One more!
Is that MomDarcySport one of the "dancers" on the platform behind Johnny? ;)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
When it's my turn, I turn...into a loon!
Watch Fred skunk some snotty kid...and entertain the hell out of us at the same time!
Monday, April 12, 2010
A Long (but Cool) Woman In A Black Dress Song
Always liked this song from my youth and I thought I'd riff on the title of Haz's last post. Here are the lyrics which tell a good story. The Hollies [added: they were inducted into R&R Hall of Fame this year] singer/guitarist Alan Clarke seems to garble some of the lyrics, so here they are for an easy sing along:
Saturday night I was downtown
Working for the FBI
Sitting in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles piling high
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who are doing wrong
Just about to call up the DA man
When I heard this woman singing a song
A pair of 45's made me open my eyes
My temperature started to rise
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
With just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
I saw her heading to the table
Well a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said I hope that you're able, boy
Well I'm telling you she knows where it's at
Well then suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run
Jumping under doors and tables
Well I heard somebody shooting a gun
Well the DA was pumping my left hand
And she was holding my right
Well I told her, "Don't get scared
'Cause you're gonna be spared"
Well I'm gonna be forgiven
If I wanna spend my living
With a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
With just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
Had it all, had it all, had it all...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
An Interesting (But Long) Story
I want to tell an interesting story; interesting to me, at least, since I heard it from a friend and it's about musicians.
My friend, and I'll call him Mr. B here, called Friday to ask if I'd like to meet at our favorite bar for a beer. Of course I would; that's what friend are for, and I always enjoy spending time with Mr. B.
Mr. B is an interesting guy. He's a high-powered lobbyist with offices in several of the fifty-seven states as well as in DC. He's also an amateur musician with a garage band and is a fan of rock and roll. We're the same age and like the same kinds of music.
We were talking about rock and I mentioned having received an email from my son telling me that Levon Helm is going to play near Chicago this summer and asking whether I'd like to go with him to the concert. Mr. B's eyes lit up and he said "Let me tell you how I almost met Levon Helm."
Back fifteen years or so, Mr. B's student intern approached him at work and said "Boss, my girlfriend Amy and I are graduating from the U in a couple of weeks. Amy is a music major and wants to sing for her family and friends, about thirty people, after the graduation ceremony. She reserved a back room in a bar near campus, but they've canceled the reservation because they expect a large crowd that day. Would it be okay if Amy sang in your sun room or on your patio instead?"
So Mr. B said "okay", and ordered some food, beer, wine and rented some extra chairs for the event.
On graduation day, after the ceremony, Mr. B's intern and his girlfriend Amy arrive at Mr. B's home. The intern says "Mr. B, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Amy Helm." Mr. B says "Very nice to meet you, Amy, and congratulations on your graduation."
The intern says "Mr. B, You probably didn't know this, but Amy is Levon Helm's daughter."
Whoa. Mr. B. asked Amy if her parents were going to be at the party, and Amy explained that her parents had divorced many years ago. Her mother remarried and would be at the party with her stepfather, but not her dad.
A few minutes later Amy walks up to Mr. B and says "Mr. B, I'd like to introduce you to my mother and my step father, Donald Fagen." Mr. B damn near passes out. He's a life-long Steely Dan fan, and here's Donald Fagen in his living room. The exchange pleasantries and Amy begins to sing. She sings and plays guitar for an hour and it's wonderful.
Donald Fagen hangs out at the rear of the crowd, shy, not really interacting. He disappears for a while and goes upstairs where a babysitter is taking care of the B's young children. Mr. B learns later that Donald Fagen sat on the floor with his kids and sang nursery rhymes.
The Amy Helm concert ends and the guests drift out. When there are only a few people left, Donald Fagen asks Mr. B if it would be okay to play the B's piano. Mr. B says okay, and Donald Fagen sits down and plays Steely Dan songs for thirty minutes. At Mr. B's piano, in Mr. B's family room.
At the end of it, the extended Helm family offers their thanks and everyone leaves.
Two weeks later a FedEx parcel arrives. It's from Donald Fagen and includes a lovely letter, an autographed picture of Donald Fagen with Mr. and Mrs. B, two tickets to a Steely Dan concert in NYC, several CDs and a photo of Donald Fagen playing piano in the B's family room.
How cool is that?
Here's a great vid of Levon Helm singing "The Weight", a song made popular when Levon was the drummer for The Band. You'll see Amy Helm singing backup in this vid, right next to Sheryl Crow. Sing along with the chorus. You know the words.
You might notice a guitar player who's wearing a fedora. That's Buddy Miller, one of the best studio musicians in Nashville, or the world for that matter. Buddy has several CDs of his own, some with his wife Julie. Buy one. They are exceptional. Buddy writes and performs "roots" music; music that harkens back to the beginning of country, rock and blues music. How good is Buddy Miller? Well, Robert Plant picked him to tour with Plant and Alison Kraus when they toured for the Raising Sand CD (another CD you should own).
Levon Helm has been in declining health of late. He has suffered two bouts of throat cancer that silenced his voice for quite a few months. He's touring again this summer, and I hope it doesn't become a "farewell" tour. If you don't have a recent Levon Helm CD, I suggest "Electric Dirt", another paean to roots music. The title song "Dirt Farmer" can be viewed on YouTube.
And since part of Mr. B's interesting story is about Donald Fagen, here's a vid of a song you'll no doubt remember.
My friend, and I'll call him Mr. B here, called Friday to ask if I'd like to meet at our favorite bar for a beer. Of course I would; that's what friend are for, and I always enjoy spending time with Mr. B.
Mr. B is an interesting guy. He's a high-powered lobbyist with offices in several of the fifty-seven states as well as in DC. He's also an amateur musician with a garage band and is a fan of rock and roll. We're the same age and like the same kinds of music.
We were talking about rock and I mentioned having received an email from my son telling me that Levon Helm is going to play near Chicago this summer and asking whether I'd like to go with him to the concert. Mr. B's eyes lit up and he said "Let me tell you how I almost met Levon Helm."
Back fifteen years or so, Mr. B's student intern approached him at work and said "Boss, my girlfriend Amy and I are graduating from the U in a couple of weeks. Amy is a music major and wants to sing for her family and friends, about thirty people, after the graduation ceremony. She reserved a back room in a bar near campus, but they've canceled the reservation because they expect a large crowd that day. Would it be okay if Amy sang in your sun room or on your patio instead?"
So Mr. B said "okay", and ordered some food, beer, wine and rented some extra chairs for the event.
On graduation day, after the ceremony, Mr. B's intern and his girlfriend Amy arrive at Mr. B's home. The intern says "Mr. B, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Amy Helm." Mr. B says "Very nice to meet you, Amy, and congratulations on your graduation."
The intern says "Mr. B, You probably didn't know this, but Amy is Levon Helm's daughter."
Whoa. Mr. B. asked Amy if her parents were going to be at the party, and Amy explained that her parents had divorced many years ago. Her mother remarried and would be at the party with her stepfather, but not her dad.
A few minutes later Amy walks up to Mr. B and says "Mr. B, I'd like to introduce you to my mother and my step father, Donald Fagen." Mr. B damn near passes out. He's a life-long Steely Dan fan, and here's Donald Fagen in his living room. The exchange pleasantries and Amy begins to sing. She sings and plays guitar for an hour and it's wonderful.
Donald Fagen hangs out at the rear of the crowd, shy, not really interacting. He disappears for a while and goes upstairs where a babysitter is taking care of the B's young children. Mr. B learns later that Donald Fagen sat on the floor with his kids and sang nursery rhymes.
The Amy Helm concert ends and the guests drift out. When there are only a few people left, Donald Fagen asks Mr. B if it would be okay to play the B's piano. Mr. B says okay, and Donald Fagen sits down and plays Steely Dan songs for thirty minutes. At Mr. B's piano, in Mr. B's family room.
At the end of it, the extended Helm family offers their thanks and everyone leaves.
Two weeks later a FedEx parcel arrives. It's from Donald Fagen and includes a lovely letter, an autographed picture of Donald Fagen with Mr. and Mrs. B, two tickets to a Steely Dan concert in NYC, several CDs and a photo of Donald Fagen playing piano in the B's family room.
How cool is that?
Here's a great vid of Levon Helm singing "The Weight", a song made popular when Levon was the drummer for The Band. You'll see Amy Helm singing backup in this vid, right next to Sheryl Crow. Sing along with the chorus. You know the words.
You might notice a guitar player who's wearing a fedora. That's Buddy Miller, one of the best studio musicians in Nashville, or the world for that matter. Buddy has several CDs of his own, some with his wife Julie. Buy one. They are exceptional. Buddy writes and performs "roots" music; music that harkens back to the beginning of country, rock and blues music. How good is Buddy Miller? Well, Robert Plant picked him to tour with Plant and Alison Kraus when they toured for the Raising Sand CD (another CD you should own).
Levon Helm has been in declining health of late. He has suffered two bouts of throat cancer that silenced his voice for quite a few months. He's touring again this summer, and I hope it doesn't become a "farewell" tour. If you don't have a recent Levon Helm CD, I suggest "Electric Dirt", another paean to roots music. The title song "Dirt Farmer" can be viewed on YouTube.
And since part of Mr. B's interesting story is about Donald Fagen, here's a vid of a song you'll no doubt remember.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
These Three Guys Are Related
We've all heard of musical families, right? The Carter Family, The Nelsons, The Marsalis brothers, and many more.
This one may be a bit of a surprise, unless you're really into music (and I know you are, which makes this so fun).
three musicians, all cousins, all about the same age, all learned to play on a piano that their respective families mortgaged their homes to buy. And all have a similar style.
First, Jerry Lee Lewis. Who doesn't know ol' Jerry Lee, one of the founders of rock and roll?
Man, I need to cool off after that. But not with this guy, Jerry Lee's cousin Mickey Gilley.
I was once in Mickey Gilley's saloon in Fort Worth. I was in Dallas on business, had an evening free, and wanted to see where urban Cowboy had been filmed. It was the twenty scariest minutes of my life. Fights, smashed bottles, mechanical bull riding, tobacco spitting, swearing; and that was just the cowgirls. I vamoosed.
And now the third cousin.............Jimmy Swaggart, the evangelical preacher of some repute. Try has ol' Jimmy may, there's some of the family boogie woogie in hiskeyboard, even at service. Watch for the riffs beginning at about :25 into the vid.
Whoever taught them did a fine job. Except for that thing about how to treat women. that was a disaster for all three.
This one may be a bit of a surprise, unless you're really into music (and I know you are, which makes this so fun).
three musicians, all cousins, all about the same age, all learned to play on a piano that their respective families mortgaged their homes to buy. And all have a similar style.
First, Jerry Lee Lewis. Who doesn't know ol' Jerry Lee, one of the founders of rock and roll?
Man, I need to cool off after that. But not with this guy, Jerry Lee's cousin Mickey Gilley.
I was once in Mickey Gilley's saloon in Fort Worth. I was in Dallas on business, had an evening free, and wanted to see where urban Cowboy had been filmed. It was the twenty scariest minutes of my life. Fights, smashed bottles, mechanical bull riding, tobacco spitting, swearing; and that was just the cowgirls. I vamoosed.
And now the third cousin.............Jimmy Swaggart, the evangelical preacher of some repute. Try has ol' Jimmy may, there's some of the family boogie woogie in hiskeyboard, even at service. Watch for the riffs beginning at about :25 into the vid.
Whoever taught them did a fine job. Except for that thing about how to treat women. that was a disaster for all three.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Smithereens
And now for a change back to pre-grunge, east coast, pounding 1980's basement rock, courtesy of The Smithereens, from Carteret, New Jersey.
The name Smithereens comes from a Yosemite Sam catchphrase, "Varmint, I'm a-gonna blow you to smithereens!"
The Smithereens were good. They should have made it big, except for two things.
First, that damn grunge music. Grunge wasn't actually a type of music, it was just a form of rock played by dweebs from Seattle who dressed like lumberjacks. But it sucked the air out of the rock business for three years, until the weed in Seattle ran out.
Second, 1970s punk rockers, notable bands like The Ramones were morphing into mainstream quasi-legit rock bands. Punk was real, not just rock re-done with stage and wardrobe special effects. And punk hit the mainstream big just as The Smithereens were taking off.
Or just as The Smithereens were expecting to take off. Because they didn't, apart from some following from what were described as "underground" radio stations; mostly on university campuses.
They were good, they are still good, and they continue to play. Older, wiser, balder and heavier, the group is still active and tours frequently. Their next studio album is scheduled to be released in Spring or Summer 2010.
The name Smithereens comes from a Yosemite Sam catchphrase, "Varmint, I'm a-gonna blow you to smithereens!"
The Smithereens were good. They should have made it big, except for two things.
First, that damn grunge music. Grunge wasn't actually a type of music, it was just a form of rock played by dweebs from Seattle who dressed like lumberjacks. But it sucked the air out of the rock business for three years, until the weed in Seattle ran out.
Second, 1970s punk rockers, notable bands like The Ramones were morphing into mainstream quasi-legit rock bands. Punk was real, not just rock re-done with stage and wardrobe special effects. And punk hit the mainstream big just as The Smithereens were taking off.
Or just as The Smithereens were expecting to take off. Because they didn't, apart from some following from what were described as "underground" radio stations; mostly on university campuses.
They were good, they are still good, and they continue to play. Older, wiser, balder and heavier, the group is still active and tours frequently. Their next studio album is scheduled to be released in Spring or Summer 2010.
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