Rod McKuen
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Rod McKuen (born April 29, 1933) is a bestselling American poet, composer, and singer, instrumental in the revitalization of popular poetry that took place in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Born Rodney Marvin McKuen in Oakland, California, McKuen ran away from home at the age of eleven to escape an alcoholic stepfather and to send what money he could to his mother. After a series of jobs, from lumberjack, ranch hand, railroad worker to rodeo cowboy, throughout the west, McKuen began in the 1950s to excite audiences with his poetry readings, appearing with such well-known poets as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg; during this time, he often used the pseudonym "Dor". He moved to New York City in 1959 to compose and conduct for the TV show "The CBS Workshop." By the 1960s he had achieved fame, far surpassing in sales the works of the Beat poets who preceded him. During the early 1960s he spent most of his time in France. This began his project to translate the work of legendary singer/songwriter Jacques Brel, into English. After Brel died he said "As friends and as musical collaborators we had traveled, toured and written - together and apart - the events of our lives as if they were songs, and I guess they were. When news of Jacques’ death came I stayed locked in my bedroom and drank for a week. That kind of self pity was something he wouldn’t have approved of, but all I could do was replay our songs (our children) and ruminate over our unfinished life together." [1]
He became an icon across college campuses for his ability to capture in verse the feelings of anxiety, love, confusion, and hope that were common during the Vietnam era. His public readings had the drawing power of a rock concert.
McKuen’s commercial success is unparalleled in the field of modern poetry. His poetic works have been translated into a dozen languages and sold over 65 million copies. Throughout his career he has continued to enjoy sell-out concerts around the world and appears regularly at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall.
As a songwriter, he has contributed to the sale of over 100 million records. His material has been recorded by such artists as Frank Sinatra ("Love's Been Good To Me," 1969), Waylon Jennings, The London Philharmonic, Greta Keller, Perry Como, and Madonna. Perhaps his most well-known song is "Jean," recorded by Oliver in 1969. On his official website, McKuen claims also to have recorded a single in the 1950s backed by Bill Haley's Comets ("The Beat Generation", with vocal by voice actor Bob McFadden), but this has not been confirmed. McKuen has proven to be a prolific songwriter, penning over 1500 songs. He has collaborated with a variety of internationally renowned composers, including Henry Mancini and John Williams, and a highly successful series of albums with Anita Kerr. His symphonies, concertos, and other classical works have been performed by orchestras around the globe. His suite for narrator and orchestra, The City, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music. His work as a composer in the film industry has garnered him two Academy Award nominations.
Throughout his multi-award-winning career, McKuen has paired his artistic endeavors with a spirit for social reform. Before a tour of South Africa in the 1970s, McKuen demanded “mixed seating” among white and black concert-goers, opening the doors for successful tours by a variety of African-American performers, including Sammy Davis, Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald. He has also spearheaded efforts to raise AIDS awareness and fund charities for children and senior citizens. His humanitarian efforts have twice won him the prestigious Freedoms Foundation Award.
[edit] Bibliography
And Autumn Came • Pageant Press, 1954
Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows • Stanyan Music, 1966
Listen to the Warm • Random House, 1967
Lonesome Cities • Random House, 1968
And Autumn Came (Revised Edition) • Cheval Books, 1969
In Someone's Shadow • Cheval Books/Random House, 1969
With Love... * Stanyon Books/Random House, 1969
Twelve Years of Christmas • Cheval Books/Random House, 1969
Caught in the Quiet • Stanyan Books, 1970
Fields of Wonder • Cheval Books/Random House, 1971
And to Each Season • Simon & Schuster, 1972
Moment to Moment • Cheval Books, 1972
Come to Me in Silence • Simon & Schuster, 1973
Moment to Moment (Revised Edition) • Simon & Schuster, 1974
Beyond the Boardwalk • Cheval Books, 1975
Celebrations of the Heart • Simon & Schuster, 1975
The Sea Around Me . . . • Simon & Schuster, 1975
Finding My Father (prose) • Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1976
Coming Close to the Earth • Simon & Schuster, 1978
We Touch the Sky • Simon & Schuster, 1979
The Power Bright and Shining • Simon & Schuster, 1980
A Book of Days • Harper & Row, 1980
An Outstretched Hand (prose) • Cheval Books/Harper & Row, 1980
The Beautiful Strangers • Simon & Schuster, 1981
Book of Days and a Month of Sundays • Harper & Row, 1981
The Sound of Solitude • Harper & Row, 1983
Suspension Bridge • Harper & Row, 1984
Intervals • Harper & Row/Cheval Books, 1986
Valentines • Harper & Row/Cheval Books, 1986
Rusting in the Rain • Stanyan Books, 2004
[edit] Discography
Vocal Albums
SR 6029 • CD STZ 105 • After Midnight / Rod McKuen
BS 2817 • Alone / McKuen
DL 8946 • Alone After Dark / Rod McKuen
DL 3882 • Anywhere I Wander / Rod McKuen
WS 1722 • Rod McKuen / The Beautiful Strangers
2SR 5087 • The Black Eagle, A Gothic Musical / Rod McKuen
SR 5005 • Blessings in Shade of Green / Rod McKuen
BDS 5138 • Cycles / Rod McKuen
DJF 20537 • For Friends & Lovers / Rod McKuen
SR 5102 • Global / Rod McKuen
BS 2861 • Rod McKuen / Goodtime Music
SR 5032 • Have a Nice Day / Rod McKuen
KA 3226 • In a Lonely Place / Rod McKuen
DID M20 • It Had To Be You / Rod McKuen
PS 1380 • CD 113 • Jerome Kern Revisited Vol. IV / McKuen/Ballard/Short/Cook
BR 0034 • Lonely Summer / Rod McKuen
RCA 3508 • The Loner / Rod McKuen
ST 2838 • The Love Movement /Rod McKuen
SR 5009 • Love's Been Good To Me / Rod McKuen
BS 2931 • McKuen Country
ST 2079 • Rod McKuen Sings Rod McKuen
SR 5092 • More Rod McKuen 77
JU 5013 • Mr. Oliver Twist / Rod McKuen
WS 1837 • New Ballads / Rod McKuen
SR 5045 • New Rod McKuen Carols for Christmas
VE 1612 • New sounds in folk Music / Rod McKuen
BS 2638 • Odyssey / Rod McKuen
RCA 3635 • Other Kinds of Songs / Rod McKuen
2WS 1894 • Pastorale / Rod McKuen
SR 5047 • Pastures Green / Rod McKuen
SR 5098 • Roads / Rod McKuen
SR 5025 • Rod / Rod McKuen
SR 5006 • The Rod McKuen Folk Album
SR 6028 • WB 2785 • Rod McKuen Sings The McKuen/Brel Songbook
WS 3015 • The Rod McKuen Show
RCA 3424 • Rod McKuen Sings His Own
SR 5093 • Rod 77 / Rod McKuen
SR 5003 • Seasons In The Sun / Rod McKuen
SR 5004 • Seasons In The Sun, 2 / Rod McKuen
SR 5046 • Seasons In The Sun, 1&2 / Rod McKuen
LSP 4010 • The Single Man / Rod McKuen
BS 2889 • Sleep Warm / Rod McKuen
2SR 5081 • Sleep Warm / Rod McKuen
DS 7017 • Slide . . .Easy In / Rod McKuen
DIS 60 531 • Slide . . .On the Move / Rod McKuen
HJS 180 • Soldiers Who Want To Be Heroes / Rod McKuen
SR 6050 • Someone To Watch Over Me / Rod McKuen
LRP 3011 • Songs For The Lazy / Rod McKuen
BL 754056 • Songs Our Mummy Taught Us / Rod McKuen (as Dor) & Bob Mac Fadden
KS 3538 • Stranger In Town / Rod McKuen
WP 1632 • There's A Hoot Tonight / Rod McKuen
LSP 3786 • Through European Windows / Rod McKuen
SR 5100 • Turntable / Rod McKuen
PH 6641 057 • Two Against The Morning / Rod McKuen & Liesbeth List
DE 4603 • Very Warm / Rod McKuen
Spoken Word
R 419 • Beatsville / Rod McKuen
3BS 2906 • The Essential Rod McKuen
BN 613 • In Search Of Eros / Rod McKuen
LSP 3863 • SR 5052 • Listen to The Warm / Rod McKuen
SR 5048 • Listen To The Warm / Rod McKuen
WS 1758 • Lonesome Cities / Rod McKuen
SR 5110 • Pushing The Clouds Away / Rod McKuen
SR 5078 • Time Of Desire / Rod McKuen
DS 7000 • The Word / Rod McKuen
LP 12036 • The Yellow Unicorn / Rod McKuen with Tak Shindo & Julie Merredith
Classical
SR 9005 • Rod McKuen: Symphony No. 1 in 4 Movements
SR 9006 • Rod McKuen: Concerto For Guitar & Orchestra: 5 Orchestral Pieces
SR 9007 • Rod McKuen: Concerto For 4 Harpsichords: 4 Orchestral Pieces
SR 9008 • Rod McKuen: Piano Variations: 6 Piano Sonatas
SR 9010 • Rod McKuen: Conducts McKuen
SR 9012 • Rod McKuen: Concerto No. 3 For Piano & Orchestra
SR 9015 • Rod McKuen: The Plains Of My Country: Seascapes for Solo Piano
SR 9021 • Rod McKuen: Concerto For Cello & Orchestra; Music For Strings
SR 9023 • Rod McKuen: Concerto For Balloon & Orchestra: 3 Overtures
WB 2WS 2731 • Rod McKuen: The Ballad Of Distances: Symphonic Suite, OP. 40
SR 9060 • Rod McKuen: Piano Quartets: Piano Trios
LS 732 • Rod McKuen: The City: I Hear America Singing, 2 Cantatas
CRL 57339 • Rod McKuen: Written In the Stars (The Zodiac Suite)
LST 7537 • Rod McKuen: Something Beyond: Suite For Orchestra
Soundtracks
SRQ 4014 • The Borrowers / Rod McKuen Soundtrack
SR 5010 • A Boy Named charlie Brown & Other Rod McKuen Film songs
OS 3500 • A Boy Named Charlie Brown / Soundtrack
SRQ 4025 • Emily / Rod McKuen Soundtrack
SR 4202 • Joanna / Rod McKuen Soundtrack
SR 10094 • Lisa Bright & Dark / Rod McKuen Soundtrack
OS 3350 • Me Natalie / Henry Mancini/Rod McKuen Soundtrack
TC 4207 • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie / Rod McKuen Soundtrack
WB 1853 • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie / Rod McKuen Sings & Conducts His Score
DL 8429 • Rock Pretty Baby / Rod McKuen/Henry Mancini Soundtrack
SR 5004 • Scandalous John / Rod McKuen Soundtrack
DL 8714 • Summer Love / Rod McKuen/Henry Mancini Soundtrack
2SR 9201 • McKuen/Gueviksman/Guidravitchus: The Unknown War Soundtrack
In-Concert Recordings
2SR 5051 • The Amsterdam Concert / Rod McKuen
2WB 2732 • Back To Carnegie Hall / Rod McKuen
SR 5040 • Evening In Vienna / Rod McKuen & Greta Keller
2BR 1947 • Grand Tour / Rod McKuen
SR 5042 • Grand Tour, Vol. 3 / Rod McKuen
SR 5001 • Rod McKuen In Concert
SR 6031 • Rod McKuen Live Across Australia & Around The World
SR 5075 • Rod McKuen Live At The Sydney Opera House
L 70041/2 • Rod McKuen Live At The Sydney Opera House
SYD 11000 • Rod McKuen Live In Africa
2SR 5016 • Rod McKuen Live In London
WS 1794 • WBC 1100B • Rod McKuen Live / Sold Out Carnegie Hall
Greatest Hits & Compilations
R2 70281 • The Beat Generation / McKuen/Kerouac/Ginsburg/ Bruce
RCA 4127 • Best Of Rod McKuen, The
DL 75078 • Bits & Pieces / Rod McKuen
SYC 2901 • The Early Years / The Best Of Rod McKuen
PW 6026 • Greatest Australian Hits / Rod McKuen
WS 1772 • Rod McKuen / Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
BS 2560 • Rod McKuen's / Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
SR 5031 • Rod McKuen / Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
BS 2688 • Rod McKuen / Greatest Hits, Vol. 4
SLS 96083 • In The Beginning / Rod McKuen
2SR 5073 • Love Songs / Rod McKuen
SR 5072 • A Portrait Of Rod McKuen
SR 5104 • Rod On Record
SR 5020 • Try Rod McKuen In The Privacy Of Your Own Home
BR 408 • TIXD 420 • Without A Worry In The World / Rod McKuen
Works with Anita Kerr & San Sebastian Strings
Lyrics & Book & Musical Storyline by Rod McKuen Music Composed, Arranged & Conducted by Anita Kerr
WBL 1047 • WB 1670 • The Sea / The San Sebastian Strings
WBL 1046 • WB 1705 • The Earth / The San Sebastian Strings
WB 1720 • The Sky / The San Sebastian Strings
WBC 1080 • WS 1764 • Home To The Sea / The San Sebastian Strings
WS 1839 • The Soft Sea / The San Sebastian Strings
SR 10043 • La Mer / The San Sebastian Strings
WB 1795 • For Lovers / The San Sebastian Strings
BS 2768 • Bouquet / The San Sebastian Strings
Spring / The San Sebastian Strings
BS4 2707 • Summer / The San Sebastian Strings
Autumn / The San Sebastian Strings
BS 2622 • Winter / The San Sebastian Strings
BS 2837 • With Love/ The San Sebastian Strings
3WS 1730 • The Sea / The Earth / The Sky: The San Sebastian Strings [3]
3WS 1827 • The Complete Sea: The San Sebastian Strings (3)
4WS 2754 • The Seasons: The San Sebastian Strings [4]
Promotional Albums
IM 1000 • 17 New Songs By Rod McKuen
PRO 451 • Short Cuts From Pastorale
SPS 33-554 • Some Of The Best Of Rod McKuen
SML 102 • 20 New Rod McKuens Songs
