Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong were busy and successful music pros who wrote a lot of memorable songs for the Temptations. But one that they avoided for a couple of years would end up as a #1 hit for the group and become a signature song. Written in 1969, "just My Imagination" was a ballad, … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – A Surprising Super Hit
Who doesn't like circus music? It brings memories of simpler days, when we were young and less jaded, a time before we were drowning in all the entertainment choices now available to everybody. If you didn't live in a big city, which most Americans didn't, the arrival of a traveling circus in your area was … Continue reading The Musical Side Of The Circus
If you're a geezer like me -- or even if you're not -- you might remember how kids would sometimes wrap cellophane around a pocket comb and hum through it. Although we didn't give a lot of thought to it, we were actually demonstrating the principles of a membranophone. Here at the Geezer Music Club … Continue reading Our Favorite Membranophone
Several years ago I began a new feature called Saluting Silly Songs, a series of posts that spotlighted goofy songs and the talented artists who performed them. To name just a few; Weird Al Yankovic, Spike Jones, and Commander Cody come to mind. Today's featured duo built their career on a collection of hilarious parodies … Continue reading Saluting Silly Songs — The Song Butchers
It's always been my experience that you can read about and hear about something in advance, but when you actually do it you will have surprises coming your way. I thought I'd pass along a few of the things I'm discovering. You never know, you might need them. To begin with, leave it to me … Continue reading So Far So Good, But. . .
In addition to being the title of a song by Aerosmith, Tom Waits, Vince Gill and a few others, "Sight For Sore Eyes" sort of relates to what's about to happen to me. Tomorrow morning I'll be undergoing the first of my cataract surgeries, beginning with my left eye -- the weaker of the two. … Continue reading Sight For Sore Eyes
Once again I've discovered that something I'd always more or less ignored is actually a pretty good idea. I have a habit of doing that, unfortunately. When something new comes along I tend to think it's just a fad, and has nothing to offer me. I guess I'm the opposite of an early adopter. . … Continue reading A New Way To Listen
You probably remember Johnny Nash's 1972 number-one hit "I Can See Clearly Now" (you can hear it below), but it has added meaning for me because I hope to sing it myself in the not too distant future. (Well, at least hum it -- my singing voice is something along the lines of the sound … Continue reading In Pursuit Of Seeing Clearly
I remember Hank Snow's "I've Been Everywhere" from back in the early Sixties when it was a number-one hit for him. It's all about a travelin' man who has been all over the map, and he proceeds to rapidly list all the places he's been, many of them with colorful or odd names. But it … Continue reading Saluting Silly Songs – A Travelin’ Man
Monkees "Theme Song" Monkees "Last Train to Clarksville" Monkees "Valleri" Monkees "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" (Originally Paul Revere and the Raiders) Jay & the Americans "Come a Little Bit Closer" Curtis Lee "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" Little Anthony & the Imperials' "Hurt So Bad" Fats Domino "Be My Guest" Boyce & Hart "I Wonder … Continue reading Masters Of Sunshine Pop
Geezer Music Club 