By Charles Shapiro
At the RMA’s September 27 meeting Tim Brooks introduced RMA accompanist Bob Morgan, who spoke on “My Career as a Major Label Recording Executive in the 1960s with Artists Ranging from Bobby Vinton to the Dave Clark Five”
Bob told us about his lifetime in music, from childhood to today. His mother said he could not play baseball with the neighborhood kids after school until after piano practice. The reason given was that in years to come, his ability to play the piano would help him to meet girls. She was right! Bob played in bands from the time he was 12, and continues today playing piano and doing arrangements for the RMA Melody Men.
Bob described his days as a bass player for the Yale Dixieland jazz band called Eli’s Chosen Six. They made an LP for Columbia Records in 1955, which led to them playing at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and appearing in the Bert Stern movie “Jazz on A Summer’s Day.” This led to his getting a job with Columbia Records, going through an eight-week training program, and ending up as an assistant in the Artists & Repertoire Department.
Bob related inside stories from his eight years with Columbia where he climbed to Executive Director of Columbia’s Epic Records label and produced and directed recordings that sold millions. He worked regularly with label leaders Goddard Lieberson, Mitch Miller and others. Then, he went on to MGM Records and later founded his own Good Music Record Co. in 1982. Over the years, Bob produced hit records with Bobby Vinton, The Brothers Four, George Maharis, Jerry Vale, Connie Francis, the Hawaiian singer Don Ho, the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, and Bobby Hackett (cornetists), especially songs of Henry Mancini, including “The Theme from Peter Gunn.” He also recorded jazz artists Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson and Count Basie, along with Tony Bennett, Johnny Desmond (vocalist) and Tony Mottola, (jazz guitarist); comedians Godfrey Cambridge and Foster Brooks, the opera singer Enzo Stuarti, Australian Rolf Harris, British star Cliff Richard (the British Elvis Presley), and the Glenn Miller Orchestra with Buddy DeFranco, among many others.
In addition, early in the ‘60s British music invasion, Bob acquired for Epic the U.S. rights to the hit groups The Dave Clark Five and The Yardbirds, bringing Columbia into the rock music era.
The talk was followed by a lively Q&A session.
To see the full presentation, go to https://greenwichrma.org, cursor to “Speakers” and click on “Speaker Videos.”
The RMA’s upcoming presentation, “Best Practices for Treating Catastrophic Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome,” by Dr. Jerome Brodlie, is scheduled for 11 AM on Wednesday, October 11th. Dr. Jerome Brodlie, who practiced child and adolescent psychology in Greenwich for over 30 years, will address this topic. Dr. Brodlie had been a tenured professor at Connecticut State College and an adjunct professor at Yale University. For several years, he has appeared weekly on the CBS Morning News. Additionally, he has been used as a resource by the U.S State Department, primarily in Myanmar and Sri Lanka for victims of catastrophic events such as tidal waves, hurricanes, earthquakes, political imprisonment, and torture. He has helped set up treatment protocols and has interacted with individual victims.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been described in the writings of the ancient Greeks, after the Great Fire of London (1666), World War I, where it was described as “shell shock”, and during World War II, where it was called “combat fatigue” or “battle fatigue.” The term PTSD was adopted after the Vietnam War. Ultimately, the terminology found use outside of wartime situations and was applied to trauma that was outside the usual range of human experience (e.g. rape, torture, airplane crashes and violent crime). Symptoms include anxiety, depression, nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, and a state of hyperarousal. When these symptoms persist for more that three months, the term “PTSD” is applicable.
To stream the presentation by Dr. Brodlie at 11 AM on Wednesday, October 11th, click on https://bit.ly/30IBj21. This presentation will also be available on local public access TV channels, Verizon FIOS channel 24 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79.
Note: The views expressed in these presentations are those of the speakers. They are not intended to represent the views of the RMA or its members.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees, regardless of gender. The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer, and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members. For further information, go to https://greenwichrma.org/, or contact our membership chairman (mailto:members@greenwichrma.org).
