Tommy Scheckel – Supercool Music: A Living Article©

Posted on 05/30/202105/30/2021 by Jean247 · 6 Comments

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 85: Meet Paul Revere’s Raiders

Here’s a Special Encore Presentation of one of my favorite articles; hope you enjoy it! 🙂

The great Paul Revere (the one from our time period 😉 ) always had a gift for bringing good, likable, fun, highly talented music artists together to make exceptionally good music and perform amazing concerts. One of the best is the group now known as Paul Revere’s Raiders. 🙂

Recorded live in concert – and available at popular online stores in the digital download format for your listening pleasure – are these Raider singles performed by Paul Revere’s Raiders: “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”, “Hungry”, “Kicks”, “Just Like Me”, and “Good Thing”. And whenever you can, I believe you’ll want to go see for yourselves why I refer to Paul Revere’s Raiders as one of the most fascinating bands to watch in concert! 🙂 They perform all across America and also do an annual cruise to the Caribbean. 🙂 😎

The more footage I get to see of these wonderful men, the more I like them! 🙂 And that’s saying a lot! 🙂 I love them all already. 🙂 I have always known they must be good guys, because Paul Revere carefully chose each one of them to be in his band. Recently I had the opportunity to see some footage from their concerts and I was beyond happy with their character and their talent. They truly keep the musical integrity and rockin’ good time of Paul Revere & the Raiders going strong. They are a blessing from the Creator.

The sound. The correct tempo. The cool moves. The fun atmosphere. The energetic performances. The warm friendliness of the group. The brotherhood of the group. The cool (and hot!) uniforms they wear. The showmanship. The respect for the people. The patriotism. The love of music. The rhythm. The stage presence. The good humor. The overall style. The heart. The tradition. The enthusiasm. The musicianship. The good rockin’ fun. The full entertainment. The genuiness. The love and respect for their original leader, Paul Revere. All of it resounds with the spirit of the original Paul Revere & the Raiders of the 1960’s when these hits were first recorded and performed so exquisitely by Paul Revere, Mark Lindsay, Mike “Smitty” Smith, Drake Levin and Phil “Fang” Volk. And I don’t give this compliment lightly. You see, Paul Revere & the Raiders are who I call my favorite complete band (complete, because they sing as well as play all of the instruments). Paul Revere’s Raiders keep this great legacy going with magnificent prowess. They give it all they’ve got and I love them for it. Two of the greatest bands ever! 🙂

Paul Revere’s Raiders play the music and sing the music with such an amazing ability because they feel the music from within. They are genuine; each one of them has a true Raider heart.

In alphabetical order, by surname, here is a brief description of the on-stage presence I observed while watching performances by these six guys I believe you’d love to meet:
Darren Dowler 🙂 – The lead singer, he has a gifted voice, is a cool guitarist and talks well to the audience with great friendliness.
Ron Foos 🙂 – The showman bassist – I’ve seen very few with such style and flare, a happy smile, keeps the crowd entertained.
Doug Heath 🙂 – He’s quite the guitarist, a good dancer with seemingly boundless energy; he has an ever cheerful disposition.
Danny Krause 🙂 – He’s the man on the keys, playing the piano and organ with amazing talent, gifted hands and full heart.
Jamie Revere 🙂 – He plays the guitar like it is as much a natural part of him as breathing is, a blessing to all, and the son of Paul – with his own talents and his own intriguing personality.
Tommy Scheckel 🙂 – The drummer! 😀 That really says it. 😎 He’s a magnificent drummer – beyond cool, as amazing as all get out.

All of these guys lend not only their superb instrument-playing abilities to the overall sound of the group, but also their strong, masculine vocals in true Raider fashion. I’d love to hear – and see! – them sing “Don’t You Just Know It” just like the 1960’s Raiders did in their September, 1964 concert! 😀 I think they would enjoy doing that one. 😎 I know everyone could greatly enjoy that performance as much as their other ones; Paul Revere’s Raiders are super-talented.

They “Raider” songs – that means that whenever they play another artist’s song that already sounds distinctive and great, they do it even better! I have noticed this over and over with any song the Raiders cover or even if they only play a sampling thereof. I first made this audible observation while listening to the original 1960’s Paul Revere & the Raiders recordings and, watching footage of Paul Revere’s Raiders, I can easily hear that they have this same gift in regards to non-Raider songs. So cool! 🙂

Something else about them that is supercool: Paul Revere’s Raiders are very patriotic. 😎 They started The Ride to the Wall Foundation and for years have participated in Rolling Thunder every Memorial Day. 😎

Having a rough day? Watch some Paul Revere’s Raiders footage and you’ll surely be feeling happier before long. 🙂 They are great entertainers and very cool guys. 😎 If you have the opportunity, I recommend you go check out their concert in person; to see and hear the band playing live must be an amazing thing. 🙂

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…” as The Scriptures record Shlomo’s words in the first part of Proverbs 17:22. No matter what level of pain (a constant companion since I was little) I might be in on any given day, Paul Revere’s Raiders consistently bring a smile of delight to my face and to my heart. Wado equa (“thank you very much” in Tsalagi/Cherokee), Paul Revere’s Raiders, for your dedication, determination and long-lasting goodness that never ceases to amaze, entertain, please and bring joy to those who have the honor, privilege and pleasure of seeing your performances (in person and/or through recorded footage). May the Creator continue to bless you as you bless others. 🙂

My heart overflows with gratefulness for the many kindnesses and great performances by the six members of Paul Revere’s Raiders.

One of the performances I love most, although I truly love them all, is from their concert in Deland, Florida on 11-11-2014 at the Volusia County Fair. It was right on Veteran’s Day. 😎 Which is always the eleventh of November, the day directly after the birthday of the U. S. Marine Corps. 😎 😎

Tommy took the stage first to start the music; his expert drumming set the theme of great music as the rest of the band joined him on stage. 😎

From the crowd around the kind individual who filmed the show to share with others, I heard the enthusiastic cheers to greet this great band as well as the question, “Where’s Paul?” For some, this was when they first found out that our beloved Paul had been promoted to Heaven the previous month. Darren did a beautiful job of gently breaking the news while keeping an upbeat attitude that kept everything in perspective. He noted how Paul is dearly loved, his earthly presence missed, then he said, “But we’re not sad, because we know where he is.” And he pointed Heavenward. It was beautiful. Later, when he said, “God bless you” to the Veterans there at the concert, the tears threatened to spill. Paul would be so proud of his Raiders. And he is, as he looks on from Heaven. 🙂

Another exceptional part of their show is the respect and heartfelt “welcome home” to our Vietnam Vets, who didn’t receive the honorable welcome home due them when they made it back from serving faithfully as they had promised to do. Doug explains that as part of their welcome home, the Raiders have a special segment for them. 😎 They play a collection of songs that were played on Armed Forces Radio during the time these brave members of the military were serving over there. And I can tell you something else about these songs when Paul Revere’s Raiders play them: they never sounded so good! 🙂

Each song Paul Revere’s Raiders performed that night was exceptionally well-done. The building rang with good rockin’ music, laughter, fun and gratefulness. They did Raider hit after Raider hit, faithfully doing it like it is on the records, just like Paul told them to – and they have the talent to do it! 😎 I love it that they keep to the 1960’s Raider sound, not jazzing it up or trying to change it. Those songs were hits because they were great music – and great music is timeless. That means that those hits not only “were” hits, but also they “are” hits. Still bringing in the crowds, still selling records/CDs/digital downloads, still getting played on original and replica vinyl as well as every other media available. 😎 This is great music and these guys are a great complete band.

This article is becoming my longest one yet, so I should probably do a couple of quick notes about original Raider/Paul Revere’s Raiders cool stuff that I cannot leave out. I’m looking forward to writing much more on this supercool, super-nice, super-rockin’ band in upcoming articles! 🙂 I must leave room to tell you about their epic last-song-of-the-night performance! 🙂

“Steppin’ Out” – like the 1960’s Raiders, they do a cool move in unison – including the drummer – at just the right musical part of the song. That is just so cool!!!!! They likewise do cool group moves in “Just Like Me” – just like the 1960’s Raiders’ style. 🙂 The drummer of a group has so much to do that often they don’t get in on dance moves, but in the Raiders they do so anyway. 🙂 Yeah, they’re that cool. 😎 🙂 Those who play the keys are limited in how much moving around the stage they can do as well, after all, you can’t carry a double layer of keys around much easier than you can carry around a drum set. 😉 But Danny does the cool 1960’s Raider moves to these two songs as well, as Paul would always do also. 😎 I saw footage of Smitty, that’s how I know about his sharp, cool moves in unison with Paul, Mark, Drake and Phil. He’s something else. 🙂 And so is Tommy. 🙂 Great drummers. 😎

“(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” – their voices blend together with powerful, masculine strength as they vocalize the “ahh-AH-ah-ahh” of the chorus. I’m talking about the 1960’s Raiders and the now Raiders. 🙂 Great stuff. 😎

The show finishes with the customized, supercool Paul Revere’s Raiders’ rendition of “We’re an American Band”. As Paul Revere said before: they are an American band. Through and through. 🙂 I love it as Tommy continues to put his whole heart into his drumming – and somehow amps it up beyond that as the song reaches the awesomest part; Danny’s fingers continue to blaze across the keys and Jamie strides with strength of purpose to the front of the stage to join the other three guitarists, Ron, Darren and Doug, in a regimental guitar lineup as they play an electrifying portion of Francis Scott Key’s “The Star Spangled Banner”. Powerful. Poignant. Beautiful. The stuff of legends. What a band. What a blessing. What an honor to hear, to see, to witness the patriotic heartbeat pounding out through these men’s fingertips, to their selected instruments, and out into the atmosphere of this land, mingling with the breath of those in the audience who served faithfully for their country, so that we might be free to live and worship the Creator without fear or oppression. What a beautiful gift. Wado equa.

Jean247

If you are reading this article on the homepage and you would like to read others’ comments on it or perhaps leave some comments of your own, just tap on the word “comments” above this article’s title. 🙂

Please Click Here For More Article Subjects & Links 🙂

Jean247’s Short Stories

Note: Any advertisements seen here are not chosen by me.

Posted on 11/18/201811/21/2018 by Jean247 · 7 Comments

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 55: Supercool Ron Foos Interview

There are many blessings to be thankful for every day, and the friends you make can be exactly that. 🙂 A few years ago, when I wrote a Paul Revere & the Raiders article for my blog, I had the pleasure of making new friends. And Ron Foos, bassist for Paul Revere’s Raiders, is one of them. 🙂 He’s not only a great bassist, but also he can count writing and producing among his many other talents. 😎 Ron graciously offered to do an interview for my music review blog when our busy schedules allowed and I’m happy to be sharing that interview with you now. 🙂 Ready to read the fun, informative results? 🙂 Here we go! 🙂

1. When did you first meet Paul Revere?
I met Paul Revere around 1975.

2. What is the story behind how you came to be a part of this fun, rockin’ band?
Paul came to see me play in one of Seattle’s top bands “The City Zu”, but didn’t tell me he was watching from the back of the club. Paul called me the next morning, we met, and he hired me on the spot. I started playing with The Raiders that year, 1975.

3. What is your favorite 1960’s Raider song?
My favorite Raider song is… hummmmm… That’s a hard one! I’ve always liked all The Raiders music, but a couple of my favorites are “I Had a Dream” which we recorded it on “Paul Revere and The Raiders Greatest Hits Live! and “Silver Bird” which we played live for a while, written by Mark Lindsay.

4. What is your favorite 1960’s Raider song to perform in concert?
“Indian Reservation”….but you knew that! ha

5. Is there a 1960’s Raider song you haven’t performed in concert yet, but would like to?
Yes, “Just Seventeen”, it is a Rocker that I love! It wasn’t a big hit song but boy does it rock!

6. Which song originally performed/recorded by you guys (Paul’s second group named Paul Revere and the Raiders) do you most enjoy performing on stage?
I was lucky enough to write and record a few songs for/with Paul Revere. Mark Lindsay and I also wrote a few songs but nothing big. One that I wrote for The Raiders and I’m proud of is “Dead End Night”, also “No Tell Motel” on Paul Revere and The Raiders “America’s Favorite Rock n Roll band LIVE!” CD, another was song called “Do you really Mind” co-written by myself and Michael Bradly. We won a songwriting award in L.A. for that song.

7. When you write a song, do you tend to play it first on keys, rhythm guitar or bass?
I have only written one song on bass, called “The Sun Song”, I really like it, if that’s ok to say. Paul Revere and the Raiders were playing in the sunny Caribbean and the island vibe just took over in my head. Keyboard player Danny Krause sang it, and did a great job, but it hasn’t been released yet. I have mostly written on guitar but over the last few years I have fallen in love with my piano. So I write on piano a lot but it changes from time to time as I am now writing on guitar again recently.

8. As lead guitarist for the Seattle band, City Zu, did you meet prolific singer/songwriter/musician/producer/surf music pioneer/et cetera Terry Melcher after you guys signed on at Columbia Records?
I did met Terry but just a short meeting. He was a great friend of Paul Reveres tho.
I will always have the utmost respect for Terry Melcher.

9. Your neon green bass strings look really cool; what got you started on using them? Was it the color or the sound of these particular strings that first got your attention?
I got a call from Evan Shelly owner of “Bass Northwest’ in Seattle. Evan asked if I would try a set of these wild colored bass string made by DR Strings. He sent me a few sets and they were wild looking and of course Paul Revere loved all things WILD! I was then contacted by DR Strings and they set me up with an endorsement. I love the sound, the look, the feel of them and they are fun! If you look on http://www.DRStrings.com you can scroll down to see my photo as a proud DR string endorser. They now come in many different colors, so fun!

10. I understand from your media bio that your parents received a very special gift in December one year. 😉 You were born the same day on which the birth of Yeshua/Jesus is celebrated by many. Are you two friends? Is He important to you?
I love my birthday, and yes I love all things associated with Christmas. My Dad was also born on Christmas too. It’s a very special time of year and many celebrate the day in many ways or maybe even another day, depending on your religion preference. I am always asked “Do you feel ripped off having ONE birthday on Christmas that puts both together. I say absolutely NO, I love the day of Christmas. It was such a special time to have with my Dad (r.i.p.) and never felt ‘ripped off’ ha….geez…I am the luckiest guy alive!

11. Thank you for coming up with an idea that helped lead to the Ride to the Wall Foundation, telling Paul about it and together, all of you as a group, making it such a great success! 🙂 It is wonderful that you have been doing these concerts for our Veterans for years and also raising money to help them after they gave so much for us. While Paul was here you all also annually participated in Rolling Thunder; do you continue that honorable tradition as well?
We have done so many concerts all over the world for our Veterans and US troops, I can’t express how much that has meant to me personally.
Paul Revere and his wife were so open to the idea when it was brought to them by my music business partner Steve Mueller and I. They picked up on the idea right away and made it their own and really did a great job making a single idea into a meaningful project that changed so many lives.
We played to so many people who are fighting for our freedom and don’t have much in the way of entertainment, so it made a big difference to them.
What an honor to play for such amazing soldiers, men, women of all kinds, we all had a good time for a couple hours. It took their mind off of the war for a while.
We were also the only band that was allowed to play in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Wash D.C for 7 straight years on Memorial Day. Many bands have played the White House lawn but none have had the honor of playing right in front of the Lincoln Memorial to our Veterans on Memorial Day. We were able to raise money for them and we all had a great time doing it. Most people don’t know that Righteous Bros. Bill Medley came in to D.C. to join us on stage for some of the concerts as he is a big supporter of our Veterans, as did Billy Ray Cyrus and Nancy Sinatra who also joined us on occasion. Its been a real life changing experience playing and being a Raider for over 40 years. We ran our course doing the Veterans concerts in D.C but we always say our Thank you’s to our Veterans at every show. I have written a song called “Goodnight America” for our Veterans and it’s recorded on Raider lead singer’s new CD titled …”Goodnight America”. (available on all internet media outlets) I thank Paul Revere for making my life better thru music, he was the best ever!
All the best to you and your readers!
Ron Foos

Thank you, Ron, for your friendship, the interview, your dedication to our military and your part in supercool Paul Revere’s Raiders music! 🙂 😎 Keep on rockin’! 🙂

Jean247

If you are reading this article on the homepage and you would like to read others’ comments on it or perhaps leave some good comments of your own, just tap on the word “comments” above this article’s title. 🙂

Please Click Here For More Article Subjects & Links 🙂

Jean247’s Short Stories

Note: Any advertisements seen here are not chosen by me.

Posted on 12/11/201712/23/2022 by Jean247 · 6 Comments

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 41: December Holidays Music Part 1

Happy Chanukah! 🙂 Merry Christmas! 🙂 This December Holidays Music collection is part one and features supercool music artists Elvis Presley, Heffron Drive, James Maslow and more! 🙂 Part two is scheduled to post later this month and features such artists as Paul Revere & the Raiders, Big Time Rush, Bruno Mars & the Hooligans, LUNAFALL, In Real Life and Why Don’t We. 🙂 I hope you enjoy these review collections and the music that they feature. 🙂

Paul Revere’s Raiders, in their rockin’ Christmas concerts, include a beautiful version of the song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”. 🙂 It’s one of the very best versions I have ever heard; an excellent ballad gently sung from the heart by lead singer Darren Dowler. 😎 The footage I was blessed to see is from a few years ago and it’s a treasure of a concert. 😎 Paul Revere’s Raiders have a reputation for great concerts filled with good music and fun. 🙂 The stage set-up is festive and cheerful with decorations; I love the tinsel and multi-colored lights draped about the stage – as well as on some of the instruments. 🙂 Their Raider uniform jackets are a bright red and Paul’s tri-cornered hat, which is usually black, is bright red as well – with white trim. The opening of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” is so beautiful as Darren’s singing goes perfectly with Danny Krause’s keys. 😎 Excellent! 🙂 The instrumental break in the song is beautiful as Darren turns the focus to Danny Krause’s highlight on the keys. 🙂 Paul Revere shows his approval by word and action as he, along with the rest of the guys, join in instrumentally – Ron Foos’s right-on bass, Doug Heath’s fine guitar playing, Tommy Scheckel’s awesome cymbal-shimmering all help make the performance exceptional. 😎 (I didn’t get to see footage of a time when guitarist Jamie Revere was performing this song with the rest of the guys on stage; it would’ve been even cooler with one more Raider there. 🙂 ) I appreciate the continual honor and respect that the Raiders have for our military, which they continue here with a tribute to them with a salute of respect at the finish of the song. 😎 It’s a great blessing and comfort to know that even if you aren’t able to be in the company of your family during holiday time – Chanukah, Christmas or any other holiday – you are together in heart and thought. ❤ ❤

In 2014 Kendall Schmidt (of Heffron Drive and Big Time Rush) wrote and recorded a new timeless Christmastime song, “Blame It On the Mistletoe”, releasing it as a solo single. It has a supercool, catchy, always-sounds-great rock’n’roll sound – complete with “shoop-shoop, shoop-de-doop”. 😎 🙂 Besides the drums, guitars and keys, excellent use was also made of ringing bells and sleigh bells. Kendall sings about his desire to break the ice, get the girl to go out skating or dancing with him, but it hasn’t worked out – yet. 😉 He keeps trying to figure out how to let her know what she means to him. 🙂 The chorus swings in at 51 seconds with some supercool drum beats. He tells about the mistletoe – symbolic for kissing – is hanging right above them, so why not pause from talking and just kiss…while they can “blame it on the mistletoe”? 🙂 Smart boy. 😉 At 1:16 is one of my favorite parts, where the note’s melodically carried at the end of “mistletoe” – excellent! 🙂 😎 Nice echoing effect of “mistletoe” from the chorus to the next verse, too. 🙂 The lyrics continue to be cool, poetic and witty as he tells her he’s been writing her carols since the fourth of July. 🙂 Kendall brings the volume down just right as he sings the chorus then jumps right back into the enthusiastic, upbeat vocals. 😎 When Heffron Drive (Dustin Belt and Kendall Schmidt’s music group 😎 ) performed it in concert the following year, they included a cool saxophonist on stage – who, after playing great throughout the song, played a supercool solo near the end. 😎 The lively tune sounded great live with Dustin and Kendall’s guitars, along with other music artists on drums, keys, bass and the sax. 😎 The drummer started it off in style with the rest soon joining in. Kendall focused on singing the song brilliantly as Dustin’s smile lit up the room. 😎 They were all having a good, fun time and that always makes it extra fun and enjoyable for the audience as well. 😎 Dustin’s energetic performance slowed down perfectly to a gentle strumming with less than a minute to the finish, conveying the tenderness in his own excellence of pure style. 😎 Awesomely cool. 😎

James Maslow gave us all an early Chanukah & Christmas gift! 🙂 A new song especially for the holidays season, “Christmas Beautiful”, is worded and sung by James with poetic beauty. 🙂 😎 This cozy, romantic song is well-titled, making good use of the good feelings that are often associated with Christmas: love, happiness, light, cheer, joy, celebration, loved ones near. 🙂 These words also apply to Chanukah, which celebrates the miracle of the Creator making one day’s amount of oil (for the Temple light after Israel won against the invading foe, cleaned up the desecrated-by-the-enemy Temple and rededicated it to the Creator – the lamp was to burn continuously and He made it so) last for eight (the amount of time needed for more of the required oil to be made and purified). 😎 Celebrating the miracle of oil for the Temple and the miracle of the Light (Yeshua/Jesus) makes it a joyous season in heart and soul. 😎 🙂 James poetically brought that beauty into a phrase “Christmas Beautiful” that shines brightly. 😎 His vocals are really the only music needed for this song, even though there’s other music joining in. He sings of the nice California weather outside, but that he would rather be inside cuddled close to his girl. 🙂 It’s his favorite time of the year, made better with her here by his side. She’s Christmas beautiful. 🙂 That would mean that not only is she beautiful to him in appearance, but also beautiful in her heart. 🙂 The holidays are known for warmth and love; true beauty comes from the inside and shines forth from the eyes. In the next verse, James paints another tropical beach scene then points out what’s better: it being cold outside, but warm inside. Thus he invites her to come in and enjoy the coziness of the holidays together with him. And he hopes it snows all night. Yes, a cozy evening cuddled close on the sofa in front of the fireplace is a beautiful scene that neither would want to end. 🙂 Thank you for the song gift, James! 🙂 I hope you have a Happy Chanukah, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🙂 😎

This next song, “Wintery Nights” by Allison Medina, was brought to my attention by my friend Ron Foos (Paul Revere’s Raiders), who co-wrote the song. 🙂 😎 He kindly shared it with me pre-release and I’ve been looking forward to including it in my holiday music collection review this year. 🙂 The opening sound of shimmering notes brings to mind the sparkling light reflected in the snowflakes of wintertime. 🙂 Gentle “ooo’s” in the background join together with a relaxed beat, setting the pace for the song. I love the touch of reggae beat that enters the song along with Allison Medina’s unique voice as she begins to sing – mentioning that snow we heard at the top of the song. 😉 😎 She sings the story of looking forward to husband and wife holding each other tight on this cold, wintry night. The chorus swings in at 46 seconds, where she sings that “wintery nights won’t get me down” – now that he will soon be back in town. 🙂 The next verse tells of the cozy setting; a crackling fire in the fireplace and the kisses that mistletoe traditionally represents is a great combination. 🙂 After the second chorus, an instrumental break leads into the third verse – and more romance. 2:43 is one of the prettiest parts of the song – a gentle melody sung so well in excellent tone and with tender heart by Allison. 😎 (The backing “ooo’s” are brought back in perfectly, too. 😎 ) She does a beautiful job of singing that spending your favorite time of year with the one you love most dear is precious. The song closes with her tenderly singing of how he’s riding on his sleigh through the sleet and snow to get back home to her. Love. 🙂 😎

When I hear “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” sung by Elvis Presley, it’s a blessing and a comfort to me. I have always loved listening to his Christmas album; his voice is so warm and reassuring as he sings these melodies. This particular song begins with a piano note; ladies prettily singing a snow-falling series of “oo-oo-oo-oo-ooo’s” follows then Elvis starts the verse. 😎 He sings that he will be home for Christmas, to plan on him being there. He asks for snow and mistletoe. 🙂 He tells how Christmas Eve will find him where the love light gleams. He reiterates that he will be home for Christmas – even if it’s only in his dreams. Being with loved ones is natural for celebrations; it makes it all the merrier. 🙂 However, sometimes loved ones are in various locations and are unable to meet up in one place at the same time on a specific date. But that shouldn’t keep the joy of celebration from happening in our hearts; we can be together in heart wherever we are. 🙂 I know it’s not exactly the same, but it counts and is important to remember. 😎 If you are joined in heart, you are together. If you have no loved ones to celebrate with you can still celebrate. If you believe on the Creator, you are never truly alone. 😎 You can talk to Him; He listens and cares. Most likely, you can find happiness in helping others; it’s an awesome feeling that adds yet more joy to any celebratory occasion, be it Chanukah, Christmas, New Year’s, et cetera. 🙂 Back to the song now… The way Elvis sings so gently, deepening his notes and carrying them in his own style all at the right moments makes this an extra-special version of the song with continuous recognition as the top recording. The male and female chorus finishes out the song, along with the other instruments, with the heartfelt words, “I’ll be home for Christmas!”

John McDermott, Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan – The Irish Tenors – sang “The Holy City” poignantly beautifully on their 1999 album, “Home for Christmas”. 🙂 This four minute, fifty-four second studio recording begins with a majestic orchestral opening (played expertly by a seventy-eight piece orchestra) then quiets as the singing begins. John sings the lyrics about a wonderful dream one night. 😎 “I stood in old Jerusalem beside the Temple there.” 😎 He heard the voices of children singing, then he heard what seemed to be the voices of angels. The instruments begin to build up majestically around fifty-three seconds into the song as the chorus, the words of the angels in the dream, is sung out by all three tenors. 😎 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, lift up your heads and sing! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the King!” Anthony brings in the second verse, which tells about a change in the dream. Now all was silent, no gladness of singing, a darkness reigned over the land, when Yeshua/Jesus, died on the cross to pay for everyone’s sins so we wouldn’t have to. Now all we need to do is accept His gift of forgiveness and trust Him to save us. 🙂 The joyful chorus begins, because now there’s singing again! 🙂 😎 The third verse, sung by Ronan, tells of another scene change in the dream. The Holy City, New Jerusalem, from Heaven above, is seen. 😎 You can read about it in the Scriptures, in Revelation (the King James Version is the clearest English translation from the original language). The streets are paved with gold. His Light is the only illumination needed – no sun or moon necessary. 😎 The gates are open wide in invitation to all who would like to enter; all you need to do is believe in Yeshua/Jesus, what He did for you, ask Him to forgive and save you – and He will. That’s why He came to Earth. To rescue you. Because He loves you.

Jean247

Please Click Here For More Article Subjects & Links 🙂

Jean247’s Short Stories

Note: Any advertisements seen here are not chosen by me.

Posted on 12/12/201605/08/2017 by Jean247 · 16 Comments

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 17: Supercool December Holidays Music – Part A

Holidays greetings! 🙂 (Yes, I did two plurals on purpose. 😉 ) For this month, I have decided to review some of the coolest and most uniquely good songs related to some of the holidays celebrated in the month of December. My two articles will feature a collection of songs – not just one. My next article, Supercool December Holidays Music – Part B, will include Paul Revere & the Raiders, Big Time Rush, The Ronettes, and more! 🙂 I hope you will read my reviews for each song and not only the ones featuring the holiday(s) you celebrate. Music is music. It speaks to the heart. It can affect and effect our lives in so many ways. Please read on; I hope you enjoy my gifts to you! 🙂

Chanukah (also sometimes spelled Hanukkah) came first and begins first, so it is fitting that we start with a song by Matisyahu with the title, “Happy Hanukkah”. 🙂 An amazing beat and rhythm are just two of the things you will hear in this song! 🙂 😎 This is one of the coolest Chanukah gifts ever; it is a song of supercool proportions that comes directly from the gifted heart of music artist Matisyahu. 🙂 In fact, near the start of the song he says that this is a gift of love to you. 😎 I have enjoyed the unique style of Matisyahu’s songs since I first heard him; it is what could be partially described as Mediterranean Reggaeton. Very cool, lively music with honest heart. This song, “Happy Hanukkah”, is beautiful. Every instrument lends its beauty to the song with melodic power; it’s very cool. 🙂 Not only does it have a great overall sound, but also, it has so much profound truth in the lyrics, sung with the heart of a man who seeks to honor the Creator in all things. I appreciate that element so very much. It gives depth to a song like nothing else can. 😎 There are so many cool things in this song; I hope you will go listen to it so that you can hear it for yourself. Peace and love are two of the main things in this song and are treasures that we all desire. Very true are the words that Israel brings love to the world – “from Mount Zion this is what we do”. Israel exemplifies the Creator’s love in the way they so selflessly go help any country who needs their skills (such as medical help after natural disasters) – even if that country scorns them on a daily basis. The Creator loves each of us, whether we love Him or not. He doesn’t base His love on what we do; He loves us because He loves us. Simple as that. 🙂 That’s why He sent the promised Mashiach (Messiah) to give us eternal life through faith in Him and what He did for us. Selfless love. A gift of mercy (not giving us the bad things we deserve) and grace (giving us good things that we don’t deserve and haven’t earned – couldn’t earn on our own if we tried). Faith and trust in HaShem, believing on Yeshua (Jesus) who fulfilled the prophecies of old, this is the greatest gift ever.

You haven’t heard how cool “Jingle Bells” can sound until you have heard Paul Revere’s Raiders’ rendition of it! 🙂 😎 They bring their own originality, fun-lovin’, energetic, highly-skilled musicianship to it, making it a standout to be admired. 🙂 They perform this at their live show, Rockin’ Christmas, bringing visual as well as audible entertainment as only they can. 😎 After a great instrumental intro by Tommy Scheckel on drums (his drums really make this rockin’ version rock!), Ron Foos on bass (bringing those groovy, deep tones), Paul Revere on keys (he played not one, but two instruments in this song! 🙂 ), Jamie Revere on guitar (I love his awesome guitar playing – its tones can be felt), Doug Heath on guitar (he’s got some supercool stuff to wow everyone with in this song), Danny Krause on keys (the man has gifted hands, what more can one say?), lead singer Darren Dowler sings lead with power, finesse and gusto! 🙂 😎 Each performance is special, with variations now and then. For example: Paul Revere would sometimes sing the second verse; I always enjoy hearing him sing – you can hear the fun and happiness in his vocals. 😎 Another example: Darren, instead of singing the lyrics “a one-horse open sleigh”, he sang “a ’57 Chevrolet”; both versions are cool and highly enjoyable for this Chevy girl to hear! 🙂 Paul said he really enjoyed doing that version after hearing another artist, Brian Seitzer, do that kind of a rendition. Paul and his boys Raidered it! (To see what I mean by that, please check out my article Meet Paul Revere’s Raiders! 😉 🙂 ) Midway through the song, the spotlight moves to Doug Heath at center stage as he plays a superb guitar solo while the rest of the band rocks on – Tommy Scheckel’s cymbal playing finesse adding another dimension of delight to this groovy rendition. 😎 Almost a half a minute later brings the song to its next verse of toe-tapping fun; Ron Foos is going to town with style as he strums that bass! On the last chorus, Darren belts out the words with even more umph, Doug does a groovy run along the frets, Jamie radiates joy as he plays that guitar so well, Ron keeps rockin’, Paul’s playing the jingle bells instrument, at the perfect moment Tommy uses his drumsticks to direct attention to Danny Krause who plays a beautiful flourish on the keys – accompanied by Jamie on guitar (maybe Doug and/or bassist Ron played, too, but I couldn’t see them in that shot so I can’t say for sure 🙂 ), then the rest of the guys all join in on an instrumental closing of very cool proportions. Paul Revere’s Raiders, akin to the original Raiders whose songs they perform faithfully, are a supercool live band who never fail to entertain, satisfy your need to hear good music, bring a smile to your face that doesn’t quit, and allows you to relax and gave a great time – every time! 🙂

One song, “Silent Night”. 🙂 Two very talented as well as gifted artists, Elvis Presley and Taylor Davis. 🙂 I’ll start with the first recording, Elvis Presley’s classic tune backed by the deep tones of a grand piano as well as melodies provided by male and female vocals. 😎 Then I’ll review the next-recorded rendition, Taylor Davis’ beautifully melodic tune backed by a well-chosen and well-played orchestration of sound. 🙂
*When Elvis Presley sings “Silent Night”, he conveys the peace, comfort and joy of the Creator’s gift to us so genuinely with each tone and inflection of his voice. He sings from his soul, from his heart, reverently. “All is calm.” The Creator can bring peace and calm to us if we trust Him to. He can help us feel a true peace and calm in our hearts and minds through Yeshua/Jesus if we just ask Him sincerely. You can have peace in your heart anywhere and in any surrounding circumstances. Yes, even right there where you are right now. “All is bright.” He brings light even where there is darkness – whether the darkness is physical, mental, spiritual, or any other kind of darkness – He can bring you light. 😎 He made the sun shine for about a whole day, standing completely still overhead, when the Israelites were fighting their enemies back in Joshua’s day. The Creator is the same Being He has always been; He cares about each one of us, whether anyone else does or not. I think that’s really cool. 🙂 😎
*The very talented violinist, Taylor Davis, plays “Silent Night” so very beautifully, speaking to the heart and soul without the need for words. Drawing the bow sweetly across the strings with steady beauty, she brings the story of the song to life through music, touching the soul in a calm and gentle way. Timing is important and the heart of the musician comes through when they are playing their selected instrument. Listening to her music, I believe that Taylor Davis has a gentle, sincere heart that feels the depth of meaning through music. It is how she conveys the message of the song so exquisitely. 😎 “Silent Night” is a gentle lullaby melody, as the human birth of Yeshua/Jesus our Mashiach/Messiah is celebrated; He is the Son of the Creator, all-powerful, yet He came to Earth in human flesh to bring us light, joy, peace with the Creator and life everlasting. That’s real love. 😎

Along with the upbeat tune of Klezmer, Chanukah is sung about in this song with great, warm, deep lively vocals from the illustrious, warm-hearted Theodore Bikel. 🙂 😎 In “Oy Chanukah”, he sings about the reason for celebrating Chanukah, lighting candles for eight days on the Chanukiah (a special, beautiful candlestick that holds eight candles – four on each side of a center candle that is employed to light the others. Kind of like the Creator is the Light Who has the power to give light to each of us if we’ll just stand still long enough to listen to Him. Chanukah is observed “to remind us of days long ago”, as the song says, and to especially remember the Creator’s provision – which continues today and always. 🙂 After fighting for freedom from oppression, winning, and cleaning up the Temple from the evil destruction by the enemies who had previously taken over, there was only enough pure oil to light the Temple’s candlestick for one day – but the Creator made that oil last for eight days and nights (which was the time needed for there to be more of the required oil made and ready). Miracles! 🙂 Way cool. 😎 This song tells it well and sounds great throughout! 🙂 I love the finishing lyrics, “you can dance with hope!” Hope is a priceless thing; it encourages you to be brave and stay strong through whatever you are going through or dealing with in your life. The Creator loves us and gave us precious promises that we can count on Him to fulfill; we can depend on Him – He loves us and cares about everything. 🙂 Hope is a strong thing, a knowing in your heart and soul that even if you can’t see it, it’s there. As it says in the Scriptures: you can’t see the wind itself, but you can see what it does. 😎 The Creator is present everywhere; you may not see Him, but you can see His Hand in the many blessings, big and small, in your everyday life – if you take time to notice them, you’ll find it is easy to see them. 😉 Anything good is a blessing from the Creator; He gives good and perfect gifts. 😎

A doo wop group established in 1991, Stormy Weather, teamed up with the illustrious Ronnie Spector to sing a Christmas version of the 1960’s song, “Creation of Love”. 😎 And the result was quite beautiful! 🙂 Sung acapella, the poignancy of the lyrics are all the more powerful with only the human voice and some tasteful, time-keeping finger snaps being heard. Ronnie sings lead as Stormy Weather provides the perfect background – all of them sounding great! 🙂 The song tells the story of a girl and boy who met at a dance, walked hand in hand out into the winter wonderland and soon realized that love was there, created in their hearts for each other. 🙂 They kissed, their hearts dancing in the night. 😎 They walked along for a while, smiling, then as he held her tight, they pledged their love to one another. 🙂 “I love you and you love me – think how happy we will be. I know, now I know – that’s the creation of love.” A very nice love story. 🙂

Did you know that Mark Lindsay sang a solo of “What Child Is This?” as part of a special recording? 🙂 Now, this treasure was made available at W. T. Grant stores on a vinyl LP titled “A Very Merry Christmas Volume IV”; Columbia Special Products produced it exclusively for them c. 1967. You can hear it, like I did, from YouTube. 🙂 A beautiful instrumental melody begins, and then Mark begins to gently sing of Yeshua/Jesus’ birth. The soar in Mark’s excellent voice as the chorus begins. I love the way he sings with strength and conviction; he consistently sings every song with true heart. 😎 The question is asked – why was he born in such a low estate, where animals fed? It was to show, in part, that He didn’t come to be popular or bring admiration from others. That wasn’t His purpose. The lyrics continue to explain, “Nails fierce shall pierce Him through – the cross be borne for me, for you”. He suffered and died in our place, so that we wouldn’t have to pay for our own sins – that’s how much the Creator loves us. As the song says from Scripture, He is the Word (“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotton of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Book of John, chapter one, verse fourteen. 🙂 ) in human form, come to save us. When He created us, He gave us free will – we can choose our own path. He won’t make us accept His gift and put our faith in Him; it is our choice alone. We can choose to believe or choose to deny; it is one or the other. Rejecting His gift means choosing to pay for our own sins forever with the Devil who made that same bad choice. Accepting the Creator’s gift of salvation through His Son, Yeshua/Jesus, means instantaneous forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in Heaven with the Creator Who loves us. Which choice do you want to make? It’s not too late; as long as you have breath, you have choice – but please keep in mind: no one is guaranteed they’ll take a next breath. Some things are too important to put off; this is one of them.

Jean247

Please Click Here For More Article Subjects & Links 🙂

Jean247’s Short Stories

Note: Any advertisements seen here are not chosen by me.

Posted on 08/08/201605/08/2017 by Jean247 · 14 Comments

Paul Revere’s Raiders play the music and sing the music with such an amazing ability because they feel the music from within. They are genuine; each one of them has a true Raider heart.

My heart overflows with gratefulness for the many kindnesses and great performances by the six members of Paul Revere’s Raiders.

Tommy took the stage first to start the music; his expert drumming set the theme of great music as the rest of the band joined him on stage. 😎

Jean247

Please Click Here For More Article Subjects & Links 🙂

Jean247’s Short Stories

Note: Any advertisements seen here are not chosen by me.

Posted on 07/28/201610/31/2017 by Jean247 · 19 Comments

A brief explanation about this article’s title in case it’s an unfamiliar term to you:
The phrase “giving your two cents worth” means giving your opinion about someone or something. A shekel is a Hebrew coin, money, that has been used in Israel for thousands of years. 😎 You can find it spoken of in the Scriptures as a monetary value or to convey the physical weight of an item. So, my two shekels worth on Tommy Scheckel’s drumming means I’m giving my opinion – review – on his drumming. 🙂

That said, it wasn’t my original intention to do two articles in a row with references to money – “Money (That’s What I Want)” then this one referencing shekels – but it’s quite fitting, don’t you think? 🙂 Both articles contain information about priceless music and wondrous people; I hope you enjoy. 🙂

This review features the extraordinary drumming skills of one supercool man, Tommy Scheckel of Paul Revere’s Raiders. 🙂 Scheckel – that has got to be one of the coolest surnames ever. 😎

The specific footage that I’m reviewing came from a well-placed drum cam – filmed in black & white – during one of his group’s concert performances of the 1960’s Paul Revere & the Raiders’ hit “Hungry”. 🙂

The drums have always fascinated me; I love their sound. It is amazing how much music you can get from them and how those sounds are brought about. 😎

Every drummer has their own style – their own manner of playing and their own preferences for the setup of their drum set (the various percussion instruments that a drummer has around them). Tommy has his cymbals up higher than I have seen most drummers do, requiring him to reach up to hit them. It is so cool to see him swing those drumsticks through the air, making contact with various cymbals in a flash! 🙂 I could watch him for hours. 🙂

“Hungry” for more details on this excellent performance? 😉 🙂 (Sorry, I couldn’t seem to resist that one!) Let’s go! 🙂

The gentleman knows what he’s doing, that’s for certain! 🙂 Just watch him go at those drums; he’s in total command of the situation. 😎 And – this is very important – he is enjoying his work. 🙂 That adds to the quality of his playing as well as to the enjoyment of those watching and listening. That energy carries and spreads throughout the area, bringing a beautiful symphony of fun, good music to all. 🙂

Drumsticks slicing through the air to ring/smash/crash/clang the cymbals at the right moments, Scheckel shows how it’s done with enthusiasm and fun. The lightning-like speed with which he plays the drums is a delight to observe.

Waving the drumstick side to side, hitting the necessary cymbals to play that awesome tune then hitting those drums with sheer power – the man is impressive. 😎

One of the cool tricks that drummers do is twirling their drumsticks – and Tommy has this down to an art. 😎 His twirling drumstick proficiency allows him to do that cool thing without missing a beat – even when he sneaks it in with only split-seconds to spare! 🙂

Strong arms and a sure grasp of the sticks are mandatory for playing this great Raider tune – and Tommy is indeed well-armed ( 😉 ) for the task. His hands are deft and definite in their work.

At 1:49 we come to my favorite part of the performance. 🙂 Scheckel is playing those drumsticks in a blur of motion when suddenly there’s a brief pause in the music, right at the key point after the lyrics “Hungry for that sweet life, baby, with a real fine girl like you…” Apparently he’s not the kind of guy to sit around and do nothing – even if it’s only briefly – because he takes this opportunity to launch his right drumstick straight up, high into the air it rotates at quick speed and way up, out of the camera’s view! He does this move with such a cool, powerful style of finesse that I have to back it up and rewatch it repeatedly. 🙂 I watch him as he lifts his head to spot his drumstick as it comes back earthward. Time seems to stand still. It’s an amazing, heady sensation. He must have gotten some major air with that drumstick, going by how long it was in flight before it obediently came back down to rest neatly in his capable hand once again. 😎

Watching Tommy Scheckel play the drums, you can easily see that he puts his heart into it. He’s a great drummer, no doubt about it. 🙂

And that’s my two shekels worth on Tommy Scheckel’s drumming. 🙂 I hope you enjoyed reading this article; please let me know by posting any good comments in the box provided below, if you like. 🙂 Thanks! 🙂

Jean247

Please Click Here For More Article Subjects & Links 🙂

Jean247’s Short Stories

Note: Any advertisements seen here are not chosen by me.

	Hardy Sleuth on About
	Hardy Sleuth on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Hardy Sleuth on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Hardy Sleuth on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Chaya on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Music Fan on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Music Fan on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Music Fan on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Music Fan on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Music Fan on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Hardy Sleuth on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Hardy Sleuth on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Hardy Sleuth on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Chaya on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…
	Chaya on Supercool Music: A Living Arti…

Supercool Music: A Living Article©

Tag: Tommy Scheckel

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 85: Meet Paul Revere’s Raiders

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 55: Supercool Ron Foos Interview

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 41: December Holidays Music Part 1

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 17: Supercool December Holidays Music – Part A

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 9: Meet Paul Revere’s Raiders

Supercool Music: A Living Article© Part 8: My Two Shekels Worth on Scheckel’s Drumming

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: