Hi, I'm Meg Griffin of Family Guy.
As you recall, I was
Shady's guest host on
Shady Dell Music &
Memories for the
Valentine' Day
post in 2017.
Shady Dell Music &
Memories for the
Valentine' Day
post in 2017.
At the time I was desperately
lonely. The only men who
were interested in me were
nerdy Neil Goldman from
school and our neighbor,
Mr. Quagmire. It didn't
work out with either
one of them.
Mr. Quagmire. It didn't
work out with either
one of them.
Peter, I took your daughter to one crummy dance.
I refuse to marry her, even if you pay me a dowry!
I refuse to marry her, even if you pay me a dowry!
A lot has happened
over the last four
years. I found my
one true love.
His name is
Rondo!
over the last four
years. I found my
one true love.
His name is
Rondo!
There is something,
Rondo, about you,
Rondo, about you,
that's really
attracting me.
I'm falling...
and I'm...
too weak
to fight!
I'm falling...
and I'm...
too weak
to fight!
"Too Weak To Fight"
- Clarence Carter
(Dec. 1968/Jan. 1969,
highest chart pos. #3 R&B,
#13 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
Meg, NO-wuh! Rondo's not right for you!
He's old enough to be your father.
He's old enough to be your father.
And besides, he creeps me out.
Please come to your senses!
Please come to your senses!
Stop trying to run my
life, mom! Rondo's my
soul mate. He gets me.
He completes me. We
finish each other's
sentences. I say
"I love..." and
he says:
"little baby ducks,
old pick-up trucks,
slow movin' trains
... and rain."
Rondo and I know
in our hearts...
there ain't nothing
like the real thing!
in our hearts...
there ain't nothing
like the real thing!
"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing"
- Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
(May/June 1968, highest chart
pos. #1 R&B/#8 Hot 100,
#9 Cash Box)
Maybe that's why
when we're
when we're
all alone.....
I can hear music!
I can hear music!
"I Can Hear Music"
- The Beach Boys
(Apr. 1969, highest chart
pos. #20 Cash Box,
(Apr. 1969, highest chart
pos. #20 Cash Box,
#24 Hot 100)
Rondo could be my
summer boy.
Rondo could be my
summer toy!
Our minds are made up,
mom... and there's
nothing you can do to
stop us. We're goin' to
the chapel and we're
gonna get married!
"Chapel Of Love" - The Dixie Cups
(May/June 1964, highest chart pos.
#1 Hot 100, Cash Box & R&B,
perf. on Dec. 25, 1965,
ep. Hollywood A Go Go)
I can't kick
the habit of
loving you,
loving you,
Rondo!
"The Habit Of Lovin' You Baby"
Nino Tempo And April Stevens
(Jan. 1967, B side of "You'll
Be Needing Me Baby")
Rondo may not be a
movie star, (he's only
a character actor),
but when it comes to
being happy - we are!
a character actor),
but when it comes to
being happy - we are!
"My Guy" - Mary Wells
(Apr./May 1964, highest
chart pos. #1 Hot 100,
& Cash Box & R&B,
perf. on Dec. 30, 1964
ep. of Shindig!)
Let's sing it again, Rondo!
"I love..."
"coffee in a cup,
little fuzzy pups,
old TV shows...
old TV shows...
and snow...
...and I love you too, Meg!"
Good morning, Shady! I knew half of these selections, but my favorite (by far) is the duet from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. They sound SO good together!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteYou and Pat tie for the Early Bird honors, dear friend! Thanks for checking out Meg Griffin's salute to love for Valentine's Week.
If you know half of these song selections, that makes three, which isn't bad for someone who was very young when they were popular. I'm pleased that you very much like the duet by Marvin and Tammi. That record was at its peak on the chart in early June, 1968, when I met the future Mrs. Shady #1 on the dance floor at the Shady Dell.
Thanks again for dropping in on day one, dear friend Kelly. Have a super Sunday and a wonderful week ahead!
Good Afternoon Shady! I enjoyed the selections today and was surprised that I knew the '64 hits of Mary Wells and also the Dixie Cups more than the Beach Boys song! I so wanted to be a California, blond, beach going girl...but alas I was the dark haired, Greek, Chicago girl of the midwest! Ha! Anyway I very much remembered Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and I loved that song. So that's my take today except as Valentine's Day approaches I must say about Meg and Rondo...Love is blind! Since Jack and I met on a blind date I guess that's true! Have a good week Shady! We're in the freeze zone this week so I'll be in the thermal mode...Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteHappy Sunday, dear friend! Thanks for joining the fun as Meg Griffin introduces her new beau - B movie character actor Rondo "The Creeper" Hatton - proving, as you pointed out, that love is indeed blind.
Yessum, it is interesting that you know the earlier recordings better than the most recent release in the post, The Beach Boys' cover of "I Can Hear Music." The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector and first waxed in 1966 by Spector's Ronettes. Incredibly the popular girl group only reached chart position #100 (the lowest rung on the ladder) with their original version of the song. Three years later The Beach Boys went top 20 with it, but Shady sez it deserved to be a top 10 hit.
Yessum, you have mentioned many times that you yearned to be a California girl. I can't imagine you as a blonde. You were and are a striking brunette. That's two virtual votes for Marvin & Tammi's "Real Thing" record.
How romantic that you and Jack met on a blind date. The rest is history, the start of a large and wonderful family with its hub at The Pines!
We had a fairly long cold snap, but the temps have been very mild the last couple of days. I hope winter isn't over yet in Florida. I'm counting on the whistle pig's prognostication to be correct this year - several more weeks of winter.
Thank you again for coming early and for your great comment, dear friend YaYa!
Poor Meg! Talk about falling for a big lug! She chose some great songs to make his heart swoon. I love all of them especially the one by Nino & April which has some great harmony. Enjoyed every one of these and the Beach Boys song shows how much talent they had singing without much else other than their voices. Have a beautiful rest of the day!
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteThanks for being Polly Punctuality again this week, dear friend! :) I'm delighted to see you.
I was wondering if you remember character actor Rondo Hatton, a familiar ugly face in B crime and horror movies of the 30s and 40s. I certainly remember seeing him in scary films I watched as a boy including Spider Woman Strikes Back, The Brute Man, and the movie referenced in the poster at the top of the page - House of Horrors. In the latter two films, Hatton played "The Creeper."
Thank you for singling out that great and underrated lost B side by the singing sibs from up your way - Niagara Falls - Nino and April. "Can't Kick The Habit" is one of my top faves by the duo among many. I'm thrilled that you got some enjoyment from all of the 60s oldies Meg introduced.
Thanks again for being here for the return of Meg Griffin, dear friend BB. Have a safe and happy week ahead!
Hey there friend Shady! I definitely feel sorry for poor Meg. She really gets the short end of the stick on that show. I know and like all of these songs. Thanks for giving me something fun to listen to as I work in the studio. Not a fan of football so I didn't watch any of it but the halftime show, which was just okay, IMO. Hope you have a great rest of your week!
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteIt's great to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming to Meg's pre-Valentine's Day party!
Yessum, Meg is treated poorly on Family Guy, but here at Shady's Place, I intend to give her props. In fact, discussions are already underway to elevate Meg to the position of full time DJ on SPMM Radio. Stay tuned!
I'm delighted that you know and like the songs Meg presented, inspired by her love of boyfriend Rondo. We didn't follow the game either, and that includes the halftime show. Later in the evening we heard fireworks going off around the neighborhood and assumed it meant that our home team won the game.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend Janet. Stay safe, hug Benny for me, and have a wonderful week!
I've seen a lot of Universal horror films from the 1930s and '40s, but I don't recall a movie with the not particularly helpful title of House of Horrors (rare is the Universal horror movie that took place in a condominium.) Nor do I remember the name of Rondo Hatton, but he looks familiar. I looked up the name and see he was an uncredited extra in a few movies I have seen, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Ox-Bow Incident. I also see that Hatton these days has a cult following and is referenced in various latter-day novels, movies, comic books, etc. I'll have to be on the lookout the next time a movie with him in it comes my way. As for the other names mentioned on that poster, Alan Napier played Alfred the butler in the 1960s Batman TV show.
ReplyDeleteAs for the songs, like everyone else I recognize three of them "My Guy", "Chapel of Love" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing." I love the Beach Boys, but that song is a new one for me. 1969 it came out? I looked up "Do It Again" which really was their last big hit of the 1960s. That's from a year earlier.
Anyway, nice mixture of the familiar and unfamiliar today.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming over, good buddy!
Thanks also for adding to the discussion of Rondo Hatton. Good eye noticing that "Alfred the butler" from the hit Batman TV series of the 60s is in Hatton's film House of Horrors. In your research, you must have missed what I think are the most interesting facts about Rondo's life and career. He was born in nearby (to boyhood me) Hagerstown, MD, and his family eventually moved down to Tampa Bay where I now live. In his youth Hatton was a good looking guy. At Hillsborough High in Tampa he was voted Handsomest Boy in his class his senior year. After graduation he became a sportswriter and journalist for the Tampa Trubune. After WWI Hatton began to show symptoms of acromegaly and went on to become severely disfigured by the disease. Rondo wound up turning lemons into lemonade by becoming an actor and appearing as grotesque characters in movies. Wiki sez: "His most notable of these was as a contestant-extra in the "ugly man competition" (which he loses to a heavily made up Charles Laughton) in the RKO production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame." In 1944 Universal had Hatton play The Hoxton Creeper aka The Hoxton Horror in its 6th Sherlock Holmes film The Pearl of Death. Rondo's last films, House of Horrors and The Brute Man, were both released posthumously because he died in early 1946 at age 51 following a series of heart attacks. His is a very interesting story!
I'm surprised so many younger people don't know The Beach Boys' "I Can Hear Music." Glad you like the older oldies in Meg's post.
Thanks again for attending Meg's V-Week dance party, good buddy Kirk. Have a great week!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteEvery time I hear "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" I think of Coke's slogan, "You can't beat the real thing" but I almost always am thinking this song was used a Coke commercial jingle. I don't think it was,though. It's a great song regardless. "Going to the Chapel" released when I was just a toddler. It wasn't until the early 70s I discovered The Dixie Cups sweet wedding song. It's such a cheery melody and the girls harmonizing is beautiful. "My Guy" is another song that came out the year I turned three. When I hear it, I think of Whoopie Goldberg playing a nun in Sister Act to elude the thugs and she changes the lyrics to this song to 'My God' for the sisters to sing. That's a fun movie. Your other song selections are introductions. I was especially surprised that I don't remember "I Can Hear the Music" by the Beach Boys. Have a tunetastic day, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for stopping by for Meg Griffin's Valentine week celebration!
Thanks for mentioning the trivia about that Marvin and Tammi hit and its connection to the jingle and ad slogan for Coke. As you saw in the stats beneath the song video, "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" peaked on the chart in June 1968. By 1969 Coca-Cola had adopted the slogan "It's the real thing" replacing "Things go better with Coke." Clearly Coke wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the hit Motown song. By the way, Donny & Marie released a successful cover of the song in late 1976 and it brushed the top 20 in February 1977. Folks around your age should remember that one.
Yessum, "Chapel Of Love," the signature song of The Dixie Cups, gained tremendous longevity as a wedding song used by countless couples in the decades that followed its 1964 release. Ha! Thanks for reminding me about "My Guy" becoming "My God" in the comedy Sister Act. I had forgotten about that. Yessum, you are I think the third younger person to tell me they don't remember that 1969 hit by America's Beach Boys. Isn't that strange?
Thanks again for coming by, dear friend Cathy, and have a boogietastic week yourself!
Tom,
DeleteI forgot that Donny and Marie did "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" cover. I knew it was popular but didn't know it made it to the charts. I wasn't hugely into keeping up with song rankings in those days. 1977 was the year DH graduated high school. I remember that spring was particular rough because our hometown county was hit with bad flash floods. You might recall that I mentioned this event on my blog.
I liked the Beach Boys when I was young but I wasn't really a die-hard fan. That may be the reason I hadn't heard, "I Can Hear Music". I asked DH if he remembered the song, he says he thinks so. But, he has always been bigger into music than me. :)
Have a good evening, my friend.
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteIt's great to see you again today, dear friend! Thanks for continuing our discussion threads. I believe I do remember you telling about the flash floods in your hometown county in 1977. Of course, in the late spring of 1972, my region was devastated by floods caused by Hurricane Agnes. We were hit hard again in 1975 when Hurricane Eloise brought more heavy rain and flooding to the area.
Thanks for checking with DH on songs in my posts that he might remember. I am always interested in knowing who remembers what. It's hard to imagine anyone being more into mewsic than you, dear friend. :)
Thanks again for coming back to chat, Cathy, and enjoy the rest of your week.
Well hello, Meg and Shady! We've only 5 days until Valentine's Day! I don't have an adult Valentine to share with, but I will have the young Valentine who is too shy to talk to girls yet. I do have some new flowers for my Valentine at the cemetery, and I know he would be happy to receive them if he were still with us.
ReplyDeleteI like Clarence Carter..."Strokin" was so popular at the dance clubs, and I don't remember "Too Weak to Fight" although it sounds familiar. I remember "Slippin' Away" and "Patches". I didn't realize until I looked him up a couple of years ago that he is blind. He is a good blues guy in my book.
I know almost all of your songs today, Meg! The Beach Boys are just too good. I was an instant fan with their first hits of surfin' songs, and have always been amazed at the multi-talents of these brothers, and cousin.
The Dixie Cups look so young in this video, well I know they were younger in 1965, but it was fun watching their performance. This brought about a time in my life and my school friends' lives that girl groups didn't have to be so intimidating...we could sing harmonies and dance too. "The Chapel of Love" is such a classic, and I was impressed to see that The Dixie Cups were wearing slacks instead of gowns, giving a more comfortable, relaxed presence. This is my favorite today.
Nino Tempo and April Stevens' "You'll Be Needing Me Baby" doesn't ring a bell with me, but I enjoyed the song, and I think you have featured them before.
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, and the lovely Mary Wells were true icons. "My Guy" hit the charts, and Mary's attitude came bursting forward during this performance. "You Beat Me to The Punch" and "The One Who Really Loves You" are two songs that still just get me! I am a big fan of this lady whom we lost too soon.
You guys...great post! We're creeping into February with caution, but time certainly does fly. Meg, I wish you a splendid Valentine's Day! Shady, dear friend...take care and have a special Valentine's Day with Mrs. Shady!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteI'm excited to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming to the first of two V-Day parties here at Shady's Place, the first hosted by Family Guy's Meg Griffin.
Love is the theme of Meg's post, but I wanted to spell out in more specific terms the themes as I envisioned them. They are:
* Love is blind.
* There's someone in this world for everyone.
* Don't judge a book by its cover (or a person by his or her face). If you take a chance and get to know someone who frightens or repulses you with their appearance, you may find that they have many fine qualities, that they are gentle, intelligent and loving. (See also The Elephant Man.)
* The story of Rondo Hatton's life and career is inspiring. He went from being voted the Handsomest Boy in the senior class to a respected newspaper journalist to a grotesque wretch stricken with a disfiguring disease, but he made the most of it. Hatton had the courage and emotional maturity to put his ugliness on display for all the world to see in horror films. Sadly he died young.
I was very happy to post this set of songs from the mid and late 60s. Most of these songs are appearing on my blogs for the first time. I'm pleased that you know and like blind blues man Clarence Carter. I'm happy to introduce you to his song about man's temptation "Too Weak To Fight." That record was a biggie in my neck of the woods, and so were the other Clarence Carter hits you mentioned, the cheatin' song "Slip Away" and the tearjerker "Patches."
Looks like you might be the first reader to remember The Beach Boys doing "I Can Hear Music." Again, it was a biggie in my region during my sophomore year of college. The videos of The Dixie Cups and Mary Wells are astonishing in their quality and clarity. I was thrilled to locate them on YouTube. I don't think I ever got such a good look at the Dixie Cups before. Whereas Berry Gordy gussied up his girl groups, making them wear evening gowns, Red Bird artists The Dixie Cups had a natural, unpretentious, down-to-earth, girl-next-door look that was very refreshing. Their "Chapel Of Love" is sweet and innocent and has stood the test of time. It remains an ideal song to play at wedding receptions.
It upsets me that the decision makers placed the far superior song "The Habit Of Loving You" on the B side of the Nino Tempo & April Stevens single "You'll Be Needing Me." I just now listened to the latter and it is hard to follow. No wonder it flopped - peaking at #133 on the Bubbling Under chart! "The Habit of Loving You" should have been released as the A side. It shoulda been, coulda been and woulda been at hit! Nino and April were on White Whale Records at the time, the indie label famous for releasing The Turtles' hits. Nino & April had one outstanding release on the imprint - "All Strung Out" - their career best, and it reached the top 30, but all other singles released on White Whale fizzled. Yessum, I have featured Nino & April before and I will continue to do so because I think they were tremendously underrated.
I hope you and master Scootie have a fine week and Valentine's Day. As I mentioned, I have another V-Day post coming up this Saturday, the annual Valentine's dance hosted by Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Until then take care, stay safe and well and thank you again for joining the fun here at Shady's Place, dear friend Suzanne!
Hi Shady and Meg,
ReplyDeleteMeg you had me in pieces. Thank you for making my day. :) I'm only familiar with half of these pieces, with "My Guy" being my favourite. I liked the sound of the ones I wasn't familiar with, but I am going to give them a listen to tomorrow when I'm working.
Thanks for getting me into the Valentine's Day mood! :)
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for dropping in, dear friend! Meg & Rondo say howdy! :)
Yessum, love is in the air, and these evergreen oldies will still be fresh Sunday when we officially celebrate Valentine's Day. (By then Austin Powers will be here to play his own set of love songs.) Play Meg's snuggle songs when you need a pick-me-up, and be sure to run them by your dad. He should know several of them. I'm glad you remember "My Guy," the signature song of sultry soul siren Motown Mary Wells.
Thanks again for being here. Have a good week and keep your chin up. dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteToday was an extremely busy day, but I will listen even more on Sunday, when I am en route to Philadelphia. The Lunar New Year is on Friday and while everything is canceled, I am going to Bahn Mi and Bottles and having their Lunar New Year meal. I'll be going to the Franklin Institute before, ice skating was all sold out.
Nothing can beat "My Guy"! I have that song on a mix somewhere and it's one of my guilty pleasures. I will definitely run these songs by dad too!
Have a great evening!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteGood thinking. Let Meg's old gold playlist keep you entertained en route to Philly. "My Guy" was one of the biggest songs during my coming of age years. The song's lyrics:
No muscle bound man could take my hand from my guy
No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy
...offered hope to all those guys like me who wished we were bigger, stronger and more handsome, so that we could have more success with girls.
Let me know what your dad says about this batch of 60s tunes.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
Well, Sunday they are predicting ice storms, so I'm going into Philly after Shabbat instead. While they are installing the carpet, I'll be in the city. While it ices on Valentine's Day, I will be taking my stuff from the basement and putting it back into my room. I'll listen to the playlist then. :)
DeleteEnjoy the rest of your week too, dear friend. Happy Thankful Thursday!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteIf you whistle while you work, the work is more enjoyable and the time passes more quickly. The same benefit comes from playing a batch of oldies and singing along. I hope you like your new carpeting. Stay safe on the icy sidewalks. I remember slipping and falling many times when I lived in PA.
Thanks for stopping by, dear friend JM!
Hi from "deep freeze country" ... I didn't know many of your featured songs, friend Shady, but enjoyed each and every one of them. Thank you for a great show! Thunderbutt and I have been huddling, cuddling and snuggling a lot lately as winter is truly brutal at present. I'm done first month of retirement and find myself reflecting on my last year working. I realize that my heart was almost frozen working with my patients, and find that this heart of mine is slowly "thawing out" again, which results in occasional crying spells. But crying is the first step towards healing, right? Sending love. cat.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteThank you for this late night visit, dear friend. LUBBINS!
I'm thrilled that Meg's salute to love (and her new boyfriend Rondo) enabled you to learn six new old songs and that you like them all.
I'm sorry to learn that you are having bitter cold weather up there. In stark contrast, it was uncomfortably warm here yesterday, in the 80s. We had the air conditioner running all day and I am yearning for a return of colder air. I know it must feel good when you and Theo huddle together for warmth.
Cat, I hear you. The last 12 month period has been a bitch. I could tell that you needed to harden your heart somewhat in order to do your challenging job working with patients every day. I understand. It's good to know your heart is slowly thawing out in retirement. I also understand occasional crying spells. I experience them, too, especially when I realize how lucky I was to have enjoyed such a carefree youth compared to that of today's young people who are forced under quarantine, separated from friends and facing an uncertain future, as are we all.
I hope you come here often and let music, laughter and warm friendship heal your soul. Thank you again for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend cat!