COLD OPEN:
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
"Fire" - Ohio Players
(Jan./Feb. 1975, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & R&B)
Kicking-off tonight's extravaganza, The Ohio Players, a funk band
from Dayton, and a modern remix of "Fire," one of their signature
songs, a chart-topping crossover hit in the early weeks of 1975.
Hi, I'm Grace Ryder, a 9-1-1 operator in Austin, Texas.
I'm married to a firefighter named Judd
on the hit TV rescue drama 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Live, from Shady Square,
I welcome you to the
62nd annual
New Year's
Rockin' Eve
in the Shady.
If you look up in the sky, you'll see that the wrecking ball is dropping.
Hear that sound? The crowd is cheering because it's party time.
Your regular host, Shady Seaweed, is under
the weather and couldn't be with us tonight,
but my friends and I, the newest members
of The Shady Bunch DJ team, are bound
and determined to take up the slack
and carry on with the show.
Our lineup of grade-A music stars will
send 2022 packing and get 2023 started
with a bang. Before I turn the mic over
to the next presenter and dispatch
first responders to that "Fire" the
Ohio Players reported, I want to
invite you to tune in my new show
Grace Kelly
Rear Window
...coming soon to S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.
Hello, my fellow Americans!
I'm Mellie Grant, the First Lady of the United States soon
to become the former First Lady and bitter ex-wife of the
President on the political thriller TV series Scandal.
Think I look like Jessica Whitly, Malcolm's mom
on Prodigal Son? Yeah... I get that a lot.
Some say I have political aspirations of my own.
I call bullcrap!
I'll be much too busy serving my country as a
Shady Bunch DJ on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.
Please join me for the debut of my new show
The 1600 Club -
Meet the Supremes
of Pennsylvania Avenue.
You'll meet the wonder women of
the White House, like me, and be
treated to the fabulous songs of
Motown's most popular artists
The Supremes. Sound like a plan?
I admit that I'm not a happy camper
lately. On my TV series Scandal,
the "slumber chamber" of the
White House is not exactly
Tranquility Base, and I've
got a Supremes song that
speaks to my plight as
an angry, frustrated
and bitter First Lady.
You see, my cheating hubby, The President, is always lying around with
his mistress, Olivia Pope. He even ditched me to spend Christmas
with his Ho Ho Ho! They do it right there in the oval office,
in hotels, on trains and boat and planes - you name it.
They're like a couple of bunny rabbits,
those two, and I'm sick of it! Make up
your mind, bucko... do you want me
and your political career, or her?
CLICK TO START VIDEO!
Based on your track record as a skirt chaser,
I get the distinct impression that you don't
really love me. You just keep me hangin' on!
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" - The Supremes
(Nov/Dec. 1966, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box & R&B)
I'm Penelope Guerrero, a starry-eyed, Kool-Aid drinking cult member
who comes to her senses and starts breaking bad and fighting back
against the Purge Night evildoers on the anthology action horror
TV series The Purge based on the film franchise of the same name.
I'll be joining other three other courageous women
from The Purge as hostesses of the new radio show
PURGE PARTY
on S-P-M-M. The tunes we play are guaranteed to purge the dirge
and bust the blues. Think of us as vigilante superheroes on a
mission to stamp out boring elevator music in your lifetime.
The song sample I'm presenting in this
teaser is by a Latina singing star from
Southern California's Inland Empire,
a talented cover artist described as
"a young voice from an old soul."
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
Here's Monica Rocha doing
the Mary Wells hit-- "The One
Who Really Loves You!"
"The One Who Really Loves You" - Mary Wells
cover by Monica Rocha (Jan. 2020)
If you're just tuning in, this is the star-studded Shady's Place special
New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady 2022.
I and other new members of The Shady Bunch are playing
samples from our upcoming S-P-M-M radio shows.
I'm Helen Pergman, Ronald's mother on David E. Kelley's
crime drama thriller TV series Big Sky.
Ronald's a long-haul trucker. He's not much to look at.
I've told Ronald over and over again that he'll never amount
to anything and that no woman will ever love or want him.
I remind him that he's a failure, just like his father.
The good news is that he will always have me
to point out his flaws and set him straight.
there's nothing quite like a mother's love.
Ronald and I will soon be joining
The Shady Bunch as hosts of a
new S-P-M-M radio show called
Sky King and
His Songbirds
and I've got a sample song, a 1957
romantic ballad taken directly from
the soundtrack of our series Big Sky.
START VIDEO NOW!
Here's crooner Johnny Mathis with
his signature song, a record that
soared sky high, all the way to
number one, and lasted more
than half a year on the chart
-- "Chances Are!"
"Chances Are" - Johnny Mathis
(Nov. 1957 through Feb.1958, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100)
I'm Sarah, a wife and mother
and one of the few survivors
of a disaster at sea, a fiery
sail boat explosion in the
2019 horror film Mary.
It was a reversal of fortune
when Shady Del Knight
plucked me from the
water and placed me
behind the mic as
a member of his
Shady Bunch
DJ staff.
Mary is my younger daughter's name.
Mary also happens to be the name of a boat my husband just had to buy. He got
it cheap... and we found out why on our family's maiden voyage to Bermuda.
Turned out our vessel is haunted by a witch that has a nasty habit
of killing passengers and crew whenever anyone takes her out to sea.
On my S-P-M-M radio show...
Along Comes Mary...
I'll bring you the best songs about boats, ships, sailing and the sea,
including gems of the Yacht Rock genre, a music category that,
by and large, has been neglected here at Shady's Place.
Smooth sailing is guaranteed
as I present EZ listening rock
sounds that promote changes
in lattitudes and changes in attitudes... leaving you
feeling Mary.
I've got a sample for you,
a chart-topping song from
the hit Tom Cruise movie
Cocktail. Like the Johnny
Mathis song Helen played,
this one cruised the chart
more than half a year
from 1988 to 1989.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
Let's all hop aboard as The Beach Boys set sail for-- "Kokomo!"
"Kokomo" - The Beach Boys
(Nov. 1988 thru Feb. 1989, highest chart pos.
#1 Hot 100 & Cash Box, scenes from July 1988 film Cocktail)
I'm WPC (Woman Police Constable) Jane Tennison,
star of the British TV police drama Prime Suspect 1973.
Join me and other gorgeous ladies of law enforcement
when we officially launch our new S-P-M-M radio series
British British Swag.
We'll be playing the best Brit beat
sounds of the 1960s, 70s and
80s along with hit records by
Aussie artists like rocker and
soap actor Rick Springfield.
To end our 2022 new year's
eve spectacular, I've got a
spiffy split-screen video of
Rick (right) performing
"Love Is Alright Tonite,"
his top 20 hit from early
1982, while on the left,
the studio dancers on
American Bandstand
groove to Rick's song.
Now for Sarah, Helen,
Penelope, Mellie & Grace,
I'm Jane Tennison inviting
you to join the fun at
Shady's Place in 2023.
Happy new year!
"Love Is Alright Tonite" - Rick Springfield
(Jan./Feb. 1982, highest chart pos. #20 Hot 100/#27 Cash Box,
#26 Canada, studio dancers on Dec. 1981 ep. of American Bandstand)
I... Mellie Grant... do solemnly swear... that I will well and faithfully
discharge my duties as a member of The Shady Bunch
DJ team... So help me God.
I think I knew all the songs this time except for the covered Mary Wells number. I haven’t thought about that Ohio Players song in ages! Thanks for transporting me back to the 70s for a few minutes!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteYou have reclaimed Early Bird status this week, dear friend, and I thank you for coming by!
You also get a high score for knowing almost all of the songs introduced by these celebrity characters from hit British and American TV series. If you are a Rob Lowe fan, I encourage you to watch him as the star of 9-1-1: Lone Star, a fire and rescue series set in your region of the country - Austin, TX. Yessum, "Fire" by Ohio Players takes us back to the glory years of Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special hosted by Wolfman Jack, the much-loved radio personality who is now under contract to Shady's Place as host of a new show on SPMM. Wolfman will be back here on the blog next week to play a sample song from his show, so stay tuned.
I am always happy to transport you back to your earlier years, dear friend Kelly. Please take good care of yourself and my canine buddies on your farm in this bitter arctic weather. Have a great week and a happy new year!
I knew the song Fire but I had no idea who sang it and now I do.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched 911 Lone Star but maybe I should. I'll have to find out what app it's streaming on and see if my daughter has that on our line up now. I haven't watched Scandal but it's on my list to watch at some point.
I knew the Supremes because I knew Diana Ross and have liked a lot of her songs. I knew Mary Wilson because she lived here in Las Vegas. They had some great songs.
Big Sky is another show I haven't watched. I have heard the song from Johnny Mathis though.
How did I miss a Horror movie named after me? Now I'll have to look up Mary and see if I like it. I just watched 1899, a spooky show about a boat and it was so good. Do check it out.
The Beach Boys had some great songs. I grew up in California in Redondo Beach. Would I even be a real beach girl if I didn't know who they were? lol
Rick Springfield brings back some memories. I listened to a lot of his songs as a teen. I hope you had a nice Christmas and a nice New Year coming up. I'm sure the fireworks around here will be crazy New Year's Eve, I am already hearing them at night.
Hi, Mary!
DeleteHooray, dear friend! You and I ended the year on an upswing, with the blog gremlins backing-off and letting your comments go through. Welcome and thanks for joining the New Year's Eve fun at Shady's Place!
Yessum, the Ohio Players were one of several successful funk bands that emerged from Dayton, Ohio, others being Zapp aka Zapp & Roger, Slave, Lakeside, Heatwave, Aurra, Faze-O and Sun. Other Ohio cities are home to notable Soul, R&B and funk acts that include The Isley Brothers, The O'Jays, Ruby And The Romantics, Bootsy Collins (Bootsy's Rubber Band) and The Dazz Band.
Yessum, I hope you can find a way to watch Rob Lowe in 911: Lone Star and Bellamy Young and Kerrie Washington in Scandal. The first season of Big Sky is a hoot with trucker Ronald Pergman and his judgmental mother interacting with each other in a way that brings to mind Hitchcock's Psycho. That's a great clip of The Supremes doing one of their big hits from 1966 intercut with footage of what appears to be the Swinging London Mod scene.
Yessum, I wanted to watch the scary Mary movie because I am a fan of lead actress Emily Mortimer. You also can't miss with distinguished actor Gary Oldman in the cast. The flick is creepy and atmospheric. Thanks for letting me know about 1899, the mystery sci-fi docuseries on Netflix. It looks exciting.
Wow, Mary. I didn't know you were once a California girl. I'm glad you appreciated this Beach Boys offering with scenes from the Tom Cruise hit Cocktail. I'm also glad that Aussie rocker Rick Springfield triggered fond memories of your teen years.
Yessum, I feel sorry for my buddy Falcor having to put up with loud firecracker noises from now through Sunday and probably beyond. Our black kitty Boots gets spooked by the popping sounds as well, although they have not yet started in our neighborhood..
I'm delighted that you enjoyed so many aspects of my NYE post. Happy new year to you, dear friend Mary. I look forward to lots more sharing and caring with you in 2023!
Hi Shady! I'm sorry you're feeling poorly and hope you're back in the swing soon. I'm so glad I caught your "Rockin' New Years Eve" post.
ReplyDeleteI think I recognize Helen's son Ron from Big Sky series. He may have been a cop on "Chicago PD". I haven't seen any of the Big Sky series.
Shady, you've taken on quite a few new DJ's. That's what happens when someone (me) has been absent for quite a while. I'm so impressed with Monica Rocha's cover of Mary Wells' "The One Who Really Loves You". What a great song, I had to sing along with her and enjoy the muscle cars...good looking Impala by the way!
Ooh! Scary Gary Oldman! He really gets me in everything he does! I haven't seen previews of "Mary", but it look like a real thriller! It's been a long time since I saw "Cocktail" and liked the movie. The Beach Boys look really great in their "Kokomo" video. They will always be one of the groups who changed the pace of music in the 60's.
Bravo to the Supremes and "You Keep Me Hanging On". They always performed well, and were gifted with great, moving songs! I loved Mod clothing and bought cool geometrical dresses when I could find them. Great dancing on the Supremes video. "Jessie's Girl" is the main song I know of Rick Springfield other than he was a major sex symbol. I know another one now, "Love is Alright Tonite". He is a handsome man and talented singer.
Well Shady, I'd best be going. I'm glad I stopped by to enjoy your offerings for our entry into 2023. Gosh, this is a great post and I've missed so many of your fun parties!
Happy New Year to you and your family, dear Shady! See you next time!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteGolly, it's a wonderful surprise to see you back here at Shady's clubhouse, dear friend. Thanks so much for coming over! As you can see, the place is a ghost town during the holidays. But, like the original Shady Dell, we remain open for beeswax 24 - 7.
I have recovered from my bout with COVID and so have the other members of our household. We were all sick during the last half of November, but have all been improving during December. I still have a lingering cough and need to blow my nose often, but my energy level is good. Thanks for your concern.
Yessum, I believe you have attended several of Shady Seaweed's New Year's Rockin' Eve extravaganzas over the years, and I'm happy to have you here for this one because you were able to meet several new members of The Shady Bunch.
You're correct, Brian Geraghty, who plays sinister trucker Ronald Pergman on Big Sky, is a fine actor with a long list of TV and film credits. Mrs. Shady and I saw him in the movie The Hurt Locker, and he did indeed have a main cast role in the TV series Chicago P.D. playing the character Sean Roman. In that role, Brian also appeared in the sister series Chicago Fire and Chicago Med.
Thank you for singling out the great Latina vocalist from south central California, Monica Rocha. That lady has soul galore. Over the years, she has covered many old school soul and R&B artists including Motown's Mary Wells and Smokey Robinson. Her videos are nicely produced, too, and often include scenes indicative of the Chicano low rider lifestyle she grew up in. I thought you might enjoy this paragraph I lifted from the silentgiantentertainment site: << A young voice from an old soul -- meet Monica Rocha, a Latina artist whose sound transforms echoes of the past into the present. Her musical roots are a reflection of her Inland Empire upbringing and the Southern California culture of warm summer nights and soulful sounds. “Cruise nights and car shows – that’s what I surround myself with,” she says. “Growing up with classic cars and classic music gave me the best of both possible worlds.” Among her influences, Monica counts The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell. >> I have more of Monica's cover performances in store, so I hope you will stay tuned.
How about Gary Oldman with Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker's Dracula? His performance in that movie put a chill into me. Coincidentally, I just watched Gary again last evening in the 2020 Amy Adams crime drama mystery thriller The Woman In The Window. I enjoyed it. I can't remember ever watching the movie Cocktail, but I think I'd like it because I have enjoyed Tom Cruise in every project of his that I've seen.
It's neat knowing that you bought the kind of fashions seen in that Supremes video. If you have any pictures of yourself in those mod outfits of the 60s I'd love to see them. I vaguely recall that you were once a department store model in K.C. Am I remembering correctly?
I'm glad you enjoyed being introduced to a new Rick Springfield hit. Those Bandstanders on the left side of the split screen really got into "Love is Alright Tonite" in that late December, 1981, episode of Dick Clark's long running show. Think how many years it has been since Dick hosted his New Year's Rockin' Eve broadcast live on ABC from Times Square. Time marches on!
I hope you can see why I miss your comments, Suzanne. With your musical background, you really know and appreciate old school artists and songs, and you always contribute a lot to the discussion of the various topics. I really appreciate that. I hope you will visit again soon, because you can always find good music, fun and friendship here at Shady's Place.
Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Suzanne, and happy new year to you and master Scootie!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't seem possible we're fixing to kick this year out the door with a new one in. I hope you had a nice Christmas weekend. Oh goodness, we had some really cold temperatures and it's still hanging around but as the week progresses the conditions are expected to improve. Hooray! Ohio Players were popular when I was a teenager. I had forgotten about them and if it weren't blogging then they still might be lost somewhere in my mind. I sure do love the old funk from the 70s. Those were the days with great music and musicians! Johnny Mathis' voice is silky smooth. It's so relaxing. I can listen to him all day! I'm not sure if the movie "Mary" is up my alley. It sounds really spooky. I may watch the trailer on YouTube. You did a excellent job getting us ready to party out the old and in with the new. It's been a thrill visiting SPMM all year and I'm looking forward to continue hop over to your place for more fun entertainment. Happy New Year, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming to witness the wrecking ball drop in Shady Square, dear friend!
You're doggone right, Cathy. Seems like only yesterday we were starting a new year with a clean slate and speculating that it would zoom by quickly as all the months and years seem to do when you reach a certain age. Now, here we are, with Christmas behind us, preparing to bid farewell to 2022.
Apparently, you and DH endured the Christmas cold wave and snowstorm without losing power. That's a blessing.
I'm pleased that you remember Ohio Players from your youth. They were a tight band. If you check my reply to friend Mary (above), you can read a list of other notable funk, R&B and soul acts that emerged from the state of Ohio and especially Dayton and Cleveland.
I'm pleased that you enjoyed Helen Pergman's song sample "Chances Are" crooned by Johnny Mathis, an actual song from the soundtrack of the TV series Big Sky. Valerie Mahaffey, the actress who plays Helen, was an absolute hoot in three mid 1990s episodes of the TV sitcom Wings in the role of "Psycho Sandy" (Sandy Cooper), an obsessed former classmate of Joe's who stalks and terrorizes him on Nantucket. If you watched Wings, you might remember that story line.
Thank you so much for letting me know that you enjoyed your visits to Shady's Place in 2022. Shady's got lots more music and fun for you in the coming year, and I look forward to keeping you entertained and introducing you to new artists, songs and celebrity presenters. Thank you very much for your loyal friendship again this year. I wish you and your family all the best in 2023, dear friend Cathy!
Tom,
DeleteThanks for visiting CAAC after a long day spent retrieving a family member from the airport and traffic congestion both ways. One thing I remember about our visit to the Sunshine State was the frequent bumper to bumper driving conditions.
Anywho, yes we did survive the bitter cold over Christmas weekend and our power stayed on during our waking hours. We lost it for a short time on Christmas eve in early hours. I phoned in the outage and it came on soon after I hung up but we since we got in bed late the night before decided to sleep a bit longer. We only got some flurries last Thursday night and then again this past Monday night into Tuesday morning which we got about an inch of accumulation. Our neighbors' kids on the downhill side of our street were trying to sled down their hilly yard. I'm quite sure they discovered there simply wasn't enough snow to enjoy the
wintry fun.
This morning I got up with the temps finally above freezing for the first time in several days. Mild weather is in our forecast for the next 10-days, so I'll enjoy it while its with us because I know it'll change.
Enjoy the remainder of 2022 and I'll see you in the new year. I do so appreciate our friendship. Your sincerity and loyalty is a treasure. Have a blessed week, dear friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for swinging by to resume our chat, dear friend. I'm happy to know that you only lost power for a brief time during the monster storm and cold wave, a one-two punch that put Christmas 2022 in the record books in many places. Ironically, I lost power this morning, just a short while ago! Luckily, it popped back on within seconds, but now we need to reset all of our clocks! :) I'm glad your Tennessee temps are rebounding. Ours are, too, and we will surely need to switch from heating to air conditioning as it warms up in coming days.
Many blessings to you and yours in 2023, dear friend Cathy! I'll see you on New Year's Day when we start with a clean slate and predict that the year will whiz by, just as we did at the start of 2022. :)
God bless!
Happy almost New Year Shady! I hope you're feeling better these days and can really celebrate in style with Mrs. Shady. Reading your posts always reminds me that I truly don't watch enough TV! The songs however are all ones I've enjoyed although I didn't know the artist Monica Rocha. Oh how I wish I was in Kokomo enjoying some sand and sun. The temps here have improved and I think it's even warmer now in your neck of the woods. I really enjoyed watching the Beach Boys and of course that cute Greek boy, John Stamos! Oh to be back in the late 80's with the big hair! So I'll say a fond farewell for now and a big wish for a super great 2023 and lots more blog posts. It's sure been lots of years visiting Shady's Place and getting to know you and learning lots more about music from the old to the new. Thanks for that! Take care and get well!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming to my New Year's Eve party!
Yessum, I've been feeling better, although I developed a sore throat overnight that I am not happy about. It is still very chilly down here, but not as bad as it was Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'm happy to know the temps are rebounding up your way.
I'm happy that you know all of the songs in this NYE spectacular, including the show opener by the funk band from your neck of the woods, The Ohio Players. I think you'd enjoy Grace Ryder, her gentle giant of a hubby - firefighter Judd - and the other characters in the Rob Lowe fire & rescue series 9-1-1: Lone Star. It is a show with heart.
I suspected the "Kokomo" song and video would have you yearning to forget about the winter blast and relax in the sun on a tropical island. The Shady's Place policy has always been to use your imagination, and northern friends like you can put theirs to good use watching videos like that one by The Beach Boys.
YaYa, you and I have been friends nearly ten years now, and I very much appreciate you sticking with me all this time. It's been a wonderful experience getting to know you and the members of your wonderful family up there at The Pines along with the ones who live in Oregon and other places whenever they visit you in Ohio. Your grandkiddos have grown up before my eyes, and you have lost treasured family members and pets that I have come to love.
R.I.P. dear Eddy.
I look forward to keeping you entertained in 2023 and having you share with me more memories of your youth as I share more of my music and humor. Thank you again for your faithful friendship all these years. May your family enjoy many blessings in the coming year, dear friend YaYa!
This is such a wonderful post to ring in the New Year. I'd never heard, "Fire," by the Ohio Players but really liked it. I always love The Supremes, and that was a great intro to their song. Scandal sounds like an interesting show! I can see why you like Monica Rocha. She has a really nice voice and I loved her video. I hadn't heard the song before, and I think I'll go over and listen to the original by Mary Wells.
ReplyDelete"Chances Are," is such a lovely song and Johnny Mathis was a favorite of mine as a youngster. I used to see him on variety shows on TV. I was so happy to see the video of the Beach Boys. It was fantastic. I didn't know they used the song in, "Cocktail." I've never seen that movie, but like you, I have loved every movie I've seen that stars Tom Cruise. He has a good instinct for movie roles. Kokomo is such a great song. Ricky Springfield - Sandy was in love with him. Lol. I had never heard the song before, but I liked it a lot.
I know I've been MIA for awhile. I've had 7 family visitors here. It has been wonderful, but as I've told you, my family is loud. Everyone talks at once and we were all learning new games that Sandy and Christine brought from Canmore. Faith cooked most of the meal and Hope helped her. It was lovely. I no longer have to do anything at Thanksgiving or Christmas. It is a bonus of being old. I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve.
Hi, Belle!
DeleteWelcome, dear sister friend! I'm thrilled that you could make it here and join the thousands of people packed shoulder to shoulder into Shady Square, as together we ring out the old year and ring in the new. This feature has become a holiday tradition, and this year marks Shady Seaweed's 62nd annual New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady!
"Fire" was a chart-topping crossover hit for The Ohio Players in early 1975. Four years later, in early 1979, a different song titled "Fire," this one written by Bruce Springsteen, became one of The Pointer Sisters' highest-charting singles. Of course, let us not forget the psychedelic rock song "Fire" by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, a #1 record in Canada and in the UK in 1968 and #2 in the U.S. That makes three different songs named "Fire" that caught fire and raced to the top of the charts during three different years and recorded by three different artists.
Yessum, how about that video created for the Supremes hit "You Keep Me Hangin' On"? I'll be you had your eye on those Swinging London mod clothing and hairstyles in the vid. Yessum, Monica Rocha is one of my most exciting musical discoveries in recent years. She's from your old stomping ground, San Bernardino, and she covers old gold soul and R&B songs by artists that include Motown's Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson and The Elgins, plus R&B queens Barbara Lynn and Barbara Lewis. Monica's a wonderful talent.
I knew you'd remember Johnny Mathis and his many appearances on music variety TV shows of our youth. "Kokomo" is a song I don't think I ever used on either blog before. This was the perfect opportunity as I tease "Along Comes Mary," a series that will offer hits in the "yacht rock" category, a genre that I have neglected over the years.
Thanks for letting me know that daughter Sandy was crazy about Rick Springfield. I'm guessing she watched him on General Hospital in the role of Dr. Noah Drake. You MUST show Sandy this clip I just found of Rick Springfield's very first appearance on the popular soap on my mother's birthday in 1981. She'll flip when she sees Steve Hardy, Jessie Brewer, Bobbie Spenser (Jackie Zeman), Monica Quartermaine and other members of the popular soap's cast as they looked back then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSq88Bkt7i0
Tell Sandy I was a regular viewer of GH from the late 60s through the 90s - Luke & Laura, Scorpio, Holly, Frisco, Blackie, etc.
Yessum, I know you had a house filled with family members for the holidays and that they tend to get loud while having fun. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas together. Tomorrow, in the pre-dawn darkness, Mrs. Shady and I will once again be on the road, doing another airport run, our third of the holiday period. We need to pick up her brother who is flying down from Atlanta to stay with us for the next two weeks. For the last ten days, he has been staying with family in Alabama.
Belle, you have been with me longer than any other blog friend. I am extremely grateful and thankful that we happened to cross paths more than a dozen years ago and have stuck together all this time as friends and, essentially, as family. I am overjoyed that you started following the music and antics on Shady's Place again. I have lots of music, fun and surprises in store for you in the coming year, so stay tuned and join me whenever you can, whenever you need a dose of good music and caring friendship. Happy new year to you and your wonderful family, dear fiend Belle!
Hi Shady!
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm a day late; both Hanukkah and Christmas are over and now I'm just relaxing until New Year's Day. I open Happiness Box 2022 and then David is having a little something at his house. I'll be meeting the two guys he lives with for the first time; I'm both excited and nervous. I met Devin before and Devin's birthday is on the 28th; I'm making a card for him from both David and I.
I have some new shows to check out, don't I?! I look forward to these shows being added in your blog rotation. The opener I'm not familiar with, but I dug her sound. You played my favourites by the Supreems and Mary Wells. Same with Johnny Mathis. David and I were talking about Kokomo the other week and reminiscing about when it was used on the Muppets. Ah, the things we remember from our childhood in the 90s.
I hope that you have a wonderful evening, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteWelcome to the festivities, dear friend, as the wrecking ball drops in Shady Square and we get set to welcome the year 2023 into our lives!
I'm happy to know that you are taking a much needed break from the hectic pace you set as you celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas with a variety of friends and family. Heck, you are a people person, Jess. You possess better people skills than just about anyone I ever knew, so don't worry about meeting David's roomies. The thoughtful card you are making for Devin will be an excellent way to break the ice and warm things up.
Yessum, I think you'd enjoy the TV series and the movie referenced in this NYE feature. Brat packer Rob Lowe stars in 9-1-1: Lone Star featuring exciting rescues and behind the scenes drama, and Scandal is a hoot. I really think you could get into The Purge. There are only two seasons, so it's bingeworthy. Here's the gist: One night a year, the U.S. government sanctions wholesale slaughter in the streets. Every kind of mayhem is declared perfectly legal - arson, assault and even murder. Homicidal maniac gangs roam the city all through the night spreading terror, while most citizens hunker down behind closed (and locked) doors hoping to survive. It's very exciting and fun for the whole family! :)
I'm glad the "Kokomo" number holds special meaning for you and brings back fond memories of your childhood.
Jessica Marie, you and I have been blog buddies for the better part of ten years now, through lots of changes and ups and downs, but here we are building momentum and ready to take on the new year with gusto. I am very proud of your achievements and thankful for your friendship. Stick with me now as I get ready to bring you another year of music and fun here at Shady's Place. Thank you for dropping in and happy new year, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteDavid said the same thing as you did - "don't worry, love, you're a people person and you will be fine." I'm heading into the city after the library to go ice skating. My plan is to make the card tomorrow since I am not at the library. I'll be sure to e-mail you photos.
While I wrote about our first Hanukkah together, now our first Christmas, I may not write about our first New Years together, at least for the blog. I'll take plenty of photos and write plenty of stories for Happiness Box 2023 and the holiday scrapbook I am making. I'm just trying to keep our relationship relatively private.
So they made a series about the movies? I think the library has both movies and if it's in while I go to work today, I'll check them out. I believe they have Scandal on DVD as well. I'm not sure about 9-1-1: Lone Star, I can look!
Shady, here's to another year! Thank you, dear friend, that means a lot to me. I am also thankful for your friendship and can't wait to see what 2023 brings. I look forward to the music and memories in the new year.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteBaby's finally up from his nap. :) Thanks for waiting patiently while I ate for the first time today and then got some much needed sleep.
It pleases me that David and I agree about your people skills. You should never doubt yourself. Just check the archives of your blog and you will find countless occasions when you have turned strangers into friends, or at least evoked friendly, helpful responses from them.
I hope you are having a good time ice skating. Is this the first time you have hit the ice this season? Yessum, show me the card that you are making for Devin. I am eager to see it. I agree that you might want to refrain from putting too much of your personal life with David into print on your blog. You already stated that you were going to be more careful about doing that kind of thing. If he's gung ho about you sharing most of your private times with the world, then AOK, by all means do so, but make sure he's congruent about it.
Yessum, The Purge is a film and TV franchise that began in 2013. The original film was produced by Blumhouse, a name that I have come to trust for high quality thrills and chills. Wiki sez: << The films present a seemingly normal, crime-free America in the near-future. However, the country is a dystopia which observes an annual event known as "the Purge", in which all crime, including murder, is decriminalized for a 12-hour period. >> Five Purge movies have already been released, with a sixth now in development. Unfortunately, the TV series was canceled after only two seasons, but I enjoyed them and picked three favorite characters to become members of The Shady Bunch DJ team. I hope you can check out this exciting film and TV franchise.
Thank you again for your ongoing friendship and support, Jessica Marie, and happy new year to you, your folks, your aunt Kathy, your kitty, David and all your other friends and loved ones. I'll be pubbing my annual 2-part Year of the Dell Rat feature beginning this Sunday, New Year's Day, 2023, and I hope you can swing by and get your year started with another dose of music and fun. Take care, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteThis was my 2nd time on the ice, but first time at the River Rink. I'll be going back next week. :) I actually met a few groups of people and they were delighted to take selfies with me. I'll have to make a post tomorrow.
I sent you an e-mail with a photo of the card I made attached. I think it turned out nicely and David thought so too. He thinks Devon will like it, I hope so. He didn't mind me posting about our holidays, as long as it was kept general. I agree with him and it's so nice we're on the same page about it. Actually, we're on the same page about most things and it's such a breath of fresh air.
Thank you as well for your ongoing friendship and support, dear Shady. I hope that you, Mrs. Shady, and all of your loved ones have a wonderful 2023. I'll see what I can do on the 1st. I will be opening Happiness Box 2022, then going to David's at some point. He still has to tell me a time. If not the 1st, I'll be here on the 2nd!
Happy Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for letting me know about your ice outing. You have many more rosy-cheeked nights of winter skating ahead of you.
I just looked at the card, dear friend. It's terrific, and guaranteed to please recipient and birthday boy Devon. Your thoughtfulness and generosity have always been your calling cards, and I'm sure this kind gesture will get the good vibrations happening between you and Devon.
My New Year post this Sunday is Part 1 of 2. It will run four days in all, and get bumped from the front page by Part 2 next Thursday, so even if you can't drop by on New Year's Day, you will still have three more days to check it out. I appreciate it.
Happy Thankful Thursday to you, dear friend JM, and happy new year to you and David!
I think Johnny Mathis had one of the great voices in old school pop (or "easy listening" or "the music of your life" as it was characterized in later years) yet I don't think he's ever quite gotten the accolades that's come Frank Sinatra's, Bing Crosby's, Nat King Cole's, and Tony Bennett's way. I'm not talking about contemporary reviews from Mathis' heyday, but just when people write about the history of that kind of music, he's never mentioned. I wonder if it's because he came a bit later than the other crooners I mentioned. I think Mathis' heyday ran parallel to Chuck Berry's and Jerry Lee Lewis' heyday. In other words, he gets lumped in with the early rock and rollers, though his music is anything but that.
ReplyDelete"Kokomo" is OK, but a Beach Boys song without Brian Wilson is like The Andy Griffith Show without Don Knotts. It can still be enjoyable but doesn't reach the heights it once did.
Always love The Supremes. Also enjoyed looking at the '60s fashions. I have to say, though, that while it's arguably true that miniskirts look best on thin girls, Diana Ross' legs are a bit too anorexic. She may need to be force fed intravenously
That's all I got. Happy New Year.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for accepting the invite to Shady Seaweed's annual New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady party, good buddy! I'm happy to see your "Cleveland Rocks" COVID mask out there in the sea of faces jammed into Shady Square to watch the wrecking ball drop, bringing an end to 2022 and ushering in 2023.
I'm happy to have you singling out pop crooner Johnny Mathis. I avoided Johnny's music in my youth, but have developed an appreciation of him in adulthood. I agree that Johnny did not quite attain the status of the singers you listed, and maybe it is because he emerged later when rock & roll was coming on strong and young people like me regarded Johnny's singing style as strictly old school and uncool. The Beatles and album rock also derailed his career for 15 years until he made a comeback in the late 70s. If you've been watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as I hope you have, you might find this Wiki blurb interesting: << While the character Shy Baldwin (a secretly gay singer) from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a composite character based on several different signers, Rachel Brosnahan said (Johnny) Mathis identifies the most with the character. >>
Point well taken about The Beach Boys and their later career "Kokomo" hit, and I remain vehemently opposed to the casting change on The Andy Griffith Show that replaced Don Knotts with Mr. T in the iconic role of jittery deputy Barney Fife.
I agree with you about Diana Ross. She looked shockingly skinny at times and in certain outfits. The cover of her first solo album immediately comes to mind in which Diana looks like the poster girl for "End World Hunger" -
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ef/f4/ff/eff4ff7ac006c9be26aee756519ccd3f.jpg
Thanks for joining the fun, good buddy Kirk, and thank you very much for your ongoing friendship throughout 2022. Let's "Do It Again" (Beach Boys song title) in 2023. Happy new year, good buddy Kirk!
Haven't been here for so long. But now that 2023 is upon us, I must say at least a peep, friend Shady. As I have a brand new lil peep in my life. Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2023, friend Shady. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ac5BwDPYq
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteHappy new year, dear friend! Yessum, I haven't seen you since last summer, and it was a very pleasant surprised to log on this morning and find that you were thinking about me and paid a visit to Shady's Place as you were ringing in 2023. I tried that video link, but got a message stating that it is no longer available, but I gather that you have a new grandchild. I am very happy for you, dear friend. Congratulations! I hope you and my buddy Theo Thunderbutt are both well and in good spirits as we start a new year. May 2023 be a safe, healthy and happy one for you and your whole family. Bless you, cat, and thanks again for coming by.
LUBBINS LUBBINS LUBBINS!
OMG! I missed this one! I believe I was comatose. Right after Christmas my body just gave out and I slept most of the day and the 27th I was in bad shape physically. I then had to go to work and had no time...crazy!!!
ReplyDeleteI love these gals you showcased even the mom who is not a very nice mom. The 2nd song is quite good heralding back to the Motown times. Anyway, I am way too late here but I saw it.
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteThank you for pulling double duty and commenting on my two latest posts, dear friend! Yessum, when you didn't show up all week, I worried that you were "poorly," as they say on Downton Abbey, and it turns out I was somewhat correct. Like many people, you crashed after Christmas and needed to hibernate. Then, right back to work. I understand what you are up against, dearie, and I'm sorry. Anyhow, I am very happy to see you today and wish you a happy new year!
Yessum, regarding Norman Bates' (Ronald Pergman's) mother on Big Sky, if you watched the TV series Wings, you might recognize her as "Psycho Sandy," Joe's former classmate who is still obsessed with him all these years later. She stalks and traps Joe. It's a hoot.
On The 1600 Club: Meet the Supremes of Pennsylvania Avenue, you will hear two or three songs by Motown's top girl group The Supremes in every volume of the series. You will also be treated to many brilliantly upscaled videos of the Diana Ross led trio.
Thank you again for being conscientious about visiting a loyal friend. I hope you had a nice New Year's Eve celebration, and hope my buddy Harley didn't get spooked by the fireworks noise.
Happy new year, dear friend BB!