INSPIRED BY THE SHADY DELL, YORK, PA, AND DEDICATED TO ITS OWNERS JOHN & HELEN ETTLINE
AND TO MARGARET ELIZABETH BROWN SCHNEIDER, NICKNAMED "THE OLDEST LIVING DELL RAT"


Sunday, January 1, 2023

2023 - Year of the Dell Rat ???


...or is it the year of the
Belle Rat?


...or could it be the year of the
Platterpus?


 Ainsley, Zoe, Adalind, Twisty, 
 Jess, Stephanie and Dot 
 Join The Shady Bunch! 


 CAN SHADY DEL KNIGHT KEEP YOU 
 ENTERTAINED IN THE COMING YEAR? 


 DO YOU NEED A 
 WACKY, WAVING, 
 INFLATABLE, 
 ARM FLAILING 
 TUBE MAN? 




 WELCOME BACK, DEAR FRIEND! 

 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! 


I'm delighted to have you along for the ride
as I begin another year of blogging here
at Shady's Place Music & Memories.
This year I am excited to launch more
new S-P-M-M radio shows hosted by
some of my favorite celebs from
TV and movies. You met some of
them last year in sneak previews,
and they're back in this special 2-
part post to help me kick-off 2023.
The first seven new members of
The Shady Bunch are ready to
play tunes ripped from their
SPMM radio play lists, so
let's meet them right now!





Hello, I'm Dot Everest on the Amazon
TV series The Tick. By day, I work for
The City as an EMT. By night, you'll
find me breaking badass, a crime-
fighting super-powered vigilante
heroine on Team Tick. My new
show on S-P-M-M will be called
7 on the Dot...
TICK TICK TICK.
That means every song I play will
make reference to time. You won't
find my show on TikTok... only
here at Shady's PlaceTime is of
the essence, so let me give you
a sample song from my show,
a 1965 clip of The Rolling Stones
performing on Top Of The Pops. 

START VIDEO NOW!

This is the band's first UK single written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards,
a record that hit #1 in the UK and made the top 10 in the U.S.
Here now are The Stones and-- "The Last Time!"


"The Last Time" - The Rolling Stones
(Apr. 1965, highest chart pos. #1 UK/#9 Hot 100,
#10 Cash Box1965 perf. on Top Of The Pops





Hi there, and Happy New Year!
My name is Stephanie Smothers.
Think I look like Anna Kendrick?
I get that a lot. I'm main character
of the 2018 black comedy crime
thriller A Simple Favor. In the
movie, I host a crafts and recipes
vlog that caters to moms. On the
sly, I'm an amateur sleuth who
does lots of digging, gets lots of
questions answered and solves
a murder mystery. This year,
I'll bring that skill set to my
new radio show on S-P-M-M. 

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW! 


My show is called Stephanie Knows Who (What, When, Where, Why and How).
Every song I play asks a question, and here's one now. It's Heart with their
1985 comeback single, the band's first top 40 hit in three years and the
first to make the top 10 in five years. Watch and listen as sisters Ann
and Nancy Wilson ask the musical question-- "What About Love?" 


"What About Love?" - Heart
(July/Aug. 1985, highest chart pos. #8 Canada/#10 Hot 100,
#17 Cash Box/#3 U.S. Mainstream Rock & Canada Adult Contemporary





Hello, mate! I'm Jess Parker on the British
science-fiction television series Primeval.
 I'm the field coordinator of a team that
battles prehistoric creatures when they
break through time/space portals and
attack humans. My new show on
S-P-M-M Retro Radio is called
Primeval
Platterpus
I will be resurrecting groovy
platters from the 60s, 70s and
80s, records that might sound
like dinosaurs to younger ears,
but to Boomers, they're the
latest and the greatest.
It's yesterday once more!


CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Here's a sample of what I'll be playing on Primeval Platterpus.
The blokes and birds of the Swedish pop supergroup ABBA punctuate
our plight as we battle the beasts to save the human race. This is the
flip side of their 1974 hit "Waterloo," the first single released by
the group using the name ABBA. What do you do when
those primeval monsters appear? "Watch Out!" 


"Watch Out" - ABBA
(June/July 1974, B side of "Waterloo")




Editor's note: Meet Twisty, the deranged killer clown on
American Horror Story: Freak Show. Twisty is proud to join
The Shady Bunch in 2023 as the "silent DJ" of SPMM radio.


That's right. Twisty doesn't speak.
He simply stares at you, smiles,
does a little magic trick for you,
and then proceeds to kill you.
Nothing personal, but yeah...
you really need to die.

Twisty's new show on
SPMM will be called

Twisty the
Night Away

...and Twisty wants you
to hear a sample from
his play list. It's Elvis
the Pelvis in a scene
from his hit 1957
film Loving You!


"Twisty's Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do
(and You've Got a Lot O' Dyin' To Do)"
- Elvis Presley (scene from July 1957
movie Loathing You



I'm Adalind Schade a witch-like Hexenbiest on the fantasy police drama Grimm.
I'll be here in April 2023 along with six other celebrity contestants to take
The A to Z Challenge, a new trivia game series at Shady's Place.


It's called the A to Z Challenge
because four of the players have
names that begin with the letter
"A" like me, and the other three
players have names that begin
with "Z." The game proceeds
through the alphabet with
players taking turns naming
a recording artist whose name
begins with the corresponding
letter. For example, if it's my
turn to name a "B" music act,
 I could pick rock 'n' roll star
Johnny Burnette and score
10 extra points for playing
a Johnny Burnette song that
has a number in the title. 


CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

And here it is, from the soundtrack of American Graffiti
Johnny's top 10 hit-- "You're Sixteen!" 


"You're Sixteen" - Johnny Burnette
(Dec. 1960/Jan. 1961, highest chart pos. #7 Cash Box/#8 Hot 100)



Hi, I'm Zoe Baker, Beth Pearson's cousin
and Kevin's girlfriend on the hit family
TV drama This Is Us. I'm one of the "Z"
name players on the A to Z Challenge.
Let's suppose it's my turn to pick an
artist whose name begins with "M." 

CLICK TO START VIDEO NOW!

I could score 10 bonus points by choosing a
song by Mandy Moore, because the artist's
 first and last name both begin with "M."
Then I could gain 10 additional points
by making a Six Degrees connection,
because Mandy and I are on the same
TV show This Is Us. Here's Mandy
with her 2001 hit-- "In My Pocket!"


"In My Pocket" - Mandy Moore
(June 2001, highest chart pos. #11 Australia/#26 New Zealand,
#21 U.S. Mainstream Top 40/#102 Bubbling Under)



Hi, I'm Ainsley Whitly, an ambitious television news reporter on the hit
TV series Prodigal Son. This year, I and my colleagues, who are also
investigative journalists, will host a new S-P-M-M radio show called
The I-Team.
In this case, "I" does not stand for investigation, as in investigative
reporting. The title of every song we play on I-Team will start
with the letter "I"... We'll be spinning some uber cool tunes,
so "I" hope you'll join us. I also hope you enjoyed Pt. 1
of Shady's annual New Year's Day celebration.
Stick around for Pt. 2 coming up on Thursday. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

To play us off, here again is This Is Us star Mandy Moore with
the "I" song "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of The Week."
Now for Zoe, Adalind, Twisty, Jess, Stephanie and Dot,
this is Ainsley saying goodbye and see you soon! 


"I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of The Week" - Mandy Moore
(Apr./May 2009, highest chart pos. #14 Ukraine/#90 Hot 100


Twisty the Night Away!
premiering this year at Shady's Place!

33 comments:

  1. You have some good songs playing today.
    Happy New Year. Let's hope it's a nice, quiet year.
    I love the rat picture at the beginning. Makes me want a few more pet rats. Lol
    Not sure Falcor would appreciate it though. You know he slept right through all the fireworks last night. Lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Mary!

      By golly, dear friend, you are the Early Bird of 2023! Congratulations, happy new year and thank you for coming over at the start your day in Nevada.

      Yessum, I know you like rats. With Denny the Dell Rat and Belle Rat the Dell Rat reporting for DJ duty, Shady's Place will be teeming with them this year.

      I'm glad you liked the songs in my first post of the year, and thanks for letting me know that my buddy Falcor wasn't rattled by the noisy fireworks last night. Our kitty hid in the laundry basket.

      I do indeed hope it will be a nice quiet year in your neighborhood this year. Between all the sketchy characters you need to deal with and the criminal activity that routinely draws police to the scene, you have enough material to write a book.

      Thanks again for coming over and earning the Miss Early Bird 2023 title, dear friend Mary. I wish you and your family and Falcor a safe and happy year!

      Delete
    2. Thank you, Shady. Maybe one day I will pull all the stories together and write a book. I hope you have a great year ahead as well.

      Delete
  2. Happy New Year, dear friend! David's get together start time is still up in the air. So, here I am, checking out your New Year's Day special.

    I love the Shady Dell Rat and Belle Rat drawings. They always make my day. :) I agree with Mary, although I don't have any pet rats, but some day I would love a few. I also agree with Mary on this point: you have some wonderful songs playing today,

    Here's to looking ahead to 2023!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      Happy happy happy new year, dear friend! You arrived only 11 minutes after friend Mary (above). Thanks for hustling over on your New Year's morning to become the Miss Early Bird 2023 runner-up. Do you know what this means? Do you understand your responsibility? If, for any reason, Mary is unable to complete her year-long reign, YOU, Jessica, will be awarded the crown!

      I'm pleased that you are also fond of the rat artwork at the top of the post. Don't forget Jess Parker's Primeval Platterpus.

      I'm delighted that you like the tunes picked and played by these new full-time members of The Shady Bunch DJ squad. Twisty the killer clown says "hello" and wants you to know that his favorite band is ICP. :)

      I hope you have a great time with David and his roomies today. Once again, thanks for coming and happy new year to you, dear friend JM!

      Delete
    2. Hi Shady,

      I love Jess Parker's Primeval Platterpus too. :) Ohhh! I hope Twisty spins some ICP and Twiztid in the future.:)

      We had a great time last night. Things are really progressing well with David and we're on the same page. I'll send you an e-mail at some point.

      Happy January 2nd, dear friend!

      Delete
    3. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      I'm glad you got my joke about Twisty liking ICP. :) You and David should watch AHS: Freak Show starring Twisty, the serial killer clown as the primary villain, although there are one or two others in season 4 as well. Our friend Twisty goes on a rampage, and it's slice and dice fun for the whole family!

      Hey, I am very happy to know things went well on Meet the Fockers (roommates) night. I knew it would.

      Thanks again for stopping in and happy 1-2-23 to you as well. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!

      Delete
  3. Happy New Year, Shady, and thanks for getting us off to a rockin' start here? My favorite of the day is Heart's What About Love?.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kelly!

      Happy New Year, my dear Arkansas friend! I hope my buddy Pat and your other dog companions made it through the typically noisy New Year's Eve hoopla without getting spooked by firecrackers.

      I'm glad you singled out Heart and their comeback hit single "What About Love," a song originally waxed by a Canadian rock band called Toronto. I used that Heart power ballad in a video presentation I produced to promote the launch of the MTV station where I worked from the mid 80s to mid 90s. Heart gave us one rock classic after another, and my respect for the Wilson sisters has continued to grow through the years.

      I'm happy to know that you enjoyed your first Shady's Place visit of 2023, dear friend Kelly. Thanks again for joining the fun and have a wonderful year!

      Delete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what I'm talkin' about! Multiple comments are good as gold here at Shady's Place Music & Memories aka the Ghost Town of the Blog World. Thanks a lot, good buddy Kirk!

      Delete
  5. While I'm very familiar with the song, I did not know that was the first Jagger-Richards composition. Richards flashes a big smile while playing, maybe because he's happy something of his own (rather than a cover of an old blues song) is a hit. And though the song's lyrics are supposedly from the point of view of someone's who's fed up with a situation, Jagger looks quite gleeful. But then a hit will do that. Meanwhile, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman are just playing it cool. In fact, Wyman may be trying to outcool everyone with those shades of his.

    Growing up, I was more familiar with Ringo Starr's version of "You're Sixteen" but Burnett's original is definitely superior.

    Finally, I don't think that's a HEART that Mandy Moore is breaking at the end of the last video (unless he holds his hand to his crotch while standing for the National Anthem.)

    That's all I got. But the year is just beginning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, again, Kirk, and Happy New Year, good buddy! Thanks for coming over to salivate with me as we kick-off 2023 with music and merriment. Heck, I never went to bed last night. I'm still awake and partying, and I'm writing this reply to you with a lampshade on my head!

      I was excited to discover that nicely restored video of The Stones doing their hit "The Last Time," a perfect song to tease Dot Everest's timely new series starting soon on S-P-M-M radio. Mick always seems to be having a great time fronting his band of mates, no matter what the subject matter of the song. I'm glad you appreciated the vid.

      I am also delighted that you acknowledge this original version of "You're Sixteen," the one found in the OST of American Graffiti, recorded by Johnny Burnette. I agree that Johnny's version is a winner. It's got pizzazz. Johnny's younger brother Dorsey Burnette was also a recording artist. Poor Johnny died at age 30 when he drowned after a fishing boat accident. Brother Dorsey also died young, of a massive heart attack, at age 46.

      How about those two music videos by Mandy Moore? WOW, having watched her in the role of an aging mom and grandma on This Is Us, it's easy to forget that she was once a young pop princess following in Britney Spears' footsteps. That last song you mentioned, "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week," was released in 2009 on the album Amanda Leigh, Mandy's real first and middle names. 2009 was only 7 years before she assumed that very adult role as the star of This Is Us. The edgy music video for "I Could Break Your Heart" shows Mandy transforming from teeny popper into an empowered woman. Who knew she holds a black belt in crotch kicking?

      Thanks so much for coming early and starting the new year off right with music and laughs at Shady's Place, good buddy Kirk. Have a safe and happy year!

      Delete
  6. Did you stay up to watch the ball drop from Times Square last night? I did but had to wake Bill up so he could see it too and then we both went to bed. Gone are those wild party days for us I'm afraid.

    Twisty the clown is a little too scary for me but A Simple Favor sounds like a movie I might like.

    Some more great music here my friend. I wasn't familiar with Abba's Watch Out but have always liked Heart's What About Love. Thanks for sharing my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Janet!

      I'm delighted to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming by to help me kick-off 2023, and happy new year to you and my buddy Benny.

      I didn't stay up to watch the ball drop, but was still awake when the fireworks and firecrackers being set off in my neighborhood got particularly loud, signaling the stroke of midnight. I looked at the clock and confirmed it. Our black cat, Bootsie-Wootsie, hid in the laundry basket because the popping noise reminds him of gunfire. Yessum, it has been quite a few years since I regarded NYE as anything special and actually attended a party.

      Yessum, I think you'd like that Anna Kendrick movie A Simple Favor. I enjoyed it. Her mystery-solving character Stephanie now works here at Shady's Place as DJ with a unique kind of show. She will play songs with "who, what, when, where, why or how" in the titles, songs that ask questions.

      Knowing your taste, I figured you'd appreciate that classic power ballad by Heart. I bought ABBA's "Waterloo" single in 1974. It was the first ABBA record I owned and I played it often. However, I started playing the B side, "Watch Out!," even more frequently because I like its atypical male vocal and rock feel.

      I'm glad you enjoyed the musical lineup in Pt. 1 of my New Year 2023 special. Stay tuned for Pt. 2 coming your way on Thursday. You'll meet more new members of the Shady Bunch and hear more great sounds from your boomer youth. Thank you again for coming, dear friend Janet. Once again, happy new year to you and your family including my buddy Benny!

      Delete
  7. Twisty is rather creepy looking.
    Happy New Year my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Alex!

      It's great to see you, good buddy. Happy new Year!

      Yes, one of the new members of The Shady Bunch - "Mr. Personality" - Twisty the Killer Clown - says hello and welcome to the party. Twisty shares a Six-Degrees connection with Mandy Moore, because he was the star villain of American Horror Story: Freak Show. In that same season four series, the role of "Ima Wiggles the Fat Lady" was played by actress Chrissy Metz who went on to greater fame as Mandy Moore's daughter on This Is Us. As Twisty the Clown reminds us, it's a small world after all, and life's short, especially when he and his juggling clubs are nearby.

      Thanks again for dropping in, good buddy Alex!

      Delete
  8. Happy New Year!! First...thank you for showcasing an ABBA song that most people have not heard although it is not as rare as the King Kong song:) I enjoyed all these tunes even the Mandy Moore ones although they are not my favs but big surprise eh? LOL. I like how you paired them up especially that Loathing You song by Elvis with that very nasty clown. Of course, Elvis the Pelvis had to show his "clown" side at the end by telling off that poor guy who actually liked his singing. I am not a fan of Anna Kendrick, something about her makes me think she is not a very nice person, but I would like to see this show. All in all, very enjoyable and I am finally here. It will be a busy week for me to blog although Wandering Through The Shelves has curtailed her movie list to every other week except for Valentines and Halloween so i will do my own themes or take from her earlier theme year.
    I wish you and your wife and very healthy and good new year and, let's hope, that this year Putin and Trump are left in the dust and peace wins.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, again, Birgit!

      I was relieved to see you visiting Shady's Place and commenting on my last two posts. By leaving two comments in a single visit, you win a 30-foot-tall WACKY, WAVING, INFLATABLE, ARM FLAILING SHADY DEL KNIGHT TUBE MAN! Congratulations! All kidding aside, thanks for coming through for a faithful friend. Your visits and comments mean a lot to me. I hope the year is off to a fine start for you and my good buddy Harley. I'll bet he is taking an afternoon nap on the couch as I type this.

      I know you are a big ABBA fan, and I thank you for mentioning "Watch Out!, the seldom heard B side of the Swedish group's early career "Waterloo" hit single, a record that I still have in my collection. I'm glad you enjoyed all of the tunes in this New Year Part 1 show, and that you appreciated the chance to meet Twisty the Killer Clown who, I am told, is eager to ask you out on a date. I'm glad you caught my word play on the title of the Elvis song and the movie that has the song in its soundtrack. Coincidentally, Mrs. Shady's retarded brother (age 62, mental age 5) is visiting us from San Diego for more than a month. He is practically the president of the Elvis Presley fan club, and he's been binge watching Elvis movies the last few days. Elvis typically plays a cocky young upstart singer and/or race car driver impatiently trying to make the big time. His characters do act like rude, arrogant jerks much of the time, but the leading lady always LOVES him regardless.

      It's interesting that you don't particularly like Anna Kendrick. I don't know much about her, but I did enjoy her in that movie. I hope you can tolerate her Shady's Place series Stephanie Knows Who, because it will contain many great "question" songs.

      I look forward to whatever you have to offer on your BBC site in the coming week, and FYI, I will have Part 2 of my New Year special coming up on Thursday. I will remind you again when I comment on your post that day.

      I wish the same to you, your hubby and your lovable smooch pooch Harley. I'm with you, dearie, and agree with U.S.- friendly Russian vixen Nina Krilova when she urges, "Give Pizza a Chance." Once again, happy 2023 to you, dear friend BB, and have a wonderful week!

      Delete
  9. Happy New Year, Tom! I appreciate your visit yesterday bearing greetings and well wishes in 2023. :) I want the very best for you and the wifey, too. I enjoyed your song selections and will look for your next edition later in the week. Have a rockin' good time and let's make this best year of our lives, dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Cathy!

      Thanks for making time for a visit as we get 2023 rolling, dear friend!

      I wish I could take credit for the song selections, but I always allow the Shady Bunch DJs to program their own shows. :) I'm happy to know that you enjoyed their musical offerings.

      It's empowering to believe that we can make 2023 the best year of our lives. It's a lot healthier to have a positive outlook than to mope and be pessimistic, so I'm with you all the way.

      Thanks again for swinging over, dear friend Cathy, and enjoy this first week of the new year!

      Delete
    2. Tom,

      The Shady Bunch DJs did an amazing job with their song lineup. I failed to mention that I hadn't heard the song "Watch Out" before now. I don't know that I would even know who the band is had I only been listening to it. It doesn't sound much like ABBA's other songs. Well... the first week of the new year calls me to doing other things so I will scoot for now. Have a good week, my friend!

      Delete
    3. Hi, Cathy!

      It's very kind of you to return and follow our discussion thread, dear friend. Welcome back!

      I'm glad you like the songs picked and played by the newest members of The Shady Bunch. As you might have noticed, Adalind, Zoe and other celebrities will be participating in the Shady's Place version of the A To Z Challenge in April, so stay tuned for the official debut of their series.

      Yessum, "Watch Out!" is an atypical ABBA song because the male vocals are so prominent, and because it has a psychedelic rock feel. Soon after I bought the "Waterloo" single, I found myself flipping it over and listening to that great B side even more often than the hit A side.

      Thanks again for coming by, dear friend Cathy. I hope the first week of 2023 is putting a smile on your face and hope in your heart. I'll see you tomorrow at CAAC!

      Delete
  10. Happy New Year Shady! The goosebumps are still on my arms after seeing that terrifying clown! Yikes! The songs today were pretty good and seeing the Stones in their youth was fun. They look like little babies and it's amazing to think that Mick Jagger will be 80 this year and is still rocking. We should all be so lucky to be that active and busy at that age. Hmm...maybe the stories of their crazy youth were a bit exaggerated. Anyway, the Abba song was not familiar and didn't really sound like the Abba we all know and love. That crazy witch person with the face that turns scary reminds me of me getting up early to work today after having 2 weeks off! Ha! I hope you had a fun New Year celebration and I also hope 2023 at Shady's Place will be epic as always! I'll be here to join in! Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, YaYa!

      The gang's all here now that you have arrived, dear friend. Thanks for coming and happy new year to you!

      Twisty, the deranged, homicidal clown, says howdy and pleased to meetcha. :)

      Yessum, that nicely remastered video of the boyish looking Egg Mick-Jagger and The Rolling Stones performing in London on Top of The Pops in 1965 makes it hard to believe nearly 58 years have passed since the performance was taped. If I am still around at age 80, I fully intend be rocking as always. In fact, I have promised myself I'll never stop rocking.

      Yessum, as others have mentioned, that ABBA side is atypical. It is one of the few times we hear them doing rock rather than pop. Actually, "Watch Out!" reminds me of the Bubblegum pop-rock of the late 60s. Maybe that's why I have always liked it so much.

      Yessum, that's Adalind the Hexenbiest, one of my favorites from the NBC fantasy police TV series Grimm. I highly recommend the show, although I and many others found the series finale disappointing. Watch for Adalind, Zoe Baker from This Is Us and other celebrity hosts who will be staging their version of the A To Z Challenge in April.

      Mrs. Shady and I had a quiet New Year's celebration. We stayed home and rented movies. I've really seen some great ones in the last few days including three Amy Adams movies: Talladega Nights, The Muppets and Man Of Steel, along with the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, and the hilarious Johnny Cash parody movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story starring John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer. I loved them all and recommend them all.

      Thank you for the cheery new year greeting. I hope it will be a great year for your large and wonderful family as well. Thanks again for making time to visit and experience Part 1 of my annual "Year Of The Dell Rat" feature. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming up on Thursday.

      Happy new year, dear friend YaYa!

      Delete
  11. Twisty is positively the creepiest clown I've ever seen! *Shudder* I enjoyed the Mic Jagger video. Nice to see him in his early days.

    Wishing you a very Happy, healthy 2023!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Sherry!

      Happy new year, dear friend! How's 2023 treating you so far?

      I'm glad to have you here as I begin another calendar year of blogging. As you know, you are one of my oldest friends on the blog circuit, going all the way back to the dawning of the 2010s. I appreciate having you in my world all these years.

      Yessum, Twisty the insane, serial killer clown says hello and invites you to tune in his new S-P-M-M radio show entitled Twisty the Night Away. It's a Halloween treat for the whole family! :)

      I'm glad you enjoyed that early performance by The Rolling Stones appearing on the popular and long-running UK music show Top of The Pops.

      Thank you for the well wishes for '23, dear friend Sherry. I hope your first full year as a newlywed will be a very happy one and, for you professionally, a year of prosperity. Happy new year!

      Delete
  12. Happy New Year, Tom! I hope you and Mrs. Shady had a wonderful Christmas. I've been a little MIA when it comes to staying on top of my blog reading the last several months. I accepted a teaching position so I've been learning how to balance work life with home life again, without sacrificing anything in between. I think I've about got it figured out and hope to be back on a regular blogging schedule this year. Here's hoping 2023 is a good one!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Ashton!

      I'm delighted to see you, my dear old "double digit" friend! Of course, double digit friends are the select group that have been following me ten years or more, and you are well beyond that threshold.

      I am happy to learn that you have taken a teaching position. Good teachers are a vital resource for this country, and I'm sure you are one of the finest. I realize it will be a challenge for you to balance your life, but it is what millions of young mothers do, and I'm sure you will make it work.

      Ashton, I have stated this before, but your loyal friendship through the years means a great deal to me. We go way back to your early post-college years, and look at all the exciting changes and developments that have taken place in your life since then. Watching Alexis grow and learn so much from mommy has warmed my heart.

      I wish you and your family many blessings in 2023, dear friend Ashton. Thanks again for visiting your home away from home - Shady's Place Music & Memories - and please come back and see me again soon!

      Delete
  13. From Johnny Burnette to Mic in the early days to Twisty...I think you've covered it all, Shady. Loved scrolling through your highly imaginative and entertaining post on this first Wednesday of the new year. Hope you and yours keep well and thrive through 2023!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Cheryl-Lee!

      I'm excited that you made time for a visit, dear friend! Happy new year to you!

      I'm glad you enjoyed these jarring juxtapositions, a mix of sweet, sassy and sinister celebrity presenters playing songs from their upcoming radio shows here at Shady's Place.

      Most of the songs on Twisty's playlist are old school rock & roll like that number by Elvis. Twisty loves The Pelvis, so look and listen for lots of classics by The King coming up on Twisty's show. I'm glad you also enjoyed that early performance vid of Mick and his merry mates.

      Thank you again for completing another calendar year of faithful friendship, Cheryl-Lee. I wish the same for you - health, happiness and prosperity in 2023. Happy new year, dear friend!

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  14. Hello Shady, and thanks for the first songs and videos of the New Year. I noticed you heard firecrackers from your house at midnight as did I. Then lots of young adults out on their balconies shouting, "Happy New Year!" I do hope it will be a good year for all of them.

    I enjoyed watching the Stones sing, "The Last Time." Someone commented Mick is 80 years old now. And I thought I was old! But hey, I hope he keeps singing in his nineties. I liked the song you chose. "What About Love," is a great song and I do remember it. I love Abba, but didn't care too much for the song. Seeing Elvis reminded me of when movie videos came out and Dan and I watched all the old Elvis movies. We really enjoyed them, even if some of them were a little corny. He made some very good movies too. His lovely face and beautiful voice made every movie special. It's nice your brother-in-law has been enjoying his movies too.

    I have always loved, "You're Sixteen," by Johnny Burnette. It's one of those songs I would listen to as a teen and wish someone felt like that towards me. As an adult, I wish I would have felt excited to do homework. Lol. I doubt a man could sing that song today and get away with it. There were lots of "Sixteen" songs back then and I loved them all.

    Mandy Moore has a lovely, distinctive voice. I don't know her music at all, but I enjoyed it. I'm not sure her video would fly these days either. All of us are hyper-aware of what not to do or say to others. Not such a bad thing.

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    1. Hi, Belle!

      Goodness, I almost missed this comment of yours, dear friend. When I published my new post this morning, I forgot to check the old one for late arriving comments. I'm glad I found yours. Thanks so much for coming by and letting me know what you thought of my Part 1 post saluting the new year 2023!

      Yessum, it was fairly noisy in our neighborhood on New Year's Eve, and our kitty ran and hid, but it wasn't as bad as some years I can recall. Maybe that's because the skies were overcast that night, making it harder for people on the ground to appreciate the rocket's red glare and bombs bursting in air.

      Yessum, in that nicely restored vintage clip, we get to see the young Rolling Stones as they looked in 1965. You and I were age 15 and Mick was turning 22 at the time. The Heart song "What About Love?" is one of the greatest power ballads ever written and recorded. In my opinion, it has stood the test of time and is a classic. We played that music video heavily on the MTV station where I worked, and I also used it in a promotional presentation I put together for the station's launch party.

      I'm surprised that you and other friends, with the exception of BB (above), had a mostly negative reaction to the ABBA flip side. It is one of my very favorite songs by the group, because it is spirited and packs a rock punch.

      Yessum, as you know, we have been binge watching Elvis movies for several days now to keep Mrs. Shady's brother entertained. He is practically president of the Elvis fan club. He sits for hours watching his idol sing, dance and make romance. I've been glancing at the movies from time to time as I busy myself with other projects, and have seen Elvis paired on the screen with Shelley Fabares, Dolores Hart, Stella Stevens, Judy Tyler, Ann-Margret, Donna Douglas and others. As you might recall, Mary Tyler Moore was the leading lady in the final Elvis movie Change of Habit (1969). Mary played a nun. We have also been playing The Mary Tyler Moore Show for our house guest.

      Yessum, "You're Sixteen" is a catchy song and one of the most familiar hits of the early 60s, thanks in part to its use in the soundtrack of the hit movie American Graffiti. Yessum, as you mentioned, the lyrics are somewhat racy considering the fact that it is referring to a 16 year old underage girl:

      Well, you're my baby, you're my pet
      We fell in love on the night we met
      You touched my hand, my heart went "pop"
      And ooh, when we kissed we could not stop

      Maybe you and I are reading too much into those lyrics, but that's how the song strikes us, and we are entitled to our interpretation. It seems odd that a decade later, the nervous Ed Sullivan censors asked Gary Puckett to change the words of his hit song "Lady Willpower" from "Did no one ever tell you the facts of life" to "Did no one ever tell you the WAY of life."

      Yessum, I was shocked to see straight-laced pop princess Mandy Moore kick that man in the groin. Seems different words and actions are acceptable in some time periods more than others. I think Britney Spears paved the way for young female singers to appear more bold and aggressive in videos and that's what Mandy Moore's handlers were going for in that one.

      Thanks again for being here for Part 1 of my salute to the new year 2023, dear friend Belle. I hope you and your family are all in good health and in good spirits. Check out Part 2 if you have time. Take care and I hope to connect with you again soon!

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