If you are interested…Dave at A Sound Day posted an article I wrote on the Replacements.
This was garage band rock and roll at its best. It’s hard not to feel good when this song comes on the radio. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada (CHUM), and #6 in New Zealand in 1964. It’s one of those songs that just make you feel good.
Now…is this band from sunny California? No…not even close. They are from South Bend Indiana. They were a garage band and the members all went to South Bend Indiana Central High School in the early sixties. They were originally called the Playmates but alas…there was another band in the area with the same name. They ended up naming themselves after the Buick Riviera.
The song was written by Henry Glover and recorded first by Joe Jones and his version made it to #89 on the Billboard Charts. Instead of guitars, Joe Jones’s version used horns. It’s also been covered by The Ramones, The Beach Boys, Frankie Avalon, The Shondells, and dozens more.
Marty “Bo” Fortson left shortly after this single came out to join the Marines and go off to Vietnam. The other band members dropped out one by one under pressure from their parents to go on to college and stop playing this rock ‘n’ roll.
The song was written by Hendry Glover. Glover was a producer for an independent record label King Records. At one time, record mogul Morris Levy of Roulette Records was listed as a co-writer but that got taken off. Levy was the founder and owner of Roulette Records, which had known ties to the mafia. After the Jones version failed to gain popularity the Rivieras ran with it.
The Ramones covered this one as well.
California Sun
Well I’m going out west where I belong
Where the days are short and the nights are long
Where I’ll walk
And they walk
I’ll twist
And they twist
And I’ll shimmy
And they shimmy
And I’ll fly
And they fly
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun
Well, I’m going out west
Out on the coast
Where the California girls
Are really the most
And I’ll walk
And they walk
I’ll twist
And they twist
And I’ll shimmy
And they shimmy
And I’ll fly
And they fly
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun
Well, the girls are frisky
In old ‘Frisco
A pretty little chick
Wherever you go
And I’ll walk
And they walk
I’ll twist
And they twist
And I’ll shimmy
And they shimmy
And I’ll fly
And they fly
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun
I saw Alison Krauss with Union Station in Franklin Tennessee in the 1990s. I never knew she was that good of a musician. Her voice was great as well and I wasn’t a fan when I was given the tickets…but I was after I saw her.
Since the first time I heard this song…I loved it. It’s put together so well and Plants and Krauss harmonize beautifully. Please Read The Letter was originally off the Walking Into Clarksdale album by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. The song was written by Charlie Jones, Michael Lee, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant.
I listened to the Page and Plant version…it just didn’t have the magic that the Krauss version did. I usually go with the loud guitar but not in this case. Plant and Alison Krauss met at a tribute concert to Leadbelly, and decided to collaborate. They made an album together in 2007 called Raising Sand. The album featured production by T-Bone Burnett and songwriting by Plant, Tom Waits, Sam Phillips, Townes Van Zandt, and Gene Clark among others.
This version peaked at #20 in the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and #102 in the UK in 2009. I like the original version but Krauss’s harmony lifts this version up over that and turns into a great record. The arrangement of this version highlights the lyrics and enhances the song. I was hooked at the first listen.
Raising Sand won The Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 2009. The song was off of the Raising Sand album. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard Album Charts, #5 in Canada (The Canada peak number I’m not sure about), #2 in the UK, #3 in New Zealand in 2007-08.
The follow-up album was released in 2021 and it’s called Raise The Roof.
Robert Plant: “When we started this project together, the whole game was a mystery. We gave ourselves three days, and we said if it doesn’t work, we’ll just take lunch, and I’ll go back to Wolverhampton. But we brought this song out and it’s been given that Nashville touch and it feels pretty good.”
Page and Plant’s version
Please Read the Letter
Caught out running With just a little too much to hide Maybe baby Everything’s gonna turn out fine Please read the letter I mailed it to your door It’s crazy how it all turned out We needed so much more
Too late, too late A fool could read the signs Maybe baby You’d better check between the lines Please read the letter, I Wrote it in my sleep With help and consultation from The angels of the deep
Once I stood beside a well of many words My house was full of rings and Charms and pretty birds Please understand me, my Walls come falling down There’s nothing here that’s left for you But check with lost and found
Please read the letter that I wrote Please read the letter that I wrote
One more song just before we go Remember baby All the things We used to know Please read my letter And promise you’ll keep The secrets and the memories and Cherish in the deep
Ah…
Please read the letter that I wrote Please read the letter that I wrote Please read the letter that I wrote
Please read the letter that I wrote Please read the letter that I wrote Please read the letter that I wrote
If you want to see where we are…and you missed a few…HERE is a list of the episodes in my index located at the top of my blog.
This show was written by Gene Roddenberry, Edward J. Lakso, and Arthur H. Singer
Walter Koenig was not happy about this episode. While he felt that the episode was very poor overall, his biggest complaint was the casting of noted criminal attorney Melvin Belli as Gorgan, firstly because it severely undermined the main villain, and secondly, because he considered it an act of stunt casting which had robbed professional actors from a potential job. Belli’s son played one of the children…Stevie.
Have you ever seen Children of the Corn? There is a little of that feeling in this. The Enterprise comes to an outpost to check on the Starnes Exploration Party and finds that all the adults committed suicide. All that remains are the kids, who oddly seem quite happy and indifferent to the deaths. So, despite all the warning signs that there is a major problem, the kids are taken back to the ship where they unleash their reign of terror after a little bit.
Something has been influencing them since they were on the planet. The something was an evil presence named Gorgan. The Starnes Exploration Party accidentally released Gorgan from his cave. He used the party’s children to evoke the fears of the adults, eventually rendering the adults mentally unstable and driving them to commit mass suicide. He manipulated the children to follow him in his quest of conquering the universe.
While this episode might have been poor, it is written with a decent understanding of how children can resent their parents and deal with grief through denial. That’s about the best thing I can say about it. After the kids use Gorgan’s power to manipulate the crew…Kirk talks to the kids to make them understand they have been used.
From IMDB:
This was lawyer Melvin Belli’s (Gorgan) first time playing a fictional character. His son Melvin Caesar Belli plays one of the children (Stevie).
Leonard Nimoy explained that when he complained about the script to Fred Freiberger, Freiberger said, “This script is going to be what ‘Miri’ should have been”. Nimoy objected, calling Star Trek: The Original Series: Miri (1966) a beautiful, well-acted story, and felt that Freiberger’s comments were as much as saying, “‘Miri’ was a piece of trash”.
This is the only episode of the original series in which we see the fully fledged United Federation of Planets flag. Previous appearances, such as Star Trek: The Original Series: The Menagerie: Part II (1966), simply used the pre-existing United Nations flag.
During one scene on the bridge, Kirk tries to give orders to Leslie, but his words are garbled. If the audio for this scene is played in reverse, Kirk can be heard to say, “Remove Lieutenant Uhura and Mr. Spock from the bridge. Confine them to quarters. Did you hear me? Take Mr. Sulu to his quarters. He’s relieved of duty. Remove Lieutenant Uhura and Mr. Spock from the bridge. Confine them to quarters. Take Mr. Sulu to his quarters, I said. (garbled) Mr. Spock from the bridge. Confine him to quarters. Mr. Leslie, take Mr. Sulu to his quarters. He’s relieved of duty.”
Producer Fred Freiberger hoped that the presence of Melvin Belli would boost ratings. This plan failed and Freiberger realized it would have been more appropriate to cast an actor in the role.
Actor Craig Hundley also made a musical contribution to “Star Trek.” Under the name Craig Huxley, he invented the Blaster Beam, an 18 foot long aluminum bar strung with piano wire and played with artillery shells. The instrument’s distinctive metallic twang was used to represent V’Ger on Jerry Goldsmith’s soundtrack to Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). James Horner used it as well for his “Star Trek” soundtracks, and Huxley composed “Genesis Project” for the Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) soundtrack.
Craig Huxley (Tommy Starnes) previously appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series: Operation — Annihilate! (1967) as Kirk’s nephew Peter.
In James Blish’s novelization, Sulu is terrified by the sight of missiles on the view-screen, not swords. More interestingly, the children sing spells to cause havoc among the crew rather than making the fist-pumping gesture which has earned a lot of ridicule among fans.
It is never explained how Kirk knew to refer to the Friendly Angel as “Gorgan”. Based on early drafts of the script, and in a bit of sloppy editing, episode writer Edward J. Lakso alternated between the various names, explaining why it appeared and stuck so late in the episode. A deleted scene had revealed that Tommy did tell Kirk the name. However, this scene took place in the script after Kirk had used the name.
The title paraphrases the last line of Isaiah 11:6: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
Raymond Burr was the director’s, and several of the main cast’s, original choice to play Gorgan. However, he was either unavailable/too expensive/not interested or the director was overruled by the producers (depending on the source).
Professor Starnes and the other male colonists wore jumpsuits left over from Star Trek: The Original Series: The Devil in the Dark (1967), which were reused many times during the series.
The name on one of the tombstones of the parents is “Tsing Tao” which is the name of a city in China, now written as Qingdao. Tsingtao beer was originated there.
The mirror in which Uhura sees her aged reflection at the communications station is never used in any other episode. Of course, like Uhura’s reflection, the mirror itself may have been an illusion created by the children.
All eight major regular performers of the second and third seasons – Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chapel, and Chekov – appear in this episode.
A female Expedition Party member wore Martha Leighton’s costume from Star Trek: The Original Series: The Conscience of the King (1966).
This episode borrows elements and concepts from several sources, including Greek mythology (Gorgan), the Old Testament (the Book of Isaiah), and puritanical/colonial witchery (the incantations). It also has a similar plot to the first-season episode Star Trek: The Original Series: Charlie X (1966).
The arboretum set was originally built for Star Trek: The Original Series: Elaan of Troyius (1968), but became a deleted scene due to time constraints. It was later modified for the arboretum that appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series: Is There in Truth No Beauty? (1968).
This episode is the first appearance of the set piece depicting the entrance to the Gorgan’s cave. It would be seen again in many third season episodes, including Star Trek: The Original Series: Spock’s Brain (1968), Star Trek: The Original Series: The Cloud Minders (1969), Star Trek: The Original Series: All Our Yesterdays (1969), and Star Trek: The Original Series: That Which Survives (1969).
The dress worn by the one of the female members of the Starnes Expedition Party was also created by William Ware Theiss, and was previously worn by Janet Wallace in Star Trek: The Original Series: The Deadly Years (1967). ) In fact, both costumes worn by Wallace can be seen in this episode, one worn by Don Linden’s mother and the other worn by an unnamed woman (who commits suicide in the teaser).
Pamelyn Ferdin and Brian Tochi would later co-star on the live-action children’s science fiction TV series Space Academy (1977), which was developed out of a rejected concept for Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973) and starred ‘Lost in Space’ (1965) veteran Jonathan Harris.
This episode was the twenty-sixth remastered episode of the The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication the weekend of 14 April 2007 and, aside from the standard CGI replacement footage of the Enterprise, this episode most notably featured new effects shots of the planet Triacus.
Kirk’s request for “a very small” dish of ice cream, which he never actually eats, may have been a reference to the fact that William Shatner had put on considerable weight between seasons 2 and 3. According to producer Robert Justman, Shatner was invited to see the rushes (raw footage) from the first day of photography for “Spectre of the Gun.” He was aghast at how he looked on screen and immediately went on a crash diet.
Cameo Chad Everett: uncredited as the crewman in Auxiliary Control who helps Scotty fight off Kirk and Spock.
Summary
The Enterprise responds to a distress call from the scientific colony on Triacus and arrives to find that all of the adults are dead. Oddly, the children seem unaffected by the deaths and continue to play as if nothing had happened. When questioned, they show no remorse whatsoever and express a dislike for parental authority. Expedition logs reveal that the expedition had discovered an ancient civilization and that there might be one survivor. In fact, the Gorgon thrives on the innocence of the children and the adults’ self-doubt.
CAST
William Shatner … Captain James Tiberius ‘Jim’ Kirk Leonard Nimoy … Mister Spock DeForest Kelley … Dr. McCoy Craig Huxley … Tommy Starnes (as Craig Hundley) James Wellman … Professor Starnes Melvin Belli … Gorgan James Doohan … Scott Majel Barrett … Nurse Chapel Nichelle Nichols … Uhura George Takei … Sulu Walter Koenig … Chekov Pamelyn Ferdin … Mary Melvin Caesar Belli … Steve (as Caesar Belli) Mark Robert Brown … Don Brian Tochi … Ray Louie Elias … 1st Technician (as Lou Elias) Paul Baxley … Security Guard (uncredited) Bill Blackburn … Lieutenant Hadley (uncredited) Frank da Vinci … Transporter Operator (uncredited) Dick Dial … Security Guard (uncredited) Roger Holloway … Lt. Lemli (uncredited) Jay D. Jones … 2nd Technician (uncredited) Jeannie Malone … Yeoman (uncredited) Eddie Paskey … Lieutenant Leslie (uncredited) Leslie Carol Shatner Leslie Carol Shatner … Child (uncredited) Victor Toyota … Tsing Tao (uncredited)
When CB and I did the Dave Edmunds post a few weeks ago I had a couple of sentences about this one but I knew…I wanted to dive deeper. It’s such a likable song from the first time you hear it.
Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded this song during the 1979 River sessions. Bruce didn’t release it though until 2003 on the bonus disc of The Essential Bruce Springsteen. He would meet Edmunds in 1981 and give him the song (see long Dave Edmunds quote at the bottom…it’s well worth the read). Bruce described the song to Dave like this… “This is like a Chuck Berry thing that tells a story without repeating any of the lyrics, like The Promised Land.”
Bruce Springsteen and Dave Edmunds
You couldn’t have written a better song for Dave Edmunds. As Dave says…it was perfect for him. Edmunds released the song in 1982. The song peaked at #28 in the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts and #15 in Sweden.
On July 4, 1981, Bruce Springsteen was playing at Wembley Stadium and Dave Edmunds went backstage. He wasn’t sure if Bruce would know who he was but of course, he did along with the E Street Band. Instead of me paraphrasing what he said…I think Dave should tell the story…not me.
Dave Edmunds:I’d never met Bruce Springsteen before and had no idea of what he knew about me (except, perhaps, for my recording of ‘I Hear You Knocking’ and a few others). How had he known that I was at the gig? The security guy led me through the backstage area to Bruce’s dressing room, where he was sitting alone. Being careful not to blurt out, “Great show, man!” (you don’t do that), and before either of us could say anything, a noisy E Street Band stormed through making their way towards the hospitality area: “Hi Dave, love your records!” And, “Hi Dave, you’re terrific, man!” – and so on. And off they went.
We talked – about what I don’t recall. He asked me if I’d been recording lately and I said, “No” – “Got anything…?” He strapped on his Fender Esquire and explained, “This is like a Chuck Berry thing that tells a story without repeating any of the lyrics, like The Promised Land.” And he played ‘From Small Things Mama Good Things One Day Come’ (not the snappiest of titles) – from beginning to end. It was perfect for me! “It’s yours, man!”
He hadn’t recorded the song but promised he’d lay down a rough cassette with just guitar and vocal – for me! “Gimme a couple of weeks…,” and I could pick it up at his manager’s office, in New York. In such encounters, such promises can evaporate before you leave the room. The way things worked out, I needed to be in New York a few weeks later, and that’s the truth. I went to his manager’s office and, sure enough, there was a cassette of Bruce’s song, with my name on it, awaiting me. That’s class.
Six months later, midway through a US tour with my band, I was playing at the Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan. Bruce turned up — unannounced and alone but for his Fender Esquire. It was good to see him. He waited patiently in the dressing room until the end of my set, and then (although the audience knew something was cooking) he sauntered onstage — you can imagine. We played a load of Chuck Berry songs and ended with “Small Things.” So, good things one day come.
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
At sixteen she quit high school to make her fortune in the promised land
She got a job behind the counter in an all-night hamburger stand
She wrote faithfully home to mama, “Now mama, don’t you worry none
From small things, mama, big things one day come”
It was late one Friday, he pulled in out of the dark
He was tall and handsome, first she took his order then she took his heart
They bought a house up on the hillside where little feet would soon run
From small things, mama, big things one day come
Oh, but love was fleeting
It’s sad but it’s true
When your heart is beating
You don’t want to hear the news
She packed her bags and with a Wyomie County real state man
She drove down to Tampa in an Eldorado Grand
She wrote back, “Dear mama, life is just heaven in the sun
From small things, mama, big things one day come”
Well, she shot him dead
On a sunny Florida road
When they caught her all she said
Was she couldn’t stand the way he drove
Back home, lonesome Johnny waits for his baby’s parole
He waits high on the hillside where the Wyomie rivers roll
At his feet and almost grown now, a blue-eyed daughter and a handsome son
From small things, mama, big things one day come
From small things, mama, big things one day come
Well, from small things, mama, big things one day come
From small things, mama, big things one day come
From small things, mama, big things one day come
Yeah, from small things, mama, big things one day come
If you want to see where we are…and you missed a few…HERE is a list of the episodes in my index located at the top of my blog.
This show was written by Gene Roddenberry, Margaret Armen, and Arthur H. Singer
I like this episode. I remembered seeing it and I searched through all of the seasons to find it again. It had been a long time. This movie was Armageddon before the Bruce Willis movie. Oh, and Kirk gets married and seemed ready to settle down…although his memory is gone.
Kirk is missing and presumed lost on a Class M planet after he accidentally falls into an obelisk-shaped alien structure and is hit with a memory beam. He then suffers from amnesia on the planet which is populated by native Indians while Spock and McCoy are forced to abandon their search for the captain for 2 full months! They had to return to the Enterprise to unsuccessfully divert a giant asteroid from destroying the planet where Kirk was lost…that is why they are there. Kirk and McCoy are struck by how much like Earth it is.
When Kirk vanished Spock told McCoy they had to beam back up to the Enterprise. McCoy argued about leaving the Captain there but Spock slowly explained to the Doctor that if they cannot divert that asteroid…there would be no planet to search. The asteroid was 2 months away but they had to go to a certain spot to divert it there…they couldn’t divert it when it was close.
When Kirk regains consciousness and walks out of the alien obelisk, he is seen by Miramanee, a native Indian woman who thinks he is a god. Kirk then promptly saves the life of a drowning child thus instantly becoming the native Indian’s new medicine chief Kirok. However, he makes an enemy, the former medicine man (Sallish), and has to deal with that throughout the episode. Shatner did a good job of acting here…he seems nonstressed compared to his regular job…of course, he cannot remember what that job is.
The theme in this one involves placing Kirk in a scenario completely divorced from his usual duties and watching his other true self emerge…the gentle, unhampered Kirk existing with the Indians. Miramanee and Kirk fall for each other and got married. The episode is beautiful, and the fact that Miramanee carried Kirk’s baby is a bit shocking even today. Certainly, it had to be powerful stuff back in 1960s television. It was touchingly and sensitively acted by William Shatner.
It’s the action of Spock aboard the Enterprise that grounds this episode back to Star Trek reality. He has to come up with a way to deflect a moon-sized asteroid from obliterating the Indian home planet while pushing the Enterprise to its physical limits. All the while…Spock is studying the obelisk.
They do make it back to the planet and just in the nick of time. Kirk and Miramanee are getting stoned to death because of Sallish..after Kirk is slashed and bleeding. Gods don’t bleed.
This is an odd…but very good episode…one of the best ones of the third season. Just a side note…everytime Kirk is missing and Spock takes over…McCoy gives him hell over every decision. I think sometimes the writers went overboard on that. Sometimes the Doctor is not mean but cruel to Spock.
From IMDB:
The obelisk in this episode, constructed at Franklin Lake in the Franklin Canyon Reservoir above Beverly Hills, was erected in the same spot where Opie Taylor throws a rock into the lake during the opening credits of The Andy Griffith Show (1960).
The only episode in Season 3 to be filmed on location and not entirely in the studio.
Only in this episode do we see the ship firing its gold deflector beam.
After living on the planet Kirk’s sideburns lose their distinctive pointed ends and become squared off. This was done to emphasize the passage of time and to show Kirk was becoming assimilated to his new life.
The characters on the asteroid-destroying Obelisk are the basis of the alphabet and characters used by the Predators of the Alien-versus-Predator movie franchise.
During the first attempt to deflect the asteroid, a rare top shot of the Enterprise is shown, first used in the Star Trek: The Original Series: The Changeling (1967).
Paradise Syndrome – though not officially recognized as a mental condition by psychologists – is a term conferred upon those who feel dissatisfied despite having achieved all their dreams. Here it is used merely to describe someone who is overworked and needing a break – whether ostensibly Captain Kirk or, obliquely, series creator Gene Roddenberry.
Although not mentioned on screen, the planet was rather unsubtly called “Amerind” in the script.
This episode takes place over the course of approximately two months.
The first Star Trek production to feature Native American Indian culture as a key plot element. Other examples are Star Trek: The Animated Series: How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth (1974), Star Trek: The Next Generation: Journey’s End (1994), and several episodes of Star Trek: Voyager (1995).
This is one of very few occasions where Nurse Chapel is beamed/transported down to a planet surface.
This takes place in 2268.
The Native Americans depicted display none of the cultural elements of the tribes mentioned (Navajo, Delaware, Mohican). The houses are tipis, used by plains peoples. The clothing bears no resemblance to actual Native American clothes, and the names of the characters match no Native naming styles. Also, the Navajo were not peaceful. They were very fierce warriors, as were the Mohican. The Delaware were not called “Delaware,” but rather, were the Lenne Lenape.
During the love scene where Miramanee tells Kirk she’s pregnant, a fly lands on Kirk’s face for several seconds.
Dr. McCoy comments about the “Preservers” that he had always wondered about why there were so many humanoid races. In Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Chase (1993), the question is answered in a slightly different way.
When the Enterprise engines burn out, Mr. Scott laments, “my bairns, my poor bairns”. This is Scottish/English meaning “my poor children”.
Summary
Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to a planet that is in the path on an oncoming meteor. They find an idyllic place that is very similar to Earth and whose population is virtually identical to North American Natives. Their visit is meant to be a short one since their mission is to deflect the meteor, still several months away. Before they can return to the ship, Kirk disappears and loses his memory in an accident, forcing Spock to take command of the Enterprise and to leave him behind. On the planet, Kirk is treated like a god when they see him emerge from an obelisk that is actually a deflector beam (which no one remembers how to use, however). When the Enterprise fails to deflect the meteor, they return to the planet only hours before the annihilating meteor’s arrival.
Youtube…has got to the point where any video I try to post has an age restriction if someone slaps someone on the back…youtube blocks me from posting it. So…if there is any action going on…you can forget it. I found the one below that actually allowed me to post it.
CAST
William Shatner … Captain James Tiberius ‘Jim’ Kirk Leonard Nimoy … Mister Spock DeForest Kelley … Dr. McCoy Sabrina Scharf … Miramanee Rudy Solari … Sallish James Doohan … Scott George Takei … Sulu Walter Koenig … Chekov Richard Hale … Goro Majel Barrett … Nurse Chapel Naomi Newman … Indian Woman (as Naomi Pollack) John Lindesmith … Engineer Peter Virgo Jr. … Warrior Lamont Laird … Indian Boy Bill Blackburn … Lieutenant Hadley (uncredited) Roger Holloway … Lt. Lemli (uncredited) Foster Hood … Indian (uncredited) Jeannie Malone … Yeoman (uncredited) Nichelle Nichols … Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (archive footage) (uncredited) Vincent St. Cyr … Father of Drowning Boy (uncredited)
I have always liked this song. This was baroque pop at its finest. Baroque pop combines pop with classical music. Some other examples would be As Tears Go By by the Stones, Yesterday by the Beatles, and She’s Not There by the Zombies. There is also a genre called Barogue Rock.
It peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100 and #3 in Canada. The song is constructed so well and has influenced countless artists. They did have one more top twenty hit in 1967 with Pretty Ballerina. The band helped start “baroque & roll” because of the classical arrangements and melodies.
Michael Brown wrote the song but the band fought constantly so after the success of the single Brown was putting together a new Left Banke to tour that included Michael McKean (Lavergne and Shirley and Spinal Tap) on guitar but that didn’t last long.
The original band regrouped in 1967 and recorded a song but then broke up for good. Walk Away Renee was written by band member Michael Brown, who was 16 at the time, with help from his friends Bob Calilli and Tony Sansone. Brown wrote it after meeting Renee Fladen, the girlfriend of the band’s bass player.
Renee Fladen was in the control room when Michael Brown tried to record his harpsichord part. He later said in an interview that he was so nervous trying to play with the beautiful Renee present that his hands were shaking. In the end, he gave up and returned later when he recorded it without any problem.
The line “Just walk away Renee” is often misinterpreted as “Don’t walk away Renee.” The singer has decided that Renee will never return his affections and is better off with her out of his life.
Walk Away Renée
And when I see the sign that points one way
The lot we used to pass by every day
Just walk away Renee
You won’t see me follow you back home
The empty sidewalks on my block are not the same
You’re not to blame
From deep inside the tears that I’m forced to cry
From deep inside the pain that I chose to hide
Just walk away Renee
You won’t see me follow you back home
Now as the rain beats down upon my weary eyes
For me it cries
Just walk away Renee
You won’t see me follow you back home
Now as the rain beats down upon my weary eyes
For me it cries
Your name and mine inside a heart upon a wall
Still finds a way to haunt me, though they’re so small
Just walk away Renee
You won’t see me follow you back home
The empty sidewalks on my block are not the same
You’re not to blame
I’ve always liked the groove of this song. Season of the Witch was released in 1966 on the Sunshine Superman Album but not as a single. It remains one of Donovan’s (Donovan Leitch) most well-known songs. The song has been covered many times and often bands start the song and draw it out to a jam.
In 1966 bands were releasing songs about drugs at this time. The Beatles had Dr. Robert and The Stones released Mother’s Little Helper. Season Of The Witch was recorded in Hollywood and clocked in at 5 minutes. He played it with Bobby Ray (bass) and “Fast” Eddy Hoh, although the electric guitar work has been credited by fans to Jimmy Page, who worked on the album. (The Hollywood session notes do not indicate Jimmy Page or John Paul Jones were present.) The organist is unidentified.
It has a spooky feeling to it. The repetition works nicely and that small riff is driven into your head. I rediscovered the song in 2012 when it was in the animated movie “Paranorman.” The song was written by Donovan and Shawn Phillips.
The song was written in an evening at folk music notable Bert Jansch’s house in north London. John Renbourn showed Donovan a D ninth chord. From that, Donovan built up a riff that, according to the memories of those present, he then played solidly for the next seven hours.
During Led Zeppelin’s soundchecks, they often warmed up by playing this. The song allows for lots of jamming when played live, which makes it a popular cover for many bands.
Donovan: I played a white Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar on “Witch,” chunking down on the chord pattern, wailing a chilling chorus. A major seventh with an open G, to D 9th with a G-flat bass (Bert Jansch chord). The riff is pure feel.
Donovan: “I remember the bass line going down and Mickie saying, ‘We’ve got a problem. The engineers are saying that they can’t turn the bass up.’ I said, Why? They said, ‘Well, it’s going into the red.’ And so he said to the engineers, ‘Look, you go into the red, I’m giving you permission. Go in the red! That’s the bass sound I want. Very, very loud.’ And they said, ‘Well, we’ll have to have a meeting.’ So they went upstairs and had a meeting about whether the bass should go into the red. And they came down, they said, ‘No, I’m sorry, the equipment can’t stand it.’ So Mickie Most said, ‘Look, I’ve just made a record deal with your boss Clive Davis for $5 million and seven bands. And he’s given me $1m right now. So do you think if I phone him up, you’d give me a little bit more bass?’ And they looked at each other, and immediately realized that their jobs were on the line. They said, ‘OK, you’ve got more bass.’ We got more bass the needle went into the red, the equipment didn’t blow up. I guess next time they made that needle, they did that thing by just moving the red bit a bit farther to the right, like in Spinal Tap: ‘My amp goes up to 11!'”
Season of the Witch
When I look out my window,
Many sights to see.
And when I look in my window,
So many different people to be
That it’s strange, so strange.
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
Mmm, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.
When I look over my shoulder,
What do you think I see?
Some other cat looking over
His shoulder at me
And he’s strange, sure he’s strange.
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
Beatniks are out to make it rich,
Oh no, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
The rabbits running in the ditch,
Beatniks are out to make it rich,
Oh no, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch.
When I look out my window,
What do you think I see?
And when I look in my window,
So many different people to be
It’s strange, sure is strange.
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
You’ve got to pick up every stitch,
The rabbits running in the ditch,
Oh no, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.
When I look, when I look.
Welcome to another edition of Max Picks. We will start it off with Ricky Nelson on a slow note but this song is so haunting to me. Nelson wasn’t always taken seriously because of his acting in his parent’s sitcom Ozzie and Harriet. That’s a shame because he released some top-grade rockabilly songs. Here he is with the ballad Lonesome Town.
As promised…here is more Buddy Holly, his window was short but strong. Buddy’s songs would influence everyone from The Stones, Hollies, Beatles, and more. He also could have unknowingly started the Power Pop genre. His jangly guitar and that voice with the hiccups. I went to the Buddy Holly Broadway show when it toured and stopped in Nashville. I can’t explain in words how a 3 piece band sounded so full with the music he wrote.
Now we have the one and only Chuck Berry weaving his lyrics about a guy who left his home to make it playing guitar. This song IS Rock and Roll and has been played by every self-respecting garage band ever since. It’s also covered by heavy metal, country, pop, and rock bands. I would lay money down that somewhere tonight in some bar somewhere…Johnny B. Goode will be heard.
Link Wray and his Ray Men gave us this instrumental Rumble in 1958. This instrumental was somewhat controversial because it implied gang violence – some radio stations refused to play it. It might be the only instrumental song ever banned on the radio. It was feared that the piece’s harsh sound glorified juvenile delinquency. Did the song cause juvenile delinquency? We can only hope.
Now we will end it with an artist that unfortunately is about to go in the Army at this time. He would never be the same again. Yes, we would get some great songs in his future but Elvis Presley became more of an all-around entertainer after this year. His rock and roll days were going to fall behind for a while when he started to make movies. This is a fantastic song.
If you want to see where we are…and you missed a few…HERE is a list of the episodes in my index located at the top of my blog.
This show was written by Gene Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana, and Arthur H. Singer
***If you have time please check out my new feature Max Picks coming up right after this.***
This episode is excellent. We are going from a bad episode to one of the best of the 3rd season. The plot was pretty exciting plus it gave Spock a big chance to stretch himself as a character–without McCoy or Shatner tagging along. Also, any episode with the Romulans is great fun, as they were in many ways a more dangerous and more of a foe than the Klingons.
The episode begins with Kirk behaving very erratically. He even orders the ship into Romulan space and nearly starts a war. It seems that the Captain has gone mad and the Romulans take possession of the ship. At the same time, Spock becomes very chummy with the beautiful Romulan commander, a lady who seems determined to have Spock. I’d like to say more, but it really would spoil the suspense. Just let me say that there is a lot more to the story than this and the show is both interesting and keeps you guessing.
The commander charges Kirk with espionage and locks him up… Kirk injures himself whilst trying to escape. The Romulan commander is attracted to Spock and attempts to turn him. Everyone aboard the Enterprise thinks Spock is a trader and you are wondering while watching. Spock gives Kirk a “Vulcan Death Grip” ostensibly to kill him.
This is one of the best episodes from the 3rd season. It exploits the rivalry between the Romulans and the Federation, and it has some of the best acting of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy combined with a compelling and unpredictable storyline. I also liked the cool and controlled Joanne Linville as the Romulan Commander who never raises her voice, even when she condemns Captain Kirk to death.
From IMDB:
This episode is the first to feature a female starship commander.
The Romulan cloaking device prop was created using the Sargon globe (Star Trek: The Original Series: Return to Tomorrow (1968)) and portions of the Nomad probe (Star Trek: The Original Series: The Changeling (1967)).
First broadcast episode of TOS to feature the D7 Klingon battle cruisers. Although the episode Star Trek: The Original Series: Elaan of Troyius (1968) was produced three months before this episode, and technically the first to feature the D7s, this episode was aired on television first, since NBC changed the airing order for all the episodes. For the Remastered series in 2006, digital shots of the D7s were inserted into scenes in the episode Star Trek: The Original Series: Errand of Mercy (1967), which now officially makes that episode to be the first to have the D7s.
D.C. Fontana’s initial inspiration for this story and its title was the Pueblo incident which involved the capture of an American intelligence gathering ship, the USS Pueblo (AGER-2), by North Korean forces during the Vietnam War. North Korea claimed, without evidence, the ship had violated its territorial waters. The incident occurred on January 23, 1968, just two months before Fontana completed her first draft story outline. Although the crew was released after nearly a year, NK still maintains possession of the vessel as a “war trophy”.
This was the last live-action appearance of the Romulans in the “Star Trek” franchise until Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Neutral Zone (1988) 20 years later.
In the opening segment, in regard to the enemy vessels, Spock declares “Romulans now using Klingon design!” Several explanations/theories have been advanced as to why the Romulans use Klingon ships. The real reason is simply because the original Romulan model ship was gone. Non-union, independent creative designer Wah Chang designed and built the original Romulan Bird of Prey model for Star Trek: The Original Series: Balance of Terror (1966). He is also the creator of several iconic Trek costumes and props, including the communicator, original phaser, salt vampires, and tribbles, to name a few of his contributions to the show.
After “Balance of Terror”, the model Bird of Prey was returned to Chang, per his contract, but he eventually disposed of it as he had limited storage and there was never any contractual obligations with CBS to retain it. However, either through poor planning or poor communication or both, season three’s “Enterprise Incident” production staff, expecting to re-use the season one Romulan model, learned from Chang that it was gone. The decision was made to modify the story to use only Klingon model ships, which were kept by the studio, although in recent airings one of the three ships appears to be the original Romulan model. Asking Chang to construct a new Romulan model ship would have been prohibitively costly. Economically, switching to Klingon vessels was the obvious solution.
The Walter M. Jefferies-designed Romulan symbol, composed of a yellow hexagon in the center with three colored spokes coming out of it, can be seen outside the commander’s quarters, above her door. This symbol never appears again in any Star Trek series or movie.
One of the few episodes that opens with McCoy making entries in his medical log.
Jack Donner, who played The Romulan Sub-Commander Tal, was one of only three actors to appear in both the original series and in Star Trek: Enterprise (2001). The others are Joseph Ruskin and Clint Howard.
The Romulans use Klingon disruptor pistols.
Spock scans space out to one-half parsec and says that there are no ships present. As the Enterprise enters the Neutral Zone, Romulan ships appear from nowhere. Later, Spock says that the Romulans must have invented a cloaking device, but they already knew the Romulans had one as they witnessed it in use in Star Trek: The Original Series: Balance of Terror (1966), and their whole mission is to obtain that cloaking device.
In Star Trek: The Original Series: Balance of Terror (1966), the Romulan ship only had simple impulse engines. In this episode, the Romulan ship is capable of going faster than Warp 9 – a major upgrade in capability for such a short time.
Joanne Linville’s Romulan Commander is given the name Dion Charvon in a 1977 Star Trek novel called “The Price of the Phoenix”, by Myrna Culbreath and Sondra Marshak. In the 1999 novel “Vulcan’s Heart” by Josepha Sherman, her name is given as Liviana Charvanek. It’s not clear if either novel is “canonical” but Liviana Charvanek seems to have higher authority and credibility. In addition, Diane Duane’s 1984 novel “My Enemy, My Ally” states that the commander had her name stripped from her because of the events of this episode, and introduces the commander’s aunt, Ael t’Rllaillieu.
This episode takes place in 2268.
One of the most famous lines from this episode is “There’s no such thing as a Vulcan death grip.” In Peter David’s ‘New Frontier’ series, Soleta, a Vulcan, kills a Romulan guard with what she calls the Vulcan death grip. When another character says there’s no such thing as a Vulcan death grip, Soleta glances at the body, and then replies, “There is now.”
During Spock and the Romulan Commanders romantic moment she clearly smears the makeup on Spock’s face
The drink that Spock and the Romulan commander are drinking is very similar to Tranya.
When Spock and Kirk are about to transport over to the Romulan ship, they step onto two of the transport pads. How would they know which pads to step onto as the two Romulans transport over to the Enterprise at the exact same time.
Summary
The Enterprise deliberately crosses the Neutral Zone, on Kirk’s orders, into Romulan space and is promptly surrounded by Romulan warships, each equipped with a “cloaking device” that renders it undetectable. Spock betrays the apparently irrational and paranoid Kirk to the Romulan commander, a woman who is obviously attracted to Spock. A deadly game between Kirk, Spock and the Romulans risks not only the Enterprise but the tenuous cease-fire between the Romulans and the Federation.
CAST
William Shatner … Captain James Tiberius ‘Jim’ Kirk Leonard Nimoy … Mister Spock DeForest Kelley … Dr. McCoy Joanne Linville … Romulan Commander Jack Donner … Tal James Doohan … Scott Nichelle Nichols … Uhura George Takei … Sulu Walter Koenig … Chekov Majel Barrett … Nurse Chapel Richard Compton … Technical Officer Mike Howden … Romulan Guard Gordon Coffey … Romulan Soldier Roger Holloway … Lt. Lemli (uncredited) Eddie Paskey … Lieutenant Leslie (uncredited)
4th of July memories… I have a few but one of the many stupid things I remember is my sister (who is 8 years older) and I would chase each other around with Roman Candles on the 4th of July.
These fabulous weapons of destruction shot out fireballs and sometimes I landed a great shot. I was 8-10 years old and harder to hit. By some miracle, we were never hurt…bad anyway. Scorch marks yea…but we kept all of our limbs. Sorry…now to the song.
I first heard this song in Rocky IV. It was good to see Brown have a hit song. Living In America was released in December of 1985 and was his first Billboard charting song since 1976. The horns on this song sound incredible. They were called The Uptown Horns who also backed The J. Geils band on the Freeze Frame album and The B-52’s on Love Shack.
This was written by Dan Hartman (“I Can Dream About You”) and Charles Midnight. The song won the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance. The song was a huge hit. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard 100, #5 in Canada, #5 in New Zealand, and #5 in the UK in 1986. The song blends elements of soul, funk, and R&B.
When I saw the lead guitar player on this song I was stunned because I’d never heard of him playing on this. The guitar player was Stevie Ray Vaughan and this was around the time when his career was really taking off. He finished up playing on David Bowie’s album Lets Dance just a couple of years before.
The song’s co-writer Dan Hartman later included his recording of the song on his 1994 album Keep the Fire Burnin’.
Living In America
Yeah, uh
Get up, ow
Ow
Knock it out this
Woo
Super highways, coast to coast
Easy to get anywhere
On the transcontinental overload
Just slide behind the wheel
How does it feel
When there’s no destination that’s too far?
And somewhere on the way you might find out who you are, woo
Living in America (ow)
Eye to eye, station to station
Living in America
Hand in hand, across the nation
Living in America
Got to have a celebration
Rock my soul, huh, ow, huh
Smokestack, fatback
Many miles of railroad track
All night radio, keep on runnin’
Through your rock ‘n’ roll soul
All night diners keep you awake
On black coffee and a hard roll, woo
You might have to walk a fine line (say it)
You might take the hard line
But everybody’s workin’ overtime
Living in America (huh)
Eye to eye, station to station
Living in America
Hand in hand, across the nation
Living in America
Yeah, got to have a celebration, woo
I (I) live in America
Say it loud
I live in America
Wait a minute
You may not be lookin’ for the promised land
But you might find it anyway
Under one of those old familiar names
Like New Orleans (New Orleans), Detroit City (Detroit City)
Dallas, uh (Dallas), Pittsburgh, PA, (Pittsburgh, PA)
New York City (New York City), Kansas City (Kansas City)
Atlanta, woo (Atlanta), Chicago and L.A.
Living in America
Hit me
Living in America, yeah
I walked in and out
Living in America
I live in America
Say it loud, It’ll make you proud, uh
Said, I live in America
Hey, I know what it means, ah
Living in America
Eddie Murphy, eat your heart out
To the bridge, ay
Living in America
Hit me
I said now, eye to eye
Station to station
Living in America
Oh, so nice with your bad self (uh)
Living in America
Whoa, I feel good
Happy Independence Day! Hendrix did a great version of The Star Spangled Banner in my opinion. He had served as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell in Clarksville Tennessee in the early 60s.
Yes, this is my favorite version of the song. The poem that formed the basis of the lyrics was penned in 1814 during the War of 1812 by Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old lawyer who was sent to negotiate with the British in an attempt to gain the release of an American prisoner they were holding.
Later, Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a ship he was on. The next morning he saw the Americans take down the battle-torn US flag at the fort and replace it with a larger one.
Key’s poem was published on September 17, 1814, the day after he returned to Baltimore. The poem was sung to the music of a popular British drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven, ” attributed to John Stafford Smith.
Any time someone does an unusual approach to this song…there is always a lot of complaining from people. Once when Jose Feliciano did the song in Game 5 of the MLB World Series in 1968 on guitar and singing…all hell broke loose. Some listeners thought he had “desecrated” and disrespected the national anthem but when asked about it, Feliciano explained that the reason he offered a non-traditional rendition of the anthem was to get people to pay attention to it. It was a great version of the song.
Hendrix took the stage at Woodstock at 8am…only around 30,000 were left out of the huge crowd there. He had been warned not to do the anthem when he toured but did it anyway. He even recorded a studio version and after his death, the takes were put together and released but the Woodstock performance is the one that is best known. What amazes me is when he is imitating bombs dropping…he suddenly goes right back in on time and doesn’t miss a lick.
He didn’t get as much flack as Feliciano did…I think because it wasn’t on prime time during a World Series.
It doesn’t get better than this. I was very fortunate to see Mavis Staples in 2016 open up for Bob Dylan. She was open to the audience and told us that she dated “Bobby” back in the day and thought the world of him. It was a typical hot humid June day in Nashville at a now-defunct amphitheater. She commanded the stage and that voice filled the summer air.
Dylan and Staples first got together during the Newport Folk Festival, possibly in 1963 — though the year was not mentioned. The festival was held annually from 1959 to 1969, barring two years of inactivity in 1961 and 1962. Mavis Staples said, “We would write letters back and forth because we wouldn’t see each other until we were on a festival together. And we’d smooch!”
It has been said that Dylan proposed to Mavis back in 1963. She turned him down because she thought she was too young. Mavis Staple recently said: “I often think about what would have happened if I’d married Bobby, though. If we’d had some little plum-crushers, how our lives would be. The kids would be singing now, and Bobby and I would be holding each other up.”
This song sounds spiritual and very close to a gospel song. There is a reason for that…it came out of a tragic event. Al Bell wrote the song. He signed the band to Stax Records and was an executive and co-owner of Stax Records. His little brother was shot and killed. After returning from the funeral he wrote this song. He said “I went out in the backyard in my father’s home. He had an old school bus there parked that was not running. I went back there and sat on the hood of that bus thinking about all that was happening. And all of a sudden, I hear this music in my head. And I heard these lyrics: ‘I know a place, ain’t nobody worried, ain’t nobody crying, and ain’t no smiling faces lying to the races, I’ll take you there.’ I heard it, and I heard the music. And it wouldn’t leave, it stayed there. kept trying to write other verses, but I couldn’t. Nothing worked – there was nothing left to say.”
It’s a beautiful song that builds hope that there is something better will be in the future. The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #20 in the UK, and #21 in Canada. The song was released in 1972 on Stax Records. It surprises me that it didn’t go much higher in the charts.
The first time I noticed who the Staple Singers were…was in the Last Waltz singing a beautiful version of The Weight. I started to look for more by them and I realized this song, which I knew from childhood, was them. That’s how some of us learn about new music…like a giant tree with roots and a lot of musical branches. With me, it started with the Beatles > Dylan > The Band > The Staple Singers. I found most of the music I like from The Beatles, Stones, and The Who. I followed their influences and what came after.
Mavis Staples: “I sing, ‘Play it, Barry, play your piano…,’ that was Barry Beckett. Then ‘Help me, Daddy…,’ and that was my father playing the guitar. My dad plays that solo, none of that stuff was rehearsed. The only thing that was rehearsed was the verse, but all of the other stuff that I’m doing just came to me in the studio. It wasn’t written down, it all comes from what you feel. And God blessed me to be able to do that. It comes from inside me.”
Al Bell: “Mavis couldn’t get into it, she couldn’t feel it, so I stood there on the floor and tried to sing it to the guys, as they got the music and they got into it. After getting it down, later on, I came back and sat with Mavis and, after a while, she started feeling it and giving in to that rhythm. Of course, she took it to heights that only a Mavis Staples can take it. Nobody else could do it justice, and I guess it was supposed to be that way.”
“Ill Take You There”
Oh mmm I know a place
Ain’t nobody cryin’
Ain’t nobody worried
Ain’t no smilin’ faces
Mmm, no no
Lyin’ to the races
Help me, come on, come on
Somebody, help me now (I’ll take you there)
Help me, ya’all (I’ll take you there)
Help me now (I’ll take you there)
Oh! (I’ll take you there)
Oh! Oh! Mercy! (I’ll take you there)
Oh, let me take you there (I’ll take you there)
Oh-oh! Let me take you there! (I’ll take you there)
Play your, play your piano now
All right Ah do it do it
Come on now
Play on it, play on it
Daddy daddy daddy
Ooh, Lord
All right now
Baby, easy now
Now, come on, little lady
All right
Dum-dum-dum-dum
Sock it, sock it
Ah, oh, oh!
I know a place, ya’all (I’ll take you there)
Ain’t nobody cryin’ (I’ll take you there)
Ain’t nobody worried (I’ll take you there) No smilin’ faces (I’ll take you there)
Uh-uh (Lyin’ to the races) (I’ll take you there)
Oh, no Oh! (I’ll take you there)
Oh oh oh! (I’ll take you there)
Mercy now! (I’ll take you there)
I’m callin’ callin’ callin’ mercy (I’ll take you there)
Mercy mercy! (I’ll take you there)
Let me (I’ll take you there)
Oh oh! I’ll take you there (I’ll take you there)
Oh oh oh oh Wanna take you there! (I’ll take you there) Just take me by the hand
Let me (I’ll take you there)
Let me, let me, let me lead the way
Oh! (I’ll take you there)
Let me take you there (I’ll take you there)
Let me take you there! (I’ll take you there)
Ain’t no smilin’ faces (I’ll take you there)
Up in here, lyin’ to the races (I’ll take you there)
You oughta, you gotta gotta come let me, let me (I’ll take you there)
Take you, take you, take you over there (I’ll take you there) Ooh! Oh! Oh! All right (I’ll take you there)
Oh-oh! All right! (I’ll take you there)
Oh! Oh! (I’ll take you there)
Mmmm ah Oh! Yeah! (I’ll take you there)
Whoa! (I’ll take you there)
Let me lead the way (I’ll take you there)
I have heard this song all of my life and never knew much about it. I like the song because of the sad lyrics set against upbeat music.
Don Gibson wrote this song and it was produced by a legend of country music…Chet Atkins. Atkins, meanwhile, was inducted into the Country Music, Rock & Roll, and Musicians Halls of Fame. Atkins is also one of the primary figures credited with creating the “Nashville sound,” which transformed country music in the 1950s with a sound much cleaner and smoother than the style that preceded it.
Gibson released this in 1958 and it peaked at #7 on the Billboard 100. This was his only top-10 entry in the pop charts. Gibson, an inductee of the Country Music, Nashville Songwriters, and North Carolina Music Halls of Fame, wrote multiple songs now considered country standards.
It’s been covered by a lot of artists. Neil Young and The Kentucky Headhunters are just two that covered the song as well. It was the biggest hit The Headhunters had and it peaked at #8 on the Billboard Country Charts and #19 on the Canadian Country Charts in 1990.
Others who covered it are Johnny Cash who took it to #13 Country and #93 on the Hot 100 in 1961…Stonewall Jackson’s 1970 rendition went to #63 Country. Other acts to cover the song include Bing Crosby, Bob Luman, Southern Culture on the Skids, Ray Charles, Connie Francis, and Bobbi Martin.
Neil Young covered it on his album After The Gold Rush in 1970.
Oh Lonesome Me
Everybody’s going out and having fun
I’m a fool for staying home and having none.
I can’t get over how she set me free.
Oh, lonesome me.
There must be some way that I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about my past and find someone new
I’ve thought of everything from A to Z
Oh, lonesome me.
I’ll bet she’s not like me.
She’s out and fancy free,
Flirting with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so,
And brother don’t you know
I’d welcome her right back here in my arms
If you want to see where we are…and you missed a few…HERE is a list of the episodes in my index located at the top of my blog.
This show was written by Gene Roddenberry, Gene L. Coon and Arthur H. Singer
Season 3 is upon us! This may just be me…so all you Star Trek fans weigh in but I think this is the worst episode of the original series. I haven’t heard one of the cast speak good of this episode either. William Shatner has called it one of the worse and Leonard Nimoy was embarrassed during the entire shooting of this episode.
When you look at the complete picture though…I only see two really bad episodes so when you are talking about 3 seasons with 79 episodes…that is a good track record. With this episode…I guess they tried something different and it just did not work.
It’s unfortunate that this episode may have been the introduction for many late viewers to the Star Trek series because it kicked off the 3rd season. Basically what we have here…instead of “The Search for Spock” we have The Search for Spock’s brain.
A mysterious woman magically arrives on the ship. The pushes some buttons on a box on her arm and everyone falls unconscious. When they are under, she steals Spock’s brain. Then, when they awaken, McCoy informs the Captain that this occurred at which point, Kirk asks if Spock will be okay…uh ok. I couldn’t help but laugh the first time I heard this! What was Kirk thinking?
It gets even worse when they use a cool box on Spock’s body to reanimate him. It seems, according to McCoy, that although Spock has no brain, since he was a Vulcan that his body would live on for 24 hours without dying. What that meant…the clock is ticking while on the search for Spock’s brain.
It has a 5.2 rating at IMDB but most of the episodes get a 6.5 or above. Maybe I’m being too hard on it? Give it a watch when you can and tell me that is the case or was I completely right?
From IMDB:
Written by Lee Cronin, the pseudonym of Gene L. Coon. Some have assumed that it was used because he was unhappy with the results. Actually, it was because he had left Paramount and was under contract with Universal, so he was not supposed to be working for Paramount as well.
First appearance of Scotty’s new hair style, where it was brushed back instead of parted to the side.
The Controller is “Nomad” repurposed from Star Trek: The Original Series: The Changeling (1967) with a globe on top.
This is the only Original Series episode to use a regular character’s name in the title.
This is the first episode in broadcast order in which the credits are displayed in blue font as opposed to the yellow font of the first two seasons.
TOS Seasons 3 marks the first time Star Trek is credited as being produced by Paramount. During Seasons 1 & 2, Star Trek was a Desilu property. In the summer of 1968, it was sold to Paramount.
This is the only time moving stars are shown on the bridge view screen via rear-projection. This is evident because the camera pans across the screen and people move in front it with stars moving, which would not have been possible if the view screen scenery had been matted in later. (In Star Trek: The Original Series: The Doomsday Machine (1967) they walk in front of the screen, but it is a static picture of stars, although in the digitally mastered edition they did add some moving objects.)
In informal surveys taken at science fiction conventions, this episode is promptly and almost universally named as the worst of the original series.
Footage of the Eymorg computer’s displays in operation is recycled from Star Trek: The Original Series: Assignment: Earth (1968) and Star Trek: The Original Series: The Paradise Syndrome (1968).
Gene Roddenberry was fascinated by the idea of a matriarchal society, and revisited the idea in Genesis II (1973) and Star Trek: The Next Generation: Angel One (1988).
Although scantily clad young women were common in this series, the Eymorgs, with their mod mini-dresses, were purportedly a response to Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1967) which featured them on a regular basis. Luma, in particular, was a response to Goldie Hawn’s air-headed persona.
The Vulcan philosophy of “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” is paraphrased. In reference to Spock’s brain Kara says, “The need of my people for their controller is greater than your need for your friend.”
According to her official website, Marj Dusay said she had not viewed this show until a fan sent her a VHS tape in the 1990’s. The multitude of autograph requests she received over the years led her to believe that this show was popular. She described having fun in the role, and that she was delighted with the costume and boots designed for her.
This takes place in 2268.
There are two Morg guards in the scene where Kirk and his men are held captive. The big one who guards the communicators and other items taken from the Enterprise crew is played by Pete Kellett. The bald one by the door who says “Yes, mistress,” is none other than an uncredited Sid Haig.
Pete Kellett, the uncredited actor who played a Morg guard, has the single, dramatic line, “Yes, mistress”. He was the only Morg that had dialogue.
Marj Dusay played the role of Kara, which was the name of the cabaret dancer character in the opening scene of this season’s show “Wolf in the Fold”.
James Daris, the creature that Kirk stuns with his phaser, had a role in the “Mission: Impossible” show “Encore” in which William Shatner played one of main adversaries of the IMF team. As one of the henchmen of the other adversary, he did not share scenes with Shatner’s character.
Sheila Leighton (Luma) and Marj Dusay (Kara) each appeared separately in shows of “Hogan’s Heroes”. Leighton was cast in one role, and Dusay played three different roles.
Summary
When the Enterprise encounters an ion-powered vessel – far more advanced than their own warp-powered technology – they soon find themselves knocked unconscious by a beautiful alien who suddenly appears on the bridge. When they come to, they find that Spock’s brain has been surgically removed using technology way beyond their own current level of development. Following the ion trail left by the spacecraft, they arrive at a barren, ice-covered planet where the men live on the surface and the women in a highly advanced underground complex. Spock’s brain is now the central intelligence that runs the entire complex. The problem before them: how to reunite his brain to his body.
CAST
William Shatner … Captain James Tiberius ‘Jim’ Kirk Leonard Nimoy … Mister Spock DeForest Kelley … Dr. McCoy Marj Dusay … Kara James Doohan … Scott Walter Koenig … Chekov George Takei … Sulu Nichelle Nichols … Uhura Majel Barrett … Nurse Chapel Daris … Creature Sheila Leighton … Luma Bill Blackburn … Lieutenant Hadley (uncredited) Frank da Vinci … Lt. Brent (uncredited) Roger Holloway … Lt. Lemli (uncredited) Pete Kellett … Morg Guard (uncredited)Jeannie Malone … Yeoman (uncredited) Eddie Paskey … Lieutenant Leslie (uncredited)
This song is rocking and raw…it reminds me a little of his song Ramblin’, Gamblin’, Man because of his voice and sound. I remember this song vividly from the 1985 movie Mask with Eric Stoltz, Cher, and Sam Elliott.
In the 1960s Kathmandu (the correct spelling) was a place where people traveled to find themselves and to get enlightenment from life…or just to go where no one could find or bother them. It’s the capital of Nepal and a remote location. Seger used an alternate spelling of the song (Katmandu) so it would be easier for people to recognize. Cat Stevens wrote a song with the same name years before and used this spelling.
This song was more popular in Michigan (Seger’s home state) than the rest of the country but it did chart at #43 on the Billboard 100 and #57 in Canada. Now it’s one of those songs that live on with classic radio. The album Beautiful Loser peaked at #131 but it sold two million copies since it was released. Three songs charted off of the album…Beautiful Loser, Nutbush City Limits, and Katmandu.
On his albums, he would record sometimes half with The Silver Bullet Band and half with the Muscle Shoals musicians. This song came off of the Beautiful Loser album which was his breakthrough album. It set him up for his next album that made him a household name…Night Moves.
On this album, he recorded 7 out of 9 tracks in Muscle Shoals including this song. The owners of the studio were also the musicians: Jimmy Johnson (guitar), Barry Beckett (keyboards), David Hood (bass), and Roger Hawkins (drums), and were much more affordable than big studios plus you got that Muscle Shoals sound.
Katmandu
I think I’m going to Katmandu That’s really, really where I’m going to If I ever get out of here That’s what I’m gonna do K-k-k-k-k-k Katmandu I think that’s really where I’m going to If I ever get out of here I’m going to Katmandu
I got no kick against the west coast Warner brothers are such good hosts I raise my whiskey glass and give them a toast I’m sure they know it’s true I got no rap against the southern states Every time I’ve been there it’s been great But now I’m leaving and I can’t be late And to myself be true
That’s why I’m going to Katmandu Up to the mountain’s where I’m going to And if I ever get out of here That’s what I’m gonna do Aw, k-k-k-k-k-k Katmandu Really, really where I’m going to If I ever get out of here I’m going to Katmandu
Oh Take it away I ain’t got nothin’ ‘gainst the east coast You want some people where they got the most And New York City’s like a friendly ghost You seem to pass right through I know I’m gonna miss the USA I guess I’ll miss it every single day But no one loves me here anyway I know my plane is due
The one that’s going to Katmandu Up to the mountain’s where I’m going to If I ever get out of here That’s what I’m gonna do K-k-k-k-k-k Katmandu Really, really, really, going to If I ever get out of here If I ever get out of here If I ever get out of here I’m going to Katmandu, oh Ooh huh huh Ooh huh huh ooh yeah
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