Written in response to Friday Faithfuls:
“Aether or Ether Conundrum”. Here’s my take.
Tag: Music
It’s About Time
Written for Song Lyric Sunday –
“It’s About Time”.
This is my response to the challenge.
Route 66: Thursday Inspiration
Written for Thursday Inspiration #315 –
“Route 66”. Here’s my response.
RDP Friday: exist
Written for RDP, where Martha asks us
to get creative with the words ‘exist’.
Thanks, Martha! Here’s my take.
Through The Wall, Softly
Written for Muse on Monday where David
asks us to write a story about neighbors.
Here’s were the prompt took me.
Continue reading “Through The Wall, Softly” Did You Know
What group started out as
Linda Ronstadt’s backing band?
My Interview With George Harrison
Our gracious host, Rochelle, encourages us
to be creative by writing a story in 100 words
or less using the photo prompt below. This is a snippet
of a story I wrote years ago. At that time, I failed to indicate
that it was a fiction piece, which made a few people angry at me.
Utterly ridiculous! FFS! Like I really interviewed George Harrison!
This is Friday Fictioneers and here’s where the photo took me.
Night Music
Written for Cinquain Poetry Prompt #16
where our inspiration word is “believe”.
Also written for dVerse Poets MTB:
Cinquains Revisited. I have written a
Mirror Cinquain, a 10-line, single stanza poem
with a syllable pattern of 2–4–6–8–2–8–6–4–2.
Everything’s Gneiss!
Written for Esther’s Laughing Along
With A Limerick #244. Using the prompt
word ‘rock’, this is my limerick.
Did You Know?
A U.S. vice president had a #1 hit song.
Continue reading “Did You Know?”What? Me Worry?
Written for Thursday Inspiration #284 –
“Let’s Live For Today”. Here’s my 2¢ worth.
Paleolithic Rock
Our gracious host, Rochelle, at Friday Fictioneers
asks us to use the photo below as inspiration
to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. This is my flash.
Pisces Dreams: A Haiku
Written for Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge #11
where our host Colleen challenges us to write a
syllabic poem of our choice featuring our Zodiac
color according to the chart shown below. I am
Pisces and the color chart says my color is pink.
What is your zodiac color?
That’s Entertainment – Letter A
It’s April and this is The A To Z Challenge!
Continue reading “That’s Entertainment – Letter A”Turning My Page
Written for Jim’s Thursday Inspiration #273 –
‘Turn The Page’. My inspiration is the word
‘song’ and here’s my spin on things.
Let The Music Play
Written for Shweta’s Saturday Six Word Challenge #125
and Kevin’s The Beginning At Last/ No Theme Thursday
for 2/13/25. This week’s prompt word is “escape”.
Here is my 6 word story.
The Ritual
Written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt #399,
using the word “groove”. In 75 words, this is my story.
A Whole Lot Of Nothing
Our gracious host, Rochelle, at Friday Fictioneers
asks us to use the photo below as inspiration
to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. This is my flash.
Holiday Sounds
To Soothe The Savage Breast: An Ovi
Written for Ovi Poetry Challenge #76.
This week’s inspiration word is “calm”.
Take a nice deep breath. This is my Ovi.
The Prayer
Written for The Unicorn Challenge where we are
asked to get creative in 250 words or less using
the photo below as inspiration. This is my story.
A Great Working Relationship
Written for The New, Unofficial, On-Line Writer’s Guild.
This week the three prompts from Aooga at OLWG #388 are
(1) tea coloured eyes, (2) change the words of this poem,
and (3) New Mexico schmerz. We can use them as is,
as an inspiration or not at all. This is my story.
And The Music Goes Round And Round
Written for Keith Allen’s Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian
and his new blog “The Toy In Your Life”. Here’s what I had to say.
For as long as I can remember, music has been in my life in one form or another. There was never a time when I was not singing in a choir or choral group, either in church or school. My family was musical and the house was always alive with radio music, records playing, someone practicing the piano, someone else playing the mandolin, someone tinkering with the guitar, recorder, squeezebox, drums, and everyone singing, singing, singing.
I will always remember my Christmas present when I was 12 years old … a portable record player which my parents repeatedly made very clear was not ‘a toy’. I knew that! The toy phonographs came with Howdy Doody decals or Mickey Mouse ears and were made out of cardboard painted to look like leather or plastic. I had those toy record players which didn’t last very long; this was the real deal. To me, my teal blue General Electric Solid State record player was ‘the Holy Grail’! My parents spent “good money on that thing” and expected me to treat it with respect. What they didn’t predict was how I would worship that suitcase phonograph every day of my life.
This baby had built-in speakers that really blew! And a real diamond tip needle. My older cousin Joseph taught me the proper way to raise and lower the arm and how to safely get the dust off my records. My parents gave me and my sister a weekly allowance and I used most of my money to buy records.
The first 45 to grace my record player was “Da Doo Ron Ron” by the Crystals (which was prophetic because “his name was Bill”!). The early girl groups were my idols; I loved their sound and their lyrics were perfect for young girls with hormones working overtime. Then the Beatles invaded the US and my life was changed forever.
That GE teal blue record player became my best friend and I took very good care of it. After I was married, we had a hi-tech stereo system in the living room but I still kept my phonograph upstairs in the bedroom where we’d listen to romantic tunes like “A Million To One”, “Daddy’s Home”, “I Only Have Eyes For You” and “Ooh Baby Baby”. When our sons were old enough, I handed down my record player to them and now our 15 year old granddaughter has it in her bedroom. Her latest purchase was the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy which is pretty damn cool.
Thanks to Keith Allen for the invitation to write a little something on his new blog. I hope you enjoyed what I had to share today.
I’m Nancy, The Sicilian Storyteller.
See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2024
This is “Da Doo Ron Ron” by the Crystals
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Flying … or … Volare
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim Adams has asked his
readers to choose a song they remember from their childhood.
Music has always been a huge part of my life since my days growing up in The Bronx. Every self-respecting Italian family has a finished basement … one wide open room with a kitchen, eating area, a space for family activities, a TV area, a bathroom and closed-off workshop. Our television was one of those big console units which also included a radio and stereo with a storage cabinet and looked something like this:
When my sister and I listened to our music, my mother would either be cooking or in her sewing area and Dad would be at the kitchen table working on a crossword puzzle. He claimed he didn’t like our music but he never actually left the room when it was on. However, on Saturday afternoons my father commandeered the radio so he could listen to his favorite Italian show called “Pasquale C.O.D.” I remember it being just like WMCA … the station I listed … only in Italian. Pasquale was the DJ who’d talk about everything from food to politics and play the top hits from Italy and the US.
In 1958 there was a song we heard often and it became a family favorite; it got to be so popular, it wasn’t just limited to Dad’s Italian station. People all around the world could hear Domenico Modugno singing his hit “Nel blu, dipinto di blu“, more commonly known as “Volare”. Modugno composed the music and, along with Franco Migliacci, wrote the lyrics. The single was released on February 1, 1958.
The song spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in August and September 1958, and subsequently became Billboard’s #1 single for the year. In 1959, at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards, Modugno’s recording became the first ever Grammy winner for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. For more info about “Volare”, you can click HERE.
Here is “Nel blu, dipinto di blu (Volare)” by Domenico Modugno. This one’s for you, Dad.
LYRICS
I think a dream like this will never come back
Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più
I painted my hands and face blue
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Then suddenly I was kidnapped by the wind
Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
And I began to fly in the infinite sky
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito
Flying oh, oh
Volare oh, oh
Singing oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
In the blue painted blue
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Happy to be up there
Felice di stare lassù
And I flew, I flew happily higher than the sun
E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole
And even higher
Ed ancora più su
While the world slowly disappeared far away down there
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù
Sweet music played just for me
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me
Flying oh, oh
Volare oh, oh
Singing oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
In the blue painted blue
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Happy to be up there
Felice di stare lassù
But all dreams fade away in the dawn
Ma tutti i sogni nell’alba svaniscon perché
When the moon sets, it takes them with it
Quando tramonta la luna li porta con sé
But I continue to dream in your beautiful eyes
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
Which are blue like a sky studded with stars
Che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle
Flying oh, oh
Volare oh, oh
Singing oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
In the blue of your blue eyes
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Happy to be down here
Felice di stare quaggiù
And I continue to fly happily higher than the sun
E continuo a volare felice più in alto del sole
And even higher
Ed ancora più su
While the world slowly disappears in your blue eyes
Mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu
Your voice is sweet music that plays for me
La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me
Flying oh, oh
Volare oh, oh
Singing oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
In the blue of your blue eyes
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Happy to be down here
Felice di stare quaggiù
In the blue of your blue eyes
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Happy to be down here
Felice di stare quaggiù
With you
Con te
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Domenico Modugno/Franco Migliacci
Nel blu, dipinto di blu lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
There were more than 100 different recordings of “Volare” worldwide but my favorite from 1960 was the version by Italian-American pop singer Bobby Rydell (Ridarelli). Even my dad thought he sounded pretty good! His recording reached #4 on the Hot 100 during the summer of 1960, #22 in the UK and #3 in Canada. Here is Bobby Rydell’s version.
Of course, we couldn’t go flying without the wonderful Il Volo (flight) and their rendition of “Volare”. These young vocal sensations came on the scene long after my father passed away; I wonder what he’d think of them. Here is Il Volo.
Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week. Be sure to click the link and check out Jim’s site.
Thanks for stopping by. See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Sign Language
Written for Friday Fictioneers where Rochelle asks us to
get creative in 100 words or less. Making every word count
and using Dale’s photo below as inspiration, here is my flash.
Since we was kids it was just me and Roxie. Nobody wanted us but we didn’t care. We was crazy in love, wild about each other. We didn’t need nobody stickin’ their noses in our beeswax.
Long as we was together, nothin’ else much mattered, y’know?
We got a gig flippin’ flapjacks, a tin roof over our heads, a bed, and a hi-fi for spinnin’ tunes.
We do our jobs each day, make mad love every night, and dance in the glittery moonlight.
We’re happy and there’s no hidin’ the signs. The whole shack shimmies.
That’s more than most folks got.
NAR©2024
100 Words
This is “Love Shack” by The B-52’s
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
In A Groove
Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille #207 Spin Cycle
Hold my hand, honey
and take me for a spin
Twirl me ‘round the dance floor
I’m loving the spin I’m in
Whisper those sweet nothings, baby
send shivers up my spine
and make my head spin, lover
tonight I’m gonna make you mine
NAR©2024
44 Words
This is “That Old Black Magic” by Louis Prima and Keely Smith, the Heppest of the Hep!
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
What Would Dylan Do?
Written for Friday Fictioneers where we are asked
to be creative with 100 words or less using the
photo below for inspiration. Here is my story.
“Lieutenant! We’re getting a reading from the drone!”
“Gimme that, Krebbs! It shows beyond these woods is a clearing with what appears to be life forms. Round up the team; let’s check this out.”
Guns drawn, the squad stealthily worked its way to the clearing. Slowly they emerged; the lieutenant pushed back his fedora and whistled through his teeth.
“Well, lookie here! It’s the MIA grunge band, Rockit Gibraltar!”
“Are they dead, Lieutenant?”
“Nah! They’re stoned. Must be that ramped-up drug …. Double Rubble. Call for a chopper, one equipped with a boulder holder. This ain’t no soft rock band!“
NAR©2024
100 Words
This is “Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Twofer Tuesday 5.14
Whether solo or with Roxy Music, this is one of the few Bryan Ferry tracks that cracks a wide smile, sending up his jet-set image while celebrating it at the same time. Originally recorded by soul singer Dobie Gray, “The “In” Crowd” often gets confused for a Motown number, thanks to the label’s arranger Gene Page, who gave the single the Motown touch. Before Ferry tackled the tune, Ramsey Lewis Trio recorded a live instrumental version in 1964; later, Cheap Trick performed a cover of Ferry’s cover. Confused yet?
In the US, Gray’s powerful version, complete with brass section, reached #11 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 20, 1965. Outside the US, “The “In” Crowd” went to #25 on the UK Singles Chart and #8 in Canada.
Bryan Ferry’s 1974 singles release reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart. His album cover for “Another Time, Another Place”, which featured “The ‘In’ Crowd”, is one of the coolest in a James Bond kind of way.
By Dobie Gray in 1964, here is the original “The “In” Crowd”.
And this is what it sounded like when Bryan Ferry recorded it.
And just because it’s my post and I can do whatever I like 😄 this is the Ramsey Lewis Trio showing us how to do jazz right.
That’s today’s Twofer Tuesday plus one! Thanks for stopping by!
See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Freedomland, USA
Back in 1960, before the first Six Flags opened in Texas, there was Freedomland USA …. a fantastic, 85-acre amusement park with rides, restaurants, attractions, shopping, etc. And one of the things that made this wonderland so amazing was the fact that it was about 20 minutes from my house in The Bronx, NY. We would sit on our front porch at night and watch the fireworks coming from Freedomland.
“What else was so special about the place?”, you ask; well, it was the music hall known as the Moon Bowl!
In an attempt to attract visitors of varying ages, the Moon Bowl featured swing bands from the 1940s and contemporary pop stars. There was a stage and a 15,000 square foot outdoor dance floor. Among the performers who entertained us (and who I saw) were the Count Basie Orchestra, Paul Anka, Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker and more.
Somewhere in my attic I have many tickets and autographs tucked away with all my Beatles scrapbooks and R&R memorabilia. I was a very lucky girl who got to meet a lot of famous people! Unfortunately, Freedomland USA went belly up after just five seasons but I have memories that will last forever.
Today I am featuring one of the performers I saw at Freedomland, the place where I fell in love with him when I was 10 years old …. the one-and-only Bobby Darin, definitely tops on my list. He can bring me out of a lousy mood or help me chill when I’m feeling stressed out.
There aren’t enough adjectives to describe the incredible talents of Bobby Darin. He was the consummate performer, a one-man show who composed songs, conducted the orchestra, sang different genres of music, danced, played the drums, piano, harmonica and guitar, did impressions, acted in movies and dazzled us with his Sinatra-like charm, mannerisms and sense of humor. My fellow-New Yorker was born Walden Robert Cassotto on May 14, 1936. It was a time when ethnic-sounding names such as his were frowned-upon by music producers; they felt something more white bread Americana would help these performers with strange names go further in the biz so Walden Robert Cassotto became Bobby Darin.
Bobby was only 37 years old when he died .… recurring bouts of rheumatic fever as a child left him with a seriously weakened heart. Believing his time on earth was limited, he lived his life to the fullest, pushing himself to all he could. In 1973, after failing to take antibiotics to protect his heart before a dental visit, Bobby developed sepsis. On December 19, 1973, a four-person surgical team worked for over six hours to repair his damaged heart. In the early morning hours of December 20, Bobby Darin died in the recovery room without regaining consciousness. That day the entertainment world lost one of its brightest stars and my own heart broke a little.
“Mack The Knife” is undoubtedly Bobby Darin’s most famous hit …. a cool, finger-snapping song about the notorious killer, thief and arsonist, Macheath (AKA Mac the Knife). The song was originally written in 1928 for the German dramatic play Die Dreigroschenoper (Threepenny Opera) and sounds totally different than Bobby Darin’s version.
Another one of Bobby’s hits is “Beyond The Sea”, a jazzed-up version of a romantic love song based on the classical piece called “Le Mer” by French composer, lyricist, singer and showman Charles Trenet. The 2004 movie Beyond The Sea was released starring Kevin Spacey in the role of Bobby Darin. In case you only Spacey for his dramatic roles and have never seen him in a musical role, you’re in for a treat. Spacey is a master of impersonations and sang all Bobby Darin’s songs himself. He became Bobby Darin and if you like dramatic biographies with a splash of nightclub routines, you’ll love this movie.
Anything else you want to know about Freedomland, USA or Bobby Darin you can Google or read in Wiki. I’m just so grateful I had a chance to spend my pre-teen years in a place like Freedomland where I got to see Bobby Darin up close and personal and got his autograph. People have asked me “Why don’t you sell some of this stuff? You’ve got a treasure trove packed away.” Yeah, it’s a treasure trove and that’s exactly why I’ll be keeping it for as long as I live.
This is Bobby Darin performing his greatest hit, “Mack The Knife” on the Ed Sullivan Show, May 31, 1959.
Now “Beyond The Sea”, also from the same airing of the Ed Sullivan show.
In this video, several of the many talents of the fabulous Bobby Darin are put on display. Bobby sings, plays bluesy harmonica, boogies on piano and performs a blistering Gene Krupa style drum solo. Live on the David Frost Show, 1972 …. 18 months before his death.
I hope you enjoyed taking a walk with me down Memory Lane …. not just sharing my fond, girlhood memories of Freedomland but remembering the remarkable Bobby Darin.
See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Houston’s Song Of The Week
Don’t worry. I won’t bore you with endless chatter. Truly, I don’t have much more to say other than “Follow this guy”! Houston Roby is an excellent source of info, great music and interesting tidbits about music/bands/songs/etc …. some which may be new to us and others we forgot we even knew. Whatever the case, he’s definitely worth a read and a listen, I assure you. Enjoy today’s post.
Take it away, Houston!
NAR©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 