Gettin' Mellow with Brian Griffin on Eclectic Avenue!

Hi, folks! I'm

Brian Griffin...

The personable

pooch from

Family Guy.

I'm sure you remember my stints as a guest host on the old blog

Shady Dell Music & Memories. Today I'm back and inviting you

to get mellow with me on Eclectic Avenue, a music playlist to

suit nearly every taste (unless your thing happens to be

heavy metal, gangsta rap or kazoo instrumentals).

 MARILYN MARTIN 

You are about to see one of the most beautiful singers

in the world, (I wouldn't mind dancing with her leg),
and hear and one of the most beautiful songs.

Tennessee born, Kentucky raised Marilyn Martin toured as a background vocalist

for Joe Walsh and Stevie Nicks. Marilyn's voice can be heard on their recordings

and on the recorded work of other major artists including Don Henley, Tom Petty
and Kenny Loggins. Marilyn is best known for "Separate Lives," the chart-topping
duet she recorded with Phil Collins, a song used in the soundtrack of the 1985

film White Nights. Now here's Marilyn with one of her solo recordings, a cover

of "Move Closer," a song originally written and recorded by Phyllis Nelson

and released by Marilyn as a single from her eponymous debut album.

"Move Closer" - Marilyn Martin
(May/June 1986, highest chart pos. #34 Adult Contemporary,
from Jan. 1986 album Marilyn Martin)

 CHAD AND JEREMY 

Now let's tweak the tune list to the soft
folk rock category and listen to a hit of

the 60s British Invasion waxed by the
duo of Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde.

In late 1964 and early '65, Chad and
Jeremy topped the Adult Contem-

porary chart with "Willow Weep
For Me," a jazz standard that

was originally waxed in 1932.

"Willow Weep For Me"
- Chad And Jeremy

(Dec. 1964/Jan. '65, highest
chart pos. #1 Adult Contemporary,

#15 Hot 100, from July 1964
album Yesterday's Gone)

 BUDDY JOHNSON 

 AND HIS ORCHESTRA 

Jump blues, an up tempo music style
of the 40s performed by small bands

and featuring a wailing sax or other
brass instruments, was a harbinger

of R&B and rock 'n' roll. Pianist and
swing bandleader Buddy Johnson
was an exponent of the sound.
Here's a boisterous B side by
Buddy released in 1955 -

"Crazy 'Bout A Saxophone"

"Crazy 'Bout A Saxophone"
- Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra

{Feb./March 1955, B side of
"(Gotta Go) Upside Your Head"}

 CLIFF RICHARD 

Now here's the late 70s synthpop style
of Cliff Richard, third best-selling artist
in the history of the UK singles chart
behind The Beatles and Elvis. In 1979
"We Don't Talk Anymore," a song from
the album Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile, spent
four weeks at the top of the Brit chart
becoming Cliff's 10th #1 single and his
first in more than a decade. In this clip,
Cliff performed his hit backed by the
James Last Orchestra on the German
television music showcase Starparade.

"We Don't Talk Anymore" - Cliff Richard

(UK: Aug. 1979, highest chart pos. #1, U.S.: Dec. 1979/Jan. 1980,
highest chart pos. #7 Hot 100/#6 Cash Box, from Sept. 1979 album
Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile, perf. on Oct. 11, 1979, ep. of TV show Starparade)

 OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN 

You're gettin' mellow with Brian Griffin, and here's a lovely lady with
just the right song.  It's four time Grammy winner Olivia Newton-John

with one of her biggest U.S. hits... a single that reached #1 in 1975.

Libby asks the musical question "Have You Never Been Mellow?"

"Have You Never Been Mellow" - Olivia Newton-John

(Feb./Mar. 1975, highest chart pos. #1)

 SINA FEAT. DARLA BEAUX 

My Family Guy human Chris Griffin introduced German drummer girl Sina

on Shady Dell Music & Memories. Sina's back today along with her friend,

 up-and-coming American singer Darla Beaux. The duo will perform

"Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)," a song written by Jerry Ragovoy

and Chip Taylor and first recorded in March 1968 by gospel R&B
thrush Lorraine Ellison. The recording was covered the following
year by blues-rock legend Janis Joplin on her album I Got Dem
Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! and released as a single.

Here are Sina and Darla with their version of "Try."

"Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)" - Janis Joplin

(Feb/Mar. 1970, highest chart pos. #103, from Sept. 1969
album I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!)

2018 cover by Sina feat. Darla Beaux

 ABBA 

Earlier I mentioned that Cliff Richard has the distinction of logging
the third greatest number of chart-topping hit singles in UK history.
For nearly two decades the Swedish pop super group ABBA ranked
4th in that category until being bumped by Madonna.

Here they are, ABBA, in another rare clip, this one from the French TV
music show Stars, performing "Super Trouper," a song with a title that

refers to a brand of follow spotlights used in stadium, concert and
special-event lighting. Released in 1980, "Super Trouper" was

ABBA's ninth chart-topping single in the UK and also
reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club chart.

"Super Trouper" - ABBA

(Apr./May 1981, highest chart pos. #1

U.S. Hot Dance Club, #45 Hot 100/#1 UK,
perf. on Oct. 1980, ep. of French TV show Stars)

Thanks for gettin' mellow with me.

Doggone it, I gotta go now, but guess what?

If you like what you saw and heard today,

then you'be be happy to know that I'll be

joining The Shady Bunch deejay team

starting next year. I'll see you here

in 2020 for the official debut of

 Brian Griffin's 

 Eclectic Avenue 

on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio!