Latest Podcast Appearance: Rock In Retrospect

 My latest podcast appearance is on Nick Bambach’a Rock in Retrospect with David Cantwell. We discuss the Jerry Lee Lewis doc, Trouble In Mind, plus his career. 

Rock in Retrospect

Playlist for 11/21

Guy Davis - Legend of Sugarbelly

Jelly Roll - Beautifully Broken

Samara Joy - Portrait

Better Than Jail - Various 

Hayes and the Heathens - s/t

Unholy Modal Rounders - Unholier Than Thou 7/7/77

One In A Row: Willie Nelson Songbook - Various (Ace)

Poll: October 1967 Songs

  October 1967, post-Summer of Love.  I'm a little over 3 years old, so music to me are the Monkees, the Beatles, etc. Still, I found some gems among these 42 songs.  Most near the top of the charts.

  For this latest poll 42 songs were picked to vote on. Here are my rankings.  Listen to this countdown at popradiogold.com

"Ode To Billie Joe", Bobbie Gentry : 1
"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher", Jackie Wilson : 2
"Brown-Eyed Girl", Van Morrison : 3
"Soul Man", Sam & Dave : 4
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", Aretha Franklin : 5
"The Letter", Box Tops : 6
"How Can I Be Sure", Young Rascals : 7
"To Sir With Love", Lulu : 8
"Expressway To Your Heart", Soul Survivors : 9
"Gimme Little Sign", Brenton Wood : 10
"Funky Broadway", Wilson Pickett : 11
"Never My Love", Association : 12
"People Are Strange", Doors : 13
"Holiday", Bee Gees : 14
"San Franciscan Nights", Eric Burdon & the Animals : 15
"Incense And Peppermints", Strawberry Alarm Clock : 16
"Reflections (Of The Way Life Used To Be)", Diana Ross & the Supremes : 17
"Pata Pata", Miriam Makeba : 18
"(Heaven Must Have Sent) Your Precious Love", Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell : 19
"The Rain, The Park And Other Things (I Love The Flower Girl)", Cowsills : 20
"Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie", Jay & the Techniques : 21
"Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)", Hombres : 22
"Get On Up", Esquires : 23
"Keep The Ball Rollin'", Jay & the Techniques : 24
"I'm Wondering", Stevie Wonder : 25
"It Must Be Him", Vikki Carr : 26
"Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)", Buckinghams : 27
"You Keep Running Away", Four Tops : 28
"(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need", Temptations : 29
"Gettin' Together", Tommy James & the Shondells : 30
"I Had A Dream", Paul Revere & the Raiders : 31
"There Is A Mountain", Donovan : 32
"Come Back When You Grow Up", Bobby Vee & the Strangers : 33
"I Dig Rock And Roll Music", Peter, Paul & Mary : 34
"Dandelion", Rolling Stones : 35
"I Make A Fool Of Myself", Frankie Valli : 36
"Please Love Me Forever", Bobby Vinton : 37
"Lightning's Girl", Nancy Sinatra : 38
"Love Is Strange", Peaches & Herb : 39
"Beg, Borrow And Steal", Ohio Express : 40
"Watch The Flowers Grow", 4 Seasons : 41
"Little Ole Man (Uptight-Everything's Alright)", Bill Cosby : 42

Playlist for 11/10

Pour A Little Sugar On It: Chewy Chewy Sounds of American Bubblegum 66-72 - Various

Leon Bridges - Leon

Kasey Chambers - Backbone

New Jill Swing - Various (Ace)

Linda Lindas - No Obligation

Election 2024

  You're damn right I was giddy after Joe Biden won the 2020 election.  I really felt we had a chance to finally stomp Trumpism out of our lives.  But then months passed and a year passed.  And nothing was happening.  The wheels of justice were moving too slow.  It was obvious that things were not going to happen fast enough that Trump would get another chance at the White House.  When things finally happened like the classified docs or the Georgia tampering it seemed too late.  Even the felonious counts in New York couldn't put a stake in Trump.  There never was going to be any prison time.  I remember in early 2021 giddy left wing posters saying Trump would be in prison by the time of the 2024 election season.  I never bought any of that crap.  Trump's delay tactics prevented all that. 

  In 2016 I thought Hillary Clinton was going to win.  And it wouldn't be close.  In 2024 I was more skeptical.  I felt Kamala Harris had a chance thanks to the Blue Wall only. But she would ultimately struggle with voters because she's a woman.  And a woman of color.  Racism and misogyny will always be rampant.  Especially with women Presidential nominees.  So, unlike 2016, I'm not upset she lost.  I had a feeling it could happen and it played out like I thought.  Sure, you could say the economy played a role, but I will always believe that being a woman doomed her. With independents and believe it or not, with Democrats.  No matter what party you are with the thought of a woman running the Country can be too much for the feeble minded.  

  Like the 2016-2022 first Trump reign, life will go on.  But I worry about those that will be most affected by another term.  Some voted for him anyway, knowing what could happen.  I will feel no sorrow for them.  But others did the right thing and voted to keep him out (and what happened to the voters who didn't show up? Screw them too).  We'll see what happens. I live in a deep Blue state but I don't want to say that a lot of things already happening in red states won't reach my state.  Still it's a time to worry.  And that is what I will be doing for the next four years.                                   

For J (Plus the Article on Copper Online)

Here’s the link to the Copper article: For J

For J

 Who is J? My wife Judicia. On May 9, 2023, I added the first songs to a Spotify mixtape that only my wife was supposed to see. At first.  I made the mix private.  But how would she see it if I passed away before her?  She doesn't have a Spotify account.  That's where my son comes in.  I would tell him in advance about the mix and he would share it when I'm gone.

•   Wait?  When I'm gone?  I wasn't planning on going nowhere.  This is true.  But I've always had this premonition that I would die before my wife.  I'm 60 years old.  She's 62.  My son is 32.  We're all relatively young.  But something always nagged at me about death.  And I wanted to leave her behind something that would be different than any other keepsake. A mixtape seemed the way to go.  She knows I'm a music fanatic.  My idea was the tape would be a look back at our time together.  Especially our early days.  Going out, getting married, having a child.  Those were the cornerstones of our young relationship.  

  But the plan almost took a disastrous turn on. July 30, 2024. I suffered a stroke and was incapacitated for 3 days.  Luckily, I awoke from the stroke and am doing fine now.  But for a few days things were not looking positive.  My son came all the way from Australia to spend a week with me as I recovered.   When he went back I remembered the mixtape I had made for my wife.   Luckily he played it for her and all turned out well.  

  Still, I'm reminded how fragile life is.  Had I not come out of the stroke as strong as before, what would have become of the music gift I made for my wife?  

"I will love you forever".  And I always will.  

Spotify playlist link: For J

RIP Quincy Jones

   All great Music Producers have their own sound.  Instantly recognizable no matter who they are producing.  Quincy Jones had that touch.  But it took awhile to achieve it.  Before his breakthrough solo album, Body Heat in 1974, Jones was an arranger, composer, producer. of mostly Jazz & Jazz Vocalists. It wasn't all serious work.  He produced Lesley Gore's classic from 1963, "It's My Party", a #1 record.  With Body Heat that changed.  He was squarely courting the mainstream R&B charts.  And it worked. The album was a success.  Jones began producing other R&B accts.  Brothers Johnson, Rufus w/Chaka Khan, Donna Summer and George Benson.  Of course there was Off The Wall, the album that defined the Quincy Jones sound for all those acts and more that I mentioned.  So, while "Rock With You" is the definitive Q sound, I would put my weight around George Benson's 1980 hit "Give Me The Night" as his best single. 

  Regardless, the success of Off The Wall and Thriller let Quincy do whatever he wanted in the 80's.  Solo albums, "We Are The World", movie soundtracks.  But it all comes back to those early 70's productions.  It's where he developed his sound.  No one could duplicate it.  All Music Producers have their own sound indeed.  

Playlist for 11/1

Nick Lowe - Indoor Safari

Louis Armstrong - Louis in London

JD McPherson - Nite Owls

Billy Strings - Highway Prayers
Mickey Guyton - House on Fire

Lady Gaga - Harlequin

Libby Titus - s/t