It doesn't take a pronouncement from Mr. Obvious to recognize that the decade of the Sixties was a volatile time in pop music. It was an era that saw a lot of strange combinations and connections -- not only in the music itself, which included everything from folk music to R&B -- but also in … Continue reading Connections – The Castells And Beyond
Tag: Nostalgia
Chattanooga Has Inspired Classic Songs
I've always been a train buff, and since I'm also a fan of big-band music it stands to reason that one of my favorite songs of all time would be Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." I especially like the long version, which includes a 'jive' reprise. That performance, which features an 18 year-old Dorothy Dandridge and … Continue reading Chattanooga Has Inspired Classic Songs
Putting All Your Cards On The Table
Thinking about the holidays while going through some old pictures caused me to recall a common and typical event from those days. Big family holiday dinners always included card games -- both before and after the dinner. These were typically male-only affairs -- not because the ladies didn't know how to play, but simply because … Continue reading Putting All Your Cards On The Table
Puttin’ My Cat Clothes On
One of the things I enjoy about digging through old pictures is how I inevitably stumble onto surprises, in some cases jaw-dropping ones. That would be a good description of how I reacted when I recently found a picture of myself from the Fifties, when I was a teenager and obviously fashion-challenged. I think I … Continue reading Puttin’ My Cat Clothes On
Jack Jones – Son To The Father
If you read my stuff with any regularity, you had to know this one was coming. After all, it was just last week that I generated a piece called Alan Jones - Father To The Son, and I even mentioned the possibility, so no surprise here. But that doesn't mean Jack's story is any less … Continue reading Jack Jones – Son To The Father
Cleanin’ Up In The Aftermath
Holidays always kick up the ol' daydream machine a notch or two, but I guess I'm not the only one with that reaction. Most of us have a lot of memories squirreled away in our heads and it doesn't take much to jar some of them loose from their hiding places. Thinking about the just-finished … Continue reading Cleanin’ Up In The Aftermath
The Mystery Of Karen Chandler
One of the things I enjoy most about digging into music history is the way the process sometimes leads me into unexplored territory. The latest example occurred while I was putting together a recent piece about pop star Mel Carter and ran across another singer, a mysterious lady who'd also had a best-selling record of … Continue reading The Mystery Of Karen Chandler
Jeanne Black Had The Answer
I've always enjoyed finding examples of a peculiar practice that seems to occur most often in country music -- singers hitting the studio to record "answer" songs. For the uninitiated, that's a type of song that follows a big hit by another singer, and either answers a question posed by the original, or just presents … Continue reading Jeanne Black Had The Answer
Hanging On To The Wheel
I was running some errands the other day, driving from place to place to take care of whatever I needed done, when something occurred that made me think. (Not that I wasn't already thinking, but you know what I mean.) It actually started when I tried to park near a store that had a zillion … Continue reading Hanging On To The Wheel
The Croonerhood Of Mel Carter
I've written more than once about crooners, not only trying to define the term but also questioning why it sometimes seems to be used in a negative way. (From Sinatra To Rod Stewart – The Crooner Conundrum.) To me, croonerhood has always been a sign of distinction for a singer, and with that in mind … Continue reading The Croonerhood Of Mel Carter
Geezer Music Club 