WHAT GOES TOGETHER BETTER THAN CARS AND OLDIES? (answer: nuthin'!)

My friends sent me an email recently, maybe you've seen it, if you are of a certain (i.e. old fogey-ish baby boomer) age and your firends send you stuff like this, too. Anyway, I thought it was kind of cute so I'm posting it here. Besides, it gives me an excuse to play some summer put-the-top-down music by the Beach Boys. Never a bad idea!


I came across this phrase yesterday 'FENDER SKIRTS'.



A term I haven't heard in a long time and thinking about 'fender skirts' started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice like 'curb feelers'


And 'steering knobs.' (AKA) suicide knob

Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first
Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.

Remember 'Continental kits?'
They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.


When did we quit calling them 'emergency brakes?'
At some point 'parking brake' became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with 'emergency brake.'

I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the 'foot feed.'

Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the 'running board' up to the house?





Here they are, the Beach Boys, singing "I Get Around" Promise me you'll turn you speakers WAY up, okay? You get extra points if you open the windows, too, even if it's freezing cold!





All photos except for the bottom one came with the email, so I don't know who to credit. The running board car is used with permission of Wendimages.
Video by YT member whitegp2008

GOIN’ MONO-A-MONO WITH STEREO

Continuing with the theme of the previous post, we’re going to look again at the Wall of Sound (WOS) phenom. As with any new musical discovery, it really started to catch on. In the same era, WOS-style numbers can be heard from the Beach Boys (God Only Knows, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Pet Sounds), some of the hits of Dusty Springfield – called the “Anglicized Wall of Sound” (You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me) and The Walker Brothers (The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More), Harry Nilsson (Everybody’s Talkin) and even some early ABBA hits, (Waterloo, Dancing Queen)! And the list doesn’t end there. It’s obvious the Baby Boomers artist and producers of the 60s weren’t the only ones who understand the grandeur, the import of this sound. Wikipedia has a whole article on the WOS, but we'll just sample the following:

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's landmark 1975 Born to Run album — which includes more than thirty guitar tracks — is perhaps the most extensive and faithful updating of Spector's early-60s "Wall of Sound" production style.

The list goes on, but we’ll stop here so we can have ourselves a retro-listen to a couple of these vintage greats. Just listen to the Wall!!

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows, from the album Pet Sounds


The Walker Brothers, The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More






Photo from Wikimedia Commons
BB video by YT member Alixx2
Walker Bro video by YT member garageband66

“THE D” - STILL ROCKIN' THE GARAGE

Recently, I was watching an episode of the new show, Crash (spin-off of sorts of the movie by the same name. Not the one by Cronenberg. I mean the Crash that got best picture in ’05. At the end they played a song that had me jotting down lyrics as quickly as possible so I might have a chance of finding out what it was. After a short search, I lucked out and arrived on the musical doorstep of a Detroit group called The Go. Who knew? Well, since they already have a good rep across the States, and have at least three albums out, the answer to that question is, "Not me!"

Part of the reason for this lapse is that these days I’ve pretty much given up on contemporary pop music. If I’m not listening to my vintage oldies, I’m sticking pretty close to the alt folk and/or alt country scene – Neko Case, Cat Power, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, the Be Good Tanyas – and pop like Coldplay and Five for Fighting. No pop princesses, no Fitty, no Diddy. I don’t look down on those who like it; it’s just not for me. So imagine my surprise when I heard The Go. I felt like everything was going to be all right again.

The Go have been compared to many 60s and 70s classic bands. I hear hints from the Stones, Hendrix, some early 60s rock and even early Beatles. Oh, and throw in a little T-Rex while we’re at it. The list goes on; everybody hears something of his or her personal favorites, too. But The Go’s music can’t be dismissed as simply derivative. Their not just retreads of the golden oldies. This stuff manages to kick out the jams 21st Century style while still sounding like an album you could have, would have, bought and worn out on your record player decades ago. The song that I heard on Crash is called “So Long Johnny” from the album Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride. Hmmm, I wish they would’ve consulted me before they went with that title… Oh well, anyway, a video of the song “So Long Johnny” is on YouTube twice, but they are both such shakey recordings, musically and visually, I don’t feel right about posting them here as an example for you, my valued readers. Obviously you can check it out for yourselves if so inclined. I will put in a URL to Amazon.com so you can hear clips of each song on the album.


Photo of Detroit skyline from Wikimedia commons

BUILDING YOUR MUSICAL VOCABULARY BY CHOOSING THE REET WORD

The other day when I was listening to the oldies station on my dish, they played Jackie Wilson’s hit, “Reet Petite.” Great song! It reminded me of when I was researching one of the chapters in my soon-to-be-published (fall of ’09) second book of music trivia, and was looking up the term “reet.” Reet, it turns out, is just a slangy jazz-era way of saying “right.” So, when Jackie sings, “She’s all right” and “reet petite” he’s really saying pretty much the same thing. But the ladies aren’t the only gender that employs the word reet. Reet is also applied to the special pleats in men’s zoot suit pants in the same jazz era. Ah, those were the days. Of course, in African-American culture, zoot suits and reet pleats are making a comeback, if they ever really went that far away. So look for males to be once again bedecked in the glory that is, to quote the lyrics from the musical Hair (see video below) the birthright of their sex. In other species males have the grandest plumage, the manes, the antlers etc. It’s only we humans where the males stick to those gray 6-piece suits all the time. But I digress. I think we should not only bring back the fashion of the era, but the slang as well.

So, I want to start hearing some reets out there. You can rhyme it up the way Jackie does. Like, “That is one reet sweet new pair of hip-waders you got there Bob” “Thanks, Phil. My Gladys got ‘em for me; I tell you that woman is reet petite and out of seet”

Okay, just don’t get too carried away.



Here he is, Mr. Entertainment, Jackie Wilson.




And here also, for your interest, is "My Conviction” from the 1960s musical Hair.





Photo from http://images.buycostumes.com
Jackie Wilson video by YT member oldies55
Hair video by YT member ObsessiveBeatles

CALLING ALL MUSIC AND/OR MOVIE TRIVIA GEEKS

Okay, this is where we separate the sheep from the goats, the men/women from the boys/girls, the mere trivia freaks from the truly gifted trivia geeks. Whoever and wherever you are, I need your help. I am trying to think of some trivia connected to a particular piece of music from the 60s, and can’t come up with the answer. It hasn’t quite kept me up at night, but that might not be far off. I can get really obsessive about these things (oh really?). And I’ve come across this quest up there in the dusty recesses of my musical memory, off and on, for a long time. Here’s what I can tell you:

The song is called either “La Montana (If She Should Come To You)” or maybe it’s “If She Should Come To You (La Montana).” I tried Googling it, but almost everything I got is either beyond my meager capabilities in Spanish, or Hannah-related.

Several musicians have recorded it, with lyrics (including Anthony Newley) and as an instrumental (Roger Williams, for one). It’s the instrumental version I’m interested in. I am convinced it was used in a movie, perhaps as the movie’s main theme. I’m going crazy; I’m wracking my brain. I thought the movie might have been The Sundowners, but once I listened to that theme again, I remembered it, and it isn’t the one.

So my question to all you music trivia freaks and geeks out there, what movie is this from? Or, if not a movie, where do I know it from? Maybe it was just one of the many instrumental hits in the 60s and not from a movie? Help! If anyone can tell me, please send me a website or any kind of documentation, and put an end to my many years of wondering and searching. I will be forever in your trivial debt. So much so that I would be pleased to reward you by sending one of your kids to college. Kidding! How about I send you a copy of my music trivia book, "Papa Do Run" instead?

BLACK IS THE NEW (and old) BLACK

The other day I was listening to the oldies station on my satellite dish, and they played “Black is Black” by Los Bravos. What a great song that is, and sounds surprisingly contemporary for something that was a hit all the way back in 1966. Anyway, as I was contemplating this song, I realized that I know nothing about Los Bravos, but if you had asked me, I probably would have said they were an American band, from maybe the West coast. Also, I was pretty sure that Black is Black was a one-hit-wonder (OHW) and that was about it. So I Googled Los Bravos, and then I Wiki’ed them. And what a surprise!

It turns out that I was right about the OHW thing, but beyond that, I could not have been more wrong. The group Los Bravos is what the Wiki writer calls a Spanish beat group. They are all Spaniards, from Spain except for their Gene Pitney dead ringer sound alike lead singer, who is a German, from Germany. As Jack Benny used to say, “Well!” While they charted a couple more modest hits in the UK, Black is Black was their only charting US Billboard hit (all the way to #4 in the Top Hot 100).

So, here is the group singing their famous song, and a little Gene Pitney tune for comparison. I just love Gene’s voice, and all of his songs, but I picked this one, Mecca, because the similarities are easy to hear. It occurs to me, though, how times have changed. I wonder if anyone these days would see releasing a song about Mecca as a risk, given the way things are. A question without an answer, for sure.













Los Bravos video by YT member lauuu
Gene Pitney video by YT member Brent441
Photo from www.sassyscrubs.com (really!)

FALSETTO THEN AND NOW

Ah, real he-men with high voices. A.k.a. falsetto. I don’t know what it is about males signing in this register that has such universal appeal, such endless fascination. The same isn’t always true of men with high speaking voices, but when they sing, the girls go crazy. I like it so much (warning, shameless plug coming up) I’ve included a section about falsetto singers in my forthcoming (2009) rock ‘n’ roll trivia book, “Peanut Butter and Mashed Potatoes” (the sequel to “Papa Do Run”). These guys have lasting appeal too, given that our two feature songs could barely be more separated on the popular music timeline. I’m happy to have both on my shelf. I realize I’ve had earlier posts that linked to “He’s In town” by the British Invasion group The Rockin’ Berries, but it’s just sooooo good, we can always listen again, right? And Coldplay is an instant modern classic. So, here they are; two of my favorite falsetto voices/songs. Ya just gotta love it! And go ahead and squeal, ladies. No one can hear you on the web.

The Rockin' Berries - He's In Town

Thanks to YT member Gatorrock786

Coldplay - Yellow

Thanks to YT member Jehann1999

NO NO NO IT AIN’T MEME BABE

So I’ve just been tagged with my first meme, by my friend Kat. Keep two things in mind: 1) I am probably the most computer-challenged person you know, and 2) I could count back in mere weeks to the first time I first ever heard of a “meme” and sort of thought I knew what it was, and now…I’ve been TAGGED! So, have patience, this kind of stuff does not come easily to me. I’m not whining, really I’m not. I just don’t want you to bring too high an expectation to this. Okay, let’s go.

The rules:
1. Post the link to the person who tagged you and post the
rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 songs you are embarrassed to admit to others that
you like and tell why.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.


Right off the bat I have to make a kind of disclaimer. I am not truly embarrassed to admit to liking these songs. I’m more what you’d call defiant about them. I don’t think they are bad, but each in their own way has taken some flak over the years., and perhaps not entirely undeserved here and there. Anyway, here they are – from me, head held high, to you:

1) Muskrat Love – The Captain & Tennille. I don’t own this one (or any of their songs). I don’t listen to any radio stations that ever play it. In fact, I had to Google them to see if there was one or two “n’s in Tennille. I would probably be hard pressed to even hum a few bars. But I like this song. I like muskrats. It’s that simple.

2) We Built This City – Starship. Sometimes it seems to me like everybody in the world hates this song but me. Yes, it’s not up to their usual, and yes, the video is completely horrid, but… I still like it.

3) My Sharona – The Knack. There’s no accounting for taste, you say? Well, what’s wrong with this? It’s loud, percussive, a little raunchy. Come on, what’s not to like? Some people are so picky!

4) Anything by Cher. I’m not even going to dignify this one with a defense. It’s Cher. You’ll miss her when she’s not around.

5) MacArthur Park – I went through a phase, I think it was in the 80s, or maybe the 90s, when I didn’t like this song, but then it passed. Now I see it for what it is, a total time capsule of a whole generation. So show some respect. Today’s hot fads fashions are going to look real dumb in 40 years, too.

Well, there you are. Now, I’m supposed to tag 7 people. Hmmm, that may take a while. For now, I’ll tag Christine at Quiet Paths and see if she wants to come out to play. I’ll have to get back to you with the rest.

And if anyone else out there wants to participate, don’t worry if you don’t have your own blog, or haven’t been tagged. Just leave your song/s in a comment. How can you pass up the chance to embarrass yourself in front of friends and strangers alike?






Photo from Shutterstock

REMEMBERING STAYING UP LATE: MIDNIGHT MOVIES

The first Midnight Movie I recall seeing was not exactly at a theater. It was 1960, I was 14 years old, and had a fairly lucrative baby-sitting biz going with a family that lived a few doors down and across the street. I say lucrative because in those days, a girl that age didn’t need much money. We didn’t drive, wear makeup or jewelry; there were no designer clothes, no cell phones, Blackberries, iPods. A brand new 45-rpm record would pretty much put me over the top. That New Years Eve I had my first all night sleepover at my clients' house. Anyway, on New Year’s Eve I had my first (and only) babysitting all-nighter. At fifty cents an hour, boy, was I going to rake in the cash! So, what do you do when you have the whole evening in front of you like that, and no parental supervision of your own? You stay up and watch as much TV as you please. And that New Year’s Eve the late night feature was the original (and at that time the only) movie, Invasion of the Body-Snatchers. Even though Kevin McCarthy’s character is one of the good guys, after seeing this movie I always found him seriously spooky.

By the time the 1970s came around, Midnight Movies had became a genre, and an official date night activity for those of us who were now old enough to stay up late on our own recognizance. There’s a terrific doc about the subject called Midnight Movies: From Margin to Mainstream, that looks at the phenomenon, focusing on six main films that started it all: El Topo (1970), Night of the Living Dead (1968), The Harder They Come (1972), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Eraserhead (1977). Of course there were many others in the whole cult, creepy, B-movie, exploitation catalogue. One particular favorite among the late might set (and not just the stoner crowd) was Reefer Madness. This 1936 film was originally targeted at parents as a warning about the dangers of marijuana (those would be manslaughter, hit and run, suicide, rape, and wild dancing), but a 1970s re-cut and changing times turned it into a hilarious cult classic.

I don’t know how many of these movies are still in general midnight circulation these days. How shocking is El Topo after Reservoir Dogs anyway? I think the only true survivor is Rocky Horror. Well, they are still part of our collective experience, and you never know when or where they will turn up. Take this YouTube video, for instance.

Buddy Holly “Rave On” - This is one of my favorite songs by Buddy. It’s really an upbeat little love song. I never would have thought of putting it with footage from Reefer Madness. But, ya know, it actually works, in a weird twisted kind of way. Well, that’s the Midnight spirit all right. And I think I used to have a sweater just like that chick dancing.

IT'S FEB 2 - DON'T DRIVE ANGRY!

Well, here we are, it's February the Twoth - a special day for various reasons. To the Roman Catholics it's Candlemas, to the Pagans it's Imbolc, and to just about everybody in North America it's Groundhog Day, the day when the chubby, adorably sleepy little creatures are pressed into the service of weather forecasters everywhere, sometimes even in areas where groundhogs aren't native. Obviously it's very important. You already know about the 6 weeks of winter thing, so I won't go into it here. I always found it confusing anyway. The bottom line for northern regions is simple...still cold, folks. In keeping with the spirit of this blog, I wanted to find a cool song to go along with this post, but as I peered into the vintage vault in my memory bank, I couldn't really come up with any rock and roll oldies about groundhogs. There's plenty of songs about other kinds of animals (hound dog, bird dog, yellow bird, ponies etc), but groundhogs...well, if you think of any let me know. The only thing that even comes close is an early folksy number by Buffy Sainte Marie, accompanying herself on the mouthbow. And I also discovered there's a blues number by John Lee Hooker, but that would seem to be it. So, I decided to turn to the soundtrack of the funny movie, "Groundhog Day" (1993) starring Bill Murray. I was sure I'd be able to find a whole selection of oldies to chose from, but unfortunately, the soundtrack for "Groundhog Day" is no "Big Chill." While there are entries from Weird Al and Nat "King" Cole, the only true vintage Oldie But Goodie on the soundtrack was "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher. Well, that'll certainly do for our purposes here. So here they are, everybody's favorite 60s duo, a very young Cher (original nose and teeth) and and an equally young (and cute-as-a-groundhog) Sonny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4FvXtGGj5Y