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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q. Is the reason Dean didn't record for 17 years because he's a reclusive millionaire living off his royalties in the mountains of NY State?
A. ROTFL (Rolling on the floor laughing.....ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...)
Q. Is there any sheet music available for Dean's songs?
A. Wait, I'm still in stitches from the previous question... O.K. Regarding sheet music: Not yet, but I'm working on it. It' a big project though, so, it's not going to be ready until next year. Meanwhile, you might want to check out a few song chord charts worked out by Martin Phee at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/martin.phee/friedman_chords.htm . They're not exact, but they're pretty close for the time being. Have fun.
Q. Who's the woman singing the duet with Dean on Lucky Stars?
A. The very talented Denise Marsa. The record company neglected to put Denise's name on the credits on the UK single and Denise became the mystery lady (she's listed on the album credits). This is one of the most frequent questions I am asked at UK radio interviews. You can check out Denise's music at her website: www.denisemarsamusic.com .
Q. Are there two different versions of Ariel?
A. Yes. My first label insisted that I edit and change the second verse to Ariel, in which I refer to her as "...a Jewish girl". They were convinced that radio stations in the south would use it as an excuse not to play the record. (In fact, many stations in the south insisted on playing the full length version which included 'Jewish girl'.) Also, the entire third verse was edited out of the single version to make it shorter for radio. I fought to keep the original version intact on the album which is why the single version is different than the album. One of my biggest record biz regrets is that I let them do it. (Not that I had a lot of say over the matter as this was my very first release.) In fact, when the single was released my management company received threats from the JDL (Jewish Defense League) protesting the edit. While I was never a fan of Mayer Kahane, now deceased leader of the JDL, in this instance, they were 100% correct.
Q. Is Dean from Canada?
A. No. I was born and bred in Paramus, NJ deep in the bosom of the good ol' US of A. Years ago, a UK journalist misread the liner notes to my 2nd album "Well, Well" Said the Rocking Chair which had been recorded at a recording studio named Le' Studio just outside of Montreal, Canada. Because of this, he mistakenly surmised that I was a Canadian. Ever since, DJ's and journalists in the UK that refer to early press clippings repeat the same mistake until I correct them, not that I have anything against our good neighbors to the north.
Q. Does Dean have a bastard son?
A. Uh, not as far as I know. But a popular UK band named Half Man-Half Biscuit recorded a best selling EP in the 80's which included the unlikely titled track 'The Bastard Son of Dean Friedman'. It's hysterical. I'll try to post a RealAudio file of it a as soon as I can.
Q. Is Dean the same guy as 'Kinky' Friedman?
A. Some folks might consider me a little 'kinky' but, no, I'm not that 'Kinky', although, we did play a gig together one night in NYC, years ago. It was 'Friedman' night at the Lone Star Cafe. And they rack our records together under 'F'. 'Kinky' is a terrific cigar chomping singer/songwriter and, more recently, successful mystery writer, from Texas, and all around larger-than-life-sized character. You can find out more about 'Kinky' at his official website: http://www.kinkyfriedman.com Tell him I said, "Hi!".