Showing posts with label Susan Olsen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Susan Olsen. Show all posts

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Get, Get, Get "The Motivator!!!"

Photo:
Jon Abeyta
CHERIE CURRIE & BRIE DARLING
Reveal Official Album Cover For “The Motivator” - Out August 2



Time For Some Motivation -

Los Angeles-based, female rock icons, Cherie Currie and Brie Darling have joined together to record their debut album, The Motivator.  The album will be released August 2, 2019 on Blue Élan Records and is available for pre-order today –http://smarturl.it/CherieBriePreOrder

Cherie & Brie also revealed the official album artwork today and have released their cover of The Youngbloods’ “Get Together,” which is available on all streaming services – http://smarturl.it/CCBDGetTogether and Cherie Currie & Brie Darling - Get Together [Official Audio]

In addition, the video for lead track & single, “The Motivator” can be viewed here: Cherie Currie & Brie Darling - "The Motivator" [Official Music Video]





The Motivator was produced by the six-time Grammy nominated Dave Darling (Brian Setzer, Stray Cats, Janiva Magness, Tom Waits) and features nine classic covers by bands including T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, and John Lennon, plus three powerful new originals, “Too Bruised,” “I’m Too Good, That’s Just Too Bad” and the topical “This Is Our Time.”

Guests on the album include a host of family and friends who came in to do backups, including Currie’s sister, actress Sondra Currie, her ex-husband, actor Robert Hays; friends, Susan Olsen of Brady Bunch fame, Leslie Koch Foumberg,  and actress/director, Allison Scagliotti. Darling’s brother, Henry Berry is on “He Ain’t Heavy”; and brother Phil Berry does a guitar solo on the Kinks tune “Do it Again” while her sister, Rory Berry Bishop plays drums on Thunderclap Newman’s “Something in the Air.” Patti Quatro—Suzi’s sister and a member of Fanny—plays guitar and sings on “For What It’s Worth.”

The Runaways front-woman and solo artist, Currie, met the Fanny drummer and singer, Darling, in 2017 and immediately connected.  Currie had come in to contribute vocals to Fanny Walked the Earth, a reunion album from the trailblazing Fanny, the first all-female band signed to a major label (Reprise) in 1969.  Though the two musicians were certainly admirers of each other, they had not yet met until that session.  Once connected, the idea to continue collaborating was hatched and soon the idea to record an album was solidified.

It was decided they would record an album of cover songs that resonated with the duo.  The covers chosen mostly share—unintentionally—a socio-political resonance that’s as relevant today as when the songs were written.  “The original album concept was that Brie was going to sing a few, I’d sing a few, and we’d back each other up,” furthers Currie. “But I knew our voices really work well together. On T. Rex’s ‘The Motivator,’ Brie did a great soulful rock scratch vocal but maybe I have more of a tough rock quality to my voice, so I think Dave decided I was going to sing it.  But in my head I heard a duet, me doing the first verse, her on the second verse….and that started the dialog of using our voices together as a concept. Our voices complement each other, so we decided we should share the majority of these songs, because it makes them better.”  Producer Dave Darling says, "It's extremely rare to have two such powerful vocalists in the same band. Cherie's a steamroller and Brie's a flame thrower. That just doesn't happen!"  

To listen or purchase “The Motivator,” visit: Cherie Currie & Brie Darling - The Motivator




Follow Cherie Currie here: Facebook




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Twitter “New” - @CherieandBrie 


Sunday, June 1, 2014

Susan Olsen Remembers Ann B. Davis

Ann B. Davis aka Alice 
Ann B. Davis "Alice" the housekeeper from "The Brady Bunch" passed away today. Here with a statement from someone who knew her, and loved her, is Susan Olsen aka Cindy Brady...

I was waiting for it to reach the news before saying anything. Yes, it's true, our beloved Ann B. passed away this morning. I loved her work even before I knew and loved her. When I was five, I got the Hong Kong flu. I missed a lot of school and stayed in bed watching TV. I loved the Bob Cummings Show because I enjoyed Ann B. in the role of his secretary "Schultzy". I was overjoyed when I learned that I would be working with her on Brady Bunch. Already a fan, it was only icing on the cake to get to know her. She always treated us kids with respect and we knew we were working with greatness. I'm happy to know that she never lost her beautiful mind and razor sharp wit. She will be dearly missed by the many who knew her and the many more who felt like they did. I'm sure there is now a bright red sports car tearing up the clouds in heaven.

R.I.P. Ann B. Davis, another great childhood memory 

Ann B Davis: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002036/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Shirley Temple Remembered By Susan Olsen

Shirley Temple
With the recent passing of Shirley Temple I really wanted to say something that truly honored who she was in this great big universe.

Something eloquent and meaningful, well even though I personally did not write this I found what I was looking for.

The following is a truly awesome tribute to Ms. Shirley Temple, written by Actress, Susan Olsen best known as "Cindy Brady" from the TV show "The Brady Bunch" who was gracious enough to give me permission to post it:

It is unfortunate that Shirley Temple is associated with my least Favorite episode of "The Brady Bunch." Having me imitate Shirley by singing “Good Ship Lollipop" would have been a great idea when I was seven but at age twelve it was painfully awkward. By that age, I (not Cindy) would have preferred to emulate Shirley Temple the adult. That is the Shirley that I love most. 

I read Ms. Temple’s autobiography several years ago and found myself overwhelmed with respect for her. I did not know that she had continued to act as a beautiful woman before embarking on a career in politics. What was most impressive was how truly grateful she was for her unusual childhood. She had absolutely no regrets. There were no sordid tales of being the victim of wicked Hollywood, an industry that does tend to eat it’s young. There was no resentment for any lost childhood; there was only gratitude for a blessed childhood filled with wonderful people and adventure. She even bore no grudges toward her parents who had invested her money foolishly. 

As an adult, she did not have the wealth one would have presumed but she had no complaints. Instead she had compassion for their errors and rather than dwell on past mistakes, she looked forward to future opportunities. Were she to try to write such a positive memoir today, she might have a very hard time finding a publisher. Nobody wants to hear about the former child star who goes on to have a great life away from the camera and a past with no regrets. No, they want to hear about the ones who feel discarded by the Industry, the drug addicts, the train wrecks, the victims – not the heroes. 

But Shirley most certainly was a hero – definitely a hero of mine. She will be missed but I hope that she will be remembered not just for the darling little girl that she was but for the truly class act she became. I’m so sorry I never had the honor of meeting her.

Thank You Susan!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Michael Vaccaro Is A "Child Of The 70's"


The Hit Web Series "Child of the 70's" has been around for two seasons now and is about to embark on it's third, for those of you who are not in the loop, COT70's follows the adventures of one Carlo Perdente...

"Carlo Perdente is a real loser! He's a struggling actor in New York. He loses his survival job, he gets thrown out of his apartment, his boyfriend dumps him, his overbearing Italian mother treats him like garbage, and he's about to give up... until a chance encounter with his favorite '70s star, KiKi Lawrence, completely changes his life. Will he move to LA? Will his life be any better there? Will he find love? Career success? And what will his mother say?"

Here to talk about being a "Child of the 70's" is the Writer/Creator, "Carlo Perdente" himself Michael Vaccaro!

MS: Obviously "Child of the 70's" is based loosely on your life.

MV: Very, loosely (laughs) 

MS: So why are you a "Child of the 70's?" Being that we are the same age and were both teenagers in the 80's?


MV: I gravitated more towards the music and movies of the 70's by the 80's I was horribly jaded and cynical. I consider the 70's my formative years. I actually kind of hated the 80's to me it was the time when everything went down the shit hole.

MS: Have you ever been a phone sex operator like your character "Carlo" was on the show?

MV: I did have a job at a phone sex company, that part of the show is real, I think I got fired after a couple of months. There's nothing sexual about the job at all, it is actually horrendously boring. You sit at a phone bank for eight hours a day and moan and groan into a phone. (laughs)

MS: By the way, Donna Pescow played your Mother "Anna Perdente" on the first season, how come the end credits read "Anna Perdente" as "Anna Perdente" and not Donna Pescow as "Anna Perdente?"

MV: That was a decision we made together. We thought it would be cute to do the credit that way and see if people could figure out who the actress was playing "Anna." 

MS: She was really good.

MV: Also there is a joke behind it too, every season we are going to have a different actress playing my Mother. In season two we have this amazing actress, Lynne Marie Stewart, who was "Miss Yvonne" on "Pee Wees Playhouse." I love how on "Bewitched" there was a new Darren and on "Roseanne" there was a new "Becky" and they just don't explain it at all, that is one of my favorite things, Soap Operas do it all the time.

MS: Who is the character of TV Star "Kiki Lawrence" on your show based on?

MV: "Kiki" is sort of based on Vicki Lawrence, who was on the show "Mama's Family" of course "Kiki's" show is called "Mama's Jewels." But I don't have inside information on Vicki Lawrence, I don't know if she was a psychopath like "Kiki." (laughs) But she was the jumping off point I used for writing that character. 

MS: You have some awesome cameos on the show!

Carlo & Family
MV: We have Susan Olsen from "The Brady Bunch," Geri Jewell from "The Facts of Life" and Bruce Vilanch. In season three we have Dee Wallace from "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" there is also this amazing pop singer, Kitten Kay Sera, she is going to be playing "Kiki Lawrence's" crazy white trash sister. There is one more superstar from the 70's who is joining us in season three as well, but it is a surprise and I can not tell you.

MS: I wanna know!

MV: Sorry, I can not mention his name. Everyone will have to tune in to see who it is.

MS: When is season three set to drop?

MV: That's a great question and the answer to that is "I don't know." I'm fundraising right now. So if there is anyone out there who wants to be an investor, executive producer or a sponsor, get in contact with me. Season three is all written, the cast and crew are ready to go I just need the money to pay everybody.

MS: Season three sounds very exciting.

MV: It's the biggest, most ambitious season yet. There's a whole new story line, almost an entire new cast coming in. I'm not going to give anything away, but there is a major cliff hanger at the end of the season, something really exciting! I'll give you a hint, just remember that our show takes place in Los Angeles, CA...


Have a blast from the past and let loose your inner "Child of the 70's" at:

Website: http://www.theofficialchildofthe70s.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ChildOfThe70s

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChildOfTheSeventies1