Some Music You Might Want to Hear

It is too late to hear Wendy Rice's Saturday Morning Flashback on WXRT, 93.1 FM, Chicago's Finest Rock as she finished at noon today for our trip back to the music of 1993. However, the station, which streams, will have that great Breakfast With the Beatles show hosted by Terri Hemmert tomorrow from 8-10 AM, CST, Little Steven's Underground Garage tomorrow from 9 to 11 and Tom Marker's Bluesbreakers Monday night from 9 to 10 PM. //// Tomorrow, Bob Stroud does his Rock and Roll Rooys show on 97.1 FM, WDRV, the Drive, which streams, and then next week Ten at Ten (AM and PM) will feature 1984 on Monday, 1968 on Tuesday, "Hey" songs on Wednesday and 1972 on Friday. //// Well Worth Giving a Listen. --RoadDog

Just Got Back

Arrived here in Spring Grove, Illinois, about five hours ago after a two week trip to NC for Thanksgiving. 

Over 2,000 miles and lots of history, family and Christmas decorations. Always great to get back home.

Typing on this and listening to some Christmas music on a recorded cassette tape. This one is a Little Steven's Underground Garage recording.

--RoadDog

Halloween Countdown Begins

Just like AMC has their horror movies now, I have my very scary music countdown to All Hallows Eve, thanks to Bob "Baron Von Franken" Stroud and Little "Mad Man" Steven.

I see that Little Steven had his yearly Hallloween Show yesterday but the little ghouls put me to sleep (a very long weekend, you know). Stroud evidently didn't do his annual Halloween show yesterday, though, maybe this coming weekend.

Here are some songs guaranteed to scare you into giving candy:

SANDMAN-- America
I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM LAST NIGHT-- Electric Prunes (Just the music in this one is scary enough, then there's that Freddie creeping through 'em.)
DEVIL IN DISGUISE-- Elvis

FRANKENSTEIN-- Edgar Winter Group
BAD MOON RISING-- CCR (No, there's that what on the right?)
CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN-- Guess Who (No, the deejay Wolfman.)

WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE-- Alice Cooper (Spooky all by himself.)
SHE'S NOT THERE-- Zombies

Like, Boo!!! --RoadDog

JSS-- More Snow--Tribune to 75 Cents--Little Steven's 300th--Trouble With Harry

Just Some Stuff-JSS.

1. We got another 3-4 inches of snow between last night and this morning. Yesterday, there was about an inch on the ground. Last Friday, we had another 7 inches, but it was a perfect snowfall, big flakes drifting lazily to the ground and painted all the trees and bushes. Fortunately, most of the snow we had in the earlier part of December had melted. I'm guessing we've had at least 20 inches and very likely more this winter.

2. Alas, the Chicago Tribune has raised its daily price (excluding Sundays) to 75 cents. There was no warning of it and evidently, the increase went into effect yesterday.. I get it deleivered from Wednesday to Sunday. I saw notification on a rack of newspapers at a convenient mart and had to tell the clerk it was no longer 50 cents. Probably should have kept my mouth shut, but I'm an honest guy. Had to tell another clerk about the price increase today.

3. Just listening to the current Little Steven's Underground Garage which has now been moved from Monday nights on WXRT, Chicago's Finest Rock, 93.1 FM to Sunday nights from 9 PM to 11. This is really one great show, but unfortunately, I didn't start listening to it until about three months ago. Rock and Roll is not dead, it lives on with Little Steven. This is a great place, especially if you like garage rock. Give it a listen. Go to his website to find a station near you, or, WXRT does stream.

Little Steven refers to CDs as albums and says if God had wanted people to text without vowels that he wouldn't have invented vowels.

http://www.littlestevensundergroundgarage.com

4. Last night, I watched the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Trouble with Harry." That had to be the biggest group of crazy folks ever assembled, and, how many times can you bury and dig up a guy? Talking with Ken today at Hello Folks who is a big fan of the movie. He said that the little kid was Jerry Matthers, of "Leave it to Beaver" fame.

Just Some Things. --RoadDog

"Anyway You Want It" --First or Second Single?

Yesterday, Bob Stroud played Dave Clark 5's "Any Way You Want It" on his Rock and Roll Roots show and said that it was released in December 1964. The lead singer of the group, Mike Smith, will turn 63 this week.

This single brought back some memories for me. This was either the first or second single I ever bought. If it wasn't the first, then "Look Through Any Window" by the Hollies was. I bought both about the same time in 1964, but kept the purchase secret from my dad as he believed records to be a waste of money.

On the subject of the Dave Clark 5, two weeks ago, Little Steven played "Glad All Over" on his Underground Garage radio show, here in Chicago at WXRT FM and streaming world-wide. The show is syndicated so might be in your market as well.

He had Mike Smith introduce it and said that this song was a few minutes of pounding. It was the DC5 who dethroned the Beatles on the top of British charts back when anything the Beatles did went straight to number one.

According to Little Steven: "Go make a record better than 'Glad All Over'. Go ahead. I'll give you an unlimited amount of money. Go make a record better than that. You can't do it. Dave and Mike Smith were a fantastic combination." Little Steven, like myself, believes that it is a shame that the Dave Clark 5 have not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Maybe 2008 will be the year.

At one time, the DC5 were told that they couldn't play "Bits and Pieces" at concerts as promoters feared the crowd's jumping up and down would cause damage to the dancehall floors.

I always thought drummer Dave Clark was the lead singer. He did provide vocals, but Mike Smith did most of the singing on their big hits. But, we didn't have anything like an MTV back when they used to play videos, so I never got to see who was singing.

DAVE CLARK 5 for the ROCK AND ROLL HALL of FAME!!!!!!

Sure Wish I Could Remember Which One I Bought First. --RoadDog

How Did Halloween Begin?

I get this from Little Steven's Underground Garage show, which I recorded off WXRT, 93.1 FM, which plays Mondays from 10 PM to midnight. This past Monday, he had a Halloween show.

Today is All-Saints Day in the Catholic Church. My wife Liz, who went to Catholic schools, remembers always getting the day after Halloween off. This is when all the saints who have not gotten their own day, are celebrated.

Tomorrow is All Souls Day where you pray for all souls who are in purgatory. Little Steven joked that this was when you'd pray for Sam Cooke, Arthur Alexander, James Brown, and Solomon Burke. Just kidding though. Also, that applies to anybody at the DMV, waiting for a passport, or waiting for the cable guy or the phone company.

Some dude in Europe in the 9th century some enterprising homeless dude got the idea of going souling from house to house on All Souls Day begging for soul cakes. Somehow, that got mixed up with a Celtic custom of dressing up in scary costumes to keep from getting possessed and it all got mixed together...and the results were the Ramones. Still just kidding. He then segued into the Ramones' "Cretin Bop", the legendary cretins themselves, the Ramones, a group very comfortable with Halloween.

I would imagine it also somehow got moved up to October 31st or perhaps that was the date of the Celtic thing.

That Little Steven is one funny guy.

Now, that is just Too Scary. --RoadDog