Resolution for the New Year?

Actually, I believe this is a mantra not a resolution... a lifestyle, a basis for all beliefs, and proudly something I strived for with my kids.

How low... or where do I buy one?

What's your take...?

Wow, Superman!!

Look, up in the escalator....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYM-6p3716U

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

"Wendy" was originally released by the Beach Boys as the "B" side of "I Get Around" in 1964, but it's one of those songs that became a hit on it's own.  Although it officially only reached #44 on Billboard, it was a top-ten hit regionally in many U.S. cities as well as around the world.  The Beach Boys loved the song, even performing it on Ed Sullivan.  It's a great song, largely forgotten today.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today another top-ten hit that's probably disappeared because the performers have a large song library.  Herman's Hermits "Leaning on a Lamp Post" hit #9 in the U.S. in 1966, part of a long string of top tenners. Here's a fun fact, the band named itself after lead singer Peter Noone's nickname Herman. The nickname evolved because Peter resembled Sherman from "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show". Sherman was shortened to Herman and the rest is history.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

The Addrisi Brothers were a pop duo from Massachusetts that recorded and released a long list of songs in the 60's and 70's.  They kind of scored two big hits... "Never My Love", a song they wrote, became a smash for the Association, and "We've Got to Get It On Again" was a top 40 hit for them in 1972.  Thinking they'd finally reached the top, they released a flurry of follow-ups but never again cracked the Top 40.  When Don Addrisi died in 1984, brother Dick hung up his microphone for good.

The new Hobbit movie...

I'll probably rent "The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug", or Hobbit 2. Even though the first Hobbit movie disappointed me greatly (continued? Hey, they did the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in three movies, this one should have been done in one!).  But the first movie didn't have Evangeline Lilly (remember Kate from "Lost"), and even though she has some ferocious ears, she still looks great!

Proof!!

Here it is... photographic evidence that elves actually do make cookies at night when we're sleeping!

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

The song "Since I Don't Have You" by the Skyliners was actually a hit in 1959... the first time. But it has been re-released several times and covered by many, many artists from Don McLean to Art Garfunkel to Guns n' Roses.  Considered by many to be among the best songs of the doo-wop era, it shows up in TV shows and movies with regularity.  Original singer Jimmy Beaumont still leads the Skyliners on tour, and sings the song as good as ever.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today's song is the prime example of the Forgotten Oldie.  Peter and Gordon's "Lady Godiva" went all the way to #6 on the charts on 12/10/66.  A Top-Ten hit 47 years ago.  Despite it's novelty label, it's a good, solid song.  So why don't we hear it any more?

Some of the cards you see today...

are totally strange!!

Monday madness....

Guys, have you ever wished for something like this?

A new Christmas story...

Here's a story to warm your heart... a very young stray dog was found sleeping with baby Jesus in a church nativity scene to stay warm. The German Shepherd puppy was adopted by a church member.  This took place in Circiuma, just South of Brazil.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

John Travolta is an interesting guy. Huge TV star, movie star and pop superstar.  But few people remember his solo efforts in the 70's, we seem to limit our memories to the songs from Grease done with Olivia Newton John.  But he had three top 40 hits on his own, including the top ten smash "Let Her In"... remember?

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

"San Franciscan Nights" was a top ten hit in 1967 for Eric Burdon and the Animals. Other than Burdon, this is not the same band that gave us House of the Rising Sun. All the other original members were gone, and the band had moved from England to California to bask in the Hippie movement.  This song attempts to showcase every political issue of the 60's, and almost pulls it off.  Still a great tune, and mostly forgotten by programmers.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

40 years ago today, November 27, 1973, the Carpenters hit number one in the U.S. with "Top of the World". And yet the song rarely gets airplay. As a matter of fact, many of the Carpenters songs are mostly ignored today... something I will never understand.

Words of wisdom...

In typical Betty White fashion.

A picture is worth a thousand words!

And here's a young lady that plays guitar and sings... NOT!  She's making a nice chord with her left hand, unfortunately she's doing it above the capo.  Ooops.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

If the Monkees were America's TV answer to the Beatle movies A Hard Day's Night and Help, then the Partridge Family was the Brady Bunch on a bus with guitars and drums.  But surprisingly, America loved the Partridge Family and on November 21, 1970 "I Think I Love You" hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100.  Even though their music at first was David Cassidy, Shirley Jones and a studio band... they cranked out a string of hits. Somehow, their music doesn't get played much on the radio any more... even though their first hit was #1 in the land.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

The Lovin' Spoonful was an American rock band that owed it's roots and style to jug band music. Their heyday was 1965 to 1967 but they've reunited many times over the years and still perform to this day, however only two of the four original members continue.  The song "Rain on The Roof" reached #10 late in 1966, and is memorable mostly due to it's uniqueness. It just doesn't sound like an American pop song, maybe that's why I love it.

Word of the year for 2013.

"Selfie" is the Oxford Dictionary word of the year... here's my first ever selfie...

And now Monday...

Praying I make it through the week...

The best work day of the week!

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

"Who'll Be The Next In Line" by the Kinks continues to be a song with interesting trivia questions. So far it's the answer to "name a song that was changed to the A side of the record a week before it was released".  Or "name a song that has appeared on 17 albums".  Yup, and that's pretty cool.  I've always loved the song, a top 40 hit from 1965.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Donovan released the single "Atlantis" in 1968 and enjoyed instant success world-wide.  The song was #1 in Switzerland, #2 in Germany and South Africa, #4 in Austria and #7 in the U.S.A.  In 2001 Donovan re-recorded the song for use during the closing credits of the Disney animated feature; Atlantis: The Lost Empire. It was again released as a single and was again a top five hit in several European countries.  An unusual song, but a great song and very deserving of airplay.

I got caught by Radar this weekend!!

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas were part of the first wave of the British Invasion in 1964.  Like Peter and Gordon, Billy and the Dakotas were produced by George Martin and provided with a number of songs by Lennon/McCartney. In 1964 Billy insisted on the release of a non-Lennon/McCartney song and "Little Children" became his biggest hit in the USA.  A great song, echoing a common teen theme of the time, Little Children was a huge hit and deserves airplay today.

A Dad, a Son, and a car...

Kind of old school, but a great read:

A teenage boy had just passed his driving test and inquired of his father as to when they could discuss his use of the car.

His father said he'd make a deal with his son, "You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your haircut. Then we'll talk about the car."

The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he'd settle for the offer, and they agreed on it.

After about six weeks his father said, "Son, you've brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm disappointed you haven't had your hair cut."

The boy said, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair, and there's even strong evidence that Jesus had long hair."

this is the good part.............

Dad replied "Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went?"

And now...

We can turn our attention to winter coming... along with deer hunting,  Thanksgiving, Toys For Tots, snow shoveling, Christmas, and school closings!!  Unless...

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Peter & Gordon were a British Duo with a string of hits in the 60's.  Their biggest hits were songs written by Beatles Paul and John (Peter's sister Jane was Paul's girl friend), but they also had hits with remakes of older rock songs. Buddy Holly's song "True Love Ways" was their biggest cover, going all the way to #14 in March of 1965. Actually, I think Peter & Gordon's version is the best and I can't figure out why it never gets airplay any more!

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

In 1969 Harry Nilsson broke into the Top 40 with the song "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City". The song was originally intended to be used as the theme for the movie "Midnight Cowboy" but another Nilsson song "Everybody's Talkin' wound up being used instead.  Harry never toured, rarely made public appearances and spent a lot of time hitting the bottle heavily, often with buddy John Lennon.  But his music was always amazingly good, and I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City deserves air play.
Incidentally, Nilsson is part of the weirdest rock trivia question ever:
Question- what do Keith Moon of the Who and Mama Cass Elliot's deaths have in common?
Answer- they both died in the same bedroom of Harry Nilsson's London flat.

Ringo's Photo

Taken in 1964, this photo taken by Ringo has an amazing story behind it!

The story...

My favorite costumes yet!!

Minions!!!

How about this?

Another great costume idea for that Halloween party... texting might be tough though...

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today a song originally written for blues singer Nina Simone. Actually, this song became her signature song in the late 50's. Later it was redone in a disco version and was a hit record in the 70's for Santa Esmerelda.  But in between... the Animals took "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" to #3 in Britain, #15 in the USA and #4 in Canada. Rolling Stone lists the song at #315 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  Hard to understand how this great song has become a forgotten oldie!

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

After the Beatles took the U.S. by storm in February of 1964, the second English band to chart in the states was another 4-piece Liverpool group named The Searchers.  Their first hit in the U.S. was Needles and Pins in March of '64.  Other hits followed one after the other, and later the same year another top twenty hit "When You Walk In The Room" hit the airwaves.  The record had the Searchers unique Merseybeat sound, and is truly a great song deserving airplay.

Here's another great costume idea...

Hope he has a good back!

Sad day...

Yup, Friday we brought the camper home from Goose.  Now it spends a few days in the driveway getting washed, cleaned and emptied... and then off to winter storage.  Sad... winter's coming... ugh.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

"Let it All Hang Out" was not only a slang expression born in the '60's, but it was a top twenty hit for the Memphis band The Hombres in 1967.  "Let it Out (Let it all hang out)" shot to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the charts for half the year.  I love the opening to the song, a carnival barker voice belts out the words " "A preachment, dear friends, you are about to receive on John Barleycorn, nicotine and the temptations of Eve". 

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today a top 20 Rolling Stones song that got a ton of air-play back in 1967, climbing to #14 in the USA.  Originally released as the B side to "We Love You", the song "Dandelion" quickly became the A side (must have been those darned radio disc jockeys!).  This is another great example of a bonafide hit that isn't played any more because the artist had so many hits that only the monster hits get played.

More Halloween Costume Ideas...

Actually, this is probably an insult to clowns...

Another costume idea...

This was sent by a friend.  He's a Jurassic Park nut...

Halloween Costume Ideas...

Over the next couple of weeks I'll post some Halloween Costume ideas... but I'm not guaranteeing they're GOOD ideas.  Here's one we call "a deer in the headlights."

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today it's Donovan's "Season of the Witch".  Although it was never released as a single, it was on the Donovan LP "Sunshine Superman", out in 1968.  But it's had tons of airplay, been recorded and covered by dozens of bands and artists from Robert Plant to Lou Rawls, it's been in many, many movies, it's been three movie titles, two book titles and appeared on uncounted TV shows... even the Simpsons.  Recently the song appeared in the movies "The Other Guys" with Will Ferrell and "Dark Shadows" with Johnny Depp.  It's also on the list of Billboard's top ten Halloween Songs.

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today is John Lennon's birthday, John would have been 73 today.  In 1975 he recorded an entire album of oldie covers titled "Rock and Roll".  His version of "Stand By Me" reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year. Stand By Me is truly a great song, and John's version completely moves the song from R & B to R & R.  Actually, Ben E. King's and John Lennon's versions deserve more airplay than they get...

Traffic jam...

And you thought La Crosse's traffic was bad...

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

The Dave Clark Five had many, many hits...  perhaps so many we lose track of them.  "Reelin' and Rockin'" was a cover of Chuck Berry's song that reached the Top 20 in 1965.  Just a good solid song!

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

Today a song that in my opinion was covered by a huge percentage of local bands in the mid 60's... and recorded by several big names as well from the Byrds to Hendrix to the Cryan Shames!  The Leaves were an American garage band formed in California in 1963. Their biggest hit was the song "Hey Joe", which was a hit in 1966. Theirs is the earliest release of this song. "Hey Joe" became a rock standard, and it's influence was strong enough that the song was included in a garage rock compilation called "Nuggets" in the 70's. The song is truly a great example of American rock of the British invasion era.

It's always good to start Monday with a laugh!

So here ya go!  Have a beer and throw another shrimp on the Barbie!!

Happy Oktoberfest!

Be safe, have fun... that's the un-official theme for Oktoberfest...

www.oktoberfestusa.comOktoberfest Website

Today's Forgotten Oldie...

In 1966 "Talk Talk" by the Music Machine roared into the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 on Original Sound Records. With a bonafide hit on their hands, the small record company proceeded to bungle ensuing releases by the band, keeping any chance of follow up hits to a minimum.  By 1967, the band was done.  Dressed all in black with a single black glove, the Music Machine was a very solid band and Talk Talk was a great record, deserving air play!