SONG OF THE WEEK – BESIDE YOU

There has been a lot of Christmas music played these last few weeks, on the radio, in shopping malls and public buildings, on our Pandora playlists.  I enjoy hearing the songs, but many are played so frequently that they begin to lose their original meaning.  I couldn’t tell you how many times I have heard some singer or other telling me to have a merry little Christmas when ‘faithful friends who are dear to us, they gather near to us once more.”

After hearing those lines several times, I began to think of the old song, “Faithful Friends,” by the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble.  Its lyrics tell us that while words come easy, like the wind, faithful friends are hard to find.  That is a valid point, so I briefly thought “Faithful Friends” might be a good Song of the Week.  I abandoned that idea, though, because it is not a great song, and it sounds very dated today – more than 45 years after it was recorded.  Also, the song tells us that it is important for us to distinguish “faithful friends from flattering foe,”  and that is not the sentiment I wanted to convey here.

Instead, I have chosen a song from the group’s third album, Roll Over (from 1971), by which time their name had been shortened to the New York Rock Ensemble.  The song is entitled “Beside You.”

The New York Rock (and Roll) Ensemble presented a completely different approach to “classic rock.”  Originally a five-piece band, three of the members – Michael Kamen, Martin Fulterman and Dorian Rudnytsky – were Julliard trained classical musicians, while the other two – Clif Nivison and Brian Corrigan – were accomplished self-trained rock guitarists.  At times during their concerts and recordings, Kamen would step away from the keyboards and play his oboe or English horn, Fulterman would put down his drum sticks and pick up his own oboe and Rudnytsky would trade his electric bass for a cello (or sometimes a trumpet or French horn).  The group often wore tuxedos while performing.

As mentioned, “Beside You” is from the group’s third album, after Brian Corrigan had left the band.  It is one of the songs that features the woodwinds and cello with Nivison’s acoustic guitar.  On its most obvious level, it is a romantic ballad.  However, it can also remind us that our faithful friends are those in whose presence we can experience a quiet and enduring peace.

The song is also appropriate for this season of the solstice as we “listen to the sunrise and feel its growing light.”

The New York Rock Ensemble quit recording in 1973.  Since then, the two members who have been best known are Michael Kamen, who composed the scores for more than 50 major motion pictures1, including several in the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon series, Mr. Holland’s Opus and 101 Dalmatians; and Martin Fulterman, who changed his name to Mark Snow, and also composed for television and film, most famously for the series X-Files.  Michael Kamen died after suffering a heart attack in 2003, but I believe that all of the other band members are still ,living.

Beside You
By Martin Fulterman (Mark Snow) and Michael Kamen

We’ll follow the river
Down to the stream
That’s where my dream began
I left my worries to people who stare
And dreamed without a care
That I’d always be beside you
To watch the day and night
And we’ll listen to the sunrise
and feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
So quiet.

Another town a thousand cheers
Been on the road one million years
Some say it has to be that way
But not for me I want to say
That I’d always be beside you
To watch the day and night
And we’ll listen to the sunrise
And feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
So quiet.

Yes I’ll always be beside you
To watch the day and night
And we’ll listen to the sunrise
And feel its growing light
And peace will come inside
So quiet.

© Universal Music Publishing Group

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  1.  “Beside You” is featured prominently in Robin Williams’ 1988 film, What Dreams May Come  It seems that for some reason, the original score for that film was rejected just weeks before it was to be released, and Michael Kamen was recruited to re-write the score.

 

19 thoughts on “SONG OF THE WEEK – BESIDE YOU

  1. I became acquainted with is album as a child, having a much older sister and brother.
    Recently I listened to the group again and this song overwhelmed me. I put it now as the ringtone of my sweetheart.
    Thank you so much for giving us this music.

  2. I saw them in 1970 at the David Mead Field House Allegheny College Meadville, PA. They did not play “Beside You”, but I first heard it when I was preparing a newscast for WARC later in the year. Wow was all I could think then and now. I feel for Jose’s native country. Loved Dorian’s cello, and was saddened by Michael Kamen’s death.

    • Wow…. NYRE was a unique and very talented group. I do not know anyone who saw them perform and was not impressed. Thank you for the comment.

    • Ralph, I was the president of the college union board CUB at Edinboro College Pa. I booked the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble In 1970. It was the first concert we had in our new gym. We had to borrow or rent the floor covering from Allegheny College because the athletic director was starting to panic.
      When the group arrived for some reason the cello didn’t and so I had to drive one of their members to search for the needed cello. The head of the music department gave us one with certain stipulations. I was so glad he did because for me and many others (Beside You) was the highlight of the wonderful performance.
      This is one song that has stuck in my head for life. When that happens to anyone it is a wonderful complement for any group.

  3. This is my all time favorite song, along with “Fields of Joy”. NYRE performed on my country (Venezuela) circa 1972. I was a child at the time and didn’t go to see then, but a lot o people remember the event.
    Thanks !

    • Jose, yes, it is a great song. “Fields of Joy” is also great, and there are many people who know of it from the excellent cover version done by Lenny Kravitz – although I still prefer to listen to NYRE.

      On a different subject, I see that yours is the 1,000th comment that has been posted on my website. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to write something.

      And on still another subject, many of us in other parts of the world are watching Venezuela with interest, hoping there will soon be a fair and peaceful solution to the current political crisis. It seems that there must be many difficulties for those of you who live there. I sincerely wish you good fortune and the best of luck.

  4. I saw the NYRE only once, at Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica NY in the fall of ’71. I was blown away by them. They truly seemed to enjoy being there, and put on a great concert. The highlight to me was
    “Beside You”, which prompted a thunderous standing ovation, which seemed to pleasantly surprise the musicians, judging by the look of their huge smiles as they glanced at each other in amazement.
    I’ve seen many concerts in my 65 years on earth, but this had to be one of my top five favorites. Dorian, Cliff , Marty, and Michael (RIP my friend) – if any of you are reading this, thanks for your music and the great performance! BTW a funny sidelight – I and two of my buds were responsible for taking an upright piano from the student center, down to the gym for the show. Picture a Chevy pickup driving as slow as possible across the campus with a guy trying to keep his seat while playing Chopin on the piano. We had stares, cheers, and laughter from everyone wondering “what the…?” Great memory for an unforgettable day!

    • Dave, it is hard to believe that it has been almost 50 years since the first time I saw the NYRE in concert. Since then, I have talked with many people who have seen their concerts, and every one of them loved the experience. As you say, they seemed to have fun, and they were consummate musicians.

      As for the piano and the pickup, I can picture that. LOL

  5. Moved to read these comments after all these years. Music is a unique language — very grateful some of those sounds we produced made you over here happy to this day. Always enjoy music!

    Dorian
    New York R & R Ensemble

    • Elizabeth, Thanks for your comment. I believe that the world would seem a better place if more people woke up to this song, and took a moment to listen to the sunrise.

  6. I saw NYR&RE in Beaumont Texas at Lamar University. No one had heard of them but we had several great bands come through Beaumont. I took a chance bought tickets sat on the floor and like all that were there, was completely blown away. Unbelievable talent! Have original albums and now CD’s.

    • I agree that they were very impressive in concert – at least the two times I was fortunate enough to see them. Thanks for stopping by, Mark.

  7. Louis, I have always liked this song, perhaps because it was part of the sound track for What Dreams May Come, (as you mentioned), a movie I thoroughly enjoyed. I have a memory of seeing the NYRE in Mackey Auditorium at CU. They played with the CU symphony (or the Boulder Symphony?). I can only imagine that I went on a recommendation from you and that you were probably there. Watching them move from Rock n Roll instruments to classical instruments and then back was fascinating. I have only seen classical musicians in a symphony play with such enthusiasm and energy a few times. ( a concert by the BSO led by Seiji Ozawa at Tanglewood comes to mind). Thanks for posting this classic.

    • I, too, remember that concert. That was the second, and last, time I saw the NYR&RE. I first saw them in Denver the previous summer – and I wrote about that in an earlier post, which is here. I was impressed with the group then, and I think I told everyone I knew that they should go and see how they played with a symphony orchestra. Certainly their brand of rock is more symphonic than most.

      And speaking of movies, I was thinking that “Beside You” was also in the 1971 “electric western” film, Zachariah, but I can’t find anything to confirm that; and my memory isn’t always to be trusted.

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