Artist: Rod McKuenLP: Songs For a Lazy Afternoon
Song: "Sinner Man"
[ listen ]
Song: "Aunt Louise"
[ listen ]
Song: "With a 'No' That Sounds Like 'Yes'"
[ listen ]
Song: "Sinner Man"
[ listen ]
Song: "Aunt Louise"
[ listen ]
Song: "With a 'No' That Sounds Like 'Yes'"
[ listen ]
Songs For a Lazy Afternoon
—Notes by Mike Connolly
—Notes by Mike Connolly
If late some evening you should drive down a deserted
Hollywood street, and notice a tall boy, slightly bent over,
with his shoulders pushed a little forward—walking along
whistling or singing to himself, chances are it might be Rod
McKuen, singing some of the songs he sings in this album.
You may ask, why are songs for a lazy afternoon being
sung at night? Well, the seemingly placid young man on
the other side of this album jacket doesn't have many lazy
afternoons anymore. At the age of 23, he is a busy and
successful actor, a published author, poet and
songwriter, and a folk singer who has toured
throughout the United States and Asia.
Rod's first professional break came along when just
after his sixteenth birthday, he joined the San Francisco
Young Players and appeared in their production of "Romeo
and Juliet." His role as Romeo was stirring enough to win
him several top acting awards and the offer of
two drama scholarships.
Between productions with the Young Players, Rod began
a radio disc jockey show for station KROW in Oakland,
California. The program, entitled "Rendezvous With Rod,"
ran for three and a half years, and had one of the
highest ratings of any show in the San Francisco Bay
Area. During this period, Rod was also author of a syndi-
cated newspaper column, "Scribbling on my Shirtcuff."
The Army intevened in 1953, however, and both
"Rendezvous" and the column were terminated.
Actually, it was in the service in Japan that Rod's talents
suddenly burst forth. His prowess as a folk singer was
well known among his friends, but it wasn't until the
owners of Maxim's, famed Tokyo night club, asked him to
appear there for a week-end, that Rod really developed
a style of his own. The "week-end" stretched into nearly
five months. During this period, the Army brass decided
that Rod would also be useful to the Armed Forces
as an entertainer.
His first assignment in that capacity was the television
show, "Pop Concert," which was shown over a Japanese
network. This show was so successful that the Army
sent Rod on a concert tour throughout the Orient. He
gave concerts to consistently packed houses in Hong
Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Taegu, Bangkok, and
dozens of other cities.
When the tour ended, Rod returned to his original duties
as writer-producer with the Voice of the United Nations
Command in Tokyo, a program which broadcast psychological
warfare to Communist-dominated countries. He was later sent
to Korea to work as the Army's Civil Information expert
with the Korean Civil Assistance Command in Taegu.
Rod's concert tour brought him to the attention of a
prominent Japanese film producer, and the Army
granted him permission to appear in a number of
Japanese films. One of these, "The Boy and the
General," is due for release in the United States soon.
Language proved no barrier in Rod's foreign film roles,
for he speaks both Korean and Japanese.
During his Army tour of duty, Rod took time out to
write his first book, "And Autumn Came," a collection
of romantic poems in free verse published in 1954. The
book received unanimous critical acclaim, with one critic
labelling his works "among the finest of this generation."
Another book of poems and a novel are to be published
this Fall, and, recently, he completed his second novel.
Upon his release from the service, Rod returned to his
home in Oakland. Word of his success had preceded
him to the states, and he was immediately offered a
singing engagement at San Francisco's Purple Onion,
one of the city's most unique clubs.
It was during his stay there that he was "discovered" by
columnist-socialite Cobina Wright, who persuaded him
to come to Hollywood.
Though singing is considered his main musical talent, he
has had as much success writing music as performing it. No
less than eighteen of his folks tunes have been purchased
by many of the nation's most popular performers and
several have been recorded by major artists.
Since arriving in Hollywood, Rod has written songs for
several motion piuctures, individually, and in collaboration
with Les Baxter, Bobby Troupo, and Barney Kessel. In
his first American movie, now being filmed at Universal-
International, he sings two of these songs, "Picnic by
the Sea," and "Happy Is a Boy Named Me."
With all of his varied interests, Rod claims he hasn't
much time for anything else except "maybe being lonely
occasionally." If out of this loneliness some of the songs
in this album were conceived, then it has been a worth-
while solitude. Here is a young man with something
unique to offer—a sly wit for writing happy songs, and
a tenderness for the sad ones. Best of all, however,
is his sincerity which makes any of the songs
believable when he sings it.
The selections in this album are varied. For sheer rollicking
fun, listen to "Puttin' On the Style," or, "With a 'No' That
Sounds Like 'Yes'"; or, "Aunt Louise," a delightful little ditty
which consumes all of thirty seconds. "Sinner Man," and
the Negro slave song "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" are serious
and dramatic in content. Rod's own songs "Jaydee" and
"Happy Is a Boy Named Me" are both haunting and beautiful.
Rod is ably assisted by Barney Kessel and Tommy Tedesco,
whose sterling guitars shine throughout. Occasionally you'll
find a harmonica, a drum or two and a chorus sneaking in.
In the final analysis, I'm sure you'll agree...it's
all pretty wonderful.
* * * * * * *
Mike Connolly's daily column in the Hollywood Reporter
can boast an audience of almost everyone in the film
industry—from star to stenographer, from grip man to
stockholder. In addition many millions read his magazine
articles and yet another syndicated column.
Surprisingly enough, with articles and columns, and all
the time he spends running around digging up information
for both, he found time last year to help write the
very successful book "I'll Cry Tomorrow."
* * * * * * *
Orchestra under the direction of Barney Kessel.
SONGS FOR A LAZY AFTERNOON was recorded in
Hollywood, Calif. April 12 and 26, 1956 and May 17, 1956.
Producer: Simon Jackson
Engineer: Val Valentin
Cover Photograph: Phil Howard
[ Rod McKuen ]
Hollywood street, and notice a tall boy, slightly bent over,
with his shoulders pushed a little forward—walking along
whistling or singing to himself, chances are it might be Rod
McKuen, singing some of the songs he sings in this album.
You may ask, why are songs for a lazy afternoon being
sung at night? Well, the seemingly placid young man on
the other side of this album jacket doesn't have many lazy
afternoons anymore. At the age of 23, he is a busy and
successful actor, a published author, poet and
songwriter, and a folk singer who has toured
throughout the United States and Asia.
Rod's first professional break came along when justafter his sixteenth birthday, he joined the San Francisco
Young Players and appeared in their production of "Romeo
and Juliet." His role as Romeo was stirring enough to win
him several top acting awards and the offer of
two drama scholarships.
Between productions with the Young Players, Rod began
a radio disc jockey show for station KROW in Oakland,
California. The program, entitled "Rendezvous With Rod,"
ran for three and a half years, and had one of the
highest ratings of any show in the San Francisco Bay
Area. During this period, Rod was also author of a syndi-
cated newspaper column, "Scribbling on my Shirtcuff."
The Army intevened in 1953, however, and both
"Rendezvous" and the column were terminated.
Actually, it was in the service in Japan that Rod's talents
suddenly burst forth. His prowess as a folk singer was
well known among his friends, but it wasn't until the
owners of Maxim's, famed Tokyo night club, asked him to
appear there for a week-end, that Rod really developed
a style of his own. The "week-end" stretched into nearly
five months. During this period, the Army brass decided
that Rod would also be useful to the Armed Forces
as an entertainer.
His first assignment in that capacity was the televisionshow, "Pop Concert," which was shown over a Japanese
network. This show was so successful that the Army
sent Rod on a concert tour throughout the Orient. He
gave concerts to consistently packed houses in Hong
Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Taegu, Bangkok, and
dozens of other cities.
When the tour ended, Rod returned to his original duties
as writer-producer with the Voice of the United Nations
Command in Tokyo, a program which broadcast psychological
warfare to Communist-dominated countries. He was later sent
to Korea to work as the Army's Civil Information expert
with the Korean Civil Assistance Command in Taegu.
Rod's concert tour brought him to the attention of a
prominent Japanese film producer, and the Army
granted him permission to appear in a number of
Japanese films. One of these, "The Boy and the
General," is due for release in the United States soon.
Language proved no barrier in Rod's foreign film roles,
for he speaks both Korean and Japanese.
During his Army tour of duty, Rod took time out towrite his first book, "And Autumn Came," a collection
of romantic poems in free verse published in 1954. The
book received unanimous critical acclaim, with one critic
labelling his works "among the finest of this generation."
Another book of poems and a novel are to be published
this Fall, and, recently, he completed his second novel.
Upon his release from the service, Rod returned to his
home in Oakland. Word of his success had preceded
him to the states, and he was immediately offered a
singing engagement at San Francisco's Purple Onion,
one of the city's most unique clubs.
It was during his stay there that he was "discovered" bycolumnist-socialite Cobina Wright, who persuaded him
to come to Hollywood.
Though singing is considered his main musical talent, hehas had as much success writing music as performing it. No
less than eighteen of his folks tunes have been purchased
by many of the nation's most popular performers and
several have been recorded by major artists.
Since arriving in Hollywood, Rod has written songs for
several motion piuctures, individually, and in collaboration
with Les Baxter, Bobby Troupo, and Barney Kessel. In
his first American movie, now being filmed at Universal-
International, he sings two of these songs, "Picnic by
the Sea," and "Happy Is a Boy Named Me."
With all of his varied interests, Rod claims he hasn't
much time for anything else except "maybe being lonely
occasionally." If out of this loneliness some of the songs
in this album were conceived, then it has been a worth-
while solitude. Here is a young man with something
unique to offer—a sly wit for writing happy songs, and
a tenderness for the sad ones. Best of all, however,
is his sincerity which makes any of the songs
believable when he sings it.
The selections in this album are varied. For sheer rollickingfun, listen to "Puttin' On the Style," or, "With a 'No' That
Sounds Like 'Yes'"; or, "Aunt Louise," a delightful little ditty
which consumes all of thirty seconds. "Sinner Man," and
the Negro slave song "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" are serious
and dramatic in content. Rod's own songs "Jaydee" and
"Happy Is a Boy Named Me" are both haunting and beautiful.
Rod is ably assisted by Barney Kessel and Tommy Tedesco,
whose sterling guitars shine throughout. Occasionally you'll
find a harmonica, a drum or two and a chorus sneaking in.
In the final analysis, I'm sure you'll agree...it's
all pretty wonderful.
* * * * * * *
Mike Connolly's daily column in the Hollywood Reporter
can boast an audience of almost everyone in the film
industry—from star to stenographer, from grip man to
stockholder. In addition many millions read his magazine
articles and yet another syndicated column.
Surprisingly enough, with articles and columns, and all
the time he spends running around digging up information
for both, he found time last year to help write the
very successful book "I'll Cry Tomorrow."
* * * * * * *
Orchestra under the direction of Barney Kessel.
SONGS FOR A LAZY AFTERNOON was recorded in
Hollywood, Calif. April 12 and 26, 1956 and May 17, 1956.
Producer: Simon Jackson
Engineer: Val Valentin
Cover Photograph: Phil Howard
[ Rod McKuen ]
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