I like the way you walk. Well, say that you’ll be true. Well, say that you’ll be mine. If you’ve been around long enough to recognize those three sentences, you’re (shall we say) not exactly a young person. Or you could be a young person who’s into vintage swamp rock. Yeah, you read that right. Swamp rock. And swamp rock … The rest of the story…
Tag Archives: music history
Here’s a snippet of one of those songwriter stories I get a big kick out of. It’s about Cindy Walker. What?! You never heard of her? Somebody oughta bing your noggin. Check this out. In 1940, Cindy Walker, at the age of 22, accompanied her parents on a business trip to Los Angeles. As they were driving down Sunset Boulevard … The rest of the story…
Apparently it all started in a “gentleman’s club.” So, as you might expect, there is some controversy involved. Wait. What was that? You think I’m talking about a strip joint?! Far be it from me to stoop to such levels. No! I’m talking about the gentleman’s club where the Star Spangled Banner got its start. So, get your mind on … The rest of the story…
I remember two small wall hangings my Grandmother had above her stove in her kitchen. One said, “No matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best.” And the other one I like even better. It said, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” And I remember her telling me that when it seems like … The rest of the story…
OK, this little roller coaster ride is gonna take some interesting twists and turns. Because I’m leading off with content from a meme. I’ve seen different versions of it making the rounds. And the gist of it is “They say don’t question the science. But that’s exactly the opposite of how science works.” I agree. Don’t question the science. At … The rest of the story…
The Rick Wakeman story is a total yawner. Yeah, he’s your typical rockstar. Six kids. Happy marriage. Healthy lifestyle. So, nothing to see here, folks. Keep it moving. Have you even ever heard of Rick Wakeman? Wouldn’t surprise me if you haven’t. I mean, stories don’t come much more boring than his. Well, boring if you leave out the other … The rest of the story…
Sounds like the start of very interesting story. Welcome to my nightmare. If you’ve live enough decades, you might remember guys like Doctor Demento or Svengoolie. And they were entertaining. But not nearly as interesting as a boy named Sue. Yeah, if anyone understood the meaning behind Welcome To My Nightmare, it was Sue. First, check out the lyrics to … The rest of the story…
Ritchie Grasso. Now, there’s a name you don’t hear every day. Well, unless you’re related to Ritchie or you went to school with him. Or you wrote songs with him. I didn’t. And my guess is, you didn’t either. But one guy co-wrote a hit song with him called “Sweet Cherry Wine.” And now you’re wondering when Sweet Cherry Wine … The rest of the story…
Right now he knows if I (and many others like me) am a liar or not. And he found out you can take it to the limit and barely be started. Yeah, he fully knows the take it to the limit part. First, he was the guy who wrote and sang the hit song, “Take It To The Limit,” with … The rest of the story…
“It has a very hypnotic groove, a samba, which has a tremendous hypnotic power, rather like good dance music. It doesn’t speed up or slow down. It keeps this constant groove. Plus, the actual samba rhythm is a great one to sing on, but it’s also got some other suggestions in it, an undercurrent of being primitive. Because it is … The rest of the story…
Imagination can be an awesome and powerful force. But it can be used for good OR evil. So, it can also be a hypocritical and destructive force. You can imagine yourself flying, on your own power, over the clouds and even through the ocean. And you can imagine no possessions in a world where everyone shares everything. And you can … The rest of the story…
What do these words have in common: abstruse, Delphic, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable, oracular, paradoxical, recondite, and unfathomable. According to the dictionary, they’re all synonyms of enigmatic. Sounds like I’m about to give a language lesson. But I’m not. This is about music’s mystery. Enigmatic sounds might not be your cup of tea. And, if you think jazz-fusion is as enjoyable … The rest of the story…
Here’s one way to turn somebody else’s heartbreak and misery into a tidy profit. Many years ago a man found himself too lonely to go on. In fact, he wrote a suicide note saying “I walk a lonely street”. Then, he jumped out of a hotel window to his death. You might tend to skim over that story of heartbreak … The rest of the story…
They happen to the rich and poor, the beautiful and ugly. And to the short and tall, the fat and thin. Even the old AND young. I’m talking about issues of the day. Trouble is, most of America prefers to sleepwalk through them now. Because it’s easier to watch a TV program, or play a video game, or cheer on … The rest of the story…
I worked in a disco. Yep. It’s true. I was a bartender. And I also worked as what they called a “floorwalker.” That was one of the guys who (you guess it) walked around the floor to make sure they were having a good time and behaving. And at the end of the night, I sang Better Off Dead. (Are … The rest of the story…
I remember sitting in my mom’s living room, with headphones on, listening to Jim Croce’s album, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.” The title song, about a bar fight, was a hit. But another hit on the album was, “Time In A Bottle.” The original key signature, for Time In A Bottle, was D minor. I don’t have airtight confirmation … The rest of the story…
This week, back in 1979, I lived and worked in Houston, Texas. My brother and I had established ourselves as one of the more popular music duos. And we had fans we could depend on to come see us as we performed all around the city. It was quite an experience for me. Actually making a living playing live music. … The rest of the story…
I can make the connections from some quirky directions sometimes. They’re not always important. And often they’re probably only interesting to me. This might be one of those times. But a couple of unrelated articles connected in the eccentric region of my brain this morning. And I’m gonna share a little of what the U.S. Mint has in common with … The rest of the story…
A long, catchy melody line is a thing of beauty. And, for the most part, it’s a thing of the past. Pop music, in almost every genre, tends to seek out a vowel and repeat it over and over these days. Well, when it’s not touting body parts and one-night stands. And here’s why I mention a long, catchy melody … The rest of the story…
I remember seeing, as I drove from Texas to Kansas, a road sign for the turn-off to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It was a long time ago, after my junior year in high school. But that’s an unusual name. A Cherokee name. And you might wonder what significance a town of about 17,000 people could have. Yeah, you might shrug it off … The rest of the story…