Tag: JFK

Ronettes – Sleigh Ride

Thank you, Dave, for inviting me to Turntable Talk. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Dave wanted us to post a Christmas song, and this one, which I’ve never written about, fit perfectly. I could hear Ronnie Spector sing all day. 

Ronnie Spector

I could listen to Ronnie Spector sing the telephone book…if there are such things anymore. She has a unique voice and you know it’s her when you hear or see her.  I’ve become a full-blown fan of this lady through the years and when I saw her singing Be My Baby she won me over. She had the look, the voice, and the stage presence. I know why John Lennon and Keith Richards were crazy about her.

Leroy Anderson wrote Sleigh Ride as an instrumental in 1948 and Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1950. There have been a whopping 883 versions of this holiday classic.

Phil Spector’s pool of talent released a classic Christmas album called  A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector but it was released on November 22, 1963. If that date seems familiar, it’s because it very significant. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while riding in a motorcade with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy. The artists on that album were Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals, and  Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans.

The album was considered a failure (#12) at first but it caught on later. It was later re-released by Apple Records and has since been acknowledged as a great album. it peaked at #6 on Billboard’s Christmas Charts after being re-released on the Beatles label. In the years since the album has re-charted. In 2003, the album was voted No. 142 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.  It was also included in Robert Dimery’s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The song peaked at #8 on the Billboard 100, #15 on the Canadian Hot 100, #20 in the UK, and #22 in New Zealand in 1963.

Sleigh Ride

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring tingle tingling too
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you,
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling yoo hoo,
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy and cozy are we
We’re snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be
Let’s take the road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy and cozy are we
We’re snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be
Let’s take the road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.

…

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Dr. No

Dr No

I have a different relationship with James Bond than some. I didn’t watch them as a kid but I started to watch them in my late 20s. I finally found out what all the fuss was about. I do remember seeing parts of Moonraker when it came out but it just didn’t pique my interest at 12. I recently read a review of From Russia With Love from princecranoir and would recommend everyone reading. That one may be my favorite James Bond film but this one holds a special place for me as well. My favorite always changes when I do a Bond marathon at home. I did a post a while back about my favorite Bond films…and Dr No was at the top…so it does change.

Dr. No was a commercial success, paving the way for numerous sequels and establishing the template for future Bond films. Sean Connery’s portrayal of Bond became iconic, and the film is credited with launching the spy genre in cinema. We will still be watching this in 2062.

Dr. No was the first Bond film I ever watched all the way through. Released in 1962, it introduced the world to James Bond, a suave, sophisticated British secret agent with a license to kill. Based on Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name, the film marked the first installment of one of the most successful and enduring franchises in cinematic history. Dr. No laid the foundation that would define Bond for decades—high-stakes espionage, glamorous locations, and, of course, iconic villains. There were really no gadgets in this one…that would come in the next film.

It was based on Ian Fleming’s 6th book about the Spy but the first one was adapted into a movie. Sean Connery is James Bond to me and there was no better way of kicking off a franchise than this. The film looks great in its vivid color and scenery. The bulk of the film was filmed in Jamaica in early 1962.

There is no better use of a Sunday afternoon than to spend it with James Bond and the absolutely stunning Ursula Andress. When she walked out of the water on Crab Key, it was close to everything magically turning to color in The Wizard of Oz… She was the first of many Bond girls to follow and you could not find a better first one. I was humming Under the Mango Tree for days after I saw it.

JFK, an avid Ian Fleming fan, even hosted a private screening of “Dr. No” at the White House. Legend has it he remarked, “I wish I had James Bond on my staff.” Who wouldn’t? If you haven’t seen this film, treat yourself and immerse yourself in Bond’s world; and for those who have, a rewatch is always a pleasure.

Plot (Spoilers)

The movie starts with Bond, played by Sean Connery, being sent to Jamaica to figure out why a fellow British agent went missing. Pretty mysterious, right?

When Bond gets to Jamaica, things get tense. He teams up with some local allies, like a fisherman named Quarrel and CIA agent Felix Leiter. They help him uncover clues, which eventually lead to a creepy, secretive island called Crab Key. This is where Dr. No, the villain, is hiding. He’s a super smart but evil scientist who works for a dangerous organization called SPECTRE. His plan? To mess with American space missions using some kind of high-tech radio beam. Bond realizes he needs to stop him before things get out of hand.

Bond’s adventure takes him into Dr. No’s hidden lair, where he also meets Honey Ryder (played by Ursula Andress), a woman who’s just out collecting shells but gets tangled in Bond’s mission. Together, they navigate the dangers of the island, avoiding Dr. No’s guards and traps.

In typical Bond fashion, he manages to outsmart Dr. No, destroy his base, and save the day. The movie ends with a big explosion as Bond and Honey escape. It’s classic spy action, with all the charm, gadgets, and danger you’d expect from a Bond film!

Quotes

  • Dr. No: The Americans are fools. I offered my services; they refused. So did the East. Now they can both pay for their mistake.
  • James Bond: World domination. The same old dream. Our asylums are full of people who think they’re Napoleon. Or God.

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  • [Honey describes how she killed the man who had hurt her]
  • Honey Ryder: I put a black widow spider underneath his mosquito net… a female, they’re the worst. It took him a whole week to die.
  • [Bond looks shocked]
  • Honey Ryder: Did I do wrong?
  • James Bond: Well, it wouldn’t do to make a habit of it.

_______________________________________

  • [explaining why she believes the legend about Crab Key’s fire-breathing dragon]
  • Honey Ryder: How well do you know about animals? Did you ever see a mongoose dance? Or, a scorpion with sunstroke sting itself to death? Or, a praying mantis eat her husband after making love?
  • James Bond: I hate to admit it, but, I haven’t.
  • Honey Ryder: Well, I have.

Original Trailer

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