The late B.J. Thomas was born on this date in 1942. A few of his hits are included on today’s playlist.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 4-19-24
Elenore
Gee, I think you’re swell
And you really do me well
You’re my pride and joy, et cetera…
After the huge success of their “Happy Together,” The Turtles’ record label asked them for another love song in a similar vein. Jokingly, they turned in “Elenore.” It became their eighth US top 40 hit, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Turtles’ Mark Volman was born on this date in 1947. A few songs from his band are included on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-21-23
“This is a song I wrote for my first album. It was the only song I ever wrote that was a Top 10 hit. It wasn’t for me, it was for a group called Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. They were a great band, but they changed the lyrics. And it pissed me off. Because I have a big ego. And I wanted to hear my words coming out of the radio. But they had a hit, so I was happy about that. But what they did was, they took out one of my lines and they put in one of their own. And their line became one of the most misunderstood lines of all time. In my version, the line went: ‘Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night.’ A deuce is a 1932 Ford Coupe, a very hot car back in the day. But they changed it to: ‘Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, you know the runner in the night.’ Now that makes no sense. But that’s OK, because it rhymed. But then people started to mishear that line. And they misheard it as: ‘Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a douche, another rumor in the night.’ A douche is not a car. It’s a feminine hygiene product. And it doesn’t even rhyme! So I don’t know how they got that. But that’s what people heard. And that’s what they’ve been singing for 40 years.” – Bruce Springsteen
Manfred Mann was born Manfred Lubowitz on this date in 1940. A few of his hits are on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-24-23
I say let the sun catch you crying. You have control over your own life. As long as you’re not impinging on someone else’s rights or happiness, do it. Cry.
The late Gerard Marsden of Gerry and The Pacemakers was born on this date in 1942. A couple of his group’s tunes are on this week’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 8-6-23
Judy Craig, the lead singer of The Chiffons, was a senior in high school when “He’s So Fine” hit number one. Written by the group’s manager, Ronnie Mack, the song was recorded with the band The Tokens providing the instrumentation. The Tokens brought the recording to their record label, Capitol, to see if they’d be interested in releasing it, but the label president thought it “too trite.” Laurie Records signed the group and made “He’s So Fine” one of the biggest hits of 1963. The group hit the top ten twice more, with “One Fine Day” and “Sweet Talkin’ Guy.” Judy Craig, who turns 79 today, still tours with The Chiffons, now comprised of her, her daughter and her niece.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 7-17-23
The Spencer Davis Group were under pressure from their manager, Chris Blackwell, to come up with a hit single. He put them in a studio. By around 11:30 AM they had a riff. By noon the song was written and the band headed to a café down the road for lunch. Blackwell was livid when he found them eating rather than working on their new record. His anger subsided when the song, “Gimme Some Lovin,” recorded in just one or two takes, became a worldwide smash. It is now considered a rock n roll classic.
The late Spencer Davis was born on this date in 1939. A couple of the Group’s tracks are included on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 5-28-23
I tend to think there are three age groups – children, the elderly, and folks around my age. Children bang on about things I’ve never heard of. The elderly tell stories of how when they were kids nobody in the neighborhood owned a television set so the family would take the trolley downtown to Sears and watch The Lawrence Welk Show through the store window. Folks in my age group all share the same cultural references.
This morning when walking my dogs, Ringo and Winston, I was made aware that there are those who are older than children yet younger than I. We saw Jeffrey, who lives across the street, walking his dog Molly and another dog. We said hello (well, I said hello. Ringo and Winston didn’t say anything. They’re not morning dogs.) and I asked “And who is this?,” referring to the other dog. Jeffrey replied “This is Luka,” to which I said “Does he live on the second floor?” I know the three or four of you reading this were thinking the same thing. Jeffrey had a puzzled look on his face. “What?” “His name is Luka. Does he live on the second floor?” Jeffrey, still confused, said “No. He lives next door to me.”
I hadn’t thought about it, but now I know Jeffrey is a lot younger than I. Unlike me, I’m sure when filling out a form that asks in which age group he falls, he never has to color in the circle by the group that ends with “and over.”
Everyone should know Suzanne Vega’s song “Luka.” And everyone should absolutely know Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” If you aren’t familiar with it, put down your phone, then pick it back up because I just remembered that’s how young people listen to music nowadays, play the song (which kicks off the playlist below), and do this every day. Memorize the words. Scream along with it. It’s a great way to release your pent-up rage at The Man. Take my word for it. I’ve been doing so for <and over> years.
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty turns 78 today. I’ve never heard him mention The Lawrence Welk Show, though a show called Fortunate Son – A Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival is now playing at the Welk Resort Theater on Lawrence Welk Drive in Escondido, California.
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