I'm sorry to inform my backers that I'm canceling the "Night Time in the Big City" book publication Kickstarter project. As noted in the Kickstarter FAQ, your pledge will be canceled, you won't pay anything and that's that.

There's obviously a lot of interest in a book about Theme Time Radio Hour. I hope to see one some day, whether it's by me or not.

I can't tell you all how much I've appreciated all the support, personal messages and pledges over the past month-and-a-half. To paraphrase the words of the immortal Barbara Bain, there are a lot of people I'd like to thank. And there a couple of people I'd like not to thank. And both groups know who they are.

That's all I have to say. Thanks again.

"With a crime such as this - one that produced equal parts awe and conjecture to the degree that it has achieved mythical proportions - it's fitting that there remains some mystery as to precisely how it was pulled off. Only a small group of men know for sure, and to date not one of them has provided a full and credible explanation, if they've spoken about it at all."

That's from the Author Notes to "Flawless," a book about the legendary Antwerp Diamond Center heist of 2003, but it's also a fitting epigram for Theme Time Radio Hour in many ways. The "small group of men", and at least one woman, who composed the TTRH team have always maintained an air of mystery about precisely how they pulled it off, and undoubtedly will never provide a full and credible explanation.

It's not their way. There's a reason why the group of TTRH guest commentators included such purveyors of hokum as Penn Jillette and Ricky Jay, both close friends of Eddie G. and Mr. D. There's a reason why the mysterious associate producer, the person who called him/herself Sonny Webster, Ben Rollins and Nina Fitzgerald-Washington over the three seasons was adamant about protecting his (or was it her?) identity, only breaking cover once in March 2007 on the "Trains" episode.

One of the things that's become important to me is to keep the mystique of the Abernathy Building and Studio B intact, not least because the people who created the Big City put so much effort into developing that mystique. In some ways, it's always night. There's always a woman in red smoking a cigarette on a balcony with the city spread below her. Soon she'll walk into the lobby of the Abernathy Building, take the elevator up, go into Studio B.

The real Studio B exists only in the theater of the mind. You can probably see it as well as I can. Unchanged since the `50s, mike dangling down from the ceiling, two turntables framing the deejay's chair. Tex Carbone behind the glass, working at his sound panel. The lady in red in a separate sound booth, leaning into the microphone, huskily whispering out...

"It's Night Time in the Big City." And it begins again.

That's the real Studio B. Below you'll see a photo of its more mundane counterpoint, the "Studio B" where most of the shows were final-edited and tweaked. The XM Radio Studios at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

***

"I have a degree in jazz composition orchestration. I used to write Big Band and a lot of jazz. I have a huge appreciation for jazz. I got into production and mixing 20 years ago. Every week we'd always end up talking about jazz. And here we are mixing the show at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Phil Woods Quartet or somebody would be down the hall and we'd be mixing and Sonny Rollins would walk by. It was totally a trip.

"Everything I learned, all the music I was exposed to that I had never heard… it was great. I'd stop and I'd turn around and I'd call Eddie and I'd be going, "Dude! This is great! I can't believe that!" [One thing] would line up with [another], and things would tie together. It was harder at the beginning, it was a new show to Bob. But as Bob got into it, it really got better and better. To me, every show was just fabulous." ~ Tex Carbone in an interview for "Night Time in the Big City"

***

Thanks to the supporters who boarded the "Night Time in the Big City" Desert Bus this week, including the person who made the incredibly generous pledge of $1,000. If we reach our funding goal, I'm determined to deliver a book to you all that equals your faith in me and this project.

Thanks to the eight people who joined the Night Time in the Big City project this week, joining the 54 others who have pledged to the project. Every one of your contributions is much appreciated.

I've you've read my bio, you know I live in Southern New Hampshire, an area that got whacked heartily by weather last evening, as did much of New England. Peggy, I and the Top Cats are fine, although we're without power and as usual when we lose power and get heavy rains, our basement is flooded. So, we're going to be spending the next several days in clean-up after power is restored, which we're hoping will be soon.

The Night Time in the Big City book project continues. As have several of my backers already, the next best thing you can do after contributing is to contact other Bob Dylan/TTRH fans about the book. As much as Karl Erik at Expecting Rain and Sean over at RightWing Bob have gone out of their respective ways to publicize the project on the web (as have others. My apologies if I don't mention you directly), I'm always surprised by how many new contributors weren't aware of Night Time in the Big City until someone else sent them an email about it.

The remaining $2,180 isn't much, especially when you consider that we raised more than that in the space of 30 days. I'm confident we can do it together. Excelsior and all that. Back to the mop-up.

A dozen new supporters joined the Never-Ending Pledge Drive (NEPD) this past week and, as always, thank you. $20 more and we'll have crossed the halfway point.

I was trying to think of something to offer my backers this week, and have decided that you get to pick the next TTRH show I transcribe with commentary over at Dreamtime, and possibly to be included in Nighttime in the Big City (I'm planning on transcriptions of at least one show from each season, just haven't decided which shows yet).

So far I've done "Weather," "Flowers" and "Days of the Week." What show would you like to see transcribed next? What's your favorite? What pithy comment from Mr. D. had you going, "I want to know more about that?"

Add your comment here and I'll pick either the show that gets the most votes or - in the case of a tie - have the Top Cats randomly select one.

This week we crossed the $2,000 barrier and we're only a few hundred dollars from being 50 percent funded with 70 days to go.

On the down side, pledges have been slowing down, with only five new backers (thank you all) joining the "Night Time in the Big City" project this week. And, truth be told, I'm running out of ideas on how to publicize the project over the next two months. There's only so many times you can go to the well of the Bob Dylan community. What we need is some mainstream publicity.

Any/all ideas are welcome.

Here's my backer's "Night Time in the Big City" special gift this week. As I mentioned in the Dreamtime blog, "Samson's Diner" was real. The crew of Theme Time Radio Hour could often be found at the counter of the Bright Food Shop in Chelsea after a long shift in Studio B. Tex Carbone was said to especially favor the burritos.

How do I know that? Why, Tex told me, of course.

I'm beginning to think that raising $5,000 in 90 days for a book not about Bob Dylan, nor about Bob Dylan's music, but about a radio show that Bob Dylan hosted while obstinately refusing to play his own music might have an audience. Who woulda thunk it?

Thanks to all the new backers who hopped on the train this week. Much appreciated. Some virtual gifts for y'all reading these project updates.

As I noted in an earlier post I've been transcribing Episode 53 of TTRH, the "Days of the Week" show, and have just wound that one up. You can find Part 1 here...

http://www.dreamtimepodcast.com/2010/02/annotated-days-of-week-theme-time-radio.html

Although it took some hefty research work, I was finally able to nail down the ska song playing in the background as Mr. D. recites "Solomon Grundy." Read all about it in Part 2 here...

http://www.dreamtimepodcast.com/2010/02/annotated-days-of-week-theme-time-radio_05.html

One of my favorite TTRH's was the opener for Season 2, "Hello." If you liked the music on that show, you might like the Pandora radio station I put together featuring "Hello" music and artists.

http://www.pandora.com/...

Have a good weekend, all. Thanks again for your commercial affiliation.

In honor of my friends and neighbors supporting "Night Time in the Big City," I've posted the first part of The Annotated “Days of the Week” Theme Time Radio Hour - Episode 53 on Dreamtime http://bit.ly/dmWLXp (howza 'bout that for a segue, huh?) with Part 2 coming in a few days.

Therein you'll meet Monday's and Saturday's children, learn that Jack White knows his Sundays, look at the leaders in the TTRH playlist race, and listen - if only virtually - to a surprise recorder rendition. In Part 2 you'll find amazing predictions from the even more Amazing Criswell, and receive Our Host's final word on commercial affiliation.

Also, The Examiner has its first part of its interview with lil' ol' me.

http://www.examiner.com/x-21829-Bob-Dylan-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Interview-with-Dreamtimes-Fred-Bals-author-of-upcoming-Theme-Time-Radio-Hour-book--Part-one

The good news is that over 10 percent of the project's funding has been raised within a week thanks to the fourteen friends (and some strangers) who have contributed so far.

The bad news? It's way too early for bad news. "Everything's shiny, Captain."

Sometime this week an interview with me about the project should appear in the "Bob Dylan Examiner," http://www.examiner.com/x-21829-Bob-Dylan-Examiner Karl Erik at Expecting Rain has gone beyond the call of duty and has been banging the drum at every opportunity about the project, and several bloggers have mentioned it over the past week and linked to either Kickstarter or Dreamtime. I'm also trying to spark some traditional media interest in the next 80-odd days of the life of the pledge drive.

All of you have already shown your support for "Night Time in the Big City." If you have the opportunity, talk up the project to those who you think might be interested. Tell other Bob Dylan and TTRH fans about it. If you have a blog or web site, promote “Night Time in the Big City” on your site, as several people have already done. If you have ins with any media outlets -- either on-line or traditional, give them the 411 on the project and see if they'll bite. I'm always available for interviews, either in writing or by phone.

We forge ahead.

I'll try to thank all of you individually at some point, but I really appreciate the support to date. I'm already getting some "frequently asked questions" that I thought I'd answer here.

Q: I can't/don't want to contribute through Kickstarter, but do want to support "Night Time in the Big City." Can I send you a check?

A: I appreciate the sentiment, but at this point I'm not accepting contributions except through Kickstarter. There are basically two reasons for this: I need $5,000 to do the job right. I don't want to be in the position of raising say, $2,000, and have to return the money or try to do a $5,000 project for $2,000. I like the idea that Kickstarter is all-or-nothing. Much cleaner that way.

I'm also trying to gauge interest in the book. The general reaction I received from agents/publishers to my proposal was that without Bob Dylan's name on it as author - or at the minimum an interview with Dylan - its market was minimal. That may be true. It may not. But I'm not interested in doing a vanity project. I figure if I can get the support of enough people to raise $5,000 it does have a wider market. Time will tell.

Q: Is the manuscript finished?

A: Yes. The $5,000 is going to publishing/marketing.

Q: Is this the "Theme Time Radio Hour Compendium" book that was advertised in 2008-09?

A: No. That was an an "official" Bob Dylan project that from all reports has been put on indefinite hold.

Q: Is Dylan aware of the book?

A: I have the same answer as I did for Dreamtime. As with the blog/podcast, I know Dylan's representatives are aware of the book. Don't know about Mr. D. himself. As with Dreamtime, if he does read it, I hope he likes it.

Q: Is the book the blog in print format?

A: The various blog posts I've made since 2006 on Dreamtime form the core of the book. There's also new material.

Q: I have a project I want to feature on Kickstarter. Can I get an invite from you?

A: I have a small number of invitations. Send me the proposal you'd publish on Kickstarter. No guarantees, but if it appeals to my admittedly eclectic tastes, I may send you an invite.

Video is not my forte. The credits scroll by so fast that I give short shrift to the creator of the original Theme Time Radio Hour poster animation, "UkuleleElvis." You can watch his full animated version using all of Ellen Barkin's Season 1 intros here. http://blip.tv/file/450465

Thanks, Simon!