"Randy Scouse Git" - The Monkees (1968)

This is one of those songs that sometimes nag at your memory. You can almost hear it but not quite. I was trolling through the You Tube garden and ran across a title I didn’t recognize; which is this record. That was weird, because I remember the song completely. Just never stored the title I suppose.

The real reason I probably remember this song is because of the backstory to it; which involved The Beatles, who had thrown a party welcoming the Monkees to London in May 1967. This was the same time frame as the Mick Jagger/Keith Richards “Redlands” bust. I remember the news saying stuff like “but the American pop group The Monkees have stayed out of trouble while in London.”

   

Micky Dolnez came up with the title while watching the BBC show Til Death Do Us Part”; which was the precursor to our American series “All In the Family.” In this show the main character was a guy named  Alf Garnett who spent much of the shows insulting his son-in-law from Liverpool and calling him a “scouse”; which is is kind of a nasty term. Anyway, it made an impression on Dolnez; enough that he wrote his first song about it. That’s some powerful TV!

The Beatles threw a party at the Speakeasy; a popular London nightclub of the day. The song is really about the people at the party. From the opening line of “She’s a wonderful lady, but she’s mine…” it alludes to the people they met that night. The “wonderful lady” is Mama Cass Elliot; while “the four kings of EMI” are The Beatles themselves. The “disc  girl” is Samantha Juste, who later became Micky Dlonez’ wife. It’s interesting to note that this is kind of the same way in which Don McClean wrote “American Pie” about 4 years later.

This song was never released as a single; only on the album. The Monkees; as was the practice with most groups at the time; released several singles which were not on the LP’s; like “D.W. Washburn”, which was a favorite of mine.

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" - Carole King Demo (1966)

Here’s Carole King’s demo recording of “Pleasant Valley Sunday” which she co-wrote with her then husband Gerry Goffin. He wrote the lyrics about the life they were then leading living in a suburban development in West Orange, New Jersey.

Demos are recordings made by artists who are writers and not necessarily performers. The demos are shopped around to various artists in the hopes that one of them will score a Number One hit with their own version of the song. The resultant royalties due the writer are enormous when a record goes Gold or Platinum. In the days before she recorded her own songs, Ms. King made a small fortune in this way. That was before she released her blockbuster album “Tapestry” in 1970.

The Monkees had the big hit with this one. Of course they aren’t really playing all the instruments as they appear in the film below. Chip Douglas, their music producer, played bass on this one, after showing Mike Nesmith which strings to play on guitar to make the signature riff. 

Notice the absence of that riff in Ms. King’s version and you will understand the difference between being a writer and a performer. That riff is actually a variation of George Harrison’s guitar part on “I Want to Tell You” from the Revolver album. Peter Tork did actually play the piano and Davy Jones shook the maracas while Mickey Dolnez sang the lead vocal.

The record peaked at Number 3 and still gets plenty of airplay today. It’s always an interesting experience to compare a writer’s version of a song to the “hit” by someone else. More often than not I enjoy the writer’s version more. But in this case, I have to go with the Monkees.

Eyewitness to Lincoln's Assassination - (1956)

I'm always looking for old TV shows and unusual things to post here each day. It's not as simple as you might think. Sometimes I have 20 things ready to go at once; while at other times I am really scrambling for something interesting. It sometimes feels like "feast or famine", and at those times it boils down to "sink or swim."

At any rate, this is a cool little segment from the "I've Got a Secret" television show which aired on February 9, 1956. The guest is Samuel J.Seymour, 97 years young form Maryland. His claim to fame is that he witnessed the assassination of Abraham Lincoln as a boy. He was about 6 years old at the time of the event at Ford's Theater.

I won't recap the clip - best to let you view it without a preamble. Suffice to say that it just one of the things that I enjoy so much about the internet. I can actually go online and find oral accounts of historical events from people who not only never wrote these recollections down, but are now; as Lincoln was;  lost to the ages.

These clips are valuable additions to the books I read. Enjoy Mr. Seymour's story as you try to imagine life as a 6 year old boy in 1865 Washington, D.C.

"Starportrait" - Acker Bilk (1959)

An offhand comment from another episode of Inspector Lewis brought me to You Tube to find out what Acker Bilk was all about. In the episode I was watching from the Third Season, Inspector Lewis makes a comment concerning him to his younger partner, who always knows everything. But this time, Lewis had him stumped; answering only that it was something from the “old days”.

Of course, that sent me to the computer to find out. Some might describe Acker Bilk as being Britain’s version of Artie Shaw. Mr. Bilk is a well accomplished clarinet player, and holds a place in the hearts of many in Britain for his fluid renditions, or “covers”, of other artist’s hits as well as his own compositions. So, I would imagine that Mr. Bilk’s recordings have been played at English weddings for decades now, becoming a staple.

This number, “Starportrait”, the title of which immediately made me think of “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael, was written and released in 1959 by Bill Acker and His Paramount Jazz Band. He would later go on to record “Stranger on the Shore” which he also wrote, and that is the hit for which he is most remembered. Among those backing Mr. Acker on his clarinet are Dave Collett on piano, Ernie Price on bass, Ron Mackay on drums. Mr. Acker is a new artist for me and a reflection of Britain’s Post World War Two and Pre- Beatles era. It’s amazing what you can pick up on while watching TV.

And here's Mr. Acker with his orchestra in the 1970's doing "The Twelve of Never." Real ragtime New Orleans style jazz.

Joe Seneca - Bluesman

I was watching an old Matlock the other night when I heard a familiar guitar sound. Looking at the credits I saw the name Joe Seneca and this old re-run became instantly of more interest to me. For lovers of the blues Joe Seneca is a legendary name. Many people will be familiar with his work in the film “Crossroads”, and some even with his guest appearance on “Matlock” with Andy Griffith. 

In the 3^rd season episode titled “The Blues Singer”, Mr. Seneca plays an old guitar picking legend named Eddie Haynes, who has fallen on hard times, and finds himself accused of a murder he did not commit. When Ben Matlock takes the case he gets Joe released to his custody and they share Ben’s house for the duration of the trial. Naturally, the two wind up doing a bit of picking together, to the delight of the viewer. At the end of the show there is actually a little “jam” session with Andy, Joe, and Brownie McGhee.

Coincidentally, Joe Seneca was born Joel McGhee, but apparently changed his name, possibly to avoid confusion with the legendary Brownie. Also of note is that they both passed away in 1996, within 6 months of one another. Brownie passed away in February, and Joe Seneca in August. 

One of the hallmarks of The Andy Griffith Show, and later the Matlock series, is the presence of music in so many of the shows. Andy was a very gifted guitar player and singer whose tastes ran from gospel to folk and even some jazz. And he never lost an opportunity to showcase other musical talents on his show.

The Darlings, who in real life were the Dillard’s, are a perfect example of the tradition Mr. Griffith started on his first show while playing Sheriff Andy Taylor. That group enjoyed several decades of success in real life after the Andy Griffith Show ended its run in the 1960’s.

I was a stranger to the Matlock series until recently, but have found them to be well written and full of surprises. In many of the shows Mr. Griffith manages to feature some of his old buddies from The Andy Griffith Show, and in several episodes even plays the role of his own father in flashbacks.

Joe Seneca was an original member of the group The Three Riffs, and wrote “Talk to Me” in the late 1950’s. The record was performed by Little Willie John. Joe Seneca drifted more and more towards television and film roles in his later years, but always kept up with his music. 

"Dyn- O- Mite" by Jimmie Walker (2012)

This book came as a total surprise to me. I had just seen some short sound bite thing about the author while passing through the living room the other night. Sue had on some show, ET, etc., and I caught him out of the corner of my eye. I have no idea what he was saying, as I didn’t take the time to listen. TV in the mid-seventies was a blank for me; I was simply too busy doing other stuff.

So, when I went to the Mooresville Public Library the other day; and saw this book staring me in the face; I took it as an omen that I should read it. I’m glad I did. The author, veteran stand-up comic Jimmie Walker, one time star of TV’s “Good Times”, has written a really good book. He discusses everything with candor, from his own upbringing; and his father’s desertion of the family; to his experiences in the projects of New York City, and his slow climb to fame. Along with the likes of Jay leno and david lettermen, the author came of age in a world of comedy where it was okay to be edgy, but there were still boundaries not to be crossed.

I was amazed at his relationship with legendary Norman Lear, the groundbreaking producer behind shows such as “All in the Family”, as well as well as his connections to other “white” comics of the era. The author’s flexibility allowed him to be influenced by, as well as becoming an influence to, many of his colleagues. He has remained in contact with many of those people to this day.

His stories of the last days of the old “Chitlin’ Circuit” are priceless, as those are times that will never be with us again. Although for good reason, one can’t help but wonder if the hardships these guys endured as a result of racial disparity actually added to the edge which they bought to comedy. After all, sometimes the only thing you can do is laugh.

The book is written in the imitable style of Jimmy Walker; fresh and irreverent. He gives his side of the ups and downs of TV sitcoms, versus standup comedy, holding nothing back. He quotes accurately from his former colleagues Jay Leno and David Letterman, and along the way has managed to introduce me to several more writers and comedians to enjoy.

The real complaint, if any, which Mr. Walker has, concerns the producers who said he was “too black” black in the 70’s, and then found him to be “not black enough” in the 90’s! This is something I have read about in other actor’s memoirs, and some good actors were passed over for this very reason, which seems silly now, but was of great significance back then.

This book has me watching some re-runs of “Good Times” on You Tube, and it’s actually a pretty good show, which captured 25% of its audience time slot for 6 years, in spite of constantly shifting nights in order to aid another show. Some of the plots were edgy for their timing, and relevance, to the black community; but to paraphrase Director Norman Lear, it was so much more. It was the first time in which white Americans got a look inside the projects, and realized just how similar all of our problems are. And Jimmy Walker played no small part in communicating that message to us all. This was a very surprising, and engaging book.

Midnight Special - 1973

Remember Burt Sugarman's "Midnight Special" from the 1970's? Along with Don Kirschner's "Rock Concert", these iconic shows, both of which were the precursors of MTV, were viewed by millions during the years in which they aired. At the time of this video, I was living in Ohio, working in a factory. These shows were a staple of life for thousands of factory workers like me on Friday nights. Of course there was a little bit of hooch involved in watching the concerts, but with, or without it, these shows aired some pretty good music.

I wasn't sure of what I wanted to post today, so I turned to my old friend You Tube and typed in the word "specials", figuring that I would come up with some old footage from the variety shows which used to play on TV. But the first thing that came up was this hit by a group whose name I never forgot- simply because I never knew it in the first place. The record was one of my favorites at the time, and it really hasn't become "dated" over the years. The song is a cover version of "Brother Louie", originally recorded by Hot Chocolate, before being covered by this band named Stories.

Stories was primarily a "rock and pop" group, from New York during the early 1970s. It's members were keyboardist Michael Brown, bassist/vocalist Ian Lloyd, guitarist Steve Love, and drummer Bryan Madey. "Brother Louie" would be their only hit record, reaching #1 in 1973. Ian Lloyd would quietly go on to influence such bands as Foreigner, Peter Frampton, and Foghat. Also of note is that Michael Brown was a founding member of a group called the Left Banke, and wrote their 1965 hit single, "Walk Away Renee."

The introduction by Jose Feliciano is a great indication of the variety we were all exposed to in the days before satellite radio and all the other new technology which allows the viewer/listener to remain fixed on one particular genre, rather than being exposed to many different types of sounds. Although I have my own preferences in music, as most of us do, I really miss those days. But then again, I still listen to AM radio on occasion.

"Who's On First?" with Abbott and Costello

I want the day off, so I'm just posting one of my favorite Abbott and Costello pieces. There are so many permutations of this bit, from movies to TV and radio appearances, each one slightly different due to the timing and the audience reactions. This one is from the movie "The Gay Nineties."

When I was a kid one of my favorite shows on television was the "Abbott and Costello Show". I loved watching them screw Mr. Fields out of the rent with their unique brand of mathematics. But the "Who's On First?" routine is still one of my favorite bits of comedy. I actually have this in MP3 for listening in the car. There is no accounting for taste...

While browsing through You Tube I came across this gem from the Bush years in the White House. It's based on the above routine and is very funny. It involves President Bush finding out that President Hu has become the new head of China.

Greetings From Mayberry

Sue and I took a short trip to Mt. Airy, N.C. this weekend. See you Monday!

"The Honeymooners" - Timeless Classics

I was watching "Raisin in the Sun" and decided to take a break and enjoy myself for a bit. So I reached for "The Honeymooners", the original 36 episodes, graciously provided to me by my friend J.W.

These shows were so ahead of their time that it always amazes me to watch them again. They continually explored the never changing world of male-female relationships. No kidding, these shows from 1955 and '56 are 55 years old and still relevant to the way men and women deal with one another. The competiveness and jealousies are still there. Some of the issues of womens equality still have not come to absolute fruition.

And that's what makes these shows so timeless. They show us a mirror of ourselves being foolish. Along with Trixie and Ed Norton, Ralph Cramden (much to the chagrin of his wife Alice), continues to pull them all along on his downward spiral of broken dreams. But all the while he manages to maintain their freindship and love.

I needed a break from reading and films, so this was a great pick for me tonite. If you see these at the library , or at the bookstore, they are well worth the price of owning. Since we don't change much in relation to the topic at hand, they are a handy mirror to keep around. Use them to take a look at yourself from time to time. You might be amazed at the bits of who you see!