Legendary Producer Phil Ramone Passes | AllAccess.com

Legendary Producer Phil Ramone Passes | AllAccess.com

Richard Griffiths, known to Harry Potter fans as Uncle Vernon, dead at 65

Richard Griffiths, known to Harry Potter fans as Uncle Vernon, dead at 65 | CTV News

Extra bit of trivia: Griffiths was one of the actors considered to replace Tom Baker, when he left Doctor Who. He was in King Ralph with SMSU/MSU alum John Goodman.

THAT PICTURE OF JESUS YOU ALWAYS SEE

Not sure how readers will take this post. It may seem unusual discussing a religion on this blog, but I feel this is appropriate, because this is Easter Sunday. I feel it will fit in with my general theme on this blog, which is pop culture.

It is a painting we have all seen. As a matter of fact, The New York Times said it was probably the most recognized American paintings of the 20th Century. It has been seen on calenders, bookmarks, hand fans, notebooks and other things given away by funeral homes and churches. It has even been features on greeting cards, T-shirts, lamps, coins, stamps and, oddly enough, a toilet seat cover (Sold through a mail order company).  You probably didn't know it had a name nor did you know the name of the man who painted it, but in the back of your mind it was "That-picture-of-Jesus-you-always-see."

The painting is called The Head of Christ and it was painted by a commercial artist named Warner Sallman in 1940. Sallman originally created a charcoal version in the 1920s which he called Son of Man. He made the first oil version in 1935. He was asked to create another version in 1940, which attracted the attention of the owners of Gospel Trumpet Publishing. They were so impressed, they created a company just to sell Sallman's other paintings of Jesus Christ. The Head of Christ became popular immediately. Smaller versions were sent with American soldiers in World War II. Through this and his other paintings such as Christ At Heart's Door (A very symbolic painting showing Jesus in front of a house, knocking on a door without a knob or latch), Sallman created the modern image of Jesus Christ much the way artist Haddon Sundblom's Coca Cola ads created the modern image of Santa Claus. Sallman's Head of Christ portrait and Da Vinci's The Last Supper are two of the most famous paintings of Jesus Christ.

One theory on the popularity of Sallman's Head of Christ was that it looks like a yearbook photo or a personal portrait from a coin-operated photo booth. From the very beginning, there were critics who felt that Sallman's Jesus was not "manly" enough. One person called Sallman's Jesus "sissified." Later, some noticed that the painting looked like the Breck girl ads.  In the 60s, some conservatives began to despise Sallman's Jesus Christ, because of his shoulder length hair and beard was similar to that of many male members of the counter culture (After all, he is the Prince of Peace). Others have noted that Sallman's Jesus Christ is too white, middle American looking, especially noted is Sallman giving Jesus blue eyes.

As I mentioned before, I saw this picture for years, never giving its origins much thought until I viewed a TV documentary, narrated by Hal Holbrook, about the painting and Sallman a few years ago on TV. Unfortunately, I could not find it on You Tube, but I did find this old film short. It features Warner Sallman creating a charcoal in front of a church while a choir sings (Okay, there may have been some editing). There is also a little inspirational story here, similar to the Union Pacific/Jam Handy productions that turned up on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Look for Hope Summers, who played Aunt Bea's rival Clara on The Andy Griffith Show).     

Liberace Sings "Easter Parade" To His Mother

I was looking for the clips from the 1962 "shockumentary" Mondo Cane of baby chicks being dipped in dye and run through a large oven for Easter gifts for little spoiled Baby Boomers. I was also looking for another clip from Mondo Cane that shows men in the Philippines on Easter week nailing themselves to crosses to carry and beating themselves with rocks in an attempt to experience the same suffering as Jesus Christ suffered. I could not find those clips separate from the whole film.

However, I found this great clip from the Liberace TV show of him singing "Easter Parade To his mother. I decided this was more family friendly (I can't believe I wrote that - I HATE THAT PHRASE!)

HAVE A SAFE AND PLEASANT EASTER!!!

HEAVY METAL IPOD PLAYLIST 3: HAIR BANDS AND 80s HITS

In the early 80s in Los Angeles, there were two kinds of rock bands that were in abundance. One was the power pop band and the other was the glam/heavy metal band. Power pop bands were influenced by the 60s British Invasion and garage bands and wore matching suits with the fashionable skinny ties. The glam/metal bands were influenced by 70s glam and metal and dressed in a mix of spandex and leather, topped off with makeup and long hair. Bar owners began refering to the groups as either the "skinny tie" bands or "hair" bands.

Music listeners and even the press didn't use these terms until sometime in the late 90s, when 80s nostalgia started come into vogue. I will eventually create a "skinny tie" power pop playlist, but since I've been on a heavy metal kick for the past few playlist, lets look at the "hair" bands.

Many people have commented that the difference between hair bands and old school metal bands was the hair bands had huge followings among girls and young single women (Mothers, of course, hated these bands). Each band had its "power ballad" - a slow, mushy love song that made girls sigh (Truth is the British Invasion bands may have invented the power ballad. i.e: "Yesterday," "As Tears Go By," and "Because") and the fact that hair bands smiled and were more photogenic, which was important during the heyday of MTV.

Not all of this will be what you would call "Hair band" metal, some are 80s hits by bands left over from the 70s. Radio would later stop calling these groups "heavy metal" and call this "classic rock," to appeal to white Baby Boomer men going through a mid-life crisis. I have even included a few songs from the 70s that influenced the "hair" band sound. So, crank it loud to offend your mom.

"So Young, So Bad - Starz
"Action" - Sweet
"Cum On Feel The Noize" - Quiet Riot
"Round and Round" - Ratt
"You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi
"Talk Dirty To Me" - Poison
"Kickstart My Heart" - Motley Crue
"Fantasy" - Aldo Nova
"Rock in America" - Night Ranger
"Dance The Night Away" - Van Halen
"Sweet Child O'Mine" - Guns N Roses
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" - The Scorpions
"Seventeen" - Winger
"18 & Life" - Skid Row
"New Girl Now" - Honeymoon Suite
"We're Not Gonna Take It" - Twisted Sister
"Up All Night" - Slaughter
"In My Dreams" - Dokken
"Shake Me" - Cinderella
"Poison" - Alice Cooper
"She's A Beauty" - The Tubes
"Legs" - ZZ Top
 "Saulsolito Summernight" - Diesel
"Take It On the Run" - REO Speedwagon
"Don't Stop Believing" - Journey
"Heaven's On Fire" - Kiss
"Livin After Midnight" - Judas Priest
"Love In an Elevator" - Aerosmith
"Sign of the Gypsy Queen" - April Wine
"Going Crazy" - David Lee Roth
"Summertime Girls" - Y & T
"Cherry Pie" - Warrant
"Edge of a Broken Heart - Vixen
"7 O'Clock" - London Quireboys
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" - Great White
"I Love Rock and Roll" - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
"When The Heart Rules The Mind" - GTR
"Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake
"Two Steps Ahead" - Box of Frogs
"Wait" - White Lion
"Kiss Me Deadly" - Lita Ford
"Don't Treat Me Bad" - Firehouse
"Love Will Rock You" - Donnie Iris
"Rock & Roll Dreams Come Through" - Jim Steinman
"Back In Black" - AC/DC
"Since You've Been Gone" - Rainbow
"The Hero" - Queen
"The Final Countdown" - Europe
"Heaven Tonight" Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force
"To Be With You" - Mr. Big
"Hole Hearted" - Extreme
"Goodbye" - Enuff Z'Nuff
"The Stroke" - Billy Squire
"Lay It On The Line" - Triumph
"Silent Lucidity" - Queensryche
"Run To The Hills" - Iron Maiden
"Working For The Weekend" - Loverboy
"Burning For You" - Blue Oyster Cult
"Power" - Kansas
"Over The Mountain" - Ozzy Osbourne
"Too Much Time On My Hands" - Styx
"Twilight Zone" - Golden Earring
"Knocking At Your Back Door" - Deep Purple



  

RADIO STATION TV COMMERCIALS FROM THE 80s WITH DEBORAH SHELTON

I've said it many times on this blog and the old blog, but it bares repeating. Somewhere in the last two decades, radio lost its ability to promote itself. Billboards and TV spots died out for awhile in the radio industry (or at least in this area). T-shirts and bumper stickers have gone the way of the dodo bird.

In the 80s, radio promoting on TV was a big deal. Granted, there has been a mind set the last few years that TV is the competition and radio shouldn't be buying time with "the enemy." B-S!!! The truth is the media (TV, radio, print and Internet) should acts as one big family and help each other succeed, because the real enemies of the media will destroy all media, not just one form of media.

Back to TV commercials for radio stations. I recently discovered several commercials on You Tube for radio stations. These are great ads and all have one thing in common: Deborah Shelton. Shelton was Miss USA in 1970 and eventually competed in the Miss Universe pageant. She was in the Brian DePalma film Body Double and appeared on Dallas for three seasons, playing J.R. Ewing's mistress, Mandy Winger.

These ads were produced for KOY-AM in Phoenix, Arizona by legendary Top 40 consultant Chuck Blore. Interesting to see that in 1982, there were still pop music stations AM, even though that would soon be changing. This is a link to an ad for WIOG-FM in Bay City, Michigan (It is on after the Matlock promo). If I could ever launch my revamped adult contemporary format on a radio station, I would definitely have commercials like these.

    

TV veteran Malachi Throne dies, aged 84



Malachi Throne is on the right

 TV veteran Malachi Throne dies, aged 84