There have been a staggering number of close harmony singing groups formed through the years, but a few of them have some distinctive differences. One of those is the Four Freshmen, a combo that has been around for well over a half-century, during which more than two dozen members have come and gone. Even more … Continue reading Four Freshmen Are Here To Stay
It always fascinates me to run across odd musical stories, and Pat Upton, the star of the pop group, Spiral Starecase (no, that name isn't mispelled), has a good one. Upton was Alabama-born, and first made his mark in music in the mid-sixties when he joined the Fydallions, a Sacramento-based band formed by a bunch … Continue reading Pat Upton’s Brush With Fate
I've written before about the way my musical tastes have changed and broadened through the years (Music Appreciation 2.0). And I've sometimes talked about how my personal music collection has evolved from platters to tapes to CDs, and then to digital MP3 files on my computer. But now I've pretty much moved on to the … Continue reading Music Appreciation 3.0
All holidays are evocative of the past - it sort of goes with the territory - but each has it's own set of memories, and memories are what Memorial Day is all about, beginning with it's very name. Of course it was originally called Decoration Day, but that's kind of beside the point. It was … Continue reading The Lost Memorial Day Picnic
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
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
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
The title of this latest installment of Anatomy of a Song is a little misleading, because the song we're featuring is much better known by it's English title -- "Return to Me"-- but when Dean Martin introduced it in 1958 the Italian name was included in parentheses, so I figure that makes it pretty official. … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song: Ritorna-Me
Geezer Music Club 