(click to enbiggen)
(click to enbiggen)
Anywho, onto Today's 10 Tunes. Another nutty bunch of tunes and I hope there are a few that you are going to like! Here they are....
1. Everybody Plays The Fool - The Main Ingredient 3:22 (RCA Victor) No truer words have ever been spoken (sung? you know what I mean. shuttup)! I love this song!! A friend from the Toms River days gave me this from her personal collection and I treasure it. Ok Red Robot, hit it....WoW I forgot how much like "Want Ads" this sounds right in the beginning. "Ok, so you're heart broken. You sit around mopin', cryin' and cryin'. You say you're even thinkin' 'bout dyin'? Well, before you do anything rash.....dig this!" Love it!!! I love the little piccolo punctuating each phrase. But, man, ain't it the truth, we all play the fool. To me, you can't really love someone unless you are willing to play the fool. It would be nice if someone would play the fool for me someday! Anybody? Anybody? The nurse will be handing out forms for you to fill out at recess in the gym!
2. You Dropped A Bomb On Me - The Gap Band 3:59 (Total Experience Records) Oh Gawd! I knew this one was in here somewhere, in fact Dave and I were just talking about this song the other day. Cue it up and let it spin Red Robot, I am ready to dance in my chair. (He is giving me a dirty look! Can you believe this guy? Da noive!) HA!! WoW Dance drama! What a ridiculous song! But I am attitude chair dancing (ACD)! "You toin me on, baby" WoW Dude has a mean growl in there! Guess he has to do something to deflect the descending shells of loooove! I used to mix this into Let It Whip by the Dazz Band. That's coming up soon, I am sure!
3. Honky Cat - Elton John 5:12 (UNI Records) Ahhh, the return to sanity! Schweeeeeet! Love that piano and banjo combo!!! HA! This time Red Robot is dancing. Any guess what he is doing? (too obvious, huh? sorry.) Love EJ's little snear when he sings this song. But, truth be told, did anyone EVER buy the notion that Elton John ever tended a farm? I think not. "Get back woooo" The crazy piano at the end of this song is my favorite part of the whole song. It is like the final rebellion of this defiant farm boy turned glam rock star!
4. Someone That I Used To Love - Natalie Cole 4:05 (Capitol Records) Give me a second Red Robot (here-to-fore referred to as RR). This song means an awful lot to me, especially these days and I just wanted to talk about....HEY! I asked you to wait! Ok, I can see we are gonna have some problems here! Aw hell, whatever....oh such a sad opening piano line but it totally paints the perfect image needed for this song...someone completely alone and really taking a cold, hard look at the reality in front of them. In fact, now that the song has played all the way through, I realize that as Natalie gets more confident in her resolve to put this relationship in it's rightful place, the arrangement of the song builds in confidence. "Though you're someone in this world that I'll always choose to love/from now on, you're only Someone That I Used To Love" "ONLY" being the key word there. This is one of the hardest lessons I, personally, have had to learn but I have and I send this out to the love of my life! You know who you are. No, it's not you RR! Put your little robotic arm down. Geez. Three hours in my home and he thinks he is all that! {{sniffle}} Ok, can we get back to the chair dancing now?
5. Cool Places - Sparks and Jane Wiedlin 3:23 (Atlantic Records) WoW that was a tough one to get through. But, you know......DAYUM....Give a guy a chance to regroup here RR. Well, looks like we are going to the Cool Places now folks. Grab your hat. OH SO SWEET!! I love the sound of this song. Another one for the 100 Coolest Songs Of All Time list. The conversational lyrics and the attitudinal (hey, it's a word! shuttup) way that Mr. Spark and Miss Jane are singing is so perfect!!!! Just two people talking about where to go out and party. "he: I like to go where sometimes they refuse she: yeh, I remember last Saturday night!" Such attitude. Loving it. The accappella end is flawless and I always mixed this right into David Bowie's Modern Love. I'll have to make you a mixed cd sometime. I was a really good.....WHAT? Crap, apparently we are moving on. Sorry, that was gonna be a good story. Whaddya gonna do?
6. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & the Family Stone 2:37 (Epic Records) From the cool to the hot....fun, that is! Yes, yes, I know that was corny but give me a freakin' break. I've been up since 6am. Geez, everyone's a critic. Hit it RR! This has got to be on the Coolest List. You can just picture kids running through open fire hydrant showers listening to this song. Chair groovin' here. Even RR has his little robotic arms up in the air swayin' to and fro. This song ALWAYS reminds me of walking home from St. Patrick's in the dead-hot heat of a Brooklyn summer, my little earth shoes melting into the pavement, going down Battery Hill, walking past Margie's house (and smelling her dog) and moving just a little bit quicker to get into the Fedder Air-Conditioned air of our room (after turning it on and smelling THAT smell as it pushed the hot air out and started making that magical cold air that only a window air-conditioner can make)! Have you ever seen the movie "Living Out Loud"? You should. It is brilliant and Holly Hunter is outrageous-good in it. The very last scene of the movie has her walking triumphantly through the streets of NY on a hot summer night with this song playing in the background.
7. The Visitors - AbbA 5:47 (Atlantic Records) This may have been AbbA's last "hit" single release. It is one of my favorites but the critics panned it because they said that AbbA was trying to be more sophisticated in their song writing. But wait, Mr and Mrs Critic, weren't you always putting them down for being too simplistic? OYE! There is no pleasing you guys. See now, this is where my favorite old adage always comes in handy and it goes something like this..."Those that can - DO! Those that can't - TEACH! And those that can't teach - TEACH GYM! And those that can't even teach gym - BECOME CRITICS!!!!" (ok, so I just made up that last line, but it was funny in the moment.) This song is sooooooo eerie and a bit scary. The boys were really able to take the paranoia of the lyrics and make it come to life in the music. It takes a little while but when this song kicks in, it really kicks in. Such great memories of hanging out with Brian Guiney, the speech team and very early High School memories. Oh my Gawd, Ray Proscia and Joe Francini, two of our speech team coaches. Sorry, their names just popped into my head. I know, I know, further solidifying my place in Geekdom history, but hey, I got a Varsity and Jr. Varsity Letter. You? Didn't think so. shuttup.
8. I Wish I Was Eighteen Again - George Burns 3:22 (Mercury Records) I bought this one because my Mom really liked it. I have to admit that, even in 1980, it used to get me choked up. At this particular juncture, I couldn't tell you why so, RR, let it spin. HEY!!! Wake the {{{bleep}}} up!!! We aren't done yet. Yeh yeh, I know I have been talking my fool head off tonight. Spin it!!! Oh wow, as soon as it started I got choked up. Ok, this hit way too close to home for me right now. Can't even talk about this song. But George Burns? Love that man. If we could only do 1/100th of what he did with his life, this world would be a much better place. There will never be another like him. I am so glad I was born when I was born and I am so glad for the family that I have, I would never have been able to appreciate real talent nor would I ever have the compassion and understanding for people that I have. I am going to put this whole song in the player today!
9. Whatcha Gonna Do - Chilliwack 3:50 (Millenium Records) Chair dancing!!!! This is one of Steven's Canadian finds and one hell of a cool song!!!! Fist air-pumping. Chilli's voice is soooooo cool, smooth, sexy, strong. Perfect pop song material. Love that deep bass voice on the chorus too. This may have to be on the Coolest Song List too. When this blog is done, I am going to go back through and make a list of every song I said that about. Knowing me, I could make the whole 100 list. Excellent guitar work here folks and that accapella thing in the break!!!!! Nice!! (He would be loathe to admit this but RR is dancin' his little red metal ass off right now!!) "Gonegonegonegone"
10. The City Of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie 4:31 (Reprise Records) Gotta admit, this is going to be another one of those, "Oh YES! Of course, that's this song!" moments because right now, I can't place this one at all. Hit it RR. Jeez-oh-Pete. Get off the damn tone-arm, would ya????? OYE!!......."OH YESS!!!!! Of course, that's this song!" "Good morning America, how are ya?" So, this is the folk music answer to King Of The Road!! Seriously, you can almost picture Arlo riding a freight train, strummin' his 6 string and singing this as the train is passing through the amazing scenery of this great country!! Hey, is that Aldo Bruschi I am hearing in the background? Who knew the accordion was a "travelin" instrument?
Well folks, this sure has been another amazing rollercoaster ride. I am sorry for being so verbose this evening. Guess it was just one of those nights that I really didn't want to be alone. I am so glad that I have you here with me. I had the priveledge to tell someone I love that I love them tonight, now it is your turn. Please don't ever miss a chance to do that. And, hey, a hug never hurts either. Oh alright, come here RR, give me a hug! (Happy Birthday, Monica) See you guys tomorrow.
I cannot again tell you how much I enjoy spending my evenings with you....I love the way you talk to me when i am reading your blog...great tunes as always but more than that...great conversation... Thanks again Gary. Makes me feel like we are still kids and we still actually talk! God I miss you! Can we be real friends again? Kisses and hugs
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