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 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 7 V E E R Emily Parris emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents September 1997 * Issue #41 Live Chat with John on Compuserve......................1 "All Aboard" - New CD from John: Press Release from Sony.............................2 Track List..........................................4 Review from Los Angeles Times.......................4 "Best of John Denver Live" - CD-Rom/Audio CD Review by Emily Parris..............................5 Concert Reviews: Canadaigua, NY - Kimberley..........................5 Holmdel, NJ - Jeannie Tomaine.......................7 John Denver Stories: Stephen Kwak.........................................7 Ilona Steffan........................................8 John Denver Concert Schedule...........................8 Poetry Corner: "Leaving With A Glow" by Emily M. Parris.............8 John Denver Notes/Want Ads.............................9 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Live Chat with John Denver on CompuServe - Sept 18, 1997 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time This chat is to publicize John's new album "All Aboard!". * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GET ON TRACK! SONY WONDER RELEASE: John Denver's "ALL ABOARD!" -A new album of Classic and contemporary train songs for kids, their parents and everyone in between. - - - - - - NEW YORK, July 17, 1997 -- If you love trains -- or just great music -- John Denver's newest release "All Aboard!" ($13.98 CD/$9.98 cassette), a collection of 14 of America's most beloved train songs, will put you squarely on the right track! The new album is the latest title in Sony Wonder's acclaimed and award winning Family Artists series and will be in stores August 26. "All Aboard!" features an eclectic mix of styles and a cross-section of classic and contemporary tunes sure to delight listeners of every age. From the traditional "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "The Little Engine That Could" to Johnny Mercer's swing era standard "Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe" to contemporary classics like Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans", Denver captures America's fascination with trains and what they represent to us all. "Both the history of our country and our musical history is in train songs" he explains. "From how we settled the West, to bluegrass and to the hollers the chain gangs did when they were laying down tracks. On top of all that there is the longing that we all have to get out there and see the world. There is something about a train whistle when you hear it. You think that it's going somewhere that you'd kind of like to go. You could jump on a train and have an adventure." "All Aboard!" gives John the chance to expand his range through the music of other artists. Singing the swinging sounds of "Freight Train Boogie"/"Choo Choo Boogie" or the lonesome, yodeling brakeman in Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting For A Train" was an experience John found was exhilarating and rewarding. "As I got into this album. I saw the opportunity to do some things I wouldn't ordinarily do musically." he says. "I could stretch out a little bit. Most of the songs I've recorded over all these years have been songs I've written myself. This is the first time I've really done a project that uses other people's music. To find the songs that work for you and then to make them your own has been a lot of fun for me." Sony Wonder's critically acclaimed Family Artists Series is dedicated to presenting popular artists and music that can be enjoyed by parents and their children together. It was launched in 1994 with the release of Kenny Loggins' Grammy nominated, RIAA platinum certified "Return to Pooh Corner." The Family Artists Series releases have been honored with numerous awards, including Parent's Choice Awards, National Association of Parenting Publications Awards, (NAPPA) and the American Library Association's Most Notable Awards. Train songs are the perfect way for John Denver to make his contribution to Sony Wonder's Family Artists Series. Of course, to be described now as a family artist is ironic for a musician who has spent a career making music for listeners of every age. "The whole idea of train songs is such a rich thing to me that I wanted to make sure it was for the whole family," says John. "But then, it's certainly true that I think of all of my albums as family music albums. I've always made sure to include songs that are for everybody." In a career that has spanned over three decades, John Denver has earned worldwide acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor and humanitarian. John's songwriting skills were first noted in 1968 when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his song "For Baby (For Bobbie). One year later, in 1969, the trio recorded John's classic "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and it became their first and only number one hit. Less than two years later, John himself zoomed up the pop charts with "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Many more hit singles followed, including "Rocky Mountain High," "Sunshine On My Shoulders," "Annie's Song," "Back Home Again," "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and "Calypso." In his career, John has earned eight gold and 14 platinum albums in the U.S. and many more overseas." John Denver's Greatest Hits" is one of the biggest selling albums in the history of RCA Records with well over 10 million units sold. In 1994 John starred in the acclaimed A&E special, "The Wildlife Concert." with subsequent CD's and home videos released by Sony Legacy Recordings and Sony Music Video. In 1997 Legacy Recordings is releasing "The Best of John Denver Live," a live compilation that includes two previously unreleased performances. Today John remains one of the top selling recording artists in the history of the music industry. He has also achieved strong success as an actor. He made his feature film debut in 1977 with George Burns in "Oh, God" and has continued since then with roles on television series and specials. His Christmas Special, "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together" is considered a classic. John continues to work tirelessly on behalf of key environmental, political and social issues. He was a member of the Presidential Commission on World and Domestic Hunger and was one of the founders of the Global Hunger Project. He was awarded the Presidential World Without Hunger Award, he is a supporter of the National Wildlife Federation, Save the Children, The Cousteau Society, Friends of the Earth and the Human/Dolphin Foundation, to name a few. John also created "Plant-it 2000," a reforestation plan that urges people to plant as many trees as possible by the year 2000. Sony Wonder is promoting "All Aboard!" through a CompuServe on-line chat with John and is participating with Legacy Recordings in a planned on-line 'virtual' press conference on Sony's Website -- The Station@sony.com. Sony Wonder will also generate visibility for the album through promotions with the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) and other train associations and through John's fan clubs. Advertising will appear in national parenting and country music publications. At retail, Sony Wonder will support the release of "All Aboard!" with displays, in-store advertising and listening posts. A Family Artists counter display will be available later this year and an overall advertising campaign for the Family Artists Series will be launched in the coming months. A Family Artists infomercial will begin airing nationally later this year. Sony Wonder is the children's and family division of Sony Music and Epic Records. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Track List for "All Aboard!": 1. Jenny Dreamed of Trains 2. Freight Train Boogie / Choo Cho Ch'Boogie (Medley) 3. Steel Rails 4. Waiting For A Train 5. I've Been Working On The Railroad 6. On the Atchison, TOpeka and the Santa Fe 7. Old Train 8. Daddy, What's A Train? 9. The Little Engine That Could 10. Last Train Done Gone Down 11. Last Hobo 12. People Get Ready 13. Lining Track 14. City of New Orleans (15. Jessie Dreamed of Trains) Not listed on the cd, but it's there - a tribute to John's little Jesse Belle) :-) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LOS ANGELES TIMES Review of "All Aboard" "All Aboard". John Denver, Sony Wonder, 38 minutes. CD: $13.98; cassette: $9.98. New from Sony Wonder's Family Artists series - catering to adults as well as children - this well-produced collection of country, bluegrass, swing and folk train songs targets the older age group with a predominance of lonesome whistle type songs. Included are Vince Gill and Guy Clark's "Jennie Dreamed of Trains", "Jimmie Rodgers' "Waitin' For A Train" and George Allen's "The Last Hobo", to name a few. Upbeat songs include a "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" medley and "On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" and "The Little Engine That Could." You'll also find Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans" here. Denver's clean, gimmick free vocals and top line instrumentalists make it easy on the ear. ======================================== "Best of John Denver Live" Review by Emily M. Parris ======================================== The new cd "Best of John Denver Live" is also a cd-rom. The cover shows John Denver in concert with a blue background. This cd can function as a regular audio cd, but if you put it in a cd-rom player (either a Mac or a PC) you get a video demonstration as well. Various scenes of Aspen, Colorado are shown with a gray rock border around the edge. Then when you click on one of the songs along the border it plays the song accompanied by various scenes from the Wildlife Concert which was taped in New York City in 1995. All except two of the songs on the album were also on the 2-cd set "The Wildlife Concert", but on this single enhanced cd the songs "I'm Sorry" and "I'd Rather Be A Cowboy" are also included. On the outside of the album, the words "CD EXTRA" do not really make it clear that it is really an "Enhanced CD", but it is indeed. For more info on CD Extra cd's you can check out Sony's CD Extra site. Installing the cd automatically puts a "John Denver" directory on your hard drive. You can also listen to the music portion while working with other programs or checking your email. It is a very nice album and I would recommend it to anyone who is into computers as well as John Denver music... Emily Parris =================================== C O N C E R T R E V I E W S =================================== From: Kimberley Subject: Concert in Canadaigua, NY - Aug 2-3, 1997 I just wanted to tell you how the JD concert went in Canadaigua, NY. Everything is still running through my mind and I'm still not sure where to start. The concert began at 7:30 pm but I was there around 5 (me and my mom) I should say! We were just checking out to see how far it was from the hotel and to see when they would open the gates. We got there in time to hear him doing his sound check, he was singing "Boy from the Country" I grabbed my mom's arm and said that he hasn't done that song in years. I was so excited and so was she I might add! Our original plans were to go for dinner before the concert. Of course you know what happened, after I heard him singing I was stuck in my spot, I couldn't move. Within moments other people started showing up to stand in line. It was encouraging to see how fast people started showing up. By six the two lines were already down to the parking lot. They opened the gates to let us buy t-shirts, tour book, 5 cd box set and the famous teddy bear. I was shocked to see the price of the cd's. I purchased them from Delta at $30. and they were asking $75! The t's were $30 and $20 for two others. Ok the concert! He just walked on stage no intro or nothing. It took some a few minutes to realize it was him because guitars had been brought on and a cup of tea was also placed for him. It was instant for those of us up close and we all cheered so loud he couldn't even start singing. He sang a wide variety of songs, old and new. He laughed and told jokes and even told some stories. There were a few songs I hadn't heard and was hoping he would play. "Get your tongue out of my mouth" was one of the funniest parts of the evening. Not only the song but the story he gave behind it had us all laughing so hard that even he started laughing again and couldn't stop. He started playing another song then you could SEE he was still giggling so we all started again and he missed his own intro to the song he was playing and had to start again! Oh he even took a step back from the microphone to try and control himself, he leaned back killing himself laughing. I started crying because it has been a long haul these last few years and I've seen enough sorrow in his eyes and in his songs and I was relieved to see he was trying to get on and being able to laugh whole-heartedly was pure joy. He sang also "18 Holes" and "Catch Another Butterfly". I was thrilled when he started with "The Wings that Fly Us Home" that will always be on top for me. He encouraged all of us to sing verses and during one song we were singing along and he stopped and we of course nervously stopped as well. He then came out and said "this is your turn" so we all started singing again and so did he. I cannot capture everything without writing a book on how much fun and how much talent he has. But the best part had to be when I was allowed backstage to meet him again. You should have seen my mom! First off she couldn't believe we were actually being let past security then when she met him she couldn't remember her name! A big no wait a huge thank-you went to Malcolm and Kris. Without them we would not have been able to get backstage. They both were very kind and understanding when I had told them I had come from "Calgary" to see John and hoped to meet him again. A big thank-you also goes out to you for your concert listings. This all happened because of you and I'll always be in your debt. Bye for now and Peace my friend, Kimberley. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Jeannie Tomaine Subject: July 31st, 1997 Concert - PNC Holmdel, NJ Well to start it off it was a beautiful warm night. Myself, Husband Brian, Eve-(EEEEEKL@aol.com) and Karen (Goncontry@aol.com), and her sister-in-law all attended. This is my 4th J.D Concert and I love him to pieces. He wore the same shirt as he did at the Westbury Christmas Concert, back in December, (yellow and black scroll) and black jeans. When he first came out he looked very tired, and sounded a bit rushed, but his voice was as beautiful as ever. By the second half he seemed to bounce back and got a little of the spark in his eyes. He sang some news songs for us, and many of the ones we love to hear over and over again. What can I say, he is the best and always will be! He makes me feel so good inside, that I just wish the night would never end-THANKS JOHN. Forever A Devoted Fan, Jeannie ========================================= J O H N D E N V E R S T O R I E S ========================================= From: Stephen S. Kwak Yes you heard it right. An honest to God teenager who is a dedicated fan. I just turned 18 this August, and at least 17 of those years has been spent listening to John Denver. Ever since I can remember, John Denver has been a part of my life. Though being a native of Colorado may have caused me to be a little bit partial, I can honestly say that I have always related with his music. He has helped me through some tough times - particularly through many relocations when it was hard to find a friend. Being a Korean-American, sometimes it was difficult to fit in, yet always found a safe haven with John's music. His songs transcend all barriers - a universal language of sorts. When I longed for home, he offered an avenue of hope. When I suffered he carried me through. And in times of joy, he was an inspiration. I cannot say enough about John and what he means to me. I feel like I know him better than I know myself. He can express for me what I long to say, but could never so eloquently put it. Yeah, I still get teased by my friends (and sometimes even by their parents) for being a fan of his, but to heck with it. I'm a die hard fan and proud of it. When people ask me why I like him so much, I just say "because he's pretty far out!" I feel that John is one of the most influential and impacting figures of our generation, and the world wouldn't be the same without him. I know mine wouldn't. So for all years gone by, and all those to come, I want to say 'Thanks John. From the bottom of my heart. Your presence is something special indeed.' - Stephen S. Kwak - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Ilona Steffan I too currently live in Missouri - Branson to be exact. FYI- 10 years ago my eldest son had cancer (he was 16) and to help me cope with everything I was prescribed tranquilizers. Well they became my daily helpers through life. One day as he was home recovering from major surgery (God saw fit to save him for a purpose that is not clear as of yet, maybe never. Even the doctors called him their MIRACLE boy), I was listening to music and put on Rocky Mountain High. His music always relaxed me before and it hit me, don't do the tranquilizers, try a JD album first if that fails then take some help. Well the music helped and the pills went down the toilet. I am firmly convinced he and his music kept me from becoming addicted to those pills. Thought you might find this interesting..... Ilona Steffan ========================================= JOHN DENVER 1997 CONCERT SCHEDULE ========================================= 9/20/97 Baltimore Arena Baltimore, MD 9/24/97 Saenger P.A.C. New Orleans, LA (504) 522-5555 9/26-28/97 Jones Hall Houston, TX (713) 224-4240 10/1/97 Will Rogers Aud Fort Worth, TX (214) 373-8000 10/4/97 Bass Conc. Hall Austin, TX 10/5/97 Selena Aud.-TX Corpus Christi (512) 881-8499 11/1/97 (Venue unknown) Toronto, CA 2/4/98 Ritz Carlton Aspen, CO (Private event) 5/15-16/98 Orch. Hall Minneapolis, MN (612) 371-5642 ============================== P O E T R Y C O R N E R ============================== Leaving With A Glow by Emily M. Parris Into the cold and rainy night We leave with a warmer spirit For John Denver gave a concert And we were there to hear it To the thousands of people gathered He sang and gave his love Singing of his hopes and dreams The things he's thinking of John Denver is phenomenal He leaves us with a glow It's more than just a concert More than just a show He fills up all our senses With a special kind of caring Uniting us all together In a special kind of sharing So after a concert is over It feels like a brand new start For John's love lingers after Alive within each heart .....Copyright 10/15/96 by Emily M. Parris...... ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= A few historical notes on JD music: In 1974 John did the music for the tv series "The New Land" as well as the tv series called "Sierra". I found information on these projects on the Internet Movie Database - an invaluable source of information on tv and movies. There was also more information on the 1973 tv movie "Sunshine" which featured John's music. In 1975 it was made into a regular tv series and in 1977 there was another tv movie called "Sunshine Christmas". John Denver appeared as a guest on "The Muppet Show" in 1979. .....Emily - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In July John's trial for a DUI received in 1994 ended in a hung jury. After pursuing this for 3 years Pitkin County has decided to have a new trial which will begin in January, 1998. The accident took place on 8/1/94 and only involved John and his own car. There were no witnesses and no injuries to anyone other than John. Already the case has gone on for 3 years and yet the Pitkin County Prosecutor intends to prolong the matter even further. When you see news items in the paper they all revolve around this one incident three years ago. If you would like to protest this waste of taxpayer money write to: County Prosecutor Pitkin County Court House, Suite 3000 506 East Main Street Aspen, CO 81611 Phone: (970) 925-7635 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "FREE SPIRIT" has a new url... http://home.clara.net/jthorogood/freespirit/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - International Disc, Inc. / 7523 Little Ave./ Suite 202 / Charlotte, NC 28226 has all the early John Denver albums that were released in Japan as well as other JD cd's. 800-280-2990 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Lance & Kay On 19 August 1997, John Denver was number 47 on the top 100 listed on the Billboard Charts for Country Music. The album was "The Best of John Denver Live". The last time he was on the charts was in 1988 (placing #48) with the album "Higher Ground." I saw this bit of news on a "Hollywood Minute" segment of the CNN Headline News. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - From: Pat Palka TIME Magazine is asking for the 100 People that Shaped the 20th Century. There are 5 categories, including one for Entertainers and Artists. I think John belongs there and it seems you can come back and vote as much as you want. Here is the url: http://www.time.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On July 29, 1997 RCA Special Products released John's album "Windsong" on cd. It is available through cdNow - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John's book "Alfie & The Christmas Tree" (1990) is listed in the Summer issue of the National Wildlife Federation for $5.97. Call 1-800-477-5560 to order a catalog. The catalog number for the book is #19427. The book is also available through Amazon.Com . =================================================== JOHN DENVER W A N T A D S / F O R S A L E =================================================== From: Tom & Laura Davis I'm looking for a JD album which was done at least 25 years ago and it was a promotional record for Esso gas stations. It had some popular songs on it and also a beautiful song called "The Man In The moon" which I haven't seen anywhere since. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Myrna Cakerice For Sale: Houston Concert Tickets - Fri, Sept 26, 1997 - Row P and Sun, Sept. 28 - Row O. Two tickets for each night. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Conny Staedtler is starting several cards to be circulated by JD fans to be signed, and then sent to John for his birthday and Christmas. If you would like to have the cards mailed to you, email her and ask to be added to the list. When the card comes to you, add your signature, wishes, little drawings, lyrics or whatever; then you mail it to the next person to sign. It can circulate all over the world this way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Anyone wanting Rocky Mtn High badges for the upcoming concerts contact Emily. They are $3.50 postpaid, laminated, and can have your picture on them. Rocky Mountain High Fax # (816) 842-4965 ************************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily Sept 1997 * Issue #41 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************