One Great Time Last Weekend-- Part 3: Parish Fest and Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11

We went to Parish Fest at St. John the Baptist Church in Johnsburg, Illinois, something we have done for the last 13 years.  However this time it was the first time that the band New Odyssey had not played in it.  Their guitarist was one of Liz's elementary friends back in Chicago.  This year the band Cirrus Falcon played and did a great job.  They are well known in the Chicagoland area.

As usual, we availed ourselves of the brats, corn on the cob and beer.

Then we drove to McHenry, Illinois, and went to the American Legion on Riverside Drive where our friend Mark was bartending and the members were getting ready for the Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive commemoration where the members of the Greatest Generation are honored for their service in World War II and the Korean War.

That is always a moving ceremony complete with Bill's Little Big Band playing the music of the era, a radio program, speeches, introductions, 21-gun salute, rolling taps and the release of 21 white doves.

Quite A Fitting Honor.  Thanks Greatest Generation.  --RoadDog

One Great Time Last Weekend-- Part 2: Choppers, Jon Polit On Deck, Sunnyside, Margaritaville and the Ultimate Jukebox

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

FP (Front Porch).  Yard work.

We went to Choppers Bar and Grill on Illinois Highway 173, west of Antioch and sat outside on their deck under the huge old oak trees on an absolutely gorgeous day.  A 16 ounce draft beer is just $2 all the time.  Plus, we had one of our favorite singers, Jon Polit,  performing and we sure had a great time.  he is very interactive with the crowd while playing a wide variety of songs.

And, even better, there was a crowd but not so many that it became difficult to do things.  For years most every Sunday afternoon on the Chain of Lakes, you could find us at the outside bar of Captain's Quarters on Fox Lake, listening to their great afternoon bands.  But the place has gotten way too popular with huge crowds so we don't often go there anymore.

Choppers has crowds, but not too big.  Plus, we have boats going by on a channel.  Probably the only drawback was that we had to go inside to get our drinks.  Oh well!

We went by Sunnyside in Johnsburg before returning home where I enjoyed FP again and then adjourned to the basement and Margaritaville where I sat at the bar and enjoyed my Ultimate Jukebox which has 300 CDs.

This Was a Really Good Day.  --RoadDog

One Great Time Last Weekend: Barhopping, Wings, $1 Drafts, Beach Bumz Band, Fish Fry and the Legion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7

Barhopping at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin and Sunnyside in Johnsburg, Illinois.  Two places where everybody knows your name.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8

Met Kevin and Kelly, Glenn and Barb at Bootleggers on Grasslake Road in Antioch and enjoyed the 50 cent wings and $1 draft pints.  Then went to the It's Thursday in Antioch, the weekly party by the bandshell behind Main Street.  Every Thursday from mid-June to mid-August, they have a band playing there from 7:30 to 9 p.m..

Tonight the band was Johnny Russell & the Beach Bumz.  If you like Jimmy Buffett, reggae or country beach music, this music is for you.  We also met several good friends there.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9

Enjoyed WDRV's Ten at Ten's American Road Trip songs.  Road tripping on old highways is one of our favorite things to do, especially on Route 66 or the Lincoln Highway.

We met Kelly and Kevin and Barb and Glenn at 'Cuda's on Grasslake Road for their beer-battered fish fry, auce for $9,99 and $2 craft beer pints.  Then went to the Fox Lake American Legion with them for the 50-50.

Why Go Anywhere Else?  --RoadDog

Every Blooming THing-- Mid August: What A Long Strange Summer It's Been

And, that is besides not going boating (which, of course we didn't do last year).  But, I have not yet gotten the front yard hose out of the garage and last Saturday was the first day I seriously watered the back yard flower beds.  I usually have both hoses out by May.  We've had that much rain.

Also, I've had to cut the grass every week and at 2 1/2 inches.  This past week I did not cut the grass, skipping a week for the first time.  And usually by now I am at my summer cutting height of 3 inches.  Again, that much rain and fairly cool temperatures through early July.

And, I've never had so much tree and bush trimming, especially my boxwoods and burning bushes which were severely burned back by the polar vortex we had this past winter.  They are all alive, but require big time cutting back of their upper branches.  Plus, we have now been at this house for 27 years, there are tree branches that have either gotten too big or are growing in places I don't want them.

But, flowers are still going strong.  Right now, my wild sunflowers, bee balm, mums, black-eyes Susans, purple coneflowers and daylillies are really in bloom, and I have hundreds of each one.

Oh Well.  --RoadDog

BABY TRIVIA TEASER:  Which famous band went on the Zoo TV tour in support of its 1991 album "Actung Baby"?


U2

One of Those Busy Days Around Here Today: Parish Fest and Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive

In just a few minutes, we'll be leaving for the St. John's Parish Fest in Johnsburg, Illinois, which runs from noon to 5 p.m.  This year the group Cirrus Falcon will be playing.  For the last ten years the group which played was New Odyssey, a group featuring Liz's ex-schoolmate Michael on guitar.

Of course, lots of food, games and beer.

Then, we will go over to Veterans Park in McHenry, Illinois, for the annual Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive day where we honor the Greatest Generation, our World War II folks, both military and civilian.  This is also a national event and McHenry's is one of the very largest events anywhere.

We will then adjourn to give buddy Mark a hard time over at the McHenry American Legion where he will be bartending.

Why Go Anywhere Else.  --RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for August 11, 1969: "A Boy Named Sue"

Theses were the Top Ten songs in Chicago back fifty years ago today on WLS, 890 AM.  Theses are from the Oldies Loon site.

1.  HONKY TONK WOMAN--  Rolling Stones  Of course, there is always the question of whether they're saying woman or women.
2.  BIRTHDAY--  Underground Sunshine
3.  PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART--  Jackie DeShannon

4.  IN THE YEAR 2525--  Zager & Evans
5.  POLK SALAD ANNIE--  Tony Joe White
6.  HURT SO BAD--  Lettermen
7.  A BOY NAMED SUE--  Johnny Cash

8.  SWEET CAROLINE--  Neil Diamond
9.  SOUL DEEP--  Box Tops
10.  I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN--  Tom Jones

********************

DEBUTS

37.  SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME--  Aretha Franklin
38.  GREENFIELD--  Vogues

39.  THE TRAIN--  1910 Fruitgum Company
40.  I WANT YOU TO KNOW--   New Colony Six

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Met A Gin-Soaked , Bar-Room Queen In Memphis."  Answer below.  --RoadDog



"Honky Tonk Woman"

Going Back to the Summer of '79-- Part 9: "Is She Really Going Out With Him"

Theses were the songs on the radio and in your record collections forty years ago on August 4, 1979.  Bob Stroud does this four times during each summer and has been doing this since 2007, when he went back to the Summer of Love, 1967.  This is something I really look forward to every summer.

I have most of the shows recorded since 2007, including this year.

This is on Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots show, every Sunday on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive from 7 to 10 a.m. Central Time.  And it streams at www.wdrv.com.  Since this show only covers the years from the 1960s and 1970s, I don't know what will happen next year when 40 years ago is 1980.  Fifty years ago would be 1970.

Of course, I would like him to start with sixty years ago, 1960.

CRUEL TO BE KIND--  Nick Lowe
SHINE A LITTLE LOVE--  ELO
IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM--  Joe Jackson   We had a good time with this song out on the deck of Choppers yesterday when Jon Polit had this as an audience participation song where we had to yell "Where" whenever he sang here or there.

CHUCK E'S IN LOVE--  Rickie Lee Jones
HEART OF THE NIGHT--  Poco
HIGHWAY TO HELL--  AC/DC

LAY IT ON THE LINE--  Triumph  My buddy Coz used to love to catch me on this song and Rainbow's "Since You've Been Gone" when he'd pose a Name That Tune to me and play it on the jukebox.  He did it so often I would immediately call out Triumps and Rainbow when he'd do it.
COOL CHANGE--  Little River Band

RENEGADE--  Styx
MY SHARONA--  Knack

And, there will be one more of these Summer of '79 shows on September 1.  Give it a listen.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  ""Hoo, My Little Pretty One, My Pretty One."  Answer below  --RoadDog


"My Sharona"

Going Back to the Summer of 1979-- Part 8: "Let's Go"

Yep, 40 Years Ago!!!

 Remember?

DON'T BRING ME DOWN--  Electric Light Orchestra
BLOW AWAY--  George Harrison
GETTING CLOSER--  Paul McCartney & Wings

SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE--  Rainbow
LET'S GO--  Cars
GIRLS TALK--  Dave Edmunds

DANCE THE  NIGHT AWAY--  Van Halen
FOLD--  Jon Stewart
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE--  REO Speedwagon

I WANT YOU TO WANT ME--  Cheap Trick
LOVIN', TOUCHIN', SQUEEZIN'--  Journey
LIGHTS OUT--  UFO

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You Make Me Weak And Wanna Die."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'"

Going Back to Summer of 1979-- Part 7: "Logical Song"

Sunday, August 4, Bob Stroud went back to the Summer of 1979 for August 4. 1979.  This was his part 3 of 4 parts.  The last part will be aired September 1 and it streams at www.wdrv.com.   These were songs on the radio or in record collection on August 4, 1979.  That would be 40 years ago.

I NEED A LOVER--  John Cougar
MINUTE BY MINUTE--  Doobie Brothers
LOGICAL SONG--  Supertramp

MY MY HEY HEY--  Neil Young
DANCING BAREFOOT--  Patti Smith Group
ROCK AND ROLL FANTASY--  Bad Company

(I WISH I COULD FLY LIKE) SUPERMAN--  Kinks
BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU--  Robert Palmer

WE WILL ROCKY YOU (LIVE)--  Queen
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS (LIVE)--  Queen

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Hey Yeah, Here Come The Jesters, One, Two, Three."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Rock and Roll Fantasy"

Music Deaths: Beach Music's Cash McCall

CASH McCALL, 78

Died April 20, 2019

Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.  Best known for his 1968 song "When You Wake Up."  Very popular with fans of Beach Music.  He was also very popular in England in what they call Northern Soul.

Other big songs:

That Lucky Old Sun
You Can't Take Love
Let's Get A Thing Going On
Let's Try It Over

Music Deaths, Country's Earl Thomas Conley

EARL THOMAS CONLEY, 77

Died April 10, 2019

Charted more than 30 Top 100s and 18 reaching #1 on Country Charts.  He had no Top 100s as a crossover artist on Pop charts.  Born in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Some of his hits:

Fire and Smoke
Somewhere Between Right and Wrong
Holding Her and Loving You
What'd I Say
Love Out Loud

How I Make the WLS Top 40s

Yesterday I completed the WLS Top 40 music survey for August 4, 1969.  Every week I do the WLS Top Ten along with debuts, but once a month I take on the whole 40 songs on the list.

When I do this, I do it  in groups of five songs for the numbers 40 to 11.  Then I do the last ten on the last, usually seventh post.

I get the WLS Surveys from the Oldies Loon web site. wlsyear-oldies loon.

This is a rather time consuming (but completely enjoyable) task for me as it requires me to listen to every single song on You Tube and often many more times than once, especially with songs I am not familiar with or have only rarely heard.  Then I make comments.

Then I use Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 to find out how high the song charted on the national Billboard charts as well as some more information about the band.

Then, of course, comes the long, drawn-out two fingered typing on the keyboard.

For fun, you can try to guess the performer of the song in the title and then name that tune from a line in the song at the bottom of the list.

Well, That's How I Do It Once A Month.  --RoadDog

WLS Top 40 for August 4, 1969-- Part 7: "Sweet Caroline"

Just a half century ago.  That's all.

10.  HURT SO BAD--  Lettermen     #12
9.  A BOY NAMED SUE--  Johnny Cash    #2
8.  SWEET CAROLINE--  Neil Diamond    #4

7.  BABY, I LOVE YOU--  Andy Kim    #9
6.  QUENTIN'S THEME--  Charles Randolph Greane Sound     #13
5.  POLK SALAD ANNIE--  Tony Joe White   #8
4.  BIRTHDAY--  Underground Sunshine   #26

3.  PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART--  Jackie DeShannon
2.  IN THE YEAR 2525--  Zager & Evans   #1
1.  HONKY TONK WOMAN--  Rolling Stones   #1

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "My Daddy Left Home When I Was Three."  Answer below.  --RoadSue


"A Boy Named Sue"

WLS Top 40 for August 4, 1969-- Part 6: "Crystal Blue Persuasion"

Who sang "Crystal Blue Persuasion?"

15.  WORKIN' ON A GROOVY THING--  Fifth Dimension     #20    Another great harmony group.  I'm in love with Marilyn.  Follow up to #1  "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In."

14.  LAUGHING--  Guess Who      #10   Written in the band's tour bus in less than a half hour.  Formed in Winnipeg, Canada.

13.  MY CHERIE AMOUR--  Stevie Wonder      #4   The Motown Sound.

12.  CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION--  Tommy James / Shondells     #2    Definitely not the
"Mony, Mony" of the earlier T.J. & Shondells.

11.  SOUL DEEP--  Box Tops     #18   The face doesn't match that voice.  Who says white guys can't sing soul?  That's Alex Chilton doing the singing.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Because Your Love Has Passed Me By."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Laughing"

WLS Top 40 for August 4, 1969-- Part 5: "Give Peace A Chance"

For a little extra fun, try guessing the artist of the song in the headline.

That's Right, FIFTY years ago.

20.  GREEN RIVER--  Creedence Clearwater Revival     #2   A cut from one of those three incredible albums released in 1969.  Another of their many #2s.  If I had to name a favorite 60s band, these would be them.  My fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, at NIU used to play this album at all of our parties as we had a frat song to the tune of "Lodi."

19.  GOOD OLD ROCK & ROLL--  Cat Mother  & The All Night News Boys     #21   Frat Rock at its best.  If this DON'T get you ta movin', nothing will.  New York quintet.  Their only Top 100 song.  You know what they say.

18.  I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN--  Tom Jones     #6     Just a heart breaker if there ever was one.  Same melody as Sammy Kaye's #11 hit "Wanderin' " from 1950.

17.  GIVE PEACE A CHANCE--  Plastic Ono Band    #14   How many times did I hear this song from 1969 to 1973?  I still don't know what that drum sound was.  That's Tom Smothers on guitar.

16.  MARAKESH EXPRESS--  Crosby, Stills & Nash     #28   That vocal harmony!!  Their first hit.  The song that hooked me on CSN.  How many weeks before Woodstock?  And they were what?

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well Take Me Back Down To Where The Cool Water Flows, Yeah."    Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Green River"

Some Great Music On the Radio This Weekend: 1986 and 1979

In just a short time, WXRT, 93.1 FM will begin their Saturday Morning Flashback show, today hosted by Johnny Mars, at 9 a.m. CDST.  It runs to noon and today we go back to 1986.  It streams at www.wxrt.com.

Sunday, Bob Stroud goes back to August 4, 1979 for his third part of his Summer of '79 Salute on his Rock and Roll Roots show from 7 a.m. to 10 on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM.  It streams as well at www.wdrv.com.

Also Sunday, Terri Hemmert has her Breakfast With the Beatles show on WXRT, 93.1 FM from 8 a.m. to 10.  Then Sunday night Tom Marker has his Bluesbreakers Show on WXRT at 9 o.m..

--RoadDog

BABY TRIVIA TEASERS:  Which restaurant chain uses a commercial jingle about
"baby back baby back ribs?"


"Chili's"

WLS Top 40 for August 4, 1969-- Part 4: "Good Morning Starshine"

These come from Oldies Loon, WLS Surveys.

25.  GOOD MORNING STARSHINE--  Oliver      #3   You can't help but get in food mood with this one.  Born William Oliver Swofford in North Carolina.  Another hit from the rock musical "Hair."

24.  SPINNING WHEEL--  Blood, Sweat & Tears      #2   Great jazz-rock song and one of their best.  Their biggest hit.

23.  ABERGAVENNY--  Shannon      #47   You just got to love this one, especially with the marching band.  A fun song that makes you want to visit there.  It is a town in Wales.  This was his only song to ever crack the Hot 100 pop charts.

22.  RUBY DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN--  Kenny Rogers / First Edition     #6   Another victim of the Vietnam War.  Wow, the video shows someone with a dark beard.  Imagine that.  This one was written by country singer Mel Tillis.

21.  RECONSIDER ME--  Johnny Adams     #28    His biggest hit of three Top 100s.  This guy puts cry in the word cry.  When he says "Please" he really means it.  Reminds me of Tom Jones at times.  You can hear why he is called "The Tan Canary."

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You've Painted Up Your Lips And Curled Your Tinted Hair."    Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Ruby, Don't take Your Love To Town"

WLS Top 40 for August 4, 1969-- Part 3: "Lay Lady Lay"

(D)  means Debut.

30.  GET TOGETHER--  Youngbloods      #5   The ultimate hippy peace song in my book.  The song of the time.  This one topped out at #62 in 1967, but was used in the National Conference of Christians & Jews in 1969 and did much better.   Their only Top 40 out of two Top 100 songs.

29.  EASY TO BE HARD--  Three Dog Night   (D)    #4   Another song from "Hair."  That soundtrack was loaded with great songs.

28.  LAY LADY LAY--  Bob Dylan    (D)     #7    Bobby goes country  One really pretty dirty song.  When Liz's parents found out she had bought this single for me, they took it away from her.  She had to sneak another copy to give me.  Wonder why?

27.  WHAT DOES IT TAKE--  Jr. Walker / All Stars     #4   Always takes me right back to the summer of '69.  One of the best Soul songs ever.

26.  TRUE GRIT--  Glen Campbell   (Someday Little Girl)    #35   From the movie of the same name.  Go get 'em Rooster!!!

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "How Can People Be So Heartless, How Can people Be So Cruel."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Easy To be Hard"