In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed Burt Ward for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). If the name doesn't ring a bell, Burt played Robin on TV's Batman series in the 1960s. Burt talked about growing up in Beverly Hills, his father's touring ice show and how he wound up auditioning and winning the Boy Wonder roll. The show remains one of the most intelligent sitcoms of the decade—delightfully sophisticated and sophomoric. I did ask Burt how they filmed the building-scaling scenes. Apparently, the building set was on a 45-degree angle to give them an uphill feel. They also had firm fishing line in their capes to make them extend outward and look like they were climbing straight up.
Here's a reel of all 14 celebrity window cameos as the Dynamic Duo scale a building in Gotham City...
Also in the WSJ, my "Anatomy of a Song" column for the Life & Arts section looked at the writing and recording of the Temptations' Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (go here). I interviewed song lyricist Barrett Strong, arranger Paul Riser Sr. and the last surviving founding member of the Temptations Otis Williams. Here's the album version of the #1 hit in 1972...
SiriusXM. This Thursday, Oct. 25, from 9 to 10 a.m. (EDT), I'll be on SiriusXM's Feedback (Ch. 106) with Nik Carter and Lori Majewski to talk about Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.
Lenny Bruce. In 1959, the comedian taped a pilot for a TV show that never aired. On the show, Bruce featured Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans and Philly Joe Jones. Thanks to Bret Primack, who sent along this link to a video he posted at his YouTube channel...
Chiaroscuro Records. The jazz label was founded by Hank O'Neal in 1970 and was donated in 2011 to the Northeast Pennsylvania Educational Television Association, owner of WVIA-FM-TV, the PBS and NPR member for northeastern Pennsylvania. You'll find the entire Chiaroscuro catalog here (copy and paste the following link in your browser): www.chiaroscurojazz.org/catalog.php
Chet Baker. WRTC radio host Chris Cowles sent along a link to Chet Baker (tp,vo) performing in the Netherlands in 1975 backed by Bob Mover (as), Harold Danko (p), Dave Shapiro (b) and Beaver Harris (ds). The songs they play in the clip are The Lamp Is Low, The Thrill Is Gone, Look for the Silver Lining, I Waited for You and Mr. B. Here's the clip...
Count Basie. Here are a few superb Count Basie clips from Milan, Italy, in 1960:
Here's Blues in Frankie's Flat...
Here's Who Me? and I Needs to Be Bee'd With...
What the heck: Here's Billy Stewart singing Sitting in the Park in 1965, an early romantic soul ballad...
Oddball album cover of the week.
How rough were the 1950s for women? Case in point, here dad and son build something neat while mom sits alone, ignored, with a pained expression on her face picking out yarn to knit.
