The theme today at Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday is to write about songs with the words βhot, burning, fire or blazingβ.
If reports in recent years are to be believed, former JourneyΒ singer Steve PerryΒ and keyboardist Jonathan CainΒ donβt have much of a personal relationship anymore, but when they first met nearly 43 years ago, the situation was very different.
Journey, originally known as the Golden Gate Rhythm Section, was formed in San Francisco in 1973; the name was officially changed to Journey in 1975, shortly after signing with Columbia Records. The band’s early sound was influenced by jazz and fusion music. They gradually shifted towards a more pop-oriented sound in the late 1970s. Steve Perry joined Journey as their lead vocalist in 1977 and became one of the band’s most recognizable members. Jonathan Cain was hired in January 1981 and it wasnβt long before he and Perry began writing together.
One of the first things they did was a song called βWhoβs Crying Now.β Steve Perry said the chorus popped into his head while driving to Los Angeles, which he recorded on his mini cassette player. Once Steve Perry arrived in LA, he went straight to Jonathan Cain’s house to play his work in progress. Perry had come up with most of the melodies and rhythms but was stumped on the lyrics. Perry said, βJonathan just like zeroed in on it. We had the beginning, we had the middle, he helped do the lyrics with me .β¦ and it was done!β
“Who’s Crying Now” tells the sad and age-old tale of good love gone bad. The song, the first single from Journey’s album Escape, helped the LP achieve sales of over nine million copies. The song charted at #46 in the UK Singles Chart, the band’s highest charting single in the UK until “Don’t Stop Believin'”. Billboard praised “Who’s Crying Now” as one of Journey’s “strongest and classiest records” and one of the most appealing love songs of 1981. Escape remains their only #1 album.
In 1996, Steve Perry suffered a hip injury while hiking in Hawaii and was unable to perform. The diagnosis was degenerative bone disease and a hip replacement was required but Perry was reluctant to rush into the surgery and touring was postponed indefinitely. While Perry kept putting off the inevitable surgery, the other members of the band waited nearly 17 months after the initial diagnosis before presenting him with an ultimatum: If he did not undergo hip replacement surgery so the tour could proceed upon his recovery, the band would hire a replacement singer. Still hesitant to undergo surgery, and now upset at his bandmates, Perry announced in 1988 that he was permanently leaving Journey.Β No one loves the idea of surgery but Steve Perry made a big mistake making his band mates wait so long.
The position of lead singer went to Steve Augeri who was then sidelined with a chronic throat infection. The very hard-working singer-musician-songwriter Jeff Scott Soto temporarily stepped into the role of lead singer until Arnel Pineda signed on as frontman in 2007. Pineda, a vocalist for a Filipino cover band, was hired as a result of a video he posted on YouTube and is still Journey’s current lead vocalist. Hey …. sometimes you just gotta give it a shot!
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Journey has sold 52 million albums in the US, making them the 11th-best selling band. Their worldwide sales have reached over 100 million records globally, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. A 2005 USA Today opinion poll named Journey the fifth-best US rock band in history. In 2017 Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are without a doubt a truly great band and, IMO, Steve Perry’s voice is one of the best in the business.
Thanks for hanging with me at Jim’s place.
See you on the flip side. π
Now let’s listen to “Who’s Crying Now” and Steve Perry’s phenomenal voice. From 1981salbum Escape, this is Journey.
Lyrics
It’s been a mystery But still they try to see Why something good can hurt so bad Caught on a one-way street The taste of bittersweet Love will survive somehow, somewhere
One love, feeds thefire One heart, burns desire I wonder who’s crying now? Two hearts, born to run Who’ll be the lonely one? I wonder who’s crying now?
So many stormy nights So many wrong or rights Neither could change their headstrong ways And in a lover’s rage They turn another page The fighting is worth the love they save
One love, feeds the fire One heart, burns desire I wonder who’s crying now? Two hearts, born to run Who’ll be the lonely one? I wonder who’s crying now?
Only so many tears you can cry ‘Til the heartache is over And now you can say your love Will never die
Whoa ooh ooh, ooh ooh
One love, feeds the fire One heart, burns desire I wonder who’s crying now? Two hearts, born to run Who’ll be the lonely one? I wonder who’s crying now?
Lead Vocal, Composer, Lyricist: Steve Perry Background Vocal, Keyboards, Composer, Lyricist: Jonathan Cain Background Vocal, Bass: Ross Valory Background Vocal, Guitar: Neal Schon Drums: Steve Smith Producer(s): Mike Stone, Kevin Elson Engineer: Wally Buck
Writing about the death of my husbandβs twin brother has been a huge outlet for me. It has helped me and Bill to grieve in a way I never experienced before. I am forever grateful to you β¦. my dear friends, my readersβ¦. for your patient understanding and acceptance. I am humbled by the outpouring of love, sympathy and comfort. Now itβs time to move forward. With all my heart, thank you. ~ Nancyβ‘
βNorwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)β Written by: Lennon-McCartney Recorded: October 1965 Producer: George Martin Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: December 3, 1965 (UK), December 6, 1965 (US)
Available on: Rubber Soul Anthology 2
Personnel: John Lennon β vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar Paul McCartney β harmony vocals, bass George Harrison β sitar, 12-string acoustic guitar Ringo Starr β bass drum, tambourine
The first time George Harrison saw a sitar was on the set of Help; a group of Indian musicians had been recruited to add an authentic ambiance to the restaurant scenes. Back in London after the filming, George found a store called Indian Goods; inside was an inexpensive sitar which he bought and began playing around with. While recording βNorwegian Woodβ, George felt it needed something in addition to the guitars. He picked up his sitar and βjust sort of found the notesβ. When the recording was played back, everyone agreed the sitar brought the whole piece together.
From 1965βs Rubber Soul, here are the Beatles with βNorwegian Woodβ
Thanks for stopping by. May your Saturday be smooth sailing.
Written for The Unicorn Challenge, where we are asked to write something creative in 250 words or less byusing the photo below for inspiration. This is my story.
The moment we stepped out of our car, the temperature felt like it dropped twenty degrees and a cold wind whipped my black-stockinged legs. We cringed at the frigid slap in the face and huddled deeper into our jackets as we climbed the steps to the church.
We found the seats reserved for us β¦. second pew directly off the center aisle. I clutched my husbandβs hand and felt his body quiver as he raggedly exhaled, desperately trying not to cry. The tears would come, but on his terms.
The pews on both sides of the church were filled with people celebrating a life and mourning a loss. Everything leading to this moment had been a maelstrom of emotions; there are very few things that shake us to our core like a sudden death.
A man appeared at our pew; I recognized him as the manager of the funeral home. He spoke softly to my husband and together they started to walk to the back of the church. I looked up at my husbandβs face and he gave me a sad smile.
There was a heavy silence in the church, mourners sitting side-by-side lost in a fog of grief. Had someone played us the cruelest joke?
As one, the pallbearers heaved the casket onto their shoulders and the organ began to play. That’s when I saw my husband walking behind his brotherβs coffin, our widowed sister-in-law on his arm, and there were tears.
The son of Bob Dylan shares what his father has passed on to him and what heβs passing on to his children β¦. his passion for great songs.
Jakob Luke DylanΒ was born in New York City on December 9, 1969 to Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds. He began is music career in various indie bands before rising to fame as the lead singer and primary songwriter for the rock band The Wallflowers. He has written hit songs such as β6th Avenue Heartacheβ and βOne Headlightβ, which is listed at #58 on Rolling Stoneβs list of the “100 Greatest Pop Songs”, and for which he won two Grammy Awards. More recently, Jakob Dylan has released two solo albums β βSeeing Thingsβ and βWomen + Countryβ; the latter became Dylan’s highest-charting album since The Wallflowers’ 1996 breakthrough βBringing Down The Horse“, peaking at #12 on the Billboard 200.Β
This is Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers with βOne Headlightβ
After the wake, a few of us went back to our sister-in-lawβs house. A question tap-danced in my brain: now that my husbandβs brother was dead, was his widow still our sister-in-law or will she eventually be erased from the familial slate, ties severed, connections lost?
The room which they call βthe officeβ was a confusion of books, photo albums and memorabilia piled high like Babel.
Flipping through yellowed snapshots, we spotted her, the widow, in every image β¦. halcyon days when we all spoke the language of youth and happiness β¦. and my question was answered.
Welcome to Birthday Thursdays! Each week I will feature someone from the world of music whose birthday falls on this day. There wonβt be any chit chat from me, no facts and figures β just some great tunes (and an occasional surprise). Check it out right here every Thursday and enjoy the music.
Happy Birthday to Joss Stone Born April 11, 1987 inDover, UK
“Son Of A Preacher Man”
“Midnight Train To Georgia”
“I Put A Spell On You” Jeff Beck featuring Joss Stone
Written for Glynβs Mixed Music Bag #15, where we are asked to write about a song by a group or solo artist beginning with the letter G or H.
This was a no-brainer for me; not only does my featured performerβs first name start with the letter G, his last name starts with the letter H. Itβs almost as if I had a sign from the heavens, divine intervention. Yes, as soon as I saw this weekβs MMB challenge, I knew who and what I would write about. And if you know me or follow my blogs then you know, too! As the title of my post says βItβs The (Not So) Quiet Beatleβ so, unless youβve been in a 50-year-long coma or stranded on a desert island since infancy, youβve already figured out that my featured artist today is George Harrison, the multi-talented musician born February 25, 1943 in Liverpool.
George was the youngest of four children born to Harold, a bus conductor, and Louise, a shop assistant. His earliest musical influences included Cab Calloway, Hoagy Carmichael, Carl Perkins, Elmore James and Lonnie Donegan. One day while riding his bicycle, George heard Elvis Presleyβs βHeartbreak Hotelβ playing from a nearby house and the song piqued his interest in Rock & Roll. At first his father was apprehensive about Georgeβs interest in pursuing a music career but he was willing to let his son give it a go. He bought him his first guitar and had one of his friends teach George how to play a couple of old songs; like many others at the time, George started a skiffle* group with his brother and a friend.Β At the age of 14 George met Paul McCartney on the bus to school and the pair bonded over their shared love of music. Paul introduced George to John Lennon and the rest, my friends, is the stuff that dreams are made of. [*a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass and jazz]
While thereβs a plethora of songs to choose from Georgeβs days with the Beatles, I will be focusing on a few songs from his prolific solo career. These songs may be lesser known but they will all be fun, clever, amusing and uniquely special β¦. just like George. As he said, βDidnβt want to be a star, wanted just to play guitar in this cockamamie businessβ.
I hope you enjoy my selections today.
Chris OβDell is probably the most well-known woman in Beatledom. Not only did she land a job at Apple Studios, she was an assistant and facilitator to the Beatles and other acts including Derek & the Dominos, the Rolling Stones, Dylan, Santana etc., etc. Besides Freda Kelly (the Beatles’ personal secretary), Chris O’Dell knew more about the guys in the band than their own wives. She was on the roof during that famous concert; not just anyone got invited to the roof! You had to be really popular and Chris O’Dell had that market cornered as a super-groupie, something she proudly wrote about in her bio. She was such a favorite among the rock stars, she had songs written about her …. like this one which George Harrison wrote in Los Angeles in April 1971 while waiting for OβDell to ‘pay him a visit‘ ππ at his rented home. For whatever reason, she never showed and George wrote a light-hearted number which provides insight into the Los Angeles music scene at the time. Chris OβDell went on to write her memoirs in a book called βMiss OβDellβ, named after Georgeβs song. George recorded several versions of the song but this one is my favorite. The string of numbers you hear George reciting at the end of the song was Paul McCartneyβs actual phone number.
From George Harrison’s album βLiving In A Material Worldβ, this is βMiss OβDellβ. I dare you not to smile.
This next song was George Harrisonβs humorous send-up of the βHeβs So Fineβ/βMy Sweet Lordβ silly little plagiarism court case. The lyrics have a playful reference to the case (βMy expert tells me itβs OKβ) and, at one point, Eric Idle chimes in with some very funny Motown song references. In case youβre not familiar with the legal goings-on, in 1981 George Harrison was ordered to pay $587,000 for βsubconsciously plagiarizingβ the Chiffons’ 1963 hit single βHe’s So Fineβ during the creation of his own song βMy Sweet Lordβ. Harrison reflected in his biography βI wasn’t consciously aware of the similarity to ‘He’s So Fine’.” I don’t think the law suit had much of a negative impact on George’s pocket or popularity.
From 1976 (and featuring a full cast of characters), this is the funny, campy, in-your-face βThis Songβ from George Harrison’s album βThirty Three And 1/3β.
My last song today is from George Harrisonβs 1987 album βCloud Nineβ. βWhen We Was Fabβ, one of the first songs cowritten by George and Jeff Lynne, looks back to his Beatles days and contains various musical and lyrical references to the 1960s, including quotations from songs by Bob Dylan and Smokey Robinson. This beauty of a tune harkens back to several well-know Beatles songs, particularly from their psychedelic period. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is fittingly behind the kit on this recording and is prominently featured in the video. Pay attention to this one; there’s a lot of little things going on that are easy to miss.
From βCloud Nineβ, this is βWhen We Was Fabβ.
I hope you enjoyed a look at a different side of George Harrison …. the funny, sharp-witted, clever and not-so-quiet side that he enjoyed in this cockamamie business.
Thanks to Glyn and his Mixed Music Bag weekly prompts. See you next time.
Written for Six Sentence Story #309; the required word is βcoreβ
John Black always keeps his tools in the finest condition, each one hanging on the rack with incredible precision like soldiers standing at attention, lined up by size depending on his needs, clean, sharp and at the ready at all times.
There are saws that could cut down the largest tree and mallets strong enough to pound huge spikes into boulders, screwdrivers and files of every shape and size, pliers to yank out the longest of nails and wrenches to loosen joints rusted together, planes that could shave off the thinnest slice of wood and blades that could cut through the toughest leather.
John Black scrubs his tools clean after each use so they are gleaming, polished and waiting for his next job, whenever that might be .β¦ every day and into the night β¦. and he is ready, a busy man who never waits to be called, a man who easily finds his own clientele.
John Black is not a carpenter or a plumber, not a roofer or a mason, not a mechanic or a custodian β no, his job is of a different nature, his instruments weapons meant to inflict the most pain a human could endure β for you see, John Black is a psychopath, a stalker of the innocent, a torturer, a murderer; oh, yes, his tools serve him well, sate his sadistic needs and, being an unassuming man, his victims are so very easy to find.
John Black lives nowhere yet everywhere, next to your sister or your daughter or your mother or you, so keep your doors locked and never go out alone, even to check your mailbox or collect your newspaper or to bring in the cat, for he is ever vigilant, constantly at the ready, waiting patiently to show you in the minutest of detail what every last one of his tools can do in the hands of a master.
Come now, donβt look at me like that β¦. Iβm just the storyteller telling the story of John Black whoβs a bad seed, the devilβs spawn, a blot on the escutcheon, a moldering apple, rotten to the core.
Written for the dVerse Prosery Prompt by Amy Woolard: βWhat does it matter that the stars we see are already deadβ
βWhat does it matter that the stars we see are already dead? What does that even mean, Margie?β
βOh, Nell. If I have to explain it to you, it loses its gravitas, its pathos, doesnβt it?β
βGravitas? Pathos? Iβm sorry .β¦ when were you named chief cook, bottlewasher and poet laureate?β
Margie gave her friend a dismissive eye roll before turning her back, busying herself with little scraps of paper on her desk.
There was a time the two were like sisters, cherishing a bond they never found with anyone else. Now they barely recognized each other; their conversations were stilted to the point of being painful.
And it all came down to Nicole, a newcomer in their exclusive inner circle …. a renaissance woman and Margie thought she hung the moon.
βI miss us, Margieβ
Intense silence. Spoken words were never as wounding.
Kris Kristofferson is one of country musicβs most covered songwriters and the most famous instance of the troubadourβs work translating beautifully to another performer is Janis Joplinβs iconic recording of “Me And Bobby McGee”, certainly the one we recall when thinking of her doing bluesy country rock. Her renditionis full of vocal improvisation and heartbreak β¦. an embrace of blissed-out guitars, smokey twang and free spirits.Β Without a doubt, Janis Joplin was the most transcendent, mesmerizing, complex yet naΓ―ve and unpretentious artist I’ve had the privilege of seeing in concert.
A posthumously released version of “Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin topped the US singles chart in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released #1 single in US chart history after βDock Of The Bayβ by Otis Redding. Billboard ranked Joplin’s version as the #1 song for 1971. In 2002, Janis Joplin’s “Me And Bobby McGee” was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
Let’s listen to the original first. From 1970, this is βMe And Bobby McGeeβ by singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson.
And this is what the song sounded like when Janis Joplin recorded it.
Written for Weekend Writing Prompt #358 ~ Superscript
Just like something out of the evening news.
Did the attractive young woman, a former nurse and mother of one toddler, actually feed her little boy bleach or was it just a dreadful accident?
How could any jury not believe the clean-faced white woman in the proper skirt and blouse as she tearfully recounted the events of that horrific morning?
But they did believe her and only the most perceptible viewer in the courtroom or the living room caught the slightest cold-blooded superscript curl of her top left lip.
The Motown Sound has something extra-special about it. Berry Gordy, Jr. knew people would be listening on their car stereos and transistor radios and he was going to do what it took to make songs sound good and memorable. Even if you couldnβt put your finger on it, when a Motown song came on, baby, you knew it. Still do.
Not every story is a success. The early history of Motown Records is filled with promising newcomers who didn’t find immortality along the lines of the Supremes or the Temptations. A guy with the unlikely name of Henry Lumpkin is one example, a young singer and composer who bore more than a passing resemblance to Chubby Checker physically and Ben E. King vocally. Henry had one good song under his belt β¦. βWhat Is A Man (Without A Woman)β, cowritten by himself and Carolyn Strong, produced by Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. Poor Henry never charted and by the end of 1962 he was off the Motown roster. Mostly forgotten by all but the most hardcore soul enthusiasts, Henry Lumpkin was one of many early Motown discoveries who deserved better than he got, or at least better luck than he found, with his records.
From January 1962, hereβs a funky, gritty dance number by Henry Lumpkin. This is βWhat Is A Man (Without A Woman)β …. an excellent question!
And this is what was on the B side β βDonβt Leave Meβ (cowritten by Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy)
Thanks for joining me today for a little Monday Motown Magic.
Bill stood at his open closet mumbling and cursing under his breath as he pulled out one pair of pants after the other. He was in a mood that has no definition or perhaps many definitions, none of them good. He was searching for something to wear for the funeral of his twin brother, Jim, who died suddenly on April 2. Had it been anyone elseβs funeral, Bill would have just pulled out a suitable pair of pants and a dress shirt, but this was his brother and he said he needed his black suit. He couldnβt find it in the closet and he was getting angry but, of course, the errant suit was not the cause for his consternation. I walked to the closet and spotted the suit immediately. Handing it to Bill, I hugged him and kissed his cheek. As I ironed his shirt I could hear him crying softly. βWhyβd you have to go and die, Jim?β
Written forFriday Fictioneers. Greetings, friends. Some of you know, others do not. We had a death in the family last week β¦ my husbandβs twin brother passed away on Tuesday. Iβve taken some time off from writing but now I’m ready to return. You may read about our loss hereΒ if you are so inclined. Thank you for your thoughts. This is my story today.
It wasnβt in the evening when a calm tide rolls out, nor in the early morning as the glorious sun rises but rather in the middle of the day, just after noon when he crossed the bridge and left us stunned and lost. One minute he was with us β¦. happy, strong and alive. The next he was gone, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, he crossed the bridge and slipped away. We had no time to prepare, no time to say βGoodbye and fare thee well, brotherβ. He was just gone, peacefully and silently across the bridge.
“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.” – Kahlil Gibran
Bill & Jim at their childhood home, City Island, The Bronx, NY circa 1950
My husband encouraged me to write today; I didn’t want to …. I felt like I should sit by his side, hold his hand, cry with him but his tears and his grief have not hit home yet.
One minute he’s walking around the house in a daze, the next he’s playing LEGOs with our 4 year old granddaughter. It’s good for her to be here; she’s keeping him distracted.
You see, my darling husband Bill’s twin brother Jim died today around 12:30pm. His wife Lynne went upstairs to their bedroom and found him on the floor. She tried desperately to breathe life into him but he was gone. Just like that, alive one minute and dead the next.
Losing a sibling is so hard; losing an identical twin is unfathomable. I am Bill’s wife but his twin brother was his other half and I say that with nothing but love in my heart. They shared their mother’s womb, their crib, their playpen, their bedroom, their car. They went to school together, worked in the same marina together for many summers. Bill graduated Iona College first in his class; Jim was second. They even failed the army physical together!
They were on polar opposites of the political page and their taste in women couldn’t have been more different but in every other way, they were as one. Of course they looked the same and talked the same, they had the same laugh, the same sense of humor. They loved watching hockey and going fishing together. Now that will never happen again.
If you look at the last photo on the bottom of the page you’ll see them, two little suntanned towheads sitting side by side fishing with their older brother, dad and grandfather. Now everyone in that boat is gone except for my husband, Bill.
All I’m thinking about right now is what a great time Jim and Lynne had last week. They spent the whole week in North Carolina with their son, his wife and two teenage grandchildren. They texted photos of everyone on the boardwalk, arms around each other, looking incredibly happy.
Bill and Jim. The Twins. The Richy Twins. When people saw one, they saw the other. Now there’s only one and nothing from this moment on will ever be the same.
If anyone needs convincing that the Beatles knew a good song when they heard one, consider this: the band began featuring βMoney (Thatβs What IWant)β in their live act in Germany as early as August 1960 …. just a year after the Barrett Strong release in the United States. “Money” became a Top 30 pop success in the U.S. for Barrett Strong but it was not a hit in the UK. The Beatles recorded the song in 1963 and its inclusion in their second album,Β With The Beatles, brought βMoneyβ to a larger audience than ever before.
You remember Barrett Strong from yesterdayβs Monday Motown Magic post? Well, here he is with βMoneyβ from August 1959. I told you youβd know this song!
And this is what the Beatles’ recording of βMoneyβ sounded like
Iβm sorry for the things I said and did. Thereβs no greater pain than brothers grown apart. How I have prayed for this day when we put our anger to rest and cried βI love you, my dear brotherβ. Iβm sorry for the things I said and did.
Dectina Refrain: This poem is written as follows: 1st line β 1 syllable, 2nd line β 2 syllables 3rd line β 3 syllables, and so on for 9 lines; the 10th line is comprised of the first four lines and is a stand-alone 10-syllable line.
It all came about one day in April, the 1st, to be exact. Newly divorced, I had recently moved into a house in the country and was enjoying my morning coffee on the patio. Birds of many different varieties flitted about the bushes and fruit trees in the yard next door. Even a couple of deer and a few rabbits were contentedly munching on the grass. I felt like I was in the middle of a Disney movie and wouldnβt have been at all surprised if the animals started talking and singing!
Looking around my property I couldnβt help but compare my landscaping to that of my neighbor, Marjorie. Hers was overflowing with every sort of plant imaginable while mine had a paltry number of pitiful-looking bushes on the verge of death. I began to envision my very own Garden of Eden. There would be shrubs and fruit trees and flowers everywhere, graceful statues and a tranquil water feature. My yard was going to be much better than Marjorieβs!
Perhaps her ears were burning or it was just a coincidence but at that very moment Marjorie turned her head in my direction. Even from forty feet away I could see her beady eyes squinting at me. A rather obese woman, she was sweating profusely as she labored in her garden, her ridiculously small bonnet providing little shade to her balloon-like face. I waved to her but she didnβt wave back; either she didnβt see me or she chose to ignore me. Marjorie wasnβt all shits and giggles. Her husband left her for another woman (no big surprise there!) and her grown children lived far away. It seemed like her only joy in life was tending to her expansive garden.
Being a city boy, I knew nothing about gardening so I called the local nursery where one could get anything from a hose nozzle to a majestic pine tree. One of the landscapers came by a few hours later and walked through the property with me, making suggestions as we went along. I told him money was no object and gave him free reign to plant whatever he thought best β the more impressive the better.
A few days later the nursery’s trucks arrived at my house. I caught a glimpse of Marjorie peeking through her curtains as my many purchases were unloaded and wheeled into my yard. The landscapers got to work planting everything from small flowering shrubs to walls of bamboo. They put in an arbor, birdbaths, several angelic statues as well as a Japanese-inspired water feature. Before my eyes the once barren wasteland was now a flourishing oasis. Take that, Marjorie!
My new bountiful yard only spurred her on to do even more work in her yard; every time one of us added something new, so would the other. It became a petty, childish game of tit for tat; who could create the most majestic personal Nirvana?
The next morning while brewing a cup of coffee, I was shocked to see a police car and ambulance outside Marjorieβs house; she had suffered a fatal heart attack while working in her garden. Well, there certainly was no love lost between us but I never wished her any harm. She was a rotund woman; laboring day after day in her garden the way she did obviously put too much strain on her heart. I hoped whoever moved in next door would treat Marjorieβs yard with the same tender loving care.
A few weeks later I woke up to the screeching sounds of power tools and heavy machinery. Unable to see through my dense bamboo hedge, I walked around the front to Marjorieβs place; all her marvelous landscaping was being leveled! After everything was hauled away, a bulldozer began digging a huge hole. Week after week the work continued. The noise was enervating and I found myself spending more and more time working inside from my home office and away from my backyard utopia.
Finally one day in early August all was quiet; the work next door was complete. I decided it was time to fling wide the portals leading outside and enjoy an afternoon in the sun with the birds splashing in my water feature. My good friend Charlie stopped by and as we sat there enjoying a few ice cold Michelob Ultras, the pristine silence was broken by the shrieks, yelps and laughter of little children.
βDamnation! What now?β I grumbled, rolling my eyes and craning my neck for a peek.
Charlie nearly choked on his beer. βDon’t tell me you donβt know!β
βKnow what?β I asked. I had no idea what he was talking about.
βYou dumb son of a bitch!β Charlie howled. βDear old Marjorie left a will stating that her house and property were to be leveled and converted into a daycare facility, complete with playground, carousel and swimming pool.β
βYou canβt be serious! What about zoning laws?β I sputtered in disbelief. Visions of my plummeting property value made me groan. And Charlie laughed, clearly enjoying my distress a bit too much.
Was this some sort of twisted karma? I just wouldnβt let old Marjorie best me and now, what she couldnβt achieve in life she had accomplished in death. The ultimate victory was hers. I felt sick to my stomach.
βAlmost paradise.β I sighed, a defeated man. Maybe everything that happened really was my fault after all.
The Motown Sound has something extra-special about it. Berry Gordy, Jr. knew people would be listening on their car stereos and transistor radios and he was going to do what it took to make songs sound good and memorable. Even if you couldnβt put your finger on it, when a Motown song came on, baby, you knew it. Still do.
Iβd like to wrap-up this feature of Tamla songs by showcasing the artist who recorded the labelβs third single β Barrett Strong, with the little-distributed and (now) highly collectable βLetβs Rock.β This song may be new to many of you but if you check out tomorrowβs Twofer Tuesday, youβll get to hear another of his songs, one youβre sure to recognize. Just like other recording artists, Barrett Strong β¦. together with Norman Whitfield β¦. went on to co-write many of the most indelible songs in Motown history. Barrett Strong passed away just two months ago at the age of 81.
If you’d like to hear more of these early Tamla recordings, leave me a comment; perhaps weβll revisit them at a later date.
From 1959, this is βLetβs Rockβ by Barrett Strong.
And this is what was on the B side β¦. βDo The Very Best You Canβ
The topic today at Song Lyric Sunday is to write about songs written for movies. According to estimates by industry analysts, people from 95 different countries and 82% of all Americans will be celebrating Easter this year. Armed with that information, reading the name of my post and looking at the image below, my selection for today should be an obvious one. Roll away the stone; itβs time for Jesus Christ Superstar!
The classic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar has had many different reincarnations since it premiered on Broadway in 1971 and has been made into four movies. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the 1973 film adaptation of the original Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice live musical of the same name.
*Point of interest which I will get into later. Ian Gillan from the rock group Deep Purple was slated to play Jesus in both the 1971 Broadway show and the movie in 1973; however due to his heavy recording and concert obligations with Deep Purple, he was unavailable.
The film Jesus Christ Superstar starred Ted Neely, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman and, just like the Broadway musical, depicted the conflict between Judas and Jesus during the week leading up to Jesusβ crucifixion. The movie was released to theaters in the US on August 15, 1973. Neeley, Anderson, and Elliman were nominated for Golden Globe Awards in 1974 for their portrayals of Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene, respectively. None of them won; out of 16 various nominations, including the Academy Awards, Jesus Christ Superstar won only 3 β¦. βBest Soundtrackβ for the British Academy Film Award; βBest Foreign Filmβ for the David di Donatello Award; βBest Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Filmβ for the British Society of Cinematographers Award.
The movie received very mixed reviews from critics but movie-goers loved it; it was the highest-grossing musical in the US and Canada for 1973.
In the 1980 book βThe Golden Turkey Awardsβ by Michael and Harry Medved, Ted Neeley was given “an award” for “The Worst Performance by an Actor as Jesus Christ“. Neeley went on to recreate the role of Jesus in numerous national stage tours of the rock musical. I watched the move again last night and I didn’t think he was that bad.
The obvious saving grace for the movie was the music …. the same phenomenal Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice songs used in the live musical. I bought the album soundtrack of the Broadway show after seeing the performance and played the hell out of it β¦. not just during Easter but all the time and not Mary Magdaleneβs famous βI Donβt Know How To Love Himβ, even though that is a fabulous song. My favorite song was the soliloquy βGethsemane (I Only Want To Say)β.
If you ever attended church services or Sunday School, went to a parochial school, read the Bible, saw the famous painting by Heinrich Hofmann or watched almost any epic Bible movie on TV, you’ll remember that just before Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The disciples all fell asleep, leaving Jesus to pray alone. He knew what was about to happen and He was frightened, as any man in that unspeakable situation would be.
In βGethsemane (I Only Want To Say)β, Jesus asks why he has to die and even prays for a way out (“Take this cup away from me for I don’t want to taste its poison”). This βSuperstarβ turning point finds Jesus questioning his fate for the first and only time. At no point in this beautifully subtle song is Godβs existence assessed. Jesus appears in all his human frailty …. doubtful, frightened and impressively lonely. I remember hearing over and over again in Mass how Jesus died willingly for our sins; I never believed that could possibly be true and this number from βSuperstarβ clearly brings that message home. Think for a moment what is being asked of him.
From the 1973 movie Jesus Christ Superstar, this is Ted Neeley with βGethsemane (I Only Want To Say).
On April 1, 2018, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert starring John Legend in the role of Jesus premiered on American television, broadcast live on NBC on Easter Sunday evening. As a staged concert performance, it was more of an opera with minimal dialogue. Like the movie 45 years earlier, the concert was based on the Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, using the same music. I didnβt hold out much hope for this production and was prepared to hate it; it was too modern and edgy-looking, like a Dino De Laurentiis production of Pagliacci set in Las Vegas. And to top it all off, the highly unlikely Alice Cooper was cast as King Herod! Much to my complete delight, it was amazing and I was blown away by the production, the cast and John Legend in particular. It is well worth watching and you can find it streaming anywhere right now. This excellent concert is on my TV viewing line-up for tonight. BTW, Alice Cooper was perfect in the role.
From 2018βs Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, here is John Legend with βGethsemane (I Only Want To Say)β.
So far weβve listened to Ted Neeleyβs version from the 1973 movie and John Legendβs rendition from the 2018 concert β¦. two vastly different performances. But thereβs still one more. *This one is and always will be my favorite β¦. the original soundtrack recording of this all-time Broadway musical classic. Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan sang the role of Jesus and his interpretation set the bar for all upcoming performers. When βSuperstarβ was on Broadway in 1971, Deep Purple was on the top of the music world; because of Deep Purple’s commitments and schedule, Ian Gillan was not able to join the cast of the play nor appear in the 1973 film. The late Jeff Fenholt replaced Ian Gillan in the role of Jesus on Broadway and Ted Neeley replaced him in the movie and became known as the face of Jesus. (There’s some weird backstory about Fenholt being a member of Black Sabbath at one time; I say it’s bogus. He claimed he was, Sabbath said he only tried out. Google if you care to). As I told my friend Clive yesterday, βIan Gillan will always be Jesus to meβ.
From the original Broadway soundtrack, this is the unmistakable and incredible voice of rock icon Ian Gillan singing the role of Jesus. Here is βGethsemane (I Only Want To Say)β.
Lyrics
I only want to say if there is a way Take this cup away from me For I don’t want to taste it’s poison Feel it burn me, I have changed I’m not as sure as when we started
Then I was inspired now I’m sad and tired Listen, surely I’ve exceeded expectations Tried for three years, seems like thirty Could you ask as much from any other man?
But if I die see the saga through and do the Things you ask of me Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me Nail me to their tree I’d wanna know, I’d wanna know, my God I’d wanna know, I’d wanna know, my God I’d wanna see, I’d wanna see, my God I’d wanna see, I’d wanna see, my God
Why I should die Would I be more noticed than I ever was before? Would the things I’ve said And done matter anymore? I’d have to know, I’d have to know, my Lord I’d have to know, I’d have to know, my Lord I’d have to see, I’d have to see, my Lord I’d have to see, I’d have to see, my Lord If I die, what would be my reward? If I die, what would be my reward? I’d have to know, I’d have to know, my Lord I’d have to know, I’d have to know, my Lord
Why should I die? Oh, why should I die? Can you show me now that I Would not be killed in vain? Show me just a little Of your omnipresent brain Show me there’s a reason for You wanting me to die You’re far too keen on “where” and “how” But not so hot on “why”
Alright, I’ll die Just watch me die see how I die See how I die oh, watch me die Oh, watch me die
Then I was inspired now I’m sad and tired After all I tried for three years Seems like ninety why then am I scared to Finish what I started? What you started I didn’t start it
God, thy will be done destroy your only son I will drink your cup of poison Nail me to your cross and break me Bleed me, beat me, kill me, take me Now, before I change my mind Now, before I change my mind
Thank you for joining me today. I hope all of you who are celebrating Easter today realize the fulfillment of hope, peace, joy and love from your faith.
Big thanks to Jim for hosting another week of Song Lyric Sunday.
βBridge Over Trouble Waterβ Written by: Paul Simon Recorded: January 1970 Producer(s): Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee Engineer: Roy Halee
Released: January 26, 1970
Available on: Bridge Over Trouble Water
Personnel: Paul Simon – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion Art Garfunkel β lead vocals, percussion Los Incas β Peruvian instruments Joe Osborn β bass guitar Larry Knechtel β piano Fred Carter Jr. β guitar Pete Drake β Dobro, pedal steel guitar Hal Blaine β drums Jimmie Haskell & Ernie Freeman β strings Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff & Alan Rubin β brass
Paul Simon said he wrote βBridge Over Trouble Waterβ very quickly, so much so that he later asked himself: “Where did that come from? It doesn’t seem like me.”
Simon wrote it as “a little hymn“, a song about providing comfort to a person in need. Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee thought it was more epic than a little hymn and convinced Simon to write a third verse. When done, Paul Simon thought it was too long, too slow and too orchestral to be a hit single.
However, Clive Davis at Columbia Records disagreed; he identified the commercial appeal of the song and it was included on the 1970 album of the same name β their fifth and final LP.
Paul Simon told his partner Art Garfunkel that heβd like him to sing the song alone, the “white choirboy way“. At first, Garfunkel felt the song was not right for him, as he liked Simon’s falsetto on the demo version, and suggested that Simon sing instead. At the suggestion of Garfunkel and Roy Halee, Simon wrote an extra verse and a “bigger” ending, adding harmony in the final verse.
Ultimately, Paul Simon became jealous of the reaction from audiences and the attention Art Garfunkel was getting every time they performed the song and thought how the song really should have been his. Well, Paul’s the one who made the suggestion; now he was regretting it. These feelings of jealousy and animosity would contribute strongly to their eventual split. So much for the peaceful little hymn.
In the US, βBridge Over Troubled Waterβ reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1970, and stayed there for six weeks. It was the biggest single of the year. It also reached #1 in the UK in 1970. It was certified gold for selling over one million copies in the US and more than six million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles ever.
Here is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded, Simon & Garfunkel’s βBridge Over Trouble Waterβ.
Lyrics
When you’re weary Feeling small When tears are in your eyes I’ll dry them all I’m on your side Oh, when times get rough And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down
When you’re down and out When you’re on the street When evening falls so hard I will comfort you I’ll take your part Oh, when darkness comes And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down
Sail on silver girl Sail on by Your time has come to shine All your dreams are on their way See how they shine Oh, if you need a friend I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind
The smell of old cooking oil reheated too many times stuck in his throat and clung to every inch of the Chinese food takeout joint. He hated being here, his uncomfortable demeanor only making him feel ridiculously out of place. And why were there only two tables in the whole shop when there was clearly room for more. He felt naked, center stage, all eyes on him yet no one paid him any attention.
How the hell did he let himself get roped into this? His granddaughter, a 15 year old package of rebellion and maladjustment, talked him into a dinner out. He didnβt like eating anywhere but at home but he realized in the fourteen years since she was in his care, heβd never taken his granddaughter out to eat, not even for an ice cream.
He wondered if he resented her. In truth it was his daughter, the girlβs mother, he resented for running off like she did and leaving her year old tot with him. What kind of mother does that? One just a kid herself, stuck with an unwanted baby and a desperate need to be a teenager. Well, she took off one night and never came back.
Now, here he sat, waiting for this willful girl who was too much like her mother for her own good to return from the toilet. Sheβd been in there far too long and he sat staring at his past knowing sheβd run off, leaving him alone again.
There was never a time when my father didnβt sport a mustache. A thin, elegant line when he was a young man, a bit more pronounced as he grew older but always neat, always refined.
Dressed in his army uniform, he was every bit the matinee idol and it was obvious why Mom fell for him.
When we visited him in Albany Medical Center the morning of his surgery for multiple aneurisms β both abdominal and aortic β his grey hair was neatly combed, mustache trimmed. He was 82 years old and the doctors gave him a bleak 6% chance of surviving the operation. Yet, survive he did.
My sisterβs daughter β my fatherβs eldest grandchild β gave serious thought to postponing her wedding until my father was stronger. He insisted she βdo nothing of the kindβ. He told us all, in no uncertain terms, that he would never miss his first grandchildβs wedding β¦. and he didnβt. Dressed to the nines in his tux and bow tie, perfectly groomed silver mustache, we all held our breath as they walked hand in hand onto the dance floor for what would be their last spin together.
When my dad died, we provided the undertaker with a photo for reference. The inexperienced mortician did a lovely job tending Dad but, looking back and forth from the photo to my father at peace his coffin, the undertaker knew something was amiss.
It was the first time any of us had ever seen Dad without his dashing mustache.
After Roman governor Pontius Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, the real brutality began.
Roman soldiers β experts at torture and death β stripped Jesus of His clothes and likely chained Him to a stone pillar. They beat Him again and again with a Roman flagrum, a whip that would have had anywhere from three to twelve strands of leather. Metal balls were woven into the leather, and at the end of each strand were pieces of broken pottery, glass, nails, bone, or twisted metal, designed to grab flesh and rip.
Imagine Jesus as He was beaten over and over and over and over again, huge pieces of skin and muscle being ripped and torn away with every blow. By the time the soldiers were done, His back and buttocks and legs would have been bloody, mangled ribbons of flesh and muscle and sinew.
This beating was called βthe half death,β because half the men who received it died from it. But not Jesus; He had more to endure.
The soldiers put a purple robe on Him, twisted together a crown of thorns from the famous Jerusalem thorn bush β with thorns that were up to 3 inches long β and beat it into His skull with a rod, which they also used to batter His face. He was beaten so badly He didnβt even look human.
Now Jesus became an object of mockery. The Roman soldiers knelt before Him, laughingly calling out, βHail, King of the Jews.β They slapped Him and spit on Him. Through it all, He remained silent.
Soon, they marched Him off to Golgotha, the hill of the skull, just outside Jerusalem. Here the Roman soldiers stripped Him of all His clothes, threw Him down on a wooden cross, stretched out His hands, took a spike nail, and hammered it into His right wrist.
Imagine the pain of each blow, as the hammer came down again and again, driving the nail deeper and deeper into His wrist, Why His wrists? Because the weight of His body, once lifted up on the cross, would tear His hands through the nail if it were put through His palm instead of His wrist. Only the spot where the two bones of the wrist come together could support the full weight of a man hung by a spike nail. Next, the soldiers crossed His feet and drove a spike nail through them. The soldiers then lifted the cross up and dropped it into a previously dug hole. It was probably at this point that all of Jesus’ bones came out of joint.
And thatβs when the slow suffering began. There He was for all the world to see βnaked and bleeding and dying. To add insult to His many injuries, the thieves being crucified next to Him began to mock Him, as did the religious leaders and the crowds who had gathered.
To breathe on the cross is no small thing. Jesus had to push His body up to exhale and come down to inhale, scraping His open, bloody back against the rough-hewn wood of the cross for hours. Jesus did not die from the beating or the bleeding, although they were horrendous; he suffocated. The pain would have been excruciating.
Finally, after six hours of tortured breathing, the end was near. Jesus looked up to Heaven and said, βEloi! Eloi! Lama sabachthaniβ which means, βMy God! My God! Why have you forsaken me? In that moment, Jesus was enduring the ultimate agony. Then Jesus yelled out the three words that would change the course of historyββIt is finishedββand He bowed His bloodied head and died.
The Elephant's Trunk 