Ann Moses’ Meow
The latest about the greatest!
Would you believe after working with MIKE NESMITH for over a year and a half now, we finally got together for lunch the other day for the first time. We were sitting in MIKE’s jeep doing an interview while the rest of the MONKEES filmed a scene on the Western set at the Columbia Ranch. Suddenly MIKE started the engine and before I knew it we were driving through downtown Burbank on our way to lunch.
We each ordered a chicken salad, MIKE likes a light lunch, and then we finished the formal interview. We had a chance to talk as friends, which is rare because MIKE always has about a million projects going at once, which leaves little time for luncheon chats.
He’s recently finished his solo album “The Wichita Train Whistle” and is now busy on another project (where he doesn’t sing, write or play) which he said he wanted to keep secret for a while. As soon as he gives me the word, I want to tell you all about it.
On our way back, MIKE seemed to burst out of his serious mood and as we pulled onto the movie set (now everyone was around a huge swimming pool) MIKE yelled “Here we go!” and started to drive right into the pool! I thought it was a great idea, but just as we reached the edge of the pool he slammed on the brakes. He said it would take half a day to pull the jeep out and they had to film a scene there that afternoon.
SAJID took off for Palm Springs in the California desert over Easter vacation from school at Beverly High. I ran into him in Beverly Hills when he got back and he told me he didn’t rest for a minute there because there was so much to do horseback riding, swimming, golfing and taking the fantastic tramway ride up 8000 feet to the top of the mountains surrounding Palm Springs. It sounded like he had a ball and he looked so good with a touch of red still in his cheeks.
His friend DESI took off, too, and spent his last vacation for quite awhile in Mexico. There he spent a relaxing week fishing and swimming in the groovy waters off the Baja coast. He began shooting his new TV series with his mother and sister in May. Just before he left for Mexico, DESI confided that SAJID, a friend of theirs from school and he were all in love with the same girl! With each trying to outdo the other to win her affections, I think that’s one lucky girl!
Three of the MONKEES got a welcome 10-day vacation in early spring when DAVY had to rehearse a huge dance number for the movie. Rehearsals took seven days and it took three days to shoot. He wears both a black, then a white tuxedo and does an elaborate routine like you used to see in the musical films in the 1940’s.
ELVIS PRESLEY has really been looking groovy lately. About the time he was filming “Clambake” just before he got married he was getting a little overweight and they couldn’t even shoot the water-skiing scenes without his wearing a jacket. But in his newest flick “Stay Away Joe” he looks trimmer than ever. It’s a cute film, it has some groovy songs and Elvis really looks fantastic. Some of the shots for his movie now in production were shot at Malibu Beach.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THE MAMAS AND PAPAS finished their new album in April using all new material. Besides their new album called “The Papas and the Mamas,” you can hear MAMA CASS singing on the ELECTRIC FLAG’S single “Groovin’ Is Easy.”
HERMAN’S HERMITS spent many of the spring months touring. Some of the new places they got to see were the Far East, Australia, Scandinavia and Italy. Even I was shocked when I got a post card from PETER postmarked Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel! PETER said he’ll be returning to the U.S. for a brief tour from July 24th to August 2nd.
Ever wonder what happened to the HARDTIMES, one of the fave groups on “Where The Action Is”? I saw LEE KEIFER at the Whiskee-a-Go-Go when I went to see England’s fantastic TRAFFIC and he filled me in on what they’ve been doing. Of course they split up many months ago, and LEE has been producing and writing for an LA group called THINGS TO COME. BOB MORSE seems to have disappeared, RUDY ROMERO and LEE have been doing some writing together and PAUL WHEATBREAD is the groovy-looking moustached drummer in the UNION GAP.
THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL spent a couple of weeks recording in Hollywood recently but without JOHN SEBASTIAN. Their new single will feature drummer JOE on lead vocals because JOHN is planning to leave the group at the end of the summer following their scheduled concerts across the country. Already JOHN has a year of solo concerts booked and wants to do some writing and recording on his own.
THE SPOONFUL are hoping their next single will be successful. If it is JERRY YESTER, JOE BUTLER and STEVE BOONE will stay together as a trio without filling JOHN’s vacant spot. If not, they will probably go their separate ways.
Look for the BEE GEES in your hometown this summer! Their million-dollar seven-week United States tour begins August 1st in Sacramento, California. Other tour dates now set are the Hollywood Bowl on the 2nd, San Francisco’s Cow Palace on the 3rd, the San Diego Sports Arena on the 4th, Forest Hills Stadium in New York on the 10th, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera on the 11th and Detroit’s Olympia Stadium on the 24th. They’ll be scheduling many more dates before August, so keep your eyes and ears open and don’t miss their groovy show.
THE COWSILLS, the singing swinging family pop group, have signed to do a series of radio and television commercials for the American Dairy Association. While they were playing an Easter week engagement at Disneyland they were honored at a Beverly Hills party given by POLLY BERGEN. FAYE DUNAWAY and PAUL NEWMAN were just two of the fantabulous people on the guest list!
CHAD STUART is busy working on the music score for the next American International film “Three In The Attic.” JEREMY wrote the title song. The two were together again in April to film a sequence for a TV special. Some of the antics they went through for the camera were chasing each other down Sunset Boulevard on bicycles and special footage shot at the Los Angeles Teenage Fair at the Palladium.
When things got boring on the last RAIDER tour, JOE JR. up and bought a motorcycle. When the tour was over he had it shipped to Los Angeles. Both FREDDY and CHARLIE are currently apartment hunting in Hollywood.
Some of the groovy customers at GENIE THE TAILOR’S lately: the handsome star of “I Dream of Genie,” LARRY HAGMAN, DEBBIE REYNOLDS, SHARON TATE and Academy Award winner, ESTELLE PARSONS who GENIE used to work with in New York.
Keeping up with the ever-changing BYRDS—when DAVID CROSBY left the group several months ago, GENE CLARK re-joined their ranks, but only for a short time. There are now three BYRDS—ROGER MCGUINN, CHRIS HILLMAN and CHRIS’ cousin, KEVIN KELLY on drums. MIKE split with the group a few months ago when the pressure and responsibility got to be too much. He’s now residing in Hawaii. The BYRDS’ next album is going to be two whole records, 22 tracks, covering every kind of music from bluegrass to modern music using a moog synthesizer.
That’s all for this month.
See ya soon!
