The Big O - Ozark's Wendy, Darlene and Ruth Give You Your First Glimpse of "The Last Resort"

Now throw your hands up in the air

and wave 'em round like you

just don't (BEEP) care.

COLD OPEN:

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

"Way Down We Go" - Kaleo

(Sept./Oct. 2015, highest chart pos. #1

Billboard's Alternative Songs and Rock Airplay,

scenes from Netflix TV series Ozark) 

Kicking off the show,

that was the Icelandic

rock band Kaleo with

"Way Down We Go,"

a 2015 hit single from

their first album A/B,

and scenes from our

Netflix crime drama

 TV series Ozark. 

Hi, I'm Wendy Byrde, wife of Ozark star Marty Byrde and mother of two.

Formerly Chicago residents, we're now living the good life, operating

a restaurant and other businesses in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri,

the Midwest's premier lake resort destination.

A little about me? Well, let's see.

I do some P-R work for political

campaigns, do some lobbying

for a casino project and

dabble in real estate.

 Oh, and I also help hubby Marty with his career in money laundering...

help him cover it up and lie to the FBI...

 help negotiate deals with a murderous Mexican drug cartel...

and help smooth things over with an equally murderous local

 heroine producer and crime boss and his hot-tempered wife.

 

Yep.... I guess I'm just

your typical American

soccer mom. 

And I'm Ruth Langmore (below)... a young Ozark woman who

belongs to a family of (BEEP) low-life white trash criminals.

 My diddy's just outta jail and already (BEEP) robbin' gas stations and such.

As for me, I manage a strip club

and (BEEP) kill people when

it becomes necessary. Taking

all that into account, I'm still

the (BEEP) most upstanding

member of my clan and one

of the most honest, morally

straight characters on Ozark.

That should tell you what

you're (BEEP) workin'

with if you decide to

watch the show.  

Like me, folks around these parts don't do a lot of (BEEP)

smilin'. Take my neighbor, for example - farm woman

Darlene Snell (below)... wife of the heroin producer

and crime kingpin Wendy mentioned earlier. 

This (above) is a pic of Darlene flashin' the (BEEP) biggest,

brightest smile I ever seen on her. Say "cheese," babe...

or "poppy fields." Don't make no difference, hon. 

Ruthie and I welcome you

to this sneak preview of

our new radio show

  The   

 Big O 

coming soon to

Shady's Place

and S-P-M-M

Retro Radio.

In this case, the big O stands for Ozark, the name of our

wildly popular and critically acclaimed Netflix series.

On our radio show, we'll present songs used in the soundtrack

of our TV show, plus great songs with titles that start

with the letter "O." See how it works?

By now you know that Marty

and I have our hands full

dealing with bad hombres

as we conduct our risky

business in the Ozarks.

Complicating our lives

further is my teenage

daughter, Charlotte.

We discovered that

she's been lying to us,

hanging out with a

local bad boy and

smoking a ton

of weed.

CLICK TO

START VIDEO!

I'm playing an "O" song that relates to what's happening with Charlotte.

It's classic folk-rock by Midwestern natives Brewer & Shipley from the

spring of '71, the biggest hit of their career-- "One Toke Over The Line!" 

"One Toke Over The Line" - Brewer & Shipley

(Apr./May 1971, highest chart pos. #8 Cash Box/#10 Hot 100)

 

Up next, a Leiber & Stoller song

first waxed by The Drifters in 1958.

The more successful version was

laid down in '63 by Dion DiMucci,

the swaggering singer/songwriter

who fronted the 50s vocal group

Dion And the Belmonts. Out on

his own in the 60s, Dion became

one of the most popular American

rock and roll performers of the

pre-Beatles, pre-British Invasion

era. Dion's here to sing one of his

biggest solo hits, a song that made

the top 5 during Christmas season

 in 1963. It is also the first of our

featured songs ripped directly

from the soundtrack of Ozark.

 CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

When it rains it (BEEP) pours on Ozark,

and Dion's got the song-- "Drip Drop!" 

"Drip Drop" - Dion

(Dec. 1963, highest chart pos. #5 Cash Box/#6 Hot 100) 

Now here's another song from

the soundtrack of Ozark, this

one recorded by a (BEEP)

awesome Southern and

 Country rock band from

Springfield, Missouri. 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

Check out The Ozark Mountain

Daredevils doing their signature

song, an international hit single

that topped the U.S. chart in the

spring of 1975-- "Jackie Blue!" 

"Jackie Blue" - Ozark Mountain Daredevils

(Apr./May 1975, highest chart pos. #1 Cash Box/#3 Hot 100,

performance on British TV show Old Grey Whistle Test) 

Our next featured "O" song

is a ditty written and originally

recorded near the end of 1957

by Country star Don Gibson

along with Chet Atkins. 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

In his unique way, Johnny Rivers

covered the song and made it his

own. Here's Johnny, live at the

Whisky à Go Go, performing--

"Oh Lonesome Me!" 

"Oh Lonesome Me" - Johnny Rivers

(from Feb. 1964 live album Johnny Rivers at the Whisky à Go Go) 

That's all we got. We hope you liked this sneak peek

at our new SPMM radio series.  Stick around. Coming up

on the flip side of Gary Owens' news, Ellie Appleton presents 

 Yesterday Once More 

... a sneak preview of her new series, plus a look at other new shows

premiering soon on S-P-M-M Retro Radio... the station with personality.

START VIDEO!

In parting, I swear on my

diddy's life (sentence) that,

one way or another... I'm

gonna shed the curse of

my family name, blow

this (BEEP) pop stand

and make somethin' of

myself. Playin' us off is

Blondie with a song that

inspires me to do that.

Now for Wendy Byrde

and Darlene Snell, I'm

Ruth Langmore urging

you to catch our show

  The   

 Big O 

coming real soon

to Shady's Place.

See ya then!

"One Way Or Another" - Blondie

(July/Aug. 1979, highest chart pos. #24 Hot 100,

#7 Canada, perf. on Dutch TV series TopPop) 

Plan B (Soft) - Volume 2: The Case of Ruby... The Carnival Girl Who Took Her Love to Town!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

 "Batholomew" - The Silent Comedy 

 (from 2010 album Common Faults, theme 
 from season 1 of TV series Goliath 

 THE CASE OF RUBY... 

 THE CARNIVAL GIRL WHO 

 TOOK HER LOVE TO TOWN! 

 "Ruby Baby' - Dion 

 (Feb/Mar. 1963, highest chart pos. #2 Hot 100/#3 Cash Box) 

Our client's name is Ruby.

Ruby is a "carny"...

a carnival worker.

She operates a very

successful kissing booth.

In the trade it's called

a "smooch booth."

Ruby is a good kid...

a nice girl. She means well.

Ruby was my mother's name.

Our client stands accused of

pitting brother against brother

in a tug-of-war to win her

hand and other body parts.

I'm Jimmy Berluti...

an associate at the Boston

law firm of Donnell, Young,

Dole & Frutt on the hit

TV series The Practice.

They call me Jimmy the Grunt
because I'm strictly a working-class
stiff - no pretense, just a regular guy
practicing law, and I'm gonna keep
on practicing until I get it right.

I'm Patty

Solis-Papagian...

a DUI lawyer/real estate agent

who works with Santa Monica

attorney Billy McBride (who

bears a striking resemblance

to Billy Bob Thornton) on the

hit television series Goliath.

And I'm

Kim Wexler...

a lawyer who previously worked

at a successful law firm based

in Albuquerque. Currently,

I'm sharing office space with

"Slippin' Jimmy" McGill aka

Saul Goodman, a small-time

lawyer on the hit TV series

Better Call Saul, a spin-

off of Breaking Bad.

We welcome you to

Plan B (Soft)...
a very different kind of radio show
coming to you exclusively here on
S-P-M-M, the number one station
for crimes and investigation. On
every show I, along with my law
partners, bring you in on actual
court cases and reveal our secret
strategy as we defend clients
and help them beat the rap.

As experienced lawyers, Patty,

Kim and I make a formidable

dream team. We lay down the

law, mount a rigorous defense.

Remember our slogan: "Your

problems will be little 'cause

we always win acquittal."

Now,  I can hear some of

you asking, "What exactly do

you mean by Plan B (Soft)?"

"Plan B" is where we create

reasonable doubt in the minds

of the jurors that our client is
guilty. We do that by pointing

the finger at somebody else

and suggesting that they

did the crime. 

 

Kim, Patty and I intend to prove beyond a reasonable

doubt, in fact, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there

is no better radio show anywhere than the one we

are hosting on S-P-M-M. As you will see & hear,

the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable.

Now back to our case.

Right off the bat, I ask
you not to hate our
client simply because
she's beautiful. Listen
closely to her story

and give her a fair trial.

In a nutshell (and in a taxi
cab)... Ruby came to me
and revealed that she
is charged with first
degree "HB&E" - heart-
breaking and entering

(into promiscuity).

Don't judge on the basis of looks alone. Make no mistake, ladies
and gentlemen of the jury. Ruby is not a floozy. She is not a hussy.

She is wholesome, prim and proper, a nice, down to earth
girl from a good family, raised right by her mama.

The evidence will show that Ruby and
her family lived in the country and
were dirt poor. That being the case,
Ruby was miserable, always longing
for something better and looking for
a chance to break free of her hard life.

The fact of the matter is that Ruby's morals were corrupted the night

she took a walk before dark to a swingin' place called Kennywood Park.

 "Kennywood Park" Freddy Cannon 

 (1986 rerecording of "Palisades Park") 

From the moment Ruby got a
taste of fun and excitement at
that amusement park, her life

became a roller-coaster ride.
She made up her mind once
and for all to pull up stakes
and put her bleak life in
the boondocks behind her.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

 "Goodbye cruel world!" Ruby cried.
"I'm off to join the circus!" or...
in Ruby's case... the carnival.

 "Goodbye Cruel World" - James Darren 

 (Nov./Dec. 1961, highest chart pos. #2 Cash Box/#3 Hot 100) 

Ruby packed her bags

and bade farewell to her

high school sweetheart.

He said "Goodbye, Ruby"

on a Tuesday. (See what

I did there?) She threw

caution to the wind...

rolled the dice and

gave the wheel of

fortune a spin.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

In short... Ruby took her love
to town and never looked back.

 "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" 

 - Kenny Rogers And The First Edition 

 (July/Aug. 1969, highest chart pos. #6 Hot 100/#7 Cash Box) 

Ruby took to her new life with the carnival like a fish to water.

Before long she had found not one

but two new boyfriends, and they

turned out to be brothers. One

brother was the tilt-a-whirl

guy, and the other ran

the bumper car track.

It was only a matter of time before a lovers' triangle

developed and someone got hurt.

Objection, your honor! Badgering! The prosecution's claim
that my client regards men as playthings, as nothing

more than toys, lacks foundation and is prejudicial.

I also move to strike! Counsel's
assertion that our client is afraid
to take the witness stand in her
own defense calls for spec-
ulation and is without merit.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Ruby wants the truth to come out.
She has stated on numerous
occasions, both publicly and
privately: "I Wanna Testify!"

 "I Wanna Testify" - The Parliaments 

 (Aug./Sept. 1967, highest chart pos. #3 R&B, 
 #18 Cash Box/#20 Hot 100)

Ladies and gentlemen, I totally concur

with what my distinguished colleague

Miss Wexler just told you. I assure you

that our client is eager to clear her name. 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Ruby takes her sworn oath to tell

the truth and nothing but the truth

 very seriously. In our pretrial prep

sessions she has repeated over and

over again-- "Ain't Gonna Lie."

 "Ain't Gonna Lie" - Keith 

 (Oct./Nov. 1966, highest chart pos. 
 #31 Cash Box/#39 Hot 100) 

In the end, Ruby negotiated a deal on her own behalf

whereby she meets behind closed doors with the judge

in his chambers every Saturday night for a year.

Citing Ruby's very good behavior, the judge released
her on her own recognizance. 

The Case of Ruby...

The Carnival Girl Who
Took Her Love to Town

was a media circus, but the trial

is over and the case is closed.
Thanks for being here. Stay
tuned on the other side of
news for that nifty missy

 of the fabulous Fifties

Joyce Martin who will

be here with the latest

edition of her show

 Joyce Martin's

a Gold Digger...

Joyce is a good kid...a nice girl.... she means well. Joyce was my mother's name.

And stick around because we'll be back soon with another true
crime story ripped from our case files. Till then remember this.
If you're in an accident, Better Call Saul or Billy McBride.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

But if you need a music fix and need it real bad, call our lawfirm. Remember
too that suspicion equals reasonable doubt, and that's what Plan B (Soft) is
all about. Now for my partners Kim Wexler and Patty Solis-Papagian this is
Jimmy Berluti reminding you to treat your mama real nice. See you next time!

Cruisin' 1962 with "The Weird Beard" - Russ Knight!

 It's time once again to hop in the old jalop 

 and go Cruisin' thru top 40 radio history. 

This is the blog series
that pays tribute to
the Cruisin' albums,
those simulated radio
broadcasts hosted by
some of the greatest
top 40 deejays of
the 50s and 60s.

As I have done in the past,

I will play five songs that

were included on the

original Cruisin' album,

plus another record

that was popular

the same year.

To transport us back in
time, set the mood and
create a party atmosphere,
I tacked up on the wall
these nostalgic vintage
soda pop print ads.

 The year is 1962 and we're we're going 

 Cruisin' deep in the heart of Texas - 

 Dallas to be exact. 

 That's where we meet... 

 RUSS "WEIRD BEARD" KNIGHT 

 "the Savior of Dallas radio" 

  on radio station KLIF. 

Listen to this brief show intro to get Russ Knight's voice stuck in your head:

This first record actually peaked

around Christmas 1961, but Russ

Knight played it on Cruisin' 1962.

It's the biggest hit for Philly-born

singer and actor James Darren

whose film credits include the

1960 movie Because They're

Young starring Dick Clark

and the ongoing role of

"Moondoggie," Gidget's

boyfriend, in a string of

Gidget flicks. On the small

screen, Darren was one of

the stars of the police

drama T.J. Hooker.

Here's James Darren landing in the top 3 winner's circle

singing the biggest hit of his career- "Goodbye Cruel World."

"Goodbye Cruel World" - James Darren

(Dec. 1961, highest chart pos. #2 Cash Box/#3 Hot 100)

The duo of Don Gardner of Philly and

 Dee Dee Ford of Newark, NJ, scored

their only hit in 1962 with the R&B

song "I Need Your Lovin'." At a time

when records played on top 40 radio

rarely ran as long as 3 minutes, the

Gardner-Ford single ran 5:45 and

was divided into two parts. Most

stations played only the second

segment. The record also has a

false ending. It fades to silence

only to have Don start shouting

and singing again. 

This feature was inspired by gospel singers of the period

who pushed beyond the supposed end of songs, implying

that they were filled with Holy Spirit and couldn't stop.

Here now are Don & Dee Dee singing the full length

version of their top 5 R&B hit "I Need Your Lovin'."

"I Need Your Lovin'" - Don Gardner And Dee Dee Ford

(July/Aug. 1962, highest cht. pos. #4 R&B/#16 Cash Box/#20 Hot 100)

Here's another record by a Philadelphia

act that was included on Russ Knight's

playlist at KLIF Dallas. It's by a doo-

wop group called The Sensations.

The act enjoyed a few earlier hits

on the R&B chart before breaking

through to crossover success with

"Let Me In," a single that peaked

in the top 5 on the pop surveys.

"Let Me In" - The Sensations

(Mar. 1962, highest chart pos.

#2 R&B/#3 Cash Box/#4 Hot 100)

Texas native Barbara Lynn was not the typical female recording artist of 1962.

The African American R&B singer wrote most of her own songs and, as a

left-handed guitarist, played a lead instrument and fronted an all-girl band.

Barbara released one single, "Dina And Patrina," on a tiny local label

before hitting big with the bluesy ballad "You'll Lose A Good Thing"

which topped the R&B chart and went top 10 pop.

"You'll Lose A Good Thing" - Barbara Lynn

(Aug. 1962, highest chart pos. #1 R&B/#4 Cash Box/#8 Hot 100)

On Russ Knight's 1962 Cruisin' show,

the booth announcer introduces this

next record with the words: "Here is

this Knight's bulls-eye!" It's another

Texas artist, rock 'n' roll singer and

songwriter Bruce Channel, with his

breakthrough hit, the million selling

chart-topper "Hey! Baby."

"Hey! Baby" - Bruce Channel

(Mar. 1962, highest chart pos.
#1 Hot 100 & Cash Box/#2 R&B)

Last but not least, here's the only song

in this post that was not on the original

vinyl album Cruisin' 1962. It's a solo hit

by swaggering singer, songwriter and

pop idol Dion DiMucci, formerly of the

Dion & The Belmonts, a song he wrote

called "Little Diane." The single, which

features The Del-Satins on backing -

doo-wop harmonies, reached the

top 10 in the summer of '62.

"Little Diane" - Dion

(Aug. 1962, highest chart pos.
#8 Hot 100/#14 Cash Box)

 Don't miss the next thrill packed 

 episode of Cruisin' coming soon! 

Have a Shady day!