Those Who Left Us in 2021-- Part 6: Elder, Dole, Unser and Nesmith

NOVEMBER

**  LEE ELDER, 87

He broke down racial barriers as the first black golfer to play in the Masters and paved the way for Tiger Woods and others to follow.  Died November 28.

DECEMBER

**  BOB DOLE

He overcame disabling World War II wounds to become a Republican Senate leader and a presidential candidate.  I voted for him.  He became a symbol of the dwindling Greatest Generation.  I really liked where he would personally go and meet WW II veterans on the Honor Flights.  Died December 5.

**  AL UNSER, 82

One of only four drivers to win the Indianapolis 6500 a record four times.  Died December 9.  His brother Bobby Unser was a three-time Indy 500 winner and died May 2.

**  MICHAEL NESMITH, 78

Singer, song-writer and best of all for me, a member of one of my favorite groups (and TV shows) The Monkees."  Died  December 10.

About Last Weekend: Fort Fisher and Me, Donovan's Reef, Michael Nesmith, Lake View Place, Cuda's and the Raccoon

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9

I will be sending the Friends of Fort Fisher a donation for rebuilding some of the mounds at the fort which were torn down to built a landing strip during World War II when the old fort served as a base for training anti-aircraft gunners.  Planes flown by the WASPs towed targets.  Fort Fisher was a famous Civil War fort in North Carolina and the biggest reason I'm such a history nut and ended up as a teacher.  You might say it had an impact on me.

Met Kevin and Kelly and some others at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, for trivia and those half price happy hour drinks.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10

Sure can't complain about temperatures this fall season as it is usually 40 to 50 degrees.   So sorry to hear Michael Nesmith of the Monkees and a solo artist died today.  I was a big Monkee fan.  

Met Kevin and Kelly at Lake View Place on Grasslake for their $1 draft pint special. They have a great view of the lake from there.  Then went to 'Cuda's on Grasslake Road for their excellent fish fry.  On the way home, hit a big raccoon.  I didn't have a chance to avoid it.

--RoadDog

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"

Gone in 2019, But Not Forgotten-- Part 2: "Eye of the Tiger"

SHE--  Monkees       Peter Tork   Died February 21.  Keyboardist and bass guitar.
SHADES OF GRAY--  Monkees

POOR MAN'S SON--  Survivor  Stephan Ellis, bassist. Died Feb. 28.   Joined in 1981
EYE OF THE TIGER--  Survivor  Well, big thanks to Sylvester Stallone here.

KICKS--  Paul Revere & the Raiders    Wrecking Crew session drummer Hal Blaine on these two.  Drummed on 150 Top Tens and 40 #1s.   Some other songs:  Johnny Angel, Ringo, Surf City, Mr. Tambourine Man,  Monday Monday,  Windy, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water and I Think I Love You.   Played on most of Raiders and Beach Boys hits.
GOOD VIBRATIONS--  Beach Boys

MISERLOU--  Dick Dale    Died March 16   The King of the Surf Guitar.

RIGHT TIME, WRONG PLACE--  Dr. John    Died June 6  Born Malcom John Rebennack Jr.    Winner of six Grammy awards.  One of the Sounds of New Orleans.

I HEAR YOU KNOCKING--  Dave Edmunds      Dave Bartholomew  Died June 23     Two of New Orleans' best dying in the same month.  Wrote this song.  Wrote "Ain't That a Shame" and others for Fats Domino.
 
THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE--  Walker Brothers   Scott Walker died March 23.  A trio who called themselves the Walker Brothers, but they weren't related.  Always reminds me of the Righteous Brothers.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You Went Away And Left Me Long Time Ago."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"I Hear You Knocking"

Gone in 2019, But Not Forgotten-- Part 1: "Look Through Any Window"

From Bob Stroud's January 5, 2020, Rock and Roll Roots.  For a more complete list of musician deaths last year, click on Music Deaths 2019 in the labels area beneath this.

LOOK THROUGH ANY WINDOW--  Hollies  The first death of 2019 , Jan. 5, was original Hollies bassist Eric Haydock.  This song was either the first or second 45 I ever bought.
I CAN'T LET GO--  Hollies

TUMBLING DICE--  Rolling Stones      Clydie King died January 7.  Made  mark as a back up singer.  Sang on these two songs.
SWEET HOME ALABAMA--  Lynyrd Skynyrd

SON OF A PREACHER MAN--  Dusty Springfield  Reggie Young, session guitarist with Memphis Boys, American Sound Studios in Memphis, Tennessee died Jan. 17.  Also a member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band on first several albums.  Played on Box Tops "The Letter,"  "Cry Like a Baby,"  "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond,  Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" and "Kentucky Rain" and "In the Ghetto,"  "Down in the Boondocks" Billy Joe Royal and B.J. Thomas'"Hooked On a Feeling."
DRIFT AWAY--  Dobie Gray

SUMMERTIME BLUES--  Blue Cheer   Paul Whaley, drummer, died Jan.28 of blues metal band.  Reportedly the loudest band on the planet.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "And When His Daddy Would Visit He'd Come Along."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Son of a Preacher Man"

Music Deaths: Larry Taylor Session Musician Played With Canned Heat and the Monkees

LARRY TAYLOR, 77

Died 19 August 2019

Samuel Lawrence Taylor  was an American bass guitarist who was in Canned Heat and worked with the Monkees, John Mayall and Tom Waits.  he was the younger brother of Mel Taylor, long-time drummer with the Ventures.

Played with Canned Heat from 1967 to 1970 and was with them at various festivals, including Woodstock.  He also played as a session musician on the first two Monkees albums.

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

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

Goodbye Davy Jones: 11 Essential Tunes-- Part 3: "Daydream Believer"

6. SHADES OF GRAY: THE HEADQUARTERS-- transitional album wit the band contributing songs.

5. CUDDLY TOY-- written by harry Nilsson-- from the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones album.

4. WHEN LOVE COMES KNOCKIN' (AT YOUR DOOR)-- From More of the Monkees album. Written by Neil Sedaka and Carole Bayer Sager.

3. DAYDREAM BELIEVER-- by John stewart, maybe Jones' most famous performance from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, the first Monkees album NOT to go to #1. released after the show was canceled.

2. LOOKOUT (HERE COMES TOMORROW)-- Written by Neil Diamond. A long-time favorite of Monkees fans. (Me too!)

1. GIRL-- from the Brady Bunch episode-- cut track with Marcia looking adoringly on.

I agree with O'Connor, the Monkees Need to Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. --RoadDog

And, speaking of music, tomorrow (the 4th), Bob Stroud s doing a Time Warp back to march 4, 1966 for an hour and a half and then jumping forward to March 4, 1976 for another hour and a half. It streams live at www.wdrv.com from 7 to 10 AM CST.


Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

Goodbye Davy Jones: 11 Essential Tunes-- Part 2

In saying goodbye to Davy Jones of the Monkees, here is a list by Rob O'Connor of eleven songs as lead vocalist or solo.

The Monkees were assembled in 1966 by Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelsont. Don Kirschner supervised the first two Monkees albums.

11. THE GIRL FROM CHELSEA-- written by the Gerry Goffin/Carole King team. Recorded in 1965, before joining the Monkees.

10. VALLERI-- A Boyce-Hart song from fifth album The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees.

9. I WANNA BE-- Another Boyce-Hart song from 1966's The Monkees album.

8. I'LL BE TRUE TO YOU-- Gerry Goffin-Russ Titelman, from the debut album also.

7. THE DAY WE FALL IN LOVE-- From 1967's second album. Wonder who came up with the title More of the Monkees?

More to Come. --RoadDog


WILL ROGERS SAYS: Alexander Hamilton started the US Treasury with nothing-- and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.

Goodbye Davy Jones: 11 Essential Tunes-- Part 1

From March 1st Yahoo! "List of the Day Remembering Davy Jones: 11 Essential Tunes."

I'll be doing an entry on my Cooters's History Blog about Davy Jones. We were driving eastward from the Quad Cities listening to a country station when we heard the news of his death. You wouldn't expect to hear that from a country deejay.

Liz and I just looked at each other. Hey, both of us were big Monkees fans, shoot, I liked the Boys Bands from ten years ago. Good music is good music, especially when written by any of the greats. And that is exactly who the Monkees had writing for them.

Along with that great slap-stick, "Hard Day's Night"-like TV show, all those zany activities and them singing one of their songs. It was the Beatles meet Elvis Presley. Back then, it was hard to get to see your favorite bands on TV.

Then, "Daydream Believer" is Liz's all-time favorite song. She says it reminds her of me. (Get big head now.) It is even her ring tone. It always gets a positive reaction when it goes off. I've even heard people start singing. Whenever it comes on the radio or a juke box, Liz grabs for her phone.

"It's Because I'm Short. I Know." --RoadDog