RIP Davy Jones-Dead of a Heart Attack at 66

Sad news! RIP Davy. First Monkee to pass away.

Song of the Day-My Baby Left Me

As a young boy, Elvis was a fan of the country bluesman Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. "Big Boy's" extremely primitive blues-style is scarcely remembered today, but for the fact that a couple of his originals, "That's Alright Mama" and "My Baby Left Me" were recorded by Elvis Presley at Sun Studio and RCA Studios in the mid-50's at the time of the "Big Bang" explosion that was mid 50's Elvis. We start off with Elvis take on "My Baby Left Me" which sounds like a Sun Sessions cut, but was in fact recorded at RCA as the B-Side of "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." Scotty Moore amd Bill Black on guitar and standup bass. Elvis on Guitar. DJ Fontana on drums (most Sun cuts did not feature drums!). Recorded January 30-31, 1956.

This is Arthur's take on the song. 

Finally, we hear Elvis doing in in Vegas in 74. Not a song he did very much in his live shows at the time!

Johnny Cash's 80th Birthday

Johnny would have been 80 today. I had the privilege of seeing him in concert once. On tour with the Reunited "Highwaymen" in the mid-90's. Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson joined Johnny on stage at Pine Knob. I'm glad I got to see this show because Johnny's gone now and so is Waylon.  Willie and Kris are up there now. When they are gone this will truly be the music of ghosts.

You probably are familiar with Johnny's compelling video of the Trent Reznor song "Hurt." Watch it if you haven't seen him. The "Man In Black" steals it away from the NIN songmeister.

Here's a little taste of the other Highwaymen!

Happy Birthday Johnny wherever you are!

Happy Birthday Emitt Rhodes!

Cult hero Emitt Rhodes turns 62 today. Happy Birthday shout out to Emitt. If you dig Beatlesque Pop/Rock, then check out Emitt. Emitt grew up in Hawthorne, California where he attended school with Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson. He want on to have chart success with the Merry-Go-Round and recorded as a solo artist after that group broke up.

Emitt has NEVER had record sales that were in any way commensurate with the quality of his records. Please feel free to check out his group and solo work on the Spotify and on the You Tubes and see if you don't agree that this is a sadly overlooked exquisite pop craftsman. In a fair and decent world, this guy would have a substantial body of work. Sadly, it's a spotty catalog with many years of inactivity. He is said to be working on a new record. 

Happy Birthday George!

George would have been 69 today!

Reflections of Jim Morrison's father and sister

This interview is from the bonus footage on the "When You're Strange" DVD. I have never found anything "romantic" about those who believe, in the words of the great Neil Young, that it's "better to burn out, then to fade away." Interesting nevertheless. Jim Morrison's Dad was a US Navy Admiral.

Cinematic Titanic (the writers and performers of Mystery Science Theater 3000) Live Tonight at Royal Oak Music Theater

If you love to LAUGH then come out to the Royal Oak Music Theater tonight in lovely downtown Royal Oak to see Joel, Trace, Frank, Mary Jo, J. Elvis, as the they "riff" on  classics of American Cinema! What better way to celebrate "Oscar Eve" then by watching them lovingly deconstruct "Astral Factor" (7pm) and "Doomsday Machine" (10pm). Funnier then the entire Adam Sandler movie catalog put together, and laughing as these "smart" jokes will help your self esteem, not send you into a "Sandleresque" shame spiral!

If you hate to laugh, then USA Network has a Law and Order: Special Victims Unit marathon running all day today!

Here's a coupla clips:

Look for me at the show. Hopefully I will be wearing my "Moviesign" shirt (featuring Mike Nelson but I love both sets of ex-MST3K riffers equally-shout out to you "Rifftrax!"). 

And the original theme song!

Beach Boys Pre-Sale tickets on Sale

The Beatles and the Beach Boys are, without a doubt, my two favorite recording artists of all-time. 1 and 1A. A few moments ago, I purchased tickets to the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour at Pine Knob (what us ol' folks call "DTE Music Theater"). I have attended some 50 Beach Boys, Brian Wilson solo and Carl Wilson solo shows combined. As Ray Davies sang in "Rock N Roll Fantasy" I have seen them "high and seen them low." I have seen outstanding early 70's shows where Carl would sit at a keyboard and sing "Caroline No." I got to see a show in 1979 with what I would consider the entire classic Beach Boys lineup. Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love and early Brian Wilson stand-in Bruce Johnston who became, due to his long-time contributions to the band, an integral part of the Beach Boys sound. I have seen them perform shows were they appeared to "phone-in" their performance. One disastrous show in particular stands out. At a show in the early 80's at the Michigan State Fair, Brian was so out-of-it, it did not appear that he even knew where he was. 

The Reunion tour lineup will feature Brian, Mike, Al and Bruce along with short-time original Beach Boy (and sometime Al Jardine replacement) David Marks. I personally would love to see the lineup filled out with mid-70's members Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin (who memorably sang lead on "Sail On Sailor.") but as the band that Blondie tours with and sings back up for, the Rolling Stones sang, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." 

I will, of course, very much miss irreplaceable voices Carl and Dennis Wilson, but the combination of these classic Beach Boys, fronting the crack Brian Wilson band, should make for a fine show! Brian Wilson solo shows of the last 10 years, fronting a big band that features key former Beach Boys sideman Jeff Foskett, and LA's Wondermints were "can't-miss" musical events. While I did happen to see the Mike Love-Bruce Johnston licensed "Beach Boys", and found them to be enjoyable, they did not hold a candle to Brian's solo shows. 

Here's a little taste of some classic live Beach Boys to show you what these guys were capable of in their prime.

Song of the Day-The Midnight Special

Back from a short hiatus. Can't blame it on anything but my laziness. Can't blame it on any one thing. I wasn't in a "post Whitney funk." I wasn't engrossed in repeated viewings of "Smash." Can't blame it on "Santorum-mania." Blogging is kind of a habit. So, I suppose, is not blogging. Loyal followers of this blog (Kenneth Weiland) actually contacted me inquiring about my health (It's fine thank you though I could cut down on the starches!). I actually have been listening to a lot of music lately which I will be telling you a little bit about in upcoming blogs.  Got some concerts on the horizon. Anybody seen any shows that they can rave about? How about some new cds?  Or vinyl?

When I was about 12 years old, I got my first part time job which was as a weekend cleaner/box "breaker-downer"/stock boy at the old Harmony House warehouse two doors down from the original Harmony House store in Hazel Park. Used to go in Saturday mornings at 8:30am with my mom who worked there too. The first day I worked, at the end of an unbelievably long FOUR HOURS (adults get up and do this everyday!?!?) my mother presented me with a sealed copy of the classic "Creedence Gold" album. I'm not sure that this is still in print in cd, but it was Fantasy records slapdash collection of 8 Creedence classics, capitalizing on the fact that their huge cash cow, Creedence Clearwather Revival, had become history. Leader John Fogerty, while still on the label, showed no signs of being the 3 album a year producer/earner he had been as leader of one of hottest American singles/album bands.

The track lineup was:
Proud Mary
Down On The Corner
Bad Moon Rising
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (album version)
The Midnight Special
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
Born On The Bayou
Susie Q

It was a haphazard selection of random Creedence singles. But I loved this album. Every single song. Played it to death. Played it like nothing I had played since the McCartney "Ram album released a year previously. Played it like just about nothing I have purchased or owned since.  At the age of 12, it was the first music that hit me hard since the Beatles.

This was, of course, way before I got spoiled working as an attorney representing music stores and bringing home cds by the boxload. I could usually afford one album per week and I would agonize over the choices. (Led Zeppelin II or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-Greatest Hits-So Far?). I was reminded of how I used to listen to new albums when my daughter got a Taylor Swift album this week at Barnes and Noble with a gift card, and has listened to nothing else since. Music, as much as I love it, breathe it, live it, has rarely meant as much to me as it did in those days.

If you are of a certain age, and were not raised Amish or in a cave or in a cult that eschews popular music, then the tunes of this album are in your musical DNA. I don't even have to put the album on to hear the music. Every note is in my head. 

Which leads me to my latest song of the day, which leads off side two on the vinyl of Creedence Gold. Originally recorded by CCR for "Willie & The Poor Boys" this tune is a traditional with over 100 recorded versions. CCR's was featured heavily in the Twilight Zone-The Movie.

Death of Whitney Houston

You wouldn't  have to have been a steady reader of tabloid newspapers to have foreseen the dark end to the Whitney Houston story. Plenty of reporting in so-called "legitimate" outlets had been done over the years that revealed what an unmanageable train wreck Whitney's life had become. The story of Whitney and Bobby Brown need not be re-counted here except to say that whatever bad habits the two were prone to on their own, the combination of the two seemed to create a hurricane of bad consequences. Together, or apart, it appears that the worst drug that Whitney ever did, with the exception of whatever she overdosed on, was Bobby Brown.

Obviously, less than 24 hours after her unfortunate demise, we don't know exactly what caused Whitney to die at the relatively young age of 48. The coroner will render that verdict soon enough. I do want to stop to remember Whitney as she was when she came on the scene. She did have 11 number one hit records back when that meant something.When it meant the actual shifting of physical units, mainly cds because she came up at the start of the digital era. She also had another 11 chart hits. Though my taste in divas tends to be distinctly "old-school" (Aretha. Dionne Warwick. Diana Ross. Patti Labelle) I do recognize the high quality of the records that Whitney made, under the watchful eye of Clive Davis at Arista.

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is everything that you want in a catchy, bouncy dance pop single. It has a lot of the hallmarks of an upbeat 80's smash hit. Bubbly instrumentation which relied heavily on the synthesizer sound of the moment, lyrics that hit the sweet spot of it's intended audience, and a spot on vocal performance by Whitney who could, at that  point in her career, sing anything. Throw in a video that got ton's of airplay (and must have sold millions of lookalike outfits worn in the video to teenage girls) and you have a cultural juggernaut. It was a number one, platinum record of course.

She made it seem easy. Like Berry Gordy's Motown assembly line, or the effortless string of hits pumped out by Brian Wilson with the Beach Boys, it seemed like the auteurs at Arista could put these hits out forever.

Whitney became most well-known, of course, for the 'Big Ballad" for which her voice was particularly well suited. "Saving All My Love For You," "The Greatest Love Of All" and, of course, the record smashing "I Will Always Love You" were made for what Tom Jones might call "a Big Voice." And no ones was bigger than Whitney's. "I Will Always Love You" had been written by Dolly Parton in a version country fans revered and pop fans were unaware of. Whitney changed all of that. Its placement in a movie that has been more or less forgotten,(The Bodyguard) brought the song to the public's attention. But the combination of great tune, great production and great vocal resulted in a record that grabbed the top of the charts and refused to let go, spending month's in first place, selling multi-platinum copies. You would have to have been a hermit to become unaware of this record. It won Grammy's Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal.

It's a great record.

Whitney peaked with that record. Never dominated the charts like that again. She had only one more number one hit whose name escapes me. The hits weren't as big. Never found the movie vehicle that matched "The Bodyguard." Newer, more over the top singers like Mariah Carey came along to steal her   thunder and audience. She came to be mentioned more in the tabloid news than the music news.

She made a comeback record a couple of years ago. It sold alright, but not lilke Whitney in her prime. And her vocal instrument had been damaged by years of abuse. She lost the clarity and purity of that dazzling, powerful gift. Her death on the eve of the Grammy's, an event she had become so associated with, right before a Clive Davis party she was rumored to be performing and appearing at, well, fate has a dark sense of humor, I guess.

Whitney Houston RIP

Song of the Day-Feelin' Alright'

I blogged about Traffic a week or so ago, playing something from their "middle period" when their tunes got jazzier, jammier and just plain longer (Low Spark anyone?). "Feeling Alright" is from the 1968 "Traffic" album.  Dave Mason is still in the band and his tunes are standouts right from the get go. This early Mason tune becomes probably the biggest song he ever wrote.  "Feelin' Alright" is a home run and quickly becomes a standard, and a hit for other artists, none bigger than Joe Cocker, whose version many believe is definitive. It's highest chart position, oddly enough, is only #33 on Billboard by Cocker in 1972. Here is a Chadwicks Listening Room Battle of the Bands. Who did it better?

Footdraggin' and Procrastination will get you every time!

I was feeling super good about myself because I got my taxes done today and over to my accountant. That's about, oh....let's see....two months early for me. This year, being more organized and having a slow court week coupled with a burst of energy enabled me to get it done. So there I am, all puffed up and proud about being ahead of the curve when I find out my wife's good friend has offered her a couple of tickets to see Peter Frampton in Windsor. Doubly cool because said wife's friend's brother-in-law is Frampton's drummer. Possibly, a meet and greet would be in the offing. Except for one thing. I DON'T HAVE A PASSPORT. Nor do I have the enhanced license thingy. A passport has been on my to-do list for years. I have picked up the forms on several occasions only to never fill them out. In the same day I do something super early I get screwed for doing something super late! There is a lesson here somewhere but I am likely to dumb to get it.

Here's some classic Frampton back when he was in Humble Pie with the great Steve Marriot and some solo 70's Frampton. 'Scuse me while I go scream!

And a very cool Soundgarden cover....

Gone But Not Forgotten

14 years ago, the angelic voice of Beach Boy Carl Wilson was stilled by lung cancer that had spread to his brain. Carl had been diagnosed the previous summer and had valiantly joined the Beach Boys on their summer tour. Spending much of the time sitting on his stool, bloated by chemotherapy and apparently wearing a wig, Carl's voice didn't appear to be weakened by the ravages of cancer. Or, at least that was what I told myself from my 2nd row seat at Pine Knob. I did not fail to notice that Carl would help himself to hits of oxygen between songs.

Late that same summer, I had received the bad news that my father was suffering from terminal lung cancer and was given a few months to live. The doctor's bleak diagnosis turned out to be correct and he died on Pearl Harbor day 1997.

My Dad and Carl were both smokers all of their lives. I followed the news of Carl's fight with interest, and rooted for him just like I rooted for my Dad. When I heard the news, around Christmas, that original short-term Beach Boy David Marks had taken Carl's place I feared the worst. Those fears were confirmed when Carl succumbed on February 6, 1998. I remember seeing the news reported on the front page of the Sunday Free Press. To lose my Dad to Cancer, and then one of my musical heroes, two months apart, from the same illness was grimly ironic. I was still mired in depression at the time of Carl's death, just starting to climb out of my haze. My Dad had died very young, in his early 60's after beating the odds a few years previously on a brain aneurysm. How could this be? And now Carl Wilson was dead. He was 51 years old. It felt like the pit of depression that I had fallen into was lined with walls of slick ice.

I bumped around in my depressed state for another couple of months, not truly coming out of it until my son, Lucas, was born on April 16.

By the way, I had the good fortune to meet Carl on several occasions and actually spent several hours in his company. The picture of myself with Carl back in the early 80s is one of my most treasured bits of musical memorabilia. He was a really good guy, extremely patient with his fans.

Carl's angelic tenor/falsetto can be heard fronting the Beach Boys on such classics as "Good Vibrations," "God Only Knows, " "Darlin'" and maybe my favorite Carl vocal "I Can Hear Music." To dip a toe into the well of this man's talent is rewarding indeed. Carl would never be the greatest songwriter in the Beach Boys. He was in brother Brian Wilson's shadow and was later eclipsed by his brother Dennis Wilson. But he had that voice. Here are two Carl songs from the great 1971 "Surf's Up" album. Enjoy!

"Feel Flows" was featured over the end credits of the cool flick "Almost Famous!"

"Long Promised Road" set to some vintage footage of Carl wandering around London during their 69 tour!

From Sam Cooke to Sam's Town

My son has been playing this tune all afternoon on the piano, trying to work out the chords. He has got quite good at it. He is playing in the Royal Oak Middle School Talent show next week doing some classical piece, which he plays well. He should play this. The kids would respond to it, even without vocals. Stuck in my head due to hearing it all day!

Song of the Day-With You

Still on a Sam Cooke kick, this fine Sam Cooke ballad dates back to...well, by the sound of it, the late 50s. It is hard to find track info on this stuff, even with the powerful search engines on the internet. Perhaps if someone who is crazy into Sam Cooke comes across this blog, they might clue me in as to when it was recorded. Its on disc one of the Sam Cooke box set "The Man Who Invented Soul" and is a prime example of the early sound when Sam Cooke was trying to (as he arguably did most of his career) reach the biggest possible audience, white or black. If you are looking to get into some Sam, and you want to dig deeper then the various "Best Ofs" and "Greatest Hits" look out for that set. This is a tune Sam wrote by himself. He would go on to write more and more of his material as he matured.

The Song I'm Diggin' Right Now-Goin' Back

Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote this tune that reflects back nostalgically on the loss of innocence that we all feel at one time or another. As I watch my kids grow up and enter their teen years, this song hits home. I am working on a project of attempting to gather up all our "pre-digital" photos from the various boxes and nooks and crannies in our home where they have been stuffed. Some of these photos haven't been seen in nearly 10 years, since they were brought home form the photo developers. This song runs through my head as I catalog these pictures.

"Goin' Back" is one of the great Goffin-King songs, which has caused it to attract numerous cover versions, yet it has never been a big hit. The average listener has probably never even heard this song so it is possible to hear it with a sense of fresh discovery. And if I can turn one reader into a fan of this classic, then I am doing my job.

Carole's version above was not recorded by her until her "pre-Tapestry" album writer. Goldie and the Gingerbreads did it first in the UK but it was withdrawn shortly after it's release.

The version by Dusty Springfield, the  first of the truly great versions, came out in 1966 and hit #10 on the UK charts but was never a single her.

The Byrds recorded what was probably my favorite version released as a single back in the era when the Byrds couldn't buy a hit and it only scraped the Billboard Hot 100 at #89. Great Gary Usher production with cello's underpinning one of my favorite Roger McGuinn 12 string Rickenbacker solos.

I have included above the cool video of them lip synching the tune on the old Smother's Brothers show. Gene Clark had returned to the Byrds replacing David Crosby who quit when the group decided to record what he considered Brill Building fluff and place it on the Notorious Byrd Brother's LP instead of his song "Triad" which I consider a good move! By which I mean "Goin' Back" was the much better tune than the slightly odious "Triad" and it was also a good movie for Crosby as it freed him up for the major stardom of CSN.

The take above is from the album and really demonstrates Gary Usher's fine production of this lost Byrd's classic!

Finally, what inspired me to survey this tune is the version by Nils Lofgren, best known nowadays as one of the two guitarists in Bruce's E Street Band, but a fine performer and recording artist in his own right, especially with his under-rated band "Grin." Heard this tune on Sirius Deep Tracks as I was pulling into the Y in Royal Oak last night. It's from 1975 and it caps off this version of "What Song Is Mark Diggin' Right  Now?