Interview with Dave Appell 2006
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Dave talks about Tony Orlando
We Are the Music!
NYC, June 27
Sambuca Restaurant was the scene of the first-ever Music Business Reunion Dinner. Tagged “We Are the Music!”, the event brought together legendary performers, producers, songwriters, music publishers, record company executives, musicians, backup singers, radio personalities and the like, spanning five decades of recorded music from the '60s to the present. One special reunion of note was that of Chubby Checker and his producer, Dave Appell, who made history together in 1960 with “The Twist”.
WOR-Radio talk-show host - and Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame DJ - Joey Reynolds was MC for the evening. And Darryl Tookes, with The Brooklyn Bridge and Randy & The Rainbows, performed a musical tribute to one of their own, the late Hank Medress - founding member of The Tokens and producer of such hits as “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” and Knock Three Times” by Tony Orlando. Joining the impromptu reverie, Maxine Brown brought the house down with a dazzling rendition of her hit, “Oh No, Not My Baby”.
The inspiration for the gathering, which was conceived and organized by life long friends Rod McBrien and Reid Whitelaw, began about seven years ago with a dozen friends - all of whom had started out together in the music business - reminiscing over a bowl of spaghetti and a jug of wine. The informal get-together was so appreciated by everyone who came, each year it got a little bigger and better. This year the organizers decided to go global and open it up to all their colleagues from the era. And the Guitar Center of Manhattan hopped on board as sponsor.
“It was not only fun”, said Eddie O'Loughlin, President of Next Plateau Entertainment, of the event, “but important too, that so many people from such a pioneering era had this opportunity to talk together again and reflect on one of the most fertile creative periods in music history.” “And We Are the Music is the perfect name for this event,” added Shadow Morton, producer of The Shangri-Las, Janis Ian, Vanilla Fudge, and others, “everyone in the room played a part in steering the music of this generation.”
The event was a smash hit and plans are already in the works for We Are the Music! 2008.
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We Are the Music!”, June 27, 2007-Click an image to enlarge
