Steve Stanley

Last updated

Steve Stanley (born 1970) is an American music historian, reissue producer, graphic artist, musician, and the founder of Now Sounds, a reissue record label established in 2007 and distributed by Cherry Red Records.

Contents

Early life

Raised in Oklahoma in the 1970s, Stanley developed an appreciation for the music of the 1950s and 1960s through his mother’s record collection. [1] According to Brian Greene’s 2012 Shindig! article on Stanley: “The seven-year-old (Stanley) was greatly affected by Elvis Presley’s death and, later in his youth, felt like a musical outsider, preferring the music of Elvis, Buddy Holly, and The Beatles to the then-popular rock and pop acts.” [2] His family later moved to Los Angeles where he played in bands, including The Acitones and Single Bullet Theory. [1] After working as a waiter, he entered the music business at age 24 as a salesman for Navarre Corporation, a music distributor based in Minnesota. [3] By 1997, he was one of the three top salesmen in the company when Bob Keane of Del-Fi Records, the man who signed Sam Cooke and Ritchie Valens, hired Stanley to head up sales for his label. [4]

Reissue Producer

While at Del-Fi Records, Stanley co-produced releases for the label, including the various-artist compilations Gee Baby Gee: The Del-Fi Girl Groups, [5] and Delphonic Sounds Today!: Del-Fi Does Del-Fi. [6] After leaving Del-Fi, Stanley began producing, designing, and/or annotating reissues for the Rev-Ola imprint of London-based Cherry Red Records. Stanley’s projects focused on lesser-known, cult pop artists of the 1960s whose albums had long been out of print, including titles by The Merry Go Round, [7] Eternity’s Children, [8] Nino & April, [9] Evie Sands, [10] and others. [11] Rev-Ola’s reissue of Nashville arranger Bergen White’s For Women Only album, [12] which Stanley also produced, received five-star reviews in both Mojo [13] and Uncut [14] and made Uncut's Best Reissues of 2004 list. [15]

By the late 2000s, Stanley launched his own Cherry Red Records imprint, Now Sounds. [16] He produced, designed, and/or annotated reissues of albums by The Association, Janis Ian, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Cowsills, The Mamas & The Papas, The Knack, Dion, Del Shannon, Donna Loren, Roger Nichols, Paul Williams, Tiny Tim, [17] and others. The label also includes mastering engineer Alan Brownstein [18] and writer/editor Sheryl Farber. [19] [3] In 2012, music journalist and Saint Etienne member Bob Stanley (no relation to Steve) wrote a feature article on the Now Sounds label and sunshine pop music for The Times of London. He described Now Sounds as “specializing in late Sixties Soft Rock - the orchestrated, harmony-rich sound propagated by The Mamas and The Papas, typified by Pet Sounds , and made a world-beating now sound by Sgt. Pepper. ” [20] Also in 2012, Now Sounds was voted one of the Top 5 "Best Record Labels" in Shindig!'s 2012 Writers' Poll. [21]

Graphic Designer

Also a graphic designer, Stanley has art directed and/or designed boxed set packages and contemporary releases for Rhino Records, ABKCO Records, Warner Records, and Sony/Legacy, including titles by Nilsson, Bee Gees, Bob Seger, The Monkees, Love, Jan & Dean, Devo, Allen Toussaint, and others. [22] The boxed set package of The Beau Brummels’ Bradley’s Barn , which Stanley designed, made Rolling Stone ’s Best Reissues list of 2011. [23] Stanley also art directed the various-artist collection Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965–1968 . In 2010 this boxed set was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Historical Album category. [24]

The Now People

The Los Angeles-based pop quartet The Now People includes Stanley and mastering engineer Alan Brownstein, with Nelson Bragg and Probyn Gregory, [25] members of Brian Wilson’s backing band. The group’s debut album, The Last Great 20th Century Love Affair, was issued in 2006 on Bird Songs Recordings, an imprint of Parasol Records. [26] The album was recorded at Studio Thru Inner Space and Carousel 44, and includes participation by some of the members of the Wondermints. [27] The Now People’s recording of “All The Things You Are,” written by Stanley, was featured in the motion picture Randy and the Mob , starring Ray McKinnon and Burt Reynolds. [28] As a solo vocalist, Steve has also participated in tribute and benefit concerts in Los Angeles, including the Wild Honey Foundation’s 2015 presentation of The Beatles’ White Album . [29]

Other Projects

As a journalist, Stanley has penned articles which have appeared in Mojo magazine, including a 2004 feature on Bobby Jameson after Stanley located the reclusive singer songwriter through a private investigator. [30]

In the mid-2000s, Stanley launched a weekly Internet radio show called 'The Now Sounds' [31] on luxuriamusic.com. He has featured a number of guests on his show including studio drummer Bernard Purdie and Orpheus, a psychedelic Bosstown Sound band that had hits in the 1960s. [32]

As an actor, Stanley appeared as Wrecking Crew member Barney Kessel in The Beach Boys: An American Family , a 2000 television film directed by Jeff Bleckner. The film was nominated for three Emmy Awards. [33] Stanley was also a musician on the 2013 documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher about Cher's mother, Georgia Holt. [34]

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Sheryl Farber, a three-time Grammy nominee. [35] [36]

Related Research Articles

The Bobby Fuller Four American rock & roll band

The Bobby Fuller Four was a popular mid-1960s American rock & roll band started by Bobby Fuller. First formed in 1962 in Fuller's hometown of El Paso, Texas, the group went on to produce some of its most memorable hits under the Mustang Records label in Hollywood, California. The band's most successful songs include "Let Her Dance", "I Fought the Law" and "Love's Made a Fool of You".

<i>Fables of the Reconstruction</i> 1985 album by R.E.M.

Fables of the Reconstruction, also known as Reconstruction of the Fables, is the third studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on I.R.S. Records on June 10, 1985. The Joe Boyd-produced album was the first recorded by the group outside the United States. It is a concept album with Southern Gothic themes and characters.

<i>R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece</i> 2004 studio album by Snoop Dogg

R&G : The Masterpiece is the seventh studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 16, 2004, by Doggystyle Records, making its first on Star Trak Entertainment and Geffen Records. Recording sessions took place from November 2003 to September 2004 in each of several recording studios. The album's production was handled from The Neptunes, The Alchemist, Lil Jon, Hi-Tek, Warryn Campbell, and L.T. Hutton, among others.

Man or Astro-man? American surf rock group

Man or Astro-man? is an American surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.

The Supersuckers American rock band

The Supersuckers are an American rock band, formed in 1988, whose music ranges from alternative rock to country rock to cowpunk. AllMusic describes the band as "the bastard sons of Foghat, AC/DC, and ZZ Top after being weaned on punk rock, unafraid of massive guitar riffs, outsized personalities, or pledging allegiance to sex, weed, and Satan with a wink and a nudge."

Andrew Paul Sandoval is an American, best known as a Grammy Award nominated reissuer and compiler and engineer of historical albums, containing popular music from the rock era. Additionally, Sandoval has ongoing careers as author, DJ, journalist, songwriter and professional musician. Born in Santa Monica, California, his career in music began in 1986 as the editor and publisher of a fanzine called New Breed, a project that blossomed into work as a reissue director for such labels as Rhino and PolyGram. His writing has appeared in the form of liner notes to record and CD releases, as well as in articles featured in The Hollywood Reporter and Shindig!

<i>Dragnet</i> (album) 1979 studio album by The Fall

Dragnet is the second studio album by English post-punk band the Fall, released on 26 October 1979 through Step-Forward Records. Appearing less than eight months after its predecessor, Live at the Witch Trials,Dragnet established at an early stage two key patterns characteristic of the group's future: that of high productivity and that of a regular turnover of group members.

<i>Built to Last</i> 1989 album by the Grateful Dead

Built to Last is the thirteenth and final studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between February 1 and October 20, 1989, and originally released on October 31, 1989.

<i>The Doldrums</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti

The Doldrums is the second album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, self-released in 2000. It is the second album credited to his solo music project, "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti", and the second installment in his Haunted Graffiti series. On October 11, 2004, the album was released on the independent label Paw Tracks, owned by the music group Animal Collective. It received critical praise and has since been recognized for its influence on subsequent lo-fi acts. In 2020, a remastered edition of the album was released by Mexican Summer.

<i>Todays Active Lifestyles</i> 1993 studio album by Polvo

Today's Active Lifestyles is Polvo's second studio album. It was produced by Bob Weston and released on Merge Records in 1993.

Del-Fi Records was an American record label based in Hollywood, California and owned by Bob Keane. The label's first single released was "Caravan" by Henri Rose released in 1958, but the label was most famous for signing Ritchie Valens. Valens' first single for the label was "Come On Let's Go", which was a hit. His next single, "Donna"/"La Bamba", was an even bigger hit, and brought national notoriety to the label. Johnny Crawford, the co-star of the television series The Rifleman, was the Del-Fi artist who recorded the most hit singles.

Donna Loren American singer and actress

Donna Loren is an American singer and actress. A prolific performer in the 1960s, she was the "Dr Pepper Girl" from 1963 to 1968, featured female vocalist on Shindig, and a cast member of the American International Pictures Beach Party movie franchise. She was signed to Capitol Records in 1964, releasing several singles and the Beach Blanket Bingo LP soundtrack, which included her signature song "It Only Hurts When I Cry".

Twinn Connexion

Twinn Connexion was the singing duo of identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins. They were signed with Decca Records and released a self-titled album in 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume. Their musical style consisted of pop harmonies influenced by the soft rock and folk rock styles that were popular during the late 1960s. Jay Hopkins died on September 6, 2001.

Marc Carroll Musical artist

Marc Carroll is an Irish musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has released 7 albums and 23 singles. He is currently signed to One Little Indian Records, who released his most recent studio album, Love Is All Or Love Is Not At All on 6 November 2015. The label also released remastered and expanded editions of his first 4 albums in February 2014. He has received considerable critical acclaim for his recorded output but has never reached any significant level of mainstream success. The Irish Times newspaper have called him "One of Ireland's great lost songwriters, touched by genius and whose dealings with the music industry have become the stuff of legend", and British rock critic Fred Deller wrote in Mojo Magazine that his work was "deserving of a far wider audience."

Luluc Australian band

Luluc (Lou-Luke) are an Australian band, consisting of Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett, currently based in Brooklyn, New York. They have released four albums to widespread critical acclaim; 'Dear Hamlyn', 'Passerby', 'Sculptor' on Sub Pop records and Mistletone Records and 'Dreamboat' in October 2020. The band is admired for their poetic writing, exquisite musicianship and understated yet compelling sound.

The Blades of Grass were an American sunshine pop band formed in Maplewood, New Jersey, in 1967. Competing with the abundance of sunshine pop groups originating from California, the Blades of Grass are most-known for their nationally charting rendition of the song "Happy". The band also released an album called The Blades of Grass Are Not for Smoking before disbanding.

<i>Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest</i> 1965 studio album by Chris Lucey

Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Bobby Jameson, credited under the name Chris Lucey. It was released on Surrey Records in 1965. Recorded on a limited budget, the album did not receive much attention at the time of its release; however, over time it has become treasured for its resemblance to the arrangements found in Love's album Forever Changes. Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest has since been reissued and made more accessible to collectors.

<i>The Scrap Iron Rhythm Revue</i> 2004 compilation album by Stavely Makepeace

The Scrap Iron Rhythm Revue is a compilation album and the first album overall by English avant-pop band Stavely Makepeace, released in May 2004 by reissue label RPM Records. Compiled by journalist Bob Stanley, it contains a string of singles recorded between 1969 and 1984 that the band recorded in their home studio and released on various record labels. The band, primarily consisting of Rod Woodward and Nigel Fletcher, were influenced by Joe Meek, and started the band in order to explore experimental and disparate ideas within pop music, describing their musical style as the "scrap iron sound" in reference to their incorporation of unusual instruments. Their singles were commercially unsuccessful, though the band would find major success with "Mouldy Old Dough" (1972) under the extended line-up of Lieutenant Pigeon.

<i>State of Our Union</i> 1985 studio album by The Long Ryders

State of Our Union is the second studio album by American band the Long Ryders, released in September 1985 by Island Records. It was a success at college and alternative radio stations in the US and reached number 66 on the UK Albums Chart as well as number 2 on the UK Country Chart. The single "Looking for Lewis and Clark" peaked at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart but was never released commercially in the US.

<i>Two-Fisted Tales</i> (album) 1987 studio album by The Long Ryders

Two-Fisted Tales is the third studio album by American band the Long Ryders, released in 1987 by Island Records. It was their last studio album for 32 years until 2019's Psychedelic Country Soul. The album yielded two singles, a cover of NRBQ’s "I Want You Bad" and "Gunslinger Man". On Two-Fisted Tales, the Long Ryders moved further away from their country rock origins towards a more college rock direction.

References

  1. 1 2 "Interview with Steve Stanley of the Now People (Mar 2006)".
  2. ↑ "Shindig Issue 25 2012 Stanley Article". February 2012.
  3. 1 2 "The Second Disc Interview #3: What's Happening "Now" with Steve Stanley! - the Second Disc". 26 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Billboard". 20 December 1997.
  5. ↑ "Del-Fi Girl Groups: Gee Baby Gee - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  6. ↑ "Delphonic Sounds Today: Del-Fi Does Del-Fi - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  7. ↑ "The Merry-Go-Round - Listen, Listen". 19 July 2005.
  8. ↑ "Eternity's Children - Eternity's Children | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  9. ↑ "All Strung Out [Rev-Ola] - April Stevens, Nino Tempo, Nino Tempo & April Stevens | Release Credits". AllMusic .
  10. ↑ "Any Way That You Want Me - Evie Sands | Release Info". AllMusic .
  11. ↑ "Rev-Ola Records Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  12. ↑ "Bergen White Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic .
  13. ↑ "MOJO June 2004 Bergen White Review". June 2004.
  14. ↑ "UNCUT June 2004 Bergen White Review". June 2004.
  15. ↑ "UNCUT Best Reissues 2004". 2005.
  16. ↑ "Now Sounds Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  17. ↑ "Tiny Tim Special, Part One: Steve Stanley (Now Sounds Records) and Kristian H".
  18. ↑ "Alan Brownstein Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  19. ↑ "Sheryl Farber Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  20. ↑ "The Big Reissue with Bob Stanley: The best of 1960s Sunshine Pop".
  21. ↑ "Shindig Magazine 2012 Writers Poll".
  22. ↑ "Steve Stanley Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  23. ↑ "10 Best Reissues of the Year". Rolling Stone . 9 December 2011.
  24. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2011: Winners and nominees for 53rd Grammy Awards". Los Angeles Times . 12 March 2014.
  25. ↑ "Probyn Gregory «".
  26. ↑ "Bird Song Recordings – Tagged "Now People"– Parasol Mail Order". www.parasol.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-07.
  27. ↑ "The Last Great 20th Century Love Affair - the Now People | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  28. ↑ "Randy and the Mob - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  29. ↑ Wild Honey Orchestra-Honey Pie (featuring Steve Stanley). YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-09.
  30. ↑ "Remembering "Mondo Hollywood"'s Bobby Jameson – Night Flight". nightflight.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  31. ↑ "Steve Stanley". Luxuriamusic.com. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  32. ↑ Orpheus on The Now Sounds with Steve Stanley (Radio Interview). YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-09.
  33. ↑ "The Beach Boys: An American Family". Television Academy. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  34. ↑ "Steve Stanley". IMDb .
  35. ↑ "Sheryl Farber". 19 November 2019.
  36. ↑ "Shindig Issue 25 2012 Stanley Article". February 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.