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 Internet and elsewhere, that had been overlooked by the "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 experiences here also. So enjoy and thanks for coming.

VOL. 3 NO. 3 - MARCH 24, 2004

JOHNNY BRISTOL (1939-2004): I am very, very sad to report that one of the generals of the Motown command and unheralded giants of the music scene has suddenly died.

"Woman of the world, you're something special, girl. You're not a tool for some damn fool to break, no, no. That, you don't have to take." Readers of The Mathis Chronicles and The Grapevine News will have found Johnny Bristol featured in my section on The Mathis Sound. He was the mastermind behind Mathis' excellent 1974 album, Heart Of A Woman. But a little more research will reveal Mr. Bristol to have been a prolific songwriter, world-class producer and a fabulous performer in his own right. It was Mr. Bristol who provided the vocal complement on Diana Ross' "Someday We'll Be Together", not David Ruffin as some DJs would report. In fact, it was Johnny Bristol who together with Jackey Beavers (a guy) had the original recording of that song in 1961 under the group name Johnny and Jackey!

Johnny Bristol wrote the songs "How Sweet It Is" and co-wrote "What Does It Take" with Beavers and his relative-by-marriage Harvey Fuqua for Junior Walker and the All-Stars. He wrote "25 Miles", a hit by the late Edwin Starr, and he wrote David Ruffin's last hit, "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)". His "Strangers In Dark Corners", which was performed so well by Johnny Mathis, was covered by the Boston-area group Tavares, whose debut Capitol album he produced in 1973. (Remember them? The BeeGees wrote a song especially for them called "More Than A Woman" for the Saturday Night Live soundtrack, and later released it themselves. After that stroke of luck, Tavares had a couple pseudo-disco hits "It Only Takes A Minute" and "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel"). Mr. Bristol also produced and co-wrote several songs on Gladys Knight and The Pips' "Neither One Of Us" album.

Johnny Bristol had left Motown in 1973 and became a "house producer" for CBS records, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is how he happened to work with Johnny Mathis. He produced one of Boz Scaggs' first albums, which I own, called Slow Dancer. A song he wrote, "Sail On White Moon", would later appear on Heart of A Woman. And speaking of Heart of A Woman, with it's stunning Richard Avedon cover photograph, I make no secret of the fact that this album, along with the two Thom Bell-produced albums I'm Coming Home and Mathis Is, represents to me some of Johnny Mathis' best work, and I also feel that all three should have been released together as a set, instead of releasing the earliest of Mathis' "soul period" recordings and leaving the others behind. Am I satisfied with the way it was done? Not hardly.

CBS refused to let him release his own album so he left for MGM, and became a well-known performer in his own right with several hit records. A very handsome man, I myself remember his appearance on Don Cornelius' "Soul Train" performing his best-known hit, "Hang On In There, Baby". I also remember an album he had called "Bristol's Creme". I hadn't really seen him since then until last year, when he was on a PBS pledge drive program singing with Mary Wilson. Who knew that would be the last time?

Johnny Bristol had apparently lived all of his life in the Detroit area, and so it was in Brighton Township, Michigan when he died on Sunday, March 21st at the age of 65, in the middle of producing a new gospel album, and preparing for a tour of Great Britain where he'd always been popular.

"Love takes tears, and my fear is that you haven't learned to cry." Thank you so much, John William Bristol. You gave us not only one of the best girl-power songs of the last century, not to mention a kick-butt Top 10 jerk-off song, but you produced one of Johnny Mathis' best albums, and you have left an indelible mark on an entire musical culture. I salute you.

BART HOWARD (1916-2004): Long ago, when a relatively young Johnny Mathis first arrived in New York City at the start of his recording career, he depended upon the kindness of people like Bart Howard to put a roof over his head and ward off starvation. I'm going to have to find that book again, but I believe it's a biography of either Mabel Mercer or Bricktop where Johnny Mathis recalls the kindness of Bart Howard. Mr. Howard worked a lot with the great Mabel Mercer, and later on was intermission pianist and MC at the Blue Angel Club in New York City where Mathis later worked regularly. Later, Mr. Howard would write songs seemingly tailor-made for the Mathis interpretation: "That's All", and others. He seems to be known best for, and was able to enjoy a life of relative leisure because of, a song he wrote that was picked up by Frank Sinatra called "In Other Words", also known as "Fly Me To The Moon". Bart Howard died Saturday, February 21 at the age of 88.

UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME: Join me in sending prayers and best wishes to Luther Vandross. He believes in the power of love, and so do I!

TOUR BUS: The bus stops next in Clearwater, Florida. Visit See Mathis Live! for details.

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