Sunday, December 23, 2012

The Sunday Comments ( 12 - 23 - 12 )


It's a short-but-sweet, "Skinny Edition" of The Sunday Comments this week ... but a chance to clear the decks. (The mail bag's been pretty light as we get closer to the holidays)

Meanwhile, here's a big of reading to slip in between the stockings and the eggnog!    

re: WINTER SONGS:
Two lesser known 70’s Winter tunes:
Winter Time - Steve Miller
Winter Song - Angel
Ken
thought about featuring the Steve Miller track (a very pretty song actually) but it just goes against my being right now to give this guy even one second more of public airtime ... when literally EVERY time I turn on the radio he is playing on at least one or two radio stations as it is!!! (kk)  

In regards to winter songs, there is Wintertime Love by the Doors from their Waiting For The Sun album. There is also an excellent doo-wop record by the Belmonts called Wintertime.
Mark the Shark   

Wow Kent!
Thanks so much for posting "A Winter Song". My wife, Janine, wrote the lyrics.
Happy Holidays to you and yours and to the fans of your great site.
Davie Allan
   


Kent,
The playlist for today further illustrates the broad variety of popular music we grew up with.
Excellent selections top to bottom.
David Lewis  
 


re: END OF THE WORLD SONGS:
Well, we're still here (surprise, surprise) ... meanwhile, I received a few other "end of the world" song suggestions ... some of which were featured on various radio programs on Friday ... see what you think!   

The End Of The World by Skeeter Davis and Herman's Hermits
It's The End Of The World As We Know It by REM
Goodbye Cruel World by James Darren
Make The World Go Away by Eddy Arnold and Timi Yuro
Till The World Ends by Three Dog Night
Until The End Of The World by U2
The End Of The Road by Boyz II Men
Hello Goodbye by The Beatles
Good Night by The Beatles
Helter Skelter by The Beatles
I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (from "Armageddon")
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore by The Walker Brothers
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue by Bob Dylan
Knockin' On Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan
The Final Countdown by Europe
Say Goodbye To Hollywood by Billy Joel
Reach Out Of The Darkness by Friend and Lover
It's All Over Now by The Rolling Stones
Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
Out Of Time by The Rolling Stones    

Happy Apocalypse Day!! MERRY CHRISTMAS if that doesn't happen. Check out forecast for Saturday. Should be easy shopping day! Haha
Clark


re: MERRY CHRISTMAS:
One of my very favorite Christmas specials has always been "Christmas and then Some." The program runs a little over 9 hours and fits on 7 cds or 1 cd as mp3 files.
Over the years I have shared this program with many of my friends and relatives. This year I have decided to share it with everyone I know that has a computer.
All you need to do is click on the links below and download the program into your computer. From there you can burn it to cd as either an audio disc (7) or mp3 data disc (1)
and play it through the sound system of you choice. If you have any problems downloading and need help, just contact me. Attached you will find the song listings and CD covers.
Enjoy "Christmas and then Some" and have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and exciting New Year.
Bill   

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO ALL OF OUR READERS! (kk)   

re: TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HIT:
Hi Kent,
Thanks so much for your recent posting of Nathan Jones which was an auditory treat. Also, thanks also for including The Angels, Thank You And Goodnight as a top girl group track on a post from two or so months ago. This is a all-time favorite of mine from around this time in 1963: just on the eve of the British Invasion. I am reading FH postings more regularly in the last few months and continue to be amazed by the collective musical knowledge and great memories shared by fellow subscribers.
Bless your continued work,
Justin     

>>>HERE IS MY QUESTION ... DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS A DEFINITE BOOK ON RECORD LABELS? I FOR ONE, WOULD LOVE TO SEE A BOOK ON THE GREAT RECORD LABELS OF THE 50'S THRU THE 70'S. (MIKE)
>>>Not quite sure what you're going for here ... a book of photographs showing all the different labels? Or a listing of what was released on all of these various different labels? Like a catalog listing of their entire output. I remember YEARS ago a guy by the name of Ken Clee published such a book, listing the catalog number for each release along with who and what were ON that release ... but I'm going back a good 20-25 years. If somebody knows of some other good label sources, please let us know. (Mike Callahan has also done some extensive studies in this area if I'm not mistaken. You can find some of his stuff online in the "Both Sides Now" category.) kk
One of your readers wanted some info on any books pertaining to record labels.
I have three such sources and I am sure a lot of your readers have these as well.
1. The Directory of American 45 r.p.m. Records (Volumes 1-6). You were right. This was put out by Ken Clee, located in Stevens, Pa. 17578. Phone #(717)-336-2355. Highly recommended in my opinion.
2.The Record Label Guide by Joe Lindsay. Published by Biodisc in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Address was POB 8221 with a zip of85251-8221. This book was published in 1986 and covers LP's primarily.
3.American Premium Record Guide-Identification and Value Guide by L.R. Docks published in 1986.
Put out by Books Americana, POB 2326 in Florence, Alabama 35630.
The above addresses and phone numbers I listed may or may not still be correct.
Larry Neal
Sometimes you can find used copies of these types of books online, too. Here's at least a good starting point for you! (kk)
Kent -
What I was looking for was more of history on record labels. How long was (is) the label around, who founded it, the artists that recorded for the label, etc.
Thanks, Kent, for this and for all you do. I would not miss your site as it is entertaining, and informative. You treat everyone with respect from the record artist, DJ'S to the average guy or gal that loves music. To you and your wife Have a Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year. Please no more computer crashes ... gotta get my music fix! Hopefully catch ya at a summer fest or if you have a special gatherings (like the movie at the Music Box a few years ago). Love ya man!
Mike De Martino 
 


>>>I've made this video trying to find out what this song is ? Do you know it ?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGtAKr24Nvc&feature=player_detailpage
If so, THANK YOU! (♫ Larry in Winston-Salem, N.C.)
>>>This a classical piece called "Jeau, Joy of Man's Desiring", written by Johann Sebastian Bach in the 1700's! It became a Top Five Smash in 1972 when Apollo 100 released a contemporary version. (Of course THEIR ending isn't anywhere near as cool as yours!!! Lol) kk
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" ... wasn't that also Wendy (after the sex change) Carlos' SWITCHED ON BACH's, JOY?
RENFIELD
Yep ... one and the same. The Apollo 100 hit single was also titled simply "Joy". (kk)

Hello Kent et al,
I am looking for vintage late 60s radio spots for Tab cola. There was one in particular that had a kind of hippie-trippy sound that was typical of many commercials from that time. I believe that this same commercial (Be A Mind Sticker) was also done in a faster, louder rock format.
Best,
Justin
St. Paul, MN
We've devoted several pages of readers obsessed with finding their favorite commercials ... why stop now! I know we've got some real collectors out there for this stuff ... anybody got a copy of this one to share? (kk)  

re: THIS AND THAT:
Thanks for the mention for "I'll Cry Instead". People who diss the earlier stuff (like, "I only dig the SERIOUS STUFF from Rubber Soul and on"), just miss the entire magical feel of what Beatlemania really feels like.
I particularly like the Joe Cocker version as well. Think I read that was Cocker's first single. Definitely more true to the original than his later interpretations (not really "covers").
Dan  

The 2013 Malt Shop Cruise lineup so far includes Neil Sedaka, Petula Clark, Bobby Rydell, Righteous Brothers' Bill Medley, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Lesley Gore, Freddy Cannon, Gary U.S. Bonds, Shirley Alston Reeves (original lead singer of The Shirelles), Chris Montez , The Four Tops, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Jay Siegel's Tokens, The Crystals, The Passions, The Eternals, The Devotions, The Emotions, MC Jerry Blavat and comedian Robert Klein. The Elvis tribute artists include Mark Anthony,
Jay Dupuis, Dwight Icenhower, Gino Monopoli, Anthony Von, Jay Zanier and The EAS Band.
Nearly half of the guests have already booked for Malt Shop Memories Cruise 2013!
Liz and Lou / Keep Rockin' Magazine
Wow! Quite a line-up! (kk)   

Kent,
Lee Dorman Dead: Iron Butterfly Bassist Dies at the Age of 70
Former Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman has passed away.
The 70-year-old was found dead outside of his home in Orange County, Calif. earlier today (Dec. 21).
According to a report on TMZ, officers showed up to Dorman's home around 10AM and found him dead, sitting in his car. The authorities do not suspect any foul play and Dorman reportedly suffered from heart problems.
Dorman joined Iron Butterfly in late 1967, and played on "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," the 17-minute title track to the San Diego-based group's second album. The song went on to become Iron Butterfly's biggest hit and a classic rock radio staple.
-- BD Poe    

Jimmy McCracklin, best known for his 1958 hit, "The Walk" (#7 pop, #5 R&B), died Thursday (December 20) at a health facility in San Pablo, California after battling illnesses like diabetes and hypertension for years. Though he often disputed it, he was 91. Born in Helena, Arkansas as James Walker, he grew up in St. Louis. Serving in the Navy during World War II, he then returned home to box professionally while singing and playing blues harmonica on the side. Moving to Oakland in 1947, he worked at his sister-in-law's bar there, forming a band called the Blues Blasters in 1949. Recording for over a decade with little success for labels like Globe and Modern, he and his band (billed simply as "his band") recorded "The Walk" for Checker Records while working in Chicago (with distinctive guitar riffs from Lafayette "Thing" Thomas). Despite some success on the R&B charts, it was four more years before he reached the pop charts again, with "Just Got To Know" for his own Art-tone Records(#64 pop, #2 R&B in 1962). Joining the Imperial label, he reached the bottom ten of the pop charts three times in 1965 at which time his legacy was already established as a blues great. Perhaps his biggest hit was a song he wrote with Lowell Fulson and later a hit for Carla Thomas & Otis Redding and even later for Salt-n-Pepa- "Tramp." He was given the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1990.
-- Ron Smith


In talking about Chad & Jeremy's GREAT version of "If I Loved You", Jeff Lynne of ELO has followed in Paul Mcartney's footsteps and issued a CD of older standards from 30's to 60's. It's actually pretty good. I LOVE his version of "She" and "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" -- he sounds a lot like Macca himself when not double and tripling his voice. Aside from the drum machine backbeat sound, his take on "If I Loved You" is excellent, too. He also does both vocals on the Everlies' "So Sad" very well and a nice job on the vocally stressing Orbison tune "Running Scraed"!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! WLSClark
I sneak-peeked all of these tracks after watching the Palladia Jeff Lynne television special ... Lynne went in and recorded this album of "standards" while simultaneously rerecording a good chunk of the Electric Light Orchestra catalog, releasing both CDs together. Listening to his version of "If I Loved You", I not quite as enamored with it as you are ... I think there are much stronger tracks to be found on this album. (kk)

Hello kk!
Now the other day you wrote about the "cut verse" of "Hang On Sloopy" and it made me realize no one is talking about the last uncut verse at all.
Now maybe it was just my dirty mind at the time but I always thought that that song was about Sloopy riding on top of her lover boy and he's telling her to "Hang on Sloopy" because they are going at it like two steam locomotives and that's what all the yelling and screaming is about on that section of the tune. The clincher is the opening line ... "Sloopy let your hair down, girl ... let it hang down on me."
So I always assumed he was underneath her and she is above him and it crescendos into a screamfest Bolero type climax that remained one of those giggle about tunes that stood atop the heap of other sexual innuendo laced hits much like Tommy James & The Shondells "I Think We're Alone Now" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIeRqPFJvXM and Paul Revere and the Raiders "Let Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REj9ctsLRKc and paved the way for The Raspberries in later years with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfgnc6Ey0q0
Also this next clip clears up the questions of The McCoy controversy.
And this island beat Hang On Sloopy remake in the 70's by The McCoys was quite risque with it's video vixen who traded in the old red dress for a braless short short ensemble.
All my friends insisted that the last verse of Brenton Wood's Oogum Boogum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXQxp-Q7U_4 contained the description of the slang for bottom and top anatomy of a woman and I for one agreed with them as it sounded like it to me, too.
This conversation could go on forever as music is quite rife with sex and those who hear in songs like Louie Louie and such "things".
Boobie VanHouten

Some GREAT clips here, Boobie! (I especially like the 1975 "Hang On Sloopy" remake with that little bit of reggae feel to it!) Thanks for sharing! (kk)