Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.
This song was released in 1986…it sounds more like 1966. This intro reminds me of the intro to CCR’s Up Around The Bend with that searing guitar riff. I missed a lot of this music in the 1980s and I regret it but I’m making up for lost time now.
That Petrol Emotion was formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, after the disbandment of The Undertones. Damian and John O’Neill left the Undertones to form That Petrol Emotion. The band was formed in 1984 and consisted of Steve Mack (vocals), John O’Neill (guitar, vocals), Raymond O’Gorman (guitar), Damian O’Neill (bass), and Ciaran McLaughlin (drums).
It was featured on their debut album Manic Pop Thrill, which was released the same year. It’s a Good Thing received positive reviews from critics and helped establish the band’s reputation in the Indie college rock scene. The song was praised for its catchy hooks and jangly guitars.
The band continued to release albums throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, including End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues (1988), Chemicrazy (1990), and Fireproof (1993). They called it quits in 1994.
The band has reunited several times for live performances, including a notable reunion in 2008 where they did a short tour and some festivals.
It’s A Good Thing
Senses fail And we know why Indifference slides From every corner But I just want To be with you The silent screams Above each other
It`s a good thing Such a good thing To do To do
While governments gain All money can buy Trash means cash In any country But I just want To be with you Our flesh feels fresh And that`s the beauty
This movie was based on a true story. A book was written by Robin Moore called The French Connection about two real detectives named Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso. Their screen counterparts were Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle and Buddy ‘Cloudy’ Russo. It wasn’t an exact retelling of the true events but much of it aligned with the truth.
One thing I love about this movie is no one looks like a movie star in it. The style of this movie was like someone filming real life. That will probably be a theme here in these drive-in movies. I won’t cover just classics like this one though but I love gritty movies.
The plot is around two New York City cops who are trying to intercept a 32-million-dollar heroin shipment. They concentrate on ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Gene Hackman) who some would say is uncouth and doesn’t have a love for people. He is like a bulldog on a bone. There is nothing that will stop him. The main person they are chasing is Alain Charnier, a suave and urbane gentleman but is a supplier of pure heroin to America.
The Car Chase. Oh yes, this one is different and very intense. Popeye is chasing a train that is above the street. He stops a pedestrian and uses his car and it is unrelenting. A little trivia… it was shot with no permits and featured actual crashes with real New Yorkers. They did have a few policemen that controlled traffic for the shot but the chase then went into unpatrolled places. Gene Hackman did a lot of the driving but the dangerous stunts in the chase were performed by stuntman Bill Hickman.
The stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider patrolled with the real subjects… Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso for a month. Hackman even helped restrain a subject at one stop.
Let’s go to the director now. Before this film, William Friedkin was best known as a documentary maker. That probably helped the realism in this movie. He had directed a few TV movies and movies before though. He would later direct The Exorcist.
Quotes
Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle: All right! You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I’m gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I’m gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.
[a few scenes later:]
Walt Simonson: Popeye. You still picking your feet in Poughkeepsie?
The line “picking your feet in Poughkeepsie” was used in real life by real cop Eddie Egan while interrogating suspects. Grosso and Egan would play good cop and bad cop. It’s a phrase that Egan would sometimes use during interrogations to disorient and confuse suspects during interrogations, with the aim of Grosso getting them to open up by asking more direct queries actually related to the case.
Nope…Mo Mountain Mutts is not a new rock/punk band…but I love the name. It’s basically a doggie daycare that sends a bus out on a cold Alaska morning to pick up all the passengers…and yes they are dogs of all shapes. They are located in Skagway, Alaska.
A video went viral of them a couple of years ago and I watch them when I can. The humans are Mo and Lee Thompson, natives of Michigan who moved to Alaska in 2014. It started with Mo being good with dogs and walking them…soon she and her husband started this.
They go by on a bus and pick up their customer’s dogs. The dogs know what to do and get on in their seats and get strapped in. Mo and Lee Thompson take them for walks and to play in the Alaska wilderness.
This is the video that went viral.
On their facebook page it says: Skagway’s dog walker, pet sitter & family dog trainer. I specialize in trail dog pack walks & puppies
Mo Thompson:“I started working with some teachers at the school. And it just kind of was a ripple effect of ‘Hey, I heard you’re really good with dogs. Can you help me? Hey, I heard you’re really good with dogs. Can you help me?’ And then I needed a second pack walk because I started grouping dogs together by their personalities. So we had our morning crew and our afternoon crew. Then it just grew to the point where I needed some help from Lee (her husband)”
Today is the 44th anniversary of this Rock Festival at Love Valley.
What a festival this was and what a town it still is. It happened in Love Valley North Carolina. The headliners were The Allman Brothers who at that time only had one album out and were largely unknown to the masses. This huge festival was soon known as Woodstock South. Between 100,000-200,000 showed up.
A man named Andy Barker always wanted to live in a western town. When he was 29 years old he bought some land in 1954 and moved his family there. The land was in Iredell County and he he built the town and it was chartered in 1963. It has a saloon, hitching posts, a small church, and more. No cars are allowed in town…you can walk or ride a horse through.
It’s the place for riding horses, rodeos, and hiking trails with 2000 acres to cover. The population of Love Valley is right now at 96. Through the years it seems to stay around 100.
In 1969 Andy’s daughter Tonda wanted to go to Woodstock but he thought she was too young. So he asked her and her 16-year-old brother Jet Barker to organize a festive concert in Love Valley. While in college she had worked with an entertainment coordinator at college and knew the ropes. She managed to secure the Allman Brothers Band who at the time were known in the south but that is about it. They also got some more local bands to fill it out…it was a large bill. It took place Thursday, July 16-18, 1970.
One interesting thing that happened was that the Hell’s Angels and Outlaws showed up to battle each other. According to witnesses, Andy Barker stopped them, confiscated a chain and ax from each, and told them there would be no trouble there. They seemed to respect this man because after that the gangs dispersed and some camped out with no reported trouble. The festival went off without any major hitch.
Tonda:“It was perfect, it was like a dream. We had worked so hard and we could finally just sit down and enjoy it.”
Andy planned to make a documentary of it but it didn’t happen. All we have to look at is some grainy footage but that grainy footage shows Duane Allman a year before At Fillmore East was released. They were finishing up their second album Idlewild South at this time. Some very nice bootlegs are out there from their multiple sets.
Along with the Allman Brothers, the lineup consisted of these bands: Big Brother and the Holding Company (without Janis), Radar, Peace Core, Wet Willie, Johnny Jenkins, Tony Joe White, Hampton Grease Band, Donnydale, Catfish Freedom, Sundown, Chakra, Hot Rain, Kallabash, Warm Stone Blind, Captain John’s Fishmarket. There were over 40 bands over that weekend.
Some like Wet Willie would go on to have a few hits. Tony Joe White had a top ten hit with Polk Salad Annie the year before.
Ed Buzzell was a UPI stringer and took these photographs...they are amazing. They don’t show many bands…just the people…you feel like you are there.
On August 12, 2024, I will post two weeks of Kinks songs from different bloggers… I’m looking forward to it as we will hit many Kinks eras… 1963 – 1993.
See You Then! Also…a huge thank you to all the bloggers who agreed to do this. I really appreciate you giving your time for this. I think the readers will enjoy it.
This is one of the first songs that I learned the riff on and played it live. Up to this point, I was on bass but I had to start singing some so I took over rhythm guitar. It’s such a simple riff anyone could do it but it gave me some confidence on guitar. It’s a song you can sing and play the riff with no trouble.
What makes this song is not the riff, it’s Lennon’s rock voice that I would give about anything to have. This is one of the covers that the Beatles would do in The Cavern and Hamburg. They recorded two covers in 1965 to satisfy Capitol Records who wanted to add on to an album called Beatles VI. They recorded Bad Boy (probably my favorite cover by them) and Dizzy Miss Lizzy. They ended up including Dizzy Miss Lizzy on The Help! UK-only soundtrack as well.
Both Bad Boy and Dizzy Miss Lizzy were written by Larry Williams. They covered him three times in total. Slow Down, Bad Boy, and Dizzy Miss Lizzy. They covered more of Williams’s songs live but Lennon, in particular, loved his songs and did the lead vocals on all three while recording.
Larry Williams released the song in 1958 on Speciality Records, the same record company his friend Little Richard was on. The B-side was Slow Down, a song that the Beatles would cover as well. It was one of the last charting top 100 singles he ever released. It peaked at #69 on the Billboard 100. He would score a couple of R&B charting songs in 1966 and 1967.
This song is better live in my opinion and I’ve included a live more raunchy version of it by The Beatles.
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Ow!
You make me dizzy, Miss Lizzy The way you rock and roll You make me dizzy, Miss Lizzy When you do the stroll Come on, Miss Lizzy Love me ‘fore I grow too old
Come on, give me fever Put your little hand in mine You make me dizzy, dizzy, Lizzy Oh girl, you look so fine Just a-rocking and a-rolling Girl, I said I wish you were mine
Ah! Ow! Woo!
You make me dizzy, Miss Lizzy When you call my name Ooh, baby Say you’re driving me insane Come on, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon baby I want to be your loving man
Ah! Mm Mm, ow!
Run and tell your mama I want you to be my bride Run and tell your brother Baby, don’t run and hide You make me dizzy, Miss Lizzy Girl, I want to marry you
Come on, give me fever Put your little hand in mine, girl You make me dizzy, dizzy, Lizzy Girl, you look so fine You’re just a-rocking and a-rolling Ooh, I said I wish you were mine
Destination Burlesque I got all my cards in one shoe
I posted the Streetwalkers last Sunday and I got a lot of positive comments so I thought I would post the band that started them. I kept hearing the song Burlesque played by the Streetwalkers but could not find a studio version… it’s because Family did the original.
Some of the UK readers may know more about this band. I like what I’ve heard from them. I’m no expert but they blend progressive rock, blues, folk, and psychedelia. Just like I said with The Streetwalkers…Roger Chapman is a hell of a lead singer…he was the lead singer for both bands.
Altogether they released 7 studio albums that were quite successful. All of their studio albums were top 40 in the UK with 3 being in the top 10 and two in the top 20. This song was on their album Bandstand released in 1972. The song peaked at #13 and the album peaked at #15 in the UK. They also had one album called Anyway that peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200 in 1970.
Family was formed in Leicester, England, in 1966 by Roger Chapman (vocals), John Charlie Whitney (guitar), Jim King (saxophone, harmonica, vocals), Ric Grech (bass, violin, vocals), and Rob Townsend (drums). The name that pops out to me is Ric Grech who was the bass player for supergroup Blind Faith.
Whitney lays down some great guitar and Chapman does his usual fantastic job of singing. This is a band that I’m going to explore. Some trivia here…their debut album I’ve heard of from reading about The Beatles. It was called “Music in a Doll’s House” and released in 1968. The Beatles were going to name their new album “A Doll’s House” and even had a cover drawn up but changed their mind after Family’s album. Instead of that name…they chose The Beatles, or as it’s more popularly known as The White Album.
Chapman and guitarist Charlie Whitney were the primary songwriters for Family. They often sought to blend various musical styles and to experiment.
Roger Chapman: Charlie would come up with these difficult and magical chord sequences that were just outrageous, and I had some lyrics and just sang a melody straight through them. I could do that without even thinking about it. Maybe if he had been with a more classical person there might have been a more classical direction to these chords. I was the simple one! I had one talent, he had the other, and we merged together very well, it seems.
I thought I would give you the studio version by Family and a great live version by the Streetwalkers.
Burlesque
Rolling and tumbling ain’t done me no harm Gonna boogie my night all away Rita and Greta been twisting my arm into Heading out west Down to the Burlesque Saving my ace through to you
Well, drinking and sinking, I’m feeling alright Right down to my snakey spat shoes Just about shutdown and three in the night Because I’m heading out west Down to the Burlesque Show ’em a moon at the door
We got to show the Burlesque
Rolling, tumbling Sure ain’t done me no harm Drinking, sinking Just been too bad on my arm
Well I finally lost Rita and Greta went home I guess that leaves just me and you Been kinda sneaky to get you alone Oh but you in that dress Destination Burlesque I got all my cards in one shoe
I got all my cards in one
Rolling, tumbling Sure ain’t done me no harm Drinking, sinking Just been too bad on my arm
Well I finally lost Rita and Greta went home I guess that leaves just me and you Been kinda sneaky to get you alone Oh but you in that dress Destination Burlesque I got all my cards in one shoe
Jim Adams invited me to participate in Song Lyric Sunday for his blog. This week’s prompt is…”asong that features a great bass line.” I knew it was going to be a Who song…and I changed it at the last minute from My Generation to this. This song has some incredible bass.
I have played music since I was around 14-15 and bass since I was around 15. I started out with an acoustic guitar with 2 strings. I could play Smoke on the Water, Down on the Corner, and other songs with those two strings. Soon I graduated to 6 strings and learned chords. A buddy of mine played guitar and he was more advanced than I was at the time.
We decided I would play bass and he would play guitar. I got a job cleaning up a vacant lot that had a massive mess for two days and earned around 50 bucks…and in the early 1980s…that could get you a decent bass guitar in a pawn shop. I learned by ear. We would listen to a record…slow it down to the slowest speed on the turntable and start figuring it out. I’m glad I learned that way because I can pick things out by listening.
Hearing this song around 8 years after it was released for the first time was exciting for me. It was a huge influence on how I played. I always made sure in any band I was in…the bass was heard. You could feel it in your chest… I made sure of that. I would hear some say…”Max is on 11 again.”
Where do I start with this song?
One of the most exciting songs of The Who. It was on the Mod concept album Quadrophenia. Roger and Pete are excellent in this song but John and Keith really stand out. The bass and drums do the heavy lifting in this song. It peaked at #92 in 1974.
I have sat for hours with a bass in my hand trying to get the runs right to this song. One of John’s best bass parts. I usually tie my fingers into knots trying to get this right. It wasn’t one of their huge hits but it was absolutely perfect for me.
I’ve never heard a hard rock band this tight yet carry a great melody underneath it all. John’s bass playing in this song is so good and he makes it sound almost normal. That is why I’ll always be in awe of The Who. Give me their rhythm section of Entwistle and Moon and I could rule the world. The word “revolutionized” is overused at times…but yes Entwistle did revolutionize the bass guitar as Moon did the drums.
The album told the story of a young mod named Jimmy. This song is about Jimmy’s inner turmoil and his quest to understand who he really is. He seeks answers and validation from his mother, a psychiatrist, and God, but finds no clear resolution. The album explores themes of identity, rebellion, and disillusionment. Pete Townshend wrote this and put a little of each band member’s personality in the character.
John Entwistle: “The Real Me” was the first take. I was joking when I did that bass part. The band said, “Wow, that’s great, that’s great!” And I was just messing around. They just loved the song. I was sitting on top of my speaker cabinet playing a silly bass part and that’s the one they liked.
John Entwistle: I think if you listen to my bass parts on their own, they sound unbelievably disjointed, but when you play them with the other instruments on the track, they fit. That’s what comes from playing with Keith.
Speaking of my favorite rhythm section…here is an isolated recording of JUST the bass and drums.
The Real Me
I went back to the doctor To get another shrink I sit and tell him ’bout my weekend But he never betrays what he thinks
Woo Can you see the real me, doctor? Doctor? Can you see the real me, doctor? Woah, doctor
I went back to my mother I said I’m crazy ma, help me She said I know how it feels son ‘Cause it runs in the family
Can you see the real me, mama? Mama? Can you see the real me, mama? Woah, mama
Can you see Can you see the real me? Can you see Can you see the real me The real me The real me
The cracks between the paving stones Look like rivers of flowing veins Strange people who know me Peeping from behind every window pane The girl I used to love Lives in this yellow house Yesterday she passed me by She doesn’t want to know me now
Can you see the real me? Can ya? Can ya? Can you see the real me? Can ya? Woah, yeah
I ended up with a preacher Full of lies and hate I seemed to scare him a little So he showed me to the golden gate
Can you see the real me, preacher? Preacher? Can you see the real me, preacher?
Can you see Can you see Can you see Woah
Can you see the real me, doctor?
Can you see the real me, ma?
Can you see the real me (me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me)?
Everlasting summer filled with ill-content This government had us walkin’ in chains This isn’t my turf This ain’t my season Can’t think of one good reason to remain
I will say that my favorite Canadian export is The Band. Combine the 4 Canadians with one southern American and you have gold…no scratch that… you have diamonds. Something I will confess about this band… after I’ve heard songs like The Weight, all of my life, sometimes I don’t realize or forget…wow that is great songwriting! I guess because those songs are so ingrained in my head and I don’t give them as much notice but I want to say something about that now. After posting Daniel and the Sacred Harp and now Acadian Driftwood…my respect for Robbie Robertson’s songwriting knows no bounds. This is songwriting at its best. Don’t get me wrong…I always knew those popular songs were great but I took The Band for granted for a while.
Robertson was inspired by the history of the Acadians, a group of French settlers in Canada who were forcibly removed from their land during the Great Expulsion (Le Grand Dérangement) between 1755 and 1764. This event scattered the Acadians across various regions, including Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. He was also influenced by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1847 poem Evangeline, which describes the deportation of Acadians
Just like with Daniel And The Sacred Harp this song showcases the vocals of Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Richard Manuel. Each takes a turn singing different parts of the song, contributing to the narrative’s depth and meaning. There were some other Americana bands but none sounded like The Band.
Who would even think about writing a song about this subject? The song was on the Northern Lights – Southern Cross album released in 1975. The album peaked at #27 in Canada and #26 on the Billboard Album Charts.
Anyway…now when I listen to The Weight, Cripple Creek, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and the other well-known Band songs…I will stop and listen a little more carefully.
Acadian Driftwood
The war was over and the spirit was broken
The hills were smokin’ as the men withdrew
We stood on the cliffs
Oh, and watched the ships
Slowly sinking to their rendezvous
They signed a treaty and our homes were taken
Loved ones forsaken
They didn’t give a damn
Try’n’ to raise a family
End up the enemy
Over what went down on the plains of Abraham
Acadian driftwood
Gypsy tail wind
They call my home the land of snow
Canadian cold front movin’ in
What a way to ride
Oh, what a way to go
Then some returned to the motherland
The high command had them cast away
And some stayed on to finish what they started
They never parted
They’re just built that way
We had kin livin’ south of the border
They’re a little older and they’ve been around
They wrote a letter life is a whole lot better
So pull up your stakes, children and come on down
Fifteen under zero when the day became a threat
My clothes were wet and I was drenched to the bone
Been out ice fishing, too much repetition
Make a man wanna leave the only home he’s known
Sailed out of the gulf headin’ for Saint Pierre
Nothin’ to declare
All we had was gone
Broke down along the coast
But what hurt the most
When the people there said
“You better keep movin’ on”
Everlasting summer filled with ill-content
This government had us walkin’ in chains
This isn’t my turf
This ain’t my season
Can’t think of one good reason to remain
We worked in the sugar fields up from New Orleans
It was ever green up until the floods
You could call it an omen
Points ya where you’re goin’
Set my compass north
I got winter in my blood
Acadian driftwood
Gypsy tail wind
They call my home the land of snow
Canadian cold front movin’ in
What a way to ride
Ah, what a way to go
Every weekend I try to post some artists I never have posted before and this weekend it’s John Mayall and another band tomorrow. I’ve read his name and I’ve heard bits and pieces but never dove in so to speak. The one thing I can say…is tone. His band has some of the best tones I’ve ever heard from a guitar.
I could have picked about anything they did so I searched out some and found this one. This British blues band was formed in the early 1960s by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. The band is known for its huge role in the British blues boom and for launching the careers of many great musicians. Just to name a few, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Chris Mercer, Harvey Mandel, Jesse Ed Davis, and the list keeps going.
Their most famous album I’m aware of is the album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (often referred to as the “Beano” album due to Clapton reading a Beano comic on the cover). This album helped make Clapton a superstar guitarist to many. It was released in 1966 and was the debut studio album of the band. The album peaked at #6 in the UK. I love that the band was fluid with members. Who is on this album? John Mayall, Eric Clapton, John McVie, and Hughie Flint.
The song was originally composed by American blues musician Otis Rush. It was first recorded by him in 1958 as “All Your Love (I Miss Loving).” I added a later live version by Otis Rush with Eric Clapton below. Make sure to listen to the studio cut of it as well…why is that? It’s because of the tone and playing by Clapton. It was back when Clapton was still playing a Les Paul through a Marshall. In the Cream reunion, he played a Fender and you could tell the difference.
John Mayall sadly passed away July 22, 20024. He was 90 years old.
All Your Love
All the love I miss loving, all the kiss I miss kissing All the love I miss loving, all the kiss I miss kissing Before I met you baby, never knew what I was missing
All your love, pretty baby, that I got in store for you All your love, pretty baby, that I got in store for you I love you pretty baby, well I say you love me too
All your loving, pretty baby, all your loving, pretty baby All your loving, pretty baby, all your loving, pretty baby Since I first met you baby, I never knew what I was missing
Hey, hey baby, hey, hey baby Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, baby, oh, oh, baby Since I first met you baby, never knew what I was missing
On July 12, 1979, Skylab fell back to the earth. Today is the anniversary. I would have never dreamed I would remember it years on.
In 1979 I was twelve and heard the news that a space workstation named Skylab was falling to Earth. It was exciting for me…I was hoping that a piece of it would fall near so I could touch something that had been flying through space. When you are a kid that is a big deal. Well, it still would be to me.
That didn’t happen because unless I was Australian I wasn’t going to see any debris. In school, our science teacher went over the event and I do remember people wearing Skylab t-shirts, hats, and buttons. Everyone was looking up hoping to see something…anything. Some kids were scared they were going to get crushed…that is when I learned that what goes up must go down.
Watching the news… some people were panicking and…some partying. This is from Newsweek in 1979
In various parts of the country, wags painted X’s on their neighbors’ roofs or sported T-shirts with targets on the back. Entrepreneurs sold plastic helmets and Skylab survival kits compete with bags for collecting stray parts of the spacecraft and letters suing NASA for damages. “I don’t know how much we’re making, but we’re having fun,” said Steven Danzig, 25, of Bloomington, Ind., who sold more than 20,000 such kits. In Washington, a bar called Mr. Smith’s sold a concoction dubbed the Chicken Little Special.
Around the U.S., there were Skylab parties to coincide with the crash, and betting pools on precisely when or where the debris would come streaking back to earth.
Skylab was designed to go up but not come back down. It was launched in 1973 and was occupied for almost 24 weeks. There was a lot of time and money spent on how to get it up there but not much time on how to get it down. It only had a 9-year life span, to begin with. In 1979 it was clear that Skylab was rapidly descending orbit.
On July 12, 1979, Skylab came back to earth in the Indian Ocean and in Western Australia. No one was injured by the falling debris.
The San Francisco Examiner offered a $10,000 ($45,309.60 today) reward for anyone bringing a part of Skylab to their office. They knew it wasn’t going to hit America so it was a safe bet they would not have to pay…but Stan Thornton…an Australian truck driver heard about the reward, grabbed a piece of debris, and jumped on a plane to San Francisco and got the reward.
I like all the eras of the ever-changing David Bowie but his early to mid-seventies is my favorite. Love this song with its loud intro with Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. I knew a lot of his music as a kid because my sister liked Ziggy Stardust.
It was on the albumThe Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars released in 1972. Read that review if you have time…the album was one of his best to me. He wrote the song after meeting Fred Burrett a fashion designer in the early 70s. The album peaked at #5 in the UK, #21 on the Billboard Album Charts, #20 in New Zealand, and #59 on the Canadian Charts.
The original version of Moonage Daydream was released in 1971 under the name Arnold Corns, a side project Bowie used to test new material. Bowie formed Arnold Corns in early 1971. The name was inspired by the Pink Floyd song Arnold Layne. He combined Fred Burrett and Arnold Corns and wrote songs for the test band.
From Wiki…Arnold Corns included: David Bowie, Freddie Burretti (he changed his name), Mick Ronson, Mark Carr-Pritchard, Trevor Bolder, and Mick Woodmansey.
This song helped inspire Jack and Meg White to form The White Stripes. Jack was playing it on guitar and Meg started to play along and they formed their band.
Moonage Daydream
I’m an alligator, I’m a mama-papa coming for you
I’m the space invader, I’ll be a rock ‘n’ rollin’ bitch for you
Keep your mouth shut, you’re squawking like a pink monkey bird
And I’m busting up my brains for the words
Keep your ‘lectric eye on me, babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah
Don’t fake it, baby, lay the real thing on me
The church of man, love, is such a holy place to be
Make me baby, make me know you really care
Make me jump into the air
Keep your ‘lectric eye on me, babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah
Keep your ‘lectric eye on me, babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah
Keep your ‘lectric eye on me, babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah
Drive your car up to my place and find your spot….and we won’t even check the trunks for free stowaways (which I was a lot). Sit back while we watch some movies. I will keep each of these as short as possible.
CB sparked this idea…I wanted to review more movies and what better movies than 1960s – 1970s drive-in flicks? I love these movies because they are mostly gritty and realistic looking…you never know what you will see or hear. I will try not to give away the ending of these films because many might not have seen them.
The quotes from this movie alone could fill up a book. This movie and The French Connection helped start the antihero movies of the seventies. I like many Eastwood films especially the Trilogy made in the sixties. In this movie, Dirty Harry has a tough, no-nonsense approach to law enforcement. He is willing to bend or break the rules to get the job done, which often puts him at odds with his superiors and the legal system. His most famous line, “Do you feel lucky, punk?” has become iconic.
The movie is based out of San Francisco and the characters are really tangible. You have the mayor and police chief fighting with Harry over regulations and Harry is single-minded going after the killer. The film was well-received by critics for the most part. It highlights both vigilante justice and the large bureaucracy that holds everything back. It gives you a view of both.
As good as Eastwood is in this movie, it’s Andrew Robinson who really got my attention. Some bad guys are like cartoon caricatures but not this one. He played The Scorpio Killer in this movie. He based some of it off the real Zodiac Killer of the 60s and 70s. Robinson played that part so well that he was stereotyped after the movie’s release. When you saw him on the screen he personified a killer. This is not Jason or slasher films bad guys…this one hit home because he was so real.
Director Don Siegel did a hell of a job directing this movie. “I enjoy the controversy because if you make a film that’s safe, you’re in trouble. I’m a liberal; I lean to the left. Clint is a conservative; he leans to the right. At no point in making the film did we ever talk politics. I don’t make political movies. I was telling the story of a hard‐nosed cop and a dangerous killer. What my liberal friends did not grasp was that the cop is just as evil, in his way, as the sniper.”
My favorite scene… Harry is eating a hotdog and notices a bank getting robbed. He takes action and single-handedly stops the robbers. He teases one robber that he shot.
I’m lifting the short storyline out of IMDB
“Dirty Harry” follows San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan, a tough, rule-bending officer known for his unorthodox methods and willingness to confront criminals head-on. The film’s central antagonist is the Scorpio Killer, a sadistic serial murderer who taunts the police with cryptic messages and demands ransom money in exchange for stopping his killing spree.
Callahan’s pursuit of Scorpio takes him through the streets of San Francisco, leading to intense confrontations and moral dilemmas. As the body count rises, Callahan’s relentless quest for justice puts him at odds with his superiors, who are more concerned with following protocol than stopping the killer by any means necessary.
Favorite Quotes:
The Mayor: Callahan… I don’t want any more trouble like you had last year in the Fillmore district. You understand? That’s my policy.
Harry Callahan: Yeah, well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard – that’s my policy.
The Mayor: Intent? How’d you establish that?
Harry Callahan: When a naked man is chasing a woman through a dark alley with a butcher knife and a hard on, I figure he isn’t out collecting for the Red Cross.
The Mayor: I think he’s got a point.
Harry Callahan: Uh uh. I know what you’re thinking. “Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya, punk?
The success of Dirty Harry led to four sequels: “Magnum Force” (1973), “The Enforcer” (1976), “Sudden Impact” (1983), and “The Dead Pool” (1988).
I want to thank all of you readers…I went over the million mark in views this past Saturday. I appreciate you all coming here since 2017.
My friend Greg lives near me and he came in and asked me to look this band up. They are new to me and they are called The Red Clay Strays. They seem to be a mix of rockabilly, blues, rock, soul, Americana, and a tad bit of country. The band is from Mobile, Alabama.
They were formed in 2015 and included lead vocalist Brandon Coleman, guitarist Drew Nix, bassist Andrew Bishop, drummer John Hall, and keyboardist/vocalist Logan Dozier. They met through various musical connections in Mobile and decided to form the band.
The band’s reputation grew steadily through touring. They gained a dedicated following in the Southeastern United States, playing at various festivals, clubs, and music venues. They do nicely building in dynamics in their music to make it memorable.
They released their first album in 2022 called Moment of Truth. That album peaked at #11 on the Americana/Folk Album Charts, #29 on the Billboard Country Charts, and #4 on the UK Country Charts. Their new album is called Made By These Moments and will be released on July 26th.
Right now their popularity is spreading outside of the southeast. The bottom clip is them in Denver at the famous Red Rocks playing this song. The studio version is not out yet so I’ll include another one of their songs so you can get a feel of them below this.
No One Else Like Me
How many mistakes must I make before I start to see How much love will it make to make me not wanna leave How many tears must I cry before my tears run dry
Will I ever be free Will I ever be free Lord I wanna Be Free
Well I’m a broken ridder, I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope I’m a shadowed thinker, I’m a one eyed blinker at the end of this rope I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking, about love and how to be free I’m a dyin ghost with a heart like most but lord, ain’t no one else like me
Lookin back at the promises that I could never keep I wonder if there was any truth at all in me Sometimes I wanna run away and go start over in another place But I’ll never be free, Lord I’ll never be free
Well I’m a broken ridder, I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope I’m a shadowed thinker, I’m a one eyed blinker at the end of this rope I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking, about love and how to be free I’m a dyin ghost with a heart like most but lord, ain’t no one else like me
Well I’m a broken ridder, I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope I’m a shadowed thinker, I’m a one eyed blinker at the end of this rope I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking, about love and how to be free I’m a dyin ghost with a heart like most but lord, ain’t no one else like me
I have always liked odd mixtures. Anything out of the norm and I pay attention. That is why I blog about the past more than today. I liked the 60’s and 70’s era because houses, cars, and music were for the most part unique. I couldn’t tell a Ford from a Chevy today. A lot of new houses look just alike in cloned neighborhoods.
I would have loved to have been at one of these concerts.
Jimi Hendrix / Monkees 1967 – This is number one on my list. Can you imagine the young Monkee fans hearing the sonic volume of Jimi Hendrix? Jimi had to play while a bunch of 12-year-old girls screamed “We want the Monkees” and “We want Davy. ” It was the sixties and Peter Tork said: “It didn’t cross anybody’s mind that it wasn’t gonna fly.”
The Who / Herman Hermits 1967 – Smash your guitar and drums. Hope I Die Before I Get Old and then Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter?… You can imagine Peter Noone tripping over shards of guitars every night.
Lynyrd Skynyrd / Queen 1974 – This one is a head-scratcher. The theatrical Queen and the southern boys from Florida just don’t seem a great match. It was a European tour and Lynyrd Skynyrd got a lot of recognition from it. They were probably more popular in the UK than here at one time.
Bruce Springsteen / Anne Murray 1974 – This one is baffling. Anne Murray’s managers demanded that Bruce open the show for Anne in NYC! They argued she was more successful and she was…but this was New York and Bruce Springsteen…what a fatal mistake…halfway through Bruce’s set Anne’s managers regretted their decision. Many of the audience had left by the time Anne took the stage.
The Ramones/Toto1979 – This one doesn’t make sense at all…what promoter thought this through? The laid-back ToTo fans sat through the Ramones but Toto singer Bobby Kimball came out and apologized to the crowd for the “horrible band” they had to sit through. Nothing against Toto but give me The Ramones!
Cher/Gregg Allman 1977 – Yes they were married but what an odd concert to go to. You have Gregg who was one of the best blues singers at that time and Cher…who was Cher…Gregg Allman mentions in his book “My Cross to Bear” that the audience was mixed…some with tuxedos and some with denim jackets and backpacks and there were fights at each show on the tour between the two sets of fans.
Gregg Allman
“It was right after that—the tuxedos against the backpacks, because I think the Allman Brothers outnumbered the Sonny and Chers—that Cher came to me, and the poor thing was just crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me, “We’ve got to cancel the rest of the tour, because I can’t stand the fighting.” So we ended it right then, which was about halfway through it. We went home the next day, and that was the last time I ever played with her.”
The Ramones / Ted Nugent, Aerosmith 1979 – Bottles and debris were thrown at The Ramones from the crowd as Johnny Ramone was shooting birds at the audience.
Johnny Ramone about this concert…
“About five or six songs into the set, the whole crowd stood up, and I thought it had started to rain. Dee Dee thought the same thing, but they were throwing stuff at us – sandwiches, bottles, everything. Then, all of a sudden, I broke two strings on my guitar in one strum. I thought it was a sign from God to get off the stage, because I’d rarely break a string, maybe once a year. So I just walked to the front of the stage, stopped playing, and gave the audience the finger – with both hands. I stood there like that, flipping them off, with both hands out, and walked off. The rest of the band kept playing for another ten or fifteen seconds until they’d realized I was walking off, and then they did too. I wasn’t gonna stand there and be booed and have stuff thrown at us without retaliating in some way. We had to come off looking good somehow, and there was no good way to get out of that.”
Drive your car up to my place and find your spot….and we won’t even check the trunks for free stowaways (which I was a lot). Sit back while we watch some movies. I will keep each of these as short as possible. 
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