Kentucky Derby Rosie

"Grrrrrrr...."

My cat Rosie couldn't wait to wear her Kentucky Derby hat. And, what's more, she couldn't wait to pose for the camera--as you can see, she's thrilled.

The flowers go so well with her tuxedo....



Lee

Sir Phsup Presents: Surf's Back Up!

"Someone fetch a plumber--the surf's backed up!"--Sir Phsup

No, no. The surf's back up, not backed up. I guess Sir Phsup wasn't paying attention. How do you like his surfboard, by the way? Matches the color scheme, no? Needless to note, Sir Phsup's armor is rust-proof. I would hope, anyway.

So, today is an all-Beach-Boys-cover day, starting with Don Costa's delightful, cheesy-EZ version of Heroes and Villains. For some reason, I always thought Costa was that wonderful pianist on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, but that turns out to have been Johnny Costa. And I found what appears to be THE Johnny Costa website: The Wonderful World of Johnny Costa. Toledo's own Art Tatum (whose records regularly played on my family hi-fi) dubbed Costa the "white Tatum." Talk about high praise. I first noticed Costa when he appeared with Mr. Rogers on a talk show and was given a fairly long solo spot. I remember picking myself up off the floor and babbling, "The man can play the piano!"

Kiddie-show genius Rogers was no ivory-tickling slouch himself, actually.

Okay, back to the surf. We follow up with the Cowsills' astonishingly good live version of Good Vibrations. The Cowsills are regarded by many as some kind of joke, and, if so, they were one of the most gifted jokes to ever hit pop. The Beach Boys would have loved to do this song half as well in concert. And I say that as a Beach Boys junkie.

Please send your nasty notes to: Comments at MY(P)WHAE.Lee. Thank you.

Sloop John B. and Fun, Fun, Fun fall into the innocuous-version category, whereas Nick DeCaro's Caroline, No cover does wonders with the song. I think, anyway. The rest of the playlist is by P.K. and the Sound Explosion (Pickwick label, 1977), whose BB renditions range from uncannily accurate to Hit-Records-esque. And I'll bet I'm the first person ever to type "Hit-Records-esque."

As ever, you'll wonder how the heck you ever lived without these.

Click here to reach today's zipfile: Surf's Back Up!


BEACHLIST

Heroes and Villains--Don Costa, 1967.
Good Vibrations--The Cowsills (Live), 1969.
Sloop John B.--Les and Larry Elgart, 1966.
Fun, Fun, Fun--The Carpenters, 1973.
Caroline, No--Nick DeCaro and His O.; vocal: NC, 1969.
Surfin' U.S.A.--P.K. and the Sound Explosion, 1977.
California Girls--Same guys
Little Deuce Coupe--Same guys
Good Vibrations--Same guys
Be True to Your School--Same guys.



Lee, with Sir Phsup

The Wright Scandal, continued

I am sure that most of my readers want to hear more of what I think of the Wright Scandal, which I'm capitalizing just to be doing it. I'm an impulsive capitalizer sometimes.

So sure that I've put the essay at my auxiliary blog, MY(P)WHAE Text. Click on this link to reach the unforgettable piece in question: The Wright Scandal, continued.

When you get there, tell me that I sent you. ("You sent me." "Thanks!")

Here's a sample of what you'll see:

And it would all depend on your definition of "definition." And its palindromic version, "noitinifed."

Anyway, it's perfectly O.K. for my party's presumptive nominee to screw up non-stop, because Barack will be granted a wide, wide margin for error during the general election. Ask Gore. Or Kerry.

Not to be missed. Tell me that I sent you.


Lee

Music for Wednesday--"Where There's Life," "Backbeat Symphony," "Tarzan."

Your blogger, taking a photo of himself outdoors.

Where There's Life was, at one time, the theme for Budweiser Beer--I think I vaguely remember it. Not sure. (It's terrible when you can't be sure whether or not you vaguely remember something.) We'll hear it as played by Russ David, its composer. Not sure of the year--it seems that Rhapsody, my mp3 burner, doesn't like to display year portion of the track info. For all I know, it doesn't even take. Don't ask me why not. And I don't remember what I entered.

Ah, the unfairness of software. Excuse me while I cry in my Bud.

Backbeat Symphony is from 1958, I believe, though it may be from 1961. I'm too tired to search out the precise answer, assuming it's to be found. My tiredness is due to lack of sleep, by the way--the leading cause of tiredness in the United States.

Robert Maxwell's Chopsticks Fantasy is from 1946, I'm almost sure. Again, Rhapsody isn't displaying the year. And I don't have the CD-R it came from. Wah! Let's just say 1946. ("1946!!") Louder, please. ("1946!!!!!") Thank you, thank you.

Did I mention that I'm tired?

I have no idea where the excellent (but terribly remastered) Tennessee Ernie sides come from. Were they Capitol label outtakes or earlier versions of Capitol hits from, possibly, another label? If anyone knows, please tell me. These two were ripped from the chintzy budget label Camay. The name of the album: Steve Lawrence Meets Tennessee Ernie Ford. Tons of echo, a bad edit on Stack-o-Lee, and surface hiss to spare--but such good stuff.

This is a very MY(P)WHAE-ish playlilst....

Click here to reach zip file: Music for Wednesday.


PLAYLIST

Where There's Life--Russ David Orch.
All of My Life--Russ David Orch.
Backbeat Symphony--101 Strings
Fantasy on Chopsticks--Robert Maxwell
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes--Vic Damone
Shotgun Boogie--Tennessee Ernie Ford
Stack-o-Lee--Tennessee Ernie Ford
Puttin' on the Ritz--Fred Astaire, 1930.
Hollywood Palace (Put on a Happy Face)--Frank De Vol, 1965.
Tarzan--Willie Farmer Orch., 1938.


Lee

"Ouch!"

Barack Obama, discovering that the race card cuts both ways.

Sunday Morning Gospel--Back to the Bible Male Chorus/Quartet

For our Sunday, some wonderfully old-fashioned singing by the Back to the Bible Male Chorus and the Back to the Bible Quartet, both featured on the (you'll never guess) Back to the Bible Broadcast. Hard to beat this playlist, which contains such outstanding "old-time" numbers as Faith Is the Victory and Throw Out the Life-Line (both late 19th century), and such relatively new-time gems like John W. Peterson's Higher Hands and Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul (1966 and 1961). The recordings (which look to be mail-order items) are beautifully engineered, to boot.

If When the World's on Fire sounds familiar, it's because the chorus is better known as the music to "This land is your land, This land is my land; From California, to the New York Island...."

Enjoy!

Click here to reach zip files: Back to the Bible Male Chorus/Quartet

PLAYLIST

BACK TO THE BIBLE MALE CHORUS (Zip File #1)
O For a Thousand Tongues
Higher Hands (John W. Peterson)
All That Thrills My Soul (Thoro Harris)
When the World's on Fire (Spiritual)
Hold Out Your Light! (Spiritual)
The Coming of the Saviour

BACK TO THE BIBLE QUARTET (Zip File #2)
Faith Is the Victory (Yates-Sankey)
I've a Home Beyond the River
Throw Out the Life-Line
Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul
'Tis so Sweet to Trust In Jesus
Mine Is a Risen Saviour
My Task
From Greenland's Icy Mountains


Lee