PRESENTS

Welcome to the Grapevine News. This section of the Mathis Chronicles contains my views about anything I find or am sent about Johnny Mathis on the 'net and elsewhere, that isn't being discussed by any "official" sites. Occasionally, I report on things not directly related to Mathis but have a connection, may even make up a question to ask myself and try to answer. Readers are welcome to share their news here also. So enjoy and thanks for coming.

VOL. 1 NO. 8 - MAY 22, 2002

MAN, WHAT A ONE NOTE: The year 2002 is the centennial of the birth of Hollywood composer Richard Rodgers. People who follow musicals on stage and screen are very familiar with the collaborative work done by the songwriting teams of Rodgers and Hart or Rodgers and Hammerstein.

On Nov. 22, 1970, The Ed Sullivan Show presented its own tribute to Richard Rodgers on location at the Hollywood Bowl. I can't say I know whether or not any of the Ed Sullivan shows were live, but I knew that the show was never in California, because five years ago, I stood in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, where Late Night with David Letterman is now taped. Johnny Mathis was but one of the artists invited to participate in the event.

It was actually a pretty cool show even though they only showed a half hours' worth of an hour-long show. Darling Shirley Jones and a very hairy Herschel Bernardi did songs from The King and I. Dimpled John Davidson serenaded Minnie Pearl and Jeannie C. Riley with songs from Oklahoma!, currently being "revived" on Broadway and nominated for a Tony, I might add. Viewers were even treated to the seemingly unlikely pairing of The Mamas and the Papas' Cass Eliot and Johnny Mathis for a duet from The Sound of Music. (Cass is actually kind of attractive when she cleans up. And, she always could sing.)

Anyway, on this particular show Johnny Mathis is the first one out, and it's funny to look at him. Standing at a very odd stance to sing My Funny Valentine, he looks like a cowboy on the draw only without a gun, or else like someone who's been totally sunburned and can't put his arms all the way down to his side. Interestingly, the camera is trained on his still-youthful face throughout the song. I always get such a kick out of the various twists and turns his mouth makes when he sings. Dressed in a white cowl neck sweater, seemingly too thick and warm considering it's Los Angeles, for Heaven's sake, and cream-colored slacks, he looks just as he does on the Bacharach/Kampfert album cover.

After MFV he doesn't leave the stage, and is joined by four Lennon Sisters dressed in pink miniskirts! As they walk out to him and surround him they're singing, "Johnny can only sing one note and the note he sang was this..." Now, check it out. He took a stance...actually, that same weird stance he had earlier, found a note, and as the girls sang Johnny One Note he STAYED ON THAT ONE NOTE throughout the entire song! I mean, it has to be Mathis magic; there's no other explanation for it. I'm looking at the watch, and after 30 seconds I'm like, "daaaaaannnng!" The girls took a short break from singing and just looked at him, he's still going, SEEMINGLY hasn't taken a breath since the beginning...he's just too cool! Mathis is there with his mouth wide open, trying his best to look casual, puts his hands behind his back, and the people just had to applaud this! I'm looking at this and thinking, "This is a man who used to smoke...". And when the girls finished the song, Mathis staggered backwards, and I mean the people just exploded. My watch measured one minute, thirty seconds. It looked as if the girls had to help him take his bow, but otherwise, he was no worse for wear. I, myself, couldn't say the same, for by that time my mind had been completely blown away!

After witnessing something like this with my own eyes, I now understand a little bit better what the people who went to see Mathis in the 70s mean about his onstage capabilities. Now I understand about Pieces of Dreams performed live. It's an absolutely head-shaking performance. By the time I had started going to Mathis shows in the late 80s, he was no longer doing things like this, and so I never knew. NOW I know.

Mathis returned later with a sassy rendition of The Lady is a Tramp that would do his idol Lena Horne proud -- and his performance showed he's obviously not afraid of ladders, either. (I had heard a story involving Mathis and ladders once, but I won't go into it here.)

Needless to say, I'm very glad I have this performance on tape. If this particular episode of PBS' Best of the Ed Sullivan Show airs in your part of the world, I hope you get to see it, because you will be witnessing a sweet piece of history as well as the performance of a lifetime.

HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE: Wendy Frederick treated herself to a Mathis concert after some personal down time...she's up and running again, and gives this comment about the Charlotte show:

"Ahhhhh I'm In Love For The Very First Time.... Again! Just got back from the Charlotte concert of Mr. Wonderful Wonderful. In spite of the rain, he brought the sunshine to all who were present. Ovens Auditorium was the pits, but the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra was magnificent. I've not seen Johnny perform since the Fall of 2000, so I was pleasantly surprised at the new songs he performed for us (Gina, Pure Imagination, My Secret Love). The song Laura was absolutely superb with the orchestra. Going to this concert was a welcome break before returning to work...."

Wendy's treated me to an audio version of Sir Duke and If Its Magic, and I was very pleased to learn some new songs that had been given the Mathis touch. If It's Magic is from the Stevie Wonder anthology, Songs in the Key of Life, and Mother had that album, but for the life of me I do NOT remember that song. Also, I discovered that Mathis sings Manilow VERY well, he does a cool version of Copacabana! [To speak of Manilow, I thoroughly enjoyed his primetime show last week or so ago! Wouldn't it be nice if Mathis could do same, as long as he stayed the hell away from the Greatest Hits?!] There's also a beauty of a song I found out is called Experience, written by Richard Caruso and Ann Dee, and has words that go: "Born in this world we are given a gift of experience. All the future will hold must rely on experience.." According to the ASCAP database, it had been recorded by Diana Ross! It would have been great to hear THAT one in a concert setting, although it's very disco, and Mathis won't be doing much dancing around anymore, I wouldn't bet! It's fun to make new discoveries, especially where Mathis was concerned, so thanks again, Wendy, for the education!

IT'LL BE CHRISTMASTIME SOON: Well, it took a while, but my ear to the ground has caught wind of some Christmas music being recorded either now or very soon. Readers will recall I first caught wind of this for my August 20, 2001 edition. Unfortunately, I'm not hearing anything of the jazz album that was supposedly in the planning stages. I guess it, too, has gone the way of the Brazilian album. That would truly be a damn shame. Self-publish, Mr. Mathis!!

TOUR BUS: Happily, Johnny Mathis has NO apparent plans to hang it up anytime soon, for I see new dates for the year to come, 2003! Check out See Mathis Live for details.