"Roger Rocks on Rails"
Monday, 21 April 2008
Melodika.net

In a musical first, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn has recorded a unique video from the inside of a private berth on a train headed from Florida to New York. The "Roger Rocks on Rails" video, recorded exclusively for GrowingBolder.com features McGuinn taking viewers on a musical journey through the history of rock and roll. "This is the ultimate user-generated video," says Growing Bolder Vice President Bill Shafer. "In this case, the user just happens to be one of the most influential artists in musical history." Roger's wife Camilla videotaped the entire presentation on a handheld minicam. "This an intimate as it gets," says Shafer. "With the countryside flashing by and the rails providing a rhythmic soundtrack all their own, it's a musical experience unlike anything out there."

McGuinn was a folk music prodigy who founded The Byrds with Gene Clark and David Crosby in 1965. He pioneered both folk rock and country rock and influenced everyone from The Beatles to Tom Petty to R.E.M. He's released eight albums since The Byrds disbanded in 1973, including 2001's Grammy-nominated "Treasures From the Folk Den," a collection of remote recordings from the dens of Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and other folk greats.

In "Roger Rocks on Rails," McGuinn demonstrates how a Bob Dylan poetic folk tune sounded when it was offered to the The Byrds in 1965, and how he "souped it up with a Beatles rhythm." The result was the band's debut single "Mr. Tambourine Man."

"Roger is the history of rock and roll," says Shafer. "He's always been an innovator and is still pushing the envelope. He was one of the very first musicians to embrace the Internet and it's not surprising that he would be responsible for another first; the first-ever video of its kind recorded on a moving train exclusively for a cutting-edge Website.

The Roger McGuinn "Roger Rocks on Rails" video can only be seen through May 16th at www.growingbolder.com

About The Growing Bolder Media Group:

The Growing Bolder Media Group creates active-lifestyle content for the 45+ market. The company is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, home to one of the world's largest populations of active-lifestyle Boomers. www.growingbolder.com

That was just beautiful. I was completely lost in the moment and smiled and sang harmonies to the songs.

I went to a rather small, intimate concert of Roger's a few years ago. I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but I talked at length with Camilla. Terry Melcher, producer for the Byrds, Beach Boys, Paul Revere & The Raiders, had just passed away. I know Mark Lindsay, former lead singer, songwriter, and producer of the Raiders, and we spent time talking about mutual friends.

I mentioned to Camilla how the Byrds album 5th Dimension had been such a big part of my young teenage years, and how much I loved the title song. I bought Roger's newest CD, and she took it back for him to autograph. Whether she mentioned my love of 5th Dimension, I don't know....but when Roger came out for the encore {I was in the third row, center}, he asked what we wanted to hear. Various song titles were called out---I called out, during a pause, for 5th Dimension. Roger smiled at me and started to play it.........brought tears to my eyes. Roger and Camilla are a wonderful couple. Thanks for the link to this video! It's very intimate and personal and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  :)

Roger in the proverbial "nice guy." I got maybe 20  email replys from him over the course of a couple years in response to my questions when I first went online around the turn of the decade. One or two liners, but it was great.

TenThousandMotels wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2008 at 6:25pm:

Roger in the proverbial "nice guy." I got maybe 20  email replys from him over the course of a couple years in response to my questions when I first went online around the turn of the decade. One or two liners, but it was great.

Hey, me too! It was about 2001 or so....and he was online the same time I was, and he answered my emails as quickly as I sent them off! Yes, he's a really nice guy--in the truest sense of the word. WORD. 8-)

Sioux wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2008 at 7:04pm:

TenThousandMotels wrote on Apr 22nd, 2008 at 6:25pm: Roger in the proverbial "nice guy." I got maybe 20  email replys from him over the course of a couple years in response to my questions when I first went online around the turn of the decade. One or two liners, but it was great. Hey, me too! It was about 2001 or so....and he was online the same time I was, and he answered my emails as quickly as I sent them off! Yes, he's a really nice guy--in the truest sense of the word. WORD. 8-)

I know,  it was almost crazy. I guess he calmed down on that LOL. Or I did. One of the two. LOL.
God Bless him.

TenThousandMotels wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2008 at 7:16pm:

Sioux wrote on Apr 22nd, 2008 at 7:04pm: TenThousandMotels wrote on Apr 22nd, 2008 at 6:25pm: Roger in the proverbial "nice guy." I got maybe 20  email replys from him over the course of a couple years in response to my questions when I first went online around the turn of the decade. One or two liners, but it was great. Hey, me too! It was about 2001 or so....and he was online the same time I was, and he answered my emails as quickly as I sent them off! Yes, he's a really nice guy--in the truest sense of the word. WORD. 8-) I know,  it was almost crazy. I guess he calmed down on that LOL. Or I did. One of the two. LOL. God Bless him.

Yeah, I think he's too busy ridin' the rails now.. ;)