Get Your 1960s on Chicago Radio

Today, Feb. 28th, Bob Stroud will play the year 1967 on his Ten at Ten (10AM, 10 PM, CST) on WDRV, 97.1 FM. Then Sunday, his Rock and Roll Roots show goes from 7 to 10 AM featuring 60s-70s music. //// Saturday, Wendy Rice spends four hours in 1069 from 8 to noon on WXRT, 93.1 FM. Both stations stream. //// --RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for Feb. 28, 1964

Just watching the Beatles take over the charts fifty years ago. Has it been that long? 1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND-- Beatles 2. SHE LOVES YOU-- Beatles // 3. DAWN GO AWAY-- Four Seasons // 4. OUT OF LIMITS-- Marketts // 5. PLEASE PLEASE ME-- Beatles //// 6. NAVY BLUE-- Diane Renay // 7. PENETRATION-- Pyramids // 8. I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE-- Al Martino // 9. YOU DON'T OWN ME-- Lesley Gore // 10. I SAW HER STANDING THERE-- Beatles. //// As Dad Would Sat, "They're Taking Over." --RoadDog

Who Were the Pyramids Back in 1964?-- Part 3

Better-known surf bands like the Surfaris and Chantays covered the "Penetration" single. There is an album available by the Pyramids "Penetration: The Best of the Pyramids" which includes Penetration, Road Runnah, Pyramid Stomp, Contact, Pressure, Record Run, Do the Slauson and Koko Joe. //// So, I then "had" to hear some more Pyramid songs and came across an album called "Surf Music Madrid: Fourteen Hits of Surf Music" on You Tube. Well, that was an hour as I had to listen and this site gives you the chance to hear all 14. Just click on the time at the end of each selection. //// Among the songs featured: SURFERS BLUE-- Journeymen // EXOTIC-- Original Surfers // EVERYBODY UP-- Fender IV // SCORPION-- Jesters // A-RAB-- and BAHA-REE-BA! PT. 1-- Trademarks.

Who Were the Pyramids Back in 1964?-- Part 2

From Wikipedia. Continued from Feb. 22nd. //// Surf band from Long Beach, California, in 1961 who only had one song rank in the Billboard Top 100, "Penetration." It was the last surfing instrumental to rank in the Top Twenty in July 1964. //// Appeared in the movie "Bikini Beach" wearing Beatle wigs (not according to the video of them from the movie on You Tube where they were bald). The Modest Conspiring site calls them the First Punk Band playing Surf Rock. //// On You Tube, their "Bikini Drag" song opens with what at first looks like a group of balloons, but when the camera moves back, we see that these are their shaved heads. They put on quite an energetic show and one even did a back flip. //// More to Come. --RoadDog

Cold Play: WXRT Playlist For a Bitter Cold Chicago Winter-- Part 2

11. VALLEY WINTER SONG-- Fountains of Wayne //// 12. **SNOW (HEY OH)-- Red Hot Chili Peppers //// 13. FIFTEEN FEET OF PURE WHITE SNOW-- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds //// 14. GOODBYE ENGLAND COVERED IN SNOW--Laura Marling //// 15. **COLD COLD COLD-- Little Feat //// 16. FOR EMMA-- Bon Iver //// 17. OUTSIDE-IN (A WINTER'S TALE)-- Queen //// 18. 50 WORDS FOR SNOW-- Kate Bush //// 19. A LONG DECEMBER-- Counting Crows //// 20. JAMMING-- Bob Marley (OK, they said it was to get you out of your winter blues. //// I Liked That Last Song Best. --RoadDog

Cold Play: WXRT Playlist For a Bitter Cold Chicago Winter-- Part 1

From December 11, 2013, WXRT 93.1 FM, Chicago. //// And, the real sad thing was that this came out over two months ago, and winter didn't really hit us until Dec. 8th. I only had heard of five songs (and the last one really doesn't count). Each song in the list at their site has information and you can play it which is why it took me so long to go through the list. (*) means I've heard it before. Songs to get you through: 1. WHITE WINTER HYMNAL-- Fleet Foxes //// 2. WINTER BIRDS--Ray LaMontagne //// 3. WHITE BLANK PAGE-- Mumford & Sons //// 4. WINTER FIELDS-- Bat for Lashes //// 5. IN THE COLD, COLD NIGHT-- White Stripes //// 6. WINTER-- Tori Amos //// 7. ATMOSPHERE-- Joy Division //// 8. HOUNDS OF WINTER-- Sting //// 9. **A HAZY SHADE OF WINTER-- Simon and Garfunkel //// 10. **THE DOG DAYS ARE DONE-- Florence + the Machine. //// Like, BBbbbrrrrrrrrr! --RoadDog

Our Canadian Friends DEFINITELY Aren't keeping Their Cold Weather to Themselves

That sultry 40 degree day we had last week is a thing of fond memory. And, that new two-word swear word, the "P.V." is back!! Just looked out at our outside thermometers. The one in back is at -2 and the one in front at 0 degrees. High and lows for next three days: TODAY: 11, -3 degrees // THURSDAY: 5, -10 degrees // FRIDAY: 15, 7 degrees. //// I'm thinking they should give back their hockey Gold Medals. //// "P.V."= Polar Vortex. --RoadDog

Movie Scratches: Mitty-- Banks-- Hercules-- Ryan

A Dog's Eye-View of Today's Movies. #5. SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY-- 1-14-- FOX LAKE, $6: What a day for a daydream...gets real. Quite possibly the world's ugliest beard. //// #6. SAVING MR. BANKS-- 1-21-- FOX LAKE $6: Walt is a very determined man, especially when it concerns a promise made to his daughters. //// HERCULES-- 1-22-- FOX LAKE $4.50: Gladiator, Part 2. //// #8. JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT-- 1-22-- FOX LAKE, $4.50: Getting a nice, cushy CIA analyst job. //// Way Expensive Popcorn. --RoadDog

OK, Canada!! You're Not Keeping Your Cold!!!

Like I said Sauturday, "You got the GOLD, Now Keep your COLD!!! But, you're not. Another cold snap here. //// KEEPING BUSY IN THE COLD. FRIDAY, FEB. 21SR: Saw Team USA men lose to Canada for a trip for the gold medal. Went to the theater and saw "12 Years a Slave" which deserves all of its many Oscar nominations. //// SATURDAY, FEB. 22ND: Breakfast at Steak 'N Shake and did some shopping in McHenry. Saw the men lose to Finland 5-0. Go figure. After scoring 20 points in the first four games, nary a one in the last two. Not even a Bronze. Went to the Legion to listen to the band Second Chance in the afternoon and then the annual chili cookoff. NIU comes from behind to win!!! //// SUNDAY, FEB. 23RD: Rock and Roll Roots, No Route 12 Bar because too crowded. Same with the Polar Plunge at the Fox Lake lake Front. Same with 99-cent Chicago dog special at Roost 59. // Finally found less crowd at the Sand Bar and Dirty Rooster where we had te Bloody Mary, then to Choppers for 25-cent winds and $6 pitcher. Last stop back at Route 12 Bar. //// You Can Still Have Fun in the Cold. --RoadDog

Congrats to Canada: You've Got the Gold, Now KEEP Your Cold!!!!

Greatly disappointed yesterday when the Canadian NHL players beat the American NHL players to go on to the gold game in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Of course, I think having NHL players really defeats the purpose of the games (just like with NBA players in the Summer Olympics). //// And, even worse, the Canadian women defeated ours in the "ONLY" real gold medal game in Olympic hockey the day before when the Canadian women came back from being down 2-0 with just 3:30 to go in the third period to tie it up and won in overtime. //// With all that success, perhaps our neighbors to the nortn will be good enough to put some reins on all this crummy weather they're sending us this winter. //// You've Got the Gold, Now Keep Your Cold and Snow. --RoadDog

Who Were the Pyramids Back in 1964?-- Part 1

From You Tube, Top Pop Singles. //// Yesterday, when I had the WLS Chicago radio Top Ten songs from Feb. 21, 1964, I had a group called the Pyramids at #4 with their song "Penetration." Just who were these guys getting blindsided by Beatlemania? I had never heard of them. As it turned out, this was their only top 40 in Chicago and their only top 20 in the country, peaking at #18 on Billboard. //// From Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles: "It debuted Feb. 1 and was on the charts ten weeks and released on Best Records #13002. Surf band from Long Beach, California: Skip Mercer, Willie Glover, Steve Leonard, Ron McMullen and Tom Pittman. Performed with shaved heads. Appeared in the movie "Bikini Beach." //// Next, I had to hear the song. I went to You Tube (and was only there for ten minutes, probably a new record for me.) The video showed them with shaved heads (the direct opposite of the Beatles, perhaps in protest?) as that one of the members was black (I didn't know there were any black musicians in Surf Rock). They also had the video of them performing in the movie "Bikini Beach." //// More Than You Ever Thought You'd Know About the Pyramids. --RoadDog

Billy Joel Does Beatlemania His Way

From Wikipedia. //// Thuis is an outgrowth from the previous post from yesterday's This Date in Beatles History. I mentioned that on Feb. 21, 1964, Billy Joel joined the New York-based British Invasion band "Echoes." //// You'll never guess what event influenced his decision. Hint: Feb. 9, 1964. //// Said Joel: "That performance changed my life.... Up to that moment I'd never considered playing rock as a career. And when I saw four guys who didn't look like they'd come out of the Hollywood star mill, who played their own songs and instruments and especially because you could see the look on John Lennon's face...." //// According to Wikipedia, Billy Joel formed the Echoes, not just joined them. His website has a picture of the band with a very young Billy Joel. They specialized in British Invasion covers and became popular in New York. Sure that being a professional musician, he quit high school and let his hair grow. //// The band began recording in 1965. (Dare I go to You Tube to see if there are any Echoes songs? Do I have enough time to do that?) He was hired as a pianist in Bobby Vee's band but got fired right away for refusing to wear a matching jacket. //// In 1965, the Echoes changed their name to the Emeralds. Joel left them in 1967 to join the Hassles. //// Just An Update On the Last Post. --RoadDog

This Date in Beatles History

From the Olde Disc Jockey Site. //// FEBRUARY 21, 1961: The Beatles played three engagements in Liverpool starting with a lunch show at the Cavern Club, an evening show at the Cassanova Club and night show at Litherland Town Hall. (Practice makes perfect I guess). //// FEBRUARY 21, 1964: Billy Joel joined the New York-based band Echoes, playing British Invasion music. //// FEBRUARY 21, 1964: The Rolling Stones released single "Not Fade Away" in U.K.. Two weeks later it was released in the U.S.. It was their first Top Five song. //// FEBRUARY 21ST, 1966: Beatles release "Nowhere Man" single in U.S.. //// FEBRUARY 21ST, 1967: At Abbey Road Studio in London, the Beatles finished recording "Fixing a Hole." //// Of course, it wasn't just the Beatles. There was all the British Invasion Music (like the Stones) and impact on youth, Billy Joel. //// --RoadDog

Where's the NIU Huskie Spirit?

Watched the NIU Huskie-Eastern Michigan game last night on Comcast Sports, a very rare time to be on TV. We had considered driving to Dekalb, about an hour-and-a-half away, but the rotten weather kept us from doing it. //// Now, the Huskies haven't had much of a basketball team in the last twenty years, but things are getting a whole lot better in Coach Montgomery's third year. The last two years the team won a total of five games each, but are close to .500 for this one. And, you can see the team is really coming together and there will be some really good years in the near future. //// But what really got me was the size of the crowd at the Convocation Center. There couldn't have been more than 600 in attendance, considering that NIU has 24,000 students. I'd almost rather have had the game not telecast as to be shamed like that. //// And, what a game it was!! The Huskies came back from nine points down, tied it and won in overtime. //// Students, even if your team is not doing well, you owe it to the team to go out and cheer them on. //// And, it is sad that the students have shown that they can back the football team. //// Anyway, Hoping for an Improvement, Kids!! --RoadDog

The "Real" Frozen Tundra Outside Our Front Door

The last several days we actually had temps up to 40 degrees, a tropic heat wave for us in northern Illinois these days. But yesterday, we had four inches of the heaviet snow I've ever dealt with and then rain (with thunder) then lots of melting snow and flooding in low areas. //// Then, last night into this morning, really strong winds, up to 45 mph in gusts. I worried about our trees, especially the two remaining Bradford pears (we lost one last November to wind). //// Today, with another little bit of snow falling and the strong winds, it looks like a classic frozen tundra picture with the snow going up and over the snowpiles. //// Really Getting Tired of This Crummy Winter. --RoadDog

The Second British Invasion of D.C., 150 Years Later: Beatlemania Strikes

The last several posts and next two in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 Blog have been about the Beatles playing at Washington, D.C.'s Colleseum on Feb. 11, 1964. Check it out. Click on the site under Blogs I Follow. --RoadDog

WLS Top 40 Survey for February 21, 1964

Chicago's Top Ten songs. The Top Two were the Beatles, but they had two more songs at #18 "Please Please Me" and #30 "I Saw Her Standing There." #1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND-- Wonder Who? // #2. SHE LOVES YOU-- Guess Who? // 3. DAWN GO AWAY-- Four Seasons // 4. PENETRATION-- Pyramids // #5. OUT OF LIMITS-- Marketts //// #6. SEE THE FUNNY LITTLE CLOWN-- Bobby Goldsboro // #7. NAVY BLUE-- Diane Renay // #8. YOU DON'T OWN ME-- Lesley Gore // #9. A LETTER FROM SHERRY-- Dick Ward // 10. HEY LITTLE COBRA-- Rip Chords //// I just saw the movie "First Wives Club" and enjoyed their rendition of this song. //// What Did Her Boyfrtiend Join? --RoadDog

Signed Copy of "Meet the Beatles" at Auction

From the Feb. 14, 2014 Yahoo! Music/Rolling Stone. //// A copy of the second American album (the first was Introducing the Beatles) is at auction and autographed by all-four Beatles, signed during that big first Ed Sullivan Show hoopla. It was given to Dr, Jules Gordon who treated George Harrison's sore throat before the Feb. 9, 1964, Ed Sullivan Show. //// The auction will be run by New Hampshire-based RR Auction March 13-20. //// Few of the viewing public knew how sick George Harrison really was the day before the show, and even the day of it. But, George "soldiered" on through it. Dr. Gordon served as the house doctor of New York City's Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles were staying, from 1942-1965. //// Not only autographed, but a lot of history behind that album. //// Also on auction: a signed U.K. pressing of the band's debut EP, Twist and Shout. And, the registration for John Lennon's famous psychedelic 1965 Rolls Royce Phantom V Limousine and a pair of his distinctive wire-rimmed glasses. //// Got a Coupla Thousand Lying Around? --RoadDg

Thanks a Lot, Village Plow Guy

Yesterday, we received around seven inches here in Spring Grove throughout a steady day of snowing. While clearing off the driveway and sidewalk twice, I noticed that the street hadn't been plowed. //// Man, was I ever in a surprise this morning. There at the foot of the driveway by the street was a 1 1/2 to 2 foot pile of that wonderful "Heavy Snow" that happens whenever the plow makes a deposit. And, it was heavy and the pile about five feet wide. /// Making it even worse, I could see that the neighbors across the street had just a 5-6-inch pile of snow. I wonder what I did to get such favored treatment? I am going to have to talk with the village about it. //// Not Complaining, But, Gee Whiz!! --RoadDog

Just Got In From Shoveling Three Inches of Snow: Quite the Winter 'Round Here

It is still snowing with 4-8 inches of much unneeded snow to fall here today. Running out of places to put the stuff. Sure getting my exercise. The Northwest Herald which serves McHenry County says this is one of our most severe winters ever. //// We had a bad one in the winter of 1978-1979 which included lots of snow, a real big blizzard and some severe cold. (This one reminds me a lot of that one...when I had a much smaller driveway and was much younger) //// In 1983, we had one day with a wind chill of -80 degrees. //// So far, winter '13-'14 has featured two Arctic vortexes (we now really know what that is, a new word in the vocabulary). As of Feb. 6, Chicago has received 68.7 inches and since then we've had three 4-6 inch snows. McHenry has had 31 days of subzero temps and at one point it remained under zero degrees for 60 straight hours. //// However, Thursday we're supposed to get all the way up to 40 degrees. //// Where's My Suntan Lotion? --RoadDog

The U.K.'s Top of the Pops

From Wikipedia. //// This entry came about because of the death of Samantha Juste, a former "disc girl" and wife of Monkee Mickey Dolenz. //// Top of the Pops (TOTP) was a British BBC weekly TV show of the top pop chart hits in the country. The first show was January 1, 1964, right in the heart of Beatlemania and it ran until 30 July 2006, airing Thursday evening on BBC1. //// Appearing on the first show in order: "I Wanna Be Your Man" by the Rolling Stones; "I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield; "Glad All Over" by Dave Clark Five; "Hippy Hippy Shake" by Swinging Blue Jeans and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles. The last song was always the #1 song. //// The bands mimed their songs. A pretty girl would put the record onm the turntable. //// Originally only a few shows were planned, but they had shown 1,000 by 1983. //// You Tube has a big collection of videos from the show under TOTP Vintage Clips. //// Way Before MTV. --RoadDog

Boomer Radio-- Vintage Rock-- Part 2

KIND WOMAN-- Buffalo Springfield // SWALBR-- Cream // COWGIRL IN THE SAND-- Neil Young // OYE COMO VA-- Santana // CAREY-- Joni Mitchell // BABY YOU'RE A RICH MAN-- Beatles // LONG DISTANCE RUNAROUND-- Yes //// CODY CODY-- Flying Burrito Brothers // PAPER SUN-- Traffic // MIND OF FATE-- Rolling Stones // CASEY JONES--Grateful Dead //// A WHITE SHADE OF PALE-- Procul Harum // HOUSE FOUR DOORS--PART 1-- Moody Blues // GUNGA DIN-- Byrds //// HUSH-- Deep Purple // MORE AND MORE-- Blood, Sweat & Tears // I WALK ON GUILDED SPLINTERS-- Dr. John // ROCK ME BABY-- Steppenwolf // GROOVING IS EASY-- Electric Flag // MANIC DEPRESSION-- Jimi Hendrix // CARRY ON-- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. And, they're asking folks to spread the word about them to others. Done. And, they have several different venues at the site. //// I'll Be Listening to a Lot of This Station. --RoadDog

Boomer Radio: Vintage Rock-- Part 1

I just started listening to this online station yesterday and will be a doing a lot of that in the future. (www.boomerradio.com) I absolutely love the selection of songs, which include the usuals you hear on Classic Rock stations, but digs deep, very, very deep. I listened today from 6 to 8:15 and will list the songs. //// Fortunately, the site has the song title and group as there were a lot of them I had never heard, or had heard, but didn't know the name: //// THE MINOTAUR'S SONG-- Incredible String Band // ENDLESS HIGHWAY-- Band // BABA O'RILEY-- Who // WAKE ME, SHAKE ME-- Blues Project // THE FARM-- Jefferson Airplane // GOTTA GET UP-- Harry Nilsson // DON'T LOOK NOW (IT AIN'T YOU OR ME)-- Creedence Clearwater Revival // PRIDE OF MAN-- Quicksilver Messenger Service // BABY'S HOUSE-- Steve Miller Band. // NOTHING IS EASY-- Jethro Tull. //// More to Come. --RoadDog

Deaths: Samantha Juste: "Pops Girl Goes Ape"-- Part 2

Altogether, Samanth was on "Top of the Pops" for three years. //// And, Samantha Juste even had a singing career and mimed her own song, "No One Wants My Love Today" in November 1966. It never went anywhere on the singles chart, however and really wasn't a Top of the Pops. Well, some two months later, someone did want her love. //// The Monkees came into the studio to mime their hit single "I'm a Believer" and Monkees drummer Mickey Dolenz recalled: "She is tall, blonde, beautiful, and wearing an emerald green outfit that ends up in a short skirt (very short) which tops off her unbelievably gorgeous legs." It was love at first mime drumbeat. //// Samantha was smitten as well and soon afterwards she left TOTP and went on tour with the Monkees. British tabloids had headlines like "Samantha Traps Monkee" and "Pops Girl Goes Ape." Mickey and Samantha were married in 1968 and divorced in the mid-1970s. //// The Disc and the Monkee. --RoadDog

Deaths: "Disc Girl" Samantha Juste (Monkee Mickey's Wife)-- Part 1

From the Feb. 10, 2014 (UK) Ielegraph "Disc girl"-- put needle on record." //// SAMANTHA JUSTE, 69. Died Feb. 10, 2014. //// Well, right away, I had to find out for sure what a "disc girl" was. Why wouldn't she be called a disc jockey? Also, there was something about her being on a British TV show called "Top of the Pops." (TOTP) //// Samantha Juste replaced the original "disc girl," Denise Sampey on the TOTP just a short time after the show debuted January 1, 1964. Disc girls looked pretty and spun the records while the featured artists mimed along to the song. And looking at pictures of her back then, she sure had the looking pretty bit locked up. //// She was paid a whole ten guineas a show (even though on occasion she'd play a record at teh wrong speed, making the group look a little silly). The very first TOTP show was aired Jan. 1, 1964, and had these groups of popular British groups playing: Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield, Dave Clark Five, Hollies, Swinging Blue Jeans, Cliff Richard & the Shadows and Freddie and the Dreamers. (What! No Beatles??) //// Love Those "Disc Girls."

Top Ten Chicago Songs, February 14, 1964

WLS. //// #1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND-- Beatles // #2. SHE LOVES YOU-- Beatles // #3. YOU DON'T OWN ME-- Lesley Gore // #4. DAWN GO AWAY-- Four Seasons // #5. OUT OF LIMITS-- Marketts //// #6. HEY LITTLE COBRA-- Rip Chords // #7. A LETTER FROM SHERRY-- Dick Ward // #8. FOR YOU-- Rick Nelson // #9. CALIFORNIA SUN-- Rivieras // JAVA-- Al Hirt. //// --RoadDog

Chicago Top Three, February 7, 1964

WLS Survey. //// #1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND-- Beatles //// #2. DAWN GO AWAY-- Four Seasons //// #3. SHE LOVES YOU-- Beatles. --RoadDog

Top Ten Chicago Songs January 31, 1964

From Oldies Loon site, WLS Silver Dollar Survey. //// #1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND-- Beatles // #2. YOU DON'T OWN ME-- Lesley Gore // #3. THERE I'VE SAID IT AGAIN-- Bobby Vinton // #4. HEY LITTLE COBRA-- Riop Chords // #5. POPSICLES & ICICLES-- Murmaids //// #6. SURFIN' BIRD-- Trashmen // #7. CALIFORNIA SUN-- Rivieras // #8. FORGET HIM-- Bobby Rydell // #9. DRAG CITY-- Jan & Dean // #10. SHE LOVES YOU-- Beatles. //// Watch Out U.S. Here Comes You-Know-Who! --RoadDog

New Grammy Hall of Fame Songs Announced

From Oldies News.

"National Academy of Recording Arts and Science announces 27 latest additions to the Grammy Hall of Fame." December 5, 2013. This is not the complete list, just the ones I am familiar with.

WONDERFUL WORLD-- Sam Cooke

UNDER THE BOARDWALK-- Drifters
HONKY TONK WOMEN-- Rolling Stones
FORTUNATE SON-- CCR
RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD-- B.J. Thomas
SEX MACHINE-- James Brown
LOW RIDER-- War

There were also albums inducted: MARY POPPINS and WOODSTOCK SOUNDTRACKS
ALL THINGS MUST PASS-- George Harrison
AFTER THE GOLDRUSH-- Neil Young
COSMO'S FACTORY-- CCR
CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY-- Chicago
KRISTOFFERSON-- Kris Kristofferson.

GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: Beatles, Isley Brothers, Kraftwerk and Kris Kristofferson.

Way to Go Creedence With Two Inductions!!! --RoadDog

Snow Fort, Anyone?

This was great to see yesterday, but the kids in the house at the corner of the block built a SNOW FORT!! Who says today's kids don't have the fun we use to have. //// And, they were enjoying themselves immensely. And, even better, no heads bent over their iPhones or such. //// Hard to believe any kids today can have old-time fun like that. They were acting a bit suspicious when we drove by and dived behind the walls of the fort. I kind of expected a barrage of snowballs, but it didn't come. Perhaps they recognized us as neighbors. But, even if we'd been hit, this is one time I would have let it slide. //// They were back at the fort this morning while waiting for the bus. //// Hey, I even had thoughts of joining them. Talk about reliving those great days gone by! //// Who Says Today's Kids Don't Know How to Have Fun. Well, At Least Something Fun Came Out of This Crummy Winter. --RoadDog

Where Does "Help!" Rank on Rolling Stone's All-time Top 500

From Rolling Stone Magazine. //// HELP! BEATLES ranks #331. //// ""The moptops' second movie was a Swinging London goof, but the soundtrack includes the classics "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and "Ticket to Ride" as well as the lovely "I've Just Seen a Face." Help! didn't break new ground, but paved the way for the Baetles' next stop: Rubber Soul." //// I remember back then hating all the instrumentals, of which of the the twelve tracks, there were five. Who wants an instrumental when you could have a real Beatles song. //// Other great songs on the albums: "Help!" of course, "The Night Before," "I Need You," "Another Girl" and "You're Gonna Lose That Girl." //// One of Those Earlier Beatles Albums That I Love So Well. "I've Just Seen a Face" is on the British version, not what we got here in the U.S. --RoadDog

Get Your Piece of Real Authentic Beatlemania for $82,000

From the Feb. 11, 2014, Yahoo! Music, Rolling Stone "Beatles' 'Help!' Jackets Going Up for Auction" by John Blistein. //// George Harrison and Ringo Starr's jackets that they wore oin the film and on the cover of their 1965 film Help! are going under the gavel March 20th, by Omega Auctions at Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel. //// They were a part of Help! director Richard Lester's private collection and are expected to fetch $82,000 and $115,000 (I imagine the latter will be for Harrison's jacket sonce he's dead). March 20th is also the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles' hit "Can't Buy Me Love." //// Also, a chunk of the wall from the set of the Ed Sullivan Show signed by all four Beatles is expected to go for between $800,000 and a million. //// I sure would like to know what the other items are. //// Hey, Pocket Change. --RoadDog

Last Day of Donovan's Reef

Yesterday was the very last day Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, (as we knew it) was open and we had to be there for it. We've been going here since around 1994 and have spent many great times there enjoying libations, football and baseball games and, of course, a lot of the NTN trivia game on the TVs. We had a whole lot of Top Twenties for NTN and were usually one of the top sites in Wisconsin. We've eaten a lot of food there as well. //// Anyway, the owners are closin it for two weeks to renovate it. I do not know what all they'll be doing or what the name will be when they reopen. Sadly, the Florida Beach Bar motiff, with the bamboo bar and cocomut fronds over it will be gone, as well as the three big fake palm trees outside. //// We saw it off with a showing of the John Wayne movie "Donovan's Reef" for which the bar got its name. I took lots of video on the VHS-C camcorder and we're trying to get one of the movie photos that were up on the walls as well as the Donovan's Reef sigh above the bar. //// It will be interesting to see what it looks like when it reopens. //// Gone, But Never to be Forgotten. --RoadDog

How Well Do You Know the Fab Four?-- Part 3: The Answers

1. Ringo Starr // 2. 1966 // 3. Stu Sutcliffe // 4. 252 (I said 215) // 5. Brian Epstein // 6. Norwegian Wood (I said Tomorrow Never Knows) // 7. 1970 // 8. Saturday Night At the Palladium // 9. A Hard Day's Night // 10. "Hey Jude" // 11. John Lennon // 12. Abbey Road (I said Sgt. Pepper's) // 13. Arthur (I said bowl cut) // 14. George Harrison // 15. Please Please Me // 16. Revolver (I said Yellow Submarine) // 17. Cynthia Powell // 18. Paul McCartney (I said Ringo Starr) // 19. Jimi Hendrix (I said Eric Clapton) // 20. "I Am the Walrus" (I said "Why Don't We Do It in the Road) // 21. Meet the Beatles // 22. "St. Louis Blues" (I said "In the Mood") // 23. "Get Back" Beatles With Billy Preston (I said "My Bonnie" but misread the question. Well, that's my 'scuse anyway) // 24. "Tomorrow Never Knows" // Paul McCartney. //// Again, a Much Better quiz experience at the site. //// How;'d You Do? --RoadDog

How Well Do You Know the Fab Four?-- Part 2

And, the CSM gives you extra information after you guess. //// 9. The Beatles had five movies which was the first one? //// 10. The Beatles had 21 #1s in the U.S. and 17 in the U.K.. Which one was #1 in both? //// 11. Who wrote "Dear Prudence?" //// *12. What was their best-selling album? //// *13. Their hair was shocking at the time. What did George Harrison call it? //// 14. Who was the youngest Beatle? //// 15. What was their first U.K. album? //// *16. On which album did "Yellow Submarine" first appear? //// 17. Who was Lennon's first wife? //// *18. All four were untrained musicians. Who was the only one to have any musical instruction? //// *19. Two days after the release of "Sgt. Pepper's" what guitarist opened with the title song in his concert? //// *20. Which song was banned by the BBC? //// 21. Which was not one of the 12 original U.K. albums? //// *22. "All You Need Is Love" had parts of all these songs but one: La Marseillaise, She Loves You, St. Louis Bles, In the Mood. //// *23. What was the only official Beatle release with joint credit? //// 24. Which was not written by George Harrison? (Tomorrow Never Knows, Something, Here Comes the Sun, Taxman). 25. Who was barefoot on the Abbey Roaf album cover? //// OK, So I Missed Ten Questions. //// Answers in the next post. //// Some Were Easy, Others Really, Really Hard. --RoadDog

How Well Do You Know the Fab Four?-- Part 1

From the Christian Science Monitor. //// That would be Beatles for those unaware. For me, obviously not so well as I missed nine of twenty-five questions, but did better than Liz who missed 16. However, buddy Carl beat me out by one. He the Fab Moptop now. Me Second Banana. //// You can go to the site by typing in the title to this entry and Christian Science Monitor. They give you four choices as well and score it for you. I'll just give you the questions (and answers in a later post. An asterisk means I missed it: 1. Who was the last to join? //// 2. When did they quit touring? //// 3. Who was the first bassist? //// *4. How many songs did they write? //// 5. Who was their primary manager? //// *6. They were the first rock band to use a sitar. What song? //// 7. What year did they break up? //// 8. Most Americans saw them first on The Ed Sullivan Show. Where did most British first see them?

Coping With Winter

We're not letting this lousy winter get us down. THURSDAY, FEB. 6TH: Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes for a movie and Italian beef meal. Then to Tommy's and Antonio's in Spring Grove. //// FRIDAY, FEB. 7TH: To Dirty Rooster in Antioch, Il., for 50 cent tacos, then met up with friends at the Legion. ///// SATURDAY, FEB. 8TH: Stayed home all day. I don't like driving when it's snowing. Way too slippery and you never know what idiots are out there driving around. Plus, someone's got to clear the driveway and sidewalk and it sure won't be the snowmobilers. We had planned on going over to the Route 12 Bar and Grill in Fox Lake to watch a favorite local band perform. //// SUNDAY, FEB. 9TH: Bloody Mary and chili at Main Street in Twin Lakes, Donovan's Reef, and tamales at Antonio's. And, of course, the Beatles' special. //// When the Winter Gets Tough, the Wimps Go to the Bars. --RoadDog

Beatles Anniversary Yesterday

As I expected, Bob Stroud featured the 50th anniversary on his Rock and Roll Roots show on WDRV, the Drive, in Chicago. Great show as usual with lots of information and Beatle songs. He played the first three Ed Sullivan songs and closed with the last two. //// Meanwhile, over at WXRT FM, Chicago's Finest Rock, Terri Hemmert, probably Beatle Fan Primo, broadcast her Breakfast With the Beatles show from New York City where she has been the last week, soaking up all the Beatle stuff. Talk about your "Busman's Holiday." Professor Moptop went into great detail on what was on the Ed Sullivan Show that night in two different segments (usually he only does one). I recorded Breakfast With the Beatles and will be listening to it this week as it runs opposite Rock and Roll Roots. You can hear podcasts of Professor Moptop's show at WXRT or on his own site. //// --RoadDog

CBS Grammy Beatles Show Last Night: Good, But Could Have Been Better

For the most part, it was a very good show. The younger singers and bands did a great job interpreting the Beatle songs. And, I enjoyed the historical clips, and, of course, Ringo and Paul performing together. I did miss an hour from 8 to 9 when I went downstairs to Margaritaville to watch the "The Walking Dead." I thought I was recording on the VCR, but apparently wasn't. //// However, CBS should have just aired the whole Ed Sullivan Show from Feb. 9, 1964, in its entirety, even commercials. That would have been the ultimate trip back for me and I'm sure those of us who watched it back then. Also, I would have liked to see the stage recreated for Paul and Ringo and see Dhanny Harrison and Sean Lennon up there playing for their dad's. //// Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. --RoadDog

Winter Continuing Here in Midwest

I was out three times Saturday and once yesterday to shovel the driveway as we had ANOTHER 5-6 inches of the white stuff in an all-day Saturday snow. The snowpiles are getting really high along the driveway: 2-3 feet along most of it and five-foot high at the sidewalk/driveway and on one of the driveway foot sides. The other driveway foot (by the street) is six feet high. //// Fortunately, the snow Saturday was really light. I shovel when its 1-3 inches and light, but use the snowblower when its heavy or more than that. //// This winter has really been snow-cold, snow-cold and repeat. Usually, there is a day like yesterday with temps maybe as high as 20 degrees and NO SNOW. //// Now, we start some real cold temps. This morning, the temp here is -5.2 degrees with high at 3 and low at -14. Tuesday high at 10 and low at 0. Wednesday high 21, low 12. Everyone's looking forward to Thurdsay with HIGH IN LOWER THIRTIES!!! //// That Will Seem Like a Real Heat Wave. --RoadDog

Seven Classic Rock Bands Still a-Rockin'

From the Feb. 6, 2014, Cheat Sheet "7 Classic Rock Bands Still Rocking in 2014" by Mark Knapp. //// The article has photos, videos and more information. I'm just listing them. //// And, we can definitely say that the Beatles kicked off the Classic Rock era. //// 1. Rolling Stones // 2. Deep Purple // 3. Yes // 4. Blue Oysetr Cult // 5. ZZ Top // // Eagles // 7. Aerosmith. //// More Cowbells!!! --RoadDog

Beatles Today

Sad that there are only two Beatles left, but it was great to see the two of them performing onstage together at the Grammys. The last time they had done that was in a 2010 concert when McCartney sang "Birthday" to celebrate Ringo's 70th birthday. Before that, the last time was 2009 and they reunited in 2002 for a memorial concert for George Harrison. //// Paul McCartney won four Grammys at the recent show. All four Beatles received Lifetime Achievement Awards and I was happy to see Yoko Ono and her son Sean (John's son) and Olivia Harrison there to accept for their late husbands. //// I'll definitely be watching CBS tomorrow at 7 PM, for the Grammy Salute and the Letterman interview. Looking forward to hearing what Terri Hemmert is going to do on her Breakfast With the Beatles show on WXRT from 8-10 AM CST. Plus, if Bob Stroud is off his vacation, his Rock and Roll Roots show on WDRV tomorrow from 7 to 10 AM should be a good one as well. //// Fifty Years Ago to the Day and Time. --RoadDog

Beatles New York City Tribute Show Saturday

Along with the Grammy tribute to the Beatles which was filmed the day after the awards to be shown this Sunday, there is also a Beatles Tribute Show being held this Saturday in New York City. I'd sure like to be there as they definitely have an all-start group of performers, including Al Jardine of the Beach Boys, Tommy James, Walter Egan and Marshall Crenshaw. //// Others performing are Ron Dante, singer with the Archies, Fred Schneider of the B-52s, Gary DeCarlo of Steam, Greg Hawkes of the Cars and Ian Lloyd of the Stories. //// Al Jardine says he didn't see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show Feb. 9, 1964, as the Beach Boys were touring in Australia and New Zealand. //// --RoadDog

JSIS: Spock-- Fox-- G.I. Joe

JSIS-- Just Some Interesting Stuff. //// 1. SPOCK-- Leonard Nimoy's health is deteriorating rapidly at age 82 with chronic obstruction pulmonary disease from smoking, even though he quit 30 years ago. I'm a big Star Trek fan. Sorry to hear that. 2. FOX-- The "Michael J. Fox Show" has been cancelled by NBC after 16 episodes, although 22 were filmed (and may be shown later). I watched it, but just hadn't gotten into it most episodes, although the one with the blind guy was hilarious. I see they also cancelled "Sean Saves the World" which I didn't watch. However, I do like NBC's new "Chicago P.D." ans "Chicago Fire" just keeps getting better. ///// 3. G.I. JOE-- Happy 50th birthday to the world's first action figure, G.I. Joe, who turns 50 this year. It weathered the Vietnam War for Hasbro. His "father" is considered to be Don Levine who created the 11 1/2 inch figure with 21 moving parts. He sold for $4 when he hit the store shelves just in time for Christmas 1964. I never had a G.I. Joe, but I sure had lots of H&O scale soldiers as well as the bigger ones in the Blue and Gray battle sets and others. //// JSIS. --Roaddog

The British Are Coming!!: The Beatles Lead the First Wave of the British Invasion

From the same book as last post. //// The Beatles were just the "Shock Band" of what was coming from Britain. In January 1964, the only U.K. band on the charts was a female duo from London called the Caravelles with ""You Don't Have to be a Baby to Cry" at #19. //// There were no U.K. groups in FEBRUARY. However, by March: #18 "Glad All Over" by the Dave Clark Five and #20 "I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield. //// APRIL: #5 "Glad All Over," #13 "Needles and Pins" by the Searchers and #15 "Bits and Pieces" by the Dave Clark Five. //// MAY: #3 "Bits and Pieces," #15 "Little Children" by Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas and #18 "A World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon (written by Paul McCartney). //// By JUNE: #2 "A World Without Love," #9 "Little Children," #13 "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" by Gerry & the Pacemakers and #18 "Bad to Me" by Billy J. Kramer & the Dalotas. //// So, the Beatles Had Definitely Opened the Door. --RoadDog

The Beatles Are Coming!-- Part 10: They Arrive in the U.S.

From "The Book of Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts from 1954 to the Present" by Dave McAleer. The Beatles first charted on the U.S. Top 20 monthly Billboard Pop Charts in January 1964 when "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was #18. #1 for the month was "There I've Said It Again" by Bobby Vinton. //// FEBRUARY: #1 "I Want to Hold Your Hand," #4 "She Loves You" and #18 "Please Please Me." #2 was "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore. //// MARCH: #1 "I Want to Hold Your Hand," #2 "She Loves You," #3 "Plese Please Me" and #10 "Twist and Shout." #4 was "Dawn (Go Away)" by the Four Seasons. //// APRIL: #1 "Can't Buy Me Love," #2 "Twist and Shout," #7. "She Loves You," #9. "Do You Want to Know a Secret," #11. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and #12. "Please Please Me." #3 was "Suspicion" by Terry Stafford. //// This is called four months of major domination. //// What Was All This Beatlemania Stuff (My Parents Wanted to Know)? --RoadDog

Top Twenty in U.S., December 1963-- Part 3

#11. POPSICLES AND ICICLES-- Murmaids // #12. WALKING THE DOG-- Rufus Thomas // #13. TALK BACK TREMBLING LIPS-- Johnny Tillotson // #14. SUGAR SHACK-- Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs // #15. LODDY LO-- Chubby Checker //// #16. FORGET HIM-- Bobby Rydell // #17. LITTLE RED ROOSER-- Sam Cooke // #18. WASHINGTON SQUARE-- Village Stompers // #19. WONDERFUL SUMMER-- Robin Ward // #20. QUICKSAND-- Martha & the Vandellas. //// Beatles? Who? --RoadDog

Top Twenty Songs in the U.S., December 1963: The Month Before the Beatles Came

From Billboard Charts. //// #1. DOMINIQUE-- Singing Nun (Soeur Sourie) // #2. LOUIE LOUIE-- Kingsmen (Kind of an interesting Top Two.) // 3. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BABY TO CRY-- Caravelles (A London-based female duo., so the British were already here.) // #4. SINCE I FELL FOR YOU-- Lenny Welch // #5. I'M LEAVING IT UP TO YOU-- Dale and Grace //// #6. BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL-- Beach Boys // #7. EVERYBODY-- Tommy Roe // #8. THERE I'VE SAID IT AGAIN-- Bobby Vinton // #9. DRIP DROP-- Dion // #10. SHE'S A FOOL-- Leslie Gore. //// The Beatles made their first appearance in January when "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was #18. //// Then, Things Changed. --RoadDog

Top Twenty Songs In the U.S. for December 1963-- Part 1

From the Book of Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts From 1954 to the Present Day by Dave McAleer. //// Beatlemania had yet to hit U.S. shores in force and the pop charts reflected that. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" ranked #1 and #2 in Britain and With the Beatles LP was #14 and Beatles Hits E.P. was #20. All these were on Parlophone Records label. Beatlemania was full-blown in the U.K. //// Plus, the other groups soon to be part of the British Invasion (and in deference to my War of 1812 blog, Not So Forgotten, the first British Invasion since that war was about to take place. //// #4 "Glad All Over" by Dave Clark Five, #5 "You Were Made for Me" by Freddie & the Dreamers, #7 "I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield, # 11 "I'll Keep You Satisfied" by Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, #12 "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry & the Pacemakers, #16 "I Wanna Be Your Man" by the Rolling Stones. And, "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "I'll Keep You Satisfied" were written by the Beatles. //// The United States Was Ripe for the Picking. --RoadDog

Last Week of Leno on Tonight Show

But, I rarely watch it. Way too late for me and it would even be worse in EST, at 11:30 PM. //// I may turn in to see it a couple times this week, though.--RoadDog

"Breaking Bad" Obit

From the October 4, 2013, Yahoo! News/ Reuters "'Breaking Bad' teacher-turned-druglord gets obit in Albuquerque newspaper" by Laila Kearney. //// As posted in the Albuquerque Journal as posted by the "Unofficial Breaking Bad Fan Tour" group in a paid obituary. "Walter White aka 'Heisenberg', 52, Albuquerque, died Sunday after a long battle with lung cancer, and a gunshot wound. He will be greatly missed." It went on to urge readers to donate to drug-abuse prevention programs in lieu of flowers. //// "Breaking Bad" was a popular AMC drama, with the final episode drawing 10.3 million viewers, including myself. //// I Was Hooked On the Show. --RoadDog

Buy It At Your Local Dollar Store

From the Jan. 27, 2014, Yahoo! Finance, Money Talk "Definitely buy these 15 things at a dollar store" by Maryolene LaPonsie. //// That would be Family Dollar and Dollar General, two stores I can never keep apart. I regard these stores at a treasure hunt. You never know what you are going to find in there. //// But, these are items they say are really good buys. The article had more info, I'm just listing them. 1. Greeting cards // 2. Party supplies // Gift bags, boxes and wrapping papert // 4. Seasonal decor // Reading glasses // 6. Hair accessories // 7. Pregnancy tests // 8. Vases and decorative bowls // 9. Mugs and glasses // 10. Dishware // 11. Storage containers // 12. Picture frames // Bagged or boxed candy // Wash cloths and dish towels // Socks. //// OK, Go Buy. --RoadDog

Movie Scratches: Wolf-- Hustle-- Grudge-- Dinosaurs

#1. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET-- 1-2-- FOX LAKE $6: Money (lots of it), Drugs (lots of it) & Sex (lots of it) in the 80s business world. //// #2. AMERICAN HUSTLE-- 1-2-- FOX LAKE $6: Don't try to "hustle" a hustler. The "Sting" of the 1970s. //// #3. GRUDGE MATCH-- 1-8-- FOX LAKE-- $4.50: For some reason I'm beginning to like "Old Fart" movies. Maybe because I am one. It's Old Di Niro vs. Old Stallone. //// #4. WALK WITH DINOSAURS-- 1-14-- FOX LAKE $6-- Animated dino families, love and harships. Fred's Dino would be so proud. //// --RoadDog

The Beatles Are Coming!-- Part 9: Taking Britain First-- The British Invasion Taking Shape

Beatlemania really got started in the United States in January 1964, capped off by their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show February 9th, and we're coming up on the 50th anniversary of it this Sunday. I'll surely be watching the Grammy special with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. //// Anyway, back to the British charts for January 1964. Beatlemania had been increasing throughout 1963 and went into overdrive in JANUARY 1964: #2. "I Want to Hold Your Hand," #5. "She Loves You. #1 was "Glad All Over" by soon-to-be fellow British Invasion Dave Clark Five and #13 was a Beatles-written song by the Rolling Stones called "I Wanna Be Your Man." //// FEBRUARY: #12 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was the only Beatle song in the top twenty this month. The Dave Clark Five had #5 with "Glad All Over" and #17. with "Bits and Pieces." //// MARCH: Beatles #18 with "Can't Buy Me Love." #2 "Bits and Pieces, #4 "Not Fade Away" by Rolling Stones, #6 "Just One Look" by the Hollies #7 "I Think of You" by the Merseybeats, #14 "I'm the One" by Gerry & the Pacemakers. At this point, the Beatles were leading the way for the British Invasion. //// --RoadDog

Super Bowl Wasn't So Super

We just got back from Wisconsin, where we watched last night's Super Bowl and spent the night. We got a room at Donovan's Reef Motel and went to the party at the bar with plenty of food and drinks, all covered in the price. One night you don't want to be driving is Super Bowl with all the police out there. //// Huge crowd on hand for what I expected to be a really close game. Since neither the Bears or Packers were in it, it really didn't matter, but I was kind of backing the Broncos because of Peyton Manning, a favorite of mine ever since he played at Tennessee. However, Da Bears are NFC and Seattle had never even been to a Super Bowl, so I backed them as well. //// That safety on the first play from scrimmage set the tone. //// Today, I drove over to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and viewed the snow sculptures which is a major part of the town's Winetrfest. //// Congrats Russell Wilson and teh Seahawks. --RoadDog

No Groundhog for Me Today

I had been planning on going to Woodstock, Illinois, for the Groundhog Day Festival today, but didn't because we received snow all day. I've been outside twice to clear it off the driveway and sidewalk. I figure we got 5 inches or maybe a little more and it is STILL SNOWING. //// Getting Real Tired of That. --RoadDog

Fun Times Here on the Frozen Tundra-- Part 4: Third-Most Snow-- Snow Tracking-- Gray Ice

JSS-- Just Some Stuff. //// 1. THIRD-MOST SNOW-- I knew we had gotten a lot of snow this last month, and at 33.5 inches, it is the third-most since records have been kept dating to 1884. The most was January 1918 with 42.5 inches and second-most 40.4 inches in 1979. Last month, Minneapolis-St. Paul received 22.7 inches, Green Bay 17 inches and Denver 14 inches. What's wrong with this picture? 2. SNOW TRACKING--- I feel sorry for the poor car and truck mats, which are soaked. Plus, coming in involves shedding that wet footwear. Go into any public place and the floors are muddy from all the slush. 3. GRAY ICE-- Another problem this year is that unbelievably gross "Gray Ice/Snow" that attaches to your car whenever you drive anywhere as our roads are generally not clear. Huge chunks of this gross stuff is all over parking lots and in the roadways. Plus, I keep having to clear out accumulation from the garage. //// The Midwest Must Have Gotten Mother Nature Really Mad This Year. --RoadDog