Although she's now mostly just remembered by her loyal fans, singer Molly Bee, who died in 2009, enjoyed a varied if sometimes troubled career that stretched across five decades. Along the way, she was at stages a child star, a teen idol, and a successful country music singer. Born in Oklahoma as Mollie Gene Beachboard, … Continue reading The Three Stages Of Molly Bee
Tag: Oldies
The Enigma Of Fred Neil
After almost a decade since his death, the enigma of Fred Neil continues to puzzle many of his fans. A tremendously respected songwriter and performer who inspired many, including John Sebastian, David Crosby, and Bob Dylan, he is most remembered as the composer of "Everybody's Talkin'," the Midnight Cowboy theme that became a mega-hit for … Continue reading The Enigma Of Fred Neil
Beatles Were Inspired By Channel And McClinton
Among all the classic songs that have been performed by artists known as one-hit wonders, there are some that just seem to be sort of special. Designating them as so might be a matter of personal opinion, but one I'd nominate is 1962's "Hey! Baby," with vocal by Bruce Channel and harmonica accompaniment by Delbert … Continue reading Beatles Were Inspired By Channel And McClinton
Happy Traum And The Origin Of Dylan Classics
I didn't watch the Grammy awards telecast, and really haven't paid that much attention to it other than reading that there were some surprising winners. I also noticed that Bob Dylan performed to mixed reviews, and it got me to thinking about the legendary singer/songwriter and his history. Although his singing is not for everybody, … Continue reading Happy Traum And The Origin Of Dylan Classics
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
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
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
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
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
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Since I'm no longer reviewing new albums (other than a rare exception I made in September) I can't fall back on my 'Album Of The Year' feature to close out 2010. But that doesn't mean that I can't still feature something musical. After all, music is our middle name. In the early days of doo-wop, … Continue reading What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Geezer Music Club 