J~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J O R O C K Y M O U N T A I N H I G H O H =============================================== H N The John Denver Internet Fan Club N D D E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R E N N V O C T O B E R 1 9 9 7 V E E R http://www.sky.net/~emily Emily Parris emily@sky.net R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS October 1997 - Issue #42 John Denver on "This Is Your Life" in Australia........2 No Recording Contract: Let's Do Something About It by Emily Parris............................2 Concert Reviews: Baltimore 9/20/97 by Kathy Beck......................3 Houston 9/26/97 by Clyde Dicks.......................4 Houston 9/26/97 by Jim Beardon.......................4 Houston 9/27/97 by Wayne Pleasants...................6 Fort Worth, TX 10/2/97 by Jerry W. Shearer...........6 Austin, TX 10/4/97 by Stephen S. Kwak................7 John Denver Stories: Jamie Seabolt........................................7 Judy A. Jones........................................7 Poetry: "To Love Him Is To Know Him".........................1 John Denver Notes......................................8 John Denver Want Ads/For Sale.........................10 To Love Him Is To Know Him by Louise Aldrich To love him, is to know him To know him, is to understand To love him, is to share him In song, in heart, throughout the land ________________________________ Copyright 1995 by Louise Aldrich JOHN DENVER ON "THIS IS YOUR LIFE" IN AUSTRALIA =============================================== Kevin Jacobsen was featured on "This Is Your Life" in Australia. Kevin is mentioned in John's autobiography "Take Me Home". He was a local rock musician and singer during the 50's and 60's, then he took up promoting other musicians and singers and shows for tours of our country. He is the person who has promoted most of John's tours of Australia... .......David Gorell From: Fiona Anne Rogers John was here in Australia to tape an episode of "This Is Your Life". It was broadcast tonight (Thurs. Sept 18th). First of all they showed a taped clip of John saying nice things about Kevin Jacobsen. Then they brought in Lee Kernaghan whose career was kick started by Kevin. Then the host, Mike Munro, asked if JD was a nice guy. Kevin said lots of nice stuff (of course) and the intro went something like this. "Here is someone who just couldn't stay away so we flew him all the way from Alaska to be here tonight": John walks in grinning from ear to ear; hugs Kevin then his wife. John says good things about KJ. Then the host throws open a curtain to reveal a full band with piano waiting for KJ. A full horn section and all the people he used to work with on Australia's Bandstand in the 60s. Col Joye start in with "Tell Me whadd I say". John leaps from the guest section and joins in with the chorus and so does Lee K. Lots of applause at the end and show credits. Mike M produces JD's guitar (the one with the fancy blue stones on the strap) and says "If we twist his arm would you like John Denver to sing?" Audience roars in approval so John does one chorus of "Perhaps Love." Damm it was fun. So nice to see him looking good.. Slim too and happy. The restaurant story just confirms he's okay. If you'd like a really accurate transcript E-mail me and I'll do it properly. Lots of Love, Fiona in Oz. * * * No Recording Contract: Let's Do Something About It by Emily M. Parris ================================================== Lately we have been seeing many new John Denver compilations, but not any new material. According to David Gorell, who recently talked with a BMG executive in Australia, the reason for the compilations is that the older albums might sell well to devoted JD fans but compilation cd's sell better to the general public. So that is why we have seen compilation material released rather than copies of the original cd's we have learned to love. However, it is new material written by John Denver that we would really like to see. In a Live Chat on Compuserve, John Denver expressed regret that he does not presently have a recording contract. Perhaps this is something that we JD fans can rectify by showing the record companies that we want to hear NEW material by John. Keith has found some email addresses for various record companies. So perhaps we can blitz them and ask them to put John under contract and produce his NEW material: BMG: 7007.1532@compuserve.com SONY MUSIC ONLINE: sonymusiconline@sonymusic.com WARNER BROTHERS: wbrepine@wbr.com POLYGRAM RECORDS: polyinfo@polygram.com RCA VICTOR: rcavictor@digitopia.com ========================================= JOHN DENVER CONCERT REVIEWS ========================================= Concert in Baltimore, MD 9/20/97 ================================ From: Kathy Beck I can see now why John is still touring after all these years. By the end of the Baltimore concert he was absolutely glowing! I can't ever remember seeing a person look so happy...except maybe if I'd looked in the mirror at that moment! That concert was such a gift. From the beginning his voice was strong, flawless and beautiful. The ONLY thing wrong was that it was too darn short. He stayed with all his old standards, probably because the whole benefit was themed around "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". The first half hour of the concert featured "The Hard Travelers" a bluegrass group who were very good. John and his band sang and played for the other hour and a half. Then for a grand finale he invited the first band back out for "Thank God". There must have been at least 10 or 11 people on stage, complete with numerous fiddles, mandolins, banjos, guitars, etc. I have never witnessed such a rompin' stompin' hoedown in my life! All the hootin' and hollerin' was unbelievable ...and that was just from the stage! John sang the first verse, one from the other group sang the second one, and it appeared the third verse was supposed to be sung by a second man in the other group... but he blanked out. And good old JD jumped right in there singing, not missing a beat and saved the day. At the end John gave a wild scream "YEAH!!!!" and did his famous Johnny B. Goode splits in the air. Not bad for the "romantic old fart" that he claimed to be. These John Denver weekends sure make a wonderful break in my otherwise uneventful nine to five life. Thank God for JD. Kathy B. of Belleville, MI ...and my partner in crime, Wendy K. of Mukwonago, WI - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Houston, TX - Jones Hall 9/26/97 ================================ From: Clyde Dicks Subject: JD Concert Review, 9/26/97, Houston, TX Hi Emily,We were lucky enough to attend John's concert in Houston, Texas, on Friday evening. It was the first in a series of three that he gave there over the weekend. Since this was my very first JD concert, I unfortunately cannot provide you with comparisons, but let me nonetheless give you my impressions. I am originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and have always loved John's music. (I take a bit of ridicule for it, but only from those who don't understand.) For me, this was a dream come true! We were able to get second-row-and-in-the-center seats (don't ask to check our tickets stubs), so we didn't miss a thing! We were so close, we could see the sparkle in his eyes when he was amused, and we could partly hear his unamplified voice, which you couldn't from elsewhere in the hall. He even made eye contact with us a few times, especially during between-song chatting. Of course, sitting so close to him meant we could also clearly see his choice of clothing, and I must say, he could do with a bit of help next time in selecting a shirt. Firstly, it was too tight, and secondly, it had this awful flowery pattern on it that just did not go with his starched black jeans. He looked much better in his Wildlife concert video. But anyway, I wasn't there to see a fashion show...He was accompanied by the outstanding Houston Symphony Orchestra, which greatly enhanced his performance. However, it also meant there were a lot of glitzy and glamorous well-to-do folks there in three-piece suits, tuxedos, and sequined dresses. Being a genuine western musician, however, he did not let that cramp his style in the least. He proved that he was unaffected by it all when he claimed to be "just an old fart" and then sang, "Get your tongue out of my mouth". This induced a mild hysteria and brought most noses down to a normal level. In conclusion, I thought he was very dynamic, cheerful, and lively. He seemed happy and mischievous. Along with his outstanding band (including the enchanting percussionist), he sang about 15 songs before he sadly had to cut it short due to "certain curfews" that I suspect had been imposed upon him by Jones Hall or the orchestra. He seemed genuinely sorry to have to end, and so, to comfort him, I quickly sneaked in a photo or two! (If anyone's interested in seeing them, you'll see what I mean about the shirt!) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Jim Bearden John Denver and the Houston Symphony -- 9/26/97 Houston, TX My wife and I recently went to Houston to visit her parents, who live there. They told us before we came that they had tickets for the Houston Symphony's "Pops" concert, but they kept the guest performer's identity a secret until just before the concert. Needless to say, we were thrilled when it turned out to be John Denver. The first half of the program was just the symphony, and then John came out after the intermission. This was a very different performance than most of the others I've seen of his, such as the Wildlife Concert, since he had an entire symphony orchestra behind him. That would be pretty stiff competition for most singers, but John's voice was more than up to the challenge. He started with a version of "Rocky Mountain High" that just about blew the roof off of Jones Hall, and he went on for over an hour and a half of singing (with very little time spent talking between songs), never faltering. His voice was as good as I've ever heard it (and that's saying something) -- and on some of the long notes in "For You", I think he may have set some new records for how long a note can be held. The orchestral arrangements were all good -- on some songs, such as "I'm Sorry", the symphony stayed pretty much in the background; on others, like "The Foxfire Suite" and "River of No Return", it was a much more active partner. Most of the songs sounded different from the way I had heard them before, with the symphonic background, but they all sounded great -- and as I said before, John's voice was more than a match for the full orchestra. He also talked about how much he enjoyed getting a chance to sing with an orchestra, and you could tell that he meant it -- he really seemed to be having a good time. This looked like an older audience than he usually gets -- I'm almost exactly John's age, and most of the people around me looked quite a bit older than I am --but most of them joined right in when he asked the audience to sing along on some of the songs, and everyone seemed to enjoy the performance. In fact, my wife's parents said that, of all of the concerts in this series that they had gone to (which covered at least 15 years), this one got the best audience response they had ever seen. One of the more interesting presentations was when he talked some about country music, and the role of Texas in that, and then introduced what he called "a simple country love song" -- I guessed what was coming, of course, but most of the audience didn't, so there were roars of laughter when he hit the punch line: "Get your tongue out of my mouth, because I'm Kissing You goodbye". The last song on his regular program was "Calypso", and the whole audience seemed to be swaying back and forth to the beat by them. We were all on our feet for a standing ovation before the last note had died out. After several minutes of clapping and cheering, John came back out and did his new song, "Yellowstone", for an encore -- it got a standing ovation, also, but this time he was really finished for the evening. All in all, a memorable performance that I feel really fortunate to have gotten to see. -- Jim Bearden Concert in Houston, TX 9/27/97 ============================== From: Wayne Pleasants My wife, Cathy and I attended the JD concert in Houston, TX at the Jones Hall Performing Arts Center. We drove 200 miles from Lafayette, Louisiana to see his concert, because, at the time we bought the tickets, this was the closest venue where he was performing. The Saenger Theatre in New Orleans was later added, but we had already made plans in Houston. We arrived in beautiful downtown Houston at 6:30 p.m. We were pleased to see that the Houston Symphony Orchestra would be playing the first half of the show, and even more pleased that they would be playing along side John Denver during his show. John was also very excited about playing with the symphony. He announced that they were one of the best symphonies in the world. He started one song by himself, forgetting that he had the orchestra behind him. He stopped and apologized to us and the orchestra, then, began again. He played for an hour and a half and did one standing ovation. I am a John Denver song singer and I was impressed with his singing voice. He can still hit the high notes with clarity and ease. There were two songs that I was really looking forward to him singing and he did not. One was "Poems and Prayers and Promises", which he has always stated is one of his personal favorites and the other was "The Eagle and the Hawk", my personal favorite,.....well, at least one of my favorites, anyway. Overall, it was a wonderful concert. This was the third JD concert that my wife and I have attended and I must say, every time we go to one, we fall in love all over again. We have been married over 24 years and John Denver has kept our love alive through his love songs. I just wish I could meet him someday and tell him thank you. So John, if you read your concert reviews through your internet fan club......thanks for the memories.....we love you and will always go to hear you sing whenever it is possible. Wayne Pleasants - Lafayette, Louisiana - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John in Fort Worth, Texas 10/2/97 ================================= From: Jerry W. Shearer I went to John's Fort Worth concert last night and he was great. He played solo - himself and his guitar. his voice was strained, maybe from the Houston concerts, but he still put on a good show. Funny note, the last time he appeared on the Will Roger's Auditorium stage was in High School when he received his HS diploma. Thanks for your continued efforts to keep JD fans informed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John in Austin, Texas 10/4/97 ============================= From: Stephen S. Kwak Oh how I wish there was some other way to communicate this than through words! John's Austin concert was the greatest I've ever seen (and perhaps ever will). Tonight was especially intimate as it was a solo performance in front of a relatively small crowd. Just him and his guitars. He hit every note beautifully, and his guitar technique was impeccable. He was completely in synch with the audience. I couldn't have pictured a better evening. During the 2-hour concert, time had no meaning, and at the end you could hear a collective sigh of both surprise and disappointment that it was already over. His last three songs consisted of the hilarious "Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth", "Annie's Song" and "Rocky Mountain High." I literally cried during RMH because all my emotions came flooding forth. It suddenly reminded me of my childhood growing up in Colorado listening to that same song with my mother. Words can't adequately describe everything I felt that night. It truly filled up my senses and I left with such a light heart. I only wish that John Denver could tour for another 25 years, and with any luck, he just might. Long live JD! PS: For anyone who has not heard his new song entitled "Yellowstone", you're in for a treat! ======================= JOHN DENVER STORIES ======================= From: Jamie As a member of the JD fanclub, it is only natural that I am familiar with his music. But, it's funny how many other people are influenced by it without even realizing it!! I was at a small, local pub listening to a live band on Saturday night. The place was crowded with folks, but there was definitely a rapport missing between the band and the audience. I sat through a few tired versions of "Margaritaville," "Brown-Eyed Girl" and the like. Just when I ceased to even notice the music at all, the fiddle player let loose with the intro to "Thank God I'm A Country Boy"!! The place went WILD! It seemed to me that everyone in the room began to clap, stomp their feet, and sing as loud as they could. The interesting thing is that the crowd was a relatively young one. I'd say most of the folks there were anywhere from 18 to 24...It brought a smile to my face to see so many people share a common thing, even if it was just a song. I think JD would have been proud! Best regards.....Jamie Seabolt - Dahlonega, GA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Judy A. Jones ..."I just feel sometimes, such a personal relationship with John, even though we have never met. I feel like I really understand him in almost every way because I think we see things the same way and feel the same way about a lot of different issues. My husband does not share my vision and it seems like many of my closest friends are rather superficial in this respect. I have taken it upon myself to help my children see what in life I believe to be important. John has helped me put words to the thoughts in my head and music to the emotion I feel in my heart. I have always felt kind of "different" than most of the other people I have met. John has made me feel that I am one of many and I am not alone. I feel hope for myself and for the world we all share. It is my thanks to John for this. I doubt he will ever truly understand what he has given to us. His is a gift to the world directly from heaven." - - - - - - - - - - From: Emily Parris Judy's words really rang a chord in me because that is how I have felt also...that John's words echo some of my own thoughts and feelings. I used to search for ways to express this but now it is amazing that your letters to Rocky Mtn High express the same things I have felt. I've learned that I am not alone either, and that all of us have similar feelings of closeness to John - "heart to heart." :-) ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= From: Donna Pinto According to "Entertainment Weekly", WALKING THUNDER comes out on video October 12, 1997. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In last month's newsletter I had an incorrect url listed. The correct url for INTERNATIONAL DISC is: http://www.sarahsplace.com/intldisc There is no ~(tilde) before the word "intldisc" They have a good stock of John Denver import cd's. Phone: 1-800-280-2990 Email: - - - - - - - - - - - - - Michito Sanchez, the popular percussionist who performs with John appears on the latest release from Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Canceled Concert in New Orleans: To get a refund for tickets for the canceled New Orleans concert you can send them to Ticketmaster, P. O. Box 471, Orlando, FL 32802 - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Colleen Reck While shopping at Target today, I thought I heard "Calypso" playing. I couldn't believe my ears, so I went back to the musical recordings area of the store, and there on three TV screens above the CD's was John on the Target Video Network. They were showing clips of the Wildlife Concert while promoting "The Best of JD Live", and afterward they showed "All Aboard" and did a little promo. I did buy the "All Aboard" CD there-it was $11.99 for anyone who's interested. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Debbie Wood I just caught the tail end of an interview with John on the "E" Channel. They were talking about "All Aboard" and John was saying that he wants most of all to do his own new songs but does not have a record label. - - - - - - - - - From: David Gorell The Sydney Herald, Wednesday, September 17, 1997: "Last Saturday night Marie Adams of Canberra was celebrating her 55th birthday over a quiet dinner at Edna's Table Restaurant in Martin Place. The evening was not destined to stay quiet. First the restaurant's proprietor asked members of Nowra's Doonooch Dancing group, in town for the 'Festival of the Dreaming', to go over to Adams table and sing 'Happy Birthday.' Four merry gentlemen at a nearby table observed this performance and followed it with their own version of 'Happy Birthday' as a barbershop quartet. When Marie Adams looked closer she realized they were Australian country singer, Lee Kernaghan; pop singer, Col Joye; Col's brother (and former Joy Boy) Kevin Jacobsen; and U.S. country singer, John Denver. John Denver went on to perform songs, unaccompanied, from his latest album until late into the night. Fortunately, Adams is a fan of country music"..... How many of us wish this could happen to us! DG - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From alt.fan.john-denver: Judith I just received a new music catalog that others may be interested in. It's called "The Rediscover Music Catalog". Aztec Corporation 705 S. Washington Street Naperville, IL 60540 Phone: 1-800-232-7328, Fax: 1-630-305-0782 The have a lot of JD including: the "Portrait" video, "Montana Christmas Skies" video, "Take Me Home" audio book, the "Wildlife Concert", "Windsong" cd and more. The catalog is 35 pages, newspaper format. If you like to order music through the mail, check it out. You might find what you need here. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Christine Egli Good News I have just received from "Sony Music Australia" - John's newest cd "All Aboard" will be released in Australia on October 17th. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John Denver Chat on Compuserve: John Denver had a live chat on Compuserve on 9/18/97. It was sent out as a Rocky Mountain High Bulletin, but if you missed it and would like a copy of the transcript, write to Emily and ask for file "Johnlive.com". - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thomas F. Crum (who founded the Windstar Foundation with John) has written a new book "Lessons in Unifying Body, Mind and Spirit" ISBN 0-684-83922-9 $12.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Rory K. Young If you have never been able to post messages straight through to alt.fan.john-denver, and have always wanted to, now you are able to! All you have to do is go to , and simply enter your information onto the Form that's provided. This will allow you to post straight through to alt.fan.john-denver. - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Kathleen Francis Has anyone heard a commercial on the radio with "Annie's Song" on it? It is a very strange guy who says he has been depressed and he thought he would buy a Mercedes Benz to get him out of his depression....he describes the car then says it may be working...then he 'sings' "it fills up my senses, like a night in the forest...like a walk in the rain". He does it so badly it is hard to recognize. The radio station I heard it on is a jazz station - 106.1 in Philadelphia. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Gayle Bosko I have opened up an ICQ chat room titled "&JDChat" for anyone who would like to stop by and chat with other fans. =================================================== JOHN DENVER W A N T A D S / F O R S A L E =================================================== Teresa has a huge list of very nice JD items for sale. Email her for the list. - - - - - - - - - - - - Bill Bisch, 33 Old Bullet Hole Road, Mahopec, NY 10541 has full page Billboard, Cash Box and Record World Magazine music industry advertisements for John Denver from 1972 to 1985 for sale. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Takeru Tanaka has copies of the "Walking Thunder" soundtrack cd for sale. She also has James Burton's solo album. - - - - - - - - - - Hearts In Harmony will have new 1998 John Denver calendars available for $12.00. To order send a check to Dottie Honer; 5214 Stump Road; Pipersville, PA 18947 (215) 766-7363 - - - - - - - - - - - Hearts In Harmony is having a JD Convention on Oct 18, 1997 in Doylestown, PA. For more info contact Dottie Honer (see above) - - - - - - - - - - - Tom Girard is looking for John Denver midi files. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Peanuts for a Hug :-) From: On 9/20/97 I went to the concert in Baltimore. I did not have a pen to get John's autograph, so I gave him a bag of peanuts that I had been holding in my hand. He gave me a hug. Some people had taken pictures. I would like to get a copy of that picture if anyone has it. Please write to me. Thanks! -- - - - - - - - - - Alyce Quinn is looking for a copy of John's album "Higher Ground." - - - - - - - - - - - Laura Schneider is looking for the song "All This Joy" from the album HIGHER GROUND. (503) 794-9369 - - - - - - - - - - - has a number of JD vinyl lp's for sale. - - - - - - - - - - - From: Suzy I am looking for a Christmas special that John did on top of a mountain in a bubble. I would love to find a copy to give to my dad for Christmas. - - - - - - - - - - - RMH Email: I'm behind in answering my email, so thanks for your patience. :-) Emily ********************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily October 1997 * Issue #42 * Editor: Emily Parris *********************************************************