Although his name might draw a blank with the younger generation, I think just about everyone else will be at least a little familiar with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians. Most will recall Waring as the leader of a musical ensemble that included a lot of choral pieces, but the man who was sometimes called … Continue reading America’s Singing Master – Fred Waring
Category: Video
Angels’ Demo Became Signature Song
The making of demos has been a part of the music scene for a long time. Traditionally, struggling musicians make a tape or even scrape together the funds to go into a rental studio and make a record, and then go around trying to impress radio stations and/or major record companies, hoping to jump-start a … Continue reading Angels’ Demo Became Signature Song
Gary Stewart – Talented But Troubled
As I've said before, there's something about the music business that seems to create tortured performers, and a lot of them come to sad endings. Guys like Gary Stewart, who was an outstanding singer as well as a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, but fought his demons for decades before finally taking his own life in … Continue reading Gary Stewart – Talented But Troubled
Lion Tacos Raise Hackles
I was a little startled to read that a restaurant in Arizona is adding lion tacos to its menu. Apparently this place is known for serving exotic foods, and has previously filled its tacos with everything from alligator to kangaroo. But still -- lion meat? Even though it's upsetting to a lot of folks (including … Continue reading Lion Tacos Raise Hackles
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
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
Geezer Music Club 