NOTES --- I picked up a copy of the East End’s Hampton's magazine this past weekend and marveled at how much the editorial direction has changed since the long-gone days when creator/original publisher Randy Schindler ran the book. More out of focus photos than ever before of somewhat questionable events. Guess the old days are definitely over …
Speaking of the East End, we dined at a incredible spot Friday night, Dockside in Sag Harbor. Just sensational food … and, drink. Saturday we ate at Race Lane, the old Laundry-locale in East Hampton. Gracious dining for sure …
Celebrated American rock icon Richie Sambora, best known throughout his remarkable 30-year career with Bon Jovi and for his raw vocals, indelible songwriting and world-class guitar playing, braved the heavy rain and lightning to take the Citybreak Festival stage in Seoul, South Korea, last night.
“I traveled thousands of miles across the globe to perform for these fans and I wasn't going to let them down,” says Sambora. “With over 2 hours of rain and everyone wanting to cancel the show, we found that right time to take the stage and rocked it out making sure nobody left disappointed.”
With the venue under strict city curfew, Sambora shortened his set to include fan favorites “Lay Your Hands On Me,” “Every Road Leads Home To You,” “Nowadays,” “Living On A Prayer” and “Wanted Dead Or Alive.”
Richie has sold over 130 million albums worldwide and has co-written over 20 Top 40 hits and 11 Top 10 hits, including “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and has collected over 68 gold and platinum albums.
In addition to his work with Bon Jovi, he has released three acclaimed solo albums that have highlighted a more personal and intimate side to Richie’s songwriting: 1991’s Stranger in This Town, 1998’s Undiscovered Soul and 2012’s Aftermath of the Lowdown, which spawned the powerful single “Every Road Leads Home To You.”
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