Soul Trax: "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips

This time a Facebook post by rock powerhouse producer ED STASIUM (Ramones, Talking Heads, Smithereens, Living Colour, etc) sent me down the rabbit hole.  Ed casually mentioned that 40 years ago he got his start in the business by engineering and mixing "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips as a wee lad in a basement in New Jersey.  

Um, say what!?

Do you mean the August, 1973 release, the Pips' only #1 Billboard pop hit, the Grammy-award-winning recording that features the bass work of Motown legend Bob Babbit and horns by the Brecker Brothers (among others) that also happened to by my mother's favorite record of all time, a 45-rpm 7" single that I was literally raised on?  That one?  Yep!  Oh, it gets weirder!  

It turns out that the song was originally a 1972 COUNTRY song called "Midnight PLANE to HOUSTON" and was written about future Charlie's Angel, FARRAH FAWCETT, and her then boyfriend Lee "6-Million Dollar Man" Majors by a former Univ. of Miss. quarterback named Jim Weatherly.  

Um, excuse me?  

Furthermore the title was changed to "Midnight TRAIN to GEORGIA" and recorded first by CISSY HOUSTON a year earlier in 1972.  It's all too much to go into!  Here's a detailed and an excellent article about the whole saga:

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/hop-aboard-the-midnight-train-to-georgia-with-gladys-knight-the-pips

On Weatherly's same self-titled 1972 RCA album LP with "Midnight Plane" on it, he also wrote another tune called: "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)." This song was recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips in January 1973, their last Motown recording before moving to Buddah Records.  It peaked at #2 on the Billboard pop chart.  Note: the Pips' version of "Neither One of Us" was 7 months BEFORE their version of "Midnight Train."  Both "Neither One of Us" and "Midnight Train" won Grammys.  Are you still with me?  

Continuing on.  

Weatherly also wrote a tune called "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," which was originally a #1 COUNTRY hit for (then) aging star RAY PRICE in July, 1973.  It was recorded and released by Gladys Knight and the Pips in February, 1974.

Here are YouTube links to:

Jim Weatherly's original 1972 version of "Midnight Plane to Houston." 

http://youtu.be/LO6fNn-sXAc

Cissy Houston's original 1972 recording of "Midnight Train to Georgia."

http://youtu.be/HYc1BBoL_Lg

Jim Weatherly's original 1972 version of "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)."  I couldn't find a version with out the annoying "for reference only" voice over.  I apologize.

http://youtu.be/eKXsvdn5UD0

Ray Price's original version 1973 of "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me."

http://youtu.be/uZglwt9tPgY

I'm assuming you all have the original Gladys Knight & the Pips recording in your library.  But if you don't, do yourself a favor and listen to it again on YouTube (http://youtu.be/IdfZnWsps34) or something, knowing now what you now know!

Enjoy!

Your pal,
Ivan アイヴァン

www.funkboy.net

THE FALCONS!

Billy Vera just popped "You're So Fine" up on his Facebook page today, which, of course, sent me down the rabbit hole.  I know about The Falcons and was already a big fan of "I Found a Love."  But I didn't have "You're So Fine" in the library yet.  I do now!  And I'm reminded to send it out to you along with "I Found a Love" and just a brief note about the lightning that these young men captured in a bottle.

"You're So Fine" listen HERE.

THE FALCONS were founded in DETROIT in 1955 by EDDIE ("Knock on Wood") FLOYD.  Yes, that Eddie Floyd, along with:

Eddie Floyd (lead tenor, 1955-63), Bob Manardo (lead tenor, 1955-56), Tom Shetler (baritone vocals, 1955-56), Arnett Robinson (second tenor, 1955-56), Willie Schofield (bass vocals, 1955-63), Joe Stubbs (lead tenor, 1956-60, 1963), Lance Finnie (guitar, 1956-63), Mack Rice (baritone vocals, 1956-63), Wilson Pickett (lead tenor, 1960-63), Ben Knight (bass vocals, 1962), Gene "Earl" Martin (lead tenor, 1962).

SIR MACK RICE joined in 1956 and later went on to write a popular ditty called "Mustang Sally."

JOE STUBBS sings lead on "You're So Fine," which is considered by people who consider such things as being the first ever pure "SOUL" record in 1959.  Joe's brother, LEVI STUBBS had a popular combo called THE FOUR TOPS.  The musical direction for this particular side is credited to: SAX KARI, a fascinating character who was one of the actual founders of the African-American concert marketplace known affectionately as "The Chitlin' Circuit."  Here's a blurb about him from Preston Lauterbach's excellent book (which I highly recommend) on that very subject:  CLICK HERE.

In 1960 The Falcons picked up a wicked new lead singer named WILSON PICKETT who screams lead on "I Found a Love."  Yes, that Wilson Pickett.  Additionally, the backing band on this side are THE OHIO UNTOUCHABLES featuring Robert Ward (vocals/guitar), Marshall "Rock" Jones (bass), Clarence "Satch" Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone).  After the Untouchables broke up in 1963, Satchell, Middlebrooks, and Jones went on to form a fun combo called the OHIO PLAYERS.  Yes, that Ohio Players.  

"I Found a Love" listen HERE.

So these gentlemen basically invented "soul" in DETROIT, but not for Motown!  Ironically, or perhaps precipitously, three of them (Pickett, Floyd, Rice) went on to huge prominence in MEMPHIS as part of the Stax family.

Enjoy!

Your pal,
Ivan アイヴァン

www.funkboy.net (website)
ivan@funkboy.net (email)

Pace-Setters "Freedom and Justice" 1971

I know this isn't news to most of you.  But this track just popped up on my iTunes shuffle function.  And I had to make sure somebody else heard it besides me today.

The Pace-Setters, "Freedom and Justice."

Kent 45 #KS 4565, 1971

Phelps Collins - guitar, Frank Waddy, Philippe Wynne, William Collins - bass

Phelps aka Catfish and William aka Bootsy.  Within a one-year span right during this time, these cats cut "Super Bad," "Soul Power," "Sex Machine," "Talking Loud & Saying Nothing," "The Grunt" and others with James Brown.  Then Parliament-Funkadelic, then Bootsy's Rubber Band.  Boggles the mind!

Check it here:

http://youtu.be/X6HiXvyuIds

Your pal,
Ivan アイヴァン
www.funkboy.net (website)
ivan@funkboy.net (email)

Funkboy News: PBS, Kennedy Center & More!

Tune in to PBS Monday, Oct. 31 at 9pm EST (check local listings) for the premier of The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Celebrating Will Ferrell. I'm in the house band, Cracked Ice, led by Crispin Cioe, providing all of the music for the evening. Yeah, we had us some fun at the taping...

Check out the show's opening segment. Here's a video of us rocking the Kennedy Center with Jack Black:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2159512254

We're top 10! "Look at That Cookie" is #6 on the Relix magazine/Jambands.com radio chart. This is enormously gratifying:

http://www.jambands.com/radio-charts/2011/10/24/trombone-shorty-tops-the-charts

Do you have your Cookie yet?! You can preview the CD and purchase your copy HERE.

I appear with the cast of Broadway's "Rock of Ages" doing a rock/gospel version of "O Come, O Come Emanuel" on the new charity CD: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 13.

I'm humbled to be inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. The ceremony is in NYC Sun., Dec. 4. Details HERE.

I have a new slideshow for my website of me standing next to famous people. It will take you about 4 minutes to get through the whole thing. Get out the popcorn! It's fun to look at the old holiday slides:

http://www.phunque.com/ivan/photos_ivan.html

Upcoming shows:

Sat. Nov. 12, Ms. Gloria Gaynor at BB King's, NYC
Fri. Nov. 25, Gloria Gaynor, Secrets Maroma Beach, Cancun, Mexico
Sun. Dec. 4, NY Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Kenny's Castaways, NYC
Sat. Dec. 31, Gloria Gaynor & Maxine Nightingale, Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL

I hope you're rocking! \m/

Your pal,
Ivan

www.Funkboy.net

Keeping Up With Funkboy!

Wow, I feel so fortunate to have been profiled in the latest edition of Bass Frontiers Magazine! Check it out:

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
http://www.bassfrontiersmag.com/keeping-up-with-funkboy-an-interview-with-ivan-bodley

Your pal,
Ivan
www.funkboy.net

2010 Recap: The Adventures of Funkboy!

Typically a "year-end" newsletter would go out around December 30 or so. But it's taken until now for all of the gyroscopes to stop spinning from 2010 to even be able to assess what all happened. So here goes:

I managed to up some of my career stats last year. Number of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers performed with up to 31. Number of countries visited up to 26. Maximum crowd size performed for up to 82,000.

Thanksgiving day, Giants, um JETS Stadium, Meadowlands, the cast of "Rock of Ages" from the Broad Way.

Here's a video of what it looks like to play in front of 82,556 people:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frZ3Ye3_KdI

Check out the Jumbo-tron at about 0:56 into the clip to see what it looks like to have a 3-story sized HEAD.

Here's a photo album from that day:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=344206&id=706939464&l=1d397e83ac

I've continued to sub on "Rock of Ages" for the last year and a half. It's been a total blast!


Nov. 14: Cracked Ice, PBS, Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize celebrating Tina Fey.

Videos:
Backing Jennifer Hudson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKC3TgHtDLc
Backing Jimmy Fallon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXERqNwX9E
Backing Jane Krakowski: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzFJM1qZqsk

Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=339225&id=706939464&l=2ebbbd8486


Oct. 9: Carnegie Hall! Alexander Markov's "Rock Concerto," sold-out, yours truly a featured soloist, 150 cats onstage....

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjzBqUsrEP4

Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=304249&id=706939464&l=542a84a5e2


June 19, New York Examiner article about me and a gig I did with Barry Mann, Lamont Dozier, and Jimmy Webb:

http://www.examiner.com/local-music-in-new-york/bassist-ivan-funkboy-bodley-s-soundtrack-full-of-hall-of-famers


The rest of the 2010 recap I'll have to do in photos:


Sam Moore & The Edge, Angel Ball fundraiser, NYC, Oct. 21.
Last year we also played the Blue Note in Tokyo with Sam and the Grammy's after party.


Dee Snider, "Rock of Ages" on the Broad Way, Oct. 10.


Gloria Gaynor, Lima, Peru, Dec. 3.


Little Anthony & the Imperials, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, April 8.

Video of me with Little Anthony & the Imperials: http://www.vimeo.com/16473613


It was awesome getting to play the Blue Note, NYC with my own band, Jan 29 & July 2.


The great Chuck Jackson in Bermuda, Valentine's Day.


Constantine Maroulis band, Highline, NYC, June 16.


Taking a bass solo at Carnegie Hall, Oct. 9. Aw, come on!


Me on the JUMBO-TRON, Giants Stadium, Thanksgiving day.


Miss Jennifer Hudson

Here's looking forward to what new adventures 2011 will bring!

Your pal,
Ivan

www.Funkboy.net

Funkboy - Blue Note NYC - Friday 7/2 - 12:30am - No Excuses!

Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley
Blue Note, NYC
131 W. 3rd St, NYC 10012, 212-475-8592
Friday, July 2, 2010, 12:30am
Only $10!

more info:
http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=8229

Come get your "Pigs Feet" on! The funk is guaranteed to satisfy...

James Dower on the nasty B3. Joe Goretti on the stanky tubs. We're
throwing down immediately after our pals, Fourplay, appearing earlier
that same evening. The Blue Note is world-famous for good reason.
It's a great room in which to hear music.

You can SMELL the funk here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whZ2dU3t0uI


Top excuses for missing our Blue Note show DEBUNKED:

>> It's too hot!

The fabulous Blue Note Club in NYC is climate controlled year-round
for your listening comfort.

>> The Blue Note is too expensive!

While this may occasionally be true for world-famous jazz superstars,
our performance carries a modest cover charge of only $10, affordable
even in an economic downturn.

>> The Blue Note has a quiet policy. I won't be able to express myself.

They do have a quiet policy. That's true. It's out of respect to the
musicians as they craft their masterful jazz solos. But we're not
playing any sleepy jazz. Quite the opposite. We REQUIRE your active
participation in our shows. Not only will you be asked to clap your
hands (hopefully in time) and stomp your feet, but you will be
required to shout at the top of your lungs such stalwart anthems as:
"PIGS FEET.....& POTTED MEAT!" Don't worry. I'll remind you of the
lyrics as the songs begin. There will not be a test. You're under no
pressure. We also encourage dancing in the aisles, the shaking of the
groove thang, and copious voicings of approval at musical acrobatics.
Feel free to vocalize during the keyboard solo: "Yeah, man! Go 'head
on with your bad self!"

>> The show is too late at night.

Ah, don't be silly! It's Friday night! School's out! It's the start
of your Independence Day weekend. Start declaring your Independence!
What time do you really have to be up on Saturday morning. Really?

>> Dude, I've got a gig that night. I can't make it.

What time is your gig? Are you done before 12:30am? We'll be rocking
on, on, & on 'til the break of dawn, baby! Come by for a nightcap
after your gig. You know you're going to be frustrated from having to
deal with Bridezilla and Maitre d'spicable. Come sit at the bar, have
a cold one, loosen up that bow tie, and get your STANK on....

>> Ah, you'll be back at the Blue Note again. I'll catch you another time.

Will we? WILL WE? Admittedly this is our 2nd time at the mighty
Note. But we were only invited back because so many of our lovely
friends turned up for the first one. Make no mistake about it. The
Blue Note is a highly-coveted and prestigious gig. It's a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us that has somehow morphed into an
even rarer twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our appearances there
will be rare indeed.

>> But I have a double I have to do on Broadway on Saturday.

Admittedly this is getting into the realm of valid excuses. However,
I'll just add this. Last January when we played the Blue Note, our
good friend, Maisey, from the hit Broadway musical "Rock of Ages" very
kindly came out to our show with that same dilemma facing her.
Apparently the funk was so effective that she sang her heart out that
next day (as she does every day)....

>> I'm going out of town for the holiday weekend.

Where? Where are you going? Where do you need to be so badly that
you can't leave 12 hours later? The holiday traffic leaving NYC on
the Fridays of holiday weekends is BRUTAL, as you know. You would be
much smarter to take a nap after work on Friday, get up to see our
show at the Blue Note, and leave town directly from our show. There
will be NO traffic at that hour. Our show will SAVE you time spent in
the car and make your holiday weekend just that much more enjoyable.

>> I don't live in NYC.

Wah, wah, wah. I get this one a lot. Don't be a crybaby! This is
the greatest city in the world. You KNOW you all want to at lease
visit NYC and catch a show, see the museums, etc. This weekend is
going to be very mild, weather-wise, for July. What better time to
visit? Heck, don't just come for our show. Come for the world's
largest fireworks display on Sunday. Just get here a couple of days
early so you can start out the weekend right by getting your "Pigs
Feet" on.


We'll see you at the Blue Note, NYC this Friday, you dig?

Your pal,
Ivan

www.Funkboy.net

The Return of "Pigs Feet!" Bitter End, NYC, Mon. 5/17, 9:30pm

The Return of "Pigs Feet!" Bitter End, NYC, Mon. 5/17, 9:30pm

Don't miss the triumphant return of the "Pigs Feet" trio at the Bitter
End (147 Bleecker St, NYC) this Monday, May 17, one set at 9:30pm
(sharp!). Those who caught us at the Blue Note in January know what a
funky good time it will be. If you missed the Blue Note, now's your
chance. The trio:

Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley - bass
Jim "Just Married" Dower - keyboards
Joe "Just Got Back from a Moby World Tour" Goretti - drums.

What? Not enough good news for you? Well, how about this? The cover
charge is only FIVE dollars! That's right! You heard me! FIVE
dollars! Where else can you get this much entertainment for that
little money? Don't miss it! And don't be even fashionably late.
Because we're only doing one set of our biggest powerhouse hits. You
can preview the music here: www.funkboy.net.

After the "Pigs Feet" trio on Monday, if you have any gas left in the
tank, stick around the Bitter End for the great and powerful Oz Noy
trio (featuring the beautiful and talented Will Lee [as seen on tv!] &
Rocky Bryant) following us, and the Richie Cannata Monday Night Jam
following Oz. It's an embarrassment of riches, I tell you!

So what else have I been up to since I last wrote? Well, I'm glad you axed....

We're excited to announce that Cracked Ice, our originals band led by
sax-man Crispin Cioe has just been included in a new compilation CD
from Putumayo Records called, aptly, "Rhythm & Blues." We're in the
mix with such luminaries as Sam Moore, Irma Thomas, The Emotions,
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Catherine Russell, & others. It's
available everywhere and previewable here:
http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1003

The Rock Concerto, the brainchild of violinist phenom Alex Markov,
will be appearing at the prestigious Carnegie Hall, Saturday, October
9, 2010, at 8pm. I'm a featured soloist with this piece along with
Gregg Gerson on drums and Neal Coomer on vocals. Oh, and a full
symphony orchestra and a full chorus. Should be about 100 cats on
stage! We've performed this piece all over the world. This will be
the NYC debut. Pre-sale tickets are available now at:
www.rockconcerto.com

I upped my tally of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers with whom I've played
to 30 last month by getting to perform for the first time with Little
Anthony & the Imperials. What a lovely group of people to work with
and what a powerful show they do. I thought I was going out of my
head!

Last January I did a showcase for three songwriters who are putting
together a show called "The Soundtrack of Our Lives." Tour dates are
coming in the fall TBA. Who are the songwriters, you axe? None other
than:

Barry Mann (You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling)
Jimmy Webb (By the Time I Get to Phoenix)
Lamont Dozier (How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You)

Of course, they all have dozens of other huge hits to their credit,
far too numerous to mention here. For instance, Mr. Dozier has penned
54 #1 songs. Try and wrap your head around that! It's an enormous
honor to be able to perform with these fine gentlemen.

I was very fortunate to play with Apollo legend Chuck "Any Day Now"
Jackson for the first time last February in Bermuda. Mr. Jackson is
the epitome of elegance and class with a voice so powerful that
patrons in the front row have to hold onto their wigs & keys during
the performance....

I'm continuing to travel occasionally with the great Sam Moore, the
original "Soul Man." We played the after party for the Grammys in LA
in January, the Highline Ballroom in NYC in February, and the
Strawberry Festival in Plant City, FL in March. No one who sees a Sam
show leaves the joint unchanged....

I'm also continuing to be on call to stand in for my pal, Winston
Roye, as the bass player in "Rock of Ages" on the Broad Way. This
weekend (Sunday 5/16, matinee and evening) will be my 30th and 31st
performances in RoA. This has been a fantastically fun gig for me.
The show is a blast. It's a full-blown rock concert for 1,000 people
per night. The band is onstage, in costume & makeup, and ROCKING.
I'm really digging it. Insert computer keyboard symbol for devil
horns hand signal here: \m/

And that's the latest. We continue to record new material with the
"Pigs Feet" trio. Look for a new CD of all-new funky funky jams
hopefully by the end of the year.

If you don't have a copy of our CD yet, "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat,"
what's keeping you? www.funkboy.net

Your pal,
Ivan

New CD! http://cdbaby.com/cd/ivanbodley3
www.Funkboy.net
www.Facebook.com/funkboy
www.MySpace.com/funkboynyc
FunkboyNYC.Blogspot.com
www.Reverbnation.com/ivanfunkboybodley

Webb-Mann-Dozier, "The Soundtrack of Our Lives"

Lamont Dozier

Jimmy Webb

Barry Mann

Here's the set list from my gig on Friday, January 8, 2010:

"W-M-D" aka Jimmy Webb/Barry Mann/Lamont Dozier

Barry Mann
On Broadway
Don't Know Much
Here You Come Again
Somewhere Out There

Jimmy Webb
Galveston
Wichita Lineman
MacArthur Park

Lamont Dozier
Supremes Medley: Where Did Our Love Go, You Can't Hurry Love, Stop in the Name of Love
Baby I Need Your Loving
I Can't Help Myself

Webb/Mann/Dozier
By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Webb)
How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You (Dozier)
You've Lost That Loving Feeling (Mann)

This was a showcase gig for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) convention at the NY Hilton. The show is called "The Soundtrack of Our Lives" and is a semi-unplugged format, hence why I was playing upright bass.

Here are just a few stats for you: All of the songs in this set were penned by the performers. Jimmy Webb is a multiple Grammy winner, the only artist in history to receive Grammys for Music, Lyrics, and Orchestration. "Phoenix" is the #3 most played song of the past 50 years according to BMI.

Barry Mann's "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling" is certified by BMI as the #1 most performed song of the 20th century (16 million plays). He is being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Lamont Dozier wrote 25 #1 hits while at Motown for the Four Tops, Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Martha & the Vandellas, etc. He is credited with 54 #1 hits total and is an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This gig ups my tally of Rock Hall inductees I've performed with to 27. I'm still trying to absorb the enormity of what just happened on stage. When luminaries like Paul Shaffer and mega producer Danny Kortchmar show up as audience members, you know something heavy is about to go down.

Your pal,
Ivan

New CD! http://cdbaby.com/cd/ivanbodley3
www.Funkboy.net
www.Facebook.com/funkboy
www.MySpace.com/funkboynyc
FunkboyNYC.Blogspot.com
www.Reverbnation.com/ivanfunkboybodley

We’re #30! Funkboy Newsletter, December, 2009

(Photo by Cynthia Boucher)


Greetings Funk Fans!

Oh, what a year it’s been (see below for the recap). And already 2010 is eagerly anticipated.

The latest news is that my CD “PIGS FEET and POTTED MEAT” has reached #30 on the Relix Magazine Jambands.com radio airplay chart (November 9, 2009 chart)
(http://www.jambands.com/radio-charts/2009/11/09/triumphant-joy).
This is awesome for us, as you can imagine. Do you have your copy yet? It makes a great funky holiday gift! Get it here:
(http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ivanbodley3)

I’ve got some very cool gigs coming up!

Friday, January 29, at midnight, The “PIGS FEET” trio with James Dower and Joe Goretti makes its NYC debut at the world-famous Blue Note club. Mark your calendars now! Get ready for a funky late-night hang….

Saturday, December 12, 2009, I’ll be subbing on the Broad Way in “Rock of Ages” at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 2pm and 8pm.

January 8, 2010, I’ll be playing acoustic bass behind three legendary songwriters at the APAP convention at the New York Hilton. Check these guys out:
BARRY MANN (wrote: “On Broadway,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Here You Come Again,” etc, etc.),
JIMMY WEBB (“Wichita Lineman,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “MacArthur Park,” etc, etc.), and
LAMONT DOZIER (“How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” etc, etc.). Oh, man! I can hardly stand it!

February 5, 2010, I’ll be music directing for RICHARD STREET of the TEMPTATIONS (1971-1995) in Miami, FL.

February 14, 2010, I’ll be performing in Bermuda with soul legend CHUCK JACKSON.

February 20, 2010, I’ll be performing with ALEXANDER MARKOV’S “ROCK CONCERTO” in Biloxi, MS.

March 10, 2010, I’ll be music directing for SAM MOORE at the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, FL.


2009 in review, the year that was.

January:
I rang in the New Year in Milwaukee with Richard Street of the Temptations singing a capella doo wop in the hotel bar.

Played on Stephen Lynch's new studio album "3 Balloons."

Music Director for Creative Coalition Inaugural Ball with Sam Moore, Elvis Costello & Sting. Show is filmed by Barry Levinson for an upcoming documentary, "Poliwood."

Daryl Glenn & Jo Lynn Burks' "Nashville" wins cabaret triple crown. It is the first show in history to win all 3 awards. Awards ceremony at Town Hall. I am Associate Conductor on this show.

February:
Appeared on the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize honoring George Carlin on PBS. Cracked Ice is the house band. Ben E. King is featured musical guest.

Performed with Lou Christie at Queens College, NY.

April:
Music Director for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony after party with Sam Moore in Cleveland, OH. "Hello, Cleveland!"

My Trio CD released: "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat."

With Cracked Ice we back Barbara Harris of The Toys at the Metropolitan Room, NYC.

May:
Tribecca Film Festival screening of Barry Levinson's "Poliwood," filmed partly at the inauguration gig in January. We’re on screen with Sam Moore, Elvis Costello and Sting about 3 times in the film.

Performed Alex Markov's Rock Concerto with 150-member orchestra and chorus for 5,000 fans and on national television in Ankara, Turkey.

June:
Made my Broadway debut as a sub for the great Winston Roye in the 80s rock musical: "Rock of Ages." Continue to sub on “RoA” throughout the year averaging two performances per month.

July:
Music Director for The Crystals, New Castle, PA.

Music Director for Disco Divas show at Mohegan Sun Casino starring Maxine Nightingale and A Taste of Honey featuring Janice Marie.

Music Director for Sam Moore, Nakusp Music Festival, British Columbia, Canada.

September:
Music Director for The Crystals in Pittsburgh, PA.

Performed with Cracked Ice backing James Montgomery, Magic Dick & Jay Geils at Westport, CT BBQ fest.

October:
Played Carnegie Hall for the first time with comedian Stephen Lynch.

November:
Music Director for Sam Moore in Biloxi, MS.

"Pigs Feet & Potted Meat" gets airplay on 70 radio stations nationally, a great review in Bass Player magazine, goes to #1 on the local Brooklyn Reverb Nation jazz chart, and goes to #30 on the Relix Magazine Jambands.com airplay chart.

December:
Played the Borgata in Atlantic City with Stephen Lynch.

Thanks for all of the great memories in 2009. I look forward to seeing you all in 2010!


Your pal,
Ivan

New CD! http://cdbaby.com/cd/ivanbodley3
www.Funkboy.net
www.Facebook.com/funkboy
www.MySpace.com/funkboynyc
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How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice? Take the A train to 59th Street? There are many ways. Mine involved hitching my wagon to musician/comedian Stephen Lynch's star. His "3 Balloons" tour rolled into Carnegie October 24, 2009 and pulled me along for the ride.

I was introduced to Stephen about 10 years ago by his manager, my old college buddy, Eric Zohn. Eric told me about this up and coming artist he was representing and asked if I would be interested in working with him. I was.

In the last 10 years Stephen has done 2 Comedy Central Specials, has been nominated for a Tony for his starring role in "The Wedding Singer" on Broadway, and has released 4 albums (3 of which I've played on). Now he's headlined Carnegie Hall.

Stephen usually plays concerts solo on guitar and voice with help from one or two of his sidekick buddies, Rod, Jo Berg, and/or Teich. But once in a while when he has a gig in NYC and is doing something special like a live recording at Symphony Space ("The Craig Machine"), a gig at Town Hall, or Carnegie, Lynch calls us to put the band back together. It's always a blast when we get to do it. Rich-piano, Dean-drums, Jon-violin, David-cello and myself-acoustic bass plus all 3 sidekicks at once, with Lynch and his brother, Drew, gave us 10 people on stage. We're not quite as populated as the Berlin Philharmonic. But we made some noise all the same.


In spite of the photo of me warming up at sound check all alone in that revered theatre, it was actually a sold out show with a standing ovation at the end. It doesn't get much better than that.


Here are Stephen and I onstage in the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. Imagine that! It was more than a little surreal, definitely a career high moment.

Your pal,
Ivan

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69 Radio Stations are playing "Pigs Feet!"

As of October 14, 2009, SIXTY-NINE radio stations across this great nation and Canada are playing "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat" on their airwaves. 23 of those stations are playing it in Heavy or Medium rotation.

It's very hard not to want to crow loudly about a statistic like that. Every fibre of our being that still remembers 8th grade humor (the best humor!) is sweating like Roger Rabbit trying not to answer "shave and a haircut" when we see a number like that flash across our radar screen.

The good folks up at Powderfinger Promotions in Boston have done a bang-up job for us.

We're also still Top 10 for Brooklyn Jazz artists on Reverb Nation after spending a bunch of weeks at Number 1! We're #31 for Jazz artists globally this week. We're feeling pretty good about those numbers as well.

"Pigs Feet & Potted Meat!" Do you have your copy yet?

Your pal,
Ivan

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"Pigs Feet" hits the Airwaves!

This photo is of myself and Jim Dower on the set of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson a while back. In between jetting around the globe backing up our SOUL MUSIC heroes, Jim, drummer Joe Goretti (who is now on the road with MOBY!), and myself write and record each other's music. From these sessions comes my new CD "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat."

And now "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat" is hitting the airwaves. Two weeks into our promotion campaign to jazz and jam band radio, we have 39 stations now playing the CD nationally (US & Canada), 11 of these in heavy or medium rotation. The good folks up at Powderfinger Promotions in Boston are doing a bang-up job for us. We're very excited about the exposure. More airplay news to come in the following weeks.

Also, the nice folks at Reverb Nation tell us that we are their NUMBER ONE Jazz artist in Brooklyn, NY and #7 Global Jazz Artist (out of approximately 7,600 artists). I recognize that Reverb Nation isn't necessarily the same as the Billboard Hot 100. But it still feels pretty dang good to be Top 10 anywhere.

Do you have your copy of "Pigs Feet" yet?

Your pal,
Ivan

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"Pigs Feet" review in Bass Player Magazine!

Do you have your copy of "Pigs Feet" yet? See links below to pick yours up.

Bass Player Magazine
September 2009

BP Recommends
Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley
Pigs Feet & Potted Meat
(www.funkboy.net)

Best known as one of New York’s top musical directors, bassist Ivan Bodley gathers his keyboardist and drummer, Jim Dower and Joe Goretti, for a goodtime romp through neo-preserved grooves that echo Motown, Memphis, P-Funk, ‘70s four-on-the-floor, and especially the Meters. “If Only,” “Long Hard Slog” and “Booty-licious” are among the salted, succulent spin-offs that really jell. (Chris Jisi)


Thanks, Chris! That's awfully nice of you to say! "Pigs Feet" just shipped out to Jazz and Jam Band radio stations this week. Listen for it on your favorite station.

Also, I can very occasionally be seen as a substitute bass player in the Broadway 80s rock musical "Rock of Ages," starring Constantine Maroulis. I can't tell you how much fun it is to ROCK Broadway! If you're in NYC, contact me for possible show dates....

Your pal,
Ivan

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Soul Music in the Canadian Rockies

I just got back from music directing, playing bass, and singing backup for the great Sam Moore at the Nakusp Music Festival in Nakusp, British Columbia. Nakusp, population 1,800, is on the Arrow Lakes, nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Have you heard of Nakusp? Well, I hadn't until this gig came in! It was time to break out the atlas and see where we were going. Friday we flew 4-1/2 hours from New York to Calgary, Alberta and spent the night there. For some inexplicable reason Joni Mitchell was also at our hotel that night, though we didn't actually see her.

Saturday morning at 8am we hopped a tour bus 511 km (318 miles) through the Rockies, across the Arrow Lake ferry (about a 3-mile crossing) and into beautiful downtown Nakusp. It was easily the most scenic drive we've ever taken. I fondly recalled riding a bicycle through these same mountains one summer when i was in high school.

The Music Festival is supposedly the largest in interior British Columbia. We had about 6,000 very nice celebrants helping us get our groove on. The audience size at over triple the population of the entire town told me that some folks besides us had traveled for this gig. Our performance slot was between the Yardbirds (sans Clapton, Beck or Page) and Blues Traveler.

At 8pm, still broad daylight and nearly 90 degrees outside, we got a quick line/monitor check. With the lake at our backs and high rocky peaks all around, we hit the stage burning at 8:25pm for 75 minutes. Sam was spectacular, as always, working the otherwise rock and blues festival attendees into a Soul Music frenzy as only he can.

He truly is the greatest living Soul singer on the planet bar none. By the time we hit "Soul Man" near the end of the show, the sun had set on a writhing mass of sanctified humanity. The show was too short for us and too short for the fans. But we followed the old show business adage and left them wanting more.

After the show we got straight back on the bus so we wouldn't miss the last ferry out of Nakusp. We did a midnight crossing of the lake in the deep darkness of zero civilization, the Milky Way exploding overhead in a light show that only the universe can provide.

We did the best we could in the bus bunks overnight on windy mountain roads. But I don't think anyone slept too much. Mostly we just hung out with Sam and listened to him telling stories of his decades on the road. There is a reason why he's a Soul Music legend. And we're constantly reminded of it when we get to listen to where he's been and what he's done.

Sunday morning we had a breakfast layover in a truck stop and then a 10am drop-off at the Calgary airport for a noon flight back to New York, arriving at Newark airport at 7pm EST Sunday evening. It was roughly a 20-hour journey from the stage to our home airport. We got back to NYC badly in need of a nap and a shower.

We often say that we do the gigs for free. What we get paid for is the schlep, the travel, humping the gear, and the logistics. This weekend was a clear example of this. I'm also personally in it for the tacky souvenir refrigerator magnets. I collect them from everywhere I go. They're small, portable, and geographically specific. Happily I was able to procure one from the thriving metropolis of Nakusp. Though curiously it depicts a cartoon picture of a horse's backside and contains the legend: "Nakusp, BC. Bite Me!" I'm not sure if this is designed to encourage or deter tourism.

Oddly enough, in all of my years of travel, this was my first sleeper bus trip. I fit in the bunk pretty well considering my stature. We traveled by planes, buses, vans, and ferries on this one, all in the service of Soul Music....

Your pal,
Ivan

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A Disco Diva and True Bass Pioneer

I was asked to music direct and play bass on a show recently called "Disco Ladies," featuring Ms. Maxine Nightingale ("Right Back Where We Started") and A Taste of Honey featuring Ms. Janice Marie ("Boogie Oogie Oogie"). Ms. Maxine called me to do it since I've worked with her before. She's really great. And her big hit is the feel-good anthem of 1976. It's an instant dance-floor filler.

This was my first time meeting and playing with Ms. Janice Marie. She wrote, sang, and played BASS on the great Grammy-winning A Taste of Honey 1978 smash disco hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie." I don't need to tell you how few women there are rocking the bass at all, much less actually changing the world with their bass lines. Ms. Janice Marie is a true innovator and a great bass hero of mine. She was a very big influence on a young Funkboy. It was a genuine thrill to be able to tell her that after we played together.

On this show Ms. Janice played bass on the Taste of Honey dance hits. For those songs I conducted the band and sang backing vocals ("Get down, boogie oogie oogie!"). But mostly I just listened to her phat groove on the bass and TOOK NOTES! Clearly I've stolen so many of her licks over the years that I owe her money....

But for her other smash hit, the 1980 ballad "Sukiyaki," she put on a kimono and did a very elegant Japanese fan and ribbon dance. So I actually got to play BASS with A Taste of Honey. (See photo above.) It was truly one of the great moments of my career.

Special thanks to Ms. Maxine Nightigale for the call, and to the excellent band with me onstage that evening: Jim Dower and Ron Oswanski on keyboards, Mark Newman on blazing heavy metal guitar, Joe Goretti on drums, and Chrissi Poland and Naomi Margolin on backing vocals.

Your pal,
Ivan

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www.Funkboy.net gets major FACE LIFT.....

Stop by and check out my NEW and IMPROVED website:

www.Funkboy.net

New content!
New links!
New photos!
New media!

Let me know what you think of it. Web design by www.CarolNissen.net.

Also check out and pick up your souvenir copy of my brand new CD:
"Pigs Feet & Potted Meat!"

Get it here:
CD Baby
iTunes
Amazon

Your pal,
Ivan

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Broadway ROCKS!

"These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray, right through the very heart of it...." The strains of Frank Sinatra were echoing through my head as I walked through Times Square today on my way to my first-ever Broadway performance. It impressed me as a particularly New York, New York experience upon which I was about to embark. And if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere; or so the legend goes....

The great bassist, Winston Roye, very kindly asked me if I would be interested in subbing for him on his Broadway show. His bass chair is in the 80s rock musical called "Rock of Ages," starring Constantine Maroulis of American Idol fame. It's a love story set in Los Angeles on the Sunset Strip in the mid 1980s using existing hard rock Top 40 radio hits from that era by: Journey, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Styx, and folks like that.

The main difference from playing on a typical Broadway show is that the band in "Rock of Ages" is in costume and makeup, rocking full-tilt on stage the entire show. As such the entire 2-1/2 hour musical score must be completely memorized. In service of the show's story, the music is a bit complex with copious medleys, surprising modulations, intricate connecting passages, rubato sections, short expository musical bursts, and the like. The memorization process took me 3 weeks to the day from when I received the materials and first saw the show until my matinee debut.

I arrived at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre 1-1/2 hours before curtain to check out my costume, makeup, and stage rig. Guitarist Tommy Kessler very kindly snapped the attached photo of me in costume and in position on stage. Note the "rock" stance and requisite "devil horns" hand signal so integral to the genre. The band is very much a part of the action in this show.

With the great conducting talent of Henry Aronson on keyboards, burning guitar playing of Tommy Kessler, and rock solid drumming of Jon Weber, the band did everything to make me feel immediately at home. Keep in mind that there is no rehearsal for a sub on The Great White Way. One just shows up, assures the conductor that the music is memorized...and curtain!

As much as I practiced the material at home, actually being on stage with in-ear monitors, lighting cues, 1,000 sold-out seats, and actors running back and forth just inches from the bass guitar took a minute to get used to. I had been warned that the doorway to my immediate left was used constantly, often at high velocity whilst carrying large props. The bandstand was just barely big enough for me to orient at just a certain angle to not catch one of the actors in the head with the neck of my bass as they run on stage.

There was one other slight distraction. Most of the women in the ensemble cast play strippers, excuse me, exotic dancers. Suffice to say that there is a great deal happening right in front of the bandstand to potentially distract from the musical task at hand.

Past the initial orientation process in the heat of battle, I thought the show went very well. And by the finale I was truly having a blast. We well and truly did ROCK....

I'm very grateful to the band, cast, and crew for running a tight ship, being at the very top of their craft, and making me immediately feel a part of the team. I can only hope that I'll get the opportunity to share their stage again, each time growing more comfortable in the bass chair and freeing up my right hand even more often for appropriate rock gestures....

Ivan Bodley
Brooklyn, NY

PS, Please check out my new CD, "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat" on iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, etc.

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Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley uses Warrior Basses, Hartke Amplification, DR Strings, and Digitech and Line 6 signal processors. Ivan eats only Little Debbie snack cakes.

It's Time for "Pigs Feet"

Are you ready for "Pigs Feet & Potted Meat?" Well, I certainly hope so. Because it's been a long hard slog. But it's finally HERE!

(also here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/ivanbodley3)

Preview the tracks. Purchase CDs or MP3s from iTunes or Amazon. If you're on Blogger with me right now, you're listening to a track from the CD as you read.

Here's more info about the album:

Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley

“Pigs Feet & Potted Meat”

Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley is bass player and musical director to the stars. He has performed with 24 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame™ inductees and counting. He is musical director for Sam Moore, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Shirelles, The Crystals, The Tokens and has performed with: Sting, Elvis Costello, The Temptations, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Bo Diddley, Buster Poindexter, The Uptown Horns, Paul Rodgers, Wynonna Judd, and David Foster.

Appearances include: Creative Coalition Obama Inaugural Ball as featured in the Barry Levinson documentary “Poliwood,” Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Today Show, Emeril Live, Imus in the Morning, Charlie Rose Show, Live with Regis & Kelly, Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Istanbul State Symphony and Israel Symphony Orchestras.

Ivan is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Berklee College of Music. To date, he has traveled to 26 countries around the world and played to audiences of up to 30,000 people in performance settings ranging from jazz duos to 150-member symphony orchestras.

“Pigs Feet & Potted Meat” is Funkboy’s third recording as bandleader. It is feel-good funky music, unapologetically buoyant and fun. It ministers to the human condition, soothes the soul, and penetrates all shields, surfaces, and obstacles. It’s soul-jazz that even has jam-band crossover appeal.

With Jim Dower on keyboards and Joe Goretti on drums, Ivan & company travel the world together backing Sam Moore, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and other royalty of soul music. On days off back in New York City, the trio creates instrumental groove music that might result if The Meters joined Lou Donaldson and Ramsey Lewis for a jam session. There’s plenty of pithy jazz harmony and arranging for the intellectually minded. But there are NO prerequisites for enjoying this music. Everything is rooted firmly in the groove. The songs evolved very organically during the trio’s creative writing and recording sessions every week or so at Joey’s house.

“Pigs Feet & Potted Meat” is equally nutritious for the cerebrum and for the booty. It is a healthy part of a balanced diet. Use only as directed. Void where prohibited. Shake well. Apply liberally.

####

More information is available at: www.funkboy.net. Email: ivan@funkboy.net

Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley uses Warrior Basses, Hartke Amplification, DR Strings, and Digitech and Line 6 signal processors. Ivan eats only Little Debbie snack cakes.

Ivan Bodley
Brooklyn, NY

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Tribute to Grandfather

Morris aka "Bob" Stoller, 1914-2009

In tribute to my grandfather, Morris Stoller, I wrote and recorded this song: "Kaddish for Sabba." To listen click: HERE.

(or go here: http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/1522157) My special thanks to Jim Dower on keyboards and Joe Goretti on drums for helping me to record this tribute.

Kaddish is the prayer for the departed. Sabba means grandfather. He spent 95 years on this planet and was married to my Grandmother, Florence, for 69 of those years (from 1940-2009). They had three daughters, including my mother, 3 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.

He lived a long and full life with few regrets. He and my grandmother lived independently and took no medications at all. Grandmother, still a spry 90 years old, continues in this mode.

I'm well aware of the fact that I'm posting this tribute on the Internet about a man who was born at the dawn of the First World War. It's almost unimaginable the amount of change he saw in the world over the course of his life.

Ever curious, Mr. Stoller carried a valid NYU student ID in his wallet for most of his life, continuously attending lectures and auditing classes. He never completed any advanced degrees because I think that would have signaled an end to his education, which he never intended to do.

He had a ferocious work ethic, which he attempted to teach us all. He serviced jukeboxes in the 1950s on a route and worked as office manager for a big entertainment law firm for decades. He finally "retired" from that job so that he could continue coming into the same office every day, but on a volunteer basis. He held various volunteer positions until the very end of his life.

He also played trombone in the Brooklyn Navy Yard band during lunch hours as he served there in WWII. Though I never heard him play, somehow I think his musical legacy filtered down to me.

Ivan Bodley
Brooklyn, NY

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