JSIS In This Real Different Time: Piano Dirges-- __________ Times

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff

1.  PIANO DIRGES--  To use and overused term for 2020, in these troubling times, we are definitely going to bring about a big change in our lives.  Have you noticed all that piano dirge music accompanying the commercials these days?  I may not ever be able to hear a piano play again without these memories.  It's like seeing an old movie or TV show with the World Trade Center towers in it.  Not a fun memory.

2.  _______ TIMES--  And, another pair of words that you hear on the commercials all the time is ___________ times.  Put your favorite disaster word into the blank.  Actually, I have turned these two words into a sort of drinking game.  Every time you hear those words together, you take a drink.  Dangerous Times (Sip), Trying Times (Sip), Sad Times (Sip).

By the way, I had to take a lil' ol' sip with the title of the last post.

By the way, with the title of

You won't last a real long time.  Maybe two or three commercial breaks.

These Trying Times (Hey!!  Another Sip.)  --RoadSip

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  And, I was just about to start going to the gym again this week.  (Well, that's my excuse anyway.

JSIS In These Troubling Times: People's Wealth-- IPA or Malort?-- What About All That Beer In the Coolers?-- Buses

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff in These Troubling Times.

Taken from the Chicago Tribune.

1.  PEOPLE'S WEALTH--  One thing that alarms me is how many people in the United States appear to be living paycheck to paycheck with all these folks applying for unemployment.  This just shows the increasing gap between those who are super rich and most everyone else.

2.  IPA OR MALLORT?--  I see that Revolution Brewing Company was stuck with a lot of kegs of their flagship Anti-Hero IPA beer that was running out of freshness code and would have to be thrown out.  But, they have reached a deal with Chicago's CH Distillery to create a Malort liquor made from the IPA beer.  Making the best of a bad situation.

Malort is an extremely bitter liquor in Chicago.  I had a taste once... but not again.  Bitter is an understatement.  Of course, I don't like IPA either.  If I only had the choice of drinking an IPA or water, I's choose good ol' H2O.

3.  WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT BEER IN THE COOLERS?--  Which brings me to this thought.  What about all that beer in bar coolers when the shutdown hit?  Much if not most of that is now probably out of date as well.  What a waste of good beer.  And, we all know that the freshness code really is too short.  If it ain't funky, I'm drinking it.  Hey, what about specials on the expired beer?

4.  BUSES--  And, one "s" is the correct plural form of the word.  But, I had to look it up.  The nation's 3,000 or so private bus lines and the millions of people who rely on them for cheap transportation are worried about surviving this without government intervention.More than 95% of the country's private bus fleet is now shut down.

How Did That Old Song Go?  "A Change's Gonna Come."  --RoadLort

THOSE FUNNY COUNTRY SONGS:  "Did I Shave My Legs for This?"

Memorial Day 2020: A Different Sort of Respect

Usually, I am coming home from Indianapolis on the day on which the commemoration falls, but not this year as the race there was cancelled because of the virus.

And that race has to be America's biggest salute to our fallen veterans and all veterans for that matter.  It makes up a large part of the pre-race activities.

I was going to go over to the McHenry, Illinois, Memorial Day activity at Veterans Park with a friend, but found out it was canceled.  It was to be a bit different today with no speeches.  The honor guard of our three veterans organizations:  American Legion, VFW and Polish Legion, were going to fire volleys at three local sites.

And, our weather has been fairly good for Memorial Day weekend.  Usually we have pretty bad weather in northeast Illinois.  But, other than rain Saturday afternoon and some today, this has been an ideal weather weekend.  Temps have finally gotten into the 80s.

This year was just a stay-at-home thing for Liz and myself.  I already had a U.S. flag up by the garage and also put up an 1877, 38-star U.S. flag (from after Colorado became the 38th state).

I am trying to make a blog entry for all eight of them, but the internet is really causing problems today.  It takes a real long time just to do one entry with all of this stopping and freezing up.

We have had two short rain showers so far, but it hasn't rained for awhile, so I am hoping to at least get some yard work in.

I did enjoy the front porch (FP) a couple times and did some transplanting in the overwinter plants.

--RoadDog

Job Well Done, All Military.  --RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for Week of May 25, 1970: "Up Around the Bend"

That's right, fifty years ago this week, these were the Top Ten songs in Chicago according to WLS 890 AM.

1.  UP AROUND THE BEND--  Creedence Clearwater Revival
2.  HITCHING A RIDE--  Vanity Fare
3.  CECILIA--  Simon & Garfunkel

4.  THE LETTER--  Joe Cocker
5.  LITTLE GREEN BAG--  George Baker Selection
6.  EVERYTHING'S BEAUTIFUL--  Ray Stevens
7.  DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS--  Tom Jones

8.  WHICH WAY YOU GOING BILLY--  Poppy Family
9.  REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE--  Marmalade
10.  GET READY--  Rare Earth

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

DEBUTS

38.  THE WONDER OF YOU--  Elvis Presley
39.  HEY MR. SUN--   Bobby Sherman

40.  BALL OF CONFUSION--     Temptations

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Lookin' For Some Happiness, But There Is Only Loneliness To be Found."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Little Green Bag"

May 2020, Coronavirus, May 1970 Kent State Riots Fifty Years Later

Fifty years ago, college campuses across the country went up for grabs when the news got out about the four students killed at an anti-Vietnam War rally at Kent State University in Ohio.  Some of the protests were violent, others somewhat peaceful.

I was a freshman at Northern Illinois University living in the Lincoln Hall dormitory at the time.  Things were peaceful at NIU at first, but several days later, violence erupted and arrests were made.  I personally thought I was watching the end of the United States back then, especially when we had a confrontation between the police and students right outside the dorm which moved to the other side of Lincoln and then we heard explosions and the fire alarm went off.

Believe me, it was scary.  To read more about it, click on my Cooter's History Thing blog to the left of this, then click on the NIU Kent State Riots label.

Now, of course, fifty years later, colleges are canceled because of the virus.

--RoadDog

Two of My Favorite Things

The May 19, 2020, Hi and Lois cartoon strip hit home especially for me.

FIRST FRAME:

Lois is inside a store and speaks to someone else:  "It's great to see  a new brick-and-mortar business back in town..."

SECOND FRAME:

She finishes by say, "filled with paper and ink."

The owner of the store looks at her and says:  "Bookstores are back."

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

I sure am going to miss brick-and-mortar stores.  I love to walk around and look.  You never know what you're going to find.  Plus, I really like bookstores.  I am a book freak, even if I don't usually read all of them, I love them.

I still miss my McHenry Borders and then the nearest Barnes and Noble to me in Crystal Lake, Illinois closed down. Even though they are Big Box stores, they had that little book store feel, plus, of course, music in the form of records and CDs.  My other favorite thing.

--RoadDog


LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  "We all owe an apology to 2019 for what we said about it."

Every Blooming THing, Middle May: Creeping Phlox and Some Perennial

It has been quite hard to work in the yard because of the horrible spring we're having.  Very few decent days.  Usually, quite chilly and/or rainy.  Once in awhile, we get a decent day, but it is a rarity.  Yesterday it rained off and on all day and was quite cool and windy.  Of course, then heavens opened up on Sunday and man did we get the rain.

Right now, the yard is a mass of tulips, mostly purple creeping phlox and some sort of perennial with gray foliage and yellow flowers.  The wild tall phlox and daisies are about to turn the yard into a purple and white affair (and I have hundreds of them).  The grape hyacinths are blooming.

One of the crabapples with white blooms is about spent.  The other day I was working out by it and it felt and looked like a warm snowstorm with all the petals falling.  I have four more crabapples beginning to bloom as well as the lilacs.

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

Sadly, I have a golden rain tree and a Bradford pear tree which are dead and will have to come down.

I have been transplanting lots of hostas, black-eyed Susans, mums and purple coneflowers.

The daffodils and hyacinths are spent, but put on quite a show.

The dandelions, of course, are luxuriant and plentiful.

Hope to get to my huge burn pile this weekend.  We can only burn in the spring on weekends during April and May so am running out of time.  Pretty much every weekend has been a rainout or wind out so far.

My Flowers.  I Think I'll Keep Them.  --RoadBud

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  And I was just about to start going to the gym again.  Oh well, orders is orders.

Top Ten Musicians Who Just Missed the 27 Club

From the May 19, 2020, ListVerse by Heidi Gillstrom.

The 27 Club for musicians refers to famous ones who died when they were twenty-seven.  This group lists ones who died before their 27th birthdays or just after their 27th birthday.

Again, photos and information accompany the ListVerse article.  I'll just give the group name.

10.  Shannon Hoon--  Blind Melon

9.  Steve Gaines--  Lynyrd Skynyrd

8.  Gram Parsons-- Country Rock pioneer   (Before)

7.  Bradley Nowell--  Sublime

6.  The Big Bopper--  J.P. Richardson

5.  Tim Buckley

4.  Bix Beiderbecke--  Jazz musician

3.  Nick Drake  (Before)

2.  Otis Redding  (Before)

1.  Hillel Slovak--  Red Hot Chili Peppers

Nick Drake was the only one who I'd never heard of by either name of group.  Actually, before this, I'd never heard of the term "27 Club" but was aware of the trio of Hendrix, Morrison and Joplin dying so young.

Reckon I'll HJave to Make an Entry About the "27 Club" Now.  --RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for Week of May 18, 1970: "Hitching A Ride"

Fifty Years Ago, Chicago's Top Ten.

1.  CECILIA--  Simon & Garfunkel
2.  UP AROUND THE BEND--  Creedence Clearwater Revival
3.  REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE--  Marmalade

4.  LITTLE GREEN BAG--  George Baker Selection
5.  WHICH WAY YOU GOING BILLY--  Poppy Family
6.  HITCHING A RIDE--  Vanity Fare
7.  AMERICAN WOMAN/NO SUGAR TONIGHT--  Guess Who

8.  WOODSTOCK--  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
9.  LOVE OR LET ME BE LONELY--  Friends of Distinction
10.  EVERYTHING'S BEAUTIFUL--  Ray Stevens

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

DEBUTS

38.  IT'S ALL IN THE GAME--  Four Tops
39.  LONG AND WINDING ROAD--  Beatles

40.  GIMME DAT THING--  Pipkins

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well I Came Upon A Child Of God, He Was Walking Along The Road."  --Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Woodstock"

Music Deaths: Quite a Few of My Favorites Have Died in the Last Month and a Half, Here Are Some of Them

Here are some of the performers who have died in the last month and a half. I will be writing about each one in the future, but right now, this is just to catch up with them.

Of course, Joe Diffie and John Prine who I have already written about.

Bill Withers:  "Lean On Me"

Ian Whitcomb  "You Turn Me On"

Steve Hardy:  Beach Music DJ

Harold Reid:  Statler Brothers

Bobby Lewis:  "Tossin' and Turnin' "

Millie Small  "My Boy Lollipop"

Little Richard:  What Can I Say!!

Betty Wright:  "Clean Up Woman"

Music Deaths: Bill Rieflin, King Crimson, REM

BILL RIEFLIN, 59

Died 24 March 2010

Was a member of King Crimson and REM.  Also Ministry.  Drummer and percussionist.

JSS About That Virus Thing: Commercials, Piano Dirges, Trying Times, Whole Milk

Just Some Stuff About These Days.

1.  COMMERCIALS--  Listening to the radio and watching TV, there seems to be a whole lot of commercials about how to get out of your time shares.  Sure glad we didn't buy one back in the days when we went to Myrtle Beach and were accosted often by these wonderful deals that were too good to pass up.

If it's not that, then it is lawsuits against nursing homes for elderly abuse.  You'd think these days the biggest worry about nursing homes would be the CV getting in.

2.  PIANO DIRGES--  I am getting to the point that I can't stand those slow, dirge pianos on commercials anymore.  Hope they don't destroy my love of piano.

3.  TRYING TIMES--  However, I have a new drinking game since I can't go into bars anymore right now.  Every time I hear a commercial with the words "Trying" Times or some variation of it, it is time to take a drink.  After awhile you forget about it all.

4.  WHOLE MILK--  Liz has been the one going to the store to buy stuff and she only gets whole milk (the Walgreens selection is limited), whereas I like 2% milk.  I remember the old days when my parents had milk delivered in those metal boxes which were handy places to store crickets, grass hoppers, frogs, toads and lizards we'd collect.

Now On Day 59 of Essentially Staying Home.

--RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  Well, at least the fear of missing out (FOMO) isn't a thing anymore.

WLS Top 40 Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 7: "American Woman/No Sugar Tonight"

Fifty years ago.  On this one I do the Top Ten with no comments as I have already done them on previous posts.  The number after the artist is how high it got on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

10.  LOVE OR LET ME BE LONELY--  Friends of Distinction    #6
9.  HITCHING A RIDE--  Vanity Fare    #5
8.  FOR THE LOVE OF HIM--  Bobbi Martin    #13

7.  VEHICLE--  Ides of March    #2
6.  LITTLE GREEN BAG--  George Baker Selection    #21
5.  WHICH WAY YOU GOING BILLY--  Poppy Family   #2
4.  WOODSTOCK--  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young    #11

3.  AMERICAN WOMAN/NO SUGAR TONIGHT--  Guess Who   #1
2.  REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE--  Marmalade    #10
1.  CECILIA--  Simon & Garfunkel   #4

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Lookin' For Some Happiness But There Is Only Loneliness To Find."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Little Green Bag"

WLS Top 40 for Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 6: "Hey Lawdy Mama"

Fifty years ago today.

15.  ABC--  Jackson Five     #1     The moves, the voice, the group.  Wow!!  This and "I Want You back" had me groovin'.  Watch the American Bandstand video.

14.  SOMETHING'S BURNING--  Kenny Rogers / First Edition      #11    Wow, Kenny with dark hair and beard.  Was he ever that young?  Watch the AllanOnaJourney video.

13.  HEY LAWDY MAMA--  Steppenwolf     #35   Not one of their better known songs, but a classic though.

12.  EVERYTHING'S BEAUTIFUL--  Ray Stevens    #1     So, he can sing something besides novelty songs.  A good song for these days.  "The world's gonna find a way."    Also, his only #1 until "The Streak" in 1974.  Remember that?

11.  UP AROUND THE BEND--  Creedence Clearwater Revival     #4      My all-time Favorite 60s group.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "The World's Gonna Find A Way."  --Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Everything's Beautiful"

WLS Top 40 for Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 5: "Turn Back the Hands of Time"

The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100.

20.  THE LETTER--  Joe Cocker    Making all his classic onstage moves.  see the Mad Dogs and Englishmen video.  Imagine Joe singing a cover song.

19.  DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS--  Tom Jones     #13    Great horns.  That mean gal needs to stay out of his life.  Daughter of the devil, you know.

18.  AIRPORT THEME--  Vincent Bell  Theme song  of the movie of the same name.  A very unique string sound.

17.  TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME--  Tyrone Davis   One of my favorite Soul Songs ever.  Right now, I'd sure like to turn back the hands of time to, say, January or February 2020.  This part of the year isn't much fun.

16.  WHAT IS TRUTH--  Johnny Cash     A Johnny Cash rap?    Hey old people, the kids are alright.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Woman, I Can Remember A Woman."  Answer below.  RoadDog


"Daughter of Darkness"

Happy Mother's Day, Mom and Liz's Mom

My mom, Barbara, would have been 89 today, but died in 2016 at age 85.  I am so glad that all three of us kids were with her for her last Mother's Day that year.  We were there for my Aunt Louise's 90th birthday party in Mt. Olive, North Carolina.

But, the three of us, Bob, Julie and I, had not been together for a Mother's Day probably since out twenties (I'm going to be 69 in two weeks).  Julie lives in Georgia, Bob in North Carolina and I live in Illinois.  So, I know this was extra special for her.

She died in June.

So, like I said in the last post, watch the Summer's End" video by John Prine, and do whatever you can in these days to say you love her to your mom.  Another song that brings Mom to mind is C.W. McCall's "Roses for Mama."

You never know when it is going to be your last time with her.

Liz's mom, Frances, would have been 104 today.  I got along with her very well, even if she was my mother-in-law, which I kidded her about much of the time.  We did a lot together even when Liz wasn't with us.

Whenever she would come in to see me deejaying, I always played Ernie K. Doe's "Mother-in-Law" and, in honor of her speeding ticket "Little Old Lady from Pasadena."

I Sure Do Miss My Moms.  --RoadMissingMom

Here Are Ten Sings for Mother's Day 2020: Mother and Child Reunion

And, what a strange Mother's Day it will be.

These songs were played on Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten show Friday, May 8 on Chicago's WDRV.

MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER--  Rolling Stones
MAMA TOLD ME (NOT TO COME)--  Three Dog Night
MAMA--  Genesis

MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION--  Simon & Garfunkel
MAMA KIN--  Aerosmith
MOTHER--  John Lennon
MAMA I'M COMING HOME--  Ozzy Osbourne

MOTHER--  Pink Floyd
YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--  Loggins & Messina
NO SUGAR TONIGHT/NEW MOTHER NATURE--  Guess Who

A Big Happy Mother's Day Out There To All You Mothers.  --RoadDog

And, if you want to see a good reason to call or get together with your mom right now, go to You Tube and view the late great John Prine's "Endless Summer" then watch the video of how it was made.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Tell Me A Story About How You Adore Me."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Have You Seen Your Mother (Standing In the Shadow)"

WLS Top 40 for Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 4: "Come Saturday Morning"

25.  COME SATURDAY MORNING--  Sandpipers     #17   Originally written for the 1969 movie "The Sterile Cuckoo" starring Liza Minnelli.  Their biggest hit was 1966's "Guantanamera" which went to #9.

24.  REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEBODY'S HAND--  Diana Ross     #20    What, no Supremes at all?   A good song these days, but you better do it with a phone or texting.  You know, social Whatever.  Her first hit solo.

23.  PUPPET MAN--  Fifth Dimension      #24    That Marilyn McCoo could pull my string forever.

22.  VIVA TIRADO--  El Chicano    #28     Their biggest of three Top 100s.  Mexican-American band  formed in Los Angeles in 1965.

21.  UP THE LADDER TO THE ROOF--  Supremes      #10     First hit without Diana.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Come With Me And We Shall Run Across The Sky."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Up the Ladder to the Roof"

WLS Top 40 For the Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 3: "Love On A Two Way Street"

That's right, fifty years ago.  If you remember these, you must be getting old.

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

30.  LOVE ON A TWO WAY STREET--  Moments    #3   Some great Soul Music.   Their biggest hit  Soul trio from Hackensack, New Jersey.

29.  SPIRIT IN THE SKY--  Norman Greenbaum      #3   With that unmistakable intro, probably one of the best-ever intros.  Get some religion.  His only Top 40.

28.  HUM A SONG--  Lulu     #54    Kind of an early rap song of a different sort.  I don't remember it.  She is singing with the Dixie Flyers.  Full title "Hum a Song (From Your Heart).

27.  GET READY--  Rare Earth     #4    Motown's Blue-Eyed Soul.  A real fine cover of a Temptations song.  Their highest-charting song.

26.  SOOLAIMON--  Neil Diamond     #30    Love the stereo split on the drums.  Neil with an African vibe.  Full title  "Soolaimon (African Trilogy II)"

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Never Met A Girl Could Make Me feel The Way You Do."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Get Ready"

Music Deaths: Julie Felix, Folk Singer

JULIE FELIX, 81

Died March 22, 2020

English folk singer.  American-born, moved to Britain for her career.  resident performer on the Frost report on BBC, hosted by David Frost.

Listen to her on You Tube.  I especially liked "Early Morning Rain", "If I Could (El Condor Pasa)" and "Heaven Is Here."

Two UK charted hits in 1970 produced by Mickey Most.

Always with these performers you probably have never heard of before, give a listen on You Tube.  I have found some really good nuggets.

Music Deaths: Eric Weissberg Banjo Player

ERIC WEISSBERG, 80

Died 22 March 2020

He could sure pick a mean banjo.  Played the banjo on that great "Dueling Banjos" song from the movie "Deliverance."  "Talk about genetic deficiencies."  "They live back over that way."

Member of the folk group Tarriers.

Now, try to get that song out of your mind.   Stop tapping that foot.  You can't out dance the old guy.

Make sure you watch the You Tube video of that part of the movie.

Just Between You 'N Me... Between the Two Crises, I'll Pick....

I have been enjoying some funnies about this current crisis and think I might have just come up with my own "funny."  I haven't seen

I haven't seen it anywhere else.

Some of you just might remember a crisis we had several years back when everyone was afraid of unknown mattresses.

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

Just between you 'n me, between the coronavirus and bedbugs....

I'll go with the bugs!!!

At least they never killed anyone that I know of.

RoadDog

WLS Top 40 for Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 2: "Make Me Smile"

I always go to You Tube and listen to every songs when I do a Top 40.  As they say, really takes me back.   Listening to the Fifth Dimension's "Puppet Man" right now.

35.  MAKE ME SMILE--  Chicago     #9   (D)  Horns and more horns!!  I love a good horns band.  And, from Chicago.  Originally the Chicago Transit Authority.

34.  MY BABY LOVES LOVIN'--  White Plains      #13      A great 3-minute piece of pop music if there ever was one.  That's Tony Burrows singing lead.   He also sang hits for the Pipkins, Edison Lighthouse, Brotherhood of Man (which means he had two songs in this week's Top 40) and White Plains.  A Man of Many Groups, that Tony.

33.  THE SEEKER--  Who   #44     Great guitar intro.  "I asked Bobby Dylan, I asked the Beatles."

32.  PEOPLE AND ME--  New Colony Six     Did not make Top 100.    Never heard of this song before.  But, a much heavier effort than they usually did in the Ronnie Rice era.  This was WLS pushing local talent in Chicago.

31.  LET IT BE--  Beatles      #1   Another good song for these days.  Buy, hey, they had problems back fifty years ago as well.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When I Find Myself In Time of Trouble Mother Mary Comes To Me."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Let It Be"

WLS Top 40 for Week of May 11, 1970-- Part 1: "Lay Down (Candles In the Wind)"

Here we go again, with the Top 40 songs in Chicago fifty years ago according to super station WLS 890 AM.

(D) means a Debut song.  The number after the artist refers to how high the song got on Billboard Hot 100 chart.

40.  UNITED WE STAND--  Brotherhood of Man    #13    (D)  Good song for these days.  Back then, it would be Kent State.  Their biggest hit.

39.  QUESTION--  Moody Blues        #21    (D)   Love the guitar solo at the beginning.  Wonder how his fingers didn't fall off.  Especially a good song to listen to on your earphones.   From Birmingham, England.

38.  LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE WIND)--  Melanie      #6   (D)      Actually, this was not her biggest hit.  That came in 1971.    What a beautiful voice. This song takes me right back to the campus of Northern Illinois University after Kent State.  I listened to this on the campus radio station, WNIU, while I watched protesters line up outside Lincoln Hall and the police attack them..

I thought I was watching the end of the United States.

37.  RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE--  Blues Image    #4    (D)    From Tampa, Florida, in 1961.  One-Hit Wonders.

36.  RED RED WINE--  Vic Dana   #72    Cover of a Neil Diamond song.  His last Top 100 song.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Seventy-Three Men Sailed Off To History."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Ride Captain Ride"

Top Ten Iconic Places Pictured from Behind

From the May 6, 2020, ListVerse "Top 10 Iconic Places Pictured from Behind" by Jamie Frater.

You've often seen them from the front, but what do they look like from behind.  Here's your chance to see them.  Photos and information at the site, I'm just listing them:

10.  Taj Mahal  (You won't believe what the back looks like.)

9.  Pyramids of Giza

8.  Petra

7.  Hollywood Sign

6.  The Colosseum

5.  Mt. Rushmore

4.  Easter Island Moai

3.  Venice

2.  Buckingham palace

1.  The Moon

Veeerrryyy  Interesting.  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  A capitalist is just a socialist who hasn't been through a pandemic yet.

Music Deaths: Kenny Rogers, Pop and Country

KENNY ROGERS, 81

Died March 20, 2020.

He was both a pop and a country artist.  A real cross-over hit maker, starting with his group First Edition and in his solo career.

On the pop charts, he had 40 Top 100s, including 11 Top Tens and 2 No. 1's.

Some of his biggies:

"Just Dropped In"
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town"
"Ruben James"
"Something's Burning"  (which was on the charts right now in 1970)
"Lucille"
"She Believes In Me"
"Coward of the County"  (Watch out Gatlin Boys!)
"Lady"  #1 in 1980
"Islands in the Stream"  #1 1983 with Dolly Parton

That's some real good stuff.

Get Your Music Here

Right now, I am listening to the WLS Top 40 songs from May 11, 1970, on You Tube.  Once a month I do the whole Top 40.  The other weeks I just do a Top Ten and Debuts. This really takes me back fifty years.

However, here are some other really good places to hear music.  Some of it probably not what you're used to listening to, but good nonetheless.

All of these are available over the internet:

**  JUKIN' OLDIES--  A group of deejays on the internet but not in the same studio.  They really play a lot of different songs, many of which are Beach, Boogie and Blues.

**  WXRT (Chicago)  Blues and Soul Channel.  Go to the site  Click on Music at the top and scroll down to Chicago's Blues and Soul and click on it.

**  WVCO, 94.9 FM, out of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Beach Music.  On Wednesday's, DJ Jim Morgan takes you out to the beach and plays some of the best Beach Music ever.  (And this isn't West Coast/Beach Boys Beach Music either.)

Give To me the Music.  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  "If you're upset about regular folk hoarding toilet paper, wait till you hear about how a tiny percentage of rich people have managed to hoard most of the world's wealth.

Music Deaths: Keith Olson, Record Producer for Grateful Dead, Santana, Pat Benatar and Others

KEITH OLSEN, 74

Died March 9, 2020

Record producer and sound engineer for Grateful Dead "Terrapin Station", Santana, Pat Benatar "Crimes of Passion", Rick Springfield "Jesse's Girl"and around twenty other artists like Eddie Money, Heart, Joe Walsh, Jethro Tull, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, and .38 Special.

Also played base with Music Machine "Talk Talk" and worked with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

He was instrumental in launching the careers of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.  Also produced Fleetwood Mac's 1975 hit album "Fleetwood Mac.'

During his career, his production work earned him more than 39 Gold, 24 Platinum and 14 multi-platinum albums.

WLS Top Ten for Week of May 4, 1970: "Something's Burnin' "

1.  AMERICAN WOMAN/NO SUGAR TONIGHT-- Guess Who
2.  VEHICLE--  Ides of March
3.  REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE--  Marmalade

4.  CECILIA--  Simon & Garfunkel
5.  WOODSTOCK--  CSN&Y
6.  ABC--  Jackson Five
7.  WHICH WAY YOU GOING BILLY--  Poppy Family

8.  SOMETHING'S BURNIN'--  Kenny Rogers ' First Edition
9.  FOR THE LOVE OF HIM--  Bobbi Martin
10.  TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME--  Tyrone Davis

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

DEBUTS

36.  GET READY--  Rare Earth
37.  LOVE ON A TWO WAY STREET--  Moments

38.  MY BABY LOVES LOVIN'--  White Plains
39.  THE SEEKER--  Who

40.  RED RED WINE--  Vic Dana

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well I came Upon A Child Of God, He Was Walking Along The Road."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Woodstock"

Past Movie Scratches: Dragon-- Dumb-- Black-- Hard-- Moms-- Madison

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

43.  HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2--  2-24--  Hiccup finds Mom, loses Dad and Toothless overcomes.

44.  DUMB AND DUMBER--  3-2--  They sure were, but not in a mean way.  Just pretty naive.

45.  MEN IN BLACK 3--  3-4--  Going back to save K from Boris the Animal.  Only, don't call him animal, it hurts his feelings.

46.  LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD--  3-3--  Wisecrack city.  Taking down a helicopter with a car because McClain had run out of bullets.

47.  BAD MOMS--  3-6--  Pushed to the limit, three moms go "bad."  Funny, but way too much sex and swearing.

48.  BILLY MADISON--  3-10--  Beware the penguin and academic decathlon.

--RoadFlick


LAUGHTER TO BATTLE THE "V":  "At the grocery store yesterday I saw at least 20 people buy massive amounts of toilet paper, pay with debit cards, use the PIN pads and then touch their faces.  All I'm saying is at least the dinosaurs had an excuse."

Music Deaths: Mike Somerville With Head East

MIKE SOMERVILLE, 67

Died 28 February 2020

Guitarist with the Illinois-based band Head East.  Wrote two songs that became staples of classic rock stations from the band's 1975 big hit album "Flat As a Pancake" which was certified gold.

The first song is best-known (and I mean huge)  "Never Been Any Reason" (#68-1975) and "Love Me Tonight"  (#54-1976).

They also had their biggest hit with 1978's "Since You Been Gone" which went to #46.  Rainbow had the bigger hit with it the next year.

More Cowbell, Please!

Music Deaths: Ja' Net Dubois Co-wrote and Sang "The Jeffersons" "Movin' On Up"

JA' NET DUBOIS (not sure of her age as she has many different birth years)

Died 17 February 2020

Appeared on TV series "Good Times" as the gossipy neighbor Willona Woods and as stated above, wrote that famous TV show theme song.

Okay, I can see you singing it right now.  Did she take a piece of the pie with her?

Moving On Up to the Which Side?