SATURDAY NIGHT SWINGIN’!

SATURDAY NIGHT SWINGIN’!

ROBBIE WILLIAMS ~ AIN’T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD?

EAT YOUR HEART OUT BUBLE!

THE TIKI BAR IS OPEN ~ JOHN HIATT!

THE TIKI BAR IS OPEN ~ JOHN HIATT!

Following on the heels of "Crossing Muddy Waters," "Tiki Bar" signals John Hiatt's return to the electric guitar. Recorded with The Goners (his old band), Hiatt's new album is joyfully noisy and genuinely peremeated with bluesy soul. From the boisterous opener, "Everybody Went Low" to the thoughtful closer, "Farther Stars," it is clear that Hiatt has crossed his muddy waters and landed on the shore of straight ahead rock. Featuring his usual quirky, yet brilliant, lyrics, "Tiki" shows that Hiatt is having a helluva lot of fun as he grows older. Solid from top to bottom, this album ranks up there with Hiatt's best work ("Bring The Family," "Stolen Moments," "Slow Turning," and "Walk On), and it should garner the maestro quite a few new fans. It's about time Hiatt got the recognition he deserved. There is no filler here; Hiatt delivers the goods just like he has always done.

CHORUS:
Thank God the tiki bar is open
Thank God the tiki torch still shines
Thank God the tiki bar is open
Come on in and open up your mind

I was out on a leave of absence
From any resemblance to reality
I felt like a rocket launched to the great blue yonder
From the boys down at Kennedy

I was driving by his majesty's court hotel
Where the sign said praise his name
I was tired and alone I couldn't see too well
But I don't think that he was to blame

CHORUS

There's a full moon over Daytona beach
There's a full moon in my mind
And my suntan dream is still out of reach
And the strip malls are robbing me blind

Well his name was Mr. Dale Earnhardt
And he drove the black number three
Now the king is gone but he'll not be forgotten
Nor his like will we ever see

CHORUS

I know a drink ain't no solution
I ain't had one in seventeen years
But if that tiki bar was closed tonight
Well I might just disappear

CHORUS TWICE

© JOHN HIATT 2001

TO LISTEN TO SAMPLES CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #81~ SAM BUTERA!

COCKTAIL NATION #81~ SAM BUTERA!

Thanks to the Tiki Shark, Koop Kooper and the Cocktail Nation are spinning the latest and greatest classic and neo lounge and looking at the world of swank.

Tonight, we take a look at the life of the recently departed Sam Butera with a special interview recorded back stage with Sam in 1999. I've got another track of the latest Tikiyaki Orchestra album, and news from the Martini Kings.

I’ve been out record collecting again and found some fantastic original albums in the record bins of charity stores to play for you soon.

PLAYLIST:

Cy Coleman ~ Playboys Theme
Dom Halpin ~ Out Of The Blue
Sam Butera ~ Dig That Crazy Chick
Jackie Gleason ~ Temptation
Martini Kings ~ Because of You
Arthur Lyman ~ Carabunta
Sylvia Telles ~ Discussao
Cocktail Angst ~ Rhumba Of The Saints
Tikiyaki Orchestra ~ Makaha
Fisherman ~ Hell Toupee
Kava Kon ~ Chinese Surfer
The SG Sound ~ I Feel the Earth Move
Octobop ~ Hugged your Martian Today
Richard Cheese ~ Spiderman
Jack Constanzo ~ Young Man With a Horn
Pete King ~ The Height Of The Spy Season

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SINGING WAS THE EASY PART!

SINGING WAS THE EASY PART!

BY VIC DAMONE WITH DAVID CHANOFF

Born Vito Farinola in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in 1928, Vic worked as an usher at the fabled Paramount Theatre before realizing a dream by shooting to the top of the Billboard Chart in 1947 with his first hit “I Have But One Heart.” He was mentored by everyone from Perry Como to Tommy Dorsey. Frank Sinatra praised his voice and became a friend for life, giving him advice on singing and women. Damone had one of the most successful careers ever had by an American pop singer and one of the most glamorous and exciting lives of any guy who lived while the Ratpack reigned.

• He was almost thrown out of the window of a New York City hotel by a mobster.

• He dated Ava Gardner, who got him drunk for the first time.

• He married glamorous Italian actress Ana Maria Pierangeli and later, Diahann Carroll.

• He appeared at the Sands Hotel during the glory days of Vegas and once took a nude chorus girl into the steam room where the Ratpack was relaxing.

In Singing Was the Easy Part, he talks frankly about his bankruptcy, his many marriages and his belief in God. It’s a warm, funny, and inspiring memoir from one of America’s greatest pop singers.

FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:

One of the most enduring American pop music crooners, Damone, writing with Chanoff, tells his story in this straightforward, honest memoir by an ambitious boy from a middle-class Brooklyn Italian family, rising to fame on hit charts over a 60-year career. In his foreword, CNN talk host Larry King writes, With a little better luck Vic would have classed right with Frank Sinatra. At that he is probably regarded one rung below, but it is a very short rung. As Damone tells it, he experienced it all—he was a babe magnet with the creamy voice; a one-time Paramount usher, he had his life saved by Frank Sinatra; he dated Ava Gardner and Liz Taylor and married the beautiful actress Pier Angeli; he starred in several films, all this between gigs at Ciro's, Mogambo, the Copa and Vegas. Highlights of this celeb-laden book include dealing with a bigot in defense of boxing champ Sugar Ray Robinson, having mob chieftain Frank Costello save his life against a hateful capo and marrying singer Diahann Carroll. With many dramatic moments, this memoir—complete with bold-faced names and mob stories—makes for a delightful summer read.

TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER CLICK HERE

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

NAKED VINYL!

NAKED VINYL!

Fun, contemporary and visually stunning, Naked Vinyl (Universe Publishing ~ January 18, 2003) is guaranteed to act as a conversation piece, it lovingly brings together more than one hundred of the best album covers from that unique sub-genre of the music industry—the bachelor album. The collection focuses on the development of the "vinyl nude" from the adult-oriented eroticism of the fifties to the brash exhibitionism of the seventies. Listings of artists, musicians, producers, lyricists and photographers accompany the cover art to create a sexy, stylish and contemporary collection of beautiful, sometimes tawdry, vinyl nudes.

The genre of record cover art holds a visual interest all its own. It holds appeal for record collectors and music enthusiasts, design and photography enthusiasts, and anyone with an eye for color, style, or beauty. Naked Vinyl features classic album cover art that brings together music, art and eroticism, displaying their playful character shamelessly to the world.

Author Tim O'Brien began compiling this book while working at "Prime Cuts Music Exchange," a successful second-hand record shop. It was here that the idea of the ‘vinyl nude’ was born.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

VIXENS OF VINYL!

VIXENS OF VINYL!

Vixens of Vinyl: The Alluring Ladies of Vintage Album Covers by Benjamin Darling (Chronicle Books, 200) is the perfect bachelor pad book.

It touches on two favorite swank subjects ~ Hi-Fi records and beautiful women. One of the great joys of lounge music collecting is finding a great album with a great album cover, one with a sultry woman draped over a velvet couch or learning on a bar in a cocktail lounge.

Artists like

Jackie Gleason, Martin Denny, and Herb Alpert knew having a beautiful woman on the record could do wonder for sales.

Gleason had his glamourous, forlorn beauties.

Denny had the versatile Sandy Warner who changed her look with each cover.

And who could forget the cover to Alpert's Whipped Cream and Other Delights?

Vixens of Vinyl includes these famous covers as well as dozens of others, all from the golden age of the hi-fi record.

The author is very particular about just who qualifies as a vixen, “This baddest of the bad girls looks out at us in the eye, straight at us. Invitingly, engagingly, she looks out from the album cover, commanding us with her come hither stare. Music appeals to our passions; vixens do as well.”
What Vixens of Vinyl lacks in text, it more than makes up for in page after page in gorgeous album art. It has sections dedicated to the cosmopolitan vixen, the exotic vixen, the mambo vixen, the famous vixen, the international vixen, and a few others thrown in for good measure. Any swinger worth his salt needs to own at least a handful of these albums, regardless if you like the music.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

OHANA LUAU AT THE LAKE!

OHANA LUAU AT THE LAKE!

September 18-20, Lake George, New York.

Presented by the Fraternal Order of Moai, the Ohana is a three spectacular days of music, cocktails at the only surviving 60's era tiki resort in America--The Tiki Motor Inn Resort in Lake George, NY. Featuring music from Waitiki, Cocktail Preachers, Fisherman, and more.

More info can be found at their website:
www.luauatthelake.com

ATOMIC FROLIC 2009 ~ JULY 18, DALLAS, TX!

ATOMIC FROLIC 2009 ~ JULY 18, DALLAS, TX!

La Divina in association with Bachelor Pad Magazine and Java are pleased to announce that they are jointly presenting the:
The Atomic Frolic is a tribute to the era of the late 1950's. A time of booze, babes and burly-que. This show will feature both classic burlesque performances from the style of that era as well as live music to dance the night away.

Our Host and MC for the Atomic Frolic is Java, the publishing genius behind Bachelor Pad Magazine.

The featured burlesque performer is Kitten DeVille from Los Angeles.
Kitten de Ville is the winner of 2002 Miss Exotic world at the burlesques Hall of Fame in Las Vegas performs across the United States and Europe where she headlines with a variety of top musicians and performers from around the globe. She has been featured in two Burlesque documentaries and has appeared Hollywood movies, in several Independent films and music videos. She lives and teaches burlesque in Los Angles, California.

Other local burlesque stars performing at Atomic Frolic include, all new performances from Angela Ryan, La Divina, and Black Mariah. Also, performing will be Ruby Rocket from Austin, Texas, Ginger Valentine and Rose Darling.

Local music sensation Ricki Derek will be performing with his band on the stage to the Lakewood Theater. Ricki Derek is known for his magical voice and for his ability to entertain like the greats of yesterday. Known locally and nationally for singing like his influence “Old Blue Eyes.” You will love to listen to him croon. The dance floor will be available at the Lakewood Theater.

The show will be at the fabulously restored Lakewood Theater located at 1825 Abrams Way, Dallas, Texas 75214. The doors will open at 8:00 and the show will start at 9:30. Additional parking for the show will be available to the west of the theater behind Faulkner Tower 6220 Gaston Avenue. The Lakewood Theater will have 3 full bars to serve you.

All seating at this show will be reserved. Tickets are available in three classes, VIP, Premium and Standard admission. The VIP seating will be on the main floor down front, there will be NO table service in VIP at this show however. Premium seating will be in the back half of the main floor and standard seating is in the balcony. Advanced ticket prices are $35.00 for VIP, $25.00 for Premium and $20.00 for Standard. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the Theater at 214/821-7469 or purchased at the box office. Based on suggestions from our fans from the last show we will have more staff at the door to get the audience in more quickly. There will be more parking available just for the audience of the show. Photography will be allowed provided it does not interfere with the show.

THE BACHELOR PAD RADIO SHOW!

THE BACHELOR PAD RADIO SHOW!

Every week, The Bachelor Pad Radio Show features music every swinging bachelor needs to have. Lounge, cocktail, exotica, private-eye jazz, and even a touch of retro-swing from the likes of Esquivel, Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Julie London, Les Baxter, Frank Sinatra, and many others. Tune in and enjoy!

THE BACHELOR PAD 6/26/09

Esquivel—Mini Skirt (Theme Music)
Joey Altruda—April In Portugal
Terry Snyder—Theme From Picnic
Sammy Davis Jr.—Someone To Watch Over Me
Red Novro's Trio—Night and Day
Dean Martin—Go Go Go Go
Perez Prado—Go Go Mambo!
Los Albinos—Go Go Conga
Les Baxter—Go Chango
Julie London—Go Slow
Bobby Darin—I Got Rhythm
Laurie Johnson—Shopping Spree
George Shearing—Pawn Ticket
Jo Stafford—Imagination
Esquivel—Sentimental Journey
Robert Farnon—Industrial Samba
Xavier Cugat—Daiquiri
Combustible Edison—Seduction
Skip Heller—Watch Us Burn
Jack Jones—Wives And Lovers
Astrud Gilberto—Cocovado (Quiet Nights)
Laurindo Almeida—Fly Me To The Moon
Don Ralke Orchestra—Head Hunter
John Buzon Trio—It Must Be True
Billy May—Brassmen's Holiday
Buddy Morrow—Isle of Capri
Howard Roberts—Cute
Les Paul—Lover
Ethel Smith—Poinciana
Jet Set Six—My Torrid Heart
Elliott Fisher—Dr. No's Fantasy
Jack Costanzo & His Afro-Cuban Band—Just One Of Those Things
Keely Smith—I Understand
Les Double Six—Sweets
Joe "Fingers" Carr—Under Paris Skies / La La Collette
Ada Lee—Night In Tunisia
Eden Ahbez—Eden's Cove
Kava Kon—Polynesia Poppies

**RIGHT CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW**

TO VISIT JAVA'S BACHELOR PAD CLICK HERE

FIRST BOND MOVIE ARTWORK!

FIRST BOND MOVIE ARTWORK!

Most hardcore Bond fans are aware that in 1959, Irish entrepreneur Kevin McClory envisioned the making of a movie with Ian Fleming featuring James Bond.

At a time when the first seven Fleming novels had been turned down by the top film studios of the day, for being too violent, sadistic, and unbelievable, successful novelist, Ian Fleming had wearied of writing; was ‘bereft of new ideas’, and wanted to kill Bond off and go travelling.

British screenwriter, Jack Whittingham who had just gone freelance from the Ealing Studios team, was commissioned to write a film that would be acceptable to the British public and, with Ian Fleming’s permission, took the character of James Bond and created the very first original 007 screenplay entitled “Thunderball”.

‘Thunderball,’ therefore, was the very first screenplay of the movie series, and should have been the first produced film, however, the making of it was halted and held up by long drawn out legal complications, and, eventually, it came out as the fourth Bond film, and the biggest in box office terms.

Originally, a series of unique pre-production storyboard drawings by Stephen Grimes were created for the first concept of Thunderball and shown at the 1959 Venice Film Festival in a bid to raise interest for the proposed new project.

Represent the ‘First Imaginings’ of what a Bond film could look like long before production commenced on any of them, they now adorn the walls of the English city of Fulham’s restaurant, The Fulham Grill.

Local photographer Sylvan Mason (screenwriter Jack Whittingham’s daughter), however, has captured the art on canvas and has made them available to collectors.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

A SHRUG OF THE TRENCHCOAT TO ULTIMATE JAMES BOND FAN BLOG

SEXY! SAVVY! UNSTOPPABLE! HONEY WEST!

SEXY! SAVVY! UNSTOPPABLE! HONEY WEST!

HONEY WEST ~ BY JOHN C. FREDRIKSON

Honey West debuted in the fall of 1965, derived from the famous detective novels of the same name. Produced by Aaron Spelling, she was television's first liberated female, a crack private investigator and an expert in martial arts-beholden to no man. The beautiful actress Anne Francis was cast in the central role as the sexy, wise-cracking star, and she is assisted by her cantankerous sidekick, Sam Bolt (John Ericson) and somewhat flaky live-in, Aunt Meg (Irene Hervey).

In 30 black-and-white episodes, Honey battles her way through the underworld by dint of her wits, judo prowess, and killer looks, aided by an arsenal of high-tech gimmicks, a sexy Cobra sports car, and an ocelot named Bruce! The result is an unmistakable slice of 1960s Americana, one which cut the template for strong female roles to follow.

Celebrated as a cult hit, Honey West is a must for any afficionados of crime drama television or just a half-hour of good entertainment.

This ground-breaking book examines the series in detail with interviews of the surviving cast members, and listings of websites, addresses, bibliographies, episode synopses, and an appendix. Profusely illustrated.

John C. Fredriksen received his doctorate in history from Providence College. He is the author of 20 reference books on various topics.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

XCENTRICA RADIO ~ LIVE 365!

XCENTRICA RADIO ~ LIVE 365!

ALSO CHECK OUT THIS PERFECT SOUNDTRACK FOR YOUR BACHELOR PAD! DELICIOUS TUNES FOR SECRET AGENTS IN A RETRO-FUTURISTIC ADVENTURE FEATURING EXOTICA, COCKTAIL JAZZ, FUTURE JAZZ, KITSCH, LOUNGE, SPACE AGE POP, CHILLOUT, SOFT ELECTRONICA AND EASY LISTENING!

TO LISTEN CLICK HERE

BUDDIES LOUNGE ~ LIVE 365!

BUDDIES LOUNGE ~ LIVE 365!

The ALL NEW Buddies Lounge channel on Live365.com is up and running as they play over 24 hours of Space-Age pop music every day! The playlist continues to grow daily and it’s the perfect all music station to listen to at work or home ~ presented in living stereo!

Please give a listen and let them know what you think!

Have a great 4th of July ~ and there’ll be an all-new episode of “An Evening at the Buddies Lounge” on July 10th.

TO LISTEN CLICK HERE

HAVE A SWANK AND SWINGIN' FOURTH!

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

LOBSTER JOHNSON: THE SATAN FACTORY!

LOBSTER JOHNSON: THE SATAN FACTORY!

HELLBOY'S PREMIER CRIME FIGHTER IN AN ALL-NEW NOVEL!

Where greed and the occult walk hand in hand, where mobsters and monsters prowl the streets, none escape the justice of Lobster Johnson!In the years before World War II, Jonas Chapel was a respected physician, until his appetite for vice got the best of him and he found himself on the run from one of New York's most powerful mob bosses.

On the lam in Mexico, Chapel stumbles across a powerful witch and a cursed skeleton -- and the power to transform men into monsters. Now, he's back in New York, selling his creations to the highest bidder.Only one man, backed by his team of trusted sidekicks, stands in his way.

But will the Lobster's resolve be enough to shut down Chapel's twisted Satan Factory -- before New York itself is consumed?

A new novel by Thomas E. Sniegoski, writer for the top-rated ABC Family television miniseries Fallen.

Publication Date: July 22, 2009
Format: B&W, 256 pages
Price: $12.95

LOBSTER JOHNSON: THE SATAN FACTORY (NOVEL) IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT THINGS FROM ANOTHER WORLD!

GROTTOS OF CHINATOWN: THE DORUS NOEL STORIES!

GROTTOS OF CHINATOWN: THE DORUS NOEL STORIES!

BY ARTHUR J. BURKS
INTRODUCTION BY JOHN LOCKE

Dorus Noel spent many years in the Far East, and had the torture scars to prove it. Now he was back in New York, working undercover in Manhattan's Chinatown, confronting the most insidious crimes and criminals imaginable, cases beyond the ability of the police. Burks' Chinatown is a society of strange alliances, a place of dark menace and mystery, an urban nightmare of secret passageways riddling the district like rabbit warrens, a world under the shadow of China's past.

Collected here for the first time are all 11 Dorus Noel stories from All Detective Magazine (1933-34). Also included is extensive new information on All Detective and the fascinating career of the Speed-King of the Pulps, Arthur J. Burks.

Stories complete with original illustrations.

6x9-inch
perfect bound
192 pages
$16.00 postpaid

Check or MO to:
Off-Trail Publications
2036 Elkhorn Rd.
Castroville, CA 95012

THE SPIDER: JUDGEMENT KNIGHT!

THE SPIDER: JUDGEMENT KNIGHT!

Now available and arriving in comic shops July 8th!

BY NORVELL W. PAGE, HOWARD HOPKINS & GARY CARBON

If you like your justice served ice cold, baby, The Spider is it! The body count is high as the most ruthless crime fighter of all time stars in his very own wide-vision graphic novel!

No one comes close to how deliciously deadly The Spider dispatches justice. The criminals are not left behind for the police; they are not rehabilitated. They are no longer a burden on society, as The Spider just mows them down with extreme prejudice! A murderous ghost of crime terrorizes New York City, dealing gruesome agonized death to any who stand in the way of his quest for power.

The city reeling, threatened with wholesale murder, The Spider finds himself wounded and caught in a desperate battle within America's very symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. At stake, the fate of millions and the life of the woman he loves — Nita van Sloan! Painted in gorgeous noir black & white!Softcover

7x10
72 pages
B&W
$9.95

Moonstone Books

GREEN HORNET - COMING IN JULY!

GREEN HORNET - COMING IN JULY!

VCI Entertainment has announced the release of two long-anticipated serials:

The Green Hornet (1940) and The Green Hornet Strikes Again (1941). The 2-disc sets are due out on July 28th and feature liner notes, radio shows and a photo gallery.

Retail for each is $29.99

THE GREEN HORNET (1940)

The Green Hornet (also referred to as simply Green Hornet) is a masked fictional crime fighter. Originally created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker for an American radio program in the 1930s, the character has appeared in two Universal serials.

In the 13 episode serial, the city is faced with rising crime and increased racketeering activity, intrepid newspaper editor Britt Reid (Gordon Jones) becomes the crime fighter the Green Hornet. As far as the police are concerned, the Hornet is himself a criminal; this misunderstanding enables Reid to operate "outside the law" to battle criminals and racketeers.

Working along side the Hornet is the brilliant inventor/sidekick Kato (Keye Luke), the only living person who knows the true identity of the Hornet.

Our heroes fight an infamous racket's that's menacing their city.

BONUS FEATURES:

Episode Selection
Liner Notes by author Martin Grams Jr.
Two Radio Episodes of THE GREEN HORNET
Photo Gallery

THE GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN!

A Universal movie serial based on the The Green Hornet radio series by George W. Trendle. The sequel to the 1940 serial The Green Hornet. A thousand ALL-NEW thrills!

In this 15 episode serial, Britt Reid (Warren Hull) is enjoying a vacation in Hawaii. While he is away, he learns that a crime organization has extended its activities into virtually every industry in the city.

Disguised as the Green Hornet, Britt makes forays against the underworld establishment. Each attack brings him closer to the identity of the syndicate mastermind, an arch crook named Grogan.

BONUS FEATURES:

Episode Selection
Liner Notes by Martin Grams Jr.
Two Radio Episodes of THE GREEN HORNET
Photo Gallery

SPENSER FOR HIRE AGAIN!

SPENSER FOR HIRE AGAIN!

ROBERT B. PARKER IS KEEPING HIS FRANCHISES TURNING AND BURNING. WRITING FOR HIS BLOG, HE UPDATES NEWS ON A REMAKE OF HIS SPENSER FOR HIRE SERIES . . .

(April 23rd) We are in negotiation for a remake of the SPENSER: FOR HIRE series to be produced by SONY/DREAMWORKS, and shown on TNT. There is often a slip twixt cup and lip in Los Angeles, but so far things are promising.

(May 29th) Negotiations continue on the Spenser For Hire front. The mills of Hollywood grind exceeding fine. But I have no reason to think it won't happen in awhile.

PARKER ALSO REPORTS HE’S ADDING NEW LIFE TO HIS SPENSER SERIES . . .

(May 29th) I am currently writing a book with the working title SIXKILL in which a new character joins Spenser's world. Probably be out next year . . . The next Spenser novel, THE PROFESSIONAL will go on sale October 5 of this year.

AND REGARDING JESSE STONE . . .

(April 23rd) The next Jesse Stone movie will be on CBS sometime later this year (its done and waiting) and Jesse Stone movie #7 will start shooting in Nova Scotia on , I am told, September 8.

AND THERE MAY ALSO BE LIFE LEFT IN HITCH AND COLE BEYOND THE TRILOGY COMPLETED BY BRIMSTONE . . .

(May 29th) The response to BRIMSTONE has been gratifying. I don't know very far ahead, what I'm going to write. But I rather don't like the idea of not writing anymore about Hitch and Cole, so, probably, I will.

FORGOTTEN BOOKS – JASS BY DAVID FULMER!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS – JASS BY DAVID FULMER!

This one is not so much forgotten as under appreciated. I only recently discovered Fulmer’s work through his 2008 non-series novel The Blue Door, which led me to immediately pick up his Shamus award winning Chasing the Devil’s Tail.

Jass is the follow up to Chasing the Devil’s Tail, and as such is the second outing for Creole private detective Valentin St. Cyr (pronounced Son Ser – I only know this from listening to a wonderful CD verison of another book in the series, Rampart Street). If anything, Jass is even more evocative and involving than its predecessor – a full, rich, compelling read, in which the earliest notes of jass (or jazz) resonate long after the last page is turned.

In the red-light district New Orleans, players of the new music they call "jass" have been turning up dead.

To Storyville detective Valentin St. Cyr, it's no surprise. These characters, mostly lowdown "rounders," walk on the wild side, working their rowdy music through the night and spending their days in excess that sets the tone for a hundred years of American musical mayhem to follow. Anyway, the Creole detective has his own problems. With his woman Justine drifting back to the life of a sporting girl, the last thing he needs is some tawdry distraction.

But this is Storyville, and nothing is ever quite as it seems. Once Valentin is persuaded to investigate, he discovers the deaths are not random at all, because every one of the victims once played in the same band. Four are dead, and the only one left alive has gone into hiding.

As he digs deeper, Valentin becomes convinced that a certain mysterious woman is the key to the mystery. He's digging too deep, though, and soon Tom Anderson, "The King of Storyville," police lieutenant J. Picot, and even the Chief of Police want him off the case. It's all the proof he needs that there is something larger and darker at the heart of this sordid business.

Indeed, this is a tale of dark secrets that lurk in the shadows of the New Orleans nights, under the painted faces of the sporting girls, and especially behind the loud, wild music that echoes up the scarlet streets.

"Jass" is a compelling sequel to David Fulmer's award-winning and critically-acclaimed "Chasing the Devil's Tail" - an even deeper and darker journey into the bloody and raucous miasma called Storyville.

JAMES BOND ~ THE GIRL MACHINE!

JAMES BOND ~ THE GIRL MACHINE!

The legend continues! Stand by for more adventures with the world's greatest and most famous secret agent, James Bond, as some of his most thrilling missions are collected for the first time ever in a deluxe collectors' library edition!

This bumper action-packed volume collects ultra rare Bond stories that have not been seen since their original syndication between 1973-74: "The Girl Machine", "Beware of Butterflies" and "The Nevsky Nude".

Plus a brand new celebrity introduction and an exclusive selection of recently unearthed James Bond comic strip artwork that has never before seen print, this latest essential volume is not to be missed!

'CASTLE' TIE-IN NOVEL TO PROMOTE SERIES!

'CASTLE' TIE-IN NOVEL TO PROMOTE SERIES!

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that ABC television will promote the second season of Castle by publishing a mystery novel "written" by the series lead, Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion).

Titled Heat Wave, the first chapter will be available on ABC.com on August 10th. Additional chapters will be posted weekly for 10 weeks. The real author of the book has not been identified.

Castle premiered as a mid-season replacement for the network earlier this year. In the opening episode, a killer is staging murder scenes depicted in Castle's bestselling mysteries. He teams up with Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to solve the crime. Later episodes have Castle and Beckett continuing to work together and bring a hint of romance between the two series leads.

The first season of Castle will be available on DVD September 22, 2009.

TOM SELLECK ON JESSE STONE!

TOM SELLECK ON JESSE STONE!

DOUG NYE OF MERCURY NEWS.COM INTERVIEWS SELLECK ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF JESSE STONE . . .

Jesse Stone is a guy with a lot of baggage. He drinks too much and his personal life has had its share of wrecks. But Tom Selleck likes him.

"He's a pretty darn good policeman and dedicated to his job," Selleck said during a recent telephone interview. "We also like to show his humanity."

Selleck has played Stone in five made-for-TV movies, the latest being "Thin Ice," which is now available on DVD. A sixth one, "No Remorse," has been completed.

The Stone films, each pulling in stellar ratings, are more examples of the drawing power of Selleck, who became a full-fledged star in the 1980s with his "Magnum, P.I." series. Still, he wasn't really looking for another character to develop until CBS approached him five years ago.

"They asked me about doing a movie with them," Selleck said. "I wasn't crazy about the idea because I didn't want to be involved in another one of those movies of the week. They look like TV movies. I told them I would do it if we could do something that looked like a feature film that had been sold to television."

CBS agreed and production began on the first film, "Stone Cold." Robert Parker, who is the author of the Stone books, was brought in on the project and Selleck had nothing but praise for Parker's efforts.

"The book was 350 pages and Robert Parker trimmed it down to 90 pages," Selleck said. "He changed so many things to make it a screenplay. He seemed pleased with the results. We did so well with the first one that we decided to do another and then another."

TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CLICK HERE

Y/A CORNER ~ HUGE BYJAMES FUERST!

Y/A CORNER ~ HUGE BYJAMES FUERST!

Encyclopedia Brown meets Holden Caufield!

Whatever you do, don’t call him “Genie.” The name is “Huge,” or so Eugene Smalls insists. But folks persist in applying the diminutive, since the 12-year-old is the smallest boy in his sixth-grade class. Small but mean. And tough. And hard-boiled. Just like his hero, Philip Marlowe.

The wannabe detective is thrilled when his grandma hires him to find out who has defaced the sign at her retirement home. But Huge has, ahem, huge problems—anger management being only one—and his investigations may take him to dark places he’d rather not visit.

Fuerst’s first novel is a bit of a coming-of-age tour de force that borrows some of the tone and attitude of hard-boiled detective fiction while giving its first-person narrator an irresistibly noirish, wise-guy voice, which means that this kid has got some mouth on him. And he sometimes sounds and seems much older than 12.

But his search for whodunit, which turns into a search for self and sense in a world that’s smaller than it should be, is always engrossing. Huge will occupy a, yes, huge place in readers’ affections and memories.

THE CAT'S MEOW!

SHAFT ~ SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

SHAFT ~ SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

HERE'S A GREAT COMPILATION OF SHAFT THEMES PUT TOGETHER BY ULTRA SWANK . . .

"Who's that black private dick who is like a sex machine to all the chicks?" John Shaft of course. The movie Shaft from 1971 is one of the most famous blaxploitation films of all time, not only because of its ultra cool black superhero but also for the award winning score by Isaac Hayes. The main theme for the movie is a guitar driven funk piece with Isaac's hot buttered soul voice driving it forward.

There are countless covers and variations of the theme and today I give you fifteen of the best ones. The styles range from psychedelic organs to disco to reggae, there's something for everyone in the family. This compilation is not up to the usual standards and style that visitors of this blog might be used to, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. Feedback and comments are as always greatly appreciated, can you dig it?

PLAYLIST:

01. Ray Conniff - Theme From Shaft
02. Hollyridge Strings - Theme From Shaft
03. Decimo - Theme From Shaft
04. Alan Hawkshaw & His Orchestra - Theme From Shaft
05. Joe Bataan - Theme From Shaft
06. Prophets Of Soul - Theme From Shaft
07. Sammy Davis Jr - John Shaft
08. Eddy And The Soul Band - Theme From Shaft
09. Birds N Brass - Theme From Shaft
10. The Chosen Few - Shaft
11. Bernard Purdie - Theme From Shaft
12. Isaac Hayes - Shaft II
13. Jimmy Mcgriff - The Theme From Shaft
14. Maynard Ferguson - Theme From Shaft
15. The Ventures - Theme From Shaft

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SWANK PACK ALERT!

SWANK PACK ALERT!

THIS IS AN ALERT FOR ALL LOUNGE LIZARDS IN EXILE. COME OUT THIS THURSDAY FOR AN EVENING OF SWINGIN' SWANK WITH THE SWANK PACK. WE'LL BE THERE WILL YOU?

For those of you who missed the first show, the next Swank Pack Show is due on July 2 at the Pasadena Jazz Institute in California. Tickets start at $20 if you book in advance. For more information and bookings, visit pasjazz.org.

Straight from their smash opening on June 4, Douglas Roegiers and Dave Cox are back to dazzle and enchant with their classic brand of musical and magical entertainment, this time with special guest, LA’s jazz diva deluxe, Suzy Williams.

Taking their cues from the swinging big bands and the crooning Rat Pack, Roegiers and his band perform numbers taken right out of the Great American Songbook in a manner of which Sinatra himself would be proud.

Likewise, Cox delights audiences with his unique style of comedy and magic. In short, the Swank Pack delivers an old school, Las Vegas-style variety show, the likes of which one would be hard-pressed to find even in Las Vegas nowadays.

EURO-SPY GENRE ALIVE AND WELL!

PENGUIN POOP!

THE CAT'SMEOW ~ FULL HOUSE!

Y/A CORNER ~ DANI NOIR BY NOVA REN SUMA!

Y/A CORNER ~ DANI NOIR BY NOVA REN SUMA!

COMING IN SEPTEMBER

Life is nothing like a noir movie. Or so you think.

Fade-in on thirteen-year-old Dani Callanzano. It’s the summer before eighth grade, and Dani’s stuck in her nowhere mountain town with only her favorite noir mysteries at the Little Art Movie Theatre to keep her company. But when a big secret invades the scene in real life, Dani decides to bring the truth to light.

Armed with a vivid imagination, a flair for the dramatic, and her knowledge of all things Rita Hayworth, Dani sets out to solve the mystery, and learns more about herself than she ever thought she could. All she knows is someone’s been lying and thinks they can get away with it. And it all has something to do with a girl in polka-dot tights…

MORE UK LAW & ORDER!

MORE UK LAW & ORDER!

From Digital Spy:

ITV1 has commissioned Law & Order: UK for a 13-episode second series, it has announced.The first series, starring Freema Agyeman, Jamie Bamber and Bradley Walsh, opened its seven-episode run with strong ratings earlier this year. The second half of the series is yet to air.Series two will see the return of the original cast and will go into production later this year.

"This new commission brings our total order to 26 episodes, which demonstrates our commitment to series that have concepts and storylines that can run long-term," said ITV's Laura Mackie."Audiences clearly loved the first series, which featured the cream of British acting talent with gripping 'torn from the headlines' storylines, and this will again be at the heart of the new series."

The ITV1 website is here.

The Guardian coverage is here.

GAYLE LYNDS' ESPIONAGE NEWSLETTER!

GAYLE LYNDS' ESPIONAGE NEWSLETTER!

Here's a sneak peek just for you.... You’re the first to see the preliminary cover of THE BOOK OF SPIES, hot off my publisher’s presses.

The lettering thus far is gold leaf and white, but that can change. Also, they’re debating whether to add what Vince Flynn has said about me: “...one of the premier espionage authors of our time.” Thank you, Vince.

And at last I can officially give you a publication date for THE BOOK OF SPIES – March 30, 2010. It seems a very long way away, nine months, but for those in the business, it will whip past at supersonic speed.

INTERVIEW

WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG TO SETTLE ON A PUBLICATION DATE?

Ah, the fine art of publishing. I thought you might enjoy an insider’s take on what’s going to happen next....

As many of you know, “co-op” is an important part of the business. Book stores – both the chains and the independents – make their own decisions about which books to feature at the front of their shops. But the chains want financial investment from publishers for that all-important first look by customers who walk in the door. They won’t take a publisher’s money – co-op money – if they don’t want to feature a book .

There can be several reasons for this – they think the book isn’t strong or good enough, they have two almost identical novels arriving at the same time from different publishers and therefore want to highlight only one, or the author’s reader base has been declining and the chain is losing confidence in its ability to sell the author’s latest title.

At the same time, publishers face similar decisions. They work to balance their lists so they don’t have two big novels coming out in the same week to compete for readers’ attentions – or to compete against other publishers’ books. I’m fortunate in that you, my good readers, have been increasing, buying and enjoying my novels in greater numbers with each title. As a result, my fine publisher, St. Martin’s Press, settled on March 30 as a date in which THE BOOK OF SPIES will have less competition in-house and in the marketplace and therefore optimum chance at great co-op and attention from readers and reviewers.

SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

I have one more round of editorial input from my terrific editor, Keith Kahla, and then the manuscript goes to a copy editor, who checks my facts and looks for misplaced commas. Each publisher has its own style, and commas fall into that. I’ve given up. All the rules I learned seem to change with the weather. Still copy editors play an important role, and I’m grateful for those who do excellent work. I’ve gotten copy-edited manuscripts that were tattered, decorated with brown coffee rings, and aromatic with pipe smoke. Those copy-editors were beavering away.

Then the book is set into type – yes, typesetters haven’t completely vanished, thank God – and I’ll be sent the page proofs to read for errors. It’s amazing how long reading proof can take, and by then I’m ready to chuck the whole thing out the window because I’m tired of reading my own book and just want to be writing the next one uninterrupted. Discipline, Gayle. At the same time, it’s a thrill to see the story in type, and that keeps me going.

During this period the cover is being settled upon, marketing meetings are taking place, publicity is being consulted, and a budget to support the novel is put into place. Any of this can change, too, as the publisher keeps its eye on what’s selling and how it’s selling. Some opportunities vanish, while new ones arise. It sounds tricky, and it is. It makes me tired just thinking about it and very glad my job is mostly to write the book and chat with readers like you. Being with readers is high on my list of favorite things to do.

By the time THE BOOK OF SPIES is in your hands, hundreds of people have worked on it in various capacities. And that’s why the nine months will evaporate for the publisher. For you and me, it can seem an eternity.

THRILLERFEST, JULY 8 THROUGH 12

If you’re in New York, please visit me at the Grand Hyatt, where hundreds of readers, authors, publishers, agents, and the media will congregate to celebrate the thriller world. As you may remember, I cofounded (with David Morrell) International Thriller Writers, which puts on the gala blast.

There are always lots of free books, free food, and free elbow-rubbing. I’ll be teaching during CraftFest, sitting on the Why Spy? panel, moderating a panel of CIA officers, and interviewing David, who’s won the ThrillerMaster award for his amazing body of work.

To check out the festivities, just click here.


CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BOOK DRAWING WINNERS

Drum roll, please. Every month my clever webmistress conducts a blind drawing of those who sign my guest book. Readers who won autographed first editions of my hardcovers are Hannah Beck of Connecticut, Beth Cox of Illinois and Joyce Corbin of Alabama.

NOTES FROM GAYLE’S SPY FILES

* Close your eyes. You’re about to be spy-scanned. The new megageek arm of U.S. spy agencies, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, is focusing on accurate iris and face scans even when lighting is bad and subjects are moving, far away, and not looking into the camera. Watch out, bad guys.

* NSA is offering billions to anyone who can offer reliable eavesdropping on Skype IM and voice traffic. Skype is a serious problem for government listening agencies, spooks, and police looking for malefactors surfing the ether to communicate. Did anyone really believe they were just phoning on the cheap?

* The departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, and Commerce suffered “major intrusions” last year in which sensitive data were stolen or compromised. The attacks climbed 40 percent – from a combined 3,928 incidents in 2007 to 5,488 in 2008 – as more infiltrators tried to plant malicious software to control or steal sensitive data.

* Infamous former CIA officer Harold Nicholson, who’s in an Oregon federal prison on espionage charges, and his 24-year-old son, Nathaniel, have been indicted for conspiring to act as agents of a foreign government and money laundering. Allegedly the son renewed contact with his father's former Russian handlers to get more money for espionage. If true, awful.

* The Pentagon has a new high-octane 1.8 gigapixel beast (and you thought your 10 megapixel camera was smoking hot) designed as a payload for the A-160T Hummingbird robot helicopter now being quietly delivered to Special Forces. The camera will give them an unprecedented ability to track everything on the ground in real time. We like this.

Learn more about espionage

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Over the coming months you’ll be the first to learn about THE BOOK OF SPIES, what it’s about, and the drawings and contests my webmistress will create.

As you may know, very few people own anything with the actual CIA crest. When I toured Langley last October, I loaded up with writing pads, mouse pads, and assorted other good stuff – all with the crest – which we’ll be awarding to winners.

If you enjoy my books, please help to spread the word. Forward my newsletter and invite others to join in on the fun and anticipation.

Warm regards,
Gayle

LIFE'S TWO QUESTIONS!

LIFE'S TWO QUESTIONS!

DO I GET A DOG?

DO I HAVE KIDS?

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ CATS ARE SO DARMATIC!

MARTINI IN THE MORNING NEWSLETTER!

MARTINI IN THE MORNING NEWSLETTER!

IT'S THE 3RD ANNIVERSARY LOUNGE LIZARDS IN EXILE
MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN - JOIN TODAY AND HELP US KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING!

UNBELIEVABLE

In June of 2006, we initiated a membership campaign. We had yet to begin streaming on the Internet and needed funding for a planned September launch. Our first membership campaign was a huge success. With hundreds of new card carrying Lounge Lizards in Exile, we began streaming, and the rest, as they say, is history.

THE PRESENT

MartiniInTheMorning.com has tried many ways of financing our operations. We're not quite large enough to compete with the big radio companies for big commercial buys. Big investors haven't quite figured out what to think of us. But YOU, our Lounge Lizards in Exile - YOU have been our biggest, most steady source of support.

For MartiniInTheMorning.com to remain on the air, playing The Greatest Songs Ever Written, we need you - and 999 friends (seriously!) to click the Membership Drive picture to the right and become official card carrying members of our Lounge Lizards in Exile listener community. As before, there are two ways to join:

PREMIUM LOUNGE ~ $35!

Join today and your membership is effective immediately, going to work to insure The Greatest Songs Ever Written remain on the air. At the conclusion of the membership campaign, we'll send your membership card and the brand new 2009 Lounge Lizards in Exile tee-shirt.

LUSH LOUNGE ~ $75!

Join the Lush Lounge today and begin telling your friends you're a Lush (Lounge member), doing your part to keep the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble, Steve Tyrell, Diana Krall and more on the radio around the clock and around the world on MartiniInTheMorning.com!

At the conclusion of the membership campaign, we'll send your membership card, the exclusive new 2009 Lounge Lizards in Exile tee-shirt AND a matched pair of the newly redesigned 2009 Lounge Lizards in Exile Martini Glasses.

Please Join TODAY so together, we can Keep the Music Playing!

THANK YOU!

With nothing but the hard work of a band of volunteers, over 200 years of broadcast experienced combined, plus expertise in almost every phase of business (except recruiting investors), we're one of the fastest growing online radio stations in the world. That could only happen with YOU as our marketing department.

If you like what you hear, spread the word. And now, with our 3rd annual membership campaign, we, YOU and all of us at Casa Martini, have an opportunity to show the world that there is a large, dedicated audience for OUR MUSIC! The big radio corporations have largely abandoned OUR MUSIC, believing that the audience for Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald and others like them, have died off.

Little do they know, these artists and The Greatest Songs Ever Written have a growing audience, listeners young, old, and everywhere in between. AND artists like Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Renee Olstead and Steve Tyrell are introducing an even broader audience to OUR MUSIC.

BUT...we need your help to keep the music playing. Please join our Lounge Lizards in Exile today. You really can make a difference!

Live, Love, Lounge!

Brad "Martini" Chambers
MartiniInTheMorning.com
10999 Riverside Drive
Suite 211
North Hollywood, CA 91602
Brad@MartiniInTheMorning.com

CINEMA RETRO ~ WHERE EAGES DARE!

CINEMA RETRO ~ WHERE EAGES DARE!

"Broadsword Calling Danny Boy...!"

The long-awaited day is here! The Cinema Retro Movie Classics Special Edition tribute to Where Eagles Dare has just started shipping in the UK and Europe. Copies are expected to arrive in our USA office by mid-to-late July and orders will be sent out immediately to all other parts of the world.
Twenty writers from around the world have combined their talents to bring you the most in-depth look ever produced about the making of Alistair McLean's epic 1969 WWII adventure starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure and Ingrid Pitt.

This issue is packed with exclusive interviews with crew members and features hundreds of b&w and full color production stills, behind-the-scenes photos and never-before-published personal snapshots taken on the set.

You can remit payment at any time to ensure you receive your copy of this spectacular, limited edition collector's item.

UK AND EUROPEAN CUSTOMERS:

The fee (which includes postage costs) is as follows: UK: £7.50. Europe: £9.00. Payment by cheque (to Cinema Retro, British funds only) to:

Cinema Retro
PO Box 1570
Christchurch
Dorset
BH23 4XS
England

Or by Pay Pal (our UK/European recipient address is: solopublishing@firenet.uk.com)

NORTH AMERICA AND ALL OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD:

For USA and Canadian orders: Price is $14 (includes postage)

ALL OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD (EXCEPT FOR UK AND EUROPE):

Price is $20 (includes postage)

Please send check (US funds only, please) to:

Cinema Retro
POB 152
Dunellen, New Jersey 08812
USA

If you wish to pay by Pay Pal, please address to: cinemaretro@hotmail.com

CREDIT CARD SALES

Regardless of where you live, credit cards will be processed by our American office. Please send details to the address above or by E-mail to cinemaretro@hotmail.com (Please split your card # into two separate E mails for security purposes.)

Thank you for your kind support of this project. Remember, Cinema Retro is the only film magazine in the world to produce extensive tributes to the movies of the 1960s and 1970s- and we couldn't do it without your continued support. Thanks for making it all possible - the best is yet to come!

Sincerely,

LEE PFEIFFER & DAVE WORRALL
CINEMA RETRO MAGAZINE

DECODER RING THEATRE PRESENTS ~ BLAZE BING, RODEO KING!

DECODER RING THEATRE PRESENTS ~ BLAZE BING, RODEO KING!

Thrill once again to the thunder of hoofbeats and the roar of blazing six-guns as the Decoder Ring Theatre Summer showcase presents the first in a pair of Western Adventure tales from the imagination of Phil Bledsoe! This week, we present tale of the old west right out of the golden age of radio drama with Blaze Bing, Rodeo King!

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE