Showing posts with label Music Videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music Videos. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

WORST BOY BAND EVER




They’re the biggest thing since the Trololo Guy! It’s the Russian boy band Vladimir & the Puteens! Here they are singing their biog hit, “You Gave Me a Bad Case of the Trotskys” off of their hit CD,  MAKIN BIG TROUBLE FOR MOOSE & SQUIRREL.


Saturday, February 13, 2016

MY FAVORITE MUSHY LOVE SONG


Some believe I'm not romantic. I am and to prove it, here is my favorite mushy love song. From 1978, here is Yvonne Keely & Scott Fitzgerald. She latter became the voice of Stars on 45. The song was later used in the movie, Babe. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

POOR OLD JOHNNIE RAY



"Poor old Johnny Ray, Sounded sad upon the radio, But he moved a million hearts in mono."

"Come On Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners

A few weeks ago, I asked people if they knew who the guy in these photos were back in the 80s & 90s, when his name seemed to be dropped into several popular songs.


Yes, 80's and 90's kids, this is Johnnie Ray, the singer mentioned in "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners, "Don't Need a Gun" by Billy Idol, "Sometimes When We Cry" by Van Morrison, "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel and "Are you Jimmy Ray?" by Jimmy Ray.

You couldn't say his music is forgotten, but the impact of his performing style is. Johnnie Ray was the one-man transition team between the quiet crooners such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Perry Como to wild rock and rollers like Elvis, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Ray would start off singing a love song in a soft, high-pitched, almost childlike voice, but by the end of the song, he would be screaming, almost in tears, sweating and twisting his clothes. He would sometimes collapse at the end of a song. Many of his biggest hits were songs that were sad and about crying. His biggest hit was "Cry" followed not long after by "The Little White Cloud the Cried." Comedians, like Stan Freberg and Spike Jones (with help from Billy Barty), love to imitate him and make jokes about his style, while teenage girls loved him. You might say Johnnie Ray was the 50s version of Justin Bieber.

Part of the reason for the lack of familiarity of younger generations with his style is because Ray's peak in popularity came during televisions infancy, when many shows were shown live and not recorded for posterity. Also, very little footage of his concerts exist.

Not to brag, but I knew the name Johnnie Ray back in the 80s. I knew of him from two places: my parents and the TV show Happy Days. My parents had an LP of 50s hits that was on the Columbia label. Both of the songs I mention above were included on this LP. I knew of these songs because of Happy Days. One episode ends with the gang having to leave Arnold's because they have been grounded. The only people left are the two waitresses, Marsha and Wendy, and a nerdy girl and a fat boy eating a large banana split. The juke-box begins playing "The Little White Cloud That Cried" and the boy and girl get up and dance with each other. I should point out that the show ends before the point in the song where Ray has one of his famous "meltdowns."

If you watch the closing credits, you will notice that Johnnie Ray receives a special thanks.  Apparently, Johnnie Ray rerecorded some of his hits for the the producers to used, because his name and Fats Domino are the only two musical artist who were thank for allowing the use of their recording for most of the run of the show. Oddly, enough the show didn't use Ray's songs after the fifth season, although they used Domino's music right up til the end.

I remember my parents watching nostalgia variety shows on PBS and seeing Johnnie Ray, but he never see perform in the frantic style that made him famous in his younger days. However, he still could sing loud enough to wake the dead. Of course, his trademark sound has been attributed to the fact that he was partially deaf.

Beside appearing to cry, Ray also seemed to give the impression that he was in severe pain. When you read his story you'll find out there was quite a bit of suffering in his life and later career. He lost most of his hearing at a young age and an operation, at the height of his career, to restore his hearing caused him to lose the rest. Problems with a bad manager that caused Ray to have problems with the IRS and may have sabotaged his career. Rumors of bisexuality coupled with two arrest for soliciting sex in a men's room, a bought with tuberculosis and alcoholism led to Ray being on a constant roller coaster of near-comebacks and disappointments.

While the American public never gave Johnnie Ray the comeback that he wanted, Britain and the rest of the world continued to love him. One of the reasons he was mentioned in the songs of Dexy's Midnight Runners and Billy Idol was because he was never forgotten in Britain. Ringo Starr once mentioned that the Beatles were influenced by him. Bob Dylan admits that Johnnie Ray was one of his favorite singers. Once you become familiar with Johnnie Ray's singing style you recognize it as the inspiration for Dylan's famous singing style that he adapted when he went "electric" in the mid 60s.

Just four years after appearing in the video of Billy Idol's song, "Don't Need a Gun" as a man driving around in a classic car, Johnnie Ray died on this day in 1990. So next time you hear his name in a hit from the 80s, you will know more about him.

Here is one of the few TV clips I could find from his heyday in the 50s.



     
     

   

Thursday, February 5, 2015

#tbt: DID YOU KNOW WHO THIS GUY WAS BACK IN THE 80s?


Earlier this year, there was quite a bit of over-exaggerated anger aimed at the younger generation, especially fans of Kanye West, because they supposedly did know who Paul McCartney was. West and McCartney recorded a song together called "Only One." If you are to believe articles circulating on social media, Kanye West fans thought McCartney was a unknown artist that Kanye discovered. There have even been "screen captures" showing "trending Tweets" by Kanye's fans circulating on Facebook, usually accompanied by condescending, head-shaking, hand-ringing comments from Generation X/Generation Jones people, who believe that the younger generation is screwed up and not wonderful, model teenagers "like we were." Several of my former classmates were among the "horrified" adults critical the "modern youth."

First off, I call BS on "screen captures" of those "trending Tweets." Any time I see a post of a screen capture of Tweets or Facebook post I'm a little suspect. Also these "Tweets" didn't sound like or look like a young persons Tweets or text. Young people know how to text and Tweet in a language older people don't know. Second, my classmates have no business slamming Kanye West fans, who were willing to greet Sir Paul with open arms, because they harassed and ridiculed me for like Paul McCartney and the Beatles in junior high. At my school, the guys liked Hank Jr. and the girls liked Barry Manilow. Because of my choice of music, I was bullied by the guys and refused romantic relationships with the girls. Now, they are acting like Paul McCartney was one of their favorite performers. Thy name is hypocrisy.

Let me give a shout out to Pam at Go Retro! She took the high road on this subject in a fun post filled with facts about Paul McCartney. She observed that every generation is oblivious to the previous generations music.
  
Of course, it is up to me, Desdinova to throw this back in my generation's face. Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Okay, 80s kids, tell me, who is the guy in these photos?



DID YOU KNOW WHO HE WAS WHEN YOU HEARD HIS NAME DROPPED IN 80S SONGS BY VAN MORRISON, BILLY JOEL, BILLY IDOL AND DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS? Did you recognize him, when he appeared in the videos of Billy Idol and Dexy's Midnight Runners? WELL, DID YOU, YA LITTLE 80's PUNKS?





I may give you the answer or I might not. I may let you live with the fact that you chastised and criticized the young Kanye West fans because they didn't Paul McCartney, yet you did know who this man with a hearing aid was when you were in junior high and high school?  You are just like Principal Dick Vernon in The Breakfast Club. How do you live with yourself?

BTW: For the answer to the identity of this singer is, click on this link.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

DESDINOVA'S RETRO MUSIC PICK: PILOT - "JANUARY"


Technically, this song is about a girl, but this could describe many people in the USA feelings be about the first month of 2014's horrible weather.

WE HATE YOU POLAR VORTEX!!!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA STILL

The Phantom of the Opera is one of the first major horror films. We have probably scene every still from that film over and over. A few years back I bought this one at Dick's Old Time 5 & 10, in Branson, Missouri, out of a pile of large (11 x14) random movie stills. I could only scan the top half. Most of the great movie stills focus on the Phantom's full face. Here he is looking down at the ground.

How about I also give you the famous unmasking scene from the 1925 film. Most DVD's use a 1929 re-release print, which doesn't seem to be as scary.



While I'm at it, I'll give you Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley (of Cockney Rebel fame) singing The Phantom of the Opera from Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

I AM NOT ASHAMED PLAYLIST 6

This is the first I AM NOT ASHAMED playlist of 2013. I started this last summer after I read on some other websites where people had made playlist of "Guilty pleasures" in their Ipod and Itunes. These were songs they liked but were ashamed to admit it. My thought, contrary to what the liners of a radio station here in Springfield, Missouri says,  is that you shouldn't have to be "guilty" or "ashamed" of the music you like. WHAT MUSIC YOU LIKE IS YOUR BUSINESS AND NONE OF THE BUSINESS OF YOUR SNOOTY, SELF-RIGHTEOUS CO-WORKERS, GRANDMA OR JERK IN THE CAR NEXT TO YOU.

So here is a list of songs in my Ipod that some would say are un-cool or upset them in some way. Crank it up and tell people "IF IT IS TOO LOUD, YOU ARE TOO OLD!"

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young  - "Woodstock"
Glen Campbell - "Rhinestone Cowboy"
The Rising Storm - "Frozen Laughter" (Spooky psychedelic masterpiece that opens with a woman saying, "Honey, is that you.")
Wham! - "Wake Me Up Before You Go-go"
Glen Shorrock - "Dream Lover"(A great cover of the Bobby Darin hit by the lead singer of Little River Band)
 Ian Hunter - "Ships" (Ian's original and much superior version of the song that would later be a hit for Barry Manilow)
The Sandford-Townsend Band - "Smoke From a Distance Fire" (One of the greatest one-hit wonders ever)
Barenaked Ladies - "One Week"
Jimmy Castor Bunch - "Troglodyte" (Her name was Bertha - Bertha Butt-one of the Butt Sisters)
Monifah - "Touch It"
Billy Abbott and the Jewles - "Hey Good Lookin!" (An upbeat R&B-Doo Wop version of a Hank Willaims song)
Brian Hyland - "Gypsy Woman"
Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl"
First Class - "Beach Baby" (British studio group doing a killer Beach Boys imitation)
T. Rex - "Ride The White Swan" (Many old T-40 radio stations playlist played this, but it didn't make the Billboard Top 40. An upbeat radio-friendly rocker from 1970.)
Pink Lady - "Kiss In The Dark" (Great disco hit from a sexy female duo from Japan..Yes, I watched their short lived TV variety show when i was a little kid.)  
Cycle V - "Blood From a Stone" (Great song from the soundtrack of the 80s rerelease of Metropolis.)
The Cyrkle - "Turn Down Day" (Summer-sunshine pop)
Elton John - "Mama Can't Buy Your Love"
Clarence Clemmons (w/Jackson Browne) - "You Are a Friend of Mine"
Asia - "Only Time Will Tell"
The Fuzztones - "Charlotte's Remains" (Late 80s-Paiseley Underground-Garage Band song about murdering a wicked chick)
Albert Hammond - "It Never Rains In Southern California"
Little Anthony & The Imperials - "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop"
Nick Gilder - "Hot Child in The City"
The Dillards - "There Is a Time" (Folk-bluegrass group from Salem, Mo, who played The Darling boys on the Andy Griffith Show. This song has been covered by several Goth bands.)
Roger Miller - "My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died"
Episode Six - "Love Hate Revenge" (Ian Gillian and Roger Glover of Deep Purple were in this group)
Pilot - "Just a Smile" (From the group who gave us "Magic")
Blondie - "Rapture" (This was the first rap song many of us white kids in the Midwest heard-Not the best Blondie song, but fun to listen to.)
Sniff n The Tears - "Driver's Seat"
    

Friday, May 4, 2012

MCA OF THE BEASTIE BOYS DIES




Here is the obit from All Access. Not only is this one of the greatest rock songs every recorded and one of the greatest rap songs ever recorded, but it has one of the greatest videos ever made.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

TWO REASONS WHY SMALL FACES/THE FACES WERE NOMINATED TO THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

Every year when the nominations for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are announced there is a bunch of people whine and complain that their favorite band or artist wasn't nominated. Old guys always complain because a rapper got nominated or some doofus thinks that there is some sort of leftist bias (These are usually Ted Nugent fans). The point is we're lucky to have a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at all and should realize eventually your favorite will get in.
There was some controversy with some over the choice of Small Faces/Faces. Some complain that they didn't have enough hits (Small Faces had one T-40 hit, while Faces technically had two T-40 hits). The complaint coming from keyboardist Ian McLagen is that each incarnation should go in separately because they are two different bands. Either way, I'm present the evidence as to WHY they were nominated on both sides. First, the original 60s Steve Marriott version with "All Or Nothing" (Also check out footage on You Tube of Small Faces doing "Tin Soldier" with P.P Arnold, who I didn't realize was so attractive). Followed by the 70s Rod Stewart/Ron Wood line up doing their T-40 hit cover version of the Temptations "I Know I'm Losing You."









Monday, August 22, 2011

GIRLS IN LONG SKIRTS IN GOOFY MUSIC VIDEOS

I love music videos of the past. These are from 1978-79, around the same time as the Seventeen magazine article in my last post. These two goofy videos feature girls in long skirts. One is the Finish duo Danny & Armi, in what some people call the worst music video ever. The song is called "I Wanna Love You Tender." The other is the British pop band Racey "Lay a Little Love On Me." Since Retrospace has Mini Skirt Monday, I guess I can do Long Skirt Monday.







Tuesday, August 2, 2011

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY MTV!!!

This week MTV celebrates its 30 anniversary this week. Here is a Rolling Stone article about the original VJs. Some idiots here in the Ozarks hate MTV, because they feel it has had a negative effect on American youth. I'm not one of them. I feel that Fox News has had a much more negative effect on our country than MTV has. I also believe that parents who have MTV blocked on their cable systems should have their children taken away from them.
Of course, opinions, like these, are why I'm considered the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

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