Music Deaths: Walter Becker of Steely Dan

WALTER BECKER, 67.  Died September 3, 2017

Guitarist ans bassist and co-founder of Steely Dan with Donald Fagan in 1972.  One of my favorite groups and a whole lot of great albums, especially the songs that didn't make the charts.

Some of their big hits:

Do It Again (#6-1972)
Reeling In the Years  (#11-1973)  This song always reminds my of driving to and from student teaching at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Rikki Don't Lose That Number  (#4-1974)
"Peg"  (#11-1978)
Hey Nineteen  (#10-1981)

Music Deaths: Jerry Lewis

JERRY LEWIS , 91   Died August 20, 2017

Worked in Vaudeville, movies and stage (much of it with partner Dean martin)  Had a Top ten hit with "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody (#10-1956).  Father of singer Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

Born Joseph Levitch in 1925.

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 7: "Come Back When You Grow Up"

10.  LET IT OUT--  Hombres   #12   Their only hit for the Memphis foursome.  The whole title "Let It Out (Let It All hang Out)"  Gettin' down 'n dirty in '67.
9.  APPLES, PEACHES & PUMPKIN PIE--  Jay & the Techniques    #6
8.  ODE TO BILLIE JOE--  Bobby Gentry   #1

7.  COME BACK WHEN YOU GROW UP--  Bobby Vee    #3
6.  HEY BABY, THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG--  Buckinghams   #12   WLS backing the local boys.
5.  HOW CAN I BE SURE--  Young Rascals   #4
4.  BROWN EYED GIRL--  Van Morrison    #10

3.  LITTLE OLE MAN--  Bill Cosby    #4
2.  NEVER MY LOVE--  Association    #2
1.  THE LETTER--  Box Tops   #1

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "The One We Used To Hear When We used To get Along."  Answer below.  --RoadDog



"Hey baby, They're Playing Our Song"

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 6: "Gimme Little Sign"

15.  I MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF--  Frankie Valli   #18.  His follow up to #2 "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."

14.  REFLECTIONS--  Diana Ross & the Supremes    #2   They formed as the Primettes in 1959.  This was their first song with Diana Ross out in front.

13.  IT MUST BE HIM--  Vickie Carr    #3   Biggest hit for Florencia Martinez Cardona.

12.  YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN--  Turtles   #12    Follow up to #3  "She'd Rather be With Me."

11.  GIMME LITTLE SIGN--  Brenton Wood    #9

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Some Girls Love To Run Around, Love To handle Everything They See."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  Your lips are permanentlt stuck in the sipping position.

"She'd Rather be With Me"

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 5: "People Are Strange"

20.  PEOPLE ARE STRANGE--  Doors    #12   Follow up to their #1 "People Are Strange."

19.  ANYTHING GOES--  Harper's Bizarre    #43  When "A glimpse of stocking was something shocking."..  Some real old-timey music.

18.  WE LOVE YOU / DANDELION--  #50, #14   Follow up to #1 Ruby Tuesday /  #55  "Let's Spend the Night Together."

17.  TO SIR WITH LOVE--  Lulu    #1   Her biggest hit.  Born Marie Lawrie in Glasgow, Scotland.  Maarried to Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees) from 1969-1973).

16.  FUNKY BROADWAY--  Wilson Pickett   #*   The Pride and Joy of Prattville, Alabama.  Got his start in Gospel Music.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Those Schoolgirl Days Of Telling Tales And Biting Nails Are Gone."  Answer Below.

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You named your cats "Cream" and "Sugar."

"To Sir With Love"

Music Deaths: Gary DeCarlo of Steam "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye"

GARY DeCARLO, 75   Died June 28, 2017

Lead singer with Steam and co-wrote their huge hit "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" (#1-1969)  It was initially the "B" side of the record Gary, Paul Leka and Dale Frasheur were to release under the name Garret Scott on Mercury Records.

The record was released under the name Steam and when it got popular, a bogus group was sent out to support it on tour.  The song sold 6 1/2-8 million copies and became a sports anthem, thanks to organist Nancy Faust of the Chicago White Sox.

"Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Goodbye,"  Said the Sox Fan.  --RoadDog

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 4: "Purple Haze"

25.  CHILD OF CLAY--  Jimmie Rodgers    #31   All about that lousy parenting we had.  His last Top 100.  Had 25 Top 100s and in 1957-1958 had five Top Tens.  His biggest hit was #1 "Honeycomb" in 1957.

24.  HUSH--  Billy Joe Royal   #52    From Georgia.  The song was a #4 hit for Deep Purple in 1968, played quite a bit differently.

23.  PURPLE HAZE--  Jimi Hendrix   #65   His first hit of just seven Top 100s.  His only Top 40 was "All Along the Watchtower" which went to #20 in 1968.

22.  HIGHER AND HIGHER--  Jackie Wilson   #6   "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher."  His last Top Ten.  Had 54 Top 100s from 1957  to 1972.

21.  EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART--  Soul Survivors    #4  Their biggest hit.  White soul band from New York City.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "So Keep It Up, Quench My Desire, And I'll Be At Your Side For Evermore."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You're offended when people use the term "brew" to mean beer.


"Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 3: "Your Precious Love"

30.  THE RAIN, PARK & OTHER THINGS--  Cowsills   #2   Their first hit.  They also had a #2 in 1969 with "Hair."

29.  SOUL MAN--  Sam and Dave     #2   Their biggest hit.  Sam Moore and David Prater.

28.  YOUNGER GENERATION--  Janis Ian     No rank.From the same album as "Society's Child."  Born Janis Eddy Fink.

27.  YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE--  Marvin Gaye and Mary Terrell    (D)    #5    One of four top tens for the duet.  As fine a slow song as it gets.

26.  GET ON UP--  Esquires    #11   Their biggest hit of 3 Top 100s.  From Milwaukee.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Comin' To Ya On a Dusty Road."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.


"Soul Man"

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 2: "You Keep Running Away"

35.  ODE TO BILLY JOE--  Kingpins   #28   Instrumental by King Curtis.  He was born Curtis Ousley in Ft. Worth, Texas and did session work for a whole lot of folks on famous records.

34.  TREAT HER GROOVY--  New Colony Six    Not ranked.  Soft rock  Chicago group.  That's WLS backing the local boys as usual.

33.  NATURAL WOMAN--  Aretha Franklin   #8  Actual title ("You make Me Feel Like") A  She had 7 songs chart in 1967, including a #9, #1, #4, #8 and #2.  Not bad, huh?  Of course, I always remember the Murphy Brown" TV show with this one.

32.  YOU'VE GOT TO PAY THE PRICE--  Al Kent   #49  Born Al Hamilton in Detroit in 1937.  This song is played a lot on 'Fessa John Hook's Beach Music shows.

31.  YOU KEEP RUNNING AWAY--  Four Tops    #19  Detroit R&B group, but you knew that.  Not one of their better-known songs, but a classic, of course.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  " Looking Out In the Morning Rain, I Used To Feel So Uninspired."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison for some.


"Natural Woman"

WLS Top 40 for October 6, 1967-- Part 1: "Next Plane to London"

Just 50 little old years ago.  (D) Debut.  The number after the performer is how high the song got on Billboard's Hot 100.

40.  IT'S YOU THAT I NEED--  Temptations   #14   Full title (Loneliness Made Me Realize)  From the album "With a Lot of Soul."  No kidding.

39.  NEXT PLANE O LONDON--    Rose Garden  (D)   #17    The only hit by the West Virginia quintet, but a good one.

38.  I CAN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU--  Power Plant  (D)  Did not rank on Billboard, but good song.  Lead singer was Freddy May who then went on to record a solo song for RCA Victory before becoming and executive with the company.  Lots of horns in the song.

37.  THE LAST WALTZ--  Engelbert Humperdink    #25  A great slow-dancing song.  And, you could even waltz to it.

36.  INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS--  Strawberry Alarm Clock   #1  West Coast psychedelic sextet.  Definitely psychedelic.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Good Sense, Innocence, Cripplin' Mankind."  Answer Below.  --RoadDog


"Incense and Peppermints"

A Football Kind of Weekend-- Part 4: Hurricanes, Sorry Bears and Bars

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER17

Rock and Roll Roots was "Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season" today because of Harvey and Irma.  Of course, there was the Jimmy Buffett song of the same name as well as "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan and "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix.  There were a total of 17 songs.

Got out FP and OD.

Drove over to Squaw Bar to meet the Usual Suspects for the Bears game, but the Bears were so vad, we left in the third quarter.  We went to Sunnyside to see the end of it, but they were so crowded we went to Sticky's and were able to sit at the bar and talk about how bad Da Bears are with some informed folks.

After the game, we went back to Sunnyside

Came home for some me FP (Front Porch) and watched the excellent first part of Ken Burns'"The Vietnam War."  That war certainly had an impact on me.

--RoadDog

A Football Kind of Weekend-- Part 3: NIU Beats Nebraska!!! Two Bands, Three Bars

SEPTEMBER 16, SATURDAY

I came home to find Liz watching TV and quite anxious as our school, Northern Illinois had actually given Nebraska a good football game and had been up 14 to 0 thanks to two interceptions run back for TDs, but Nebraska had stormed back to a 17-14 lead.  There was still time to go in the game so I watched it.  And Northern scored another touchdown and held on to win 21-17.  That is a huge game for us.  We've only played Nebraska two other times and were blown out.

Huskie Fever!!!  Put our Huskie gear on and the NIU banners up outside the house.

We then went to Thirsty Turtle in Antioch on Channel Lake and sat out on the deck and enjoyed the band for a set and then we went over to Chopper's on the same lake and sat out on the deck and enjoyed the solo performer there as well.

Nothing like sitting outside on a deck on a perfect summer-type day and seeing bands on the Chain.  Like I said, why go anywhere else.

Last stop was at Sunnyside for a night cap.

This was one really busy day for me.

Like I Said, Good Times Around Here.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  Your birthday is a national holiday.. IN BRAZIL!!

A Football Kind of Weekend-- Part 2: A Homecoming Parade, Historical Society Meeting and Civil War Re-Enactment

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

I drove over to the Grant High School (Fox Lake) homecoming parade.  I love a parade, and this one had two marching bands and a Class of 1967 float, just two years ahead of me.

Then I went to the Fox Lake/Grant Township Area Historical Society meeting at the Grant Hall Museum in Ingleside where we learned about the huge commercial fishing operations for carp that took place at one time in the Chain of Lakes.

Next stop was in Hainesville where they were having their Second Annual Civil War Re=Enactment.  I got to talk with our Sons of Confederates affiliates in a Tennessee group, my old friend Bob Dawson who was portraying Elijah Haines, who is the founder of Hainesville as well as interesting talks by U.S. Grant and Jefferson Davis.

Stopped at Taco Bell in Fox Lake on the way home for their excellent Baja fish taco (99 cents) and spicy tostada ($1) and free senior drink.  A real hard deal to beat.

Parades, History, Civil War.  I Can Live With That.  --RoadDog

A Football Kind of Weekend-- Part 1: A Statue, a Boat and a High School Football Game

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

The usual internet blog posting and FP, Flats and OD (my outside areas).

I drove over McHenry, Illinois, to Meijer and found that they still had cassette tapes so bought a couple 5-pack bricks ($5.49)  I still record on them as it is my preferred way to record.  I then went to the Big R store where I had seen a really neat statue of an American soldier kneeling by a cross with his head down yesterday, but they didn't yet have a price on it and couldn't find the cost.

It was $42 and I bought it.  Not sure where I am going to put it right now, but I do know I will put a small American flag by it.  My way of saying thanks to all service members who put their lives on the line so we can live as we do.

I went boating and then to the Richmond-Burlington Central football game.  Where else you want to be on a warm Friday night (though I still wish high school games were played on Saturday afternoons as they were when I was back in school).

A much better game than the one last week at Johnsburg which we lost.  I pull for Johnsburg unless they play Richmond-Burton where I send a real lot of money for property taxes.  Some confusion as they were also called the Rockets.  We won 38-10.

--RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for September 29, 1967: ""Brown Eyed Girl"

1.  THE LETTER--  Box Tops
2.  NEVER MY LOVE--  Association
3.  LITTLE OLD MAN--  Bill Cosby

4.  REFLECTIONS--  Diana Ross & the Supremes
5.  BROWN EYED GIRL--  Van Morrison
6.  COME BACK WHEN YOU GROW UP--  Bobby Vee
7.  ODE TO BILLY JOE--  Bobbie Gentry

8.  APPLES, PEACHES & PUMPKIN PIE--  Jay & the Techniques
9.  YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN--  Turtles
10.  I MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF--  Frankie Valli

Name That tune (from above songs):  "Ready or Not, here I Come, Gee That used To be So Much Fun."  Answer Below.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You want to be cremated so you can spend eternity in a coffee can.

"Apples, Peaches & Pumpkin Pie"

Going Back to Summer 1977-- Part 12: "Closer to the Heart"

Closing out one really fine summer.  Thanks Uncle Bob doe another trip down memory lane.

LOVE TO LOVE--  UFO
BARRACUDA--  Heart    I have to wonder how many greatest hits compilations they have.  Sure is a lot.
GRAND ILLUSION--  Styx   Was there better Stadium Rock?

DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT--  Thin Lizzy   It's a wonder they didn't have more hits.
HANDY MAN--  James Taylor   Doing an old Jimmy Jones classic.  A real new groove to it.
CLOSER TO THE HEART--  Rush

TUESDAY AFTERNOON--  Moody Blues   A live album cut of an older song.
YOU AND ME--  Alice Cooper   Who says the Alice can't be sweet?
RIDIN' THE STORM OUT--  REO Speedwagon     Bar none, that sound at the beginning of this song is one of the best rock has ever had.

I'M IN YOU--  Peter Frampton   Proving that he can do more than just "LIVE."
THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE--  10CC
SHE DID IT--  Eric Carmen   To be raspberry or not.  That is the question.

DREAMS--  Fleetwood Mac

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "And I'm Not Missin' a Thing Watchin' the Full Moon Crossin' the Range."  Answer below.  --RoadDog



"Ridin' the Storm Out"

JSS: Hot, Then More Hot-- No Rain-- CBS New Shows-- Vietnam War

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  HOT, THEN MORE HOT--  All last week and so far this week, it has been mighty hot around here, breaking the 90 degree level, not the heat index anyway.  So hot, I haven't been out on the boat since Wednesday.  Supposed to cool down, though, starting tomorrow.

And, when I get out-hotted, you know it is really hot.  Gives new meaning to the old song "Hot, Hot, Hot"  And that Third World Song "Ninety-six degrees in the shade, real hot in the shade."

2.  NO RAIN--  In addition to the the extreme hot, we haven't had any rain for quite a few weeks.  I have not cut the grass in three weeks now and still don't need to do so.  I am quite tired of watering the flowers every day.  And, I have a lot of flowers.  I am keeping the grass over the septic fields watered as when that dies, it is REALLY hard to get it back.  I'm guessing those two hurricanes kind of sucked all the precipitation out of the atmosphere.

3.  CBS NEW SHOWS--  Monday night I watched the first two hours of the new CBS season.  The four comedies, including the two new ones were great:  Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Kevin Can Wait and Me, Myself & I.  bringing back Kevin James' wife from "King of Queens" was a good move.  And the two new comedies show a weal lot of promise.

4. VIETNAM WAR--  Still enjoying the Vietnam War series on PBS.  Another job well-done.  I especially like it because it gives the other side's story as well.

Just Some Stuff.  --RoadDog

Shouldn't Have Gone to That Car Show: A '67 Firebird for Sale!!

Yesterday, Monday, September 25, I went over to the final Green Street Car Show in downtown McHenry, Illinois, as the featured cars were Pontiacs, which remains my all-time favorite vehicle.  I have had a '67 Tempest, '67 Firebird convertible, '85 Firebird and two Grand Ams.

My all-time favorite car remains the Firebird, but since Firebirds were phased out and later the whole Pontiac line, I was thinking of getting a Corvette for my next middle (older) age crisis car, until they came out with the new Camaros.  Everyone called the 1967 Firebird a middle age crisis car back in 1987 when I bought it.

But, yesterday, I came across a '67 Firebird that was for sale.  It is not in perfect shape, but definitely good enough for me and a whole lot better shape than the '85 Firebird which we (well, I) still have.  It has a 400 engine and the price is right at $10,000.  Though, it had an 8-track player and I would have to do something to get a cassette/CD player and FM radio.

We have four vehicles right now: '85 Firebird, 2003 Malibu, 2005 Dodge Dakota and 2011 Malibu.  I don't need another vehicle so would have to sell one, maybe two.  All of these we've had since brand new.  We paid cash for all of them as well.

But, I am seriously considering it, but trying to come up with reasons not to buy it.

Somebody Help Me.  --RoadDog