MICKY DOLENZ INTERVIEW IN ROCK THIZ MAGAZINE

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THE GLORIOUS CORNER

Story By: G. H. HARDING

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Micky Dolenz In Rock Thiz

ZEP DENIED --- A judge has denied Led Zeppelin‘s first attempt to defend a lawsuit claiming that “Stairway to Heaven” was lifted from a song by Randy California and his band Spirit called “Taurus.” The ruling had nothing to do with the merits of the case, but rather a pre-trial motion to dismiss on the question of jurisdiction.

According to sources, Zeppelin had challenged whether the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the suit was filed, had the right to rule on the case. Zep's barristers said, "The individual defendants are British citizens residing in England, own no property in Pennsylvania and have no contacts with Pennsylvania, let alone ties sufficient to render them essentially at home here."

However, Judge Juan Sanchez sided with the plaintiff, who, in an amendment to the lawsuit, said that the defendants “make millions of dollars from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by directly targeting this district for the exploitation of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ through CD sales, digital downloading, radio and television play, advertising, marketing, concert performances, other performances, licensing, and otherwise targeting resident individuals and businesses to profit off the exploitation of ‘Stairway to Heaven.’”

Earlier this year, the children of Spirit guitarist California (born Randy Craig Wolfe) filed suit against Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement on the grounds that the opening riff from “Stairway to Heaven” was appropriated from “Taurus.” They are seeking monetary damages and co-writing credit. Zeppelin opened for Spirit in 1968, the year “Taurus” was released.

REAL STUPID HUMAN PET TRICK --- Here’s an unfortunate bit of news here for David Letterman’s final run in late night: longtime Late Show cue card handler Tony Mendez has been fired from the show.

According to insiders, Mendez assaulted Emmy award-winning staff writer Bill Scheft following an argument and was notified last Monday that he'd be let go from the show.

Mendez, 69, who had been with Letterman for 21 years, got into a verbal altercation with Scheft and Letterman over changes in cue cards, went home overnight and stewed about perceived slights from Scheft over a long period. When Mendez came back the next day, he grabbed Scheft by his shirt and pushed him against a wall.

A representative for Letterman’s Worldwide Pants, which produces The Late Show, said the company cannot comment on a confidential personnel matter.

Cameras frequently cut to Mendez during the show’s broadcasts as he handled Letterman’s cue cards. Mendez previously handled cue cards for Saturday Night Live and The Hollywood Palace.

Letterman would sometimes use Mendez in bits on the show, referring to him as the resident cue card boy and sometimes sending him out to film other segments. Mendez also had a long-running behind the scenes show titled The Tony Mendez Show that was normally uploaded with the rest of The Late Show clips the following day.

"I know I shouldn't have put my hands on him," said Mendez, "But, this has been coming for a long time."

"(Scheft) encroaches on my work. He tells me what to do, and I have to say, ‘I know what I'm doing.’ And a lot of time when I am making changes([to the cards]), he'll stand there looking over my shoulder, and he'll say something like, ‘Put that on top,’ because he got an idea."

“Bill was always undermining me — making himself out as Dave’s No. 1,” Mendez said. “Trying to pretend that I wasn't even in the room . . . little passive-aggressive things.”

“As Dave is giving me a change, Bill will start yelling the same change — but his own version — because he'll thinks it’s funnier. And I have to say, ‘One at a time, I can't hear anybody!’ ”

I know Bill Scheft and, like Letterman, he is a writer; as unpredictable as always. What many of the reports failed to mention, is that Scheft for a time had his owns segment on the show … which was as funny (or, unfunny, depending on your perspective) as Mendez’s.

Letterman and Scheft are artists … wild, unpredictable and play fast and loose with the interns.

In a sign of solidarity: the show will cover Mendez’s salary and benefits through Letterman’s departure.

LOVE TRAIN STOPPED FOREVER --- The “Love Train” that has carried “The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP)” to “people all over the world” for almost half a century made its last physical stop at 309 S. Broad Street last week as the legendary Philadelphia International Records label, founded by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame producer-songwriters Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, was officially shut down with the sale of its historic building to a prominent local developer.

"The closing of the company and building is definitely bittersweet, but we are extremely proud and honored to have been able to create so much great music out of our ‘309’ location,” said Gamble & Huff in a joint statement. “It was such a blessing and miracle how all of this came together over 50 years. More importantly, we would like to thank all of the wonderful musicians, artists and staff members who helped make Philadelphia International Records what it became – and what it remains – an incredible African-American institution and music and cultural brand.”

Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records became the birthplace, incubator and launching pad for the Philly Soul sound aka The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP), a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music.

With a stable core of artists led by the O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, MFSB and the Three Degrees, Gamble & Huff co-founded Philadelphia International Records and began creating monster hits from nearly the first day of its inception in 1971. They continued to record, collaborate and produce major hits with a galaxy of stars from the pop, rock, soul and jazz universes, including Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Elton John, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, LaBelle, Archie Bell & the Drells, the Soul Survivors, Laura Nyro, the Trammps, McFadden & Whitehead, Phyllis Hyman, the Dells and many more.

The label produced some of the world’s greatest hit songs such as “Love Train,” “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” "For The Love Of Money," "Don't Leave Me This Way," “Me and Mrs. Jones,” "Enjoy Yourself," "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," "Only the Strong Survive," “You'll Never Find A Love Like Mine,” “Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now,” "TSOP" (better known as the Soul Train theme) and many other Top 10 Billboard hits over the past 50 years.

The iconic Philadelphia International Records blue neon sign that adorned the historic Sound of Philadelphia building at 309 S. Broad Street was permanently removed last week in final preparations for the famous structure’s demolition. The lowering of the sign symbolized the end of a legendary record label and an era whose music will continue to resonate deeply with people all over the world for generations to come.

Prior to the PIR era, this building also was the place where Chubby Checker recorded “The Twist,” and Dee Dee Sharp recorded “The Mashed Potato,” as the home of the legendary Cameo-Parkway record label.

The building – owned since 1973 by pioneering songwriting partners Gamble, Huff and Bell – was formally sold this week to Dranoff Properties. The building, ravaged by a 2010 arson fire from which it never recovered, is scheduled to be demolished in 2015, when ground will be broken at that site on the 47-story SLS International hotel and luxury condominium. The span of South Broad Street in front the building was previously renamed Gamble Huff Walk.

CLOSING NOTES --- Vincent Amelio’s play How Alfo Learned to Love Women (director by The Sopranos-Robert Funaro) ended a SRO-run Friday night with a standing ovation. Says Funaro, “Alfo will make you laugh and cry which all great theater does. It's a universal theme which resonates throughout time of the passing on of one family’s legacy to the next generation. Yet more importantly without someone to love Alfo realizes he has nothing to live for.”

Amelio has added an encore performance on Thursday, November 6. Check it out here: http://www.howalfolearnedtolovewomen.com …

Micky Dolenz, profiled on Oprah Winfrey’s Where Are They Now (November 9) is the subject of a terrific 9-page cover story, by Jay Luster, in the national mag Rock Thiz . Here’s the link: http://rockthizmagazineblog.net/ ...

This weekend's Chiller Theatre event in New Jersey just added Debbie Gibson; fresh from her induction into the Long Island Rock & Roll Hall of Fame award - http://www.chillertheatre.com/ ...

Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon, the singer who had national hits with songs such as “Tallahassee Lassie,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” and “Palisades Park,” has successfully undergone quadruple bypass surgery. Cannon is now home and resting comfortably although, with this type of surgery, he will have a fairly lengthy recovery period.

The Forgotten Hits tip sheet broke the story back on October 9 that an original acetate had been found of Cannon from 1958 with the song “She's My Rock and Roll Baby.” That song, written with his mother, was an early version of what would become one of his biggest hits, “Tallahassee Lassie.”

Boston-DJ Eric Lee found the acetate and, through the web site, contacted Cannon who admitted he did not even have a copy of the song. Get better soon Boom Boom!