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) 

Joyce Martin's a Gold Digger!

Hi again! I'm Joyce Martin.

I'm sure you

remember me

from last year's

post here at

Shady's Place.

As you recall, I'm a good girl breaking bad...

falling under the influence of the

mean girl gang known as the

I'm just trying

to fit in, but

ever since I

got mixed-

up with the

Hellcats, my

grades have

been slipping

and my folks

have been in

my face and

on my case.

Not knowing which way to turn for help, I found a friend
in Professor Shady Del Knight who offered to be my private
tutor and help me bring up my grades. To earn extra credit,
I am doing a special research project for Professor Knight

and hosting this new blog series at Shady's Place called

Joyce Martin's  a  Gold Digger!

In each volume I will display vintage top tunes surveys,

the hit parades distributed by radio stations in the 50s

and 60s. Next I'll go digging for gold - picking a

favorite song from each list and playing it for

your listening and dancing pleasure.

I'm lucky to have this

chance to make good,

so... if you're ready...

let's dig some gold!

WAEB - ALLENTOWN, PA

This edition of my series features radio station

play lists from across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Let's begin with the survey

in green above, issued by WAEB 790 in

Allentown. It's the week of May 23, 1960,

and I'm poring over the station's list of the

"Top Tunes in the Lehigh Valley." I think

I'll play #23, "Young Emotions," a song

by Ricky Nelson, a cool guy I dated!

"Young Emotions" - Ricky Nelson

(May/June 1960, highest chart pos.

#11 Cash Box/#12 Hot 100, scene from

The Adventures of Ozzie And Harriet)

WFBG - ALTOONA, PA

Courtesy of PopBopRocktilUDrop

Our next stop is Altoona, PA, and radio station

WFBG 1290 - "The Voice of the Alleghenies."

It's the week of June 8, 1963, and I'm picking

#17 on the survey, Connie Francis, one of the

most popular female singers of the late 50s

and early 1960s, beginning to struggle a bit

on the chart by mid 1963 when this rock 'n'

roll style record, "If My Pillow Could Talk."

missed the top 20 on the Billboard chart.

"If My Pillow Could Talk"

Connie Francis (June 1963, highest

chart pos. #16 Cash Box/#23 Hot 100)

WLAN - LANCASTER, PA

Courtesy of PopBopRocktilUDrop

We now head southeast to Professor Shady's

old stomping ground and a visit to Lancaster,

home of AM station WLAN 1390. My choice

from the LAN Tunivac Top 60 for the week

of November 25, 1961, is #6, "Heartaches"

by The Marcels, a group from Pittsburgh.

"Heartaches" was recorded in 1933 by

bandleader Ted Weems, but his version

didn't catch on and become a hit until

a DJ revived it in 1947. It has since 

been waxed by many artists. This

version, by The Marcels, made

a run at the top 5 on Billboard.

"Heartaches" - The Marcels

(Nov./Dec. 1961, highest chart pos.

#7 Hot 100/#16 Cash Box/#19 R&B)

          WJET - ERIE, PA

I'm digging this gold and I hope you are,

too. We now travel all the way back up

to the far corner of the state, Erie, and

another station with a top 60 instead

of a top 40 format. It's "The Jet" -

WJET 1400. We're revisiting the

week of May 22, 1961, and the

tune I've selected from Erie’s

Original Top 60 Music Survey -

The Jet Sixty is #14, the neato

girl pop song "Triangle" by

one-hit wonder Janie Grant,

real name Rose Marie Cosili

of Paterson, New Jersey.

"Triangle" - Janie Grant

(May/June 1961, highest chart pos.

#23 Cash Box/#29 Hot 100)

           WSBA - YORK, PA

Next we travel all the way back across
the state to Shady's hometown, York,
and a top tunes list issued by WSBA
"The Nifty 910"... later known as
 "The Mighty 910." It's the week

of July 29, 1961, and I'm gonna
play #5 on the survey "I Like It
Like That," a major crossover

hit for New Orleans R&B
great Chris Kenner!

"I Like It Like That, Part 1"

Chris Kenner (July/Aug. 1961,

highest chart pos. #2 Hot 100

#2 Cash Box/#2 R&B)

KDKA - PITTSBURGH, PA

From station KDKA Pittsburgh, here above is a survey listing the top hits

of 1964. I'm spinning the #22 song that year, a Four Seasons record that
would have topped the chart if not for The Beatles and their two smash
hits "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" which held the
#1 and #2 spots and for three weeks in a row prevented the Seasons'
record from rising higher. Here now are The Four Seasons doing
their best to fend off Beatlemania with-- "Dawn (Go Away)."

"Dawn (Go Away)" - The 4 Seasons

(Feb./Mar. 1964, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

I hope you

dug this gold.

Please join me

for volume 2 of

Joyce Martin's
 a  Gold Digger.

coming soon!