COLD OPEN:
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
"Let's Duet" - Dewey Cox & Darlene Madison
(scene from 2007 film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story)
No, that wasn't Johnny Cash, and that wasn't June Carter.
And that wasn't Cal "The Magic Man" Naughton from
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
And that wasn't Pam Beesly from The Office.
I declare... folks have been tellin' me
for years how much I look like that gal.
No sir, that was rising rock & roll star Dewey Cox and me, Darlene Madison.
We're the stars of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, the 2007
comedy parody movie that references the Johnny Cash
biopic Walk The Line and the Ray Charles biopic Ray.
In a nutshell, the demands of Dewey's budding singing career keep him
on the road, leaving behind a neglected wife and child. Before long, Dewey
succumbs to temptation and gets involved with booze, drugs and ice cream...
...lots and lots of ice cream.
He also gets involved with me, his backing singer...
...a new best friend with all kinds of benefits.
Dewey and I duet and duet and duet.
Welcome to a sneak preview of my new Shady's Place series
Let's Duet
with Darlene Madison
Every great song I play is by a duo or a band with two lead singers.
Let's keep the ball rollin' now with a sizzling slab of southern soul.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
Here's the Alabama duo Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson
with their top 15 R&B hit from early 1969- "Soulshake!"
"Soulshake" - Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson
(Feb./Mar. 1969, highest chart pos. #13 R&B,
#37 Hot 100/#41 Cash Box)
Darlene Madison (not Pam Beesly)
In recent years, you have watched this gifted young woman perform
on other Shady's Place shows. She's Emily Linge, a singer and multi-
instrumentalist living in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Emily
is back and appearing on my show today as part of a duo with
German singer and musician Chiara Kilchling aka Cara Vel.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
The ladies will cover a Carole King-Howard Greenfield song that
was a top 10 hit for The Everly Brothers in 1962, a hit for country
artist Tammy Wynette in 1981 and a chart-topping hit for the
Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha in 1990. Here now are
Emily Linge and Cara Vel-- "Crying In The Rain."
"Crying In The Rain" - Everly Brothers cover
by Emily Linge and Cara Vel (Aug. 2022)
If you're just tuning in, I'm Darlene Madison, your Hostess With the Mostest
and leading lady in the life of rock & roll singer Dewey Cox in the 2007
Johnny Cash comedy parody movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
We're in the middle of a 7-in-a-row commercial free cruise as I
give you a sneak peek at my new S-P-M-M radio show
Let's Duet
with Darlene Madison
coming soon to Shady's Place. Let's Duet will feature great songs by talented
duos, past and present, and performances by bands that have two lead singers.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
That's exactly what you get in this next number by the Serbian melodic
progressive metal band known as Big Deal. Watch and listen as the
dual female-fronted act does a rock cover of ABBA's 1979 disco
hit "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."
I assure you, folks, it's a really-- Big Deal!
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
- ABBA cover by The Big Deal (Dec. 2021)
Darlene Madison spinning duet gold for you
here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.
Now here's a Stax Records duo consisting of
gospel-tinged soul singer Judy Clay and
Memphis-born soul man William Bell.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
In the fall of 1968, Judy and William scored a top 10 hit in the UK
and cracked the top 20 on the R&B chart in America with
their catchy duo ditty- "Private Number!"
"Private Number" - Judy Clay And William Bell
(Sept./Oct. 1968, highest chart pos. #17 R&B/#75 Hot 100/#8 UK)
Darlene Madison (not Pam Beesly)
Up next, another lady who is playing a return engagement at Shady's Place.
She's Allison Young, the Nashville-based singer who appeared on Dr Rick's
Rick-Rolled show in 2021 and performed a cover of The Classics IV hit
"Spooky." This year, Allison has teamed up with her friend and fellow
musician Josh Turner to form the duo called The Bygones. Here are
Allison and Josh, The Bygones, doing their cover of a song by
The Beatles from the 1968 White Album-- "Honey Pie!"
"Honey Pie" - The Beatles cover by The Bygones (Jan. 2023)
That does it for this sneak preview. Thanks a lot for joining me.
I'll be back before you know it with the official launch of
Let's Duet
with Darlene Madison
right here on S-P-M-M... the station with personality plus.
To close today's show, I've got a winner of a spinner, "If I Were
A Carpenter," a song written by folk and blues man Tim Hardin
that yielded three great recordings by three different artists,
and all three versions were big hits. Bobby Darin was
first to gain a hit with the song. releasing it on a
single that charted in late 1966. In the spring
of 1968, Motown's Four Tops became the
second act to have success with the song.
Then in early 1970, the power couple I talked about at the top of the show,
Johnny Cash and June Carter, scored a major country crossover hit
with their rendition of "If I Were A Carpenter."
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
As the real Johnny and June sing us off, this is Darlene saying goodbye and
leaving you with a friendly piece of advice. Life's short. Don't hesitate. Just duet!
"If I Were A Carpenter" - Johnny Cash & June Carter
(Feb/Mar. 1970, highest chart pos. #2 U.S. Country,
#1 Canada Country/#9 Easy Listening/#36 Hot 100)
Darlene Madison (not Pam Beesly)
Good morning Tom,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have another exciting new series for us with Let's Duet! I absolutely loved the Everly Brothers cover by Emily Linge and Cara Vel. They make a great vocal pair! It seems you've shared The Big Deal before, am I right? If not, then perhaps I stumbled on them on YT. Either way, they do an excellent job covering ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme!" My mind is drawing a blank with Allison Young's previous visit on SPMM. I guess my coffee isn't doing its job this morning. Oh well...it doesn't change the fact that she and Josh Turner do a fab job on the Fabulous Four song, "Honey Pie". What a sweet discovery!
Thanks for the wonderful music to start my week with me. I know you'e not big into weekly linky connections but you're welcome to join the 4M party anytime. Have a boogietastic week, dear friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteHappy Monday, dear friend. I'm delighted to see you! Thanks for rushing thru the door to become this week's Early Bird. I'm glad you could be here for this sneak preview of Let's Duet with Darlene Madison (not to be confused with Pam Beesly, and not to be confused with Jenna Fischer).
I'm very happy to know that you appreciate the concept of this new series. I hesitate to brag, dear friend, but I think this post is loaded with more great originals and covers than you can shake a stick at. Isn't that a thrilling Everly Brothers cover by Emily and Cara? Each time those two blend voices, it gives me goosebumps.
No, Cathy. I have not posted anything by The Big Deal before today. I just checked to make sure. I agree that the band nails their rock cover of the ABBA favorite. In the text, I share a link to the 2021 post that introduced Allison Young. Just click on the words "Rick-Rolled." What amazed me about that performance by Josh and Allison outdoors next to a cottage was the pigeon flying over and calling at just the right moment to add to the song, as if the sound were added for effect post-production by The Beatles themselves. Click at the 2:00 mark of the video and you will see the bird and hear its call. That is truly an incredible fluke that added a lot to the performance.
Thanks again for coming early and for your kind comments about the content, dear friend Cathy. Have a great week. I'll be popping out of your trunk on Wednesday to explore Maine! :)
Good morning, Tom!
DeleteAhhh, you know I noticed the link reference in your post but it just didn't register when I was here the other. Thanks for the reminder. I clicked back to refresh my memory. Allison Young covered "Spooky" in that edition. She did a nice job but I think she did an excellent job covering "Honey Pie". I love how she captures the vintage feel with her vocal style. I did notice the birds overhead but I can't hear their calls. :(
Before I scoot I want to listen to once again to the thrilling Everly Brothers cover by Emily and Cara. Honestly, I might have to use them in a BOTB. What do you think?
Thanks for sharing the love and magic of music!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for swinging back over, dear friend!
I'm thrilled that you appreciate The Bygones, the duo of Nashville singer and musician Allison Young and Joshua Lee Turner, a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Indianapolis and now living in Brooklyn. The pair have performed together many times in recent years and have palpable chemistry. "Honey Pie" was written entirely by Paul McCartney, the Beatle who was most fond of writing and recording whimsical and folksy songs like this one. Allison and Josh do a great job of capturing the lighthearted spirit of McCartney's composition. Allison is what I call an "old soul." She is a pretty young woman who is able to capture the feel and channel the style of vintage
20th century jazz and pop singers. Look at this video of Allison fronting the Postmodern Jukebox band and doing a song in the style of 1960s girl groups:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUCRA3k7w2Q
I can't remember if Emily Linge has done any other songs with Cara Vel, but on her channel she performs many fine covers of Beatles and other artists, sometimes paired with guest musicians. I have used Emily's videos a few times in the past and have more coming up in future posts. She started as a young girl and is now a young woman and producing her own songs and music videos. Check out her channel.
Thank you again for your return visit and kind comments, dear friend Cathy. I'll see you tamale at CAAC!
Tom,
DeleteThat vintage throwback sound Allison displays in her singing is quite fun captured in the video you shared with me. I did get a chance to listen to Emily yesterday. There's at least one other, maybe two of her and Cara but the one you put up is by far my favorite. She and her brother sing well together, too. In fact, I think I prefer her duet performances better than her solos. She has a fabulous voice and with the right material I think she has a shot at going far in the music industry someday. Thanks for dropping by today to check out my unplanned post. Have a good day, my friend!
Hi Cathy!
DeleteIt's great to see you again today, dear friend!
I'm glad you checked out the Allison Young video I recommended and delved into Emily Linge's channel searching for more duets. I agree that most of the time duets are better than solos because they usually include harmonizing. The blending of voices thrills me. Likewise, I appreciate the use of background singers to sweeten the sound of a recording. For years as she was growing up, Emily Linge performed covers and originals in a straightforward, somewhat wooden manner, with no embellishment. Recently she has begun to produce conceptual music videos in which she does some acting to give added dimension to her original songs.
Thanks again for returning to follow-up, dear friend Cathy. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a safe and happy weekend!
Lots of new-to-me stuff here today, Shady. Jackson is always the first Carter/Cash duet that comes to my mind.
ReplyDeletePat and I wish you a good week ahead. ~Kelly
Hi, Kelly & Pat!
DeleteThanks for coming over plenty early, dear friend(s)!
I'm pleased that Darlene's sneak peek playlist offered lots of new to you goodies. Yessum, the Johnny and June version of "Jackson" does come up whenever the duo is being discussed. This parody movie is a hoot.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear friend Kelly. Have a wonderful week ahead!
Hi Shady! Lots of fun duets today even though I only knew a couple of the songs. Honey Pie wasn't my fav Beatles but I enjoyed this cover. Fun! I also was never a big country fan but I watched Ken Burns PBS about the history of country music and I really enjoyed it and finding out about all the back stuff on the artists and of course Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were a big part of the documentary. I love that song and have heard it from lots of the folk singers back in the day but I like this version the best. I hope all is well with you and Mrs. Shady this last week of April. Can't believe how fast this Spring is going. Although today is not very Springish...snowing a little mixed with rain. Brrrr! Have a good day!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming right over on day one to take a sneak peek at Darlene Madison's Let's Duet, a series that will cross nearly every music genre to bring you the best duo performances past and present. I'm happy to know that Darlene introduced you to some new tunes.
I am also pleased to know that you liked the version of "Honey Pie" by The Bygones (Allison & Josh) perhaps more so than the mop-top original. I'm glad you appreciated the chance to learn the history of country music by watching that documentary. Mrs. Shady watches every documentary she can find that's produced by filmmaker Ken Burns. Yessum, the version of "Carpenter" by Johnny & June is something special. I'm glad you enjoyed hearing it again today.
Snow flurries again up there in Ohio? Well, at least you had fine weather the day you hosted that big family gathering. If you need to go to work tomorrow, be careful driving on the slick roads. You know that the warm weather will make a quick return to your neck of the woods.
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend YaYa, and have a wonderful week!
Hi my friend! Such a wonderful set of duets you have here. I particularly liked Crying in the Rain and Honey Pie covers and the real Johnny Cash/June Carter If I Were a Carpenter. The Dewey Cox story sounds pretty close to Walk the Line. I recently got a CD of Duets done by Paul Anka with various artists. It is pretty good. Have a great rest of your day dear Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteI'm thrilled to have you over in the midst of your busy A to Z day, dear friend! Thanks for making time, and welcome to the sneak preview of Let's Duet starring Jenna Fischer lookalike Darlene Madison from the hilarious parody film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
Isn't that an amazing duet cover of "Crying In The Rain"? It's so good, it gives me the shivers. I am also very impressed with both Allison and Josh as musicians and vocalists. Together now as an act called The Bygones, they're fabulous.
Yessum, if you enjoyed Joaquin & Reese in Walk the Line, you should watch comic actors John C. Reilly & Jenna Fischer in Walk hard. It's a hoot, easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Recently, Mrs. Shady and I watched Walk The Line one night and Walk Hard the next night while the original was still fresh in our minds. Walk Hard spoofs many scenes from Walk The Line, and the singing is surprisingly good as well.
If you like duets enough to purchase that Anka CD, then stay tuned for the official debut of this new series Let's Duet. Darlene will leave no stone unturned, combing the catalogs to bring you the greatest duo performances of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Thanks again for coming by, dear friend Janet. Please take good care of yourself and my buddy Benny and I'll see you tamale at Janet's Smiles!
Shady!
ReplyDeleteI love everything about this post and I'm glad you included the Johnny and June duet. They truly were a power couple.
These other artists, they're new to me, but I am familiar with the songs. They do wonderful jobs covering them.
Have a great Monday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteI hope you had a nice weekend, dear friend. Thanks for joining the fun with your Hostess With the Mostest - Darlene Madison!
I'm pleased that you love everything about the post. This series will be fun and educational for someone like you, because it will cross genres and generations to bring you the greatest duets in the history of popular music, from 1950s crooners to 2020s rockers.
Glad you appreciate Johnny & June doing one of their signature songs as a duo. Darlene's sneak peek playlist includes some of the finest covers I've ever heard, and let's not forget the original hits by two excellent R&B acts, Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson and William Bell & Judy Clay. To me, those two singles are the real gems of the post because, typically, the recordings of lesser known Southern R&B and Stax/Volt artists are very hard to find with remastered sound quality as these are. I was overjoyed to find those two uploads. Last but not least, you get to see the duo of Dewey & Darlene performing the hilariously dirty ditty "Let's Duet" in that scene from the comedy parody movie Walk Hard which I highly recommend.
Happy Monday and have a wonderful week, dear friend JM!
Johnny Cash's "If I Were a Carpenter" is my flat-out favorite this time. I love the man's voice so much. He could sing "If Mary Had a Little Lamb" and it would be my favorite. My second favorite is The Bygones cover of "Honey Pie". In fact, I'm not even familiar with the Beatles original.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for paying a visit on a weeknight, good buddy! Darlene Madison welcomes you through the door to experience a sneak preview of her new Shady's Place series Let's Duet and Duet and Duet.
I'm pleased to learn that you like the deep, masculine voice and straightforward, no-nonsense vocal style of Johnny Cash paired here with Reese Witherspoon... uh... I mean with Jenna Fischer... uh, I mean with June Carter on "If I Were A Carpenter."
Did you see the pigeon fly overhead and call out at just the right moment of "Honey Pie," the 2:00 mark? If I didn't know better, I'd think the bird had been trained to do that, thereby adding even more charm and whimsy to the performance. As the late artist and TV personality Bob Ross would say, the freak occurrence was a Happy Little Accident that turned a very good performance into a great and memorable one.
For your planning purposes, my next post will appear this Sunday. Join Zach, Kelly, Screech and the gang from Bayside High (including Mr. Belding) as they host another edition of Saved By The Dell. Thanks again for dropping in, good buddy Kirk, and enjoy the rest of your week!
I have to see that movie with John Reilly who is such a versatile actor and who has a great voice. That was a funny video. The others sound good but, get ready, I really enjoyed that ABBA rendition of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. They created a unique recording and that's not easy to do.
ReplyDeleteI like that next song that just was easy to listen to but the last song...sweet but too Tiny Tim for me.
I hope you are doing well and staying cool to my staying warm today....I asked for a raise. I never did that before and I got it! An 11% increase. I'm very happy about that. Harley says woof and is drooling over what you are eating:))
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteThanks for coming early in the week, dear friend! I'm pleased to see you and so is your Hostess With the Mostest - Darlene Madison - from the wacky Dewey Cox Story. Yessum, Walk Hard is a hoot, and so is Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, a similar John C. Reilly parody film about the testosterone-fueled world of NASCAR racing. Dewey Cox features one of my favorite actresses, Jenna Fischer, and Talladega Nights has my current top favorite actress Amy Adams. Both flick are must see, laugh fests from start to finish.
I'm excited to learn that you liked the Serbian rock/metal band The Big Deal and their ABBA cover. They nail it, don't they? I'm glad you also like the smooth soul sound of "Private Number," the duet by Judy Clay and William Bell (the latter not to be confused with Cricket's daddy, the creator of The Young And The Restless and other soaps). "Private Number" is one of the fine R&B soul recordings released in the late 60s by Stax Records and in the 21st century on The Complete Stax Volt Singles Anthology CD box set which I own. However, it is a song that isn't heard on the radio very often in the 21st century (in my experience). I was elated to find that brilliantly remastered studio recording along with another great but seldom heard R&B/Soul sizzler from the same period - "Soulshake" by the Alabama duo Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson. Mrs. Shady #1 and I loved that record and a couple others released by Peggy & Jo Jo in the late 60s.
You wrote: << but the last song...sweet but too Tiny Tim for me. >> My dear, you might be the only person on earth to state that Johnny Cash sounds too much like Tiny Tim for your liking. :) I assume that you meant to single out the SECOND from last song, the cover of "Honey Pie." :)
Hey, I'm thrilled to learn that you asked for a raise and got it. That's wonderful, Birgit! That being the case, would you care to make a hefty contribution to my Go Fund Me? Go ahead... WOW me! :) Yessum it's too dang hot down here. Please send snow flurries.
I hear that my buddy Harley has entered the annual Possum Eating Contest at Coney Island. I wish him luck. If he's drooling over what I'm eating, he's in luck. As I write this reply, I am devouring a heaping bowl of Alpo Chop House with Extra Gravy. :)
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend BB. I'll see you at the BBC tomorrow, and hopefully your blog gremlins will not remove my comment this week. See you then!
I've heard of Walk Hard but never watched it.
ReplyDeleteSoulshake is a new song to me. Never heard that one before.
Crying In The Rain sounds vaguely familiar but I probably heard it from A-ha.
I like Big Deal. They did a great job on that cover. I think I like their version better.
Private Number is another new one to me.
I didn't care for that cover of Honey Pie though.
Johnny Cash was talented for sure.
I hope you have a great week, Shady.
Hi, Mary!
DeleteThanks for dropping in, dear friend! Yay! - the gremlins were asleep at the switch and your comment was published AOK. I'm pleased to have you aboard for this sneak preview of Let's Duet presented by Darlene Madison. Yessum, if you like adult-oriented comedy parodies, I highly recommend the John C. Reilly movies Walk Hard and Talladega Nights.
"Soulshake" was big in my neck of the woods, and I had the single in my record collection. It's not exactly a rarity, but I don't think it is played very often on the radio or at typical oldies parties in the 21st century.
All my life, the only version of "Crying In The Rain" I ever knew was the original by The Everlys. I never heard of or listened to the A-ha version until Emily Linge credited the group on her cover. I found it on YouTube, gave it a listen and liked it, but Emily and Cara's version is fantastic and my favorite of the three.
I'm glad your ears reacted to The Big Deal as favorably as mine. I think theirs is a Killer Kover, and I tend to agree with you that it tops the original. "Private Number" is a gem from the Stax/Volt soul factory, leaders of the Southern R&B, deep fried Soul movement. The legendary Memphis-based label started having financial problems and many great recordings that came out of their studios suffered in the marketplace for lack of promotion and distribution.
Glad you recognize the talent of the late great Jonny Cash. Again, I urge you to watch Walk the Line immediately followed by Walk Hard. It's a laugh riot.
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Mary, and enjoy the rest of your week!