Candy-Colored Clowns and Candy-Coated Songs : Meet "The Lynch Mob" and Explore the Jarring Juxtaposition of Beauty and Terror!

IT IS HAPPENING

...AGAIN.

One of my favorite directors, David Lynch...

Image courtesy of du-har @ deviantart.com

 ...has mastered the use of innocent love songs to create a sense of uneasiness

as you watch his twisted tales of mystery and horror. As Lynch's characters

sing their songs, you can't shake the feeling that something bad is about

to happen. This subject came up recently when my friend Cathy and

I were discussing a song that I posted - "Triangle" by Janie Grant.

We agreed that Janie's teen-pop ditty would work well in a Lynch

 project. In addition to building suspense and apprehension,

pop songs are used as a counterpoint or contrapuntal

device, meaning that the lyrics and mood of the

music deliberately contradict the images

appearing on the screen. 

Meet "The Lynch Mob..."

...some of my favorite characters from David Lynch movies and TV series.

They will introduce a few songs that were actually used by Lynch in his

productions, along with a few other songs that are well suited for

the quirky director's darkside stories.

I'm FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. 

Here's the type of sweet, innocent, tender love song that is used by David Lynch

to lull you into a false sense of security before he lowers the boom. Watch the

following video. At some point in the song, an uneasy feeling will creep in

and creep you out. If this were a scene from a scary movie, you would

know that something terrible is about to happen, but you wouldn't

know exactly what or when. The tension leading up to the actual

terror on the screen can become unbearable, and deliciously so. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!  

Imagine the lovely Paris Sisters, Priscilla, Albeth and Sherrell,

setting you up for the chainsaw massacre as they sweetly sing

their cover of Bobby Darin's "Dream Lover" on Bandstand. 

"Dream Lover" - The Paris Sisters

(June/July 1964, highest chart pos. #91 Hot 100/#94 Cash Box,

performance on June 27, 1964, ep. of American Bandstand) 

I'll have what they're havin'! Did you effen see that?

I'm Frank "Effen" Booth from the effen David Lynch film Blue Velvet,

and you just watched the effen Paris Sisters performing baby wants an

effen "Dream Lover" on a 1964 episode of American Bandstand. 

The sibling trio's biggest hit is another song that's effen Lynch perfect, and the

demented director used it in his 2017 Twin Peaks revival series. Imagine an

effen ax murder taking place as you listen to-- "I Love How You Love Me." 

"I Love How You Love Me" - The Paris Sisters

(Oct./Nov. 1961, highest chart pos. #5 Hot 100/#7 Cash Box) 

I'm Audrey Horne...

bad girl breaking badder

on Twin Peaks. That hit

single by The Paris Sisters,

"I Love How You Love Me,"

was produced by Phil Spector

...and so was this next one. 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

You'll swear you're watching a

deleted scene from a David Lynch

thriller as you experience the sibs

in the British film It's Trad, Dad!

released in the U.S. as Ring-A-

Ding Rhythm! The Paris Sisters

ask the musical question--

"What Am I To Do"? 

"What Am I To Do" - The Paris Sisters

(B side of "Let Me Be The One," scene from

Mar. 1962 film It's Trad, Dad! aka Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!) 

I'm an aspiring young actress named

Betty Elms... or is it Diane Selwyn?

I'm confused and I know you are too.

Twenty years ago, David Lynch gave

my clone, actress Naomi Watts, her big

break and brought mind bending mystery to

theaters in Mulholland Drive. In this scene

from the film, Lynch makes effective use of

Linda Scott's hit "I've Told Every Little Star." 

"I've Told Every Little Star" - Linda Scott

(Apr./May 1961, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100/#6 Cash Box,

scene from Oct. 2001 film Mulholland Drive) 

I'm Bob, the shapeshifting demon on Twin Peaks.

 

The pop/jazz standard "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" was first recorded

in 1931 by Ricky Nelson's dad Ozzie Nelson. A version by The Mamas

And The Papas with Cass Elliot on lead vocals was released as a

single in 1968 and brushed the top 10. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

LA-based YouTube star Anne Reburn took the dreamy ballad,

made it her own and performed it in a video that looks

like it was produced by David Lynch himself!

"Dream A Little Dream Of Me"

cover by Anne Reburn (Sept. 2019)

Hey there, we're Lula and Sailor from Wild At Heart.

 Here's another sweet and innocent hit by another sister act, also from LA.

They're Patience & Prudence (McIntyre). Like the other songs in this feature,

the one this sister duo made famous practically begs to be used as a suspense

builder or counterpoint song. Turns out it was featured in four episodes of

American Horror Story season 1 - Murder House and also in the psycho

thriller TV series You. Imagine Rubber Man impaling an unsuspecting

victim as Patience & Prudence sing-- "Tonight You Belong To Me." 

"Tonight You Belong To Me" - Patience And Prudence

(Sept./Oct. 1956, highest chart pos. #3 Cash Box/#4 Hot 100)

I'm back, you effen effer! 

Thought you were effen rid of me? Effen think again!

In 1963, effen rock & roll legend Roy Orbison scored a top 10 hit with the

song "In Dreams." In 1986, David Lynch used a re-recorded version of

Orbison's operatic ballad of lost love in his neo-noir mystery thriller

film Blue Velvet, starring yours bluntly, Frank effen Booth! 

"In Dreams" - Roy Orbison

(1986 re-recorded ver., scenes from Aug. 1986 film Blue Velvet) 

I'm The Log Lady. My log does not judge. That's your job. 

My inquiring log wants to know. Did you find "Sixteen Reasons" to like these

sweet but oh-so-creepy pop hits? The Lynch Mob has logged a lot of time here

at Shady's Place. As we bid you farewell... remember that the answer is within

the question, and if you shut your eyes you'll burst into flames. Sweet dreams! 

"Sixteen Reasons" - Connie Stevens

(scene from Oct. 2001 film Mulholland Drive) 

Cruisin' 1959 and Huntin' With Hunter!

 It's time to do some Cruisin'! 

Cruisin' is the vinyl album series first released in 1970 through 1973.

Cruisin' did a great job of simulating top 40 radio broadcasts of the
1950s and 60s, each volume hosted by one of the great radio
personalities of the period.  Like other posts in the series,
this one contains songs found on the original Cruisin'
album along with a few other cool sounds from the
same year. It's 1959. Hop in and we'll cruise out
to the West Coast, hit the Sunset Strip and go
Huntin' with Hunter!

 HUNTER HANCOCK 

 KGFJ, Los Angeles 

 RAY CHARLES 

In 1966, the Strangeloves sang "Night Time (that's the right time)."
In writing their hit, the Strangeloves trio of Feldman, Goldstein
and Gottehrer borrowed lyrics from another song entitled
"The Right Time,"  first recorded in the fall of 1957

by R&B singer Nappy Brown.

A year later "The Genius," Ray Charles,
covered the song backed by his famous
girl group The Raelettes, and released it
with the title "(Night Time Is) The Right
Time." Brother Ray's single barely
registered on the pop chart but
went top 5 on the R&B side.

 "(Night Time Is) The Right Time" - Ray Charles 

 (Feb. 1959, highest chart pos. #95 Pop/#5 R&B) 

 PAUL ANKA 

Hunter Hancock's radio show focused on "Negro music," as he
called it, but I'm adding a couple scoops of vanilla to the mix,
songs by white artists that were popular in 1959.

A few months from now Paul Anka,
the teen heartthrob of the Fifties, will
turn age 79.  Best known for his string
of pop ballads aimed at teenagers, Anka
was also a prolific songwriter, responsible
for writing the theme of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson along with one of
Frank Sinatra's signature songs "My Way."

Paul Anka also has a list of acting credits.
Here he is in the role of Jimmy Parlow in
the 1959 movie Girls Town singing his
top 5 charting hit "It's Time To Cry."

 "It's Time To Cry" - Paul Anka 

 (Dec. 1959, highest chart pos. #4 

 scene from Oct. 1959 movie Girls Town) 

 BIG JAY MCNEELY & 

 LITTLE SONNY WARNER 

In 1964 soul man Garnet Mimms recorded an excellent rendition of the song
"There is Something on Your Mind." In the fall of 2008, York's hometown heroes,
The Del-Chords, performed the song live at the White Oaks Reunion.

The definitive version of "There is
Something on Your Mind" is the one
Hunter Hancock introduced in this
1959 edition of Cruisin' .  Tenor sax
showstopper Big Jay McNeely and
his band teamed up with satin smooth
vocalist Little Sonny Warner to record
this bluesy ballad, one of the best
sounds on the radio in 1959.

 "There is Something on Your Mind" 

 Big Jay McNeeley with vocal by Little Sonny Warner 

 (July 1959, highest chart pos. #44 Pop/#5 R&B) 

 DINAH WASHINGTON 

Pianist and jazz singer Dinah Washington called herself Queen of the Blues
and was arguably the most popular black female recording artist of the 50s.

Dinah's first top ten pop chart hit came
in the summer of 1959 when she released
"What a Diff'rence a Day Makes," a cover
of a top 5 pop hit achieved in 1934 by
the Dorsey Brothers. Sadly Dinah died
of a drug overdose at the age of 39
three weeks after the assassination
of President John F. Kennedy.

What a difference a dark
day in history makes.

 "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" - Dinah Washington 
 (Aug. 1959, highest chart pos. #8 Pop/#4 R&B) 

 BROOK BENTON 

When Dinah Washington recorded the top 5 hit "Baby (You've Got
What It Takes)" as a duet with Brook Benton, there came a point
in the song when Benton accidentally began singing Dinah's part.
Dinah corrected him and reportedly stormed out of the studio
at the end of the session, leaving producers no choice but to
release the recording in its imperfectly perfect form.

A younger generation might remember
Brook Benton for his 1970 hit single
"Rainy Night in Georgia" but, in '59,

Brook had a huge Pop/R&B hit with
a ballad he co-wrote with Clyde Otis
entitled "It's Just a Matter of Time."

 "It's Just a Matter of Time" - Brook Benton 
 (Apr. 1959, highest chart pos. #3 Pop/#1 R&B) 

 EDD BYRNES 

 AND CONNIE   STEVENS 

He played "Kookie" Kookson the 3rd,
the street wise, hair combing, jive-
talking hipster on the hit television
 detective series 77 Sunset Strip.

She was Cricket Blake, the perky photog, lounge singer, and part time sleuth
on the hit TV detective series Hawaiian Eye. Cricket Blake was most likely the
inspiration for Cricket Blair, the blonde tressed model turned lawyer on Y&R.

Together, Kookie and Cricket made sweet music, if you want to call it that.
"Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)," a novelty single performed by
Edd Byrnes and Connie Stevens, was released at a time when the buzz-
worthy young stars were seeing a meteoric rise in the value of their stock.
Byrnes was already riding high as the breakout scene stealer on 77 Sunset
Strip and Connie was in production on Hawaiian Eye, a series that would
send her popularity skyrocketing in the months and years that followed.

Connie Stevens and Edd "Kookie" Byrnes were hip and trendy and so was

their record. Radio stations played it and fans bought it. While serious

artists bristled, "Lend Me Your Comb" brushed past other records

on the chart and reached the top 5 by a hair.  Like, lay it on me!

 "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" 

 Edward Byrnes and Connie Stevens 

 (June 1959, highest chart pos. #4) 

Rad, dad! Now let's kick our jets

and like blow this scene, baby!

 Don't miss the next thrill packed 

 episode of Cruisin' coming soon! 

Have a Shady day!