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fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
S T R A N G E M A G I C
B E I N G E R I C A
on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!
"Got My Mind Set On You" - George Harrison
(Dec. 1987/Jan. 1988, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
Kicking-off the show, that
was George Harrison with
was George Harrison with
"Got My Mind Set On You,"
one of three chart-topping
hits for Harrison as a solo
artist. As you well know,
George was a great song-
writer, but "Got My Mind
Set On You" is actually a
cover of a song originally
waxed in 1962 by James
Ray, an American
R&B singer.
Hello again! I'm
Erica Strange.
As you might recall,
I'm the time traveling
main character on the
Canadian TV dramedy
As you might recall,
I'm the time traveling
main character on the
Canadian TV dramedy
Being Erica.
Welcome to the second edition of
S T R A N G E M A G I C
B E I N G E R I C A
coming to you exclusively here on S-P-M-MRetrosonic Radio. I'm excited to be moonlighting
as a member of The Shady Bunch deejay staff.
Strange Magic Being Erica
brings you the greatest
soft rock, new wave and
pop sounds of the 70s
and 80s. Sometimes I'll
even take you all the way
brings you the greatest
soft rock, new wave and
pop sounds of the 70s
and 80s. Sometimes I'll
even take you all the way
back to the late 60s.
On my Being Erica TV series
I change clothes a lot. I'll be
I change clothes a lot. I'll be
doing the same thing here on
S-P-M-M... even though I'm
hosting a radio show. Hey,
don't laugh. It makes
perfect sense to me!
Okay, let's get back to
the music and the magic.
By now you might know
that I love ELO.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
Electric Light Orchestra is the Beatlesque English band co-founded
and led by Jeff Lynne. Here's a song that literally came from
Out of the Blue, ELO's 1977 album- "Sweet Talkin' Woman!"
"Sweet Talkin' Woman" - Electric Light Orchestra
(Mar./April 1978, highest chart pos. #17 Hot 100/#18 Cash Box)
From the spring of 1978 that was
ELO doing "Sweet Talkin' Woman,"
a single that brushed the top 5 in
the UK and went top 20 stateside.
You're time traveling with Erica
and up next is Phil Seymour,
a talented singer, songwriter,
drummer and musician from
the American heartland.
and up next is Phil Seymour,
a talented singer, songwriter,
drummer and musician from
the American heartland.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
Phil played drums and bass and
sang with the Dwight Twilley Band.
He then went solo and had a hit
with a song he wrote--
"Precious To Me."
"Precious To Me" - Phil Seymour
(Feb./Mar. 1981, highest chart pos. #22 Hot 100/#29 Cash Box)
From Oklahoma, that was Phil Seymour with his only hit,
"Precious To Me." The single brushed the top 20 in
the late winter and early spring of 1981. Sadly,
Phil took ill and died at the age of 41.
CLICK TO START VIDEO!
Now here's another gifted singer, songwriter
and musician, Gary Wright. Gary was a child
actor and later a member of the British rock
band Spooky Tooth. As a solo artist in the
mid 70s, Gary and his two hit singles
helped establish the synthesizer as an
important instrument in pop and rock.
The first of those hit songs is the one
you're hearing right now. The title
is an expression made popular by
John Lennon in his 1970 song
"God." Here's Gary Wright on
The Midnight Special doing his
signature song "Dream Weaver"
"Dream Weaver" - Gary Wright" - George Harrison
(Feb./Mar. 1976, highest chart pos. #1 Cash Box/#2 Hot 100)
That was Gary Wright doing his breakthrough
hit "Dream Weaver," a single that went all the
way to #1 on the Cash Box chart, but stopped
at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, denied the
top spot by two other records, The Four
Seasons' "December, 1963 (Oh, What a
Night)" and Johnnie Taylor's "Disco Lady."
CLICK TO START VIDEO!
If you're just tuning in, I'm Erica Strange
and this is Strange Magic Being Erica...
We're plowing through 7-in-a-row on
S-P-M-M. Now here's another cool
sound of the 70s by the British glam
band The Sweet. Check 'em out as
they do their last international hit--
"Love Is Like Oxygen!"
"Love Is Like Oxygen" - Sweet
(May/June 1978, highest chart pos. #8 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
The Sweet sound of success -
a top 10 U.S. hit for the
Brit glam rockers in
the spring of 1978.
START THE VIDEO NOW!
Erica Strange keeping you company on
S-P-M-M Retro Radio. Earlier, we saw
and heard Gary Wright in the mid 70s
singing about the "Dream Weaver."
Here's another dreamy song that
was hot more than a decade later.
It's by Debbie Gibson, the pride
of Long Island, New York. Here's
Debbie with her gem of the dance-
pop freestyle genres, her debut
single "Only In My Dreams!"
"Only In My Dreams" (retro-mix) - Debbie Gibson
(July/Aug. 1987, highest chart pos. #4 Hot 100/#6 Cash Box)
From the spring and summer of 1987, that was Debbie Gibson with
"Only In My Dreams," a record that spent a whopping 28 weeks
on the chart and reached its zenith in the top 5 on the Hot 100.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
Remember the episode of my television series Being Erica (above) when
I traveled back to the year 1969 and wore that groovy multi-colored dress?
How I wish I could have just stayed there forever. But, to my dismay,
when I blinked my eyes, I found myself stranded here in 2022.
Let me tell you, I was in the right place... but I must have
picked the wrong time. This guy knows what
I'm talking about. Here's Dr. John!
"Right Place Wrong Time" - Dr. John
(June/July 1973, highest chart pos. #9 Hot 100/#11 Cash Box)
From the spring and summer
of 1973, you just listened to
"Right Place Wrong Time"
performed by one of the
performed by one of the
pioneers of swamp rock -
zinger and piano player
Malcolm Rebennack,
better known as "Mac"
and best known as Dr. John.
The platter finished in the
top 10, making it the
biggest hit of his career.
Oh my, Shady just drew his finger across
his throat, the signal for me to "cut," and
that means I need to wrap up my second
show here on S-P-M-M. Before I forget,
I want to invite you to watch my TV
series Being Erica, now streaming
on Hulu and on Amazon Prime.
that means I need to wrap up my second
show here on S-P-M-M. Before I forget,
I want to invite you to watch my TV
series Being Erica, now streaming
on Hulu and on Amazon Prime.
START THE VIDEO NOW!
To play us off, here's another one from ELO,
the theme song of my show, "Strange Magic."
Stick around. Coming up on the B side of
news, it's The Rockin' Bird, Joe Niagara,
who will spin a stack of knocked out nifties
of the past, and I'll be back soon with more
songs from the soundtrack of your youth on
Strange Magic Being Erica. See you then!
"Strange Magic" - Electric Light Orchestra
(Apr./May 1976, highest chart pos. #14 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
Oooo.... some good music today, Shady! I think the only one I didn't know was the number by Phil Seymour. -Kelly & Pat (woof!)
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteOnce again, you were the first through the door, dear friend, and that makes you the... (wait for it)... Early Bird! Thanks a lot for coming over!
Yessum, the Phil Seymour song is the wild card in this winning hand dealt by Erica Strange in volume 2 of her series. Frankly, I didn't remember "Precious To Me" until I came upon it on YouTube and gave it a listen. That's when I recalled the top 30 hit from my clubbing years. It's a heck of a pleasant groove, don't you think?
Thanks again for rushing the gate to make sure you arrived first, dear friend Kelly. Have a safe and happy weekend!
Hello and happy Friday! I am very happy that you posted 2 songs from one of my all time favourite bands, ELO. I have many of their records and I love that they have a tual violins and cellos. Not everything is synthesized.
ReplyDeleteI love George who is my favourite Beatle. This is a song that I always enjoyed and I love his subtle tribute to Chaplin's Modern Times.
I don't know Phil Seymour and don't remember this song but it was nice to listen to. I have to look him up..he died way roo young.
Dream weaver is another song I have not heard in eons but I always liked the beginning of that song and speaking of not hearing a song on ages..Love I Like Oxygen is a great song! I loved hearing it again.
I have to admit I'm not much into Debby and her high pitched typical 80s singing. It is fun ro bop around ro but not my Thang.
Dr. John akqays looks like he smoked a few and that hat..love It! This is a great song and I would want ro wear that dress to be at his concert.
Harley says woof and he caught his dad off guard when Rheumatoid went for a walk. He suddenly lunged into this tall grass taking daddy with him. Out popped his head with a mouse's tail dangling from his teeth and the mouse not too pleased. In 2 shakes he flipped the mouse up and bit it in half letting it fall ro the grass. As soon as he smelled it, papa yaked him away. Harley has a way..the big lug.
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteThanks for being a same day Doozy, dear friend! I'm thrilled that you found time to come early and experience the second SPMM radio show presented by your Canadian neighbor gal Erica Strange.
I'm happy to know that ELO rings your bell, dear friend. With YouTubers busily remastering many of the band's original recordings, we're all in for a treat. The glorious, Beatlesque ELO sound is the kind of music you can expect to hear often on Strange Magic Being Erica, so keep the show in mind and stay tuned for future volumes. Yessum, ELO revolutionized music by playing actual instruments!!! :)
I love Beatle George, too, and was delighted to find this nicely restored official music video. Yessum, Phil Seymour is the wild card in Erica's lineup, and I agree his lone hit "Precious To Me" is a great sounding song. From December 1980 through September 1982, Phil released half a dozen singles, but "Precious" was his only hit. In May of 1981, Phil's cover of "Let Her Dance," originally waxed in 1966 by The Bobby Fuller Four, made the Bubbling Under chart and peaked at #110. Sadly, Phil he was diagnosed with lymphoma and died young at age 41.
Yessum, Erica took us back to a great era in music with Gary Wright's biggie and one of the best by the English glammers Sweet. Glad you also gave a favorable nod to Dr. John.
OMG, what a ratter your Harley must be! Shirley he is lightning fast if he managed to catch a mouse in tall grass and chomp it in half. I'll bet his breath was sweet as honeysuckle! :) I hope his coat is now free of that skunk scent from the incident a few weeks ago. Our Toto used to catch salamanders and skinks and bite their tails off. I once caught the rascal chewing on the GEICO gecko! :)
Thanks for sharing the anecdote about my buddy Harley and for paying close attention to Erica's show. I wish you a safe and happy weekend, dear friend BB!
Hi Shady! Did I see Jeff Lynne in the background on George Harrison's song? I was not familiar with the song by Phil Seymour either and not with Debbie Gibson's. I think the song I remember most from Sweet is Ballroom Blitz. They bring me back to the MTV days.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy all of ELOs songs but even though I am big on dreams, Dreamweaver never did anything for me. Thanks for another great set of music! Have a marvelous weekend.
Hi, Janet!
DeleteIt's great to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming back over again today as Erica Strange takes over the mic and brings you her second show on SPMM Retro Radio.
Seems like you enjoyed most of Erica's song set. Good eye and ear, Janet! The credits for George Harrison's cover of "Got My Mind Set On You" include ELO's Jeff Lynne on bass and keyboard.
Yessum, Phil Seymour's lone hit single is the mystery track on Erica's playlist. The sound Phil laid down was right in the pocket, the style that was hot in the late 70s and early 80s. I'm surprised you don't remember Debbie Gibson's top 5 hit debut single. It was a biggie in my neck of the woods, and that music video was played heavily on the MTV station where I was working at the time.
I well remember "The Ballroom Blitz," but I prefer the arrangement and hooks used in Sweet's "Oxygen" hit. The song reminds me a little of "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)" by Information Society which famously uses a sample of Leonard Nimoy's voice from Star Trek. Glad you like ELO. They seem to go over well with everybody.
Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend Janet. I haven't forgotten you. I'm coming right over to visit you and Benny. Have a wonderful weekend!
I always liked the alternate video for "Got My Mind Set On You." Good choices!
ReplyDeleteHi, John!
DeleteIt's nice to see you, good buddy! Thanks for joining the fun as Erica Strange returns to take us (and herself) back to the 1970s and 80s via the great music of the period.
I just now watched ver. II of the George Harrison hit in which he performs the song while seated in a chair in a haunted house. I don't remember it as well, but I'm sure the MTV station where I worked at the time played both versions.
I hope you liked Erica's vol. 2 show on SPMM Retro Radio. Thanks again for swinging by and enjoy the rest of your weekend, good buddy John!
I like these songs. The only one I didn't know or recognize was "Right Place Wrong Time" - Dr. John.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
DeleteThanks for coming, dear friend! Unfortunately, your comment got trapped in the spam folder again, but the good news is that I discovered it within ten minutes and got it published.
I'm excited to know that you are familiar with 7 of the 8 songs on Erica's vol. 2 playlist and that you like them. Since you are younger than most of my other friends, you will find many familiar songs on Erica's shows because she plays the greatest sounds of the 70s and 80s. Stick around for volume 3!
I hope you and my buddy Falcor are having a peaceful and restful weekend. Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Mary. See you tomorrow!
Seeing Jeff Lynne in the George Harrison video reminded me that Lynne was producing an album for Harrison when Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, who had recently been touring together, dropped by. Someone then thought to phone Roy Orbison and The Traveling Wilburys were born. Something like that.
ReplyDeleteThe Electric Light Orchestra was all over the radio when I was in high school. I'd always heard that, like Boston, it was a band that basically existed in a recording studio, but the first of the two videos that you (or Erica) played proves that they could and would perform in front of an audience.
Listen carefully to the lyrics of "Dream Weaver" sometime. The person is basically having a lousy time of it and wants to escape that lousy time through his dreams. I wish him luck. All I know is that if I'm having a lousy day, a lousy dream follows. A good day I get a good dream. A dream is just your mind at work, your thoughts are still there, they're just in the form of symbols and metaphors.
That's all I got.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming over "early" in the evening this time, good buddy! By that, I mean that I didn't hit the hay yet. I'm happy to see you!
The tuneage played on Strange Magic Being Erica is bound to please you more often than not, Kirk, because DJ Erica picks songs from your high school years and early adulthood. You should remember many of them, and that seems to be the case with her volume 2 song lineup.
Yes, thanks for mentioning the Willburys. I love those stories about inspired collaborations and supergroups being formed. The history of popular music is also loaded with interesting stories about people who were discovered hanging around the recording studio being brought in and used on recordings, resulting in hits.
I am a producer at heart. I don't care who the personnel were that worked on any particular recording, or whether it was an actual self-contained touring band or simply a pseudo group put together in the studio using a lead singer and session musicians and backing singers. All I care about is the end result, the final mix. There is an art to sound mixing. I did my share of it making commercials and music videos back in the day. I take my hat off to those who do it well and produced the great songs on the soundtrack of my youth (and yours).
Interesting musings about Gary's "Dream Weaver" song and about dreams, Kirk. I wish I could dream on demand, because a few times a year I have a really nice long dream with a "plot," although I never seem to get to the happy ending. The rest of the time, they are either boring fragments or disturbing, dystopian nightmares. When I awake and read the news, the disturbing, dystopian nightmare gets worse. :) I guess you could say I'm "woke." :)
Thanks again for coming to Erica's second platter party, good buddy Kirk. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I hope the weekend is going well for you and Mrs. Shady. I meant to say something before now but I haven't gotten notification of your posts in a long time. Of course, I'm not doing too much in Blogosphere as you know but I need to get a handle on this after vacation.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I knew George Harris' hit was a cover before today. Phil Seymour's "Precious to Me" is totally new tome. His one-hit wonder is nice. It wasn't until just now my ears picked up on how much Sweet sounds like ELO. I think it was this band that I somehow do not remember from they glory days until in recent years. Debbie Gibson was another. It wasn't until she showed up on The Celebrity Apprentice I was introduced to her for the first time and I couldn't believe I had not heard any of her music before that time. Erica did a fab job taking on a music journey through time with some great songs.
Have a boogietastic week, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Welcome back to Shady's Place for Part 2 of Strange Magic Being Erica!
Seems like the time traveling Canadian miss introduced you to some great sounds of the past that you missed. Like you, I did not know until recently that the big hit by George Harrison was a cover of a song originally waxed way back in 1962 by an obscure R&B artist in the U.S. Once again it demonstrates how British artists payed close attention to American blues, R&B, rock & roll and rockabilly recordings and often covered them with much greater success.
That Phil Seymour song is a wonderful discovery. I just barely remembered it from my second bachelorhood in 1981, and when I found this newly enhanced version available on YouTube, I jumped at the chance to plug it into Erica's lineup. If you listen all the way through, you realize how great it is and how tragic that Phil's life and career were cut short.
Sweet is another band that was right in the pocket. but perhaps isn't remembered as well as other bands of the period, and hasn't received the credit they deserve. Thanks to the remastering work of 21st century YouTubers, their great hits are being brought back and sounding better than ever, and the band is surely gaining a new generation of fans.
Yessum, pop princess Debbie Gibson is a big name worth remembering. She had a string of hits in the late 80s beginning with "Only In My Dreams." In the 90s, Debbie's career stagnated somewhat, but she mounted a comeback in the mid 2000s and is still active today.
I'm so glad you enjoyed going back to your younger years with the song picks of Erica Strange. Thank you again for making time for a Sunday visit and have a wonderful week ahead, dear friend Cathy!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday! It was a fun-filled weekend and I'm now sitting down to listen to your playlist. You have a lot of my favourites! George Harrison, ELO, all of these songs got me in the groove. :)
I am going to have to check out "Being Erica." She sounds interesting and the show does too.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteI'm pleased that you could come by, dear friend. Welcome to Erica's second platter party! I'm happy to learn that her playlist includes some of your faves. The best music of the 70s and 80s can be found right here on Strange Magic Being Erica, so stick around for more where these came from.
Being Erica is a cute show. It reminds me of Ally McBeal in a way, and Erica Strange is also a lot like underappreciated working girl Kara Danvers on Supergirl.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend JM, and have wonderful week!
Hi Shady! Very late this week with catching up on posts and also posting to my own blog. It's been a busy week and it's only Monday! I enjoyed the songs today and that's one of my favorite George songs. So much talent gone too soon. The only songs I didn't know were "Precious to Me" and the oxygen tune. I know Debbie Gibson but not that song either. Oh well, I did enjoy going back in time and seeing that groovy dress and headband. I think she raided my closet from that time! Lots of dream songs here and that reminds me to head to bed and prepare for work tomorrow. I sometimes wonder why I went back when it's a long day....then I get the paycheck and think it's not a bad thing after all! Especially since the car and a few of our appliances decided to bite the dust! Oh well, I hope all is good down south and you're doing well! Take care Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks so much for dropping by, dear friend! My goodness, you're becoming a night owl. I stayed up till midnight last night and had been checking hour by hour to see if you put up a new post. You slipped it in while I was working on one of my own, and by the time I discovered it along with your comment here, I was pooped and needed to hit the hay. Seems both our weeks are off to a busy start, and I thank you again for staying up late and making time to visit and comment.
I'm pleased that Erica Strange played one of your favorite songs by ex-Beatle George. All these years, I wasn't aware that it was a cover. I never heard of the original artist or his 1962 recording, and I'd be willing to bet that you haven't either.
"Precious To Me" is my Pick to Click for this show because the song was on the fringes of my memory and at risk of being lost forever until it was brought back in glorious remixed and remastered sound quality by the Music Enhancement Channel. It's a great single, and I knew it would be an ideal fit for Strange Magic Being Erica. The same can be said about the remastered and restored performance of "Love Is Like Oxygen." The Sweet band is often overlooked in discussions of great 70s rock bands, They had a long string of hits during the decade with Oxygen" being their last major chart success.
Yessum, I knew you'd appreciate Erica Strange's fashion show, especially the brightly colored dress she wore when she flashed back to her school days in the year 1969 in an episode of her TV series.
I hear you about appliances breaking down. Recently we had a new water heater installed, and it's already on the blink. We also needed to get our heat pump repaired a short while back.
Hey, thanks again for making time for a visit and for your usual great comment. Stay tuned for Philadelphia radio legend Joe Niagara of WIBG "Wibbage" who takes over the mic tomorrow morning for the latest in his series "Knocked Out Niagara Nifties."
I hope your work day goes well, and now I'm coming over to The Pines to find out what you've been doing. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!