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JULY 15, 2008

WE RECORDED AN HOUR INTERVIEW TO BE TITLED "THE DICK AND DEE DEE STORY" ON JULY 15TH. IT WILL AIR ON www.rocketradio.net. FOR 10 DAYS AS THE FEATURED INTERVIEW, POSSIBLY STARTING ON AUGUST 2ND. THIS INTERVIEW, UNLIKE MANY OTHERS, A GREAT DEPTH TO IT, WTH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT I FELT ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE DICK AND DEE DEE EXPERIENCE, ETC. DAVE WAS A WONDERFUL INTERVIEWER AND I FELT THE INTERVIEW WAS QUITE SPECIAL. WE WILL TRY TO POST IT, OR EXCERPTS OF IT, ON THE BLOG OR POSSIBLY THE DICK AND DEE DEE SITE.      DEE DEE PHELPS

 We’re still flying high after the success of our concert on June 22^nd.  The show sold out, with some overflow purchasing standing room only tickets. Enthusiastic and geared up, the audience supported us on every song. We opened with “Thou Shalt Not Steal”. Then I told a story about the first time Dick St. John and I ever sang on a stage.

We followed that with “Young and In Love” and then a rousing version of the Gary Bonds song, “New Orleans”. The instrumental featured our hot guitar, piano and sax players. The audience was jamming.

I spoke about the City of New Orleans and how more contemporary music styles came out of there than any other city in the United States. Then I told the history of the folk song, “All My Trials”. The lights lowered and, sitting on stools, Michael and I sang the ballad.

Giving tribute to Neil Diamond, we sang “I’m a Believer”, then the Everly Brothers version of “Let It Be Me”, followed by “Tell Me”.

I told how our first record happened to be recorded and we sang “The Mountain’s High”, followed by the Boyce and Hart song, recorded by the Monkees, “I Want to Be Free”.

After an up-tempo version of “Mocking Bird”, Michael introduced the band. We ended with a rock and roll medley that had the audience singing along and dancing in their seats. The medley songs were “Do You Want to Dance” and “Dancing in the Streets”.

For an encore, we slowed the tempo down with “Turn Around” and ended with Twist and Shout. My three adult children, one daughter-in-law and my husband surprised me by coming on stage. They presented me with bouquets of flowers. It was a sweet and touching tribute.

After the show we held a reception in the foyer and gave some live interviews. The evening was exhilarating and very special.

Right now the video crew is putting together a three minute clip of highlights from the show that we’ll be posting on the website and YouTube.

I’m so grateful to the musicians that joined us, Johnny Kito on synthesizer (musical director for the Mama’s and Papa’s and Gary Bonds European tour), Ben Davis on keyboards, Bray Ghiglia on electric and acoustic guitars and sax, Edward “Pookie” Dixon on drums (he toured with Billy Preston), Adam Clements on bass and Robby Martinez conducting and playing flute on “Turn Around”. There would have been no show without them!

I especially want to thank Michael Dunn for his amazing talent and help with the show. I’m fortunate to be singing with him.

Last Sunday evening, the love and support from the audience warmed my heart and we look forward to sharing the gift of song with audiences in the future.

first performance is Sunday evening, June 22nd, at Theatre Palisades in Pacific Palisades, California.

For this hour and a half show, we’ll be singing all the Dick and Dee Dee hits, plus other Sixties favorites, as well as showing a DVD of the Scopitone video (Where Did All The Good Times Go) and the last Shindig Show in which we sang Lighting Strikes.  We have some amazing people on instruments, with a string section as well. A video of the show will be taped, which we will send to promoters booking Doo Wop acts.  If any of you are in the Los Angeles area on that date, we hope you’ll drop by. Keep watching the website and blog for an official flyer, due to post by May 15^th.

Within the last month, I was fortunate to find the original Dick and Dee Dee musical scores, written in the Sixties for full orchestra. We’re having all the parts copied so the originals can be kept in a safe place while we are traveling. For Doo Wop Shows, we will need to take the scores with us, as well as a musical director/keyboard player.

Sadly, my writing has been almost non existent and the work I’ve done on Love From Big Sur has ground to a halt. I hope to get back to the second book soon, when all the preliminary work on the music is completed. But, meanwhile, what joy to sing the Dick and Dee Dee songs in rehearsal. I love the soaring notes in Young and In Love, the solemn moments in Turn Around, the rocking Thou Shalt Not Steal. Can’t wait to get out there to share the songs with others.

I want to thank all of you for leaving messages on the website, on the blog and comments on the videos and YouTube videos. I just discovered that 25,000 people have logged onto the Lightening Strikes video on YouTube! 

I try to answer every e-mail personally. The internet has brought the world closer and made communication easier so please let me know if there are any topics you’d like me to talk about on the blog. Hope to see some of you in person soon.

It's a great privilege to be part of the new "Dick and Dee Dee" - and such an unexpected opportunity!  I've known Dee Dee for years (in fact, we go to the same church) and knew that she was big in the music scene in the early 60s, but never guessed at the great popularity that she and Dick St. John had in those days.  I was listening to pop music back then, and never missed "Shindig" - so I saw Dick and Dee Dee probably every time they were on the show.  When Dee Dee decided to perform publicly again, Dick's untimely passing (several years ago) meant that a new singing partner would have to be found.  When a mutual friend suggested that she contact me, neither of us had any idea of how we would sound together.  The Dick and Dee Dee sound had a lot to do with the great blend of those two voices - would we be able to replicate it?

Dick and Dee Dee
Featuring the Original Dee Dee (Sperling) Phelps and Michael Dunn.
www.dickanddeedee.com

Rehearsals are going very well. Michael Dunn and I have worked out the Dick and Dee Dee hits and are also working on Where Did All the Good Times Go and All My Trials from The Best of Dick and Dee Dee CD.

Musical arranger Johnny Kito is writing music scores and will rehearse the bands and play keyboard for our live gigs. It fills us with great joy to re-create some of the beautiful songs Dick St. John and others wrote.

We did a photo shoot with photographer Kenny Morrison and are using three of the shots. One of the photos is being posted on the Dick and Dee Dee website. Soon we’ll post a second one on the blog.

As soon as we get a touring schedule together, we’ll be sure to let everyone know. Most shows are booked six months in advance, so we may have to wait awhile to do some major venues. That will give us time to rehearse many new songs

Thanks for all the supportive comments about singing again as Dick and Dee Dee. We hope to help people recall the joy that music brought to all of our lives. In the meantime, keep rockin’!

After appearing during the meet-and-greet at the Las Vegas Doo Wop weekend conference in November, 2007, I’ve been reliving the wonderful moments of talking to so many diverse and wonderful Dick and Dee Dee fans, who told me that our music was the sound track of their lives. One man mentioned how our music helped him make it through his Viet Nam experience; several people mentioned that they played “Turn Around” at their adult children’s wedding. One man said it was played for his father/daughter dance.

The beautiful comments touched my heart. I realized how much music brings back memories of our youth and what joy it adds to our lives. I finally came to a decision to sing as Dick and Dee Dee again, as a gift to those that remember the songs and those that want to hear them for the first time.

When I mentioned my decision over the phone to my friend, Lou Christie, he helped me brainstorm some ways to find a replacement for Dick St. John (who, as most of you know, passed away in 2003). This was no easy job, as Dick had a four octave range and a raise-the-roof falsetto. Lou also introduced me to the Mamas and Papa’s arranger, who is going play keyboard and rehearse the bands for the new Dick and Dee Dee.

Finally, we were going to hold auditions for a male singer in Los Angeles. But several people recommended I talk to a long time friend of mine, Michael Dunn, and consider getting together with him to see if this might work before holding the auditions.

I talked to Michael about the project, gave him a CD and recently worked with him to see if our voices blended. I was thrilled that Michael’s vocal range (a beautiful tenor voice) works perfectly in the key the songs were originally sung and that he can handle the falsetto parts as well. Michael is a trained singer/actor who has appeared in off Broadway productions and who performs one man shows in the Los Angeles area (over the holidays he starred in A Christmas Carol, where he played all the roles!).

Hopefully, you’ll see us singing soon on the public television doo wop shows and at theatres in your area. When we get rehearsals completed, we will be posting a touring schedule on the Dick and Dee Dee site.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to sing again as Dick and Dee Dee. The songs are a joy to sing and we so look forward to performing the Dick and Dee Dee hits in 2008.

May 2008 be a year filled with happiness, health and prosperity for all.

After a great buffet breakfast (cheese blintzes with German cherries on top and a huge bowl of fruit) everyone reconvened in the Conference center. We joined another “meet and greet” session and again signed autographs and photos. I met many wonderful music lovers and had a great time talking to fans and hearing what music meant to them. As Lou Christi told me recently, our music was the sound track for people’s lives.

Cool Bobby B acted as M.C. and introduced acts entered in a talent show. I expected something like the American Idol try outs, featuring a number of people with questionable talent. To my surprise, the performers were terrific. Four women from Texas won the amateur Doo Wop contest. Wearing identical black dresses (with full skirts) and pink cinch belts, they belted out “girl group” songs and won the “applause meter” (shades of American Bandstand).

Saturday night featured the concert. As guests of Cool Bobby B (also known as Bobby Backman), Kane and I had great seats. We loved feeling the living pulse of the crowd reaction to the various doo wop groups. We were told that each group had at least one original member.

Like many Doo Wop shows, not all the groups are recognizable, but most have had at least one hit record. In some cases, the hit was local, only known in one part of the country. Still, the songs rolled forth. Nineteen groups performed that night. Often groups performed their single hit and then one or two of their favorite songs. Many memories flashed through my mind as I recalled performing with the original artists of the songs I was hearing.

A few of the highlights for me were the Edsels featuring the Reynolds Brothers (Rama Lama Ding Dong),” led by their father, age 72. The five brothers created tight, high energy harmony. Several of them served our country in the military and one recently returned from Iraq.

The lead singer of the Capris (There’s a Moon Out Tonight) told a heartrending story about working in New York City during 9/11. He had asbestos in one lung and had it removed. But he was back on stage with full vigor and gave a spirited performance.

The Doo Wop Daddies, from Milwaukee, all wearing red sports coats, gave their rendition of a number of Doo Wop songs. At the “meet and greet” I talked to several people from the Mid-West who told me to watch for this group. They have fans that followed them all over the state when they perform (sort of like the fans of the Grateful Dead).

By this time, it was difficult to stay seated. Most of the acts received standing ovations. In addition to the acts previously mentioned, other acts performing that evening were: Harvey Fuqua and The Moonglows, The Pentagons, Philly Cuzz, Jimmy Castor, The Elegants, The Olympics, Little Caesar and the Romans, The Murmaids (yes, they spell their name that way), Stevie Dunham and the Emerald Dreams, The Moonlites, The GoodFellas, and The Fleetwoods, starring Gretchen Christopher. I see now why Don Everly is quoted as saying, “You’re never too old to rock and roll.”

We left Vegas early Sunday morning, as we had a meeting a noon back in the L.A. area. But the wonderful songs echoed in my mind for days. No wonder Doo Wop is growing more and more popular. And the great news is Cool Bobby B plans to return to Las Vegas next year with another Doo Wop Convention.

Our first glimpse of the city of Las Vegas revealed a cloud of smog surrounding it, visible for miles. I’ve never seen a sight like that. Above us was clear, blue desert sky, crisp hills with healthy Joshua trees and in the distance sat a large area of grayish black smog.  I would have imagined the place was on fire, but the sky was too murky gray to be smoke. However, when we arrived at our destination it didn’t seem as polluted.

We found our hotel, the site of the Second Annual Doo Wop conference, several blocks off the Strip, across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel. I appreciated the hotel’s low key approach, a combination of two story buildings and numerous swimming pools.

While strolling the paths looking for our room we passed an open doorway. Voices singing “In the Still of the Night” in four part harmony floated out. I knew we were in for a special weekend.

Our first event Friday night combined a meet and greet of the Doo Wop acts performing the next evening and a sock hop dance, all taking place in the Convention Center on site. My friends Lane Quigley and his wife Pat waved hello from their Rocket Radio table. I set up my table nearby with copies of Vinyl Highway, The Best of Dick and Dee Dee CD and photos. Soon fifteen to twenty tables were occupied by various recording acts and the doors opened.

Approximately 500 to 600 Doo Wop fans (double last year’s attendance) arrived for the event, from all over the United States and even England. I spend several hours talking to many of the music fans. A live band played and folks hit the dance floor, some women dressed in mid-Fifties poodle skirts, cinch belts, saddle shoes and bobby socks. The music was infectious and joyful. No longer able to sit in my chair, I danced by the table (note I didn’t say ON the table).

The definition of Doo Wop is recorded music from 1954 to 1964; with four part harmony back up vocals that often went doo wop she bop, etc. Although Dick and Dee Dee didn’t sing Doo Wop, we did have hits in the early Sixties and the Doo Wop era covers that time. I wasn’t the only non Doo Wop group from that era. Gretchen Christopher, founder of The Fleetwoods (Come Softly to Me) and The Murmaids (Popsicles and Icicles) joined us at the tables.

The event was created and hosted by disc jockey Cool Bobby B (coolbobbyb@doowopstop.com). His wife and adult children worked hard to pull off all the logistics and make this year’s event even more spectacular than the year before.

No one wanted the dancing to end, but finally the music stopped and the attendees drifted away, to dream in rock and roll heaven.

More to come about Day Two and the concert.

Read press coverage and see photos from the Doo Wop Convention.