February 2007

HELLO MY FELLOW KOOKS:

For anyone who cares:

We took an extended break from performing so I could concentrate on my gig on the Disney Channel's hit pre school show "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". I am the Music Director and composer (with Mike Turner), and it's been a great experience and a lot of fun. The show airs on the Disney channel Monday thru Friday at 8:30 AM and Saturday and Sunday mornings 9-10 AM. I believe that your little Bees at home will love it. The show features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto, and lots of old favorites like Ludwig Von Drake, Clarabelle Cow and Chip n Dale drop by for regular visits. The show is beautifully animated and really is a lot of fun. I am having the time of my life working on this show, thanks to the incredible people from the world of animation (Rob Laduca, Sherie Pollack, Mark Seidenberg et al) that I work with.

Last March I went to New York City to see the opening night of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. I wrote the lyrics for the show (Craig Safan did the music), and it was a blast to sit in Madison Square Garden and see the "Greatest Show On Earth".

Joe Bonamassa and I wrote a song called "Asking Around For You" that Joe recorded for his "You And Me" CD. We're proud of the song, and the whole record is great. Rumble Bees fans know how great Joe is, and the world is catching on!

Another song I wrote with my old pal Terry Sampson called "God's Gift" (To The World) was recorded by Jeff Majors featuring Kelly Price and had a great run on radio around the country. It reached #2 on the Gospel Chart, then crossed over to #11 on the R&B AC Chart and it went as high as 50 on the Hip Hop Chart, so that's been fun to watch. My "street cred", which has of late been under heavy suspicion, has rightfully been restored. Once I got my street cred back, the first thing I did was, I walked down the street to 7-11 and got some coffee. I started out as an R&B songwriter, writing for great artists like the Temptations and Al Jarreau, so it felt like "coming home" to have the song do well on the R&B charts. As a matter of fact, one week during the 1980's, I held down the #99 and #100 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 R&B Chart.

I had the pleasure of working on some DreamWorks Animation projects this year. I wrote (with Dena Diamond) and produced some special material for the "Over The Hedge" DVD, and I produced the Slug vocals on the recently released "Flushed Away", which by the way is a PHENOMENAL movie.

And look at me, I got nominated for an Emmy! Al Jarreau, Bill Schultz and I wrote a song called "Take A Look Inside" for the "Toddworld" show on The Learning Channel, and it is nominated for "Best Original Children's Song". The awards take place in June at the Kodak Theatre. I figure to be crowing about this nomination right up until the night I lose.

Enough of all THAT…The RUMBLE BEES and SEXY WORKER BEES are planning a major comeback in 2007. We started if off February 24 at Rusty's with a gig that was fun and memorable as Darleen dropped by to help out on "Mickey Mouse" and a young dude named Nick Carpenter played some wild guitar with Hot Rod on "Good Sign". The whole night was a blast. I have a bunch of new songs and it looks like we'll record a new CD this year. The new Rumble Bees "Panty Removal Service"(Serving the San Fernando Valley Since 1991) T shirts are available. If anyone feels they are in bad taste, blame Sexy Worker Bee Dena "Mine" Diamond, who designed them. Many thanks to Sexy Worker Bee Carol "Triple X" Eckstein for doing all the work to make the T Shirt a reality.

Speaking of Carol, SHE GOT MARRIED! I'll let her tell the story at the next gig.

Carol also performed at the Universal Amphitheatre on Feb 22 with John Trudell, and she was incredible. Jackson Browne and Willie Nelson were on the bill as well. It was really cool when they put Carol up on the giant screens around the theatre. She looked great and sounded (as we knew she would) soulful and phenomenal. She was kind enough to arrange for a backstage pass for me, which was great. Of course when I went back to see her after the show, she totally blew me off. What else is new?

So please keep visiting our site, which we hope to update soon with some new features, pictures etc.

Your kook of kooks.

Mike Himelstein