That Old Black Magic

This 1959 performance makes me laugh every time. I love their chemistry. Learn about this talented husband and wife team.


Jump, Jive an' Wail, Louis Prima, 1956

Happy Christmas!

Quoting Dickens: God bless us, everyone! – Tiny Tim

Looking for a new job?

Then try to dress as professionally as possible for the best results.

Is your organ happy?

The Booker T. show still has me jonesing for more organ so I've reconnected with my old friends Cherry Wainer and Don Storer. Thank God for people like Cherry. How cute and fun was she? I'm impressed her teeny poodle sitting on the bench could stand all that stimulation.




The Happy Organ, Dave "Baby" Cortez, 1959

Happy day-after Thanksgiving

Ate too much pie? Y'all cats and chicks will need these tips.

Booker T. Jones

I saw one of my favorites at The Narrows in Fall River last night – a new venue for me. It’s about an hour from Boston but a breeze coming home. I will definitely be going back. You can bring your own food and drink. Tables are reserved but seats are first come first served. Booker T. Jones read from his new memoir, had a brief QA with the audience, and jammed with his son and 2 other fabulous musicians. What a blast to hear him play his Booker T. and the MGs greats right there on his Hammond organ. He talked about recording Dock of the Bay, which was the last time he played with Otis Redding. While he sang it, the audience joined in with the whistling that occurs at the end of the song. I’ll never forget that. Check out this joint. Learn about Stax Records.

Hip Hug-Her, 1967


Soul Limbo, 1968


Time Is Tight, 1968

three-part harmonies

Really diggin' this video of The Hollies doing their thang. Woohoo!

Ghost Riders in the Sky

I love everything about this circa 1961 performance by Neil LaVang.

Southern California beach culture

I've always been a beach person and intrigued by the SOCA lifestyle. Have you? Then check out the history of this coastline. Cowabunga!

don't ask me...

...because I Can't Explain it. Are you a Mod, Rocker or Beatnik?

Saturday morning dose of The Stones

The Rolling Stones perform on The Ed Sullivan Show circa 1964.

Here's a great montage of the appearances on the show in the 1960s including their infamous Let's Spend Some "TIME" Together performance. The audiences were outta control. I get it though.

A lot going on here. Some approve, some don't – just like life.

Try some, buy some, fe, fi, foe, fum

I loved this song when it came out 40 years ago and still love it today. It reached number 1 in the United States in November 1979.

Are you a cool one?

Then you must know The Tantrum. Slip on your go-go boots, tug on those tight pants and shake it! Hurry up time machine invention.

Lets all give a round of applause for the fabulous Mrs. Miller.

Downtown, Mrs. Miller, 1966

Ken Burns' Country Music

I love learning through documentaries. The combination of the narration, visuals, film footage, music, and interviews make it so easy for concepts to sink in. The recent documentary on PBS has been one of my favorites to date. Even if you don't dig country music, it's a fascinating lesson in 20th century American history. My dad would often break out into tunes I had never heard before, at times with a strange, yodelly twang. Those songs make so much sense to me now after seeing the segments from the 1930s and 40s. The sections of the documentary from the 1950s and 60s made me the most tingly. This music always makes my ears prick up. The backstories are so interesting to me – how one's life progressed from being dirt poor, troubled or doubted by others to becoming world-famous and influencing so many. Yippee-ki-yay!

I love the talent that came out of 1950s and 60s country music:

• Johnny Cash    • Patsy Cline     • The Everly Brothers
• Elvis Presley    • Kris Kristofferson    • Dolly Parton
• Faron Young    • George Jones    • Tammy Wynette
• Jeannie C. Riley   • Bobbie Gentry   • Loretta Lynn 
• Glen Campbell    • Don Gibson    • Marty Robbins
• Brenda Lee   • Hank Snow   • Hank Williams

If you have any interest in music, it'll behoove you to catch this series.
I challenge you not to tap your feet and want to sing along.

Above are photos of my parents in the 1930s during the Great Depression when they were hearing folks like Gene Autry and Jimmie Rodgers while gathered around the radio like the Walton family.

Fly Like an Eagle

I was saddened by the recent passing of musician/artist Ric Ocasek of the band The Cars. Shortly after turning 13 during the summer of 1978, I bought The Cars' debut album – my second 33 rpm record. The album sat in the back seat of the car while shopping with my mom and warped from the hot sun. When I played it, the needle would bop over the bumps but it never skipped. Lesson learned. The first 33 rpm record I bought was Book of Dreams by The Steve Miller Band. It didn't contain the tune Fly Like an Eagle, but that song was one of my favorites at that time. Sometimes in life, we think bad things are happening to us, but in reality, the Universe is nudging us in another direction towards our true purpose and path, which will bring us more joy, fulfillment, and happiness. When we have the courage to look inward, dive deep, heal past wounds, follow our dreams and move on with gratitude, we are rewarded. We are then truly able to fly like an eagle and soar.


Fly Like an Eagle, The Steve Miller Band, 1976

Here are some Cars videos that will forever make my heart smile:

• Just What I Needed
• My Best Friend's Girl
• Danerous Type 
• Let's Go
• Candy-O
• Cruiser 
• All Mixed Up
• Bye Bye Love 
• Drive 
• Since You're Gone

Above are the first two albums I ever bought while a 7th grader.

beautiful Janis

Broadway came to the Cabot last night with A Night with Janis Joplin and it was better than great. Janis' spirit and voice took over the body of Mary Bridget Davies. Incredible. The show centers around Joplin telling stories of the singers who inspired her – from Bessie Smith, Odetta, The Chantels, Etta James and Aretha Franklin to Nina Simone. The four women who played these roles received many standing Os but what blew everyone away was the voice of Davies. My favorite scene was the character of Janis talking about cleaning the house with her siblings every Saturday while her mom blasted Broadway albums. These tunes influenced Janis deeply – Summertime from Porgy and Bess being one of them. She would then channel Joplin, belting out her renditions. If you're a Janis Joplin fan, you will loooooooove this show. Everything about it is fantastic: the performances, the band and the set with a balcony from where the "inspirations" sang. Prepare to be awed.

Naturally 7

I saw the most unique, inspiring and entertaining show at the intimate TCAN last night. Naturally 7 is a 7-person vocal band where no instruments are used. All sounds come from their mouths and it is mind-boggling. Beatboxing x10. I never wooooohooooooed so much in my life. Originally from NYC and together for 20 years, they've been traveling the world performing their thang to much delight. Besides original work, they sang familiar tunes from Englishman in New York to While My Guitar Gently Weeps with an incredible vocalized guitar solo. How he did that, I'd like to know. Two members are brothers and they talked about having no non-religious music in their home growing up except for 3 albums: a Glen Campbell album, a John Denver album and a Simon and Garfunkel album – then breaking into a melodious S&G; medley. If these guys come to your area and you want your mind blown, see them. I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats. What a way to start a new chapter in life! Once again, wooooooohoooooooooooo!

don't panic

I think there's more panic nowadays other than in Detroit. Here's
David Bowie discussing the throes of having long hair in 1964.


Panic in Detroit, 1973

Saturday morning dose of The Beatles

Paperback Writer and the B-side Rain were released in May 1966.

Shambala

While attending a wonderfully bizarre and galactified weekend retreat,
I could not get this song outta da head. How does your light shine?

Paul Simon on Sesame Street

Check out the cutie innocently upstaging Paul Simon in the 70s.


Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, 1972


El Condor Pasa (If I Could), 1970

Sunday morning dose of 1964

The Beau Brummells perform on Shindig! I miss John Candy.

greetings from camp

Here are two tv appearances by Allan Sherman circa 1963.
Ahhhhhh, summer camp – sunshine, swimming and musty smells.

Do you smell that?!

While recently hanging out with friends, the song Popcorn came up and I was reminded of this post that makes me LMAO. Mmmmm... popcorn.

Saturday morning dose of Shindig!

Howdy Hi Shindiggers! Here's a montage of The Dave Clark Five.
Check out their induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

have another hit...

...of fresh air. Put on your hippie beads, stick some flowers in your hair and get outside, damn it! Quicksilver Messenger Service perform their 1970 tune Fresh Air. Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

less is more

Enjoy bike riding and camping? This groovy camper may be for you.

Blue Monday

This superb rendition of Blue Monday is too cool for school.


This is the original by New Order from 1983.

Grabbing hands grab all they can

Depeche Mode perform on the Italian tv show Superflash in 1983. Everything counts in large amounts. Oink, oink. That was awkward.

The Fab Faux

I've never been to The Wilbur Theatre until last night and I loved it. For the first time ever, I sat in loge seating and I'm hooked. Click on pic to see view. A splendid birthday present took me to see The Fab Faux and I'm hooked again. This tremendous group performed Beatles '65 (one of my Christmas presents in the 10th grade) and the 1968 album The Beatles, aka "The White Album." When they polled for repeat customers, most of the audience cheered and I know why. This band is incredibly talented. When the drummer came forward to sing, another member took over on drums. The drummer sang often and his rendition of Julia brought tears to my eyes. Gorgeouso! Lots of peeps knew every word to every song and didn't hold back. Screaming the lyrics to I Feel Fine from my perch was heaven. Since taking photos was grounds for expulsion, I waited 'til the end. I was naughty I know. If The Beatles are your thang, you will dig, dig, dig this show. Fun, fun, fun!

Peter Wolf

I never enjoyed large-arena concerts. Seeing incredible acts in an intimate setting does it for me. I finally saw Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band at the fantastic TCAN last night with his fabulous band The Midnight Travelers. One of my faves putting on a great show 15 feet in front of me! I was naughty and snapped a pic. Got caught but it was worth it. From the start he had the audience clapping, singing, shouting, laughing and smiling. The segues between songs were superb with Wolf's splendid "woofa goofa" speak. When a woman sauntered up to the stage and hilariously gyrated for him, he sang to her. Music can take you right back to an emotion, memory or specific time in your life and I was time-traveling all over the place while hearing Just Can't Wait and the Full House tunes. Whooooooooooaaaaaahhhhh! Thanks, Peter!

The Groove Line

Heatwave's The Groove Line WAS the 7th grade for me.





The fantastic drummer, above, said this about the song: I remember vividly when this song came out and I played drums to it with the 45 rpm record over and over until I got blisters. I wore the record out.

Man, those colors

We deal with heavy shit at times, but if you can still laugh and try not to take yourself too seriously, groovy. Skimming through videos from past eras that give me a chuckle helps to do that. While watching, I'll often think about how old the people in my life were at that time. For instance, this clip is from 1947. My mom was in nursing school and my parents were dating. Was this how it was when my parents got a malted? Bummer about the music but the colors are blowing me away.

I've never seen a color photo of my parents
before the 1960s. My mom would show me a
photo and tell me what color her clothing was
in the picture, but I just saw black and white.
After my mom graduated from nursing school in
1948, she and her school friends rented cottages
at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. My dad
and his buddies went up to visit. My parents loved
to dance and were good at it. I'm sure they did
a lot of jitterbuggin' at the ballroom there.

My mom told me that her bathing suit in this picture was bright red.

My parents are front and center in July 1949 on their honeymoon drive to Canada. Click to make big. It was taken at The Allen "A" Camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire while watching fireworks. They stayed in a little cottage. Where's the snuggling?