Glenn Miller’s Favorite Singing Group

I have to admit that the title of this piece represents an assumption on my part, but I would guess it's probably accurate. Since the Modernaires played an important role in the band's success during Glenn Miller's biggest years, you'd have to draw that conclusion, even if he might have secretly coveted Tommy Dorsey's Pied … Continue reading Glenn Miller’s Favorite Singing Group

Show Me Your Uke

When I think about ukuleles -- and trust me, it's not something I do every day -- a couple of different images form in my mind: Tiny Tim strumming his instrument on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, and Elvis playing (?) a uke in one of his Hawaiian movies. But I've been reading recently that ukuleles … Continue reading Show Me Your Uke

A Guilty Pleasure Emerges From The Schlock

Last summer I wrote a piece about a cheesy movie called Mondo Cane, which proudly referred to itself as a 'shockumentary' but had the saving grace of introducing a memorable song, "More." But that movie wasn't the only one to feature a pretty much unrelated song that would enjoy a measure of popularity of its … Continue reading A Guilty Pleasure Emerges From The Schlock

Remembering Margaret Whiting

I was sorry to read about the recent passing of Margaret Whiting, a talented vocalist who enjoyed a long and successful career. Although her name might not be instantly familiar to modern music fans, she was very popular at one time and sold a lot of records through the years, showing an ability to reinvent … Continue reading Remembering Margaret Whiting

Sometimes You Dodge The Icy Bullet

As I look out my window at all the ice and snow, I think about how so many parts of the country are even worse. And I don't have to go out into it anyway, so I feel like I've dodged a bullet -- an icy one. But if I still feel like complaining, I … Continue reading Sometimes You Dodge The Icy Bullet

Didgeridoo – Déjà Vu?

In addition to being a very nifty tongue-twister, the title of this piece has to be just about the strangest ever seen here on the ol' GMC. Still, it does make sense -- I think. Let me elaborate. I've always been fascinated by the didgeridoo (occasionally spelled didjeridoo), the strange musical instrument most often associated … Continue reading Didgeridoo – Déjà Vu?

Fun With Dodie Stevens

Nothing too heavy today. I just thought we'd have some fun by transporting ourselves back to the days when bubble-gum pop music seemed to be all around us. Helping set the mood are the two videos below, which feature Geraldine Anne Pasquale -- better known as Dodie Stevens -- with one of 1959's biggest hits, … Continue reading Fun With Dodie Stevens

Dreaming Of The South Pacific

It's entirely possible that the bitter Winter weather will cause many of us to dream of stealing away to paradise in the South Pacific. It's also possible -- maybe even probable -- that those of us who have been around a while will form a mental image of a movie scene in which a tanned … Continue reading Dreaming Of The South Pacific

Doris Troy Just Wanted To Sing

One-hit wonders have made a number of appearances on the ol' GMC and I wouldn't even begin to try to list them, but one thing does occur to me. Some of them were probably lucky to have had that one hit, while others were so talented that they deserved more. The latter description would certainly … Continue reading Doris Troy Just Wanted To Sing

About That Lead In Your Pencil

As we begin the new year, I hope everyone who needs it has lead in their pencil. And you can choose to see that as a euphemism or not -- your choice -- but the subject of the post is real lead pencils. Of course, modern pencils use graphite -- not lead -- but for … Continue reading About That Lead In Your Pencil