Leadership Playlist

Welcome Home John Hall   commercial pop like the Doobie Brothers with vocals, leadsinger male, about a man that was shipped out to fight for our country and waiting to hear "welcome home." Reality of wounds that don't heal 

 

https://soundcloud.com/cornelius-eady/let-there-be-a-new-flowering?si=473451a7738f4cdeb5988300c80e895b

Let There Be New Flowering Cornelius Eady Dreamy-sounding male and vocal with a guitar, cello.Last line:  “Let Love be at the end”  1:14 song length. 

https://soundcloud.com/karen-besbeck/my-rivers-run-dry?si=3dcf029496e741f6b13317ca90cc5029  My River’s Run Dry Karen Besbeck  Country, like Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Cassadee Pope.  The song is a metaphor for land going barren and love going barren. He won't change even though it's too late.

Nobody Knew   Carmine Appice’s Guitar Zeus Like the heavier parts of the Beatles’ “I’m the Walrus” and “Strawberry Fields,” Brian May guitar, vocals by Kelly Keeling. The song is apocalyptic about the environment.  Powerful line “Nobody knew who’s running the White House,” gas, “all we wanted, here we are,” “Hear me now.” “Nobody Knew where they were going.” “There’s a hole in the blue sky” “Thought it would last.”     

Help Kj Denhert Singer-songwriter KJ owns her master, voice and guitar thoughtful ballad, bringing new life to the lyrics.     

A Void  Andrew Alling with guitar and harmonica male vocals  A Void in relationships, why are we against the world? DirtyWords, time to heal, rock & ground shaking poetics.

 

"The Greatest Lives" Live On Digital Media

New Song Inspired by Muhammad Ali about Leadership and Respect)

In support of Black History Month (February 2020), D-Zone Entertainment is proudly releasing the single, “The Greatest Lives” in digital stores and streaming sites on Friday, January 31.

The song will be on “The Greatest Lives Songwriter’s EP,” due out March 21. It is sung by Thembeka Mnguni, finalist for South Africa’s The Voice in 2016. Her name is pronounced “Them-bek-kah  Mmn-Gu-Nee.” From Durban, SA, she is signed to Universal Records. Her greatest cause is as a spokesperson for Autism. She is also a brand ambassador for MUD Designer Makeup SA and for Body Confidence International. In South Africa, Universal is releasing a new song “Stimel” from her upcoming album, which will also include “The Greatest Lives” as a bonus track.  Visit her on social media at instagram.com/thembeka_thediva.

Here are digital links as of Friday morning, January 31, 2020

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2U7f5DI

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6mTQ9HzW8iesGTEjtkkXsA

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/na/album/the-greatest-lives-single/1495292266

GooglePlay:   http://bit.ly/2u41eDm

 YouTube: https://youtu.be/pl4T0t-NwtM

The idea for the song came to Anne in 1984 when Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. She wrote on a newspaper article, “What would he want us to know?” and filed it in her box of song ideas. “It would have been a totally different song if I wrote it then, because I was more sentimental.” Instead she worked on the song as her first assignment for when she was offered a songwriting deal. South Africa’s Sheer Publishing handle one of Anne’s favorite songs, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”   

She started watching South African news, and discovered many women expressing hope for a kinder world. Many went through bullying and abusive situations, and the females were open enough to talk about their experiences. The lyrics for “The Greatest Lives” came from Muhammad Ali’s quotes and philosophies. They became a message about leadership and treating people right.

Joe Deninzon, who grew up in Cleveland, OH, went to college in Bloomington, Indiana, and played throughout the Midwest, knew Muhammad Ali’s hometown of Louisville. He understood the Midwestern sound that Anne was looking for, made a demo, and then the two began to put musicians to work. Using John Mellencamp's "Ain't Even Done with the Night" as a role model, they asked Cactus and Vanilla Fudge's Carmine Appice, who also played with Rod Stewart.  

Thembeka loved THE GREATEST LIVES’ message about having strong character. Joe and Anne chose her because they thought she was one of the greatest singers they ever heard. Thembeka showed she was (as the song says) a master by being the runner up on “the Voice South Africa.” She liked the recording enough to also want to include it on her upcoming album.

After they heard Thembeka’s performance, they found inspiration from keyboards on albums from the late Oliver Mtukudzi. Joe knew the perfect keyboardist, Jeremy Beck, who used both acoustic piano and Hammond B3. Hence, the hashtag #BeckDeninzonAppice. 

“Joy and optimism in this song, I think, come from its mission and inspiration. Muhammad Ali dealt with obstacles with optimism and a wink and smile,” Joe says. Joe and Anne, and their musicians, know “The Greatest Lives” will make a difference, and are proud to—as their lyric says--take a “Never say die” attitude in promoting it!

The Greatest Lives January 31 on Social Media, New Album March 20

"Great Chorus"

-Terry Ellis, Founder The Chrysalis Orchestra, co-founder Chrysalis Records

The Greatest Lives is the new single from Joe Deninzon & Anne Leighton's "The Greatest Lives - Songwriters' EP."  Both veterans, the two knew they had a special song, and asked one of their favorite singers, South Africa’s Thembeka Mnguni to record it.

Though known for his prowess as a violinist, fronting Stratospheerius and playing in orchestras for acts including Game of Thrones, 50Cent, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, and Renaissance, Joe produces, plays guitar, and bass on it. Other musicians are Carmine Appice (Cactus, Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart) on drums and Jeremy Beck on keyboards (piano and Hammond B3); hence the hashtag #BeckDeninzonAppice. A working creative writer and publicist, Anne got the idea in 1984 after Muhammad Ali announced his diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease. She wrote “What does he want us to know,” and put it in her song idea box that she started as a teenager.

THEMBEKA MNGUNI
(pronounced—Tem-Bekka mm-Guuu-ni )

Thembeka loved THE GREATEST LIVES’ message about having strong character. “It's important to always remember that I'm nothing without my supporters ‘cause they drive me by just looking up to me. Though it's a heavy load but it comes with the job. That's why I speak so openly about my son, life, past abuse and my current....    

Thembeka is signed to South Africa’s Universal Music, and on the verge of releasing her first album. A finalist on The Voice South Africa and a Mommy, Thembeka's greatest cause is as a spokesperson for Austism.  She is also a brand ambassador for MUD Designer Makeup SA and for Body Confidence International. 

The Greatest Lives

I won’t look down on those
that look up to me
we all wanna shine bright
but sometimes there’s reason to fight

It’s always the season
to fight for equality
Some may hate what we achieve
but we got reason to believe

CHORUS: The Greatest lives for the greatest lives
there’s light and there’s fight in your inner child
The Greatest lives for the greatest lives
To face all our fears and to Never Say Die

Character matters
and strong action make us masters
Ali says Protect them
so they won’t be suffering.

Sometimes we feel alone
Because others just don’t know
Raise up your fist
and find our courage to resist

CHORUS: The Greatest lives for the greatest lives
There’s light and there is fight in our inner child!
The Greatest lives for the greatest lives
To face all our fears and to never say die

BRIDGE: And even though you feel like screaming
at all the hatred in this world
It’s so surreal you must be dreaming
It’s time to let your love unfurl

© 2019 Joe Deninzon (FiddleFunk Music) and Anne Leighton (Sheer Publishing)
All Rights Reserved.

Published by Sheer Music Publishing (Leighton) and Fiddlefunk Music (Deninzon)
Contact: Sheer Publishing: info@sheer.co.za, + 27 11 438-7000
JDeninzo@gmail.com and Anne@AnneLeighton.com

THE GREATEST LIVES
Lead Vocals, background harmonies: Thembeka Mnguni
Jeremy Beck: piano and Hammond B3
Drums: Carmine Appice
Producer, background vocals, additional percussion, guitars, bass, keyboards, co-writer: Joe Deninzon
Assistant Producer, co-writer: Anne Leighton
Durban Producer/Engineer Dale Wardell
Durban assistant: Sequoia Duncan
Drum engineer: Jz Barrell Mix: Alex Salzman, Mastering: Fred Kevorkian, Art Work: Arie Monroe               

Studios: the Deninzoo-Dumont, NJ ; Randyland-Manhasset, NY; AudioSuite-Durban, SA

New Playlist: Thank you, Greta & Pete, from the musicians

I dedicate the hashtag #IKnewYouWhen to a man that was “a great radio teacher,” who also sang folk music with my fellow classmates at Fredonia State. Dan Berggren taught me how to listen—really listen, which is one of the reasons I keep listening to new music.

It’s a joy to watch my teacher grow his career, and a blessing to spread the word about his songs about the environment. Dan’s song “Looking for Answers” is about a daughter asking her father if we’ll have a future because of what’s going on with our environment. This past November a review in the Saratogian described Dan, “Resembling a young Pete Seeger.” YEAH!  😊 

All my songwriters have a little Pete Seeger in them. In fact, John and Johanna Hall worked with him on the Clearwater. John's influence on teaching us about the environment is earth-shaking, especially the No Nukes concerts in the 1970s. He and Johanna Hall, who had the sync to end all syncs STILL THE ONE have a vintage song WAKE UP from Orleans II. With classic Orleans’ harmony and trumpet, this is a hooky song with clever lyrics.  Note that WAKE UP is with Sony Publishing, and is NOT a ONE-STOP.

WAKE UP Orleans  Adult Album Alternative, trumpet, group harmony, wake up, people, “wake up!” environment, pollution, “stop throwing plastic in the sea/can’t you let the fishies be!” ecology, snow, lightning, birds in flight, seasons, signs of life, “the day’s gonna come” air pollution, water pollution, MusiciansUnitedForSafeEnergy, This song is co-written by John and Johanna Hall, the couple that wrote the most incredible sync, “You’re Still The One.”  

GLOBAL WARMING Phoebe Legere  Singer Songwriter, Piano and soaring female vocals and strings, vocals in English and French, rising sea levels, oceans, "I place a piano on the tongue of the world to give it a voice to cry.”    
  

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS Dan Berggren Folk, daughter asking about what the environment will look like when she grows up. Long term / Short term materialism, greed, easy answers, ask questions, learn what's ahead.  


DON’S THEME Joe Olnick Instrumental guitar, influences like David Gilmour, Alex Skolnick, Kyuss, Roy Bucchanan. Emotional, atmospheric, sad, orchestral, slow, dirge    Mellow and quite proggy,pretty. The guitar soloing is slow and expressive. As it continues a bluesy edge is introduced to the piece. This continues to grow with style and class.  


BEES AND ZOMBIES Rebecca Loebe Theatrical Folk, Gilbert & Sullivan-y. If Jim Carrey was a soprano, singing a train-of-thought song with symphonic piano backup singers. About the environment. Rebecca telling someone about environment problems, and the person takes another seat. At the end, someone else tells her about the bees, and guess what! She moves away... The video is a delight, like a school play with children and a slightly panic’d male teacher. 

THIS DARKNESS Rachael Sage Pop, Dream Pop/Chamber Pop, female singer with CSNY protest guitar sound, environment, the song is about the Dakota Pipeline, keywords:  see myself, grieve myself, somebody's fool, hate, “I don’t know why you’re full of hate."
 

A TERRIBLE PICKLE  Dean Friedman  A Music Hall song with ukulele about the world being in a terrible pickle. Some mentions of Australia-related nature-- Koalas and eucalyptus trees, all kinds of mentions about the environment, the oceans are rising. Kyota accord.  


MARY MAGDALENE Gary Lucas & Jann Klose Upbeat folk song with Irish singalong energy, singer sounds like Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran. About Superstorm Sandy, hunkering down and praying during a horrible storm that took place in Long Island, 2012. The City never had a hurricane like this.  It told New Yorkers that global warming is real


NOBODY KNEW Carmine Appice’s Guitar Zeus Hard Rock, Like the heavier parts of the Beatles’ “I’m the Walrus” and “Strawberry Fields,” Brian May guitar, vocals by Kelly Keeling. “Nobody knew who’s running the White House,” gas, all we wanted, here we are, Hear me now. Nobody Knew where they were going. “There’s a hole in the blue sky” "Thought it would last."


Spotify Playlist dedicated to Greta Thunberg
Thank you from the musicians

Carmine Appice Remembers His Friend Ginger Baker

Carmine Appice and Ginger Baker, along with the Who’s Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix’s Mitch Mitchell, pioneered hard rock drumming.  Carmine feels that Ginger's influence is everywhere.

"I admired Ginger's drumming because he combined technical skills, with a jazz feel and innovating double bass drum patterns. He could pretty much play anything in the jazz, rock or afro arenas. His influence is tremendous and it is everywhere. We became friends in 1967 when Cream and Vanilla Fudge toured together, we toured again in later years and Ginger and I also did drum clinics together. Ginger was always the wildest guy on the tour and although he could be quite prickly, we had some mighty good times.

It saddens me that so many of my early contemporaries are gone -Keith, Mitch, and now Ginger. I believe we were four that pioneered the underground rock music movement. Everything was new, including the drumming which combined elements of old and new, and gave birth to the hard rock, progressive and psychedelic genres. God bless you, Ginger. RIP."

-Carmine Appice

PHOTO from Guitar Center's Rockwalk Hall of Fame induction. Carmine, Ginger and Alex Van Halen. 1991. Also inducted that day: Buddy Rich, Keith Moon, John Bonham.

FYC "Mothers Space"

Best Metal Performance AND Best Rock Song

Carmine Appice

Featuring Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

(Song written by Carmine, Kelly Keeling, Tony Franklin)
Appears on Carmine's GUITAR ZEUS

"such a cool groove, even with all the powerhouse jamming" says Music Street Journal

"a huge bottom end will give your woofers a workout, and Thal's guitar work is just so impressive" writes Sea of Tranquility

MOTHERS SPACE  
By Kelly Keeling, Carmine Appice, Tony Franklin

VERSE I
We’re dodging all the raking 
Of thunder and lightning,
Designing in our path by our
Winters so cold

Everyone it seems should be
Given sign language
Some form of code
Not getting through
Waiting on you. 

VERSE II
We know you’re listening to Mother’s Space.
How much longer?
Longer in this zone and being in this rat race
What on earth are we preparing for
Contemplated
Running our space
Too little too late

VERSE III
Thanks for all the rescue
And saving our lives
Poisoning we’ve done to
The ground and skies   

SOLO

Something’s gonna break
I believe that it timely
Mother earth
How can we go on
Blue we’re counting on you
We’re not getting through 
Depending on you

Don’t look away
Mothers space
Mothers space Answer Mothers Space 
Are we too late  Answer Are we too late

Copyright 2018 by Carmine Appice, Tony Franklin, Kelly Keeling, All Rights Reserved

Patriotic & Topical Songs

Please, let me know what music services you need.  We have Christmas songs. My artists run the gamut of session players and composers--notably the incredible string player Joe Deninzon, keyboardist Phoebe Legere, Grammy-nominated Gary Lucas....  I'm pleased that one of the projects I supplied some talent for--ONE LITTLE FINGER-- won a number of awards, most notably The World Peace Initiative--Best Film in Cannes. 

 

AMERICAN HEART Jaclyn Bradley Palmer:  Dark patriotic pop, inspired by my love for America, yet sadness over its current state.  The slow-paced beat piano and EDM is strong and hopeful.  Like pop Billie Eilish mixed with the dark folk pop of Phoebe Bridgers. 

STAR SPANGLED BANNER Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert & Friends: Only use music between :17 and 3:50) Soulful Hard rock version of the Francis Scott Key song.  Traditional lyrics of “Star Spangled Banner”  to 2:28, and then part of “The Pledge of Allegiance,” and shouts of “Freedom!” “United as One!” “Government for the People!"

THE GREATEST LIVES Thembeka Mnguni:  This song that channels advice from Muhammad Ali’s interviews, with emphasis on respect and working hard. Vocals by Voice South Africa runner up Thembeka Mnguni, whose alto range recall a superheroine version of Etta James and Cissy Houston combined.  Midwestern rock vibe with Rod Stewart/Kenny Aronoff-styled drums by Carmine Appice.  (Sheer Publishing administrates this song). 

HAMBA KAHLE MANDELA (GO WELL MANDELA) Sharon Katz & Nonhlanhla Wanda:  Piano and acoustic and electric guitar, the right amount of harmonious electric instruments give “Go Down Mandela” a comforting blend with two gentle female voices in English and Zulu.  Stirring ballad to say “goodbye” to Nelson Mandela, whose birthday is July 18.  The song is a challenge to carry his lessons forward.  (pronounced HAM-BA-KAH-LE  MANDELA)  (H=soft sound).    

PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE Michael Veitch:  Acoustic music about how easy it was to pledge allegiance to an America that once was.  Old school imagery of Hollywood, cars, sending men to the moon, learning to shoot.  Then things changed to the point money went south, and food taken from the babies’ mouths, and vivid descriptions of climate change. Cross between David Crosby and Marc Cohn.  

POPULAR Rebecca Loebe:  Sweet and gentle song, reminding us that everyone has felt unpopular. Fact is, “it’s not about you anyway.”  Her voice is like a soprano Dar Williams, gentle pop arrangement with tambourine.  This song helped get Rebecca on the bill for Mountain Stage this September. 

Kodiak's New Music Video "Goodbye" and New Song "Alone"

Kodiak is working on new music, and making new friends.  Today is the release of the band’s new music video, GOODBYE.  

A simple video with footage from the studio and the band’s stage show, the video is a great introduction to the band- - the Biggiani brothers—drummer Pete and guitarist Chris, bassist TJ Haefner, lead singer Eric Dalton.

SleazeRoxx.com premiered the GOODBYE video at http://sleazeroxx.com/premiere-of-kodiaks-debut-video-for-single-goodbye/.

The group is also releasing a new single, ALONE. Carmine calls it a “future classic rock song.” Pete says “it’s one of our favorite songs to play live.  ALONE is a very uplifting song it really lets you know that you’re never truly Alone. No matter how hard life gets or what you’re going through. There will always be someone somewhere to be by your side. I think it’s important for everyone to know that now and then. We will always be there not only for our friends and family but our fans too.”

Listen to ALONE at https://AWAL.lnk.to/AloneKodiak 

The New Jersey based Kodiak are signed to WorldSound/AWal Entertainment, and co-managed by legendary drummer Carmine Appice and Warren Wyatt. Warren was responsible for careers of Crimson Glory, Saigon Kick, and Carmine’s “Guitar Zeus” album series!

10 years ago, Carmine began mentoring Pete, when he won a contest to appear in the drum legend’s instructional DVD, Realistic Rock for Kids.

Kodiak is releasing 3 singles this summer as they play festivals and make TV and radio appearances, plus live concerts, and get ready for an album later this year.

Kodiak have already turned heads with a number of hard rock/heavy metal legends VH1 / radio host Ed Trunk introduced the group, who played their first gig, opening for The Appice Brothers, at 2019’s Hall of Heavy Metal History Award Show, Anaheim, California.  The group was compared to a young Van Halen!  

  

Kodiak Debuts With New Hard Rocker "Goodbye" Out on Worldsound/AWAL

With imagery of rain in the sky and tears, Kodiak’s debut single GOODBYE is a driven and determined single about wanting to get to the root of a breakup based on misunderstanding.  The song makes you believe that love can heal all wounds, thanks to the Biggiani brothers-- slamming drummer Pete and arousing guitarist Chris, along with supportive bassist TJ Haefner, and the passionate lead singer Eric Dalton.

“Everyone goes through this in their lives, including the four of us,” the band says about mending fences with a true love. Pete says all four of the band members wrote the song, starting on the guitar. “First Chris wrote the chorus riff. Then he and I both sit down and pieced the parts together. Then Eric who wrote the lyrics & TJ the bass parts…”
This NJ-based hard rock band is co-managed and produced by Carmine Appice, who chose Pete as the winner in his “Next Drum Prodigy” contest for his Realistic Rock For Kids DVD 10 years ago.  Now signed to WorldSound/AWal Entertainment, the group is releasing 3 singles this summer as they play festivals and make TV and radio appearances, plus live concerts, and get ready for an album later this year.

Kodiak have already turned heads with a number of hard rock/heavy metal legends VH1 / radio host Ed Trunk introduced the group, who played their first gig, opening for The Appice Brothers, at 2019’s Hall of Heavy Metal History Award Show Anaheim, California.  The group was compared to a young Van Halen!  

Goodbye  

There’s only clouds in our sky

Tears in your eyes

And by the look on your face

There is something you’re not telling

When I say your name

You don’t even look my way

Oh baby hear me out, what is it that you’re feeling?

Chorus: I won’t say goodbye

To our good times

I won’t say goodbye

To our good times

Tell me it’s alright

Is it over?

I can’t take this distance

And you won’t even listen

I don’t understand how this could be happening

I look back at what we had

To try and find what was different

I just pray the answer will keep us from crumbling

Pre Chorus: repeat

Chorus repeat

By Pete Biggiani, Chris Biggiani,  TJ Haefner, Eric Dalton