I got this peculiar job wall papering the Ritz Carleton beauty salon. I noticed the bizarre names of hair dyes - 'frivolous fawn, white mink, chocolate kiss' etc. - and wrote (in my mind at least) my 'day in the life' as a result. Peter Barrett wove this bizarre multi genre tune with a story and spoken words about Doris who never thought she was beautiful. Barry Keating choreographed the band with special emphasis on Doris and we performed it at Frank Zappa's 10th anniversary party in Manhattan. LaBelle and Patti Smith played the same show. Frank rushed the stage and picked Randy up in his arms after hearing his insane solo.

The link below describes in long form how Orchestra Luna was born as well as how this neophyte 'ahtist' began his endless obsession with what has become my music career.

http://rickberlin.me/writing/OL.html

Orchestra Luna Record (EPIC). The band is Lisa Kinscherf (vocals), Liz Gallagher (vocals), Randy Roos (guitar), Don Mulvaney (kit), Scott Chambers (bass), Peter Barrett (vocals, words), Rick Kinscherf (piano,vocals), Barry Keating (choreography). PS. You can hear the needle on the vinyl. Produced by Rupert Holmes. Jeffrey Lesser - engineer

And here is a video I put together way after the song was recorded. There was a live video of Doris that was shot at CBGB's and wound up at a video gallery in NY call The Kitchen (now defunct):

Ripped the chorus lyrics from an overheard comment from a well known female songwriter who's name always escapes me. Ugh. Sorry to you, babe for being so brilliant, but out of my memory.

This is a total country song, properly sung by Emmylou Harris or Townes Van Zandt. I think she got it right, that songwriter. Sad songs lift the heart. They tell the truth, which is always preferable to the safely oblique.

I'd kill to have someone cover this tune some day, lap steel, brushes, stand-up bass, even a muted, inappropriate trumpet. Video in an empty room.

This is one from my backporch garageband demos. Make 'em quick. Move on.

Not sure when this was done, or even the name of the studio (in the South End - now defunct) where i recorded it. Barry Marshall produced. Jane Mangini played piano and Mike played drums. I know we were lucky to have a full choir from a nearby church flesh it out. The incomparable REBECCA PARRIS sings her heart out here (this woman can really hold a note forever). HEAVEN WILL COME is part of THE KINGDOM, a musical I've written which can be read and listened to simultaneously (for those who have the time) here:

http://rickberlin.me/ambition/index.html

Although the song provides a specific plot point in the script, it also implies that no matter who you are, no matter how dark the day, that we will all, each of us, be lifted up in our hearts in the presence, visible or not, of the loved one we wish for, of a spirit, of Grace. In the story, the character of Rose (who is many hundreds of year old) is giving life to Isaac who has fallen out of the tallest tree in the woods, and lies dead at her feet. She transfers, like all sweet mentors, all of her compassionate Self to the small boy. As she sings, he lives and Rose 'moves on'.

PS
I'd kill someday to see THE KINGDOM staged or made into a movie.

Truth for all of us: without our friends we are nothing, nowhere, nobody.

from PAPER AIRPLANE, track released 19 April 2010
cast:

piano JANE MANGINI
guitars KEVIN BARRY/DUKE LEVINE
bass ANDREW MAZZONE (RICHARD GATES track 8)
drums ANDY PLAISTED
harp DENNIS BRENNAN
backup vox DENNIS BRENNAN/RICHARD GATES

produced by RICK BERLIN/DENNIS BRENNAN/JOE STEWART
recorded/engineered by JOE STEWART
@ HI-N-DRY/HUMMELVISION
mixed @ HUMMELVISION
mastered by IAN KENNEDY
@ NEW ALLIANCE EAST MASTERING

video:

from HALF IN THE BAG, track released 18 April 1987
Half In The Bag (No Deal Whatsoever Records) 1993. Produced, engineered, arranged by Chet Cahill in his house in Malden, Randy Roos - Orchestra Luna (layered up 4 guitar tracks)

The meaning behind this tune is blatantly obvious, ok? 'Nuf said. And a perfect happy song for any too-much-to-drink T-day afternoon.

Billie Best (Chet's wife) did the spoken word grill and I answered back with a Woody Allen mumble. What Billie does here is Insanely Right-On and Funny about this most horrible to guys embarrassment. (All comedy requires someone being embarrassed - or so I read Newsweek the other day.)

The most peculiar reaction to this song happened when I played it at Jacques and I swear there was a line-up of truck drivers on stools at the bar to my right and I got 'em to sing the 'can't get it up' chorus in unison with fist-pump choreography. Had it been on film it would have gone viral on UToob for sure.

Driving the dishwasher home from Doyles one night, we got talking. It turned out in the conversation that the kid hadn't seen his father in years (I was driving him home to his Aunt's house). He told me about a year ago his Dad showed up on his birthday with a wrapped present under his arm. He was contrite. He asked his son:

'You must hate me after all these years, right?'

'How can I hate someone I don't even know?' the kid replied.

Ain't that the truth. This is why the original seed for the song has evolved into a
(somewhat) protest song about fighting prejudice in others and more especially, in ourselves. It's filled with f- c- and n-bombs.

An aside: Bursting into the kitchen at Doyles, Billy Charles, the Haitian chef said (all in good faith):

'I think a faggot entered the kitchen.'

In a rare wise-assed comeback I said:

'I think a nigger just called me a faggot.'

We both lost it. Big laughs all round. I think, on some level, this is what the song is about.

I include this video from the night 5/9 when Berlin + The Old Stag String Quartet performed live @ the Hi-n-Dry studio (the Mark Sandman Project) - http://www.hindry.com/sandman_project/ We performed the full record w/ Brendan Cooney (conductor/arranger), Meredith Cooper (violin), Marnie Hall (violin), Joe Simcox (viola), Fabrizio Mazzetta (cello), jJane Mangini (piano), Saran Hund + Andrew Ross (vox), Joe Stewart (engineer), cameras (Chico Eastridge + Ryan Jorgensen), edit Berlin

This from OLD STAG, track released 14 September 2008
cello Katie Franich
v2 Christina Hornby
v1 Meredith Cooper
viola Joe Simcox
string arranger Brendan Cooney
produced by Rick Berlin
album recorded by Joe Stewart in Rick's livingroom
(strings recorded in a classroom at BU)
misc sounds from Centre Street in Jamaica Plain
mixed by Sir David Minehan at Woolly Mammoth Sound
photos by Rene Rives
jacket design by Shaun Wolf Wortis
mastered by Dave Locke, JP Masters

from HALF IN THE BAG, track released 18 April 1987
Half In The Bag (No Deal Whatsoever Records) 1993. Produced, engineered, arranged by Chet Cahill in his house in Malden, Randy Roos - Orchestra Luna (layered up 4 guitar tracks)

This is true story (in the lyrics for the most part) of a homeless man in Kenmore who burned alive in the basement of Eddy de Syon's apartment building). I was home, Eddy called. He'd seen smoke under his door. He opened it up and there before him was a man covered in fire. He called 911, but it was too late. The man had, apparently, spilled booze over himself in the basement, his cigarette fell and started the inferno. Years later I ran into someone who actually knew the guy consumed. He still felt the terror of it.

This is a super dark song. I was once asked by someone in the audience at Ryles to please, never play that song again, ever.

I'm a JP zealot. Have been from the start. It is truly, among the many many places I've lived, the only one I can call 'home'. I'm not sure why that is, but I am not alone in feeling that way. Friends leave, miss the hood and come back, time and time again. Even something as silly as crossing the BU Bridge and hitting the god-awful J-Way, I feel relief. I'm home. I'm oddly more at peace. One of my imaginings is that because many of the buildings (the Irish Battleships notwithstanding) are wildly dissimilar, so varied in shape, size, architecture and materials that we feel that the OK part of being different from one another is reflected in the space around us. We're overly protective and possessive. We hate to cross the river. We defend the hood against fakers, hipsters and the rich even as they also in their own particular way become part of the JP weave which is cumulatively bigger than all of us. Duh. The JP Music Festival (1st Annual) was a proud example of this sense of heartfelt belonging. You saw it on the faces in the crowd, on stage and behind all scenes.

I've worked here (Doyles) for at least 22 years. I've lived in JP apartments on and off for years. I've wanted to write a valentine to the place for a long time. You can't make those things happen. They have to wait until they want out and then, if you're lucky, you get one that says it the way you want it said and tells the truth.

I include a video I shot of two of my friends walking the streets alone. I asked Margie (Nicoll) and Mike (O'Brien) to 'act' the walk because they're not actors. They have such open honest faces that they bring it home, at least to me, the vibe of this awesome town. 

The song is dedicated to Kevin Armitage (1964-2010). I was lucky enough to catch him walking by himself on his way to the Behan. I doubt he liked being photographed, but there he was, head down, listening to music. His passing and the outpouring of love for him at his funeral, in the bars afterwards (all over Boston) and ongoingly is another example of how loyal, deep, big-hearted and easily one finds real friends here in this crazy hood.

from PAPER AIRPLANE, track released 19 April 2010 cast:

piano JANE MANGINI
guitars KEVIN BARRY/DUKE LEVINE
bass ANDREW MAZZONE (RICHARD GATES track 8)
drums ANDY PLAISTED
harp DENNIS BRENNAN
backup vox DENNIS BRENNAN/RICHARD GATES
bar vox THE BRENDAN BEHAN RATS
tuba JOBY WILSON
trombone JOE STEWART
toy piano BERLIN

produced by RICK BERLIN/DENNIS BRENNAN/JOE STEWART
recorded/engineered by JOE STEWART
@ HI-N-DRY/HUMMELVISION
mixed @ HUMMELVISION
mastered by IAN KENNEDY
@ NEW ALLIANCE EAST MASTERING

painting by MARGIE NICOLL

An at-home demo made on G-band with Travis Kern playing guitars.

A reminiscence of the time ORCHESTRA LUNA played CBGB's when the club was in it's punk rock prime. When HILLY KRISTAL (photo by Lisa Burgman - Hilly's daughter) teamed up with TELEVISION and all the brand new hot shot disparate NY bands packed the room and SEYMOUR STEIN started signing them up. We were an anomaly in that world, even as we loved playing there. We smiled way more (too much?) than the RAMONES, or the SHIRTS, or the TALKING HEADS, or the MUMPS, or PATTI SMITH. We had clown-like red-white-n-blue make-up. We even had choreography and hung 15 foot exquisite corpse banners for Christ sakes. Even so, Hilly, and even many of the bands (especially the SHIRTS) seemed to like us. SEYMOUR even wanted to sign OL2 (the second version of the idea with KARLA DEVITO replacing my sister LISA, BOB BRANDON replacing me at the keys, CHET CAHILL replacing SCOTT CHAMBERS on bass, and STEVEN PERRY replacing RANDY ROOS on guitar) but we, like fools, declined, holding out for more money - which of course, never got offered. We were still a 'lets-have-a-band' band and naive in a cool way. And the demi-monde of CB's took hold with us big time. STEVEN and i stayed with DANNY FIELDS (the RAMONES manager) and were there on his roof for the great Manhattan blackout. The slippery stairs to the bathroom were an Alps backwards to climb down. The soon-to-be stars hung out with each other and with us. PATTI stole J D DOGHERTY from the MUMPS to be her drummer (as he still is). All was beautiful and crazy and inspired. We were lucky to have been a part of it all, even as we slid into obscurity and as we watched all those great bands rise.

Not sure when this was done, or even the name of the studio (in the South End - now defunct) where i recorded it. Barry Marshall produced. Jane Mangini played piano and Mike played drums. I know we were lucky to have a full choir from a nearby church flesh it out. Nancy Adams and Julie Woods sang the girls verses and the Reverend Lee Mitchell sang the part of the preacher. Gary Cherone sang the boy's verse. It was a giant undertaking. HEAVEN N HELL is part of THE KINGDOM, a musical I've written which can be read and listened to simultaneously (for those who have the time) here:

http://rickberlin.me/ambition/index.html

Although the song provides a specific plot point in the script, it also has much to do with the familiar human dilemma. That we are both compassionate and mal-intentioned, kind-hearted and evil. Both impulses lurk in all of us. Someone once claimed that there has to be a bit of Hitler in each soul or he would never have existed. Who knows? I'm never sure about radical hocus pocus. On the other hand I sense in myself the same polarization, although they quiet somewhat with age.

I'd add that I've always loved gospel. Black gospel, not the insipid version heard in white evangelical houses. It is the same power and soul we can hear in Aretha Franklin's voice. It echos in each of us a god truth that is as universal as OM. I've approached that genre in other songs, but nowhere else as convincingly as here. The singers are why it works. I'd kill someday to see THE KINGDOM musical staged.