Music Deaths: Lyle Ritz, Member of the "Wrecking Crew"

LYLE RITZ, 87

Died March 3, 2017

Bassist with the famed "Wrecking Crew" of Hollywood session musicians.  Played on such songs at the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers and "I've Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher.

Also known as "The Father of the Jazz Ukelele."  On Herb Alpert's "A Taste of Honey."

Music Deaths: Chuck Berry

CHUCK BERRY, 90

Died March 18, 2017.

Despite his problems, he was a big reason we got Rock and Roll.  I really liked his "Johnny B. Goode" and "No particular Place to Go."

When i was a deejay, I sure played his only #1 hit, "My Ding-A-Ling" a whole lot and always got a lot of audience participation.

Rocked On out Of Here!!  --RoadDog

Living In Today's World: Getting Older

From the March 17, 2017, Shoe comic strip.

Shoe and another bird are sitting in Roz's Roost.

1.  The other bird says:  "I've noticed a lot of things have changed as I've grown older."  Shoe looks at him and says:  "Such as..."

2.  The other bird:  "For one, when I was younger, the lids on jars weren't screwed on as tightly as they are now."

I Second That.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.

WLS Top Ten for March 17, 1967 "I Think We're Alone Now"

That's right, 50 Years Ago on St. Patrick's Day.

1.  I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW--  Tommy James  & the Shondells
2.  HAPPY TOGETHER--  Turtles
3.  THERE'S A KIND OF A HUSH--  Herman's Hermits

4.  PENNY LANE / STRAWBERRY FIELD--  Beatles
5.  FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH--  Buffalo Springfield
6.  BABY, I NEED YOUR LOVIN'--  Johnny Rivers
7.  DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE--  Mamas and Papas

8.  UPS & DOWNS--  Paul Revere & the Raiders
9.  RUBY TUESDAY--  Rolling Stones.
10.  SOCK IT TO ME BABY--  Mitch Ryder

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "She Would Never Say Where She Came From."  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  You get drunk just so you can sober up.''


"Ruby Tuesday"

Musicians Born and Bred In (Or Near) Chicago-- Part 2

6.  MAVIS STAPLES--  Born and raised in Chicago.  Gospel and soul.  member of the Staples Singers, her family.

7.  MILES DAVIS--  Born in Alton, Illinois.

8.  PATTI SMITH--  Born in Chicago but her family soon moved to Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Punk pioneer.

9.  RICK NIELSEN--  Rockford.  Cheap trick.

10.  STEVE GOODMAN--   "Go Cubs Go.  One of the best.

--RoadDog

Best Sporting Event of the Year Starts Today: The NCAA Tournament

Today is when the Cinderellas come out and upsets begin.  Right at this moment, Notre Dame and Princeton are in a great close game.  I won't say who is winning as that puts the whammy on them.

As the website Dagger says, this is a "Happy College Basketball Christmas."

All 32 games today and Friday will be shown in their entirety between CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV.  They have finally reached a way to show all these many, many games that has to suit everyone.  Not too long ago, all were carried on just one channel, which wasn't good as we'd get stuck watching a blowout while a very close one/upset was in the making at another game.

Myself, I ALWAYS pull for the underdog, even when they're playing one of my teams, such as is taking place right now.

Back to the Bar to Watch.  --RoadDog

JSS: Illinois State-- Jonquils-- Crazy Weather-- Deja Vu All Over Again-- Robins

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  ILLINOIS STATE--  You'd think with a 27-6 record that it would get you into the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  It didn't.  So ISU in the NIT.

2.  JONQUILS--  I have two jonquils blooming in the house.  I picked them while frozen Saturday.  I didn't think they would make it, but their blooms opened and I got to enjoy their color and smell.  Monday, they would have been under four inches of snow outside.

3.  CRAZY WEATHER--  Sure has been since we got back from Florida.    First, it was warm, but the windiest I've ever seen.  Then, it got cold and then we had 4-5 inches of snow this past Monday and Tuesday.  It has also been highs in the upper 20s until today.

4.  DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN--  Monday I saw the movie "Before I Fall."  Thought I was seeing "Groundhog Day 2."  But without the happy ending.

5.  ROBINS--  We saw our first robins of the year over the weekend.  Guess they must have gotten fooled by all that warm weather in February.

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO  MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  You name your cats "Cream"and "Sugar."

Good to have Them Back, Though.  --RoadDog

Musicians Born and Bred In (Or Near) Chicago-- Part 1

WXRT, 93.1 FM

1.  ANDREW BIRD--  Graduated Lake Forest Hig School in 1999.  Atended Northwestern.  12 albums.

2.  BILLY CORGAN--  Born in Elk Grove Village and grew up in Glendale heights.

3.  CHAKA KHAN--  The Queen of Funk was born Yvette Marie Stevens.  Born and raised in Hyde Park.

4.  EDDIE VEDDER--  Pearl Jam front man and real big Cub fan.  Born in Evanston and lived there ten years.

5.  JEFF TWEEDY--  Wilco frontman.  Born in Belleville, near St. Louis, but hung around Chicago a lot.

Sweet Home Chicago.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  "You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer.

Got Our Green On This Past Weekend

FRIDAY, MARCH 10TH

We went to the American Legion in Fox Lake, Illinois, for the Grant Township Annual Fish Fry.  $10 auce.  The place was packed.  Then went to Sunnyside in Johnsburg and saw the ladies giggle their way through a Sip & Paint activity.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11TH

We went to Lake Villa, Illinois, for their annual St. Patrick's parade, then adjourned to the VFW for corned beef & cabbage dinners, bagpiper, St. Patrick and the country band Xpress Lane.  Then to Sunnyside.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12TH

We went to McHenry, Illinois, for their St. Patrick's parade.  Went to the Gambler before and after the parade.  Saw the Blackhawks game there.  Then over to Corkscrew Pointe and had their sliders.  Then to the PLAV, Polish Legion of American Veterans and lastly back to Sunnyside.

Definitely Got Our Irish On.  --RoadDog

Music Deaths: Dave Yorko and Tommy Page

DAVE YORKO, 73

Died February 17, 2017.

Guitarist with Johnny &the Hurricanes on "Red River Rock" (#5-1959), "Beatnik Fly" (#15-1960) and "Crossfire" (#23-1959).

TOMMY PAGE, 46

Died March 3, 2017.

Had a #1 hit in 1990 with "I'll be Your Everything."  Later, a record company executive and publisher of Billboard Magazine.

JSS: Cold-- Snow-- NIU Women's Basketball-- March Madness Begins

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  COLD--  After all that warmth we had here while we were gone, it sure turned cold this weekend.  Kind of took away from the enjoyment of the St. Patrick's Day parades this past weekend.  It is not supposed to get above freezing before Thursday.

2.  SNOW--  And, we had between 3-4 inches of snow to boot.  Again, why didn't they have this winter stuff here when we were in Florida.

3.  NIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL--  Sadly, our ladies lost to Toledo in the MAC Conference championship so there will be no NCAA Tournament for them.  Boy, that Toledo sure takes the cake.

4.  MARCH MADNESS BEGINS--  And, speaking of sports.  The best sporting event of the year.  I have my favorites, but won't say who for fear of bad luck.  But, I can tell you that I ALWAYS pull for the underdogs (unless it is Toledo), even if they are playing one of "my" big time teams.

Squeak Those Floors.  --RoadDog

Who Sang It Better? "This Old Heart of Mine"

WNCT, 1070 AM out of Greenviille, North Carolina, Beach, Boogie & Blues, has a voting item.

You can listen to three versions of the song:  Isley Brothers, Rod Stewart and a third one by an Isley brother and Stewart.  However, the one by Rod Stewart by himself is much slower than the one he had a hit with back in the day.

I, of course, voted for the original singers, the Isley Brothers.  Surprisingly, the duo version is winning.

Vote Original.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.

Music Deaths: Walter "Junie" Morrison and Peter Skellem

WALTER "JUNIE" MORRISON, 62

Died January 21, 2017.

Keyboardist of the Ohio Players 1970-1974 and musical director of Parliament-Funkadelic 1977-1980.

Co-wrote Ohio Players "Funky Worm" (a real neat song) and Parliament-Funkadelic's "One Nation Under a Groove."

PETER SKELLEM, 69

Died February 17, 2017.

"You're a Lady"  (#50-1972.  Went to #3 in the UK.  Also "Hold On to Love" which went to #14  in the UK.

Music Deaths: Sonny Geraci-- Outsiders and Climax

SONNY GERACI, 69  Died February 5, 2017.

Lead singer of the Outsiders and later of Climax.  The Outsiders had four Top 40s:  "Time Won't Let Me" (#15-1966), "Girl in Love" (#21-1966), "Respectable (#15-1966) and "Help Me Girl" (#37-1966).

The group broke up and Geraci reformed it, but a legal battle took place over the name and he changed it to Climax which had a hit with "Precious and Few" which went to #3 in 1972.

Gettin' Our Green On This Weekend

It's going to be a busy time for us this weekend, even with this cold we're getting.  An early St. Patrick's if you will.

Today, we are going to the Grant Township Annual Fish Fry at the American Legion in Fox Lake.

Tomorrow is the annual St. Patrick's parade in Lake Villa, afterwards to the VFW for corned beef and cabbage and a country band.  On the way home, we'll stop at the Fox Lake FD for some more partying and more corned beef if still hungry.

Sunday, we go to McHenry for their St. Patrick's parade and then hit some local establishments.

Green for the Weekend.  --RoadIrish

WLS Top 40 for March 10, 1967-- Part 7: "Penny Lane'Strawberry Field"

These were the top ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago today.  The number after the performer refers to the highest chart position on the Billboard National Top 100 chart.

10.  LOVE IS HERE--  Supremes   #1  Actual name "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone."
9.  THE BEAT GOES ON--  Sonny & Cher   #6
8.  THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE--  Casinos   #6

7.  FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH--  Buffalo Springfield   #7.  Their only Top 40.
6.  RUBY TUESDAY--  Rolling Stones--   #1
5.  BABY, I NEED YOUR LOVIN'--  Johnny Rivers    #3
4.  PENNY LANE / STRAWBERRY FIELD--  Beatles   #1

3.  HAPPY TOGETHER--  Turtles   #1   Their biggest hit.
2.  THERE'S A KIND OF A HUSH--  Herman's Hermits   #4
1.  I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW--  Tommy James & the Shondells   #4

Name That Tune (from the above):  "There's Something Happening here, What It Is Ain't Exactly Clear."  --RoadDog



"For What It's Worth"

WLS Top 40 for March 10, 1967-- Part 6: "Go Where You Wanna Go"

15.  MY CUP RUNNETH OVER WITH LOVE--  Ed Ames   #8   His biggest hit.  he was one of the famous singing group Ames Brothers.

14.  GO WHERE YOU WANNA GO--  Fifth Dimension   #6.  This was their first big hit.

13.  SOCK IT TO ME--  Mitch Ryder   #6  Real name, William Levise, Jr..

12.  DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE--  Mamas & Papas    #2

11.  UP & DOWNS--  Paul revere & the Raiders   #22  From Portland, Oregon.

Name That Tune:  "When I'm Far Away From You, My Baby."  --RoadDog


"Dedicated to the One I Love"

WLS Top 40 Survey for March 10, 1967-- Part 5: ""You Got to Me"

The number after the performer is how high the song got on Billboard's Top 100.

20.  RETURN OF THE RED BARON--  Royal Guardsmen   #15  Novelty pop sextet from Ocala, Florida.  This was their followup to "Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron" which went to #2.

19.  YOU GOT TO ME--  Neil Diamond   #18

18.  DARLIN' BE HOME SOON--  Lovin' Spoonful   #15  Had 7 straight top tens and one #1 until this song.

17.  WESTERN UNION--  5 Americans   #5  Dallas-based rock quintet, their biggest hit.

16.  WALK TALL--  2 of Clubs   #92   Patti Valantine and Linda Parrish.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Things Went Wrong Today, Bad News Came My Way."  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  (As I have my third cup):  You want to be cremated so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can.


"Western Union"