A College Basketball Doubleheader in DeKalb, Happy Jack's, Sunnyside, McHenry Legion and Saylor Mick's

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14

Drove to DeKalb, Illinois, to NIU's Convocation Center where I saw a basketball doubleheader.  Our women played the University of Ohio at 1 pm and then the men played the University of Toledo at 3:30.  Not bad for a total cost of $6.

The women won by a lot, but the men lost by a lot.  Enjoyed Victory Pub overlooking the court with its $2 Busch Light cans.  Plus, a giant hot dog for $4.

Decided not to spend the night and drove back to McHenry where I stopped at Happy Jack's on Il-120 with all its Coca-Cola decor and outstanding Chicago-style hot dogs.  I had the two hot dog, fries and drink for $9 (with tax).  Then went to Sunnyside and home to Margaritaville in my basement.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15

Went to the McHenry American Legion and then to Saylor Mick's in Spring Grove and enjoyed their $1 Hamm's drafts and had a small BLT pizza.  Unfortunately, I mistook a shaker of sugar for a shaker of parmesan cheese and that wasn't very good.

I Highly Recommend Not Putting Sugar on Your Pizza.  --RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Chicago's WXRT

WXRT, 93.1 FM is one of the main radio stations I listen to in Chicago.

Right now WXRT is tied for sixth in Chicago according to the most recent Nielsen ratings.  The station is owned by the Philadelphia-based radio chain Audacy.

Recently deceased Lin Brehmer, who I have been writing about the last several posts, has been an integral part  of the station throughout its history.  It began as a pioneering Chicago rock station in the early 1970s, launching under local ownership with an underground melange of  free-form album cuts, but only at night, after its ethnic-based programming like Korean gospel and Spanish talk radio had concluded their day.

The rock format station went full time in 1976.

They became a part of CBS Radio in the late 1990s.  In 2017, Entercom acquired WXRT and half a dozen other Chicago radio stations through a megamerger with CBS.

This company rebranded as Audacy in March 2021, is the second-largest radio chain in the U.S. behind iHeart-Media, and operates more than 235 stations nationwide.

Other Chicago Audacy stations include all-sports WSCR-Am 670 and news station WBBM-AM 780.

--RoadDog

WXRT's and Chicago's Lin Brehmer: 'Your Best Friend in the Whole World'

I've always had a hard time spelling his name in my blogs and journal. If I heard him say "Your best friend in the whole world" once, I hear him say it a thousand times.

Yesterday, WXRT had a lengthy show on Lin Brehmer and all the local news channels had bits on him.  He even had his name, birth year and death year on that iconic scorebeoard outside Wrigley Field, home of Lin's beloved Cubs.

I wonder if he gets cremated, will they spread his ashes around the field?

Lin Brehmer was a Queens, New York native and Colgate University graduate.  He started his radio  career at a station on Albany, Nerw York, before joining WXRT as a music director in 1984.  He left the station in 1990 for a one-year stint as music director at KTCZ- FM in Minneapolis before returning to host mornings at WXRT -- a position he held for nearly thirty years.

In 2020, he shifted to the mid-morning slot when Terri Hemmert retired.

I used to listen to him every morning after I retired in 2006.

Sure Going to Miss Him.  Our Best Friend in the Whole World.  --RoadDog

So Sorry to Hear About Death of WXRT's Lin Brehmer

Yesterday while doing these blogs I came across notice of the death of one of my favorite disc jockeys, Lin Brehmer on Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM.  I listened to him mornings until he shifted to midday.  Like he liked to say, "Your Best Friend in the Whole World."

He  had left the airways back in this past July because of cancer treatments and had a strong desire to get back on the air.

Listening to his show was like sitting with a good friend and talking music and especially his beloved Chicago Cubs (but, I didn't hold that against him).  And, how in the world did he come up with what he said on his Lin's Bin bits.  For any of you unjfamiliar with Lin's Bits, it was a lot like listening to that deejay on "Northern Exposure" only with bits of songs and lines from movies.

This past year has been rough on me as along with Lin Brehmer (always hard to spell his name), I lost two other of my favorite disc jockeys in Chicago:  Bob Stroud on WDRV and Terri Hemmert on WXRT.  But, though they are not on regularly, their signature shows are.  With Bob that would be Rock and Roll Roots, Ten at Ten and One 45 at 1:45.  Terri Hemmert has Breakfast With the Beatles.  Those shows still are on, so it is not like they are entirely gone.

Today, WXRT is going to salute the life of Lin Brehmer starting at 10 am, CDT.  It streams, so I will definitely be giving it a listen.

--RoadDog

WLS Top Ten for Week of January 22, 1973: 'Rockin' Pneumonia-- Boogie Woogie Flu'

According to Chicago Power House WLS, 890 AM.  Has it really been fifty years?!!!

1.  YOU'RE SO VAIN--  Carly Simon  

2.   SUPERSTITION--  Stevie Wonder

3.  CROCODILE ROCK--  Elton John

4.  ME & MRS. JONES--   Billy Paul

5.  YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--  Loggins & Messina

6.  WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER--  Timmy Thomas

7.  SUPERFLY--  Curtis Mayfield

8.  CLAIR--  Gilbert O'Sullivan

9.  ROCKIN' PNEUMONIA--BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU--  Johnny Rivers

10.  FUNNY FACE--  Donna Fargo

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DEBUTS

21.  SEPARATE WAYS--  Elvis Presley

22.  DON'T EXPECT ME TO BE A FRIEND--  Lobo

23.  ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH--  John Denver

25.  LOVE JONES--  Brighter Side of Darkness

26.  JAMBALAYA (ON THE BAYOU)--  Blue Ridge Runners

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You Walked Into The Party Like You Were Walking Onto A Yacht."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"You're So Vain"

Little Ol' Texting Me, A New Insurance Plan Costs Me and the Moose

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11

Met Laura, Kevin and Kelly at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and actually did my first real texts to Sue and Paul. A year ago I couldn't even imagine me texting anyone.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12

I had to pay full price at Walgreens for a prescription as our insurance provider with TRS had changed.  I will make sure I get the new company in the files right away.  Expensive.

Went to Half-Times in Johnsburg for the $1 drafts.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13

Met Kevin and Kelly and a whole bunch of Sunnysiders at the McHenry Moose for fish fry and karaoke.  George and I got the "band" back together and sang "It's Hard to Be Hunble" and "I Like Beer."  We used to sing those two songs and others at Stucky's during the Saturday night karaoke.  We were pretty good on those songs but really butchered other efforts.

Got the Old Band Back Together.  The George and Don Band.  --RoadDog

Things Sure Getting Expensive, A Saturday Afternoon Band and Da Bears Da Stink

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

.After finally getting the "Smart Phone" smart, we drove over to 'Cuda's on Grasslake Road and enjoyed their beer-batter fish fry.  It is now AUCE for $12.99 and was $9.99 before the virus hit.  Draft beer was $3 and had been $2 before.  Things sure getting expensive.  Gas it going up fast again as well.  I paid $3.20 on the way over to 'Cuda's

We then went to the Fox Lake American Legion for 50/50.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 7

Met Kevin and Kelly, Glenn and Barb at the Fox Lake American Legion for their first Saturday band.  Where else you gonna go in the middle of winter on a Saturday afternoon and get some band entertainment.  Performing today was Aging Teen Idols with out friend John Piet.  They play a whole lot of oldies, originals and Beatles songs.  Plus, draft beer is still just $2 a pint.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8

Went to the McHenry American Legion and saw the Bears lose their tenth straight game to finish the season 3-14.  Da Bears!!  Were sure bad This Year!!     Oh, well.  At least we get the very first draft choice as a result of being the worst in the NFL.

--RoadBear

WLS Top Ten for Week of January 15, 1973-- Part 5: 'Crocodile Rock'

*  means the song was clombing the charrs. The number after the artist is how high the song got on  the Billboard Hit 100 Charts.

10.  LIVING IN THE PAST--  Jethro Tull    #11    Believe it or not, but they only ever had two Top 40s.   The other was "Bungle in the Jungle in 1974.

9.  CROCODILE ROCK--  Elton John     #1   for three weeks.

8.  FUNNY FACE--  Donna Fargo     #5   Her highest ranking hit.

7.  KEEPER OF THE CASTLE--  Four Tops    #10

6.  YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--  Loggins & Merssina  And what about your Daddy.   #4  Their only Top Ten.

5.  ROCKIN' PNEUMONIA -- BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU--  John Rivers    #6

4.  CLAIR--  Gilbert O'Sullivan   #2 for two weeks.

3.  SUPERSTITION--  Stevie Wonder   #1

2.  ME AND MRS. JONES--  Billy Paul        #1   for three weeks.It's a cheating situation.

1.  YOU'RE SO VAIN--  Carly Simon    #1  for three weeks.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  :When You Believe In Things That You Can't Understand."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Superstition"

WLS Top 28 Songs for Week of Jan. 15, 1973-- Part 4: 'Oh Babe, What Would You Say'

Just a mere fifty years ago.  A drop in the bucket.

15.  *OH BABE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY--  Hurricane Smith      #3    Norman Smith.  Kind of a throwback to music from the 30s.  Had engineered several Beatles albums.    His only Top 40.

14.  *DON'T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT--  James Taylor      #14     Could this guy get any more mellow?

13.  IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA--  Albert Hammond     #5     Also a songwriter.  Cowrite "Little Arrows" and "Gimme Dat Thing."  Wrote "When I Need You" for Leo Sayer and "The Air That I Breathe" for the Hollies.

12.  WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER--  Timmy Thomas      #3    Loved the organ.    "No more wars?"  Wouldn't that be loverly?   From Evansville, Indiana.

11.  SUPERFLY--  Curtis Mayfield      #8      If this ain't soul, I don't know what is.   From the movie "Superfly."  This is the second Top Ten he had from the movie.  The other was "Freddie's Dead"  #4.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Do Me Wrong, Do Me Right, Tell Me Lies, But Hold Me Tight."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"

WLS Top 28 Songs for Week of January 15, 1973-- Part 3: 'Trouble Man'

Half a Century, fellow babies.

* means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high ot got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

20.  YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME--  Al Green  What is it about that voice and that music?

19.  SITTING--  Cat Stevens  Sure loved my Cat back then.  Not a better known song by him.

18.  TROUBLE MAN--  Marvin Gaye   A man and his song.  "I Come Up Hard."

17.  PIECES OF APRIL--  Three Dog Night   About that first love.

16.  I WANNA BE WITH YOU--  Raspberries   Of the last song was putting you to sleep, this one will jar you awake.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Oh, I'm On My Way, I Know I Am."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Sitting"

WLS Top 28 Songs for Week of January 15, 1973-- Part 2: 'Dancing In the Moonlight'

Whenever I do these top songs like this, I go to You Tube and listen to them.  That gets me a real slice of my life in time.

25.  I'M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU--  Stylistics     #10      Great slow dancing song.  Would make a great first wedding dance song.  That's Russell Thompkins Jr. singing.

24.  IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW--  Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes     #3     Back-to-back great slow dancing songs.

23.  I AM WOMAN--  Helen Reddy     #1      And, she's so proud.  Hear her roar.

22.  WALK ON WATER--  Neil Diamond       #17    Not a better-known Neil song.  Starts out slow, but builds.  Kind of a "Brother Love's  Traveling Salvation" song.

21.  DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT--  King Harvest        #13     Hard to get it out of your mind after you hear it.  Their only Top 40.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "In Numbers Too Big To Ignore."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"I Am Woman"

WLS Top 28 for Week of January 15, 1973-- Part 1: 'Rocky Mountain High'

That's right, these are the top songs in Chicago according to powerhouse WLS, 890 AM half a century ago.

Fifty years ago today, I was a student at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and finishing up my senoir year.  I was taking my final education classes before I started student teaching the last 9 weeks before graduation.  I was also getting my last good licks as a college student in and hitting the bars of Lincoln Highway.  Our main hangout was Andy's.

*  Means the song was climbing the charts.  The number behind the artist is how high it got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

28.  *THE WORLD IS A GHETTO--  War     #7     Great sound guaranteed to get you into the groovin'.   Latin Funk Rock band out of Long Beach, California.

27.  *ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH--  John Denver      #9    You forget how good of a voice he had.  And, he loved anything doing with mountains.  His second hit following you-know-what.

26.  *DO IT AGAIN--  Steely Dan      #6      That was some real good instrumentation.  Their first hit.   Jazz rock band formed in Los Angeles.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Walkin' Down The Street, Smoggy-Eyed."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"The World Is a Ghetto"

The Day of the 'Smart RoadDog' Arrives... with a Whimper

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

Met the Magee teachers at the Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol, Wisconsin.  I had found a list of Magee principals and administration from 1983 to 2001 and we had a quiz, Name That Administrator.  This could be a new show on the Game Network.  We sure had a lot of them.  Maxine was principal's secretary for most of that time.

Sorry to say that Big Oil's gas gouge is back.  Gas in Illinois is up to $3.10 to $3.40 since a week ago.  Gas in Wisconsin also went up and was $3.06 to $3.10.  By the way, when I say $3.10, that is actually $3.99.9.

Did some shopping at Wal-Mart and Menard's in Antioch.  Met Kevin and Kelly at Half-Times in Johnsburg, Illinois, for the half price pizza and those $1 pints of Lite.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

The big question this morning was, "Is this to be the day of the Smart RoadDog?"  Would I get the phone working, or, actually, would Kelly get the smart phone working.  This was way beyond my meager technological ability.  And, it challenged Kelly because switching from a flip phone to a smart one involved difficult steps and especially when the old flip AT&T account was in Liz's name and she had a secret password, which of course I didn't know.

I eventually had to drive over to the AT&T place in McHenry with her death certificate and they gave me a temporary code so I could switch over to Consumer Cellular.    After that, switching over was easy at Kelly's house and now "I are Smart."  Well, let's say I am in, but have no idea what to do.  This will take a lot of time.

Smart Ol' Me.  --RoadDog

The Old Dummy Goes Smart...Well, Maybe

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4

Bob Stroud has been counting through the 1970s in his daily Ten at Ten on Chicago's WDRV, the Drive.  Yesterday, he did 1970 with songs like "Teacher" by Jethro Tull and "The Rapper" by the Jaggerz.  Today, he did 1971 with songs like "Going Mobile" by the Who and "Everythings Coming Our Way" by Santana.  Those were two great college years for me at NIU.  He will continue this the rest of the month going to 1980.  It streams at 10 am and 10 pm.

Drove to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to the Target store and bought a Consumer Cellular Smart Phone.  My friend Kelly is going to help me shed my old dumb ways.  It's going to be a long haul as when it comes to technology, I am severely challenged.

Met Kevin, Kelly, Pam and Laura at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and we had a good time with trivia.

We had no luck with our attempts to set up the phone.

It's Going to be a Long Road to Hoe with That "Smart" Phone.  --RoadDumb

Music Deaths 2022: Bob Neuwirth, Andy Fletcher and Alan White

BOB NEUWIRTH, 82

Died  18 May 2022

Folk singer/ songwriter.  Was road manager and associate of Bob Dylan and co-wrote Janis Joplins hit "Mercedes Benz."

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ANDY FLETCHER, 60

Died 26 May 2022

Keyboard player and founding member of Depeche Mode.  "Enjoy the Silence"  (#8-1990) and "Personal Jesus"  (#28-1990)

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ALAN WHITE , 72

Died 26 May 2022

Drummer with Yes and former member of the Plastic Ono Band.  Played drums on "Instant Karma" and "Imagine."  Joined Yes in 1972 and remained with them until his death.  Drummer on "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (#1-1984).

Music Deaths 2022: Mickey Gilley and Vangelis

MICKEY GILLEY, 86

Died 7 May 2022

Singer (country/pop)  Became very popular after the movie "Urban Cowboy" was released.  Had pop hit with "Stand By Me" (#22-1980).  he also had 16 #1s in country music, including "Room Full of Roses"  (1974), "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" (1976), "Stand By Me" (1980) and "Talk To Me" (1983)

I had my boots, cowboy hat and western shirt, but never rode no bull.

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VANGELIS, 79

Died 17 May 2022

Keyboard player/ composer (electronic / ambient / film scores).  Had a #1 song "Chariots of Fire" in 1982 from the movie of the same name.

New Year's Weekend 2022-2023

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

Went to Sunnyside Tavern in the afternoon and met Kevin and Kelly at Johnny's Diner in Fox Lake for dinner before going to the Fox Lake American Legion for 50-50.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022

Met Pam at the Windhill Pancake Parlor in McHenry, Illinois, and enjoyed the Christmas decorations.  They go overboard.  Later met Kevin and Kelly at the Fox Lake American Legion for the afternoon New Year's Eve Party with toasting at 4:30 pm.  That's my idea of "celebrating" the new year as it is hard to stay up past 11 pm for me anymore.  Enjoyed DJ Goldy, a real dj, not one of the new ones who do not interact with the crowd.

Watched the college playoffs at the Legion and at home in Margaritaville and was happy Texas Christian beat Michigan and especially happy about Georgia getting lucky and beating Ohio State.  (I went to UGA for a year, plus a whole lot of family went there.)

I actually managed to stay up to midnight.  Happy New Year!!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023

I drove over to Squaw Bar in Ingleside to see the Bears play their game.  We used to get together with the "Usual Suspects" to watch the games here.  But, I hadn't been back there for years.  It was like old times, a fun place to watch the game with lots of fans.  Unfortunately, it was the 9th straight loss.

Then went over to Saylor Mick's, a new place in Spring Grove and had their $1 taco special and enjoyed the $1 pints of Hamm's.  This place used to be Tommy's and had huge crowds, especially during the Blackhawk games back 2010-2015.

--RoadNewYear

Past Movie Scratches: Wonderful-- Story-- Life-- Shooter-- Abiding-- Armageddon-- Ryan

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2021.

133.  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE"--  12-24--  That poor bridgetender.  "You look like an angel I'd get."  "You'll see a lot of strange things from now on."   Was that a bell ringing?

134.  A CHRISTMAS STORY--  12-25--  "Oh, Fudge."  Schwartz gets his (for no reason).  Good old Cleveland Street.  Higbee's.  My favorite Christmas movie.

135.  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE--  12-25--  Sadly, I am sure I could have a real good time in Pottersville.

136.  SHOOTER--  12-28--   Just who do you believe?  A certain set of shooting skills.

137.  LAW ABIDING CITIZEN--  12-28--  "You can't fight fate."  Definitely someone you don't want to anger.  Quite a skill set.

138.  ARMAGEDDON--  12-29--  A wacky group of wise crackers off to save the world.  Get off that nuclear weapon!

139.  JACK RYAN:  SHADOW RECRUIT--  12-30--  You just can't trust those Russians.  Getting more than he bargained for.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn'y grow in it?