KNOWN ASSOCIATES
Talk about a varied career... Writer, arranger and publisher, Perry Botkin, Jr. was very instrumental in advancing Nilsson's career in the mid-1960s. Botkin co-wrote songs with Harry, introduced him to Phil Spector and - as co-owner of Rock Music Co. (see New Nilsson Songs) - was the first to pay Harry a salary (with an office, no less) to write music. With Botkin, Harry had a number of early compositions recorded by obscure Capitol Records acts in 1965/66 (The Sunday Funnies & Debbie Burton), and together they wrote and arranged a few songs on Harry's RCA debut, Pandemonium Shadow Show. Botkin and Nilsson would later reunite in the mid-70s on Duit On Mon Dei and Sandman (where Botkin co-wrote or arranged some of the anemic Sandman's better material). In the early 80s, Harry & Perry wrote stage plays together, including Zapata (which saw 16 weeks of performances - the music was never released) and Blondie And Dagwood (never completed), as well as collaborating on the TV cartoon, Ziggy's Gift. But, Botkin's resume and career credits make for a mind-bending read. Writer and/or arranger for films & TV, including Happy Days, Mork & Mindy and Bless The Beasts And The Children (among many others), while the million selling "Nadia's Theme," from The Young And The Restless, won him a Grammy. He's worked with artists as varied as Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, The Hollyridge Strings (he arranged Vol. 4 of The Beatles' Songbook LPs), The Incredible Bongo Band and literally hundreds of others - not including corporate commercials. Even releasing his own album, Ports, on A&M Records. So... what does a retired writer-arranger in his mid-70s (though, you'd think him 20 years younger) do in his old age? He gives up commercial work, starts a website of his own and dabbles in YouTube filmmaking, while shifting his musical focus to performing sample-heavy, avant garde electronic composition - selling his own CDs, Combines 1, Combines 2 & Combines 3, via CD Baby. Figure that one out! Hear excerpts from each of his self-released CDs, and watch one of his genuinely weird (and totally entertaining) self-made videos, "Old Man Walking (Remix)," below.
Conversation On The Citixen Band (two minute sample) Combines 1 (1998)
Personals (two minute sample) Combines 2 (2000)
Orpheus Descending (two minute sample) Combines 3 (2003)
"Old Man Walking (Remix)" Self-made video by Perry Botkin, Jr.
Ad for Perry Botkin, Jr.'s Ports, 1977.
*******************************************************************************************
Andrew Sandoval recently aired an in-depth interview and retrospective with Perry Botkin for his ongoing Podcast series, Come To The Sunshine. (Botkin's the original vocal arranger of the show's theme song.) It's a great 2 hour listen as Sandoval prods Botkin's memory banks for his recollections involving Nilsson (beginning approx. 40 minutes in) as well as Botkin's little known connections at dozens of pop junctures. It's the perfect introduction into Botkin's world, especially for those that think of him only as a footnote to Harry's career. Hear the entire show below, or download it via Podomatic HERE (or here if you need to). Don't miss Sandoval's 2007 Birthday Tribute to Nilsson (here), featuring unreleased music available nowhere else.
RELATED POSTS: (Click For Pop-Up Windows)
Scott Turner (Known Associates)
John Marascalco (Known Associates)
Dean O. Torrence (Known Associates)
J.P. Rags (Known Associates)
Talk about a varied career... Writer, arranger and publisher, Perry Botkin, Jr. was very instrumental in advancing Nilsson's career in the mid-1960s. Botkin co-wrote songs with Harry, introduced him to Phil Spector and - as co-owner of Rock Music Co. (see New Nilsson Songs) - was the first to pay Harry a salary (with an office, no less) to write music. With Botkin, Harry had a number of early compositions recorded by obscure Capitol Records acts in 1965/66 (The Sunday Funnies & Debbie Burton), and together they wrote and arranged a few songs on Harry's RCA debut, Pandemonium Shadow Show. Botkin and Nilsson would later reunite in the mid-70s on Duit On Mon Dei and Sandman (where Botkin co-wrote or arranged some of the anemic Sandman's better material). In the early 80s, Harry & Perry wrote stage plays together, including Zapata (which saw 16 weeks of performances - the music was never released) and Blondie And Dagwood (never completed), as well as collaborating on the TV cartoon, Ziggy's Gift. But, Botkin's resume and career credits make for a mind-bending read. Writer and/or arranger for films & TV, including Happy Days, Mork & Mindy and Bless The Beasts And The Children (among many others), while the million selling "Nadia's Theme," from The Young And The Restless, won him a Grammy. He's worked with artists as varied as Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, The Hollyridge Strings (he arranged Vol. 4 of The Beatles' Songbook LPs), The Incredible Bongo Band and literally hundreds of others - not including corporate commercials. Even releasing his own album, Ports, on A&M Records. So... what does a retired writer-arranger in his mid-70s (though, you'd think him 20 years younger) do in his old age? He gives up commercial work, starts a website of his own and dabbles in YouTube filmmaking, while shifting his musical focus to performing sample-heavy, avant garde electronic composition - selling his own CDs, Combines 1, Combines 2 & Combines 3, via CD Baby. Figure that one out! Hear excerpts from each of his self-released CDs, and watch one of his genuinely weird (and totally entertaining) self-made videos, "Old Man Walking (Remix)," below.Conversation On The Citixen Band (two minute sample) Combines 1 (1998)
Personals (two minute sample) Combines 2 (2000)
Orpheus Descending (two minute sample) Combines 3 (2003)
"Old Man Walking (Remix)" Self-made video by Perry Botkin, Jr.
Ad for Perry Botkin, Jr.'s Ports, 1977.
*******************************************************************************************
Andrew Sandoval's Come To The Sunshine #82
Featuring Perry Botkin, Jr. - January 21, 2013
Andrew Sandoval recently aired an in-depth interview and retrospective with Perry Botkin for his ongoing Podcast series, Come To The Sunshine. (Botkin's the original vocal arranger of the show's theme song.) It's a great 2 hour listen as Sandoval prods Botkin's memory banks for his recollections involving Nilsson (beginning approx. 40 minutes in) as well as Botkin's little known connections at dozens of pop junctures. It's the perfect introduction into Botkin's world, especially for those that think of him only as a footnote to Harry's career. Hear the entire show below, or download it via Podomatic HERE (or here if you need to). Don't miss Sandoval's 2007 Birthday Tribute to Nilsson (here), featuring unreleased music available nowhere else.
RELATED POSTS: (Click For Pop-Up Windows)
Scott Turner (Known Associates)
John Marascalco (Known Associates)
Dean O. Torrence (Known Associates)
J.P. Rags (Known Associates)
2 comments:
Um, it was Perry Botkin, SENIOR, who plays banjo in Spike Jones's band, BTW....
It's his banjo you hear in "Der Fuhrer's Face" (1942)
- Dana Countryman
Thanks for the catch.
Post a Comment