I posted this on Facebook earlier today. I guess I was a bit miffed at a few things over the last couple days. So here is my opinionated post.
(Warning. Political rant ahead)
I try to avoid political posts. I do. However, tonight, I am asking you to be sure to get out and vote tomorrow, and I have some random thoughts to share.
I live from paycheck to paycheck. I work 40 hours a week. If I have to miss a day, I have to use PTO hours to fill the check. One big unexpected expense can throw us into a financial tailspin.
This is not just me. It is a majority of Americans! I do not need celebrities who have million dollar bank accounts telling me who I should vote for! This irks me so much. Shut up, you have no idea what is best for me or anyone else for that matter. You vote for who is best for you and let me decide for myself who is best for me, ok?
It makes me sick to think of the good that could be done and the people who could be helped by the billions of dollars used for campaigning. Instead, it is used to buy time for candidates spewing empty promises and trash talking each other. It is disgusting.
I have seen tons of posts today about how “Tomorrow” it will be all over. Speaking of the ads, texts and phone calls I am guessing. The truth is it isn’t over.
No matter what the outcome, one side will accuse the other side of something. There will be all kinds of legal mumbo jumbo being tossed around, people protesting outcomes, and probably violence. Throughout the “winner’s” term, the others will continue to make accusations of tampering, fraud, and God knows what else.
Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand.” That phrase is actually located in three of the four gospel accounts (Matt, Mark, Luke). It is a huge truth. Look at us, people! We are destroying ourselves from the inside. Division, hatred, violence….it’s insane. Other countries have got to be looking at us waiting for the country to implode.
I digress. Listen, my friend, you have every right to vote for who YOU want to. Do your research, know who your candidate is. Don’t be influenced by rich celebrities who are living in a home ten times the size of yours with no financial worry.
Vote for what is best for you. Vote for what’s best for your family. Vote because you enjoy the freedom to do so. Don’t be bullied into voting against your values or your beliefs. Vote because if you don’t – you have no right to complain about the outcome. You have a say – make it known. Vote!
And remember, who you vote for is no one’s business but yours! If you don’t vote for my candidate, that’s ok. You have volition. You have the right to make your own decisions. I don’t have to agree with you or vice versa. That’s one of those things the country was founded on, and one of the things that makes it so great – everyone has their own thoughts, beliefs, and choice of candidate.
Take pride and cast your vote tomorrow! Whatever the outcome, you did your part.
The Karate Kid is no longer a kid! Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel in the 1984 film, turns 63 today! The movie and it’s two sequels certainly helped Macchio gain star status.
He went on to appear in the 1986 film Crossroads and appeared on Broadway opposite Robert Deniro. I loved him in the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny with Joe Pesci. He also had roles in Entourage, How I Met Your Mother and Ugly Betty. In 2018 he reprised his role as Daniel in the YouTube series Cobra Kai.
Whenever I think of the Karate Kid, I always think of the cheesy Joe Esposito song, “You’re The Best.” The song it plays over a long, dialogue-free scene where Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence win their matches in the big karate tournament on their way to a showdown in the finals. The song itself was included on the movie’s soundtrack but wasn’t released as a single.
Songfacts says, “With negligible radio play and no music video, the song lay dormant until the turn of the millennium, when waves of nostalgia – and the internet – pushed it to the fore. It became a cultural touchstone, used in various movies, TV shows and commercials to represent the indomitable – if slightly hokey – spirit of the ’80s.”
The song almost debuted in another film. The music for the song was composed by Bill Conti, who did the score for The Karate Kid. The lyrics were written by Allee Willis (who contributed to Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” and the theme song to the show Friends). Bill Conti wrote “Gonna Fly Now” for the Rocky soundtrack. It was used again in the sequel. However, for Rock III, Sylvester Stallone wanted something different. Conti and Willis wrote “You’re The Best” for that film, but Stallone rejected it, going with “Eye of the Tiger” instead.
You’re the Best found it’s way to the Karate Kid film because, according to singer Joe Esposito, director John Avildsen loved it!
This is another book that was suggested to me by my wife. Local Woman Missing was a good read. This is the first book by Mary Kubica I have read. If her others are as good as this, I will have to add them to my list.
Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
People don’t just disappear without a trace….
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.
Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find….
In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times best-selling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
This was really one of those books I couldn’t stop reading, well, listening to. The audio book was very well done. It is read from the point of view of four main characters. One of them is one of the missing women.
The book bounces back and forth between the present and the events of 11 years prior. As the two time lines move forward, little by little, things come together. I found myself wondering how some of the characters played into the story . Also, what role they may have played in the disappearances of the woman/women.
The ending is one I should have seen coming, but never did. I loved that it stumped me! Definitely worth a read!
It was on this day in 2003 that one of the funniest TV comedies of all time first aired. I am talking about Arrested Development. This continues to be one of the few shows that makes me laugh out loud. I have seen the first three seasons more times than I can count, but the laughs remain.
Back in 2022, I was invited to participate in a TV Show Draft. It was run like a fantasy sport draft with each participant choosing a show one by one. The show was one of my picks and I wrote at length about it. Rather than rehashing all of that here, I will share the link for you.
As I mention in the 2022 blog, the show is considered a “cult classic.” Fans of the show appreciate a good running gag, dysfunctional family humor, distinct personalities of each character, and laughing out loud.
Maybe I need to go back and watch the latter seasons, because it has been some time. Maybe I will find them better than I did after the first watch. Either way, the three core seasons that aired on Fox remain as fresh and funny as they did in 2003.
Every once in a while my kids will do something that just amazes me. That happened last night on Halloween.
I took the day off so I could be with the kids yesterday. However, I wound up going to work for a few hours. I need to bank a few extra hours for upcoming stuff. My daughter decided that she wanted to come to work with me. She was welcomed by a big box of donuts in the break room!
After I sorted through things to get my coworkers ready for the night, we drove home. We had about an hour before it was time to trick or treat, so we all enjoyed dinner together.
The temperatures were not too cold, unlike the last couple years. It was windy, which made it feel chillier than it was. As you know, the kids have been on the mend, so we made sure to dress them warm.
My wife is all about matching. This year, we “coupled” based on their costumes. Andrew was a fireman. Naturally, the fireman had to have a Dalmatian dog. Mommy was happy to help.
Ella was Wonder Woman, and needed someone to help her fight off the candy stealing criminals. I was happy to step in as “Bat-Dad!”
This year we opted not to take the wagon with us, so that meant we were all walking. We got one half of our street done and made our way to the next one over. About halfway down, Ella decided that she wanted to go home. We completely understood, and it was decided that Andrew and I would keep going.
A few minutes later, my phone rang. I had told the folks at work to call if they had any questions about the night. It wasn’t work. It was Sam.
“You locked the door.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“You have the key!”
“Uh, yeah, I do.”
So Andrew and I walked back home to let them in the house. When we got back home, he said he wanted to stay home. I was surprised. I thought for sure he’d want to go back out, but he didn’t.
We had a big bowl of candy from past trunk or treats. Sam thought it would be a good idea to pass it out to the kids walking. So we went on the porch and passed out candy. They kids LOVED being able to give candy to the kids. Now here is the unexpected twist…
As we were getting to the bottom of the candy bowl, we said we’d have to go inside. The kids both grabbed their candy buckets and dumped them into the bowl. We asked if they were sure they wanted to do that, and they said they were.
Every time someone walked up to our house, they’d run over to them and hand them sweets. The joy and excitement on their faces and those who were receiving the candy was worth it. When we finally ran out of candy and went inside, we asked they why they gave away their candy. Ella said, “I like sharing.”
For today’s Friday Photo Flashback, I want to share one of my favorite pictures of my dad. I asked my dad about his age in this picture and he told me he was 15.
I love this photo so much. ALll my life, my dad has never been without a guitar. He was always playing it growing up. I know that he played it growing up and eventually played it in wedding bands.
Check out those cheesy tuxes!
I have fond memories of him listening to current hits trying to figure out the chords or solos. One that sticks out, I have mentioned a few times. Watching him figure out the intro to The Breakup Song by the Greg Khin Band was mesmerizing. I loved every second of it.
There were times when my dad would need a drummer to fill in at a gig. It was often my Godfather and Uncle Tom who would be there. Those two together were always a blast, so I can only imagine those gigs. I actually found a photo of my Uncle Tom with my dad at a wedding.
After his band broke up, he joined another band and began to play bass guitar. I guess he would occasionally play lead guitar, but not often. The instrumentation was different in that band and it had a great sound.
When I graduated in 1988, my dad gathered together some of the old band members. Without rehearsal, they played music for my graduation party. It was a jam session for them all. When my uncle wasn’t playing drums, he would sing. My cousins would fill in on drums and guitar.
You can see how much fun they were having in that first picture.
When DJ’s sort of took the wedding band’s job, my dad started spinning records at the VFW. My Uncle, who was also a veteran, would come up and hang out. Those nights always consisted of loud laughter.
I shared theae pictures today because today is my dad’s 78th birthday. I truly hit the jackpot to get him as my father. He has been a great supporter of me throughout the many years of my life. He has influenced me musically in more ways than I can count. Not to mention the introduction to classic movies and TV shows. He is a hero to me.
I am so lucky to still have him in my life. I love when we get to be together, and love that when we can’t, there is video chat.
Thanks, Dad, for simply being you. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I wish you the happiest birthday, yet. I love you, Pop.
It is time for another edition of Turntable Talk, hosted by Dave from A Sound Day. There seems to be no shortage of music topics for him to present. This month the topic is a bit different. Here are his instructions:
It’s time to Hit the Road, Jack … you’re invited to take part in a sort of magical road trip… but with a few restrictions. You can go to any music location you’d like to see, and if it is long gone, we can assume it was still there for you to see (or that you could go back in time to see it). Studio, concert venue, house, record store, you name it! Wanna see Graceland (or see it again if you’ve been) – boom! You’re there.
As I began to think on my musical place, I became depressed. This is because there are so many places that I have never been to. Yes, I have been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yes I have been to Graceland. Sadly, despite the 90 minute drive from where I live, I have never visited the Motown Museum!
Next I began to think about concert venues. I looked up “Greatest Concert Venues” and it is quite a list. Surprisingly, Pine Knob Music Theater (in Clarkston, MI) is one I have been to numerous times! It’s a great place to see a show. I couldn’t believe that it was counted as one of the “greatest” among some of the others.
In the cartoons, it meant you had made it if you played The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It was always a big deal if an artist is playing Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall or Madison Square Garden in New York. As many times as I have been to Nashville, I have never seen a show at the Ryman Auditorium. Outside of the US, it is big to play the Syndey Opera House in Australia or Royal Albert Hall in London.
There are so many great places on the list, but one stood out. It is a venue that I truly hope to see a show at some day. Many artists have recorded albums or videos there. They include, the Grateful Dead, Joe Bonamassa, U2, Barenaked Ladies, Stevie Nicks, The Dave Matthews Band, and even John Tesh! That place is the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison Colorado.
I am in awe of this truly amazing place. The venue is approximately ten miles southwest of Denver. The venue is best recognized by its two massive monoliths. They are named “Ship Rock” and “Creation Rock”. There is also the smaller “Stage Rock”. All of them together flank its 9,525 capacity seating area and naturally form the amphitheater.
Imagine seeing your favorite band on stage, while enjoying the breathtaking scenery! It is on my bucket list!
The experience that a concert viewer would have is incomprehensible to me. Go back to the first photo and scroll down. Think about the various changes in light, the beauty of the setting sun, the lights up on the rocks, and finally night fall. Wow!
I would think that this has to be an extraordinary experience for the artists, too. While their view is a bit different than the audience, it still is pretty amazing.
I believe that I am the last contribution before Dave wraps up this topic. I can’t help but wonder what the other bloggers have chosen. Did they chose a venue? A recording studio? A musical museum? By the time you read this, you will already know – and so will I. Right now, however, I am excited to find out what they chose.
Thanks again to Dave for asking me to participate in this feature. I would also like to thank him for his understanding. I chose to run my Share Your Nostalgia Feature right around the same time as Turntable Talk. He did some shuffling and made it work for all of the writers involved. Should I do another topic, I will check with Dave and make sure the schedules are good for everyone.
I’ve been having fun on the blog in the last week or so. However, we’ve experienced our share of rough stuff at home. Hopefully, we’re working our way towards the end of it.
Germs!
It started with Ella about three weeks ago. She went to urgent care with a fever. They said it was an ear infection and sinus infection and to follow up with her primary doc. They confirmed what urgent care said and we did a round of antibiotics. She missed a week of school and went back. She hung on to a deep cough, but she had no fever. The cough continued and we took her back to the doctor who told us it was due to drainage. When she spiked another high fever, we were back at the doc who gave us another antibiotic.
Saturday, she wasn’t really herself. My brother was in town and she was kind of clingy. On Sunday, my brother was supposed to come back over, however, plans changed. Ella woke up with a fever of 105.1. So it was off to the ER.
She was miserable. They swabbed her to check for Covid, Strep, and any other virus. They gave her Motrin and the fever started to break. They took her for x-rays to check for pneumonia, too. We were there from 8:30am until about 2pm. No pneumonia, urinalysis was fine, chest was clear, but she does have a form of Coronavirus that is not Covid. She came home and immediately fell asleep on the couch.
She slept for almost five hours. Sam stayed up with Andrew while I was at the ER. When we got home she laid down to nap, too. My brother didn’t know how long we’d be and figured it was best to let Ella rest. He ended up going home early. So it was just me and Andrew.
We went outside and raked leaves. He was pretty proud of the big pile we made, and he wanted a picture.
Andrew, Sam and me have all had a cough. Sam seems to have gotten what Ella has. Andrew and I are just coughing. I hope this goes away!
Kit Kat Club?
Sam ordered a cat tree for the kitten. She is extremely playful and loves to claw at things. The hope is that she will sharpen her claws on it, and use it to rest. I don’t think that is going to be an issue….
Keith – AI
I was scrolling Facebook this week and something popped up. It was some AI thing that Facebook has. It said to have it “imagine” something and it would create it. You can say, “Imagine pigs flying” and bingo – there is a picture. So I said, “Imagine me as a radio DJ.” Real creative, right?
The first thing it did was took a picture of me from the front, and both sides. It had me upload a picture or two of me to aid it in the creation. Next thing I know….
Not bad, I suppose. Something is obviously wrong with my right hand as it only has three fingers! I’m not sure about the headphone cords … something isn’t right there. On another note, if I was really this thin, I’d be extremely happy!!!
Naturally, I had to try another. That one was too easy. So I said, “Imagine me as Columbo.” I meant, of course, Peter Falk’s iconic character. I never clarified that at all and wanted to see what it came up with. I’m not going to lie, it is kind of impressive.
They got the raincoat and messy hair, although most of it is covered by a hat. I may have to make this my profile picture on Facebook. It’s too good!
Ewe Never Know What You Might Ram Into …
Our town has a Facebook page. It is used to talk about events, traffic issues, and so on. The past week has been a real hoot. It seems that someone’s ram got loose and ran away.
The page began to fill with ram sightings all over town.
This thing was everywhere and they couldn’t seem to catch it.
It became quite humorous as people were creating memes and other photoshopped pictures with it. Those were funny, but I though the real photos were funnier.
I mean, here is this ram just out enjoying the sights and sounds of our town!
I won’t lie, I was actually a bit disappointed when they posted that he was finally caught and returned home.
He was so popular, I may write him in as my candidate for President!
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.
I turned 24 in 1994. In the 7 years I had been on the radio, I was starting to get used to the fact that radio stations made changes often. It happened again when Honey Radio went off the air that year. I would go on to land a gig at W4 Country in Detroit soon after.
1994 was also the year my paternal grandfather passed away. I was very close to him and that grief hung around for some time.
Musically, I was DJing a lot more parties and discovering more music. Thanks to a full time job where I drove a lot, I discovered some alternative music that I really enjoyed. Many of those tunes will show up in the lists/years ahead.
Let’s check out 1994 …
As someone who feels like I can never put my feelings into words, I appreciate a song that can. Beautiful In My Eyes was a huge Bride and Groom song when I was DJing. When it wasn’t the bridal dance, it was a slow song that always packed the dance floor.
When I DJ’d my cousin’s second wedding, it was on the “Do Not Play” list. Why? It was the wedding song she used in her first marriage. As strange as it may sound, that happened a lot.
Joshua Kadison describes the song as being about “a love that just lasts forever, and you’ll always be beautiful in my eyes.” I’ve always thought it was an example of a great love song. I will also admit that I had no idea what he looked like until I found this video.
Beautiful in My Eyes
We had Doug Stone do a show for us when I worked at the Moose. He was a nice guy and fun to chat with. By the time he did our show, he’d pretty much had all of his hits.
One song that I found extremely relatable was Addicted to a Dollar. There are lyrics in here that any hard working person can relate to!
“F.I.C.A. and the state – they make my paycheck look like a big mistake. Tax man takes his before I see a cent And what they don’t get, I’ve already spent.”
“Got me more payments than I’ve got checks. Ten more to go on this car, it’s a wreck.”
Those hit home on many levels, especially for a radio guy! Even long after my radio career, those lyrics can still hit home.
Addicted to a Dollar
Next up, the only US hit for Des’ree, who had quite a few hits in the UK. I like this song because it’s kind of a pep talk. It’s about not being ashamed to express your feelings and about living life to its fullest.
The whole song is loaded with wisdom. The chorus is something that a person could easily tell themselves everyday when they look in the mirror.
“You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together All I know, all I know, love will save the day“
Some days you just gotta push through, and being bad, bold, wise, hard, tough, strong, cool, and calm can certainly help!
You Gotta Be
The Troggs followed up their hit “Wild Thing” with the ballad Love Is All Around. They took the song to #7 in 1967.
The group Wet, Wet, Wet covered it for the movie Four Weddings And A Funeral. It wasn’t the only song they could have recorded. The band chose “Love is All Around” over Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and Barry Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You” even though some of their members hadn’t heard it before.
Singer Marti Pellow related that the decision to pick “Love Is All Around” was an easy choice “because we knew we could make it our own”. They made the right choice, as their version was a UK #1 for 15 weeks and became the best selling single in the UK in 1994.
The song is so much different than the Troggs’ version. I think that is why I like it so much! It isn’t that the Troggs’ version sounds dated or anything, I just think the Wet, Wet Wet version sounds more polished. It’s fantastic.
Love Is All Around
I wish I had a dollar for every time I have played this next one at a wedding or party! It was one of my most requested songs – Cotton Eyed Joe. What’s funny is that while high school kids were asking for it, they have no idea just how old the song is!
Songfacts says “This song originated in America in the 1800s, and is commonly associated with the American South. It became a popular song in country bars, as it was perfect for line dancing. It’s a traditional folk song, and many country artists recorded it.
Rednex is a group of Swedish producers who recorded “Cotton Eye Joe” as a techno dance song. After putting the song together, they came up with the country bumpkin motif and named the group Rednex, a play on the word “redneck,” a term for an uncultured southerner in America.
They found five Swedish performers to portray the band, dressing them in tattered clothes and giving them a stereotypical hillbilly look, with unkempt hair and dirty faces. In a cagy marketing move, they refused interviews and released a bio to the press explaining that the group was rescued from an uncivilized village called Brunkeflo in the backwoods of Idaho and brought to Sweden, where they could express their musical gifts. Their names were Bobby Sue, Billy Ray, Mary Joe, BB Stiff and Ken Tacky – all inbred.“
What a way to start a band, huh?
Cotton Eyed Joe
I don’t think I could ever be a good songwriter. There are some lines that I think are just brilliant. One of those lines is the opening line of Green Day’s Basket Case.
“Do you have the time to listen to me whine about nothing and everything all at once?”
That’s a great line! This song is about anxiety attacks and a feeling that you are going crazy. Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong suffered from various panic disorders while he was growing up – he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a panic attack and walk around his neighborhood to settle down. “Basket Case” was a cathartic and personal song for him. “The only way I knew how to deal with it was to write a song about it,” he explained.
Songfacts says “Blasting right into the verse at the beginning of this song is something that set it apart. Simplicity was a hallmark of the Dookie album, and while omitting an intro made little marketing sense (DJs couldn’t talk up the song), it got right into the meat of the track. Tre Cool of Green Day cites the first Beatles album, Please Please Me, as an influence on Dookie, since many of those early Beatles songs also got right to the point.”
Basket Case was one of those alternative songs I heard on the radio and it made me want to hear more from Green Day.
Basket Case
I’ve got the chance to hang out and interview Aaron Tippin a couple times. He’s a huge supporter of our veterans, and does a lot of charity work
During his stage show he puts together a bicycle while singing a song. Then he brings out someone from a children’s hospital or foster home and donates the bike and more to those children. Class act!
Off air, I found out he was a big fan of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. We chatted for a long time about their music. At his county fair show, he donned a fedora and nailed a Sinatra song. It was amazing.
My dad loves his music and he asked if I would get an autograph for him. Aaron and I were talking and I mentioned my dad’s request. My dad loves Aaron’s patriotism and support of veterans. I mentioned this to him. Aaron wanted to know more about him. Where did he serve? How long? What branch of service?
He grabbed one of his photos and signed it for my dad. It hangs proudly in my dad’s music room. “Sam. I KNOW you got it honest! Thank you. Aaron Tippin.”
I Got It Honest
The video for the next song is what got me. More on that in a second.
Weezer’s Buddy Holly was almost called “Ginger Rogers.” Well, it could have been. According to songfacts “The early demo of this song had a slower tempo and some different lyrics. The chorus originally referenced famous dancing duo Fred & Ginger: “Oo-wee-oo you look just like Ginger Rogers, Oh, oh, I move just like Fred Astaire,” before it was changed to “Oh wee-ooh, I look just like Buddy Holly, Oh, oh, and you’re Mary Tyler Moore.”
The video was just awesome. Spike Jonze directed it. Vintage Happy Days footage was intercut with shots of Weezer performing on the original Arnold’s Drive-In set. Al Molinaro, who played the diner’s owner on the series, made a cameo appearance in the video.
Think about this: Happy Days aired in the 1970s but was set in the 1950s, when Buddy Holly made his mark. So here we have a ’90s video referencing a ’70s TV series set in the ’50s.
The video was one of the most popular clips of 1995, it scored four MTV Video Music Awards, including Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Music Video, and two Billboard Music Video Awards, among them Alternative/Modern Rock Clip of the Year.
The single was released to radio on September 7, 1994, which would have been Buddy Holly’s 58th birthday.
Buddy Holly
In 1994, Huey Lewis and the News released Four Chords and Several Years Ago. It was an album of 50’s and 60’s cover songs. What made this really cool was that they recorded it just like they would have in those days.
You didn’t have the guitar track laid down beforehand. The drummer wasn’t in a separate booth. All the musicians and vocalists were in the same room recording at the same time. This gave the songs a very authentic sound.
The band’s final entry into the Hot 100, was a cover of the JJ Jackson hit But It’s Alright. This is not to be confused with an earlier cover they did of the Impression’s It’s Alright. They did that one all acapella.
Four Chords is one of my favorite albums.
But It’s Alright
It is fitting that the next song is the last one on my list for 1994. It’s fitting because since it came out, I almost always used this song as the last song of the night when I DJ’d.
Madonna’s Take A Bow has a beautiful instrumentation and arrangement. While beautiful, it is sad. This song is about a failed romance Madonna had with “a movie star,” possibly Warren Beatty, whom she starred opposite in the movie Dick Tracy.
Babyface sang backup and also produced this track to give Madonna the R&B feel she wanted for the Bedtime Stories album. At Madonna’s suggestion, this song was recorded with a full orchestra. It was the first time Babyface had worked with live strings.
I always felt like it was a perfect song to wrap up with. The lyrics say, “The show is over, say goodbye.” I also liked that it was a 5 minute song, which gave me a little time to start packing up at gigs. At some gigs, if I had a friend there, or my significant other, I could sneak in a brief dance with them.
Take a Bow
And just like that, we’re through 1994. Like other years, there were plenty of good ones to choose from. Which one of your favorites did I miss?
Next week, we’ll hear the dance craze people love to hate, a band that was superior to another, a soulful sweet collaboration, a rather strange song, and the reuniting of one of the biggest groups in history. I hope you’ll stop by to check it out ….
The amazing Neal Hefti was born today in 1922. Neal may not be a name that you recognize, but I bet that you recognize at least one of the songs that he has composed.
He was a jazz trumpet player, arranger, and composer. He began arranging songs in his teens and went on to arrange songs for Woody Herman and his band, including the famous Woodchopper’s Ball. After leaving Herman’s band he did freelance work for Buddy Rich, Billy Butterfield and Harry James.
In 1950, he began to arrange charts for Count Basie. He was a key factor in the “Basie sound.” Basie liked his stuff so much, Basie had him arrange some charts for Basie and Frank Sinatra. When Frank and Basie recorded together, they recorded standard songs that Frank had recorded before, however, Hefti’s arrangements were done so that the band complimented Sinatra’s singing.
Hefti led his own band in the 50’s and did so until moving back to California in 1960. When he returned, he began to do work for the film industry. He enjoyed a lot of success writing movie and television music. His film music included songs for The Odd Couple, Sex and the Single Girl, and Barefoot in the Park.
The music for the Odd Couple movie led to him writing music for the television series. He wrote the theme song and background music for the Odd Couple and a little super hero show that took the nation by storm in 1966 – Batman.
He received three Grammy nominations for his television work and received one award for his Batman television score. The Batman Theme was “a simple cyclic twelve-bar blues-based theme” that became a Top 10 single for The Marketts (and also for himself).
My brother and I watched Batman in syndication and we love the campiness of it to this day. The them is iconic (and easy to sing along with). Happy 102nd Birthday, Mr. Hefti!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 