Tune Tuesday – What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

I’ve played a lot of Motown records in my radio career, and today I want to feature someone who should have been bigger than he was. The great Jimmy Ruffin was born on this day in 1936. I always felt that Jimmy was overshadowed by his younger brother, David Ruffin, who of course was the lead singer for the Temptations.

Jimmy actually sang at Motown records as a session singer in 1961. He was drafted into the army and upon his return to Motown he was offered the chance to join the Temptations to replace singer Elbridge Bryant. As luck would have it, they heard his brother Davis sing and offered him the gig instead.

Jimmy returned to his solo career and didn’t have much success. In 1966, he heard the song “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.” The song was written by William Weatherspoon, Paul Riser, and James Dean (not the actor), who were Motown writers. They had originally intended the song for The Spinners, another Motown group, but Jimmy persuaded them to let him record it instead. It would go on to become his biggest hit!

Some say that the writers wanted to create a song that expressed the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. However, they said that they were influenced by the soul music of the time, especially by singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. The song also reflects the social and political turmoil of the 1960s. At the time the US was involved in the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement was facing a lot of resistance.

The song was recorded in Motown’s Studio A and Jimmy was accompanied by the instrumentation of Motown’s in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers, and the joint backing vocals of Motown session singers the Originals and the Andantes. The Originals were a quartet who backed other Motown singers like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross. The Andantes were a trio of women who often backed The Four Tops, The Supremes and the Temptations.

The song was released on June 3, 1966 as a single on the Soul label, a subsidiary of Motown. It was also included on Jimmy Ruffin’s album Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten, which was released in 1967. It was a hit in both the US and the UK, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 6 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, and No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in 1966.

Jimmy Ruffin continued to record for Motown and had several more hits, but “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” remains forever connected to him and his biggest hit. Jimmy passed away on November 17, 2014, after a long illness at the age of 78. He is remembered as one of the most soulful singers of Motown.

“What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted”

As I walk this land of broken dreams
I have visions of many things
But happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion

What becomes of the broken hearted
Who had love that’s now departed
I know I’ve got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe

The roots of love grow all around
But for me they come a tumblin’ down
Every day heartaches grow a little stronger
I can’t stand this pain much longer

I walk in shadows searching for light
Cold and alone, no comfort in sight
Hoping and praying for someone to care
Always moving and going nowhere

What becomes of the broken hearted
Who had love that’s now departed
I know I’ve got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Help me

I’m searching though I don’t succeed
But someone look, there’s a growing need
All is lost, there’s no place for beginning
All that’s left is an unhappy ending

Now what becomes of the broken hearted
Who had love that’s now departed
I know I’ve got to find
Some kind of peace of mind

I’ll be searching everywhere
Just to find someone to care
I’ll be looking everyday
I know I’m gonna find a way
Nothing’s gonna stop me now
I’ll find a way somehow
I’ll be searching everywhere…

Movie Music Monday – I’m A Man of Constant Sorrow

Actor George Clooney turns 63 today. While he is known for some TV work (ER, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, and Downton Abbey), he has also made quite a name for himself in the movies. His films include Hail Caesar, Catch 22, Leatherheads, The Thin Red Line, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Monuments Men, The Perfect Storm and Ocean’s Eleven (and the sequels).

For Movie Music Monday, I chose a cut from his film O Brother, Where Art Thou? The film is set in 1937 in Mississippi and Clooney plays one of three convicts who escape from a chain gang and are looking for treasure. They are naturally pursued by law enforcement and are on the run.

In their travels, they come across a young man who says he has “sold his soul to the devil” so that he could play guitar. The four men (who need some money) stop at a radio station and record a song as “The Soggy Bottom Boys.” Little do they know, the record becomes a HUGE hit. The song – I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow.

Origins of the song vary but it seems that it was first published in 1913 and it was called “The Farewell Song.” It is credited to writer Dick Burnett, however, even he wasn’t sure he did. In an 1973 interview he was asked:

“What about this “Farewell Song” – ‘I am a man of constant sorrow’ – did you write it?” To which he replied, “No, I think I got the ballad from somebody – I dunno. It may be my song …”

The Stanley Brothers recorded it in 1950, and Ralph Stanley said this about the song’s origin: “Man of Constant Sorrow” is probably two or three hundred years old. But the first time I heard it when I was y’know, like a small boy, my daddy – my father – he had some of the words to it, and I heard him sing it, and we – my brother and me – we put a few more words to it, and brought it back in existence. I guess if it hadn’t been for that it’d have been gone forever. I’m proud to be the one that brought that song back, because I think it’s wonderful.

In 2001, radio stations began to get requests for the bluegrass song and it didn’t take long for the Mercury Nashville label to send it out as a single. Stations were divided on whether to play the song because of its “old” sound. I was on a country station at the time and I remember when we added it to the playlist. Did it stick out when it played? It sure did. Did we get countless requests for it? We sure did? It was an unexpected hit.

Of course, some folks really believed that George Clooney sang the lead on the song, which is just not true. The lead vocals were sung by Dan Tyminski, who was actually a member of Union Station (Alison Krauss’s band).

The song received a CMA Award for “Single of the Year” in 2001 and even won a Grammy for “Best Country Collaboration with Vocals” in 2002. The song was also named Song of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2001. It peaked at No. 35 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

Man of Constant Sorrow

I am a man of constant sorrow
I’ve seen trouble all my days
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was borned and raised
(The place where he was borned and raised)

For six long years I’ve been in trouble
No pleasure here on earth I find
For in this world I’m bound to ramble
I have no friends to help me now
(He has no friends to help him now)

It’s fare thee well my own true lover
I never expect to see you again
For I’m bound to ride that northern railroad
Perhaps I’ll die upon this train
(Perhaps he’ll die upon this train)

You can bury me in some deep valley
For many years where I may lay
Then you may learn to love another
While I am sleeping in my grave
(While he is sleeping in his grave)

Maybe your friends think I’m just a stranger
My face you’ll never will see no more
But there is one promise that is given
I’ll meet you on God’s golden shore
(He’ll meet you on God’s golden shore)

Book Recommendation: How to Solve Your Own Murder

Back in the day, there was an old radio show called I Love a Mystery. It’s no secret that I do, too. A mystery can take many forms – the cozy mystery, the whodunnit, the locked room mystery, courtroom mystery, etc …

I just finished a book that has many of the things I love in a good mystery. First, there are plenty of suspects. There’s an earlier murder that may or may not be connected to the first one. There are characters you like and dislike right from the get go. There are twists and turns, and some great suspenseful moments.

I added this book to my “to read” list simply because of the title – How to Solve Your Own Murder. I was hooked right from the beginning and loved every minute of it.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate… Now it’s up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

This was such a great read. If you love a good mystery that is a mix of Agatha Christie and Perry Mason, you will love this one!

Tonie Talk & Play

A couple years ago, the kids got a Tonie Box. If you look at the picture above, you can see the character sits on top of it and it plays a story or music. You can read my original blog about it here:

Morning Miscellaneous

We bought a small container to keep all of the characters in, and at some point, Ella decided that the characters were fun to play with. So when they are not listening to them, they are playing with them. Today, she asked me to come and play with her. She told me I could be Batman.

I always try to make her laugh and usually it doesn’t take much. Today, Wonder Woman and Elsa asked Batman to dance. I made a gruff voice and said, “I’m Batman. I don’t dance.” She asked me why and I ad-libbed, “My cape trips me up” and made him fall. I told her, “I have to go fight crime! The Penguin is out robbing banks.” She dug into the Tonie container and said, “No he’s not! He’s right here!”

Yeah, I think that’s the wrong penguin!

The Funniest Thing I Saw on the Internet This Week

Give me five minutes on the web and I can find something to chuckle about. Sometimes it is right here in a WordPress Blog, other times it is on Facebook, and even serious news sites can lead to something humorous.

I have probably written about this before, but one of my favorite sketches from SNL was the old Celebrity Jeopardy sketches with Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek.

The funniest one to me was when Norm MacDonald played Burt Reynolds, but changed his name to …

…Turd Ferguson.

Midway through the sketch, he puts on a ridiculous hat.

Insanity ensues, Alex get’s flustered and the sketch ends.

I laughed a little bit too hard as I stumbled on a site where people take Precious Moments figurines and “redesign” them. Someone made a Turd Ferguson Precious Moments figure!

Someone spent a whole lot of time on that and I think it is hilarious!!

Perhaps this is a money maker online?

Friday Photo Flashback

I’m not sure why I stopped doing this feature, but it is time for it to make a return. I was sent a photo from a friend that I had forgotten about. When I opened up the email, I remembered this feature. It is probably something I posted on my Facebook or now defunct MySpace, but I don’t think I have ever posted it on here.

This photo will take us back to 2004 or 2005.

This photo was taken as part of a photo project that a friend was doing for college. The idea was to take 100 photos and then tell a story with only 12 of them. She came to the station during a show and shot some pictures of me on the air, it just so happened that my oldest boy was with me that day. He was probably around 2 years old here.

This was not taken in the main studio. This was taken in one of the production studios where I was probably cutting a commercial or working on sweepers. Dante’ loved to talk into the microphone and I always had him say things for my show. Just like they had to do with the kids who voiced those Charlie Brown specials. I would feed him a line in pieces and then edit them all together.

I had him say things like:

“Not funny, Daddy!”

“Is it time to go home yet?”

“I’m Dante’ and you’re listening to my daddy, Keith Allen, on 94-5 The Moose!”

“Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha! Wait, what?” (For play after a bad joke)

I don’t think this was a pose, I truly believe that was meant to be a candid, but I just happened to be looking at the camera.

As I look at behind me in the photo, in the cabinet I can see one of the equalizers. I always wanted to get one for a hone studio (which I never ended up doing). Underneath that is a Mini-Disc player. I loved having one of those. I used it when I DJ’d a lot. It was digital, so you could edit and even loop things on it.

For the older readers, directly below that is a cassette player. When I was on the west side of the state, we would actually get commercials on them for on air play. Needless to say, the quality was NEVER that good. We primarily used it to record commercials to take to the clients so they could see if they liked the way their commercial sounded.

It is not in view, but under that was a CD player. We would dub songs into the automation system that way or rip them in on the computer. Most of our production music was on CD (and you can see some of those sitting directly above the mixer board.

By this time, most of the production was done on the computer (directly in front of my son) or the one to the left of that one. However, one of the coolest things in this picture is the ancient reel to reel machine behind my left shoulder. I believe that is an old Tascam unit. We used to use those to record phone calls at my first couple jobs. If something needed to be edited, you had to mark the tape with a china marker, cut the tape with a razor blade and splice it back together with tape. It was a process, but I remember watching some guys who were masters at editing things in less than a minute to be ready for air.

That microphone was one of my favorites to use. It was an Electro Voice RE20. I was gifted one of them and it remains one of my treasured pieces of radio memorabilia. Perhaps one day, I will venture into podcasting and find a way to use it again.

It is amazing to think that this picture was taken was about 20 years ago. I am glad that I still have some audio clips of my son from this age. Today, he could sing bass in a choir his voice is so low. He just turned 22!! Time truly flies….

Practice Makes Perfect

We signed Ella up for T-ball a few weeks back. We got her a helmet, a glove, a bat, some practice balls, shoes and a bag to carry it all. She’s been pretty pumped up about it. She finally had her first practice today.

The worst thing about working when I do is that a lot of the activities happen when I am at work. I have rearranged my schedule a bit so that I can see a game a week (they play 2) and not have to use personal time off. Sam went with her to practice.

The first thing she texted me was that she is the only girl on the team. I really hope that this won’t bother her. She can be anyone’s friend, but I also know how cruel some kids can be. We hope that this will be a sport she likes to play and will continue in the future.

I coached my two older boys with both T-ball and baseball for as long as they played. I was not a good coach, but I certainly enjoyed being there with them. They seemed to have fun, even though they didn’t play long.

This week, I will be playing catch with her and helping her with batting. I am excited for the first game in a couple weeks…

Book Recommendation: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I’ve had this book on my “To read” list for some time. I added it for a couple of reasons. First, I have always loved hearing stories about “old Hollywood” and hoped that this would kind of fall into that category. Second, everyone kept talking about it. When my wife read it recently she said she thought I would enjoy it.

Side note: I had no idea that the author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, had also wrote Daisy Jones and the Six. That’s another one that everyone seemed to be talking about, but I’m not sure I want to read it. My wife said it was “just ok.”

Before I offer up my thoughts on this book, let me share the Goodreads synopsis:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

To quote my wife, the book to me was “just ok.” Don’t get my wrong, it wasn’t bad. As a matter of fact, there were quite a few surprises in the story. As the synopsis implies, Monique and Evelyn’s life have some sort of connection and I never put it together. This was a big surprise to me. Actually, the connection really made the book worth reading for me. Especially since there were a few times I was ready to put it down.

As you might expect in a story of old Hollywood, there is plenty of scandal, secrets, jealousy, lying, manipulation and deception. I have often used this description, but it read like an episode of Desperate Housewives or a bad soap opera. “Who’s sleeping with who?” kind of thing at times.

Again, it wasn’t a bad book, it is just not really my kind of book. Not to sound chauvinistic, that is not my intention at all, but I felt like the book might appeal more to female readers.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Make Some Noise – It Is May!

Welcome to May! Were you aware that May is International Drum Month? Cheers to the instrument that keeps the music in time.

Anyone who has played in a school band or any band really knows that there are plenty of jokes made about the percussionists and the percussion section:

What do you say to a drummer in a three-piece suit?
“Will the defendant please rise?”

Hey, did you hear about the drummer who finished high school?
Me neither.

What is the difference between a drummer and a savings bond?
One will mature and make money.

What is the difference between a bad drummer and a vacuum cleaner?
You have to plug one of them in before it sucks.

There are hundreds of jokes like that. Honestly, though, without the percussion section (or percussionist) the rest of the group would fight to keep time. I can’t imagine marching in a parade without a solid drum cadence and so many great bands had well known drummers.

So in honor of International Drum Month – I wanted to share some of my favorite drum songs, drum solos, and songs about drums.

First, let’s head back to 1936 and the fantastic song by Benny Goodman – Sing, Sing, Sing. The song was written by Louis Prima and became one of Benny’s signature songs.

In 1941, legendary drummer Gene Krupa had a hit with Drum Boogie (with Irene Day on the vocals). There are many videos of him performing this.

Instrumentals were big in the 50’s and 60’s. My dad introduced me to 1958’s Topsy Part 2 by Cozy Cole. He worked with great artists like Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway.

Preston Epps learned how to play the bongos when he was in the Korean War. His big hit was Bongo Rock, but I liked 1960’s Bongo, Bongo, Bongo a bit better (Though it never broke the top 40). I often used this as background music when I was on the radio.

If you have ever heard To Know Him Is to Love Him (Teddy Bears), Alley Opp (Hollywood Argyles), or A Thousand Stars (Kathy Young and the Innocents), then you’ve heard Sandy Nelson. He was a session drummer and played on a lot of songs. He even had some solo hits, including 1961’s Let The Be Drums.

Johnny Smith recorded Walk, Don’t Run in 1954. Chet Atkins covered it in 1957 and when the Ventures heard it, they recorded their own version in 1960. While many consider it more of a guitar tune, the drums are a key part of the song.

Probably one of the most famous drum songs was from 1963. The Surfaris took Wipe Out! all the way to #2 on the Hot 100 chart. It is a song that continues to pop up on TV and in movies and has even made a few reentries on the charts because of that.

In 1967, Michael Nesmith of the Monkees penned a percussion tune for Linda Ronstadt and her group The Stone Poneys. Linda has a birthday coming up and I was going to feature this song on that day, but it fits better here. This was her first single and it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 1969, The Beatles released Abbey Road, which contains a song that has a drum lick that famous drummers everywhere still talk about. It is often called “genius” and I couldn’t agree more. The drum line from Come Together is just an amazing thing to listen to. Atta Boy, Ringo!

In 1972, Gary Glitter had a hit with the B-side of Rock and Roll Part 1, which was appropriately called Rock and Roll Part 2. Most folks remember this one as simply, “The Hey Song.” This was his only top 10 hit in the US. It used to be big at sporting events, but it went away after some sexual crimes in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. It was featured in the recent Joker movie.

1972 also brought one of my favorite drum intros by way of Stevie Wonder. I’ve written about this one before, but you know I had to hear it again as I wrote this.

1977 brought another great drum tune that is still used at sporting events today. I couldn’t do a piece about drum songs without Queen’s We Will Rock You.

So many songs can be instantly recognized by the drum intros and the next one from 1980 is no exception. It is a classic rock and party staple. I am, of course, talking about AC/DC’s Back in Black.

When you talk about drums and drum solos, there seems to be one song that always comes up – In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins. It’s not my favorite song, but you can’t deny the very cool drum solo.

The next drum song has become sort of a Monday morning anthem for anyone who works for a living. Todd Rundgren’s 1983 Bang On The Drum All Day is unique in that he plays every instrument on the track.

I am sure I could feature many more songs, but I have decided to conclude with a song that was very unusual. It was unusual, because there are very few songs that begin with a 30 second drum solo. In 1984, Van Halen did just that. Alex Van Halen kicks off Hot for Teacher with an amazing double bass drum performance and a song remembered not only for his drum work, but a steamy video.

This month, I salute drummers like Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Buddy Rich, Sheila E, Dave Grohl, Alex Van Halen, Phil Collins, Charlie Watts, Gene Krupa, Questlove, Hal Blaine, Max Weinberg, Lars Ulrich, Neil Peart, Levon Helm, Chad Smith, Ed Shaughnessy, and so many others!! Thanks for keeping the beat!

What songs do you remember for drum solos or great drum work?

Tune Tuesday – The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

Bobby Vee was born on this day in 1943. In his career he had quite a few hits under his belt, but had it not been for a tragedy, the world may never have known him.

Anyone familiar with “The Day the Music Died,” remembers that on February 3, 1959, three of the four main headliners of the touring “Winter Dance Party” were killed in an airplane crash. Those three singers were Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper. Dion, the fourth headliner, chose not to travel by plane to the next city on the tour. That city was Moorhead, Minnesota.

The show in Moorhead went on as scheduled, but organizers searched for a musical act to fill in for Buddy Holly. Bobby Vee (who was 15 at the time) gathered up some musicians from Fargo (which includes his brother) and they performed that night. This was the jumpstart of his career.

A couple years later, Bobby recorded a tribute album to Buddy. In the liner notes, he recalled Holly’s influence on him and the events surrounding Holly’s death, describing how he had looked forward to attending the concert, how the local radio station put out a call for local talent to fill in after the disaster, and how Vee’s recently organized group, modeled on Holly’s style, had to make up a name (the Shadows) on the spot.

In 1963 Bobby was signed by American Bandstand to headline a tour called Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars national U.S. tour, scheduled to perform its 15th show on the night of November 22, 1963, at the Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, Texas. The event, however, was cancelled after U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated that afternoon while riding in his motorcade through downtown Dallas.

In 2012, Bobby announced publicly that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and sadly would have to withdraw from the music business. Four years later, on October 24, 2016, Vee died from complications of the disease at the age of 73.

He had hits with Devil or Angel, Run to Him, Rubber Ball, and hit #1 with Take Good Care of My Baby. My favorite Bobby Vee song is The Night Has a Thousand Eyes. The song came out in December of 1962 and went to #3 on the charts.

I have always liked this song melodically and for all of the little musical things that are happening in the background. Those little string licks that play off his vocal, the drummer’s cymbal rhythm during the chorus, and the syncopated lines at the end of the chorus always sound so good to me!

The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

They say that you’re a runaround lover
Though you say it isn’t so
But if you put me down for another
I’ll know, believe me, I’ll know

Cause the night has a thousand eyes
And a thousand eyes can’t help but see if you are true to me
So remember when you tell those little white lies
That the night has a thousand eyes

You say that you’re at home when you phone me
And how much you really care
Though you keep telling me that you’re lonely
I’ll know if someone is there

Cause the night has a thousand eyes
And a thousand eyes can’t help but see if you are true to me
So remember when you tell those little white lies
That the night has a thousand eyes

One of these days you’re gonna be sorry
Cause your game I’m gonna play
And you’ll find out without really tryin’
Each time that my kisses stray

Cause the night has a thousand eyes
And a thousand eyes will see me too
And no matter what I do
I could never disguise all my little white lies
Cause the night has a thousand eyes

So remember when you tell those little white lies
That the night has a thousand eyes