JSS: A to Z Continues-- Snowblower Started-- Snow-- Didn't 'Woke' But Found My Gloves, Boots and Knit Hat

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  A TO Z CONTINUES

The Drive's Rock A to Z continues and is up to the letter "L" right now with Peter Frampton's "Lines On My Face: playing.  They are thinking it might end on Monday, Jan.5, at this time.  Great music done alphabetically.  It streams at www.wdrv.com.  Give it a listen.  "Listen to Her Heart" by Tom Petty right now.  "Listen to the Music"--  Doobie Brothers.  "Listen to What the Man Said"--  Paul McCartney & Wings.

2.  SNOWBLOWER STARTED

Always a scary thing this time of the year.  Will the snowblower start after sitting idle (and without gas/oil mixture with the two-stroke engine).  I found out the hard way about ten years ago that you HAD BETTER run the mixture out or getting it started the next season is not going to be easy.

Yesterday, it would not start.  Last night we got 3-4 inches of heavy snow.  Just a short time ago, it started on first pull.  Yea for me.

3.  SNOW

Like I said, the imminent arrival of forecast snow got me to moving on the snowblower project yesterday.  We've been fortunate so far this winter season and only had about an inch in one snowfall.  Last year we had two snowfalls of 5-6 inchers before December:  one on Halloween and one on Veterans Day.

We ended up with 3-4 inches of snow.

4.  DIDN'T "WOKE" BUT FOUND MY GLOVES, BOOTS AND KNIT HAT

Another tradition this time of the year is finding out where I put my knit hat, gloves and snow boots.   You tend to forget over the spring, summer and fall.  I have plenty of those hats and gloves because of many purchases in the past, but for some reason, they can still find a place to hide come search time.

But, this year I found one pair of gloves and one knit hat within a reasonable time.

--RoadDog

STUDENT TEST GUESSES:  The Pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain.

Music Deaths: Billy Joe Shaver, Country Singer/Songwriter "Wacko from Waco"

BILLY JOE SHAVER, 81

Died 28 October 2020

Country singer/songwriter

Real popular in Texas, like Jerry Jeff Walker.  Not well-known elsewhere, but give a listen to his music on You Tube.

"Wacko from Waco"

"Honky Tonk Heroes"  Waylon Jennings had a big hit with it.

"Blue Texas Waltz"

"Billy B. Damned"

Music Deaths: Jerry Jeff Walker, Wrote 'Mr. Bojangles'

JERRY JEFF WALKER, 78

Died 23 October 2020

Country singer/songwriter. Wrote the song "Mr. Bojangles."  

Leading figure in the Country Outlaw Movement.

He also wrote one of my favorite country songs "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother."  "He's 34 and drinking in a honky tonk."

Doesn't get much more country than that.  

And, by the way, how do you spell "Mother."  Jerry will tell you.

Past Movie Scratches: Minions-- Revenge-- Hope-- Strikes-- Return-- Trek

Past Movie Scratches-- Movies I Saw in 2019.

109.  MINIONS--  12-14--   How the Minions got to where they are now.  No laughing in the dungeon.  Bob, Kevin and Stuart save the Queen from Scarlett Overkill.

110.  STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH III--  12-16--  Aniken goes to the Dark Side and becomes Darth You-Know-Who.  Jedi wiped out except for Yoda and Obiwon Kenobe.

111.  STAR WARS:  A NEW HOPE IV--  12-17--  The original first episode.  "Help me, Obewon Kenobi, you're my only what?"  That really cool bar scene with all those derelicts and great music.  "I've got a what about this?"

112.  STAR WARS:  THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK V--  12-18--  "A long time ago in a galaxy what?"  The battle in the snow.  We meet Yoda.  "Your worship."   Han and Leia sitting in a tree.  "I am your father."

113.  STAR WARS:  RETURN OF THE JEDI VI--  12-19--  Jabba the big slug that laughs way too much.  It's all about your destiny.  Luke finds the good in his father after much effort.

114.   STAR TREK:  BEYOND--  12-20--  The crew's all together now.  Versus the Bee Swarm  "Let's make some noise!"

--RoadFlick

Past Movie Scratches: Elf-- Four-- Kranks-- Fred-- Kumar-- Despicable

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2019.

102.  ELF--  12-10--  Who's coming to town?  Buddy goes looking for his real dad (not Elf Bob Newhart).  Encounters many new things like the revolving door.

104.  FOUR CHRISTMASES--  12-11--  And you thought you family was a bit dysfunctional?

105.  CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS--  12-12--  See where skipping Christmas will get you.  Find the true meaning of community when Blair comes home.

106.  FRED CLAUS--  12-12--  Brotherly love saves the day.  Baseball bats and hula hoops for all!!

107.  HAROLD & KUMAR'S 3D CHRISTMAS--  12-13--   A real stoner Christmas and the many ways to destroy a Christmas tree.  Meet the father-in-law and his perfect Christmas tree.

108.  DESPICABLE ME 3--  12-14--  Game over, Mullet Head.  Brad has been a very bad boy.  Gummer, man.  Gummer.

--RoadDog

The Drive's A to Z-- Part 3: 'Good Times Roll'

Over 2,000 songs for over a week.  That's Music.  That's Music.

GOOD TIMES ROLL--  Cars

GOODBYE BLUE SKY--  Pink Floyd

GOODBYE STRANGER--  Supertramp

GOODBYE TO YOU--  Scandal

GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD--  Elton John

GOODBYE TONIGHT--  Paul McCartney & Wings

GOT ME UNDER PRESSURE--  ZZ Top

GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU--  George Harrison

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE--  Beatles

GRAND ILLUSION--  Styx

GREEN EYED LADY--  Sugarloaf

GREEN GRASS & HIGH TIDE--  Outlaws

GREEN MANILISHI--  Judas Priest

GREEN RIVER--  Creedence Clearwater Revival

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When Are You Gonna Come Down?  When Are You Gonna Land?"  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

The Drive's A to Z, 2020-- Part 2: 'Good Lovin' '

Continuing with the letter "G" in WDRV's A to Z.

GOLD--  John Stewart

GOLD DUST WOMAN--  Fleetwood Mac

GOLDEN SLUMBERS MEDLEY--  Beatles

GOLDEN YEARS--   David Bowie

GONE, GONE, GONE--  Bad Company

GONE SHOOTING--  AC/DC

GOOD DAY SUNSHINE--  Beatles

GOOD GIRLS DON'T--  Knack

GOOD LOVIN'--  Young Rascals

GOOD LOVIN' GONE BAD-- Bad Company

GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING--  Beatles

GOOD MORNING STARSHINE--  Oliver

GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES--  Led Zeppelin

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Nights Are Warm And The Days Are Young (Come Get Up My Baby)."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Golden Years"

The Drive's A to Z Rock Countdown, Dec. 28, 2020, the Letter 'G'-- Part 1: 'Godzilla'

This is Day 5 of the countdown and we're in the letter "G."  Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive.  It streams.

I have done some of the letter 'G' on my RoadDog's RoadLog blog from today, so it you want to see them, go to My Blogs on the right of this and click on that blog.

GIVE IT TO ME--  J. Geils Band

GIVE ME LOVE--  George Harrison

GLAD--  Traffic

GLASS ONION--  Beatles

GLORIA--  Them

GLORY DAYS--  Bruce Springsteen

GO ALL THE WAY--  Raspberries

GO NOW--  Moody Blues

GO YOUR OWN WAY--  Fleetwood Mac

GODZILLA--  Blue Oyster Cult

GOING MOBILE--  Who

GOING TO CALIFORNIA--  Led Zeppelin

GOING UP THE COUNTRY--  Canned Heat

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Like To Tell Ya About My Baby You Know She Comes Around."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Gloria"

WLS Top Ten for Week of December 28, 1970, the Last Survey of the Year: 'Knock Three Times'

These were the Top Ten Songs and Debuts in Chicago this week fifty years ago on WLS 890 AM.  Back when AM rules the waves.

1.  KNOCK THREE TIMES--  Dawn  (Imagine Dawn knocking a Beatle out of the top spot like this week.)

2.  MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison

3.  STONED LOVE--  Supremes

4.  BLACK MAGIC WOMAN--  Santana

5.  DOMINO--  Van Morrison

6.  LONELY DAYS--  Bee Gees

7.  ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER--  Fifth Dimension

8.  IMMIGRANT SONG--  Led Zeppelin

9.  DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS--  Chicago

10.  LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH--  Steven Stills

*****************************

DEBUTS

24.  YOUR SONG--  Elton John

28.  REMEMBER ME--  Diana Ross

29.  BORN TO WANDER--  Rare Earth

30.  LET YOUR LOVE GO--  Bread

HITBOUND:  MOST OF ALL--  B.J. Thomas

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Don't Wanna Discuss It.  Think It's Time for a Change." Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Domino"

Clark Weber, Big Voice on Chicago Radio (WLS and WCFL and Others)

CLARK WEBER, 89

Died March 8, 2020

This was not on the Hope I Die Before I Get Old site.  I didn't know about it until this week.

A pioneer rock and roll disc jockey in the 1960s and for decades later.  Known as "Mother Weber's Oldest Son."

First rose to fame on Chicago's Powerhouse station, WLS, 890 AM.  In 1965, he introduced the Beatles on stage at Comiskey Park.  Born in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (outside of Milwaukee).  In 2008, wrote "Clark Weber's  Rock and Roll Radio: 1955-1975."

In 1968, jumped to rival WCFLAM and in 1971 to WMAQ AM.

At age 43, feeling he might be too old to keep spinning 45s, he segued to Talk Radio.

One of my favorites from back then.  Clark Weber ad the other Ls and CFL jocks back then made growing up in the Chicago area a lot more fun.  Our music.

Music Deaths: Spencer Davis

SPENCER DAVIS, 81

Died 19 October 2020

Vocalist and founding member of the Spencer Davis Group.

Welsh singer and musician.  Part of the British Invasion of the 60s when he had several big hits:

"Keep On Running"

"Gimme Some Lovin' "

"I'm a Man"

"Somebody Help Me"

All these sung by the very young Steve Winwood.

One of my favorite bands back then, many, many years ago as you know.

Between 'A Christmas Story' and All That Christmas Music, Are You Ready for A to Z Rock?

I have been listening to my many, many Christmas albums, cassette tapes and CDs the last three weeks.  I love them, but am a bit to the Had Enough Stage. I put them away tomorrow until December next year.

Plus, since 7 pm last night I've been watching may favorite seasonal movie of all time, "A Christmas Story."  This sure takes you back to another time.  Imagine parents leaving their young kids in a line to see Santa these days and then going elsewhere in the huge store.  They'd be arrested in this day and age.

Anyway, I've seen the movie two full times and watched parts several more times.  I've almost got the dialogue down by now.

Yesterday, Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM started their annual end-of-the-year Rock and Roll A to Z Countdown.  It will go until sometime after the new year starts, they don't at this time know exactly what.  They add lots of songs every year, so its not the same old, same-old.  Lots of deep cuts as well.

They are up to the letter C  "Chicago, We Can Change the World" by Graham Nash right now.

I'll be listening to this a lot starting tomorrow.  It streams, of course.

TRIVIA TEASER:  What Everly Brothers song includes the lyrics:  "When I Want You In My Arms, When I Want You And All Your Charms."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"All I Have To Do is Dream"

JSIS: Stupid-Looking Hair Coming Out of Helmets-- Conference Championship Games-- NIU Football

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff

1.  STUPID-LOOKING HAIR COMING OUT OF HELMETS--  A couple weeks ago Liz and I saw the annual Army-Navy football game at the American Legion.  Sure was nice to see that no member of either team had hair coming out below their helmets.  I'm sorry, but that just looks stupid.  

Anytime you watch a college or NFL game it seems you see more and more of that long, funny-looking hair on both Blacks and whites.  I don't like it on any person.  Then, there is the guy on the Titans we all call Old Turd Hair.

2.  CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES--  Well, one thing nice about all the college conference championship games this year is the size of the crowds.  NIU is in the MAC and our championship games draw maybe 5,000 to 8,000 fans (but then again, who wants to go to Detroit).  Then the Power 5 games are standing room only.  This year, they are all essentially empty.  Wonder why?

3.  NIU FOOTBALL--  A sad year for Northern Illinois University football with an 0-6 record.  But, this really wasn't a real year anyway.  Too weird and strange with you-know-what.  But, the second year Joe Novak was our coach, we were 0-12 and then by the fourth year, it was all up from there as we were able to somehow keep him despite his success and the Big 10, 11,12,13,14 grabbing MAC coaches all the time.

Maybe This Is a Sign of Good Times to Come?  --RoadWin

In case you're wondering what the name of the group was that beat out the Beatles in their audition, scroll down to this months Music Deaths for David Munden.

WLS Top Ten for December 21, 1970: 'My Sweet Lord'

The Top Ten songs in Chicago according to the WLS 890 AM Survey.

1.  MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison    Did he copy this song?

2.  KNOCK THREE TIMES--  Dawn  Or do you say Tony Orlando and Dawn.

3.  ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER--  Fifth Dimension

4.  STONED LOVE--  Supremes   Who needs Diana?

5.  DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS--  Chicago  Or is this Chicago Transit Authority?

6.  NO MATTER WHAT--  Badfinger

7.  BLACK MAGIC WOMAN--  Santana

8.  AFTER MIDNIGHT--  EricClapton

9.  DOMINO--  Van Morrison

10.  BE MY BABY--  Andy Kim 

*****************************

DEBUTS

25.  I HEAR YOU KNOCKING--  Dave Edmund

28.  FOR THE GOOD TIMES--  Ray Price

29.  IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN--  Gladys Knight & the Pips

30.  STONEY END--  Barbra Streisand

Name That Tune(from the above songs):  "As I Was Walking Down The Street One Day A Man Came Up To Me."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is"

Music Deaths: Tony Lewis of the Outfield

TONY LEWIS,  62

Died 19 October 2020

Singer and bassist with the Outfield, nest-known for their 1986 hit "Your Love."

English rock band.  Group formed in 1984 and remained active for three decades.  They had more commercial success in the U.S. than their native U.K.

Their hits included "Your Love" which peaked at #6 in 1986.

Also:

"All the World in the World"  (#19-1986)

"Since You've Been Gone"  (#31-1987)

"For You"   (#21-1990)

I always thought they were an American band.

How I Do These Music Deaths Posts

I get the names and dates from the Hope I Die Before I Get Old site.  The first thing about the person you read also comes from that site.  

Then I go to obituaries and/or Wikipedia for the rest of the information as well as Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993."

Then, I go to You Tube and listen to their music, especially if it is an artist I don't know very well.  I have found a lot of artists that I wish I had known about earlier.  Outstanding music.

--RoadDog

TRIVIA:  With the aid of three servicemen, what actress and pin-up girl left an imprint of one of her million dollar legs at Grauman's Chinese Theatre?

Betty Grable

Music Deaths: Johnny Bush, Co-Wrote 'Whiskey River' for Willie Nelson

JOHNNY BUSH, 85

Died 16 October 2020

Country singer/songwriter.  Co-wrote "Whiskey River."

Nicknamed the "Country Caruso" for his distinctive voice.  Especially popular in his native Texas.  Joined  Ray Price's band, the Cherokee Cowboys in 1963, along with Willie Nelson.

Had twelve Top 40s and two Top Tens.

"Undo the Right" (#10-1968)

"You Gave Me a Mountain"  (#7-1969)

"Whiskey River"  (#14-1972)

"There Stands the Glass"  (#34-1973)

Music Deaths: David Munden of the Tremeloes (Better Than the Beatles?)

DAVID MUNDEN. 76

Died 15 October 2020

Drummer and vocalist with the Tremeloes.

Original drummer and frequent lead singer of the Tremeloes.  Best-known for their covers of "Do You Love Me,' "Here Comes My baby" and "Silence Is Golden."

In 1963, their cover of "Do You Love Me" topped the British charts, replacing the Beatles' "She Loves You."

Quite popular in the UK with 21 Top 40s, 11 Top tens and two #1s.  Their biggest year in the U.S. was 1967:

"Here Comes My Baby"  #13 written by Cat Stevens

"Silence is Golden"   #11  written by Bob Crew & Bob Gaudio (writers of the Four Seasons)

"Even the Bad Times Are Good"  #36

Remember, Decca auditioned the Beatles on Jan. 1, 1962, but decided to go with the Tremeloes.  Oops.

In Case You're Wondering Why So Many Deaths in This Blog

I have been writing a lot of entries lately on musicians who have died in 2020.  There have been quite a few this year.  Some to the virus, but many just because they are getting old.  Shoot, we're all getting old and older and oldest these days.

Anyway, as you can see from their dates of death, I am running behind and would like to catch up with the 2020 deaths before the end of 2020.  I have at least 15 more to go to catch up.

Next year I am going to try to keep the music deaths a little more current.

--Old RoadDog

Music Deaths: Brian Locking, Played With England's Shadows, Back-Up Band of Cliff Richard

BRIAN LOCKING, 81

Died 8 October 2020

Bass player with the Shadows (from England) from 1961-1963.

Played on some of their biggest hits.  The Shadows are the backing band of England's megastar Cliff Richard., who has sold 250 million records worldwide, but never done too well here in the United States.

His solid "less is more" approach to the bass changed the sound of the Shadows.

Give You Tube a listen for "Foot Tapper" and "Dance On."

Music Deaths: Ray Pennington, Wrote 'I'm a Ramblin' Man' for Waylon Jennings

RAY PENNINGTON, 86

Died 7 October 2020

Country/ Western Swing singer/songwriter.  Wrote hit country song "I'm a Ramblin' Man" which Waylon Jennings took to #1.  He also released his own version of the song which went to #29 on the country charts in 1967.  Definitely fo back and listen to Waylon Jennings' version.

Also wrote a great country drinking song "Bubbles in My Beer."

"This Song Don't Cares Who Sings It"

(Turn Me Loose and) Let Me Swing" with Swing Shift Band.  Willie Nelson also sang it and did a job that would have made Bob Wills smile.

I'd never heard of him.

Give him a listen on You Tube. Kind of neat to hear his version of "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and then Waylon's.

The Story Behind Dan Fogelberg's 'Same Old Lang Syne'

This morning I was listening to Jim Morgan who is a disk jockey at Myrtle Beach's WVCO, 94.9 FM, the Surf, which plays Carolina Beach Music as I often do on internet radio.

Every Monday to Friday, he has a segment I especially like called Music Spotlight where he takes a song and tells you the story behind it.  Usually the song has something to do about the date of its release, recording or the artist's date of birth or death.

Today is the anniversary of Dan Fogelberg's death in 2007.  The song Jim Morgan chose of Dan Fogelberg was "Same Old Lang Syne."  There is quite a story behind this song that Dan wrote.  It is based on an actual event in his life from 1975.

He was back in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois, visiting family for the holidays and on Christmas Eve, they needed something for dinner and he drove over to a local convenience store to get it since all the stores were closed.  While there, he met his old high school girlfriend.

You can go to You Tube and view  Bob Natale's video "The Story Behind Dan Fogelberg's 'Same Old Lang Syne' " to hear what Jim said.  After that, go to the Track X Track video "On Location: The True Story of Dan Fogelberg's 'Same Old Lang Syne' " and view that which takes you to the places mentioned in the story.

After that, go to the video Dan Fogelberg- Same Old Lang Syne (Lyrics).  The lyrics are shown as the song is sung.

This Is Quite the Story.  --RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for Week of December 14, 1970: 'Knock Three Times'

The Top ten in Chicago fifty years ago this week according to WLS, 890 AM.

1.  MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison   One nice thing about the group breaking up was that we got even more Beatles music.

2.  ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER--  Fifth Dimension

3.  DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS--  Chicago

4.  AFTER MIDNIGHT--  Eric Clapton

5.  KNOCK THREE TIMES--  Dawn

6.  MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom

7.  BE MY BABY--  Andy Kim

8.  TEARS OF A CLOWN--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

9.  STONED LOVE--  Supremes   Who needs Diana?

10.  NO MATTER WHAT--  Badfinger 

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "We're Gonna Stimulate Some Action, We're Gonna Get Some Satisfaction."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"After Midnight"

Music Deaths: Eddie Van Halen

EDDIE VAN HALEN, 65

Died 6 October 2020

Guitarist/songwriter with rock band Van Halen.

Band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1974 with the Van Halen brothers (Eddie and Alex), bassist Michael Anthony and front man David Lee Roth.  Eddie was noted for his guitar ability and histronics.

Lots of big hits for these guys:

"Dance the Night Away"  (#15-1979)

"Jump"   (#1-1984)

"Panama"  (#13-1984)

"Why Can't This Be Love"  (#3-1986)

"When It's Love"  (#5-1988)

Their greatest hits CD is on my 300-disc Ultimate Jukebox.

Music Deaths: Johnny Nash. 'I Can See Clearly Now'

JOHNNY NASH, 80

Died 6 October 2020

Traditional and reggae singer.  Had hit in 1972 with "I Can See Clearly Now."

Born in Houston, but one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record reggae in Kingston.

Had some minor hits in 50s and 60s, but two huge hits.

"I Can See Clearly Now" (#1-1972)

"Stir It Up"  (#12-1973)

To show you how much I knew about music at one time, Mt dad had gotten two tickets from work to  a Johnny Cash/Sonny James show in Chicago.  At the time, I thought he said Johnny Nash.  At the show, however, Johnny Cash signed my Sonny James album after making a comment.

WLS Top 30 for Week of December 7, 1970-- Part 5: 'One Less Bell to Answer'

*  Means the song is climbing the charts.  The number after the artist refers to how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

10.   *BE MY BABY--  Andy Kim    #17    Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwall and Phil Spector.

9.  *KNOCK THREE TIMES--  Dawn      #1     As in Tony Orlando & Dawn.  How many times do you knock on the pipe?

8.  GYPSY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland   #3   His last big hit.

7.  *ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER--  Fifth Dimension    #2   

6.  *DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IT--  Chicago        #7    That really fine horn band.

5.  *AFTER MIDNIGHT--  Eric Clapton     #18

4.  TEARS OF A CLOWN--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles    #1

3.  SHARE THE LAND--  Guess Who      #10    Their last Top Ten.

2.  MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom     #8        Still thought he was a black guy.

1.  *MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison      #1   No plagiarism here.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Now If There's A Smile On My Face, It's Only There Tryin' To Fool The Public."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Tears of a Clown"

Music Deaths: Mac Davis 'It's Hard to Be Humble'

MAC DAVIS, 78

Died 29 September 2020

Country singer/songwriter/actor

Native of Lubbock, Texas, and successful crossover artist.  Also, early in his career, wrote songs "In the Ghetto,"  and "A Little Less Conversation" for Elvis Presley.

Also wrote songs for many other artists.

Primarily a country singer, but crossed over to pop charts with:

"Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me"  (#1-1972)

"One Hell of a Woman"  (#11-1974)

"Stop and Smell the Roses"  (#9-1974)

"Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)"  (#15-1975)

And, then there was one of my all-time good time songs that he did, "Oh Lord, It's Hard to be Humble."

When You're Perfect in Every Way.

Music Deaths: Helen Reddy

HELEN REDDY, 78

Died 29 September 2020

Singer, pop and easy listening.

From Australia.  Made it big in U.S.  In the 1970s had 15 singles in the American Top 40.  Six made Top ten and three went to #1.  Her signature song was "I Am Woman."

Had 25 songs on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Her three Number 1's:

"I Am Woman" (1972)

"Delta Dawn"  (1973)

"Angie Baby"  (1974)  Quite a strange song.  Worthy of a scary movie.

I really liked the "Coach" episode when the women's basketball coach dumped the load of manure in his office with the words "I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo."

WLS Top 30 for Week of December 7, 2020-- Part 4: 'Domino'

*  Means the song was climbing the charts. The number after the artiste refers to how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 national chart.

15.  YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME--  Elvis Presley        #11    Onto his gaudy jumpsuit days  Great voice.

14.  *DOMINO--  Van Morrison     #9    Van the Man and those horns.

13.   I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family      #1    So what, made for TV band or not, this is great music.  I see some of you humming and grooving to it right now.

12.  *STONED LOVE--  Supremes     #7    Who needs Diana?  Evidently not these ladies who had two songs in the Top 30 this week.  Diana didn't have any.  Leave Us.  Hah!     Another appropriate song for these troubled days.  That's Jean Terrrell out front singing.

11.  SEE ME, FEEL ME--  Who      #12     Loved the Woodstock performance of this song.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "A Love For Each Other Will Bring Fighting To An End."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Stoned Love"

Pearl Harbor, 79 Years Later: Identifying the USS Oklahoma's Unknowns

From the December7, Tulsa (Oklahoma) World  "Tim Stanley:  79  years after Pearl Harbor sinking, project to identify USS Oklahoma's dead nearing its end" by Tim Stanley.

The name Pearl Harbor didn't mean much to most Americans as day broke on December 7, 1941, but by the end of the day, they sure had heard of it.

But, to Oklahomans, one name did strike a bell right up front, and that was what had happened to the ship named after the state.  The USS Oklahoma (BB-37).  Just last year, the Oklahoma  Military Hall of Fame recognized the importance of the vessel by making it the first ship to be inducted into it.

Tim Stanley says the USS Oklahoma started becoming more real for him about four years ago.  That's when he started seeing occasional press releases about Sailors from that stricken ship being identified using DNA.  Almost 400 had died on that ship and not been identified.

Since then, he has been on hand at Tulsa International Airport for some emotional scenes involving families of the fallen.

--Pearl Harbor

WLS Top 30 for Week of December 7, 1970-- Part 3: 'Black Magic Woman'

*  Means the song is climbing the charts.  The number after the artists is how high the song got on Billboard's Hot 100 charts.

20.  *BLACK MAGIC WOMAN--  Santana     #4   Carlos putting his mark on Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac song.  One of those great intros.  One of the comments called Carlos the Mexican Jimi Hendrix.  Their biggest hit.

19.  *HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER--  Hollies     #7    Allan Clarke taking lead vocals.  Brotherly love I reckon.

18.  5-10-15-290 (25-30 YEARS OF LOVE)--  Presidents       #11      What they call Old School.  A great way to learn you table five  multiplication.  I can hear Chicago's Herb Kent introducing this one right now.  Their only Top 40.

17.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat     #26     Another good song for these troubled times.  Hey, I said ________ times.  That means you take a drink.

16.  *NO MATTER WHAT--  Badfinger     #8     Welsh/English band.  First group signed by the Beatles' Apple label.  Their first hit single, "Come and Get It" was written and produced by Paul McCartney in 1969.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "The Road Is Long With Many A Winding Turn."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"No Matter What"

Music Deaths: Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power

ROCCO PRESTIA, 69

Died 29 September 2020

Bass player with funk band Tower of Power.  Real name Francis Prestia. 

Master of finger-style funk playing.  A good example of this style can be heard on Tower of Power's "What Is Hip."

Music Deaths: Jimmy Winston, Small Faces' Original Keyboardist

JIMMY WINSTON, 75

Died 26 September 2020

Original keyboardist with Small Faces.  Full name James Edward Winston Langwith.    Formed Small Faces in 1965 along with Steve Marriott (Humble Pie), Ronnie Lane (Faces) and Kenney Jones (replaced Keith Moon in the Who).  They called themselves Small Faces partly because all were under 5'5".

Small Faces had one of my favorite-ever songs "Itchycoo Park."

WLS Top 30 for Week of December 7, 1970-- Part 2: 'We've Only Just Begun'

*  Means the song was climbing the charts.

25.  WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN--  Carpenters     #2   You have to wonder how many weddings this song has been played for the first dance?  Follow up to "Close to You."

24.  CRY ME A RIVER--  Joe Cocker     #11   A real Mad man up there on stage.  Born John Robert Cocker.

23.  *CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU--  Tom Jones     #25    Stop throwing that stuff up on stage, Ladies!!  I was unfamiliar with this song, but it is a good one.    The Pride of Wales.

22.  *ONE MAN BAND--  Three Dog Night     #19   Chuck, Canny & Corey on vocals, and then that great organ.  Blue-Eyed Soul with the Sound of the Seventies.

21.  HEAVEN HELP US ALL--  Stevie Wonder      #9   Still a good song for these troubled days.

Mane That Tune (from the above songs):  "Ain't No Two Ways About It I Just Can't Live Without Ya."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"One Man Band"

WLS Top 30 for Week of December 7, 1970-- Part 1: 'River Deep, Mountain High'

These were the Top 30 Songs in Chicago back 50 years ago according to WLS, 890 AM.

* Means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist was how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

HBD  GAMES--  Redeye    #27   From Los Angeles  Great song which I haven't heard in a long time.  Reminds me a bit of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

30.  *RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH--  Supremes / Four Tops    #14   The whole Motown production here.  That's Jean Terrell replacing Diana Ross.  She was the sister of former WBA Heavyweight boxing champ Ernie Terrell. Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong rounding out the trio.

29.  *IMMIGRANT SONG--  Led Zeppelin    This one will jolt you.  Hammer of the gods, indeed.  Robert could sure bounce his hair  Watch the video of the band.

28.  *THE STEALER--  Free    Follow up to "All Right Now.'  Paul Rodgers singing.

27.  GREENEYED LADY--  Sugarloaf      Do you like the 6:52 or 3:40 version?

26.  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five   Last of five straight #1s.  Not a bad way to start your career.  No One-Hit Wonders here.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "We Come From The Land Of Ice And Sun.  From The Midnight Sun, Where The Hot Springs Flow."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Immigrant Song"

Music Deaths: Max Merritt, Had Hits in Australia and New Zealand

MAX MERRITT, 79

Died 24 September 2020

Singer and guitarist with Max Merritt and the Meteors.  Nest known for hit "Slippin' Away" (#2-1975)  in Australia and "Hey, Western Union Man"  #13.

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Music Deaths: W.S. Holland, drummer with Carl Perkins and Long-time Drummer with Backing Band of Johnny Cash

W.S. HOLLAND, 85

Died 23 September 2020

Drummer.  Played with Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

Nicknamed "Fluke."    Never trained as a drummer.  Was an air conditioner repairman who enjoyed concerts.  Started playing upright bass for Carl Perkins.

He was on drums when the "Million Dollar Quartet" recorded in 1956 with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.  In 1960, joined Johnny Cash for a two-week stint that ended up 37 years.

Member of Johnny Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three.  Last surviving member of the original Tennessee Three.

Also recorded with Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan.

Music Deaths: Roy Head, 'Treat Her Right'

ROY HEAD, 79

Dies 21 September 2020

With the group Roy Head & the Traits.  

Had a big hit in 1965 with "Treat Her Right"  which went to #2.  This song is estimated to have sold 4 million copies worldwide.  He never attained much success after this hit, but follow ups did peak at  #39 "Just a Little Bit" and #32 "Apple of My Eye."

From Texas.

Watch the video of him on American Bandstand on You Tube.  Talk about moves.  Move over James.

Music Deaths: Roy C, Southern Soul Legend

ROY C, 81

Died 16 September 2020

Roy Campbell Hammond.  Soul singer.  Biggest hit was in 1965 with "Shotgun Wedding."

If you like Southern Soul, you should go to You Tube and give him a listen.  Lots of his songs on it.

Unfortunately, not very well-known.

Music Deaths: Toots Hibbert, Reggae

TOOTS HIBBERT, 77

Died 11 September 2020

Singer and guitar player with reggae band Toots & the Maytals.  Jamaican who performed for six decades and helped establish some of the fundamentals of reggae music.  Multi instrumentalist. 

First big hit was "Funky Kingston."  Also did "Pressure Drop."

Also appeared on Jimmy Cliff's groundbreaking Jamaican film "The Harder They Come."

Maytals is a reference to the Rastafari term "Do the Right Thing."

WLS Top Ten for Week of November 30, 1970: 'See Me, Feel Me'

Fifty years ago on Chicago's 50,000 Watt Powerhouse, WLS AM 890.

1.  TEARS OF A CLOWN-- Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

2.  MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom

3.  GYPSY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland

4.  SHARE THE LAND--  Guess Who

5.  SEE ME, FEEL ME--  Who

6.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat

7.  YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME--  Elvis Presley

8.  I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family

9.  AFTER MIDNIGHT--  Eric Clapton

10.  DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS--  Chicago

*******************************

DEBUTS

27.  NO MATTER WHAT--  Badfinger

28.  BLACK MAGIC WOMAN--  Santana

29.  CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU--  Tom Jones

30.  ONE MAN BAND--   Three Dog Night

HBD  RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH--  Supremes / Four Tops

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Now If There Is A Smile On My Face It's Only There Trying To Fool The Public."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Tears Of a Clown"

 

Music Deaths: Lee Kerslake of Uriah Heep and Ozzy

LEE KERSKLAKE, 73

Died 16 September 2020

Drummer. Played with Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne.

With Uriah Heep from  1972-1978.  

"Easy Livin"  (#39-1972)

""Stealin' "  (#91-1973)  One of my all-time favorite songs.

"Sweet Lorraine"  (#91-1973)

Some of my favorite songs.  Some say they should be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.  I agree.  Even though they did not have a lot of big hits.  Go to You Tube and listen to "Uriah Heep:  The Best Of"  from 1975.You'll know why they should be in the Hall of Fame.

Was with Ozzy Osbourne on the albums "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman."

Music Deaths: Ronald 'Khalis' Bell of Kool & the Gang

RONALD "KHALIS" BELL, 68

Died 9 September 2020

Sax player and songwriter with Kool & the Gang.  Co-founder of the band, along with his brother Robert "Kool" Bell.

They had a creative mix of sounds with influences ranging from jazz to soul to funk.

He wrote and produced many of the classic songs of the group:  

"Celebration"

"Cherish"

"Jungle Boogie"

"Open Sesame"

I saw this group at the Indy 500's Carb Day back in 2019.

Music Deaths: Ian Mitchell of the Bay City Rollers, the 'Tartan Teen Sensations'

IAN MITCHELL, 62

Died 1 September 2020

Guitar player with the Scottish group Bay City Rollers.  Bass player.  With the Rollers just seven months, but on recording "I Only Want to be With You"  (#12-1976)

Other big BCR hits: 

"Saturday Night"  (#1-1975)

"Money Honey"  (#9-1976)

I remember our next door neighbor's daughter, age 13, was a huge Bay City Roller fan.

Music Deaths: Justin Townes Earle, Americana Music

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, 38

Died August 23, 2020

Singer/songwriter of Americana Music.  Son of singer Steve Earle.

I'd never heard of him before, but he had some good music.  Listening to him on You Tube, of course.

Reminds me a bit of John Prine.

Music Deaths: Trini Lopez. 'If I Had a Hammer'

TRINI LOPEZ, 83

Died 11 August 2020

Singer.  had a huge hit in 1963 with "If I Had a Hammer."

Born Trinidad Lopez III in 1937.  Portrayed Pedro Jiminez in the movie "The Dirty Dozen."

Big hits:

"If I Had a Hammer"  (#3-1963)

"Kansas City"  (#22-1964)

"Lemon Tree"  (#20-1965)

Music Deaths: Frank Banali of Quiet Riot and Jack Sherman of Red Hot Chili Peppers

FRANK BANALI, 68

Died 20 August 2020

Drummer with Quiet Riot.  Their biggest hit was "Cum On Feel the Noize"  (#5-1983).  Great, fun song.  Real Metal.

*****************************

JACK SHERMAN, 64

Died 21 August 2020

Guitarist with Red Hot Chili Peppers in their first album in 1983 and toured with them in 1984.  Evidently something happened as he was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with them.

Need a Shot of 1969-- Part 1: 'Born On the Bayou'

From WXRT, 93.1 FM's Saturday Morning Flashback.

HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME--  Sly & the Family Stone

BORN ON THE BAYOU--  Creedence Clearwater Revival

HOT SUMMER DAY--  It's a Beautiful Day

SPACE COWBOY--  Steve Miller Band

A NEW DAY YESTERDAY--  Jethro Tull

WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT--  Who

IT'S YOUR THING--  Isley Brothers

TOUCH ME--  Doors

OH WELL--   Fleetwood Mac

DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS--  Chicago

VICTORIA--  Kinks

THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN--  Band

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Told You 'Bout Living In The US Of A."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Space Cownoy"

See If You Can Guess the Person Saying This-- Part 2: The Captain of the Titanic Talking About Lifeboats

**  Look, passengers need to ask nicely for the lifeboats if they want them.

**  We don't have any lifeboats.  We are not lifeboat distributors.

**  Passengers should have planned for icebergs and brought their own lifeboats.

**  I really don't think we need that many lifeboats.

**  And, those lifeboats we have are really wonderful lifeboats.

**We have lifeboats, and they're supposed to be our lifeboats. not the passengers' lifeboats.

**  The lifeboats were left on shore by the last captain. 

**  Nobody could have foreseen the iceberg.

Figured out who it is yet?

--RoadDog

See If You Can Guess the Person Saying This?-- Part 1: Iceberg? What Iceberg?

My wife Liz found this on FaceBook and I had to chuckle.  Had this person been captain of that ill-fated Titanic, he might have said this.

**  There isn't any iceberg.

**  There was an iceberg but it was in a totally different ocean.

**  The iceberg is in this ocean, but it will melt very soon.

**  There is an iceberg, but we didn't hit the iceberg.

**  We hit the iceberg, but the damage will be repaired very soon.

**  The iceberg is a Chinese iceberg.

**  We are taking on water, but every passenger who wants  a lifeboat can get a life boat.

**  They are beautiful life boats.

Any Ideas Who the New Captain Is?  --RoadDog

TRIVIA TEASER:  Who hit the baseball that trickled through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner in game six of the 1986 World Series?

Mookie Wilson

Past Movie Scratches (See If You Can Guess These Movies): Crusade-- Vacation-- Express-- Scrooged-- McPhee-- Feet

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2019.  Sure going to have a lot of these for 2020 because of you-know-what.

A Dog's Eye View of the movies.

97.  INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE--  12-3--  "Don't call me Junior."  "Nazis, I hate those guys."  "X" doesn't mark the spot.

98.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--  12-4--  Just imagine living next door to Clark Griswold.   Even if you're not a snooty yuppy.

99.  POLAR EXPRESS--  12-6--  "We're on a tight schedule" and what a ticket punch.  You've got to believe to hear that bell. 

100.  SCROOGED--  12-8--  Loved the Ghost of Christmas Past and Christmas Present.  Christmas Present could really hurt you, but Christmas Future scared me.

101.  NANCY McPHEE--  12-9--  "I did knock."  A "government nanny?"  Squares the kids up with the 5 Lessons and then there were the facial changes.

102.  HAPPY FEET--  12-10--  I can't stop dancing.  Great music and the choreography of those animated penguins!!    Mumbles couldn't sing, but sure saved the day.

"Christmas Vacation" Is My Second Favorite Christmas Movie.  --RoadLights

THINGS TO PONDER:  Why do we drive on parkways and park in driveways?

Music Deaths: Pat Fairley of Marmalade

PAT FAIRLEY. 76

Died 11 August 2020

Guitar player and co-founder of Marmalade who had a 1969 hit with cover of the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

Scottish rock band from Glasgow.  Originally called the Gaylords.  Changed name in 1966.  They were most successful from 1968 to 1972.

Their two biggest hits:

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"  (#1 UK-1969)

"Reflections of My Life"  (#10-1970)

Pat Fairley moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and after retiring from the music business owned  the music/bar venue called Scotland Yard.  He sold it two years ago, but it is still open.

Music Deaths: Wayne Fontana of the Mindbenders

WAYNE FONTANA, 74

Died 6 August 2020

Singer and front man for 60s group Mindbenders.  

British Invasion at its best.  Took his name after Elvis Presley's drummer D.J. Fontana.

Real name Glyn Geoffrey Ellis.  Fronted rock group from Manchester, England.  Left the group in 1965.  Graham Gouldman joined  in 1968.  Later, he and Fontana lead guitarist and singer Eric Stewart formed Hotlegs and then 10CC.

The Mindbenders had just two Top 40s, but what a two shot.  

"Game of Love"  (#1-1965)

"A Groovy Kind of Love"   (#2-1966)

Music Deaths: Johnny Mandel, that Song from 'M*A*S*H'

JOHNNY MANDEL, 94

Died 29 June 2020

If you've ever seen the movie or TV show "M*A*S*H" you are familiar with his song.  "Suicide Is Painless" serves as the introduction of both.  It was written for the suicide "Last Supper" scene in the movie where the guy was to commit suicide.

Director Robert Altman said he made $70,000 directing the movie, but that his son, Michael Altman, had made $1 million for writing the lyrics to the song.

"Through early morning fog I see

Visions of the things to be

The pains that are withheld for me I realize and I can see

That suicide is painless."

In case you're wondering what the words are.

American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz.  He also worked with artists such as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett.

Okay, now.  Get that tune out of your head.

Music Deaths: Jan Savage of the Seeds

JAN SAVAGE, 77

Died 5 August 2020

Guitarist with the Los Angeles garage psychedelic rock band Seeds who had the big hit "Pushing Too Hard"  (#36-1967).  They also charted well with the song "Can't Seem to Make You Mine."

Had the psychedelic sound down very well.  A lot of their success came from Jan Savage with his guitar playing.  Lead singer was Sky Saxon.

Very unique sound all around.  A master of the fuzz guitar.

Wonder how they came up with the name Seeds?

WLS Top Ten for Week of November 23, 1970: "I Think I Love You"

1.  TEARS OF A CLOWN--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

2.  GYPSY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland

3.  MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom  As I have said before, I really, really thought this was a black guy.  I was wrong.

4.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat

5.  I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family

6.  HEAVEN HELP US ALL--  Stevie Wonder

7.  CRY ME A RIVER--  Joe Cocker  And, I originally thought this might have been an original for him, but it was a cover.

9.  SEE ME, FEEL ME--  Who

10.  FIRE & RAIN-- Hames Taylor

******************************

DEBUTS

20.  DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS--  Chicago

23.  KNOCK THREE TIMES--  Dawn

28.  HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER--  Neil Diamond

29.  DOMINO--  Van Morrison

30.  MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison

HBD  BLACK MAGIC WOMAN--  Santana

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Listening To You, I get The Music."  Answer below.  RoadDog

"See Me, Feel Me"

Music Deaths: Peter Green, Founding Member of the Original Fleetwood Mac

PETER GREEM, 73

Died 25 July 2020

Guitar player, vocalist (blues rock) founding member of Fleetwood Mac.

Real name Peter  Allen Greenbaum.   Wrote the songs "Black Magic Woman" and "Oh Well."  Really noted for his guitar playing.

He was with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers where he replaced Eric Clapton.  Left there with drummer Mick Fleetwood to form what became Fleetwood Mac.

He left that group by 1970.

Music Deaths: Jamie Oldaker, Drummer with Eric Clapton, Member of the Tractors

JAMIE OLDAKER, 68

Died 16 July 2020

Drummer country/blues/rock.  Played with Eric Clapton.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Played with Bob Seger, Leon Russell and Eric Clapton.  Played on the "461 Ocean Boulevard" album.  Also "Behind the Sun" and Eric Clapton when he was on Live Aid.

One-time member of the Tractors also recorded with Bellamy brothers, Asleep at the Wheel, Peter Frampton, Stephen Stills, Freddie King and the Bee Gees.

The $3800 Six Mile Auto Trip, Nov. 10, 2020-- Part 3: Since Then

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

The guy came from the Chevy dealer and towed the car there.  Later that afternoon, we got a phone call about the damage to the car.  I planned on paying for it myself if it was under $1000, but it sure wasn't.  To do the mechanical repairs (with damage to the radiator and various other parts up front, it came to $2100.  To get the grill and front bumper replaced the whole price came to $3800.

Quite a bit more than I wanted to pay for.  So, I called our State Farm agent (not Jake from State Farm) and made a claim.  After giving the information, we were assigned a claim number and told their person would contact the dealer and work out something.

The contact, however we found out, was to be virtual in these virus days.

We have not heard from anyone as of yet, but will be calling today to find out where we stand and what will be done.

Just several years ago, we had four vehicles and now we are down to just one, a 2005 Dodge Dakota.

Kind of Would Like to Have At Least Two Vehicles, Though.  --RoadAlmostCarless

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why are you "in" a movie, but "on" TV?

The $3800 Six Mile Auto Trip Nov. 10, the Next Day

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11

And that is considering that since March 16, I haven't driven further than 25 miles from home.  With this virus, it is just no fun to drive anywhere.  We even dropped plans to join family in Savannah, Georgia, this coming Thursday for Thanksgiving.  We had that in the plans for a year and a half.

That storm, as bad as it was, was over in about an hour.

Anyway, the next day, I walked out by the car and saw the garage floor was very wet under the front of the car(perhaps, I thought, from all the rain we had) but there was nothing by the back tires.

I looked at the front of the 2011 Malibu and could see the license plate and holder were a bit bent and he bumper under it was dented as well.  Then I saw a piece of wood jammed in there, but I couldn't loosen it. (Nor could I get the hood up after I pulled the inside lever to do it.  I couldn't find the latch in the engine.)

I started the car, and it started right up.  Backed it out of the garage and drove around a couple blocks.  It ran well.  No warning lights came on either.

Parked it on the driveway which was dry, figuring I would see if it was still leaking.  I went out a few hours later and the driveway was covered with some sort of liquid.

I called our Chevy dealer to have it towed in the next day.

Watch Out for Them Motivating Big Tree Branches.--RoadWreck

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why do we press harder on the remote when we know the batteries are getting weak?

The $3800 Six Mile Auto Trip Last Tuesday-- Part 1: One Helluva Storm

We had had an almost unbelievable streak of warm weather for almost seven days in early November, so we had been taking advantage of it.  

However, Tuesday, November 10, it was supposed to end and in a big fashion with storms rolling through and really big winds.  Of course, that was the sky-is-falling weather forecasters so it was something you had to see.

We were down in Johnsburg sitting outside enjoying a late lunch (wow, sitting outside comfortably with just a sweatshirt and short pants in November here in the Midwest.  Wow!!) and then it began looking like the weather folks might be right.  Some really bad-looking black clouds were rolling in from the west and the wind was picking up.  (We were sitting outside because of the virus and no dining inside.)

Around 4:15, a big blast of wind and a smattering of raindrops hit, sending customers chasing after chairs, tables and umbrellas and then we and others decided it was time to hightail home.  We got to the car just ahead of a downpour.

Driving north on Johnsburg Road, we could see the rain coming down horizontally.  Trees were bending over alarmingly.  The pavement was becoming slippery.  We stopped at Ringwood Road for the sign, proceeded through the intersection and about a quarter mile north, I saw a large tree branch blown down and start across the road.  This was maybe a hundred feet in front of us.

Slammed on the brakes, but had to let up when I started skidding.  The branch was sliding across the road, but enough in it so that we were going to hit it.  We did.

The car continued going with no problems and we drove the last couple miles to home.  Parked in the garage and we could see no damage.

Hopefully, we wouldn't have any damage, but would have to wait until the next day to take a look in the daylight.

That Was Too Close.  The Heart Was Racing.  --RoadSmash

THINGS TO PONDER:  If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2.

Past Movie Scratches: Rangers-- E.T.-- Scrooged-- Beetlejuice-- Ark-- Temple

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2019.

91.  POWER RANGERS--  11-28--  A bunch of misfits  band together accidentally to battle one real bad lady.

92.  E.T.:  THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL--  11-28--  "Phone home," little guy, "phone home."  Sneaking and flying him away to safety.

93.  SCROOGED--  11-29--  Scrooge as only Bill Murray can be.  He finally sees the light.  Great update on the classic Dickens story.

94.  BEETLEJUICE--  11-30--  "Day-O,"  "Jump In the Line."  Learning to be ghosts.

95.  INDIANA JONES AND THE LOST ARK--  12-1--  Have whip, will travel.  Beating the Nazis.  Indiana hates Nazis and snakes and has to deal with a lot of them.

96.  INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM--  12-2--  It's Short Round and Indy to the rescue and the famous roller coaster cart race.  Mighty interesting stuff at that fancy dinner.  Monkey brains, anybody?

Don't Say It Three Times.  --RoadJuice

TRIVIA:  What is the occupation of Frederic Henry in the Ernest Hemingway novel "A Farewell to Arms"?  

Ambulance driver

Past Movie Scratches: Vacation-- European-- Gremlin-- Christmas-- Vegas-- Azkaban

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2019.

85.  VACATION--  11-25-- Hitting the road in the family Truxter (Truckster?).  But, poor Aunt Edna and her little doggie don't make it all he way.   "How much you got?"

86.  EUROPEAN VACATION--  11-11-25--  Clark pretty well destroys Europe, unintentionally, of course.  Goodbye Stonehenge and the riot at Oktoberfest.

87.  GREMLIN--  11-25--  Those Gremlins were having way too much fun in that bar.

88.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--  11-26--  If anything can go wrong with Clark's good old-fashioned family Christmas, it does.

89.  VEGAS VACATION--  11-26--  It's Clark vs. the blackjack dealer while the rest of the family does well.  Clark, not so well.

90.  HARRY POTTER:  PRISONER OF AZKABAN--  11-28--  Sirius Black is on Harry's side and was a good friend of his parents.  Meet the Dementors.  All those flying witches or whatever they are and their bad sucking attitudes.

Waiting for the Commercial Breaks.  --RoadDog

TRIVIA:  What Texas band had a hit with 1984's "Legs?"  

ZZ Top

WLS Top Ten or Week of November 16, 1970: 'Tears of a Clown'

Fifty years ago.  In other words, half a century.  

1.  I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family   Something about the Cowsills here.

2.  GYPSY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland

3.  TEARS OF A CLOWN--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

4.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat

5.  MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom  I was always under the impression that he was a black guy.

6.  HEAVEN HELP US ALL--  Stevie Wonder

7.  FIRE & RAIN--  James Taylor   Oh those singer/songwriters

8.  CRY ME A RIVER--  Joe Cocker

9.  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five

10.  SHARE THE LAND--  Guess Who

***********************************

DEBUTS

24.  BE MY BABY--  Andy Kim

26.  ENGINE #9-- Wilson Pickett

29.  STONED LOVE--  Supremes

30.  ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER--  Fifth Dimension

Hitbound  STEALER--  Free

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I'm Sleeping And Right In The Middle Of A Good Dream."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"I Think I Love You"

Music Deaths: Judy Dyble of Fairport Convention and Pete Way of UFO

JUDY DYBLE, 71

Died 12 July 2020

Singer, founding member of British folk rock band Fairport Convention.  Sometimes called the British Jefferson Airplane.

*************************

PETE WAY, 69

Died 14 August 2020

Bassist.  Played with English hard rock band UFO.

Music Deaths: Charlie Daniels

CHARLIE DANIELS, 83

Died 6 July 2020

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and noted for his fiddle playing.  Had a huge hit with "The devil Went Down to Georgia" (#3-1979) plus that humorous "Uneasy Rider"  (#9-1973).  Other big hits:

The Souths Gonna Do It"

"Long Haired Country Boy"

"In America"

"The Legend of Wooly Swamp" 

"Still in Saigon"

One of my favorites.  Loved that hat pulled low over his face and that furious fiddle playing.  Loved it when he kicked Old Green Teeth in the knee in "Uneasy Rider."

WLS Top 30 Songs for Week of November 9, 1970-- Part 5: "Let's Work Together"

Fifty years ago this week in Chicago, these were the Top Ten songs according to WLS, 890 AM.

*  means the song is climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100.

I don't make many comments on these songs because I have already commented on them on Past Top 30s.

10.  *HEAVEN HELP US ALL--  Stevie Wonder    #9

9.  *MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom       #8      Actually a white guy.  I was always under the idea that he was a black man.  Died at age 28 by a supposedly accidental gunshot.

8.  SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING--    100 Proof    #8

7.  WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN--  Carpenters    #2

6.  *LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat    #26

5.  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five     #1   This was the fourth and last of four straight out-of-the-gate  #1s for them.  Not a bad start.  The next two "only" got to #2.    So sad.

4.  *TEARS OF A CLOWN--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles    #1

3.  *GYPSEY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland    #3

2.  FIRE & RAIN--  James Taylor     #3

1.  I THINK I LOVE YOU  --Partridge Family   #1

Name That Tune (from the above songs)"  "Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum, I Can Feel The Presence Of Someone."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Somebody's Been Sleeping"

WLS Top 30 for Week of November 9, 1970-- Part 4: "Green Eyed Lady"

Fifty years ago (REALLY!!) in Chicago according to WLS 890 AM radio.  Young people listened to WLS and WCFL, 1000 AM for the latest songs.  FM was just getting started.

15.  LOLA--  Kinks    #9     Three straight of the greatest songs intros ever.  Instant recognition.  See  the Nov. 10 post for the other two.  Originally banned on some stations, but not because of what Lola was, but because of the mention of "Coca-Cola" which was changed to Cherry Cola.

14.  *SHARE THE LAND--  Guess Who      #10     Also instantly recognizable first notes.  Appropriate for the troubled times back then and now.  Their last Top Ten until "Clap for the Wolfman"  (#6-1974).

13.  GREEN EYED LADY--  Sugarloaf     #3    The fifth straight song om this countdown with those ear-catching first notes.  Do you prefer the 3:39 radio version or 6:52 album cut?  A comment on You Tube:  "The coolest thing ever for a 10-year-old was to go cruising with his older brother in his LeMans  with this playing on the 8-track."

12.  DEEPER & DEEPER--  Freda Payne     #24    Hardly ever gets played these days unless you're listening to MeTV FM, but on a lot back then.  The glory days of AM radio.  Follow up to "Band of Gold" (#3-1970).

11.  IT DON'T MATTER TO ME--  Bread     #10    The man with that romantic voice. Mr. David Gates who married his high school sweetheart.   I did too.  Great follow up to "Make It With You."

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Girls Will Be Boys And Boys Will Be Girls.  It's A Mixed Up, Muddled Up World."   Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Lola"

Veterans Day, 2020

My U.S. flags are all out.  Hope yours are as well.

At 11 am I went over to the McHenry, Illinois, American Legion on Riverside Drive where there was a joint Legion/PLAV (Polish Legion of American Veterans) ceremony honoring our veterans.  New commander Mark Hume opened with remarks and we had "Taps" played.  

The MIA/POW Table was explained and the history of Veterans Day was given.

All this was filmed for Zoom.

--RoadDog

Bob Stroud Is Doing a 'Red, White & Blue' Ten at Ten in Honor of Veterans Day Today

At 10 am (and 10 pm) CST today, Bob Stroud will be doing his Ten at Ten on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive. on "Red, White & Blue" songs in honor of Veterans Day.

It streams so give it a listen.

I'll be going over to the McHenry American Legion (Illinois) for a ceremony.

Thank a veteran Today (and always).

You can see the ten tunes Bob played on my RoadDog's RoadLog blog of this date.

--RoadDog

WLS Top 30 for Week of November 9, 1970-- Part 3: "Cry Me A River"

Top 30 songs in Chicago fifty years ago.   *  means the song was climbing the charts.

 

20.  *CRY ME A RIVER--  Joe Cocker     #11     What you call quite a musical interpreter.  I actually thought this might have been an original by him until I read that Ella Fitzgerald and Barbra Streisand had sung the song before Joe.  If you've never heard the Ella version, go to You Tube.  It will be worth your while.  Barbra did a great version as well.  Joe definitely rocked it up, but I really like that Ella version.

19.  *EL CONDOR PASA--  Simon & Garfunkel     #18    Based on a Peruvian song.  Love those pipes.  From that great "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" album.

18.  LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG, MA--  New Seekers     #14   Covering a Melanie song.   Several comments saying this version was better than Melanie's.  I don't know, both are good but I am quite a Melanie fan.  British-Australian group.  Their biggest hit was the following year with "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)."

17.  LUCRETIA MacEVIL--   Blood, Sweat & Tears     #29     Love those horns at the beginning.  Another one of those instantly recognizable songs from the first few chords.  Off "BST 3."  A song any woman named Lucretia probably doesn't like.

16.  ALL RIGHT NOW--  Free       #4      FULL VOLUME, BABY!!   Is there a speaker anywhere big enough to handle the volume this needs to be played at?  Back in my deejay days, always a song guaranteed to get people out dancing.  Another one of those songs instantly identifiable by the opening chords.  Their only Top 40 out of just two Hot 100s.  One-Hit Wonder, anybody?

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  ""I'd Rather be A Sparrow Than A Snail."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"El Condor Pasa"

Happy 245th, America's Strike Force, the U.S. Marines

Today marks the 245th birthday of one mighty fine fighting machine, the Marines.

They were formed by resolution of the Second Continental Congress on November 10, 1775.  The Corps' commander was Samuel Nicholas who raised a battalion of 300 by December of 1775 in Philadelphia.  By January, they went to sea under the command of Commodore  Esek Hopkins.  

In March, they undertook the first of many amphibious operations in their illustrious career, at the Battle of Nassau in the Bahamas, occupying the British port of Nassau for two weeks.

On January 3, 1777,  the Marines arrived at the Battle of Princeton attached to General John Calwalader's brigade.

And, you know what tomorrow is.

--RoadMarine

WLS Top 30 for Week of November 9, 1970-- Part 2: "King of Rock and Roll"

*  Means the song is climbing the charts.

25.  IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE--  Glen Campbell    Fine job on this former Conway Twitty song that reached #1 in 1958.

24.  *SEE ME, FEEL ME--  Who   Slow at beginning, but built up.    Of course there was them doing it in the movie "Woodstock" and with all Roger Daltry's fringe flying around.  Watch the YouTube Woodstock version of this.

23.  *STAND BY YOUR MAN--  Candi Staton  Tammy's song with a soul twist.

22.  *KING OF ROCK AND ROLL--  Crow   Full name of it almost as long as the song at 2:33: "(Don't Try to lay No Boogie Woogie On the ) King of Rock and Roll."    Written by Jeff Thomas and also a famous English version by Long John Baldry.

21.  *STILL WATER--  Four Tops  One of the greatest belly rubbin' songs ever.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Listening To You, I Get Music.  Gazing At You I Get The Heat."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

(See Me, Feel Me"

WLS Top 30 for Week of November 9, 1970-- Part 1: 'Stoned Love'

Fifty year ago on Chicago's WLS 890 AM.   * Means it was climbing the charts.    The number after the artist is how high it got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Charts.

HBD   *STONED LOVE--  Supremes     #7     No Diana this time.

30.  *YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME--  Elvis Presley      #11    Elvis doing that Vegas thing.  From the movie "Elvis:  That Is the Way That It Is."

29.  *10- 15 (20-25 YEARS OF LOVE)--  Presidents     #11       What they call Old School Soul.   Herb Kent, where are you?  

28.  *AFTER MIDNIGHT--  Eric Clapton     #18     Doing a J.J. Cale song.

27.  CRACCKLIN' ROSIE--  Neil Diamond      #1    Watch the Kathleen Mosley video of a very young Neil.  Was that a hair flip on the left side of his head?  Were we that young 50n years ago?

26.  CANDIDA--  Dawn    #3    A white guy with two black gals.  Their first hit.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "The Stars Won't Come Out If They Know That You're About."    Answer below.   --RoadDog

"Candida"

Every Blooming THing, Early November

Keeping true to my goal of having something blooming with big color all the way between April and October, the yard has a lot of color right now.

Several hundred yellow and orange mums are still in bloom.  The sedum have the dark heads and yellow stalks.  Burning bushes are burning red.  Plus, my lone remaining Bradford pear tree has just gotten it autumnal tones.  However, I do have several Bradford pear tree seedlings growing.

Just finished raking pine straw up into my two pine islands; great mulch, but a whole lot of raking, especially with all the wind we've been having so that pine straw was spread out over a really bit area.  Hoping that I cut the grass for the last time.

Rolled up the front yard hose onto the reel (200 feet of hose) and will get to the backyard hose later this month after I finish burning limbs and twigs.  

We've been having a great Indian Summer around here with temperatures in the lower 70s for the last six days.  Last year this time, we had already had a Halloween surprise snow storm that dropped six inches on the ground and then there was another surprise Veterans Day six inches.  No snow this year, but we have had a couple frosts.

--RoadDog

JSS: Strange Halloween-- No Decorating for Halloween--Where's the Halloween Candy?-- Injun Summer

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  STRANGE HALLOWEEN--  Well, last Saturday was  one strange Halloween for us.  For the first time ever, we didn't hand out candy to the lil' Trick or Treaters.  Too bad, as we always enjoy the really young ones out on their first spree.  They are so cute.  We were home, but all lights in the front of the house were out.  We still got a few knocks.  Felt guilty, but these times as they say.

2.  NO DECORATING FOR HALLOWEEN--  This was also the first time I didn't decorate.  We usually have lighted pumpkins in every window inside as well as about a thousand mostly orange miniature lights outside.  You might say we went dark.

3.  WHERE'S THE HALLOWEEN CANDY?--  I noticed that there was quite a bit less candy for sale at places before Halloween and then, the day after, when I usually do some stocking up, some stores didn't even have any candy on sale.

4.  INJUN SUMMER--  Well, since Tuesday, November 3, we have been having very warm weather for this time of the year.  We have been to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg and sitting outside every day since then.  Very warm while sun is out, but when it starts going down, you see everyone  heading out to their vehicles to get more clothing.  Man, it gets downright cold.

--RoadDog

Past Movie Scratches: Halloween-- Avatar-- Guardians-- Hunger-- Trek-- Forrest

See if you can guess the names of the movies at the top.

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2019, before Virus.

79.  HALLOWEEN--  10-30--  Yes, Tommy.  There is a boogey man and his name is Michael.  A fixated lad and just the film to watch the day before his Holiday.

80.  AVATAR--  11-4--  It's whites vs. Indians in space.  "I see you."  Do you see me?  Amazing cgi.

81.  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY--  11-9--  Great movie and great music from a CASSETTE!!  I am a big cassette fan.  I still record on cassettes.

82.  HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE--  11-11--  You just got to hate President Snow.  I don't even like him on those orange juice commercials now.  Then, there is that laughing, laughing mc.  

83.  STAR TREK--  11-16--  How it all began.  Everybody meets everybody.  Who said, "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?"  "Who said, "I've got your gun?"  Young Spock meets old Spock.

84.  FORREST GUMP--  11-23--  Stupid is as stupid does.  "And, that's all I have to say about that."  Too bad they are going to have to change the name of the movie because someone was named after a Confederate general and some people have hissy fits when they see that.

Several Groups of Misfits.  --RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for November 2, 1970: 'Fire & Rain'

The Top Ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago.

1.  I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family    You just gotta love that Danny Partridge.

2.  FIRE & RAIN--  James Taylor

3.  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five

4.  WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN--  Carpenters

5.  IT DON'T MATTER TO ME--  Bread

6.  SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING--  100 Proof

7.  DEEPER & DEEPER--  Freda Payne

8.  GYPSEY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland

9.  GREEN EYED LADY--  Sugarloaf

10.  LOLA--  Kinks   How did it begin?

**********************************

DEBUTS

26.  SHARE THE LAND--  Guess Who

27.  CRY ME A RIVER--  Joe Cocker

29.  SEE ME, FEEL ME--  Who

30.  STILL WATER (LOVE)--  Four Tops

HBD   YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME--   Elvis Presley

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I'm Sleeping And Right In The Middle Of A Good Dream."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"I Think I Love You"

Music Deaths: Benny Mardones, Sang "Into the Night'

BENNY MARDONES, 73

Died 29 June 2020

Singer who had the 1980 hit "Into the Night."

This song actually charted twice.

In 1980 it hit #11 and in 1989 it his #20.

Not just a balladeer guy.  On the "American Bandstand" video, he kind of reminds me of Steve Perry of Journey.

Check out his songs 

"Hometown Gils"

"American Bandstand"

"Oh Me, Oh My"

Music Deaths: Willie Wright, Soul Singer and Songwriter

WILLIE WRIGHT, 80

Died 29 June 2020

Soul singer and songwriter.  Never had a Top 100 on the pop charts.  Which was too bad.  I've been listening to some of his songs on You Tube and what a talent he was.

I especially liked:

"Right On for the Darkness" (written by Curtis Mayfield)

"I'm So Happy Now"

Telling the Truth"

"Nantucket"   He performed there a lot.

Do yourself a favor and give him a listen if you've never heard him.  I wish I had while he was alive.

What a Long Strange Election This Has Been

And, it seemed like it started ten years ago.  I have never seen America so divided over this one.  Even my wife and I voted differently for the first time ever, thus cancelling our votes essentially.

I sure won't miss all the political ads on TV and the radio.  Every year they get nastier and dirtier.  I am now of the opinion to vote for any candidate not using the smear tactics.  If you believe them, then every politician should be imprisoned.

This is also the first time we voted by mail because of you-know-what.

If I had my rathers, I would vote for Lauren Underwood and Joe Biden, but unfortunately, they are Democrats and that party scares me even more that Donald Trump with their blind allegiance to the BLM movement in an effort to have Blacks sweep them to victory.  I voted for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the last two presidential elections.

But, I can't do that this year.

Plus, there is the Democratic efforts (along with BLM) at Confederadication, the removal of all things Confederate from U.S. history.

Well, Regardless, I sure will be happy when all this is over.

How Soon Can Tomorrow Get Here?  --RoadTired

Past Movie Scratches: Pool-- Grown-- Rough--Pearl-- Mummy-- Pets

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2019.

73.  DEAD POOL--  9-2--  A superhero like none other.  Really funny comments.

74.  GROWN UPS II--  9-8--  Those wacky pals are back with one really big outrageous 80s party with the J. Geils Band.

75.  ROUGH NIGHT--   9-9-- A bachelorette party that really goes wrong.  Another "Hangover."

76.  PEARL HARBOR--  9-12--  All that great action.  All that corny melodrama.

77.  THE MUMMY--  10-19--  A lady with a real attitude problem.

78.  SECRET LIVES OF PETS--  10-21--  Those animals are just so doggone cute.  Gotta love the rabbit with all that attitude.

Pass the Popcorn.  --RoadPool

The Drive's Halloween A to Z Spooktacular Today, 10 AM to ? 'Cat Scratch Fever'

Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM has stated playing nothing but Halloween songs already and will continue until the ghouls come home.  In honor of you-know-what.  And, they are playing them alphabetically.

They just finished playing 

CAT SCRATCH FEVER--  Ted Nugent

CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN-  Guess Who

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON--  Dave Edmunds

*****************************

They started with:

ABFRACADABRA--  Steve Miller

BACK IN BLACK--  ACDC

BAD MOON RISING--  Creedence Clearwater Revival

BATTLE OF EVERMORE--  Led Zeppelin

BEAST OF BURDEN--  Rolling Stones

BEWARE OF DARKNESS--  George Harrison

It streams so get your Halloween Scaredies right here today and tonight.  

--RoadBoo

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I See Earthquakes And Lightning.  I See Bad Times Today."  Answer below.  --RoadSkeered

"Bad Moon Rising"

It's a Howlin' Halloween Around Here For Sure: 10 Songs to 'Skeer' the Daylights Out of You 'Werewolves of London'

From Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten on Chicago's Drive, 97.1 FM, WDRV from Oct. 30, 2020.

Yep, gonna be a strange one indeed this year.  Besides being the first time since Liz and I have been married that we're not giving out candy (and I didn't even decorate the outside of the house).  Plus, the Illinois governor has decided to stop inside dining and drinking at restaurants and bars in Lake and McHenry counties as of today.  

Yep, it's Happy Coronavirus Time to All.  But, sadly, necessary.

Anyhow, we can still play our spooky music.  And here are ten sure-fired "skeerd" songs, compliments of Baron Von Frankenstroud.

1.  I PUT A SPELL ON YOU--  Screamin' Jay Hawkins

2.  SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD--  Police

3.  SPOOKY--  Classics IV

4.  PSYCHO KILLER--  Talking Heads

5.  SEASON OF THE WITCH--  Donovan

6.  DEVIL INSIDE-- INXS

7.  DANCING WITH MR. D--  Rolling Stones

8.  GHOSTBUSTERS--  Ray Parker, Jr.

9.  WEREWOLVES OF LONDON--  Warren Zevon

10.  SCARY MONSTERS--  David Bowie

By the way, tomorrow from 10 am CDST to whenever, Chicago's WDRV 97.1 FM will be doing Halloween Songs A to Z.  So, if you like listening to Halloween scaries, give it a listen.  I sure will be.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "In The Cool Of The Evenin' When Everything Is Gettin' Kind Of Groovy."  Answer below.  --RoadBoo

"Spooky"

Music Deaths: Pete Carr, Lead Guitarist of Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section

PETE CARR, 70

Died 27 June 2020

Guitar player, session musician who played with the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

An early friend of Duane Allman.  Played guitar on five #1 singles:

"If Lovin' You Is Wrong" by Luther Ingram

"Tonight's the Night" by Rod Stewart

"Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor

"Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand

"What Kind of Fool" by Barbra Streisand

Others he worked with:  Joan Baez, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Skaggs, Paul Simon, Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett and Hank Williams Jr.

Music Deaths: Tom Finn of the Left Banke

TOM FINN, 71

Died 27 June 2020

Bass player and vocalist with the Left Banke (Baroque Rock) who had a big hit in 1966 with "Walk Away Renee."

He was the last surviving member of the original Left Banke.  Lead singer Steve Martin Caro died in January of this year.

"Walk Away Renee"  (#5-1966)

"Pretty Ballerina"  (#15-1967)

Past Movie Scratches: Megalodon-- Godzilla-- Brother-- Impact-- Lethal-- Rogue

Past Movie Scratches:  Movies that I saw on TV in 2019, before the virus.

67.  MEGALODON--  8-17--  It's the U.S. Navy vs. a really, really big shark.  Svenghouli will have a field day when he gets around to hosting this movie.  Pretty dumb and dumber.

68.  GODZILLA--  8-18--  The big guy actually saves us.  Go, you GODZILLA!!!

69.  ON BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU--  8-20--  Great story and even better music.  Good old Pete the Toad.  More characters than you can believe.

70.  DEEP IMPACT--  8-22--  Another rogue asteroid menacing the Earth.  But Fish gets it.

71.  LETHAL WEAPON--  8-29--  Mel's a wild child,  but vengeance-minded.

72.  STAR WARS:  ROGUE ONE--  9-1--  Getting the plans for the Empire's Death Star.  How it all started.

--RoadZilla

Past Movie Scratches: Pearl-- War-- Suicide-- Battleship-- Resident-- Zombie

Past Movie Scratches:  These are songs I watched on TV in 2019.

61.  PEARL HARBOR--  6-25--   Doolittle gets 'em back!!  Go Doolittle.

62.WAR DOGS--  6-25--  War!!!  It is good for something.  Making money do those who supply the tools of trade.

63.  SUICIDE SQUAD--  6-30--  Task Force X.  That Harley's quite the gal.  Funny and crazy at the same time.  Just the gal for the Joker.

64.  BATTLESHIP--  7-18--  It's Aliens vs. the Mighty Mo.  The Aliens never stood a chance.

65.  RESIDENT EVIL 5:  RETRIBUTION--  8-13--     That was Umbrella and Red Queen.  Go humans.

66.  ZOMBIE TIDAL WAVE--  8-17--   Another SyFy cheesefest.  The worst acting, corniest acting and really bad visual effects.

--RoadBattleship

WLS Top Ten for Week of October 26, 1970: "It Don't Matter To Me"

The Top Ten in Chi-Town fifty years ago.

1.  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five

2.  WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN--  Carpenters

3.  IT DON'T MATTER TO ME--  Bread   If you think these guys on ly sang slow, soft pop songs, give a listen to their "On the Waters" album on You Tube.

4.  FIRE & RAIN--  James Taylor

5.  I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family   Their TV show could have been called "The Monkees II."

6.  GREEN-EYED LADY--  Sugarloaf

7.  SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING--  100 Proof

8.  LOLA--  Kinks   Was there ever a song so recognizable after the first few notes?  Well, maybe song #10.  

9.  DEEPER & DEEPER--  Freda Payne

10.  ALL RIGHT NOW--  Free

*********************************

DEBUTS

21.  GYPSY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland

25.  MONTEGO BAY--  Bobby Bloom

26.  TEARS OF A CLOWN--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

28.  HEAVEN HELP US ALL--  Stevie Wonder

30.  STAND BY YOUR MAN--    Candi Staton

Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Just Yesterday Morning, They Let Me Know You Were Gone."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Fire & Rain"

Goin' Back to 1974-- Part 4: "Number 9 Dream"

ALREADY GONE--  Eagles    This was my favorite Eagles song until we got into Route 66 and there was that "Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona" tune.
U.S. BLUES--  Grateful Dead
SEASONS OF WHITHER--  Aerosmith

THE THRILL OF IT ALL--  Roxy Music
NUMBER 9 DREAM--  John Lennon
YOU'RE NO GOOD--  Linda Ronstadt        Still my favorite female singer.  Just something about her.

TIME OUT--  Joe Walsh
HEROES ARE HARD TO FIND--  Fleetwood Mac
SKATING AWAY ON THE THIN ICE OF A NEW DAY--  Jethro Tull     Winners of the first Grammy for Heavy Metal.  Really, Jethro Tull, Heavy Metal?

TROUBLE NO MORE--    Muddy Waters

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well I Heard Some People Talkin' Just The Other Day."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Already Gone"

Goin' Back to 1974-- Part 3: "Mirage"

Parts 1 and 2 are on October 18 and 19.

RIDE MY TIGER--  Jefferson Starship
SPANISH MOON--  Little Feat
BRIDGE OF SIGHS--  Robin Trower

I SHOT THE SHERIFF--  Eric Clapton
ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY--  Bonnie Raitt
LONG LIVE ROCK--  Who

TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD--  Chaka Kahn & Rufus
MIRAGE--  Santana
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE--  Rolling Stones

DING DONG--  George Harrison
BLOODY WELL RIGHT--  Supertramp
RAISED ON ROBBERY--  Joni Mitchell

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "All Around My Home Town, They're Trying To Track me Down."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"I Shot the Sheriff"

Past Movie Scratches: Guardians-- Awakens-- Empire-- Ride-- Wolf-- Rogue

Can you guess the names of the above movies before you look at the list below?

Past Movie Scratches:  Movies I watched on TV in 2019.

55.  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY--  4-27--  What a wacky group!    "We are Groot!"  My favorite Marvel heroes.

56.  STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS--  5-27--  Or, Finding Luke Skywalker.  And, what about Han Solo's kid.  His grandfather's kid.

57.  STAR WARS EPISODE V:  THEN EMPIRE STRIKES BACK--  5-27--  Welcome to the Ice Planet, the Abominable Snowman and we get to meet Yoda, we do.

58.  RIDE ALONG 2--  5-30--  A little bit of Ben Barber goes a real long way.

59.  THE WOLF OF WALL STREET--  6-1--  More sex and drugs than you've ever seen. If you see Leo copulating once, you've seen him a 100 times.

60.  ROGUE ONE--  6-14--  Sets the stage for the first (or the 4th) Star Wars movie.  That is why Obi Wan Kenobi had to help.

Pass the Popcorn.

--RoadWars

WLS Top Ten for Week of October 19, 1970: "Lola"

The top ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago according to WLS, 890 AM.

1.  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five

2.  GREEN-EYED LADY--  Sugarloaf

3.  WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN--  Carpenters

4.  LOLA--  Kinks

5.  ALL RIGHT NOW--  Free

6.  IT DON'T MATTER TO ME--  Bread

7.  LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG, MA--  New Seekers

8.  CRACKLIN' ROSIE--  Neil Diamond

9.  FIRE & RAIN--   James Taylor

10.  THAT'S WHERE I WENT WRONG--  Poppy Family

*********************************

DEBUTS ON THE TOP 30

21.  I THINK I LOVE YOU--  Partridge Family

27.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat

28.  GYPSY WOMAN--  Brian Hyland

30.  OUR HOUSE--  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Soothing Every Raging Wave That Comes."  Answer below.  ----RoadDog

"Green-Eyed Lady"

Going Back to 1974-- Part 1: "Any Major Dude Will Tell You"

On December 2, 2018, WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback featured the year 1974 and was hosted by Johnny Mars.

1974 was another busy year for me as I finished teaching my first year at Magee Middle School and started my second one.  We moved from our first apartment in Des Plaines, Illinois, to our second one in Vernon Hills, Illinois.  This one was about half way between where I worked in Round Lake and where Liz worked at General Finance Corporation in Evanston, Illinois.

I taught summer school at Grayslake High School.

We also started looking for an affordable house (and eventually moved into one in Round Lake Beach (for $33,000).

ROLL ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY--  Bachman Turner Overdrive
WALK ON--  Neil Young
ANY MAJOR DUDE WILL TELL YOU--  Steely Dan

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "We Rented A Truck And A Semi To Go."  Answer below.  RoadDog


"Roll On Down the Highway"

Music Deaths: Keith Tippett (Played with King Crimson) and Vera Lynn (Popular WW II Singer)

KEITH TIPPETT, 72

Died 14 June 2020

Pianist/composer.  Worked with King Crimson.

****************************

VERA LYNN, 103

Died 18 June 2020

Singer best known for her song "We'll meet Again," a popular WW II song.  I'll write about her in more detail in my Tattooed On Your Soul: World War II blog.

Music Deaths: Ricky Valance Sang 'Tell Laura I Love Her'

RICKY VALANCE, 81

Died 12 June 2020

Real name David Spencer.  Welsh pop singer.  Best-known for his UK #1 single "Tell Laura I Love Her."  He was the first Welsh singer to have a #1 UK hit.  

Covered Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her" which hit #7 on U.S. charts in 1960.

Had a #1 on UK charts even before Tom Jones.  Who'd have figured.

Going Back to 1974-- Part 2: "You're No Good"

OVERNIGHT SENSATION--  Raspberries
ROCK STEADY--  Bad Company
INTRO / SWEET JANE--  Lou Reed

YOU HAVEN'T DONE NOTHING--  Stevie Wonder
THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY--  Genesis
1984--  David Bowie

THE THRILL OF IT ALL--  Roxy Music
NUMBER 9 DREAM--  John Lennon
YOU'RE NO GOOD--  Linda Ronstadt

TIME OUT--  Joe Walsh
SWEET HOME ALABAMA--  Lynyrd Skynyrd   Love those Welcome to Alabama signs.
HEROES ARE HARD TO FIND--  Fleetwood Mac

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Feelin' Better, Now That We're Through."    Answer below.  --RoadDog


"You're No Good"

1974

Bob Stroud has us back to 1974 on his Ten at Ten on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1, 96.9 FM, the Drive on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020.  That's 46 years ago for those counting.

WISHING YOU WERE HERE--  Chicago  (I always think this is Pink Floyd for some reason.)
TRAIN KEP A ROLLIN'--  Aerosmith
DANCE WITH ME--  Orleans

DREAMER--  Supertramp
RAINY DAY WOMEN #12 & #35--  LIVE--  Bob Dylan
MAINLINE FLORIDA--  Eric Clapton
OVERNIGHT SENSATION--  Raspberries

COME AND GET YOUR LOVE--  Redbone
I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG--  Jim Croce
BILLY DON'T BE A HERO--  Paper Lace

My pick was "Come and Get Your Love."

#1 song this date:  "SEASONS IN THE SUN" by Terry Jacks
#1 albun:   "JOHN DENVER GREATEST HITS"
#1 movie at the Box Office:  "BLAZING SADDLES"

--RoadDog

Deaths of Big MLB Stars Recently: Seaver, Ford, Gibson, Brock, Beckert and Morgan

One thing about baseball today, where players seem to change teams every few years (and of course with all the many teams we now have) I really don't know the names of many of today's stars.  But not so in the past.

Everyone of the names, except Whitey Ford, were players I really knew from the 1960s.  I became interested in baseball about 1963 and Ford was just about done by then.

But, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock (so sad that the Cubs traded him) and Joe Morgan were features in my love of baseball back then.  Man, were they good, but they have all died within the past couple months.

Earlier this year, another big-time player from  back then died and that was Al Kaline of the Tigers.  Of interest, I found out his salary in 1959 when he hit .327 and that was $31,000.

Also, one player for the 1960s Cubs that I really liked, Glenn Beckert (1965-1973) died.

These three White Sox players have also died this year:

Ed Farmer (1979-1981)

Jay Johnstone  ((9171-1972)

Claudell Washington (1978-1980)

Childhood Memories.  --RoadDog

Music Deaths: Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters

BONNIE POINTER, 69

Died 8 June 2020

Singer with pop/soul vocal group Pointer Sisters.

Had several moderate hits after left the group, including "Heaven Must Have Sent You" (#11-1979.)

Sisters June, Anita and Ruth.  Some of their hits:

"Yes We Can Can" (#11-1973)

"Fire"  (#2-1978)

"He's So Shy"  (#3-1980)"

Jump (For My Love)   (#3-1984)

WLS Top 30 for Week of October 12, 1970-- Part 5: "All Right Now"

Here are the Top ten in Chicago fifty years ago.  ^  means the song was climbing the charts.

10.  ^ OUT IN THE COUNTRY--  Three Dog Night

9.   INDIANA WANTS ME--  R. Dean Taylor

8.   ^ THAT'S WHERE I WENT WRONG--  Poppy Family

7.  ^ CANDIDA--  Dawn

6.  ^ LOLA--  Kinks

5.  ^ WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN--  Carpenters

4.  CRACKLIN' ROSIE--  Neil Diamond

3.  ^ GREEN EYED LADY--  Sugarloaf

2.  ^ ALL RIGHT NOW--  Free

1.  ^ I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Met Her In A Club Down In Old Soho."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Lola"

Music Deaths: Steve Priest, Bassist with the Sweet

STEVE PRIEST, 72

Died 4 June 2020

Bass player with the glam rock band The Sweet.

Founding member and backing vocalist.  The band had a string of hits in the 1970s with songs like:

"Little Willie" (#3-1973)

"Ballroom Blitz"  (#5-1975)

"Fox on the Run"  (#5-1976)

"Love Is Like Oxygen"  (#8-1978)

Andy Scott is the only remaining member still alive.

WLS Top 30 for Week of October 12, 1970-- Part 4: "It Don't Matter to Me"

15.  ^ IT DON'T MATTER TO ME--  Bread    #10   These guys could really make a great slow song.  But if you listen to their "On the Waters" album, they could also do that uptempo stuff.  Follow up to "Make It With You."

14.  I KNOW (I'M LOSING YOU)--  Rare Earth  You've just got to love how the song started.  But that long version is way too much.  Short version better.  Much better.

13.  ^ JOANNE--  Michael Nesmith  What?  No more Monkees?  A great country song.

12.  ^ LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG, MA--  New Seekers   #14   Covering a Melanie song.  British-Australian group formed after the breakup of the Seekers.  Hence the new name.

11.  DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO--  Five Flights Up    #37     I don't remember ever hearing this one which is too bad.  This was one great slow Soul song.  It did well in Chicago with it going to #9 on WCFL and #6 on WLS.  Make sure you play the flip side of this on You Tube  "Black Cat."  One of the best Soul songs I've ever heard.  I'm really surprised this group did not do better.  I can just about hear Herb Kent (The Kool Gent) playing this song right now.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Hello Mama, Hello Mama It's Me.  How You Feeling Mama?"  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma"

Music Deaths: Jimmy Capps, Nashville Session Player and Member of Grand Ole Opry House Band

JIMMY CAPPS, 81

Died 2 June 2020

Country guitarist/ Nashville session player and member of the Grand Ole Opry house band.

Here is a partial list of songs he played on:

"Stand By Your Man"--  Tammy Wynette

"The Gambler"--  Kenny Rogers

"Elvira"--  Oak Ridge Boys

"He Stopped Loving Her Today"--  George Jones

"Amarillo By Morning"--  George Strait

Music Deaths: Bob Kulick Played With Lou Reed, KISS & Meatloaf

BOB KULICK, 70

Died 29 May 2020

Rock guitarist and session musician.  In late 1972, he auditioned for a then-new band called KISS.  The band with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss was very impressed by his performance, but ended up giving the job to the glitzier Ace Frehley.

WLS Top 30 for Week of October 12, 1970-- Part 3: "Deeper & Deeper"

 ^  means the song was rising up the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

20.  ^ FIRE AND RAIN--  James Taylor   This song sure takes me back to the Tune Room and Pow Wow rooms at good ol' NIU in DeKalb, Illinois.

19.  ^ DEEPER & DEEPER--  Freda Payne  Talk about you AM memories.  This song didn't chart as well as "Band of Gold" but was every bit as good.

18.  ^ SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING--  100 Proof  Full name of group 100 Proof Aged in Soul.    A One-Hit Wonder group.  One comment said that Levi Stubbs' brother was a member of the group.

17.  JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME--  Bobby Sherman     #5   Oh, that Julie!  

16.  LOOKING OUT MY BACK DOOR--  Creedence Clearwater Revival  A great video of them just sitting around the house and singing and playing their hearts out.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Just Yesterday Mornin'. They Let Me Know You Were Gone."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Fire and Rain"

WLS Top 30 for Week of October 12, 1970-- Part 2: 'God, Love & Rock & Roll'

These were the top 30 songs in Chicago fifty years ago according to WLS, 890 AM.

^ means it was climbing the chart.

25.  ^ GOD, LOVE & ROCK & ROLL--  Teegarden & Van Winkle     #22   I'd almost forgotten this one.  A real church sing-a-long.  Their only top 40 so that makes them a real One-Hit ________.

24.  I (WHO HAVE NOTHING)--  Tom Jones     #14   Gets the full T.J. workout.  This could have been a great James Bond theme song as one person commented.

23.  ^ LUCRETIA MacEVIL--  Blood, Sweat & Tears      #29        Horns.  Got to have horns.  More horns.  How do you start off a song with better horns?  One comment by a gal named Lucretia said this song was why she was named that.

22.  WAR--  Edwin Starr     #1    Pretty well sums up the Vietnam War back then.  Worth absolutely nothing.  Born Charlie Hatcher.

21.  WE CAN MAKE MUSIC--  Tommy Roe      #49    Sounds like Bubble Gum Music.  I love Bubble Gum Music.   Born in 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Little Girl, What's Your Game?  Hard Luck and Trouble Bound To be Your Claim To Fame."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Lucretia MacEvil"