A number of years ago, the Seattle Symphony was doing Beethoven’s Ninth under the baton of Milton Katims.
At this point, you must understand two things:
There’s a long segment in this symphony where the bass violins don’t have a thing to do. Not a single note for page after page.
There used to be a tavern called Dez’s 400, right across the street from the Seattle Opera House, rather favored by local musicians.
It had been decided that during this performance, after the bass players had played their parts in the opening of the Ninth, they were to quietly lay down their instruments and leave the stage rather than sit on their stools looking and feeling dumb for twenty minutes.
Once they got backstage, someone suggested that they trot across the street and quaff a few brews. After they had downed the first couple rounds, one said, “Shouldn’t we be getting back? It’d be awfully embarrassing if we were late.”
Another, presumably the one who suggested this excursion in the first place, replied, “Oh, I anticipated we could use a little more time, so I tied a string around the last pages of the conductor’s score. When he gets down to there, Milton’s going to have to slow the tempo way down while he waves the baton with one hand and fumbles with the string with the other.”
So they had another round and finally returned to the Opera House, a little tipsy by now. However, as they came back on stage, one look at their conductor’s face told them they were in serious trouble. Katims was furious! And why not? After all…
It was the bottom of the Ninth, the score was tied, and the basses were loaded.
It was an averageday in Brooklyn. I was approached by a man who said he was from BowlingGreen. He asked me if I could spare a few bucks and told me his sad story. He was a mess and there was oil all over him. He looked like he’d just crawled out of agutter or something.
This may strike you as odd, but I really felt bad for this guy. I knew if I didn’t help him, I’d feel like a real turkey. I gave him $20, which he put in his pocketbefore he splitdown an alley. I heard him laughing as he ran away, and I knew I had been taken hook, line, and sinker. This really put me in a foul mood.
Angrily I decided to take a stroll down the lane. I wanted to find a place where I could really have a ball. I was in luck. I saw a big sign with arrows pointing me to a shady looking bar across the street. I dodged a few car bumpers as I ran toward a sleeper of a place called The Anchor.
I won’t lie, it was a very weird place. I walked in and saw a huge, framed picture of Earl Anthonyhanging on the back wall. He was sitting on a buck with a large rack. I couldn’t help but stare at it, until I saw her.
Seated at a table in the middle of the room was a beautiful woman. She had long blonde hair with blue eyes. She wore a pin on her blouse that said, “I’m on a roll.” I took a chance and decided to slideonto the chair next to her. She stared at me as a waitress took my order. I barely got “Hello” out of my mouth when she tossed her drink in my face. She quietly got up and left.
Everyone in the place was staring at me as the waitress brought me my order. I realized that the night would not get any better, so I decided to call it a night. But first, I wanted to finish my beer (frame).
Every summer I think back to our summer trips up to Caseville. My grandparents had a mobile home up there. As we made the two hour drive up there, my brother and I always looked for the familiar landmarks along the way. Romeo had an old country store with penny candy. Almont had the Almont Saddlery. Imlay City had an A&W, as did Marlette. Marlette was the halfway point. As we continued north, we’d pass Cass City. The next stop was Owendale, which had a small market where we’d stop and get Faygo pop. We then would look for the grain towers in Pigeon. Once we passed them, we were in the home stretch.
When we arrived at my grandparent’s place, we’d pull into the driveway, which was all gravel. Trips were usually on the weekends and never long enough. This picture was taken in the kitchen.
My dad is at the stove, my brother is in the middle and I am on the right. Looking at this picture, I can smell the bacon and sausage, which were breakfast staples up north. If my grandparents were there with us, my dad would share the cooking with my grandpa. We always looked forward to those big breakfasts!
It’s amazing how I can picture the things that are not in the picture. Directly to my left in the picture was the fridge. Behind me was dining room table. There was an air conditioner in the middle window. In the top right of the photo, you can see what is sort of like a hutch. There were two cupboards at the bottom and a “counter” on top of those. Above those were two shelves where they had a ceramic mallard duck, a candy dish, and a few of my grandma’s Erma Bombeck books. There was a mirror at the back of the shelves.
The raised counter that is behind the sink was where we usually ate. There were barstools there and the kids ate there while the adults were at the table. The living room was in front of the barstools. That was where we’d watch the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon every year. I can remember there was always a big, loud lady on there that sang songs. She was probably someone famous, but for the life of me, I cannot think of who it could be.
The bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry area were down the hall. We almost always slept in my aunt’s bedroom. She is four years older than me, so she was probably 13 or so. She had Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books in her room and plenty of cat posters on her wall. If I remember correctly, she had a deck of Uno cards and I played it for the first time up north. Coincidentally, today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Jodi.
I am sure that I have written about Caseville in other blogs. I probably have posted pictures, too, but not this one. This was one of those surprise finds on a hard drive. It is a reminder of some amazing family trips with family members who have since passed away. Those were some wonderful times. My pipe dream is to one day be in a position to get a place up there.
You may recall that I had a little trip to the ER recently. Well, after my week off I had a visit with my primary care doctor to follow up.
I was cleared to go back to work and I really have not had any issues. She ordered two tests for me – an angiogram and a stress test. Those will happen next week.
While at the hospital they ran the enzyme tests to see if I had a heart attack, but they were negative. However, the baby aspirin and nitro that the EMS crew gave me may have stopped something according to doctors.
My angiogram was scheduled on a day that I was supposed to speak in front of a class of EEG students. When I called the director to see if we could reschedule the talk, I explained what happened.
Her background is in cardiology. She told me that based on what happened, it could be something ischemic. If you are unfamiliar with that:
Ischemic heart disease (IHD), also known as coronary artery disease (CAD) or coronary heart disease (CHD), is a condition where the heart muscle doesn’t receive enough blood and oxygen. This typically happens due to plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) in the coronary arteries, which narrows them and restricts blood flow to the heart.
Dizziness and sweating are symptoms. I experienced both before going to the ER. Lightheadedness is also a symptom and I get that on occasion. So it makes sense.
From all I have read on an angiogram, if there is any type of blockage they will place a stent in during the same procedure. I have a feeling this may happen.
There is some cardiac history in my family. My maternal grandfather died of a heart attack and my father has a stent. During that procedure we found out he had actually had a couple small heart attacks and he didn’t even know he had them.
Either way, my stress test will happen a couple days after the angiogram. One way or another, they should be able to tell if there is an issue with my ticker.
To say that the incident was a wake up call is an understatement. The day after, I rejoined Weight Watchers. Something I should have done a while ago. I’m two weeks in and down 11 pounds. I really hope to stay focused and have better success this time around.
(This blog originally appeared on the A Sound Day blog as part of the Turntable Talk Series)
It is time once again for my monthly contribution to Turntable Talk for Dave at A Sound Day. The feature is in its 40th round this month! In the span of over three years Dave has presented us each month with a musically themed topic. Some of them have been easy to write about, while others were more difficult.
This month’s topic, however, is only difficult because there are hundreds of songs to choose from! As we are smack dab in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer, Dave’s instructions were:
“Pick your favorite ‘animal song’ and tell us about it. A song with an animal in the title. Could even be ‘Dog Days are Here Again’! Might be the ‘Year of the Cat’. ‘Eye of the Tiger’?that drowsy lion? Spiders , snakes, affectionate muskrats, ant music… possibilities seem endless as a ‘Hummingbird’ wingbeats.“
He couldn’t be more right! As soon as I read the topic, about 50 songs popped into my head. Along with those songs, I could guess which of the other contributors might pick for their piece.
There are Beatles fans among our group, so I Am The Walrus, Black Bird, Octopus’ Garden and Rocky Racoon are all possible choices for them. Then there are “rockers” and “metal heads” who might choose Black Dog, Cat Scratch Fever, Freebird or War Pigs. The 80’s fans could pick Hungry Like The Wolf, When Doves Cry, or Eye of the Tiger. Then there are the ones that every one I asked answered with – The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Cats in the Cradle, White Rabbit, and Brass Monkey.
Many of those were on my list of possible choices. I decided on one that I always loved to play on the oldies stations. I chose it because it is a snapshot of the early 60’s social scene.
Union Hall Dances were big back then. They would usually have a large gym or dance floor where people would come to “let loose.” These dances were attended mostly by teenagers and young adults and mainly happened on Friday nights. They were a place to dance, socialize or just listen to music. Many of these dances had live bands that played music. The Union Hall Dances are mentioned in the first line of my animal song.
The 1960s was a decade known for various dance crazes, including “The Mashed Potato,” “The Frug,” “The Jerk,” “The Hully Gully” and “The Watusi”. Many of those songs would go straight to the top of the charts and were the inspiration for dance contests all over the country. There were many other dance crazes during that time including The Twist which was a massive phenomenon thanks to Chubby Checker.
Chubby had great success providing songs – and dance crazes – that people could dance to. The Twist, Let’s Twist Again and other incarnations of the “twist” dance were his bread and butter. He also sang songs about other dance crazes like the Limbo (Limbo Rock), the Hucklebuck, and my animal song – the Pony.
I was surprised to find out that this was actually a cover song. According to songfacts.com: The soul singer Don Covay recorded the original version of “Pony Time” and released it as the first single with his group The Goodtimers in 1960. Checker’s version came out soon after and became the hit, as he was the big name. The Goodtimers’ rendition made it to #60 in March 1961, a month after Checker’s topped the chart.
Fun Fact: The Twist was a cover song, too. It was originally recorded by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters.
So what exactly is the Pony? This shouldn’t surprise you as the dancer tries to look as if they are riding a horse. According to one source, the dance is described this way: “In the dance the feet are kept comfortably together, while various arm and hand motions are possible. Movement around the dance floor may occur, but there is no line-of-dance. Couples generally face each other and do not touch.” You’ll get to see it before I am done.
Two things grab you as the song begins. First, that simple chord and Chubby’s announcement “It’s Pony Time! Get up!” It’s a call to attention. This is followed by that little drum kick and the “Boogety Boogety Shoos” which are a constant throughout the song. Ok, Chubby, you have my attention and I am ready to dance.
Fun Fact: The Boogety Shoo line was so popular, it is featured in Barry Mann’s Who Put the Bomp.
Chubby then sings, “Hey now everybody in the Union Hall ….” There is no doubt that this song was catered to be played at these venues. Much like the Twist, Checker calls out instructions on how to do that dance as the song plays. The calls are truly commands that were used by horsemen, but they are actually incorrect. The lyrics reverse the Gee and Haw commands. In use by horsemen for centuries, Gee was right and Haw was left.
So “let’s get it,” and give the hit version a listen:
The Dan Covay version with the Goodtimers is not too different from Chubby’s cover. Instead of yelling “It’s Pony Time,” the group actually harmonizes the line before the “Get Up!” Honestly, when I heard the original, I really liked it. It has more of an R&B feel to it. Chubby’s is truly all Rock and Roll. Give it a listen, it’s a shame this never gets airplay anymore…
Before wrapping up, there is a video on YouTube that shows Chubby illustrating how to do the dance. For me, it is hard to watch, as the dancers just look ridiculous. Watching them, it doesn’t look like they are riding a horse at all…. The only saving grace of this video is they tend to focus on Chubby more than the dancers – which may or may not be intentional. Thankfully, the video is cut off early….
I cannot help by watch that and wonder “What in the world are they doing?” I am grateful that whenever I played the song on the radio or heard it in the car, it is just the audio!
I want to thank Dave for hosting this feature each month. As many of the other contributors have said in the past, it really is something I look forward to writing each month. The topics continue to be worth writing about. I cannot wait to see what the others write about and will wait for topic #41 soon.
I have always loved her music. I’ve had the chance to meet her on a couple occasions as well as interview her on the air. She is witty and has a great sense of humor. She was a lot of fun to talk to.
I decided to go with a song that would probably be familiar to you. One of Terri’s early hits was a remake of “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”
Written and originally recorded by Warren Zevon, it first appeared on his self-titled album in 1976. It became a hit when Linda Ronstadt covered it the next year.
Ronstadt shared her thoughts on this song in a 1978 interview with Sounds: “To me that song seemed like the purest expression of male vanity. Step on you, be insensitive, be unkind and give you a hard time, saying can’t ya take it, can’t ya take it. Then if you tease men in the slightest bit, they’ll just walk off with their feelings hurt, stomp off in a corner and pout. I mean that’s the way men are, I swear. I thought the verse turned around to a female point of view was just perfect. The gender change works perfectly.”
Terri’s version was released in September 1996 as the lead single from her second album, 1996’s Just the Same. Clark told Billboard magazine that she heard Linda Ronstadt’s version of the song in a local gymnasium while she was exercising. She said “and I thought, what a cool song. What a great country record that could make. I started doing it live, and it worked.”
“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” debuted at number 47 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of October 12, 1996. Clark’s version was a number one hit on the Canadian RPM country charts, and a number five hit on the country charts in the U.S.
The video comprises black-and-white tour footage interspersed with Clark being approached by a series of men while her car is being fixed at a full service gas station. Eventually, she realizes the man fixing her car is the one for her. She starts to drive off, before calling him over to get in. The two drive off together, leaving the other two co-workers at the shop surprised.
Honestly, I’ve never seen the movie Coyote Ugly. I did mention it on the radio a few times because we played songs from the soundtrack. The film premiered on this day in 2000.
“Can’t Fight The Moonlight” by LeAnn Rimes is the theme song to the movie. In the film Piper Perabo’s character plays a singer-songwriter from New Jersey who moves to New York City to pursue her music career. She ends up getting a job at a bar called the Coyote Ugly, where she makes enough money to buy a Mac that she uses to write and record this song. It earns her a showcase audition where she performs the song, wowing the crowd and earning a label deal.
“Can’t Fight The Moonlight” was a huge international hit, topping the charts in Australia, the UK, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and several other territories. In Australia, it was the best-selling single of 2001.
Believe it or not, the song didn’t do so well in America, where it only reached #71 in September 2001, It was released as the first single from the Coyote Ugly soundtrack. Seeing the international success, Rimes’ label, Curb, gave it another shot, re-releasing the song with a renewed promotional push. The re-release went to #11 in March 2002, long after the film had left theaters. Second time’s the charm apparently.
LeAnn provided the voice for Perabo’s singing in the film, and actually shows up to sing it in the film. The video is essentially an extended version of Rimes’ appearance in the film, showing her singing the song on the Coyote Ugly bar, intercut with other scenes from the movie.
One of my favorite biographical films is Patton, which starred George C. Scott as General George Patton. It’s a great film and Scott was so good in the role that he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1971.
General Patton had developed a reputation in the U.S. Army as an effective, successful, and hard-driving commander, punishing subordinates for the slightest infractions but also rewarding them when they performed well. As a way to promote an image that inspired his troops, Patton created a larger-than-life personality. He became known for his flashy dress, highly polished helmet and boots, and no-nonsense demeanor. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the commander of the 1943 Sicily operation and Patton’s friend and commanding officer, had long known of Patton’s colorful leadership style, and also knew that Patton was prone to impulsiveness and a lack of self-restraint.
The film is full of many powerful scenes. There was once scene in the film that really surprised me the first time I saw it. It is the depiction of the infamous “slapping” of a soldier. What I didn’t know, was that there were actually two slapping incidents one week apart from each other. The one in the film is the second incident.
The first one took place on this day in 1943. It involved Private Charles H. Kuhl. Patton approached Kuhl, who was sitting on a bed amongst the wounded. When Patton asked Kuhl where he was hurt, Kuhl reportedly shrugged and replied that he was “nervous” rather than wounded, adding, “I guess I can’t take it.” This set Patton off.
He slapped Kuhl across the chin with his gloves, then grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the tent entrance. He shoved him out of the tent with a kick to his backside. Yelling “Don’t admit this son of a bitch.” The general demanded that Kuhl be sent back to the front, adding, “You hear me, you gutless bastard? You’re going back to the front.” That night, Patton recorded the incident in his diary: “[I met] the only errant coward I have ever seen in this Army. Companies should deal with such men, and if they shirk their duty, they should be tried for cowardice and shot.”
The second incident happened a week later on August 10, 1943. This time the soldier was 21 year old Private Paul G. Bennett. Records show he had no medical history until August 6, 1943, when a friend was wounded in combat. According to a report, he “could not sleep and was nervous.” A medical officer described Bennett’s condition:
“The shells going over him bothered him. The next day he was worried about his buddy and became more nervous. He was sent down to the rear echelon by a battery aid man and there the medical aid man gave him some tranquilizers that made him sleep, but still he was nervous and disturbed. On the next day the medical officer ordered him to be evacuated, although the boy begged not to be evacuated because he did not want to leave his unit.“
When the general entered the hospital tent, he saw Bennett. Patton approached him. He was huddled and shivering. Patten looked at him and asked what the trouble was. “It’s my nerves,” Bennett responded. “I can’t stand the shelling anymore.” Patton reportedly became enraged at him, slapping him across the face.
He began yelling: “Your nerves, Hell, you are just a goddamned coward. Shut up that goddamned crying. I won’t have these brave men who have been shot at seeing this yellow bastard sitting here crying.” Patton then reportedly slapped Bennett again, knocking his helmet liner off, and ordered the receiving officer not to admit him. Patton then threatened Bennett, “You’re going back to the front lines, and you may get shot and killed, but you’re going to fight. If you don’t, I’ll stand you up against a wall and have a firing squad kill you on purpose. In fact, I ought to shoot you myself, you goddamned whimpering coward.” Upon saying this, Patton pulled out his pistol threateningly, prompting the hospital’s commander, Colonel Donald E. Currier, to physically separate the two. Patton left the tent, yelling to medical officers to send Bennett back to the front lines.
Here is the scene from the film:
In August of 1943, General Eisenhower sent Patton a letter. He told him that he had been informed of the slapping incidents. He said he would not be opening a formal investigation into the matter, but his criticism of Patton was sharp. From that letter:
I clearly understand that firm and drastic measures are at times necessary in order to secure the desired objectives. But this does not excuse brutality, abuse of the sick, nor exhibition of uncontrollable temper in front of subordinates. … I feel that the personal services you have rendered the United States and the Allied cause during the past weeks are of incalculable value; but nevertheless if there is a very considerable element of truth in the allegations accompanying this letter, I must so seriously question your good judgment and your self-discipline as to raise serious doubts in my mind as to your future usefulness.
Patton apologized to the medical personnel that witnessed the events, and to each of the soldiers he slapped. Patton wrote in his diary that he loathed making the apologies, particularly when he was told by Bennett’s brigade commander, Brigadier General John A. Crane, that Bennett had gone AWOL and arrived at the hospital by “falsely representing his condition.”
If you’ve never seen the film or read a biography about Patton, I encourage you to do so. His life is full interesting things. His death was certainly not what you would expect for such a strong figure.
Sources: Wiki, Patton: A Biography, The Patton Papers
A friend of ours is always good about sharing books that she enjoyed with my wife and I. My wife actually read this one first, and I was able to read it this week. I went into this book only knowing the title and that it had a “true crime” aspect to it. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James did not disappoint.
I’ve always loved shows that talked about cold cases. Back in the day it was Robert Stack talking about them on Unsolved Mysteries. There was also a series that aired from 2003-2010 called simply Cold Case. The most famous show was A&E’s Cold Case Files which has aired sporadically (1999-2002, 2005-2006, 2017, 2021-2022, 2024-2025). True crime is fascinating to me and many people, and I started reading this with those shows sort of on my mind.
Let’s look at the Goodreads synopsis:
A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.
In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?
This book was very good and kept me asking questions and on the edge of my seat at times. There were elements of the story I had not expected and at first I wasn’t sure about how to take them. In the end, however, those elements were what added the extra “suspense” for me.
As the summary states, the story bounces from the past to the present. There was no trouble keeping the characters straight. There were surprises and twists, too. I’m not sure I would categorize this as a mystery (which is what I thought it was), but I’d definitely call it a thriller. I found myself hating to have to stop reading at times. I wanted to know what happened next.
My high school band director was born on this day in 1935. He was a mentor and a friend. He was one of the most important influences in my life both in high school and after.
I have told this story before, but for new readers it is worth repeating. My junior year was a rough one for me and Mr. Shaner was always there with an ear to listen. He offered support, direction and advice. So when they planned the band banquet for that year, they wanted someone to do a speech about him. I volunteered.
I said that after you spend enough time with him, he begins to grow on you. I went behind the podium and put on a bald cap. (laughter) I then went behind the podium and came back with a baton and then imitated the way he’d look at it and such. (more laughter) I then went into a tirade of phrases and such that he often said in class like, “There is no way that you practiced this!” “The trumpets are way too loud again.” etc… (out of control laughter)
I had no idea how I was going to end the speech. I think I had just planned to say some nice things on behalf of our band. I ended up thanking him for all he did for me. It was an emotional and unscripted moment.
Afterward, he came up and wrapped me in a hug. He said to me, “That was the worst impression I have ever seen!” This brought more laughter and wound up being one of my favorite photos.
The following year, he got me back by doing a spot on impression of me which brought down the house! It was absolutely amazing!
After graduation, I approached him about getting the alumni together to march in the homecoming parade. They used to have an alumni band, but it hadn’t performed for a while. He was totally open to the idea and even ran rehearsals for us.
We started out with a bunch of us old folks and had a blast!
The above picture is from the first year. The band was back together! Eventually, we even got sweatshirts printed up and we actually looked like we had a “uniform.”
The group continued to perform up until the year after Mr. Shaner retired. I remained in touch with him up until his passing in 2020. I think of him often and he is always on my mind on August 1st.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 