Vinyl Gladiators Fight to the Finish!

 Welcome to 

Vinyl Gladiators, 

 another variation of my song cover 

 competition heretofore known as 

 Winning Hand... Version Sacrifice... 

 and BATTLE OF THE BANNED. 

 Today I present a lurid spectacle 

 staged solely for your amusement! 

Covers of popular songs will do battle today as you sit comfortably in your box seat

in the amphitheater eating grapes, getting a massage and having your feet washed.

The fate of these brave warriors rests in your hands. How many of them, if any,

 will survive the day? Let the squeamish be forewarned. Molten wax will

surely be spilled in the course of this gruesome contest!

 The combatants have 

 entered the ring. 

 Vinyl gladiators now 

 stand before you. 
 Allow me to introduce 

 them and... let the 

 games commence! 

 BEN E. KING  

Drifters lead singer Ben E. King co-wrote and originally recorded "Stand By Me,"

a secular love song inspired by the spiritual "Lord, Stand By Me." King intended

for the song to be recorded by The Drifters but they declined. In 1961, as a solo

artist, King waxed a version that reached #1 on the R&B chart and top 5 pop.

 "Stand By Me" - Ben E. King 

 (June 1961, highest chart pos. #1 R&B/#3 Cash Box/#4 Hot 100) 

 SPYDER TURNER 

Born in Beckley (WV) and raised in the Motor City, Dwight David "Spyder"

Turner sang with doo-wop groups and signed a recording contract with

 MGM. In late 1966, Spyder released a cover of "Stand By Me."

The recording is novelty in nature because Turner imitates Ben E. King

and other R&B and soul greats including Smokey Robinson, David Ruffin,

Chuck Jackson and Billy "Motormouth" Stewart. Spyder's take on the song

made the top 3 on the R&B chart and brushed the top 10 on the pop survey.

 "Stand By Me" - Spyder Turner  

 (Jan./Feb. 1967, highest chart pos. #3 R&B, 
 #11 Cash Box/#12 Hot 100) 

As a bonus, I'd like you to see and hear this very rare clip of Spyder Turner doing

his hit on Village Square, a weekly music TV show that originated from a studio

in Charleston, SC, and was syndicated across the country from 1965 to 1968. 

 "Stand By Me" - Spyder Turner  

 (perf. on TV show The Village Square, Charleston, SC) 

 JOHN LENNON 

In February, 1975, John Lennon released a cover of "Stand By Me" on his sixth

solo studio album Rock 'n' Roll. The following month the song was released as

a single and reached the top 20 in the U.S. In April, John performed his latest

hit on the UK based TV music show The Old Grey Whistle Test.

 "Stand By Me" - John Lennon 

 (Apr./May 1975, highest chart pos. #20 Hot 100 & Cash Box, 

 perf. on Apr. 18, 1975, ep. of The Old Grey Whistle Test) 

SCARLET FEVER! 

That's right. Shady's come down with a case of scarlet fever,

because three exciting female rockers are about to join the

competition, each of them a ravishing redhead, each of

them covering an 80s hit. Let's meet the ladies now! 

 COLE ROLLAND & 

 HALOCENE feat. 

 ADDIE NICOLE 

I introduced this first fiery frontwoman

a few weeks ago in my special feature

 That Was Then - This Is Now. She's

Addie Nicole... lead singer of the

Phoenix, Arizona, band Halocene.

Once again, Addie is joined by

Canadian guitarist Cole Rolland as

they do a metal cover of Bon Jovi's

hit "You Give Love A Bad Name!" 

"You Give Love A Bad Name"

Bon Jovi  metal cover by

Cole Rolland & Halocene

(Feb. 2021) 

 ANDREEA MUNTEANU 

 & ANDREI CERBU 

Now, from Eastern Europe, and also making a return visit to Shady's Place, here's that

zesty rising star from Romania, zinger Andreea Munteanu. On her popular YouTube

channel, versatile Andreea is part pop princess and part classic rocker. Andreea

shines as lead zinger of guitar wizard Andrei Cerbu's band The Iron Cross,

and in this performance Andreea & Andrei collaborate on a cover of

English popper Samantha Fox's 1986 synth-rock hit

"Touch Me (I Want Your Body)." 

"Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" - Samantha Fox

cover by Andreea Munteanu & Andrei Cerbu (Feb. 2021) 

 SHUT UP & KISS ME! 

 feat. DARIA BAHRIN 

The third sassy redhead is Daria Bahrin,

another Romanian singer discovered by

Andrei Cerbu. Daria fronts a band of

Andrei's called Shut Up & Kiss Me!

Enjoy this cookin' cover as sassy

Daria and her bandmates bring out

our animal instincts performing

Def Leppard's 1987 rock

anthem "Animal!"

"Animal" - Def Leppard cover

by Shut Up & Kiss Me! feat.

Daria Bahrin (Dec. 2020)

 Put down your 

 wine goblet... 

 slowly rise from 

 your throne... 

 face these vinyl 

 gladiators and 

 render your decision. 

 Which lucky cover gets thumbs up 
 and lives to play another day? 
 Which poor devils get the 
 dreaded thumbs down 
 and are reduced to 
 puddles of molten wax 

 on the Colosseum floor? 

 The decision is yours! 

Flaps Down, Winky!

TRIVIA QUESTIONS:

Can you named the 1950s syndicated sci-fi television serial

pictured above?  Notice the three characters in white shirts

in the foreground. You get a closer look at them below.

What do those three actors have in common?

(SCROLL DOWN)

ANSWERS TO

TRIVIA QUESTIONS:

Rocky Jones Space Ranger was one of my

favorite TV sci-fi adventure serials of the 50s.

What do the three male stars of Rocky Jones have in common?

Sadly they all died young - by the age of 50.

Richard Crane (left) who starred as Rocky Jones, died at age 50.

Robert Lyden (center) who played Bobby, died at age 43.

Scotty Beckett (right) who played co-pilot Winky and

earlier in his career played Spanky McFarland's best

pal in the Our Gang comedies, died at the age of 38.

On February 23, 1954, when Rocky Jones was released, "Bell Bottom Blues"

was climbing the chart. Of course, I am not referring to the 1971 single

by Eric Clapton's band Derek and the Dominos, but I haven't heard

it in a while and this gives me an excuse to play it for you.

"Bell Bottom Blues" - Derek and the Dominos

(Mar. 1971, highest chart pos. #91 Hot 100)

The song of the same name to which I am referring was recorded by 50s

songstress Teresa Brewer. Teresa's "Bell Bottom Blues" single cracked

the top 20 in late February, 1954, the same week Rocky Jones debuted.

"Bell Bottom Blues" - Teresa Brewer

(Feb. 1954, highest chart pos. #14 Cash Box/#17 Hot 100)

Rocky Jones, Space Ranger didn't last very long. The final episode

of the series aired November 2, 1954. On that day, singing star

Rosemary Clooney, aunt of actor George Clooney, had the

most popular record in the land, topping the chart with

"Hey There," a show tune introduced by John Raitt

in the musical play The Pajama Game.

"Hey There" - Rosemary Clooney

(Sept./Oct./Nov. 1954, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box) 

Have a Shady day!

Shady Train - Episode 17: The Color of Success!

BOOTH ANNOUNCER:

Shady Train...

the hippest trip in America!

Brought to you in part by...

Johnson Products Company

...makers of

Ultra Sheen...

Afro Sheen...

and

Ultra Sheen

cosmetics.

Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen...

The largest selling products

in the "Natural" world.

And now the host of

Shady Train...

Don Cornelius!

Hi there, you're right on time. Welcome aboard!

We'd like you to come on and groove with us

for the next 60 minutes, and we don't care

about your color or size. You see, we never

scrutinize. If you're black... you know you're

beautiful. If you're brown, yellow or white...

you're still outta sight, so let's get down on it! 

And we are super stoked to begin today's ride with three gorgeous and gifted

California bred ladies who gained national fame almost immediately after their

debut single was released, a song that features the voice of the trio's creator

and producer Barry White. As they join us to do their hit on the Uni label

entitled "Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love," a warm welcome

please, gang, for these extraordinary canaries-- Love Unlimited!

"Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love" - Love Unlimited

(May/June 1972, highest chart pos. #6 R&B/#7 Cash Box/#14 Hot 100)

And right now let's welcome back

aboard the big train the gentlemen

responsible for what certainly has

to be one of the biggest records

of the year - a song dedicated

to all you "Back Stabbers."

Let's make some big noise,

gang, for our good friends,

the fabulous-- O'Jays!

"Back Stabbers" - The O'Jays

(Aug./Sept. 1972, highest chart pos.
#1 R&B/#1 Cash Box/#3 Hot 100)

And here's a talented group that

performed on the sensational

Norman Whitfield produced

soundtrack from the hit film

Car Wash. As they join us to

do their latest single on the

Whitfield label entitled

"Is It Love You're After,"

a song from the album

Rainbow Connection,

give it up good please,

gang, for-- Rose Royce! 

"Is It Love You're After" - Rose Royce

(October 1979, highest chart pos.

#31 R&B/#105 Bubbling Under)

CLICK TO START VIDEO NOW!

(DON'S INTRO IS ON VIDEO) 

"Everlasting Love" - Carl Carlton

(Oct./Nov. 1974, highest chart pos. #6 Hot 100/#9 Cash Box/#11 R&B)

And look out now, don't hurt yourself.

It's the Shady Train dancers, the Shady Train gang...

 They're comin' down the track and gettin' into a groove that sure nuff

makes you wanna move real smooth. It's the latest from Morris Day,

a little thing called-- the "Color Of Success!"

"Color of Success" - Morris Day

(Jan-Mar. 1986, highest chart pos. #15 R&B)

And here's a sound comin' out of Philly

that's a sho' 'nuff dilly. We are delighted

to welcome back a lovely and talented

singer who exploded onto the music

scene a few years ago with the disco

hit "Shame." Today she's back to do

a song entitled "Get Loose" - her

latest single on the RCA label and

the title track of her new album that's

currently topping the R&B chart.

A big time welcome, if you will,

for the incredible-- Evelyn King! 

"Get Loose" - Evelyn King

(Apr. 1983, highest chart pos. #61 R&B/#45 UK)

And our next guests are the talented

trio of Shady Train alumni responsible for the #1 charting hit "Second Time

Around." It is also their second time around appearing on our show. As

they join us to do "Make That Move,"

the latest single from their album

Three For Love on the SOLAR

label, let's hear it, gang,

for-- Shalamar! 

"Make That Move" - Shalamar

(May/June 1981, highest chart pos.

#60 Hot 100/#61 C-Box/#6 R&B)

And if that don't do it for

you nothing ever will.

We hope you'll get

into it with us again

next time when we

pop open another

six pack and toss in

an extra cool one

for good measure.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

 You can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas,

honey. I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting,

we wish you love... peace... and soul!

"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" - MFSB

(Theme from Soul Train feat. The Three Degrees)

(Mar./Apr. 1974, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box & R&B) 

Happy Birthday, John!

John Ettline was born 115 years ago

on the 12th day of March, 1906.

I learned from John's family

that he was a collector of

antiques. John purchased

many pieces from his

youngest brother Paul
who was an antiques

dealer. Paul Ettline

always spoke very

highly of John.

John Ettline was a handsome 

gentleman, a dapper dresser

and a great dancer. John was

a ladies' man, a man's man

and very much his own man.

John loved music and dancing, and so it's easy to understand
why he was inspired to buy the Shady Dell and turn it into
an ice cream parlor and juke joint for teenagers.

To celebrate John's birthday this year I picked
three songs I think he would have enjoyed.

 NINO TEMPO 

 & APRIL STEVENS 

SDMM/SPMM frequent flyers
Nino Tempo and his singing sis
April Stevens are back, this

time to sing "I'm Confessin',"

an oft covered jazz and pop

standard first recorded by

Fats Waller in late 1929

and famously waxed by
Louis Armstrong in 1930.

A version by bandleader

Guy Lombardo reached

#2 in 1930. Other versions

 were released by Rudy

Vallee(1930), Perry Como

(1945) and Les Paul and

Mary Ford (1952). In 1963

the song was a #1 hit for

Frank Ifield in the UK.

Dean Martin covered the
song on his 1964 album
Dream With Dean.

That brings us back to the under-

rated duo of Nino Tempo and

April Stevens who released the

single "I'm Confessin' (That I

Love You)" in April of 1964.

Great as it is, their record

lasted only one week on

the chart. Adding insult

to injury, it came and

went on the second

lowest rung of

the ladder - #99!

"I'm Confessin'
(That I Love You)" - 
Nino Tempo & April Stevens

(Apr. 1964, highest chart

position #99 Hot 100)

 THE DRIFTERS 

I think John would appreciate this atypical release by The Drifters. In 1959
and 1960 Ben E. King's voice was most often heard on lead. From 1961 to 1963
it was the voice of Rudy Lewis you heard. This single features Charlie Thomas
on lead. The recording is also unusual because it doesn't feature a string section.
Instead, a prominent piano and bongo drums are used to produce a Cuban-style
cha-cha number. Soul singer and composer Jimmy Radcliffe sings backing
vocals along with four future female solo hit-makers - Cissy Houston,
Doris Troy, Dionne Warwick and her sister Dee Dee Warwick -
making this an all-star collaboration. Listen now to

"Sweets For My Sweet!"

"Sweets For My Sweet" - The Drifters

(Oct. 1961, highest chart pos. #10 R&B/#16 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

 SHELLEY FABARES 

Again this year on his birthday, I think John will enjoy being
serenaded by America's sweetheart, Miss Shelley Fabares
aka Mary Stone, as she sings her sig song "Johnny Angel"
 on her hit TV series, the family friendly Donna Reed Show.

"Johnny Angel" - Shelley Fabares

 (Mar./Apr. 1962, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN.

WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

That Was Then - This Is Now, Volume 7: The Jarring Juxtaposition of Female Vocalists Past and Present!

                                             Image courtesy of AsylumCreations @ DeviantArt

 You've come a long way, baby... 

 and these jarring juxtapositions 

 offer indisputable proof! 

Welcome to Vol. 7 of my series

Jarring Juxtapositions:
That Was Then - This Is Now!

It is not my intention to pass judgement. (That's your job. :) This series
merely invites you to compare apples and oranges. Hard as it might
be for you to believe, I enjoy all of the female recording artists
you are about to see and hear. Join me on this jarring journey
back and forth through time as we compare the look,
the sound and the attitude of female singers

then... and now!

THAT WAS THEN

LYNN ANDERSON

Today's Jarring Juxtaposition journey begins back then, in the early 70s, with multi-

award-winning country singing star Lynn Anderson. In 1967 Lynn began a series of

appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show.  Columbia took notice and awarded Lynn

a recording contract.  Lynn rose to national fame with her biggest hit, a cover of the

Joe South song "Rose Garden." In late 1970, Lynn's single spent five weeks at the

top of the Country chart, and in early 1971 the record reached #1 on Cash Box

and top 3 on Billboard. Lynn Anderson was only 67 when she took ill and

died in 2015. Let's turn back the clock to happier times and watch Lynn

on the TV show That Good Ole Nashville Music doing her signature

song "(I beg your pardon... I never promised you a) Rose Garden." 

"Rose Garden" aka "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden"

- Lynn Anderson (Dec. 1970/Jan. & Feb. '71, highest chart

pos. #1 Country/#1 Cash Box/#3 Hot 100) 

THIS IS NOW

 LETTERS FROM THE FIRE 

In stark contrast to Lynn Anderson is hard rocker Alexa Kabazie, lead zinger

of the San Francisco band Letters From The Fire. Alexa left the band in 2017,

but not before giving us this rock nugget, the first single released from their

debut studio album Worth the Pain. Here now are Letters From The Fire

with "Give In To Me" which went top 40 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Give In To Me" - Letters From The Fire

(May 2016, highest chart pos. #33 Mainstream Rock,
from Sept. 2016 album Worth the Pain)

START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 25 SEC. MARK!

THAT WAS THEN

THE SUPREMES

Now let's go back to 1964, with The Supremes and "Come See About Me,"

their third single of five in a row to reach the top spot on the pop chart.

Two days after Christmas that year, Motown's premier act of the 60s

performed their latest hit on The Ed Sullivan Show, the first of

17 live appearances by The Supremes on the program. In this

extended remix clip you will see The Supremes dressed in

hot pink as they sang on Sullivan, and in black and white

 appearing on other music variety TV shows of the period.

"Come See About Me" (Extended Remix) - The Supremes

(Nov./Dec. 1964/Jan. 1965, highest chart pos.

#1 Hot 100 & Cash Box/#3 R&B)

THIS IS NOW

 STITCHED UP HEART 

A far cry from Diana, Mary and Flo is Alecia "Mixi" Demner, lead zinger of

Stitched Up Heart, a Los Angeles based hard rock/metal band that toured

with the band you saw and heard earlier - Letters From The Fire. In 2016

Stitched Up Heart's debut album Never Alone reached the Top 10 on

the Heatseeker and Hard Rock charts. "Monster," the second

single released from the album, thrashed its way into the

top 30 on the Mainstream Rock survey.

"Monster" - Stitched Up Heart

(Apr./May 2016, highest chart pos. #27 Mainstream Rock,
from June 2016 album Never Alone)

THAT WAS THEN

MARIE OSMOND

It's safe to say Marie Osmond is a woman of many talents. She has hosted a popular

TV variety show and later a talk show with brother Donny. She is an actress who
has starred in Broadway shows, had her own TV sitcom, is a published author,

a doll designer and the pitchwoman for a weight loss program. Meanwhile,

I'm still learning how to wave bye-bye.  As a recording artist Marie sings

country and pop.  Here's a clip of Marie singing "Cry, Baby Cry," the B

side of her uncharted 1977 single "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello,"

on an early 1978 episode of The Donny & Marie Show.

"Cry, Baby Cry" - Marie Osmond

(late 1977, B side of "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello,"

perf. on Jan. 20, 1978 ep. of The Donny & Marie Show)

THIS IS NOW

 HALOCENE & FRIENDS 

Now meet my #1 favorite female rocker of the 2020s - Addie Nicole - lead zinger

of the Phoenix, Arizona, band Halocene. I am 100% SOLD on Addie and her band.

In this performance, Addie and her guys are joined by three other female rock stars

who rose to fame on YouTube in recent years. They include Audra Miller of the

Erie, PA,  band First To Eleven, Violet Orlandi, an artist based in São Paulo,

Brazil, artist Lauren Babic of Toronto, Canada, plus a Toronto-based

male musician, guitarist Cole Rolland. Watch and listen as this

dream team of hot, young and talented rock performers

covers the Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'."

"Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey cover by Halocene

ft. Audra Miller of First To Eleven, Violet Orlandi,

Lauren Babic and Cole Rolland (Dec. 2020)

Cry, baby, cry... and

tears will mend your heart.

Have a Shady day!