Being an account of some things I'm interested in, what I'm doing, and reflections on my past, especially music.
PHIL MAY, 75
Died 15 May 2020
Lead singer of the English group Pretty Things. described as being grungier that the Yardbirds and Rolling Stones. Also called "The Poor Man's Rolling Stones." Took name from Willie Dixon song "Pretty Thing."
I'd never heard of them, but if you like 60s-70s music, give these guys a listen on You Tube.
They never had a hit in the United States which was too bad. Probably sounded more like the Shadows of Knight back in their heyday.
I especially liked "Come See Me."
These were the top thirty songs in Chicago fifty years ago according to WLS, 890 AM.
The number after the artist refers to how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 list. ^ means the song was climbing the chart.
HBD ^ LET'S WORK TOGETHER-- Canned Heat As sung by Bob "The Bear" Hite. See him on the video and you'll know why. This is a good song for the current messes we have. After 50 years it still wears well.
30. ^ EL CONDOR PASA-- Simon & Garfunkel A song from the Peruvian Andes. From their fifth and final studio album. Recorded in a November 1969 recording session.
29. PATCHES-- Clarence Carter Syrupy but good. A boy overcoming spirit-breaking adversity. By the man who later brought you "Strokin' and "Kiss You All Over."
28. ^ IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE-- Glen Campbell I don't remember it. A cover of a Conway Twitty 1958 hit.
27. GROOVY SITUATION-- Gene Chandler Sure brings back some good old NIU college daze memories. What a great bass. Not just the Duke of Earl,
26. AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH-- Diana Ross Written by Ashford & Simpson. Another good song for these days.
Name That Tune (from the above songs): "I'd Rather Be A Sparrow Than A Snail, Yes I Would." Answer below. --RoadDog
"El Condor Pasa"
AIN'T WASTIN' TIME NO MORE-- Allman Brothers
BARE TREES-- Fleetwood Mac
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING-- Chi Coltraine
ALL THE YOUNG DUDES--Mott the Hoople
POLITICAL SCIENCE-- Randy Newman
ME & JULIO DOWN BY THE OLD SCHOOLYARD-- Paul Simon
BURNING LOVE-- Elvis Presley
HELLO IT'S ME-- Todd Rundren
SPACE TRUCKIN'-- Deep Purple
GOING ALL OF THE WAY-- Raspberries
AND YOU AND I-- Yes
TIGHTROPE-- Leon Russell
Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Lord Almighty, I Feel My Temperature Rising." Answer below. --RoadDog
"Burning Love"
Today's WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback is going back to the year 1972, my last full year in college. The first half at University of Georgia in Athens, where I tried to start a colony for my Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, but it ended up as an Acacia chapter.
The second half of the year was at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb where I took nothing but education classes so I could graduate in four years. As much as I had enjoyed college my first three years, it was now time to get serious about my future.
Anyway, here is a partial list of songs played:
RESPECT YOURSELF-- Staple Singers
FREE FOUR-- Pink Floyd
IKO IKO-- Dr. John
WITCHY WOMAN-- Eagles
ANGEL-- Rod Stewart
THE WHEEL-- Jerry Garcia
SUPERFLY-- Curtis Mayfield
HAPPY-- Rolling Stones
FRANKENSTEIN-- Edgar Winter Group
Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Well, I Never Kept A Dollar Past Sunset." Answer below. --RoadDog
"Happy"
BETTY WRIGHT, 66
Died 10 May 2020
Singer of Soul and R&B. Had 33 R&B songs on the charts.
Born Bessie Regina Norris and used Betty Wright as stage name. Her best-known song was "Cleanup Woman" (#6-1971) and "Dance With Me" (#8-1978).
I really only knew "Clean Up Woman" so went to You Tube and listened to other songs and I wish I had known more of her songs. If you like 1970s female soul and R&B singers, she is the gal for you.
I especially liked "He's Bad, Bad, Bad."
Another fast summer. Why can't winter go that fast?
Pine straw is starting to fall. That is always nice because that is free mulch, but does require a lot of raking. I have two big pine islands with 15 pine trees.
The mums are blooming all over right now and I must have close to 200 of them, so quite the display of yellow to red shades all over the yard. In addition, the sedum have all those red heads. The asters are also in bloom now with the blues. Also, some kind of a wild daisy is blooming all over. These plants have hundreds of really small white flowers, but in masses so it is quite a thing to see.
The goldenrods have finished which is good because that means I don't have to be as careful now since the stingers that inhabit these when in bloom are also gone. Anything that can sting you is all over those. The sedum are still red, but when they first turn, they too are covered with little stingers.
The honeylocusts are starting to turn yellow now.
--RoadFlower
The Top Ten songs in Chicago exactly 50 years ago today.
1. CRACKLIN' ROSIE-- Neil Diamond
2. ALL RIGHT NOW-- Free
3. I'LL BE THERE-- Jackson Five
4. INDIANA WANTS ME-- R. Dean Taylor
5. CANDIDA-- Dawn
6. DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO-- Five Flights Up
7. OUT IN THE COUNTRY-- Three Dog Night
8. LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR-- Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. I KNOW (I'M LOSING YOU)-- Rare Erath
10. JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME-- Bobby Sherman
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DEBUTS
21. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG, MA-- Seekers
24. SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING-- 100 Proof
25. IT DON'T MATTER TO ME-- Bread
29. FIRE & RAIN-- James Taylor
HBD LUCRETIA MacEVIL-- Blood, Sweat & Tears
Name That Tune (from the above songs): "The Stars Won't Come Out If They Know That You're About." Answer below. --RoadDog
"Candida"
LITTLE RICHARD, 87
Died 9 May 2020
One of early Rock and Roll's Big Ones.
Singer-songwriter, piano player who did Rock and Roll and R&B.
Born Richard Wayne Penniman. He was variously called "The Innovator," "The Originator" and "The Architect of Rock and Roll." His most successful efforts were in the 1950s, but he remained a force throughout the time since.
Some of his hits:
"Long Tall Sally" (#6-1956)
"Rip It Up" (#17-1956)
"Lucille" (#21-1957)
"Jenny, Jenny" (#10-1957)
"Good Golly, Miss Molly" (#10-1958)
Keep A'Rocking Little Richard!!!
BRIAN HOWE, 66
Died 6 May 2020
Rock vocalist who sang with Ted Nugent 1983-1984 and Bad Company 1986-1994.
Best known for replacing Paul Rodgers as lead vocalist for Bad Company. When Bad Company reformed, Paul Rodgers was already with the group The Firm. Brian brought more of a pop-rock sound to the group.
I listened to some songs he did with Bad Company on You Tube and they didn't miss a beat with him, though they didn't have as big of hits as they had before.
For some reason, I always have a problem telling whether a song is by Bad Company or Foreigner.
And, there were thoughts of a Crosstown Chicago World Series for a moment, but, NO!!
And, after all, this is always going to be an asterisk season. The season of no fans, seven inning double headers and the designated hitter for the National League.
But who would have figured we'd ever have BOTH the Sox and Cubs participating in baseball playoffs the same year? WOW!!!
And, now, the two teams Liz and I pull for are gone from the playoffs and that would be the Chicago White Sox who lost to the Oakland A's 2 games to 1 and Cubs who went 0-2 against the Marlins.
But, at least that opens up a lot of free time for us as we now really don't care who wins what (except for the Yankees and I always pull against them). This means no have-to-go-to-a-bar games. If a game is on, maybe I'll watch it.
At one point I almost wasn't going to watch any games because of MLB backing BLM as much as they did, but it wasn't too bad.
I do hope the National League will keep the designated hitter if they ever get back to regular baseball. It is a lot more fun to see someone who is dangerous with a bat and not just going to pop it up in the infield or strike out. I don't have a problem with some pitchers batting like Carlos Zambrano who can hit, but most of the time it is just pathetic.
The White Sox did show a lot of promise.
Oh Well, Here's for Next Year. --RoadBall
Top Ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago this week.
1. CANDIDA-- Dawn
2. LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR-- Creedence Clearwater Revival
3. CRACKLIN' ROSIE-- Neil Diamond
4. JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME-- Bobby Sherrman
5. I KNOW (I'M LOSING YOU)-- Rare Earth
6. I (WHO HAVE NOTHING)-- Tom Jones
7. INDIANA WANTS ME-- R. Dean Taylor
8. WAR-- Edwin Starr
9. ALL RIGHT NOW-- Free
10. OUT IN THE COUNTRY-- Three Dog Night
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DEBUTS
HIT PARADE BOUND FIRE AND RAIN-- James Taylor
Name That Tune (from the above songs): "I Said 'Hey, What's Your Name?' Maybe We Can See Things The Same." Answer below. --RoadDog
"All Right Now"
Maybe you remember that great scene from "Ghostbusters" where Bill Murray got run over by the gluttonous ghost monster and was covered by slime and yelled out to his buddies, "I've been slimed!" Very funny.
But this year, we've had a bumper crop of butterflies, and I mean hundreds of them, mostly yellow ones. Especially around my purple coneflowers which were a bug attraction back when they were blooming. And I have at least 150 of those flowers around the yard. I'd get near them and have all these fluttering wings rising up to greet me.
Hey, I can't think of a better thing to have to put up with outside.
And, I still have a whole lot of butterflies as I have a whole bunch of flowers blooming at any given time.
A regular butterfly haven if you will.
They Can Flutter me Anytime. --RoadFlutter
TRIVIA TEASER: Which Constitutional Amendment gives Americans the right to "Keep and bear arms"?
The Second Amendment
MILLIE SMALL, 73
Died 5 May 2020
Jamaican singer and songwriter who had a big hit in 1964 with "My Boy Lollipop." (#2-1964) It had a ska beat to it. One of my favorite songs from the 1960s. You hear it and you just have to move. Sad that it was only 1:53 long. I could have used a lot more.
Born Millicent Smith. Had nickname "The Blue Beat Girl."
Like the comment said, "No one sounds like her."
Some other songs by her to give a listen:
"Oh Henry"
"Killer Joe"
"Sweet William" (#40-1964)
HILLIARD "SWEET PEA" HILLIARD, 74
Died 5 May 2020
R&B, Soul singer. Performed with Was (Not Was).
Met Don Was in the late 1970s. He also had solo albums and other albums that were collaborations.
Was (Not Was) songs:
"Spy in the House of Love" (#16-1988)
"Walk the Dinosaur" (#7-1989)
If you love R&B and Soul music like me, make sure you give a listen to his "Are You Lonely for Me Baby".
Also:
"Back in Love"
"Groovin' You"
But, if these songs brought people together, the bands that created them were falling apart. Both Simon & Garfunkel and the Beatles broke up in 1970, as did Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Meanwhile, great new musicians and groups rose to take their place, including Elton John, the Jackson Five, the Carpenters and James Taylor, all of whom released breakthrough songs that same year.
Whole new genres emerged as well, making 1970 a unique year that will live forever in musical history -- and in our memories.
And, this was a prime college year for me. My favorite music has always been that played during my high school and college years which would be Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois, and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and University of Georgia in Athens.
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SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS
"FIRE AND RAIN" (James Taylor)
It didn't just make James Taylor a star, this song kick-started a whole singer-songwriter movement. By the next year, pop music was dominated by solo stars who both wrote and sang their own tunes, including Carole King, Carly Simon and Cat Stevens.
Taylor's song, which cracked the Top 5, contrasted sad lyrics -- inspired by his stay in a mental institution -- with the warmest possible vocal delivery. Carle King later said her hit "You've Got a Friend" was her answer to Taylor's lyric. "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend." And, that's King playing piano on "Fire and Rain."
--RoadDog
TRIVIA TEASER: Which actor detailed his battle with Parkinson's disease in his 2003 memoir "Lucky Man"?
(Michael J. Fox)
