Green Grass

"Green Grass" is a song that Gary Lewis and the Playboys took to #8 on the Hot 100 in 1966.  Pure pop, the song fits the weather today perfectly dealing with spring and the approach of summer.  Another solid, top ten hit that's fallen to forgotten oldie status.
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A Tribute to Jack

Monday, Jack Ely, the lead singer of the rock band The Kingsmen, died at the age of 71.  Jack was the voice of the Kingsmen for the classic oldie "Louie Louie",  Jack sang the song with braces and had trouble forming words, which gave the song a truly unique sound as well as lyrics nobody could decipher.  The Kingsmen went on to have several more minor hits, strangely though most of them without Jack Ely.  Nevertheless, in tribute to Jack Ely, today's forgotten oldie is the Kingsmen with their 1964 top ten hit "the Jolly Green Giant".
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Finally

I understand what a square root is at last!!!

Bring on the summer!

Oh yeah, thanks to some great weather this weekend the camper is ready to go!  Time for some beautiful sunsets, easy livin' and campfires!!!

Friday!!!

So, do you ever wake up feeling wild and wooly??  Or, are you asking yourself "what does that mean"?  I tried hard to come up with a definition, but a picture is worth 1,000 words so here's me on another morning when I woke up feeling wild and wooly about 10 or 15 years ago...

Jo Jo Gunne

What a great band!  Featuring Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes, both from the band Spirit, they had a top 40 hit in 1972 with "Run Run Run".  Over the years the band broke up and reformed several times, recorded five albums, but never had another hit single.  Great band, great music, but very little success.  And yet their one hit, always makes listeners go "Oh yeah!!"
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Frijid Pink

The Detroit band Frijid Pink scored a top-ten hit in the spring of 1970 with their cover of "House of the Rising Sun".  The band has hung around with various lineups ever since, but never had another hit.  Some interesting things about Frijid Pink... they were so popular in Detroit that Led Zeppelin opened for them at Detroit's Grand Ballroom.  They recorded House of the Rising Sun as a filler, just using up time at the end of a recording session.  And, the song was a huge hit in Canada as well as England.  I just love their version... a great example of the early use of guitar distortion.
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Supersession!!!

Here's an amazing clip from back in the day... Marc Bolan and T. Rex, performing with Elton John on piano, and Ringo Starr on drums... wow!!!
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Ringo Starr inducted...

The last Beatle to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist is finally there, Ringo Starr was inducted yesterday!
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Lonely Days Lonely Nights

I will never understand why this song has almost disappeared from the airwaves.  "Lonely Days Lonely Nights" was the Bee Gees first top 5 hit in the USA, reaching #3 on the Hot 100 in 1970, and it's the song that really established the Bee Gees as a major force in the music industry.  Plus it's a great song and truly captures the essence of the Bee Gees amazing vocals...
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Happy Jack

The song "Happy Jack" was released as a single in 1966 by the British rock band The Who.  The song was #3 in Britain and #1 in Canada, and was the Who's first top-40 hit in the USA in early 1967.  The song was also a staple of Who concerts until 1970.  So the question is... how can the Who's first hit record be forgotten?
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More fun trucks...

Lately I've been watching for anything clever painted on semi-trailers... have you ever seen any of these?

We'll do it again next year!!

The Eagle Listener Dance this past Saturday night at All Star Banquet Hall was a ton of fun, and Radio Flyer kept the dance floor rockin' all night!!  Our great sponsors deserve credit too, a big thank you to Lost Lake Beer, Subway, Ship Shape Car Wash and Pepsi!  We'll do it again next spring... we hope you'll make it!!

Everything...

In 1968 the Association was flying high, they'd had several big hits and three very successful albums.  Their fourth album "Birthday" immediately produced a top ten hit on the Hot 100, "Everything That Touches You".  Unfortunately, it was their last big hit, however the band remained a top concert draw for many years, long into the 70's.  They also became a big hit on the oldies tours and are still touring today.  But for some reason, their last big hit song became a forgotten oldie, "Everything That Touches You" is sure to tickle your memory!
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Stand By Me

Today, April 8th 1963, John Lennon's son Julian was born.  Hard to believe John Lennon's son is 52. Anyway that gives me an excuse to play a John Lennon forgotten oldie, and I never pass up that opportunity!  "Stand By Me" has been recorded over 400 times. It's been a R&B #1 with Ben E. King, a country #1 with Mickey Gilley, and a top 20 rock hit with John Lennon in 1975.  One of my all time favorites, mostly forgotten today.
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Congrats Bucky!!

The Badgers had a great 2014-2015 season!  Finishing 2nd in the country  is an outstanding accomplishment, and we all came to know and love all the members of this great team!  Looking forward to next year, and looking forward to a great career for La Crosse's own Bronson Koenig!  I still think the Badgers were the better team... others do too.
Click on this link for more on that...
But now, let's get on to Baseball!!

Opening Day 2015

I've had this tradition since I was a kid... reading the Sporting News on opening day to prep myself for the new MLB season.  I read it online now, but it's still a big part of my opening day ritual.  I'll probably be watching basketball and rooting for the Badgers tonight though!!
Sporting News - Opening Day2015

Happy Easter!

Here's hoping you get plenty of family time this weekend!

Kinks

In 1965 the British band The Kinks had a top 40 hit with "Who'll Be the Next In Line".  This is one forgotten oldie that probably deserved it's fate, after all the Kinks had a lot of other songs that were much bigger hits... but the problem is, it's my personal Kinks' favorite.  I love the song....
Video here

Starry, Starry Night...

And of course Starry Starry Night is the way Don McLean's song "Vincent" begins.  Yes, Don McLean had a hit besides "American Pie", "Vincent" reached #12 on the Hot 100 in 1972.  A tribute to artist Vincent Van Gogh, the song references a number of Van Gogh's paintings, and deals with Van Gogh's mental illness and reason for suicide.  A strange song, eerily beautiful, and largely forgotten today..
Watch it here in HD