by Scott Turner

The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia

Again, please excuse the pun, but this month's column really relates to lights going out!! Is it music related? Well, maybe yes or perhaps no, but what I'm about to talk about really blew me away when I actually saw it in action.

Firstly, a few words about a very close friend and a charter member of our breakfast club namely Ken Kittinger. I've known Ken since he was a sales rep for Decca Records many moons ago, and I can honestly state that there's not one luminary in our business that Ken doesn't know on a one--to-one basis. And they ALL like him!!

I can't remember how many years ago that Ken started an awards business meaning that about 90% of the gold, platinum, etc. awards you see in Nashville offices were personally hand-crafted by Ken. And his work is ultra-impressive. I have quite a few creations of his gracing my walls. But that's not what this column is about. Two or three years ago, Ken's son David was instrumental in creating an alternate power system and it's a unit about 3'x1-1/2'x1-1/2' that actually stores power by charging it up with either home power or by powering up with your car or truck. Many times in Nashville I've been in the middle of recording or tape copying and...zap...out goes the power and for the next 2-3 hours, I'm stuck. And perhaps that's happened to some of you music people out there who have been stymied by the same occurrence and did a slow burn just like I did, countless times when power ooutages took away our means to work.

Today Ken had a unit in his SUV that he charged up with a solar panel that he has at home. He took me out to see it and plugged in 3 power tools to the unit and 3 worked to perfection. Not being a technoid (as they say), I don't know the mechanics of the APS (Alternate Power System), but I know that it will power up a computer, small appliances, tape and CD decks, refrigerators, etc. And it's noiseless without the gas fumes that a regular generator emits.

Personally, I believe that it can be an aid for music people because if and when your power goes splat, just wheel that small unit from the hall closet and voila! You're back in business! Ken can further explain everything you want to know about the device by contacting him at kenkit3@juno.com or talk to him in person at 615/868-4038.

It's actually possible that you might need to get a CD or tape o an artist or producer immediately (or sooner) and along comes a thunder blast that knocks out your power and you just might lose that important cut. With the APS, the problem is solved.

This isn't a commercial. It's merely something I wish I would have had at hand on many occasions.

And by the way, if you ever need a gold record award to give to an artist, producer or friend, then Ken's your man to do it. You won't be disappointed as he's the best.