Music Deaths: Robert Parker "Barefootin' "

ROBERT PARKER, 89

Died 19 January 2020

American R&B singer best known for 1966 hit "Barefootin' "   From New Orleans.  Started career as a saxophonist.  In Professor Longhair's Band.

Did a whole lot of session work.

"Barefootin' " (#7-1966)   sold over a million copies.

"I Caught You in a Lie"
"Tip Toe"
"All Nite Long"
"Happy Feet"

Stucky's 5-Course Mardi Gras Dinner for February 26: $12.95

Stucky's is located in Johnsburg, Illinois.

Served from 5 to 8 pm Wednesday.  I already have my reservations for this meal.

And, it is all you can eat.  And, just $12.95!!!!

FIRST COURSE:  Bayou Crab Chowder

SECOND COURSE:  Jambalaya with red beans & rice

THIRD COURSE:  Catfish with hush puppies

FOURTH COURSE:  Po Boy with pulled pork, slaw and fried pickles

FIFTH COURSE:  Beignets with caramel sauce

Salivating Just Thinking About It.  --RoadHog

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"

Music Deaths: Art Neville of the Famed Neville Brothers of New Orleans

ART NEVILLE, 81

Died 22 July 2019

Was the third famous New Orleans person to die in a little over a month.  The others being Dave Bartholomew and Dr. John.

Keyboard player and founding member of the Meters.  Art "Poppa Funk" Neville.  New Orleans music icon won multiple Grammys.  The Meters formed in the 1960s and he also formed the Neville Brothers with his three brothers.

Way Too Good of Music.

Music Deaths: Dave Bartholomew, A Major Force in New Orleans Music

DAVE BARTHOLOMEW, 100

Died June 23, 2019

American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, record producer prominent in all things New Orleans music.  In many music genres, including rhythm and blues, Big Band, Swing Music, Rock and Roll, New Orleans Jazz and Dixieland.

He was a big reason for Fats Domino's success, co-writing and producing big hits that crossed over to white audiences.

Some of the songs he was involved with:

Wrote "My Ding-A-Ling," a big hit for Chuck Berry.
I Hear You Knocking--  Dave Edmunds
I'm Walking--  Ricky Nelson

Blue Monday
Ain't That A Shame
I'm In Love Again

Walking to New Orleans
My Girl Josephine

That's Two First Rate New Orleans Music People Dying This Month.

Music Deaths: Dr. John

DR. JOHN, 77

Died June 6, 2019

Well, Dr. John.  What can I say.  Perfect New Orleans.  A real gumbo here in music.

Real name Malcom John Rebbennak Jr, but best known by his stage name, Dr. John.  Became popular in the 1960s after the release of his album "Gris Gris."  Had quite a theatrical stage show, complete with medicine shows, Mardi Gras costumes and voodoo ceremonies.

Had thirty studio albums and 9 live albums.  Won six Grammy Awards and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

He only had four songs make it into the Top 100 pop charts.  The two biggest were ""Right Place, Wrong Time"  (#9-1973) and "Such A Night" (#42-1973).

I also have a lot of his albums and CDs.

My Kind of Gumbo, You Know.

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 7: Mardi Gras All Over Again

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Threat of rain all day.  Barb, Glen and I walked over to Aaron Bessant Park west of Pier Park and saw the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Aaron Neville.  You don't get much more New Orleans ('Nawlins) than those two.  Huge crowd despite threat of rain which didn't come, fortunately.  All the better to get us into the Mardi Gras mood.

On the way back we listened to Waylon Thibideaux and his band playing zydeco and Cajun in Pier Park.  Unfortunately, a real heavy, moisture-laden fog rolled in before the PCB Mardis Gras parade.  At times you couldn't see any of the buildings, but the parade went off anyway.  We missed the fireworks because of the fog.

RoadGras

The Best of Louisiana Music-- Part 2: "Mardi Gras in New Orleans"

6.  LES FLAMMES D'ENFER (THE FLAMES OF HELL)--  Eddie LeJeunne,  D.L. Menard and Ken Smith
7.  BIG CHIEF, PT. 1--  Professor Longhair
8.  MOJO HANNAH--  Aaron Neville

9.  J'AURAID DU T'AIMER (I SHOULD HAVE LOVED YOU)--  Jimmy C. Newman and Cajun Country
10.  CARNIVAL TIME--  Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias
11.  IMITATION OF LOVE--  Johnny Adams

12.  OPELOUSAS SOSTAN--  Mamou
13.  BLACK DRAWERS--  Chuck Carbo
14.  HOT TAMALE BABY--  Buckwheat Zydeco

15.  MARDI GRAS IN NEWORLEANS--  Dirty Dozen Brass Band
16.  SO SWELL WHEN YOU'RE WELL--  James Booker

17.  STREET TALK--  Bo Dollis and Willie Tee with Dr. John
18.  BLUES DU SAOULARD (DRUNKARD'S BLUES)--  Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys
19.  WATCH THAT DOG--  John Delafose and the Eurnice Playboys

Name That Tune:  "I Can Hear the Jukebox Play."  --RoadDog


YOU KNOW IT'S JULY IN FLORIDA WHEN:  You burn your hand opening the car door.


"Opelousas Sostan"

The Best of Louisiana Music-- Part 1: "Your Mama Don't Know"

From the second-line beat of New Orleans rhythm and blues, to the exuberant street music of the brass bands and Mardi Gras Indians, to the bayou dancehall sounds of Cajun and zydeco, there's no place like Louisiana for good time music.  Here are 19 of the best Mardi Gras  party tracks ever, performed by many of Louisiana's best-known artists."

If you're only going to get one CD of this kind of music, this is the one I would recommend.  It is put out by Rounder records "The Best of Louisiana Music"  CD AN 08.  Copyright 1993.

1.  BON TEMPS ROULER--  Beausoleil
2.  I NEVER FOOL NOBODY BUT ME--  Ira Thomas

3.  LOOK-KA PY PY--  Meters
4.  YOUR MAMA DON'T KNOW--  Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas
5.  IF YOU'S A VIPER--  Rebirth Brass Band featuring Kermit Ruffins

Name That Tune:  "You See me There, Well I Ain't No Fool."  --RoadDog


"Bon Temps Rouler"

Music Deaths: Allen Toussaint, 77

Died November 9, 2015.

Influential New Orleans composer, producer, arranger and artist while on tour in Spain.

Wrote "Mother-In-Law" (#1-1961 for Ernie K. Doe) and produced it as well.  Other songs were "Southern Nights" (#1-1977) for Glen Campbell, "Working in the Coal Mine" (#8-1966) for Lee Dorsey, "Java" (#4-1964) for Al Hirt, "Whipped Cream (#68-1965) for Herb Alpert which later became more famous as the theme song to the game show "The Dating Game."

Produced for B.J. Thomas, Dr. John and the Meters.  Produced "Lady Marmalade" (#1-1975) for LaBelle and worked with Paul McCartney & Wings on Venus and Mars album in 1975.  Chosen for the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011, Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

A Favorite of Mine.

Music Deaths in 2014: New Orleans Sound

COSIMO MATASSA, 88  Died September 11, 2014

Architect of the "New Orleans Sound" in the 1950s with Fats Domino, Little Richard, Frankie Ford "Sea Cruise" and Clarence Frogman" Henry  "Ain't Got a Home."

Others:
Ernie K. Doe "Mother i  Law"
Lloyd Price "Personality"
Smiley Lewis "I Hear You Knockin'"
Robert Parker "Barefootin'"
Professor Longhair "Take Me to Mardi Gras"

Follow Up On "Frank's Place"

As I finished typing the last entry, the name You Tube popped into my head. Might they have some episodes on it? Went there and they did. I'll have to catch up. //// Saw part of the pilot, where Frank inherits the place from his deceased father and encounters the interesting employees. Then, there were those great accents. //// Of interest, this was a multi-racial cast, who seemed to really get along. //// Poor Tim Reid had some "learning" to do. //// Not only was there that great music, but food as well. //// I foresee Some Hours On You Tube. --RoadDog

"Frank's Place": A Great TV Show

From Wikipedia. //// One of my all-time favorite TV shows, even though it only lasted for one season. It was sort of a "Frasier" before the idea. A show that was made for more of an adult viewing audience. On CBS and aired 22 episodes from 1987-1988. Cancelled after just one year. //// Created by Hugh Wilson with series star Tim Reid as Frank Parish operating a bar/restaurant in New Orleans. They certainly had a group of interesting characters hanging out there, sort of a "Cheers" crowd but with a 'Nawlins slant. //// As funny as the show was, I liked the songs they played on the jukebox just as well. That stuff really knocked me out. More great music from down there that I'd never heard. //// Should a DVD ever become available, I'd sure get it. But, I understand there are problems getting licensingfor the jukebox songs. //// Good Old Frank's Place. --RoadDog

Some Streaming Internet Sites for New Orleans/ Louisiana Music

Last month, I did a fast search on Yahoo! for some sites to listen to this music. I found several sites at Last FM like Zydeco Music, Louisiana Music, Cajun Music. //// Other sites: Mardi Gras Music Radio, NOLA Radio (Times-Picayune) WWOZ and Mardi Gras Radio (Nola.com) //// Of course, I played plenty of my own CDs. My Ultimate Jukeboc is well-stocked with the stuff as well, with ten CDs of it. //// Great Music, Where Ya Been Before? --RoadDog

Back to Mardi Gras: "The Big Easy"

Like I said back in Novemberaround Mardi Gras, I never knew much about New Orleans/Louisiana music until the movie "Big Easy" came out and really floored me. How come I'd never heard of this music before? //// The movie came out in 1987 and was set and filmed on location in New Orleans and took 50 days to film. //// It featured Cajun, zydeco, R&B and gospel music in it as well as a healthy dose of Mardi Gras music. //// Dennis Quaid was the leading actor, about a sort of legit/illegal cop. //// A Great Movie, and Then there Was That MUSIC!!! --RoadDog

Top Ten Mardi Gras Oldies-- Part 2

#6. BIG CHIEF--PT. 2-- Professor Longhair. The "Fess" is a New Orleans legend. This was originally an instrumental, but Earl King added vocals. //// #7. DO WHATCHA WANNA-- PT. 3-- Rebirth Brass Band. Not an oldies cut, per se, from the mid-90s, but "emblematic of the city's rich brass-band traditions." //// #8. THEY ALL ASK FOR YOU-- Meters. One of three items on this list from the 1970s "homegrown funk period." //// #9. MARDI GRAS MAMBO-- Hawkettes. High school group which later mutated into the Neville Brothers. You know, "Down in New orleans where the blues was born, it takes a cool cat to blow a horn." //// #10. SECOND LINE-- Stop, Inc. Great march-dance for a Mardi Gras parade (If you're actually in a parade, you're first line. If you are drunk and dancing behind a float, you're in the second line, in case you're wonderin'.) //// Good Stuff. --RoadDog

Mardi Gras in My Other Blogs

Yesterday and today, I posted Mardi Gras items in my RoadDog's RoadLog Blog, Tattooed On Your Soul World War II Blog, Cooter's History Thing and Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 Blog. //// In Case You've Not Had Enough. -- RoadDog

Mardi Gras IV: Music to Celebrate

Back when i was deejaying, I made several cassette tapes of some great New Orleans/Louisiana music suitable for Mardi Gras. I'm listening to Mardi Gras IV right now. Songs on it: NO CITY LIKE NEW ORLEANS-- Earl King // SOMETHING YOU GOT-- Earl King // DADDY DADDY DADDY-- Carol Fran Clarence // WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN'-- Fessa Longhair // SWANEE RIVER ROCK-- Snooks Eaglin //// CHERIE PETIT MONDE-- Balfa Toujous // NEW ORLEANS BEAT--Steve Riley // HOT TAMALE BABY-- Marcia Ball // ZYDECO LA LOUISIANNE-- Buckwheat Zydeco //// VALSE BEBE-- Beausoleil // I'M HERE-- Clifton Chernier // SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL-- Louisiana Playboys // TOUS LES TEMPS ON TEMPS-- Lynn August. //// And That's Just Half the Cassette Tape. --RoadDog