Listen to this man. Seven years of college, you know. Trying to reason with 2020 and, now, 2022.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

WLS Top 30 for Week of May 15, 1972-- Part 2: '(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All'

Yep, fifty years ago.

25.  ROCKIN' ROBIN--  Michael Jackson    #2     What a showman, even at that age.  His second solo hit.

24.  *THE CANDY MAN--  Sammy Davis Jr.    #1      Still having hits after all those years.   His last Top 40.

23.  *NICE TO BE WITH YOU--  Gallery     #4   Just one of those fun songs to listen to.  Instantly recognizable.  Pop group from Detroit.

22.  *(LAST NIGHT) I DIDN'T GET TO SLEEP AT ALL--  Fifth Dimension    #8     No doubt but this group could sing a song.  That Marilyn McCoo's voice.

21.  *ME & JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOL YARD--  Paul Simon     #22      Cool official video.  Check it out.  Always wondered where they got that interesting animal sound or whatever from. 

Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Who Can Take a Sunrise, Sprinkle It With Dew."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"The Candy Man"


Monday, May 16, 2022

WLS Top 30 for Week of May 15,1972-- Part 1: 'It's Going to Take Some Time'

Just a mere fifty years ago on Chicago's mighty WLS, 890 AM.

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

*OUTA SPACE--  Billy Preston      #2    Play that organ, Billy!  A great instrumental.  The Fifth Beatle?

*ASK ME WHAT YOU WANT--  Millie Jackson      #27      Some Prime Soul that sadly I don't remember,.  A comment said this was her second biggest hit and an all-time classic Carolina Beach Music song.  I sure agree with that.  Great Beach Music.  I played it a real lot.

30.  *DIARY--  Bread   David Gates wrote it and, of course, sang it.

29.  A HORSE WITH NO NAME--  America     #1     Takes you right back to 1972.  A real soundtrack to that year.  Their first hit.

28.  IN THE RAIN--  Dramatics    #5      Rainy Days & Mondays. you know.  From Detroit.  Their follow up to "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" from 1971 which went to #9.   

27.  *IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME--  Carpenters       #12    Such a beautiful voice.  No singing 8 octaves here.

26.  I SAW THE LIGHT--  Todd Rundgren     #16   Off his double album "Something, Anything."  His follow up to 1971's "We Gotta Get You a Woman" which he recorded as Runt.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "On The First Part Of The Journey O Was Looking At All The Life."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"A Horse With No Mane", Well, Let's Try "Horse With No Name"



Saturday, May 14, 2022

Music Deaths: Clifton 'Fou Fou' Eddie, Worked with the Dells & Patti LaBelle and Bobbie Nelson, Keyboards and Sister of Willie Nelson

CLIFTON "FOU FOU" EDDIE, 78

Died February 14, 2022

Legendary drummer who worked worth the Dells and Patti LaBelle.  Can be heard playing on the Dells' "Give Your Baby a Standing  Ovation" and  the Jerry Butler/Bettye Everett duet "Ain't Understanding."

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

BOBBIE NELSON, 91

Died 10 March 2022

Keyboard player and sister of Willie Nelson and member of the band.


Friday, May 13, 2022

Past Movie Scratches: Gump-- End-- Brother-- Caddyshack-- Ultron-- Winter

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched in TV in 2021

1.  FORREST GUMP--  1-3--  "And that's all I have to say on that."  The Running Man.  "My sweet Ginny."

2.  AVENGERS:  ENDGAME--  1-4--  Payback, Thanos, can be rough.  Bringing them almost all back.

3.  OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU--  1-5--  The search for Dapper Dan's Pomade.  Not Baby Face Nelson, chased by the devil and Tommy Johnson.

4.  CADDYSHACK--  1-5--  It's a pool Jaws.  "You sank my boat."  Driving the mums down the fairway.

5.  AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON--  1-9--  Smart aleck remarks all over the place.  It's machines versus humans.

6.  CAPTAIN AMERICA:  THE WINTER SOLDIER--  1-12--  Don't trust anybody, anywhere.  "Does anybody want to get out?"  Hydra Undercover.  Lots of cars get wrecked.  Have shield will fight.

--RoadDog


Thursday, May 12, 2022

Gas Gouge Getting Out of Control: Staying Ahead of the Grass in the Spring, the Titanic, Music in the Afternoon, the Derby, the Legion and Sunnyside

FRIDAY, MAY 6

Sure glad I cut the grass yesterday as we had rain all last night and into the morning.  Spring is not a good time to get behind in grass cutting.  I have been writing about what they ate and drank on the Titanic in my Cooter's History Thing blog and saw the movie "Titanic" on TV.  That was quite the movie.

SATURDAY, MAY 7

We went to the Fox Lake American Legion and watched one of our favorite performers, Joe Kadlec perform from 3 to 6 in the afternoon.  Where else are you going to get entertainment on a Saturday afternoon.  That Kentucky Derby, which came on after he finished his show, was really something.  That horse came out of nowhere.

SUNDAY, MAY 8

We went to the McHenry American Legion and the  to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg on the way home and enjoyed talking with Elvira, who so reminds us of Liz's Aunt Lee.

--RoadDog


Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Past Movie Scratches: Deathly-- Hallows-- Vacation-- European-- Wizard-- Kingsmen-- Venom

Past Movie Scratches--  Movie I saw on TV in 2020.  (I'm finally finishing it.)

181.  HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. 1--  12-27--  Another title for it: "Lost in the Woods."  "Dobby's a free elf."  Looking for and finding horcruxs.  Fighting Deatheaters and especially that vixen Bellatrix.

182.  HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. 2--  12-27--  We find that Professor Snape isn't the bad guy we thought.  He was in love with Harry's mother.

183.  VACATION--  12-27--  Loading up the family Truxter and the family vacation out west to Wally World.  The poor, old mean Aunt Edna and her pooch.  It's one disaster after another, but quite the quest.

184.  EUROPEAN VACATION--  12-27-  What does the W. in Clark W. Griswold stand for?  We find out it is Wilhelm.   Clark does a number on Europe including knocking down Stonehenge and starting a riot at Oktoberfest.

185.  THE WIZARD OF OZ--  12-28--  "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

186.  KINGSMEN:  THE SECRET SERVICE--  12-29--  A gentleman first and foremost.  One helluva church service.  Beware the cell phone and that lady with the razer blade legs.

187.  VENOM--  12-31--  Mustn't eat the good people.

--RoadDog


Gas Gouge Getting Out of Control: May the Fourth Be With You, Donovan's Reef, Gas Gouge Shock

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

How about this, 38 degrees this morning.  Welcome spring!  Bob Stroud did his Ten at Ten on Chicago's WDRV on "May the Fourth Be With You" for some reason.  Went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and played trivia with Uncle Jeffie and, of course, enjoyed those half price (plus 25 cents) drinks from 4 to 6 pm.

On the way home, I was shocked at the price of gasoline at Rock Corner at the intersection of Illinois 173 and Wilmot Road.  I think I saw it listed at $4.70.  We've got to do something with these GRBs at Big Oil.

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

THURSDAY, MAY 5

I set two new records today.  I drove to Bristol, Wisconsin,, and met the Magee teachers at the Bristol 45 Diner (it's on US Highway 45).  Gas on the way was $4.60 ($4.59.9) at Rock Corner, so I had made a mistake yesterday when I thought it was $4.70 (a whole ten cents cheaper).  My excuse is that I was shocked.  Gas at the three stations in Wisconsin was $4.20.

On the way home, I bought gas for the Dodge Dakota for $4.20.  This set a record for the highest I'd ever paid for gas.  Thanks GRBs.  Later, I cut the grass for the first time this year and unfortunately ran out of gas, so had to go to the Mobil station in Spring Grove and paid $4.60 for it.  A new record for highest gas for me.

Two Records in One Day!  Lucky Ol' Me.  --RoadDog


Sunday, May 8, 2022

WLS Top Ten for Week of May 8, 1972: 'Suavecito'

These were the top ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago today.

1.  THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE--  Roberta Flack

2.  DAYDREAMING--  Aretha Franklin

3.  BABY BLUE--  Badfinger

4.  BACK OFF BOOGALOO--  Ringo Starr

5.  DOCTOR MY EYES--  Jackson Browne

6.  BETCHA BY GOLLY WOW--  Stylistics

7.  LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME--  Al Green

8.  SUAVECITO--  Malo

9.  OH GIRL--  Chi-Lites

10.  RUN, RUN, RUN--  Jo Jo Gunne

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

DEBUTS

20.  TUMBLIN' DICE--  Rolling Stones

26.  I'LL TAKE YOU THERE--  Staple Singers

27.  (LAST NIGHT) I DIDN'T GET TO SLEEP AT ALL--  Fifth Dimension

28.  THE CANDY MAN--  Sammy Davis Jr.

29.  NICE TO BE WITH YOU-- Gallery

30.  SONG SUNG BLUE--  Neil Diamond

I SAW THE LIGHT--  Todd Rundgren

IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME--  Carpenters

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Now I Want To Understand I Have Done All That I Could."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Doctor My Eyes"


Saturday, May 7, 2022

36 Things That Are Obsolete... Or Soon Will Be-- Part 1: Shopping Malls, Cash and Payphones

From MSN by Gael  F. Cooper.

1.  Shopping malls

2.  Cash

3.  Payphones

4.  Calculators

5.  Paper maps

6.  Print catalogs

7.  Business cards

8.  Parking meters

9.  House keys

10.  Manual-transmission cars

11.  College textbooks

12.  Chalkboards

--RoadBoard


Past Movie Scratches: Night-- Raiders-- Crusade-- Story-- Wonder-- Half

See if you can guess the movies by the one-word in this entry's title.

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2020 and a RoadDog's comments.

175.  NIGHT SCHOOL--  12-21--  The past keeps coming back to haunt him.  Dig Mac, what can I say?  "I have a bat and I'm not afraid to use it."  Not a black voice.

176.  RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK--  12-23--  Indy & the Nazis and snakes.  "It's beautiful."

177.  INDIANA JONES:  THE LAST CRUSADE--  12-23--  Gets his whip, gets his hat.  Nazis again.  "I hate those guys."  "Don't call me Junior."  Look for the Grail, find the Grail, get the Grail.  "Choose wisely."  Planes, boats, motorcycles, dirigibles, airplane, automobile and a tank.  Wasn't there a movie about that with Steve Martin and John Candy?

178.  A CHRISTMAS STORY--  12-24--  A seasonal favorite.  "You'll shoot your eye out."  Ol' Blue, Black Bart & his gang.  "It's a clinker" and the Chinese "Deck the Halls."

179.  WONDER--  12-25--  Auggie has a hard road to hoe, but did it with a lot of help.

180.  HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE--  12-26--  Romance everywhere as we find future couples.  Draco's task. Snape's promise.  Severus Snape, the man of few, slow words.

--RoadDog

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY:  I'm not being rude.  You're just insignoficant.


Friday, May 6, 2022

Past Movie Scratches: Vacation-- Despicable-- Airplane-- Holidays-- Party-- Skyscraper

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2020.

169.  CHRISTMAS VACATION-- 12-16--  "I can't even afford to be an elf."  Cousin Eddie and the swimming pool.  Pretty naked girl in the pool fantasy.  Aunt Bethany's blessing.  "What's that smell?"

170.  DESPICABLE ME--  12-18--  Watch out for El Macho's pet chicken.  Gru and Lucy get married.

171.  AIRPLANE--  12-19--  "And don't call me Shirley."  "Bad Day to quit drinking."  "I speak jive."  Don't eat the fish.

172.  HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS--  12-19--  And you thought you had a crazy family.

173.  OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY--  12-20--  "I'm looking right at you."  The office party to end all office parties.

174.  SKYSCRAPER--  12-21--  "There's one thing you've got to know."  "What?"  "I'm standing right behind you."  An awful waste of a building.

RoadDog


Gas Gouge Really Hits Home: Gas in Illinois to $4.60 and $4.20 in Wisconsin

Yesterday, the gas gouge really hit home in a big way.  Driving from home in Spring Grove, Illinois, to meet friends from my teaching days at the Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol, Wisconsin (just over the border), I saw that gas at the Rock Corner gas station at the corner of Illinois Highway 173 and Wilmot Road was the highest I've ever seen it, at $4.60 (well $4.59.9).

Sadly, I then passed three stations in Wisconsin, who had been at $4, but now were at $4.20.  That's the highest I've ever seen gas prices in that state.

On the way home, I filled up at one of the Wisconsin stations, of course, saving 40 cents a gallon.  But this was a new high price for gas for me that I have ever paid.

Later, I was cutting the grass when I ran out of gas in the tractor (we have an acre) and I had to go to the Mobil station in Spring Grove where that new record high gas price I had paid was broken when I had to pay $4.60.

These are not really the records I want to break, you know.

GRBs and Their Gas Gouge.  OUCH!!!

--RoadBroke


To Moose Again: All That Rain, Sunnyside, Margaritaville, Stucky's, Goldfish Races, the Moose Again and McHenry Legion

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

We sure have had the monsoons this spring.  We made our way to Sunnyside in Johnsburg for rest and relaxation then came home where we enjoyed Margaritaville and the Ultimate Jukebox.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

The rains finally stopped and I was able to enjoy OD a couple times and even got a little yardwork in for the first time this year.  Went to Stucky's and watched the Goldfish Races.  This is where you pick a goldfish and they race down two lengths of sealed gutters in double elimination.  Something we'd never seen before.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24

I was even able to get some time FP for the first time in a long time this spring.  I went to the Moose Lodge in McHenry for the Moose Lodge Riders breakfast and met Mark who got me the forms to fill out and I rejoined the Moose for a third time.  A great organization.

In the afternoon, we went to the McHenry American Legion and stopped at Stucky's on the way home.

To Moose Again or Not to Moose Again, That Is the Question.   --RoadDog


Thursday, May 5, 2022

May the Fourth Be With You

Yesterday, May 4th, is sometimes called "Star Wars" day because of the line "May the Force Be With You."

Bob Stroud spotlighted it yesterday during his Ten at Ten show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive.  All ten tunes had something to do with space in their titles.

SPACE TRUCKIN'--  Deep Purple

SPACE COWBOY--  Steve Miller Band

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE--  Beatles

DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT--  King Harvest

ROCKET MAN--  Elton John  (Always reminds me of driving the Ramblin;' Wreck from Athens, Ga., to DeKalb, Illinois, to see him play at NIU's Chick Evans Fieldhouse and Liz had seats right up front.)

OUTA SPACE--  Billy Preston

WALKING ON THE MOON--  Police

FULL MOON TURN MY HEAD AROUND--  Off Broadway

MAJOR TOM--   Peter Schelling

SPACE ODDITY--  David Bowie

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "She Packed My Bags Last Night, Preflight, Zero Hour, Nine AM."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Rocket Man"


Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Every Blooming THing: Early May 2022

Despite all this crummy cold weather, 38 degrees this morning but at least sunny, everything is greening up and trees are budding out.  The Japanese lilacs already have their leaves and the crabapples are just about there as well.

The yard already is a blast of yellow with the daffodils (and I have at least 1000 of them) and the hyacinths are also in full bloom.  The tulips are about to start opening up.  

I have not yet cut the grass and sure hope the lawn tractor starts.  The yard needs cutting for sure.

I also haven't had much opportunity to get outside and rake leaves out of the flower beds or knock down dead growth.

Sure looking forward to the arrival of spring.  Hopefully this weekend.

Oh, yes.  And the dandelions are well underway, of course.  And, it's a bumper crop!!

Would You ever believe a Bumper Crop of Dandelion?  Kind of Hard to Believe.  --RoadDog


Tuesday, May 3, 2022

JSS: As Crummy As It Gets-- Beer Nuggets-- Burning-- Wrigley Field Tonight

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  AS CRUMMY AS IT GETS--  Today set a new low in regards to crummy weather days we've been having so far this spring.  It was 32 degrees at 9 am with a forecast high of 48 (but I'm thinking we didn't make it).  Plus rain, overcast, windy and lots of cold in the air which the wind blew right through you.  But, we have a teaser coming though.  Supposedly it will be 80 degrees come Monday.

2.  BEER NUGGETS--  Last night we went to Bricks 'N Ivy here in Spring Grove, Illinois, and enjoyed the half price appetizers and pitchers of beer.  They have a new menu item and it is one of our favorites, something called beer nuggets which are fried dough.  Couldn't beat a basket of it for $3.50.  We also had half price wings ($8 for 12).  But, I can remember when a wing special was just 25 cents.

3.  BURNING--  We get to burn yard waste on the weekends during April and May.  The problem with that is that we haven't had a weekend which did not have rain or howling winds.  Come on guys.

4.  WRIGLEY FIELD TONIGHT--  The White Sox travel to Wrigley Field tonight to play the Chicago Cubs in our Crosstown Classic.  It is a battle of two 9-13 teams.  I am sure glad that I am not out there because of (see #1).

--RoadCold

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY:  What am I?   Flypaper for freaks?


Monday, May 2, 2022

The Gas Gouge Comes Back: The Sunnyside Shuffle, Margaritaville & the Ultimate Jukebox, Goldfish Racing and Joining the Moose

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

It rained all day.  Last year we had a drought, but that sure is not the case this year.

Went to Sunnyside in Johnsburg.  We always laugh at folks doing what is called the Sunnyside Shuffle.  This is where you move from the tables are far reaches of the bar to the horseshoe, where all the fun and talking is.  We have done this on many occasions.

Came home and enjoyed Margaritaville and the Ultimate Jukebox in the basement.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

Maybe spring has finally arrived,  A dry day and fairly warm in the 70s!!  I even got some yardwork done and sat out OD.

We went to Stucky's in Johnsburg and enjoyed those hard-to-beat $1 draft pints and they ran something we'd bever seen before:  goldfish races.  For $5 you pick a fish and they run heats down the length of a double gutter course to see who first crosses the finish line.  It was double elimination.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24

I went to the McHenry Moose Riders breakfast and met Mark and finally got around to joining the Moose.

Later in the afternoon, Liz and I went to the McHenry American Legion and Stucky's on the way home.

Don't Look Now, But IT'S Back.  --RoadDog


Sunday, May 1, 2022

WLS Top Ten for Week of May 1, 1972: 'Betcha By Golly Wow'

These were the Top ten songs and debuts in Chicago fifty years ago according to WLS AM, 890.

1.  THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW YOUR FACE--  Roberta Flack

2.  BABY BLUE--  Badfinger

3.  DAYDRAMING--  Aretha Franklin

4.  ROCKIN' ROBIN--  Michael Jackson

5.  BETCHA BY GOLLY WOW--  Stylistics

6.  THE FAMILY OF MAN--  Three Dog Night

7.  DOCTOR MY EYES--  Jackson Browne

8.  BACK OFF BOOGALOO--  Ringo Starr

9.  HORSE WITH NO NAME--  America

10.  SAUVECITO--  Malo

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

DEBUTS

26.  YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A LADY--  April Wine

27.  ME & JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOL YARD--  Paul Simon

28.  SLIPPIN' INTO DARKNESS--  War

29.  MORNING HAS BROKEN--  Cat Stevens

TUMBLIN' DICE--  Rolling Stones

NICE TO BE WITH YOU--  Gallery

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "And The Slow Parade Of Fears Without Crying."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Doctor My Eyes"