It was on this day in 1988 that The Naked Gun premiered in theaters. It starred Leslie Nielsen and was based on the short-lived TV series, Police Squad.
Nielsen stars as Lieutenant Frank Drebin of Police Squad. George Kennedy, Ricardo Montalban, Priscilla Presley, and OJ Simpson (Yes, THAT OJ Simpson), as well. It was created by the same people who created Airplane! The jokes and puns are quick and there are many verbal and physical gags. The movie was so successful that two sequels followed.
In the film, Nielsen’s character and Presley’s character become romantically involved. There is a hilarious montage of the two together on various dates. While this montage happens, the music that plays under it is a familiar song from the 1960’s. I’m Into Something Good.
The song was written by Carole King and her writing partner Gerry Goffin. It was first recorded by Earl-Jean, the lead singer of the Cookies. Her version only went to #38 on the charts. The song became a British Invasion hit when producer Mickie Most heard Carole King’s demo and decided to cover it with a new British group, Herman’s Hermits.
The Hermits released this as their debut single. In December of 1964, their version went to #13 in America and #1 in the UK. This version is not the version used in the Naked Gun, however. It sounds similar because it is actually a rerecording done by Herman’s Hermits lead singer, Peter Noone.
For the record, the producers DID want the original Herman’s Hermits version. Songfacts.com explains what happened:
Peter Noone recorded a new version of this song for the 1988 movie The Naked Gun. Herman’s Hermits recorded for Cameo/Parkway Records, which was bought by Allen Klein, who as a result owned the rights to the songs Herman’s Hermits recorded for the label as well as tracks by The Animals, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and many others. Klein rarely allowed the songs he controlled to be used in movies.
Before Allen Klein’s death in 2009, Peter Noone explained to the Forgotten Hits newsletter how this song ended up in The Naked Gun: “They wanted to use the song in the movie. Klein declined because he knew he would have to account to somebody (e.g. Paramount). As he hates to account to anyone, because he can’t cheat and lie, he had to say no. The producers and writers contacted me with their story and I said, ‘I can make a copy exactly like the original and nobody will be able to tell the difference.’ When it was done, we decided you couldn’t tell the difference so we took off the guitar and replaced it with a whahhoo machine so Klein wouldn’t say it was the original. It’s a tragedy that Klein and his witless children stop all the product they control from being in movies so they can steal ALL the money. A question: Have any songs under the Klein families’ control ever been used in movies, commercials, TV shows? Doesn’t anyone ever wonder why? Surely there would be one Herman’s Hermits song, one Animals song. One song from a Cameo / Parkway artist, one Sam Cooke song, just one, that would work in a motion picture?”
Personally, I like the 1988 remake better than the original!
The week was a busy one to start with. Add a holiday to that and it get’s crazy!
This week, Ella only had to go to school two days.
They made turkeys out of paper plates. They also asked each child what they were thankful for. (“I’m thankful for when mommy tucks me in at night.”) They also colored and feathered a turkey. I love that she is spelling her full name now.
Andrew and I worked on a project on Sunday. He helped me install the new toilet seat. This one has a kid potty seat built right into it. I couldn’t have done it with out him.
Friday was absolutely insane. We rushed around so much! As crazy as it was, we spent the morning as a family. Quality time was much needed. First, we went to our amazing photographer, Beth, and did Christmas pictures. As always, she got some fantastic shots.
All smiles
The photo shoot is a “mini” session, so it is about 15 minutes long. That is perfect, because that’s about all that the kids can do without going nuts!
I see Ella every day. But it wasn’t until I saw last year’s pictures that I really see how much she has grown. The same with Andrew. They wind up looking like teenagers!
Look at that kid!
We got some great poses with the entire family, too. We’ll need to figure out which one goes on the Christmas card this year. I really like this one:
One thing I don’t feel like we get enough of is photos of Sam and me. So I had Beth snap a few for us.
Oh, how I love this woman!
After the photo session, we all went to breakfast. This is something that we rarely do, so it was a treat for all of us! We stopped by the local Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a delicious meal.
The kids were surprised that they could order whatever they wanted. Pancakes? Waffles? French Toast? Sausage? Bacon? Eggs? You name it, kid! You got it! Ella opted for blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. She’s a gal after my own heart.
Andrew ate his own meal (eggs, bacon, toast, and biscuits) and a bit of mom and dad’s, too! The thing he kept asking for was coffee! (That’s my boy!) He thought he was cool drinking from a big boy cup, too!
When I see this picture, I think of the future. I can see him sitting on the porch with me. We each have a coffee in our hands and we’re discussing how good life is…
Let’s slow down a bit, though, okay? Let’s not grow old too fast.
Now that it is officially the Christmas season, I’d like to offer up a holiday read for you. If you are looking for a quick holiday mystery to read, let me offer up one to you. I stumbled on author Peter Swanson when “Eight Perfect Murders” came up as a suggestion on Goodreads. That led me to read a few of this other books (The Kind Worth Killing, The Kind Worth Saving, Nine Lives, etc…).
When I saw that he had a Christmas book, I added it to my “to read” list. It’s been on there since just after Christmas last year. Since all the decorations are up, I thought this would be a good book to read by the lights of the tree.
The book is a novella. It is something that I read in one sitting. It wasn’t as good as some of his other stuff, but there was still a big twist in there which helped boost my rating of the book.
Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
An American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family’s Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village’s grim history.
Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma’s aloof and handsome brother.
But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she’d ever imagined?
Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.
The book was a nice read while I waited for the one I had on hold. It wasn’t like some of his other books, but the twist caught me off guard. Once that happens, the rest of the story all falls into place.
I would have given the book 3.5 stars, but the twist brought it up to 4 stars for me.
It’s time for another edition of Turntable Talk, hosted by Dave from A Sound Day. Again, I thank Dave for the invite to contribute to this feature. This month’s topic is an interesting one that had a lot of possible songs to choose from. This month it is History Lesson Or Music Class? We were instructed to “pick a song you like that’s based on reality- either a real event or a real life person, famous or otherwise, and tell us a bit about it. Musicians have found some incredible subjects based on history – either world or their own – to make great music from.”
I could come up with a few songs based on real events that I have already written about in the past. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and Smoke on the Water were both inspired by real events. Please, Mr. Columbus and Nightshift were both about real people. I was unsure about what to choose.
Naturally, I went to Google and did a search on songs inspired by real events or people. There are songs about the Kennedy assassination, the sinking of the Titanic, the bomb that dropped on Hiroshima, and just about everything else. As I read through the list, one song popped into my head that wasn’t even on the list. So I chose that one.
By the time this post goes live, all of the other contributor’s submissions will have already been published. The song I have chosen is one that is very fitting for the upcoming holiday season. It is based on an event that took place 110 years ago and is one of the amazing stories of World War I.
When World War I began, many thought that it would be over by Christmas. However, five months after the war began, it was still going strong despite many peace initiatives. On December 7, 1914, the Pope begged both the German and British governments for a truce. He asked “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang”, which was refused by both sides.
A major combat tactic in World War I was trench warfare. This is where the opposing armies dig trenches in order to protect themselves from enemy gunfire and gain an advantage. Trenches are usually built close together and can be miles long and up to 12 feet deep. I many cases the trenches of both sides were close enough that they could converse with each other. This was referred to as Fraternization (peaceful and sometimes friendly interactions between opposing forces) and was a regular feature in quiet sectors of the Western Front.
On Christmas Day, 1914, roughly 100,000 British and German troops were involved in the informal cessations of hostility along the Western Front. German soldiers placed candles on their trenches and on Christmas trees. They then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols. The British responded to this by singing carols of their own.
The shared experience of Christmas led to the two sides shouting Christmas greetings to each other from their trenches. Soon thereafter, there were excursions across No Man’s Land, where small gifts were exchanged, such as food, tobacco, alcohol, and souvenirs such as buttons and hats. During this time, weapons were laid down and there was no artillery fire.
On Christmas Day Brigadier-General Walter Congreve of Brittian wrote that the Germans declared a truce for the day. One of his men bravely lifted his head above the parapet and others from both sides walked onto no man’s land. Officers and men shook hands and exchanged cigarettes and cigars; one of his captains “smoked a cigar with the best shot in the German army”, the latter no more than 18 years old. Congreve admitted he was reluctant to witness the truce for fear of German snipers.
On December 26, 1914, British Private Henry Williamson wrote the following to his mother:
“Dear Mother, I am writing from the trenches. It is 11 o’clock in the morning. Beside me is a coke fire, opposite me a ‘dug-out’ (wet) with straw in it. The ground is sloppy in the actual trench, but frozen elsewhere. In my mouth is a pipe presented by the Princess Mary. In the pipe is tobacco. Of course, you say. But wait. In the pipe is German tobacco. Haha, you say, from a prisoner or found in a captured trench. Oh dear, no! From a German soldier. Yes a live German soldier from his own trench. Yesterday the British & Germans met & shook hands in the Ground between the trenches, & exchanged souvenirs, & shook hands. Yes, all day Xmas day, & as I write. Marvelous, isn’t it?”
The truces were not reported for a week, eventually being publicized to the masses when an unofficial press embargo was broken by the New York Times on New Year’s Eve. (The US was neutral at this time). English newspapers soon began printing numerous first-hand accounts from soldiers in the field, taken from letters home to their families and editorials on “one of the greatest surprises of a surprising war”. By January 8, 1915, pictures had made their way to the press.
As word spread of this truce, and as the war went on, officers on both sides sternly prohibited similar truces in the future!
I give you all of that detail for a reason. My song is Belleau Wood by Garth Brooks. It was released on his Sevens album. As you listen to it, notice how he is able to tell this story and convey all of the emotions involved in just 3 and a half minutes. It is beautiful, heartwarming, and sad at various points in the song.
The one line in the song that always gets me is: “Here’s hoping we both live to see us find a better way.” Here we are 110 years after this event and we are all still searching for “a better way.” Sigh.
As I researched this event and this song, I read a very good piece about the song by Sierra Smith, It was written in 2015 and can be found here:
Thanks again, Dave for hosting and for asking me to join in this month’s Turntable Talk. I know that I always enjoy writing for it and reading the other contributions. I’m already looking forward to next month’s topic!
I found a hard drive recently that has some of my old radio audio on it. It also has about 2 years worth of show prep, jokes, and stuff I will never use again. There were also some photos on there.
As I began to copy some of the pictures over, I attempted to sort them. I was transferring some photos I had of my dad. I noticed one already in the folder that made me laugh. Since it is a holiday picture, I thought I would share it.
You can always count on my dad and I doing something silly in a photo. I would guess this photo is probably from the late 1990’s. As I got older, my bald spot got bigger. I think my brother or mother took this picture. We were obviously talking about me losing my hair.
This was taken in my grandma’s condo. It is probably Christmas Eve. This was back when we wore a shirt and tie for holiday visits! As I look at this photo, I am frustrated. I cannot bring how the rest of the house looked to mind. I remember this room and the kitchen mostly.
I can make out a few things behind my dad and me. Those brass birds on the wall were just a small part of grandma’s collection. The blue flower lamp on the table was something. It just seemed so unlike my grandma’s style. She got it anyway. She got that gold clock on the wall after the grandfather clock stopped working, I think.
The chair in front of us I remember very well. There is a picture of all of us with my grandparents on their 50th anniversary. We took it in and around that chair. A few months later, my grandpa passed away.
On a lighter note, today, my dad has more hair than me. So the joke is on me, I suppose!
The final weeks of 2024 are upon us. On this Thanksgiving day, I find myself thinking of the things I am thankful for. I know that many readers will think, “Oh boy. Here we go again. Another list from Keith.” Let me ask you – How do you feel? I have found by reflecting on the things I am thankful for, I gain a new sense of happiness. You can too! Try it, and see.
I am thankful for:
My wife. Her love, patience and understanding mean so much to me. She is the glue that holds our family together. I fall in love with her over and over again.
My children. I have been blessed with 4 of the most amazing children. Each of them is so different from the other. Each of them a distinct personality. Each of them smart, beautiful, handsome, and funny! Thoughts of them fill my heart daily.
My Faith. I am thankful for the Bible and the knowledge I gain from reading it.
My Savior Jesus Christ. The never ending and unconditional love that He showed for me at Calvary’s Cross, well, there is no way to express how thankful I am for that.
My father. I am so grateful to still have him around. His guidance, his advice, his influence, and his laughter are things I truly appreciate.
My brother. For two kids who beat the snot out of each other growing up, we are very close. Closer than ever, actually. His support and love for my family overflows. I treasure the little texts or pictures we send to each other, many that need no explanation.
My friends. There are many people that fall into this category. From my best friends of over 50 years to radio friends, college friends, church friends, and more. Friendship is something I do not take for granted. Thank you for being my friend.
Memories. Again, there is so much to place into this category. The memories of loved ones who have passed away. The memories of the bad times, which makes the good times even more special. The memories of special events. The memories of joy and the memories of sadness. The memories that come with a book, movie, TV show or a song. The memories that an old photo bring to mind.
My job. I am grateful to have found a line of work that allows me to provide for my family. I am also thankful that I get to help people while doing it.
Our home. We are blessed to have a warm bed to sleep in. A couch to snuggle on. A kitchen to cook in. A roof under which happy memories are made.
Modern technology. While not all of it is good, I do like being able to spellcheck my work. It is also nice being able to search just about anything on Google.
You. I am thankful that you are reading this. I am thankful that you read and react to my blogs. I am thankful for you willingly choosing to follow this page.
The above list is small portion of my list of things to be thankful for. In I Thessalonians 5:18, the Bible says simply, “In everything, give thanks!” Doing that will change your heart. It causes you to look at things differently. You find it easier to cope with things. I aids in your understanding. It is also one of the hardest things to do. But I trust that it is what we all need to do. Give thanks in everything today and always.
May you and yours have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.
In 1998, I turned 28. I was still working in the mail room at EDS and spent a lot of time driving and making deliveries. Most of my radio listening was to the morning show on the alternative station or the rock station. The gal I was dating at the time would go on to become my first wife. She also listened to the same stations and we’d talk about stuff we heard on the shows. I will have to talk about her in more detail in a few. But only because it ties in with a song, that I suppose had to be on this list.
Let’s dive into the music.
If you are a regular reader to this blog, you are familiar with the Turntable Talk feature. Dave, from the A Sound Day blog hosts it and gives us a monthly topic. This month is was to write about a song that was based on a real event or a real person. My first song was almost my pick, but I knew this week it was on my list. Surprisingly, not one of the other bloggers chose it.
Here is the story from Songfacts:
The Way, by Fastball, is based on the true story of Lela and Raymond Howard. They were an elderly couple from Salado, Texas who drove to the annual Pioneer Day festival 10 miles away in Temple and didn’t return. She had Alzheimer’s disease and he was recovering from brain surgery.
When they disappeared, a reporter from the Austin American-Statesman wrote a series of articles about the missing couple. Fastball bassist Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading the articles (the band is from Austin). “It’s a romanticized take on what happened,” he said. Scalzo pictured them “taking off to have fun, like they did when they first met.”
Thirteen days after the Howards went missing, they were found in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 400 miles from their destination. They were still in the vehicle (an Oldsmobile Delta 88), which had veered off the side of the road and was hidden in brush. Scalzo had finished writing the song when he learned that the couple had died.
The song itself has a sort of retro feel to it. It also incorporates a lot of little sound effects into the mix. “There was this brief moment in time when people were having hits with really weird stuff,” Fastball’s Miles Zuniga said. “We got lucky that we came around at that time. Even two years later was too late.”
I think that is what I loved about the song. It starts off someone tuning a radio dial. It has a hollow sound to it. All of a sudden, you are hearing a full produced cut. That change in sound really grabbed me.
Songfacts puts it this way, The song opens with the sounds of an analog radio going up and down the dial, briefly tuning in stations amongst the static. When “The Way” starts, it’s as if the listener has found a song he likes and is going to give it a listen. For the first 40 seconds, the dynamics are restricted to simulate the limited frequency of a radio signal. At the line, “they drank up the wine,” the full range comes in.
Despite the sad story of the song, it is one of my favorite 90’s songs.
Listen carefully: The guitar solo was inspired by the song Secret Agent Man. Guitarist Mike Zuniga was a big fan of 50’s and 60’s songs.
The Way
Before you hear the next song. Here is a vocabulary lesson for you.
Jiggy. (adj.) (1) To be cool and trendy. (2) Often associated with a style of dress. (3) Dancing effectively. (4) Making a name for yourself. (noun) (1) sex.
Will Smith’s Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It was a monster hit. It was a song that packed the dance floor when it came out and for years afterward. It was often the song I played as the first fast dance when I was DJing weddings.
This song has so many different things piled into it. For example, This samples the beat from “He’s the Greatest Dancer” from Sister Sledge. Now add the “na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na” hook, which is from a song called “Sang and Dance” by the Bar-Kays. Finally it also incorporates some lyrical elements from the 1980 song “Love Rap” by Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three. (Who?!) Because of all of that, 12 different writers are credited as composers on the song!
I’m not really into rap music. While many consider this song rap, I think of it as more a pop/rock/dance/rap song. My favorite lines in the song, which make me laugh every time:
Women used to tease me Give it to me now, nice and easy Since I moved up like George and Weezie
Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It
Prior to 1998, I was spending a lot of time at the karaoke bar. It was a regular thing to close the bar for me. This song became the “Bar Closing Anthem” in 1998 and beyond. Many DJ’s used it at the end of the night, too.
Closing Time was Semisonic’s only American hit. Dan Wilson told The Hollywood Reporter how he wrote this song in 20 minutes:
“My bandmates were tired of ending our sets with the same song, so there was kind of an uprising where they demanded something different to end our nights with. So I thought, ‘OK, I’ll write a song to close out the set,’ and then boom, I wrote ‘Closing Time’ really fast.
There was one little adjustment later, which I credit to our A&R guy, Hans Haedelt. He said, ‘It’s too simple. You need to break up the rhythm of the verses.’ So that line, ‘Gather up your jackets, move it to the exits, I hope you have found a friend’ is the first time it deviates from the rhythmic pattern. He was right – it’s a great moment in the song.”
I used this for a while as my last song of the night, but it never felt right to me to end a DJ gig with a semi-upbeat song.
Closing Time
The next song is one that could be featured on my Movie Music Monday feature. The song appeared on the Can’t Hardly Wait soundtrack.
Can’t Get Enough of You Baby is a song that was written back in 1966! Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer wrote the song for the Toys. It was also recorded by The Four Seasons and Michigan’s ? and the Mysterians. ?’s version of the song was the more Rocking/Swinging version. When Smash Mouth recorded it, they copied that sound. Smash Mouth became the first group to bring it into the Top 40. They released it as the lead single from their Astro Lounge album.
This is one of those songs that immediately makes you feel good. Well, it does for me anyway. I mean, it’s a love song, but it rocks!
Fun Fact: Running just 2:29, this was the shortest Top 40 hit of 1998.
Can’t Get Enough of You Baby
Speaking of love songs, Diane Warren sure knows how to write them! I could write an entire blog about all of the hits that she has written! Maybe one day I will.
This is another song that could be a Movie Music Monday song. It appeared in the film, Armageddon, which starred Liv Tyler, the daughter of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Originally, U2 was asked to perform I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing. The idea for Aerosmith performing it only came after Liv was cast in the film. The song was “A grand production featuring a 52-piece orchestra. This was by far Aerosmith’s biggest hit on the US Hot 100, and their only chart-topper. It was #1 US for four weeks in September 1998, becoming one of the most popular songs of the year.” – songfacts.com
Diane Warren found inspiration for this song after hearing about an interview with James Brolin. He said that when his wife Barbra Streisand was away, he missed her even when he was sleeping. When she set out to write a song for Armageddon, she thought this was a good sentiment to express, since the film deals with the impending destruction of all on Earth.
This was another one of those “pack the dance floor” songs. Most of the time, it was used as the bridal dance. When it wasn’t I often played it in my first slow song set. As the DJ, it was always heart warming to see couples dancing to a song like this. Staring into each others eyes, or singing the lyrics to each other. I played this one a lot!
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing
My introduction to Barenaked Ladies was If I Had $1,000,000. The more I heard from them, the more impressed I became. I remember the first time I heard One Week on the radio. It really was something to hear them rattling off the lyrics.
Songfacts says: The band has said that this song is about a big fight in a relationship. The lyrics are essentially meaningless, but wildly entertaining. It showed off their clever wordplay in a rapid-fire interplay between their lead singers, Ed Robertson and Steven Page. Robertson wrote the song.
Robertson said, “I wrote the chorus structure of the song, but I couldn’t figure out the verses at all. I got together with Steve a bunch of times and said, ‘I have this idea for a song, and I couldn’t figure out where to go with it.’ And finally Steve said to me at some point, ‘Just freestyle it! Just do what you do onstage every night. It’s gonna be great.'”
The song One Week was a number one hit for the band – for one week.
One Week
Trivia Question: What was the most-played radio song in 1999 in 11 different countries, including Canada, UK, Australia, Japan and Israel? Answer: Kiss Me from Sixpence None The Richer.
Here in the US, the song got a lot of help and exposure from the media. Songfacts explains: It was used on the second season of the WB TV show Dawson’s Creek, first on November 11, 1998 and then on another episode that aired April 28, 1999. In between, it was used in the movie She’s All That, which premiered January 29, 1999. With just about every teenage girl in America hearing the song on the TV show, the movie, or the many radio stations that put the song in rotation, it cracked the Top-40 on February 27, 1999 and made it all the way to #2.
TV soundtracks helped a lot of songs in the 1990’s. Shows like Ally McBeal, Friends, Mad About You, and Party of Five were just a few that released soundtracks.
To me, I love the sound of the song. The guitar and the vocal of Leigh Nash blend so well together. It’s no wonder that Taylor Swift says it was the first song she learned how to play on the guitar.
Kiss Me
Last week, I mentioned the Swing Revival that was taking place and mentioned Zoot Suit Riot. The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were a part of that, but I believe that it was Brian Setzer who took it to a whole new level.
Brian Setzer had success with the Stray Cats in the 80’s. When he formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra and started covering jazz and swing songs, we saw a resurgence in his career.
The first album came out in 1994 and featured covers of Route 66 and Lady Luck. It also featured originals like the beautiful September Skies. The second album came out in 1996 and featured covers of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Roy Montrell, and Gene Pitney. In 1998, The BSO released the Dirty Boogie and the lead single was a Louis Prima classic.
Jump, Jive, an’ Wail originally appeared on a Louis Prima album called The Wildest. It was recorded live in Las Vegas in 1956. Setzer’s version went to #23 on the Hot 100 chart, but I always felt it was more popular than that. We used to get requests for it when we DJ’s so that people could swing dance to it.
I absolutely love this version. To me, Prima’s version sounds like the Demo and Setzer’s is the finished product! The song won Setzer a Grammy in 1999 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Jump, Jive an’ Wail
The next song is hard to include on this list. I almost skipped it, but in a feature that is called The Music of My Life, how could I not list it? Let me explain.
When my ex and I decided to get married, we didn’t have a wedding song. I had some suggestions that were pretty much shot down immediately. Looking back at this now, I understand why. I was never really going to have a say in the song. I had a list of great songs. I was a wedding DJ for crying out loud, I had all kinds that we could make work.
For weeks, I attempted to suggest song after song. For each song I would be told why it was a bad choice. I finally accepted that anything I offered up was going to be turned down for some reason. So when she came to me with Edwin McCain’s I’ll Be, I listened to it and told her okay.
That being said, I have to admit that I never really felt like this was a wedding song. Not surprising that Edwin didn’t feel it was either! In a songfacts interview he said the track was not intended as a love song at all: “It was kind of a Hail Mary prayer for me, personally. And it’s been obviously linked as a romantic song. It’s one of those things that I hesitate to say too much, because sometimes songs become what they were supposed to be, and it’s not really up to the songwriter to determine what that is.”
He went on to say that a break-up prompted him to pen this song: “It was the end of a relationship for me, and it was also an admission of my inability to function in a relationship, hence the love suicide line. And it was the hope that I would be better, grow and be better as a person. I was struggling with some personal problems at the time, as well, so it was all of those things. It was this admission of failure and this prayer that I could be a better person, wrapped up as sort of the end of a relationship kind of thought. And it was something that I said to a girl that I’d been going out with. I knew that she was waiting, and I always said to her, ‘Don’t ever look back on this in any other way than I’ll be your biggest fan.’ You know, ‘I’ll always be a fan.'”
So my first wedding song was about a break up. Maybe it was prohetic?
I’ll Be
The final song brings us back to Barenaked Ladies. It wasn’t until I researched this for this feature that I realized it wasn’t really a hit. It only got up to #44 on the charts, which is surprising to me. I almost like this more than One Week. For what it is worth, it did go to #1 in Canada.
As you watch the video, keep in mind that the band was not happy with it. They had a concept of what they wanted. It was to be seen from the point of view of various household pets. (A cat, a dog, a goldfish, and a bird). The band was disappointed with the filming of the video while it was being shot, as they did not feel it was fitting their concept.
Many times, a video helped a band with their song. This was not one of those times, obviously. I have to wonder how the release date played into the song’s poor performance. It was released in late December. The charts are pretty much done at that time, and you’ve got two weeks where nothing really changes. The song could have been dead in the water the week it was released. Sorry, that’s my radio mind spewing out thoughts.
It’s All Been Done
Did I miss one of your favorites from 1998? Let me know in the comments.
Next week, we’ll party like it’s 1999! On my list is a song that was so popular I played it 4 times at a prom. The list also features one of the songs that was shot down by my ex, movie music from two big animated films, an artist who waited 30 years for his first #1, a song that makes me think of Barbara Eden, and one of my favorite cover songs.
Robert Goulet was born on this day in 1933. He was one of those entertainers who seemed to do everything. He was cast as Sir Lancelot in the 1960 production of Camelot, which costarred Richard Burton and Julie Andrews. It was in that role that he sang If Ever I Would Leave You, which became his signature song. (In 1993, he would star in the revival of Camelot as King Arthur.)
In 1962, he began a recording career on Columbia Records. In his lifetime, he would record over 60 best selling albums!
Not everyone was a fan of Goulet. In 1974, he appeared on the Mike Douglas Show. Elvis Presley was watching that show from his suite at the Las Vegas International Hotel. He was so annoyed and irritated by Goulet’s performance that he shot the television set!!
He had his share of television roles, too. In 1966, he starred in Blue Light, as a journalist. He also starred in the Emmy winning show, Brigadoon. He has memorable guest starring roles on The Lucy Show, Alice, Mission: Impossible, Love Boat and Fantasy Island.
His movie roles include 1980’s Atlantic City, Beetlejuice, Scrooged, and the first sequel in the Naked Gun series. Goulet played a fantastic villain in Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear named Quentin Hapsburg.
Because it is Robert Goulet, I have to share how he “ends up” in that movie. It is one of my favorite scenes…
I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the Toy Story movies. My kids loved them. In Toy Story 2, Robert Goulet did not have a character with speaking lines in the film. However, he did provide the singing voice for Wheezy, the Penguin.
You’ve Got a Friend In Me will forever be connected with the Toy Story films. Personally, the Randy Newman version is just “ok.” The version that I absolutely love is the “Wheezy Version” that plays at the finale of Toy Story 2! Goulet’s swingin’ take on the song is just plain fun! The swinging arrangement is something that could have easily been a Sinatra chart!
Happy 53rd Birthday to the beautiful Christina Applegate. She is best remembered for her role as Kelly Bundy on TV’s Married With Children. She also starred in the title role on the TV series, Jesse. She went on to other TV roles in Samantha Who, Dead To Me, and Up All Night. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for her guest appearance on TV’s Friends.
She’s appeared on Broadway and has been in many hit films. She appeared in 1991’s Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead, 1996’s Mars Attacks, 1998’s Mafia, and 2015’s Vacation sequel. She is no stranger to comedy, and was the brilliant antagonist (Veronica Corningstone) to Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgandy in Anchorman.
Anchorman is set in 1974, so the soundtrack is full of some fantastic songs by Kansas, Jonathan Edwards, Neil Diamond, Bill Withers and Tom Jones. The one song that always sticks out to me is an Isley Brother’s classic. When Applegate’s character is brought into a conference room full of men, Who’s That Lady is playing as she walks in.
When Who’s That Lady was released, it became the Isley Brother’s first Top Ten song since It’s Your Thing in 1969. The song spent three weeks at No.6 on the pop chart and reaching No.2 on the R&B charts.
Last month, you may remember, I hosted a week of guests blogging about their favorite childhood toy. I felt that it went really well and have had many positive comments about it.
Recently, I was asked by readers and a few of the contributors if I planned on doing another round. I have decided that I will, but it will post after the holidays.
Perhaps you would like to take part in the next round? I would love to have you take part. If you are interested, feel free to drop me an email: nostalgicitalian@yahoo.com.
I was thinking we could talk about childhood reading. Maybe you could talk about a favorite book you read as a child or one that was read to you? Perhaps you have a book from your past that you shared with your children? It might even be a book you love reading every year.
Think about it and if you’re interested in participating, let me know. I was thinking of running it the second week of January.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 