Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

ALTERNATE TITLE:

For Dating My Teenage Daughter

for the next phase of my blogging career.

QUADRUPLE DOUBLE COLD OPEN:

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"Bermuda" - Linda Scott

(Feb./Mar. 1962, highest chart pos. #16 Easy Listening,

#70 Hot 100/#78 Cash Box)

"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes"

- Jimmy Buffett (2016 live perf.)

Kicking off my "comeback special," that was the late, great Jimmy Buffett,

pioneer of the Gulf & Western music genre aka The Key West Sound,

with "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes." Released in

1977, the ditty was a hit on the Pop, Easy Listening

and Country charts in the U.S. and in Canada. 

Before that, you heard Linda Sampson of Queens, NY, better known as

Linda Scott, do her version of "Bermuda." Released at the start of 1962,

Linda's single was a cover of a top 10 hit from exactly ten years earlier,

February, 1952, a song written by 16 year old Cynthia Strother and

recorded by Cynthia and her 11 year old sister Kay, an act billed

as The Bell Sisters. Linda Scott's cover made the top 20 on

the Adult Contemporary chart, while another cover by

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, released

around the same time, failed to chart. 

Greetings and salutations!

  I am The Geator With The Heater Shady Del Knight...

finally back from my prolonged hiatus. Yessum, five

whole months have passed since my last post.

"April Come She Will" - Simon & Garfunkel

acoustic cover by Boyce Avenue (Aug. 2023)

That was Alejandro Manzano, lead singer and acoustic guitarist

for the Sarasota, Florida-based band Boyce Avenue, with a fine

cover of "April Come She Will," the hit Simon And Garfunkel

song featured in the 1967 Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate.

To get you back up to speed... in case you

blotted it out of your mind forever

eagerly erased it from your memory

just plain forgot... I needed to break away from the blogging

community for a prolonged period of time while Mrs. Shady

and I moved far away from Florida, the place we had called

home since the 1980s. Exiting Florida was a bittersweet

experience because we needed to leave behind

several of Mrs. Shady's family members.

Here we stand, worlds apart,

hearts broken in two, two, two...

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" - Journey

cover by Zero Hour (Mar. 2023)

That was the great sound of Zero Hour, a brand new cover band

from Akron, Ohio, with their rendition of the 1983 Journey

hit "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)." 

So, to get back to my story, I am now coming to you from my

new home "way up north" as the Johnny Horton song goes.

Further clues to help you pinpoint my exact location

can be found in the lyrics to that 1960 hit:

Way up North (North to Alaska)

Way up North (North to Alaska)

North to Alaska, we go North, the rush is on

North to Alaska, we go North, the rush is on

Big Sam left Seattle in the year of '92

With George Pratt, his partner, and brother Billy too

They crossed the Yukon River and found the Bonanza gold

Below that old white mountain, just a little South-East of Nome

 Yessum... the autumn winds blow chilly and cold... but I was

thrilled to see colored leaves for the first time since 1983... and

I'm looking forward to building a snowman in the months ahead.

I am delighted to have a new wife life but, along with this new

life, I have new and greater responsibilities, making it necessary

for me to adjust my priorities. To be frank (as opposed to Tom),

I cannot and will not be spending as much time blogging.

With that in mind, I now present...

 8 simple rules

for the next phase of my blogging career.

RULE #1

From now on, I will be operating on a significantly reduced blogging schedule.

I will continue to publish new posts, but only once a month, not every five

to seven days as I have been doing for more than 15 years. Yessum, it's

a drastic cutback, but the alternative would be for me to quit blogging

entirely. Many times in recent years I have considered doing just that,

 because I am getting tired of having to deal with persistent technical

problems on Blogger and Wordpress, and the YouTube Secret Police

 who apparently get their jollies routinely deleting music videos on

grounds of copyright infringement, the latter making it especially

difficult and frustrating for someone who operates a music blog.

RULE #2

As I have always done in the past, I will continue to reply to comments

submitted by loyal friends and reciprocate by visiting their sites, reading

their posts and leaving thoughtful comments. However, given my

added responsibilities and time limitations, my visits to other

sites will be necessarily less frequent and my comments

 brief.  It's either that or quit blogging entirely.

RULE #3

Here is another major change. Whenever I publish a new post,

 I will remain on "active status" that day plus two additional days -

three days in all.  At the end of that three day period, I will revert

to "inactive status" and go off the grid until I resurface with my

next post. It means I will not be present on the blog circuit to

reply to late comments on my posts or to visit other blogs and

read and comment on new posts friends publish in the interim.

That's all I am able and willing to do from now on. It's either

that or quit blogging entirely.

RULE #4

The principle, the rule of thumb from now on, is that if you show up for me,

I will show up for you. One worthwhile comment from you on my site will

result in a reply from me, plus one reciprocal visit to your site and one

worthwhile comment.  For 15 years, I avoided this "tit for tat" style

of blogging - trading comments, one for one - but my new

circumstances dictate that this is how it needs to be.

 It's either that or quit blogging entirely.

RULE #5

To my dismay, I have discovered that some of my posts don't find

their way into wide circulation on blog reading lists, meaning

you might not be aware of them when they are published.

You will need to check to see if I have a new post running.

If we miss each other one month, we can catch up the next.

RULE #6

My new reduced blogging schedule means that I might be skipping

some of my annual birthday tributes. V.I.P. death date observances,

Mother's Day, Father's Day and traditional holiday features.

So be it. If I miss a holiday or tribute post one year, I'll

try to work it into the schedule the following year.

It's not the way I wanted it to be, but it is all I

am able to do going forward. Say it with me:

It's either that or quit blogging entirely.

RULE #7

It was a tough decision for me to adjust to the new normal and downshift

to a diminished presence on the blog circuit. Looking on the bright side,

it's not the end of the world. I will be here enough of the time so that

we can touch base, catch up and maintain our friendship. That is

especially true if you and I are already corresponding by email.

If you and I have not yet established an email connection and

you wish to break the fourth wall and do so, let me know.

RULE #8

So now, as I begin this new chapter of my so-called blogging career,

I would like to reiterate what to me is the most important rule of all,

a common sense principle that has guided me throughout my years

as a blogger. I laid it out in my first post in the summer of 2008:

"Admission is free, but visitors are asked

to bring along three things: a youthful spirit,

a respectful attitude and a sense of humor." 

So let's get back to enjoying each other's company, singing, dancing,

laughing and having fun. That's what teenagers did at the Shady Dell in

the 20th century and the way I want it to be at Shady's Place in the 21st.

Don't touch that dial

Leave it on this station

Shady's gonna make

a special dedication

Oh yeah, oh yeah!

 This one goes out to

Falcor

dedicated from

Annabelle, 

 to

Pat

dedicated from

Benny, 

and to

Harley

dedicated from blog mascot

Toto Moto!

"The Dedication Song" - Freddy Cannon

(Feb./Mar. 1966, highest chart pos. #41 Hot 100/#50 Cash Box,

perf. on Sept. 24, 1966, ep. of The Clay Cole Show, NYC)

Thanks for reading my... 

 8
sinful
 simple rules

for the next phase of my blogging career.

This was merely an announcement to let you know

what to expect.  It does not count as my November post.

That's coming soon and I'll see you then.

"Oh That's Good, No That's Bad" - Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs

(Mar./Apr. 1967, highest chart pos. #50 Cash Box/#54 Hot 100/#52 Canada)

Have a Shady day, and remember the Shady's Place motto:

 "Never grow up, never grow old."

Oh yesterday's over my shoulder

So I can't look back for too long

There's just too much to see waiting in front of me

And I know that I just can't go wrong

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of my running and all of my cunning

If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane

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) 

Austin Powers Smooches for Hours on Valentine's Day!

 Allow myself to introduce..... myself. 

 I'm Austin Powers, super secret spy, 

 international man of mystery, 

 bon vivant, swinging playboy 

 and irresistible babe magnet. 

 London is my home, shag is my bag, 

 planet earth is my playground and 

 danger is my middle name, baby. 

Your regular host, Shady, couldn't be here this week.
He's out of town starring in a one-man show, playing all
sixteen parts in a little theater production of Noises Off.

 That's a gag, dove. Oh come on now. 

 I saw you crack a smile just then, 

 pussycat, admit it -  YEAH! 

In his absence, Shady invited me back as emcee of the annual Valentine's party.
There'll be smooches for hours as I, Austin Powers, treat you to another Brit pop

sock hop featuring records by some of the UK's grooviest thrushes. As an added

bonus, we'll be going Dutch as I play three more songs by a Holland honey who's

the bee's knees, plus a ditty by a girl popper from the USA. The place is packed

with blokes & birds, mods & rockers, stockingtop poppers, backcombed cuties

and punks with cooties. It takes two to tango, and so, without further ado, I'll

put the needle in the groove and we can shag till dawn. Calm yourself, kitten.

Shag is a dance! Every spinner's a winner, so ready - steady - GO!

 SUSAN MAUGHAN 

In 1962 English singer Susan Maughan scored a top 3 hit in the UK with her cover of

"Bobby's Girl," a song originally waxed by Brooklyn, NY, singer Marcie Blane. In 1963

Susan brushed the top 40 with "Hand a Handkerchief to Helen." In 1964 The Beatles

and other Brit bands put an end to Susan's modest hit streak by rendering her style

old school and uncool. Susan's cover of "Kiss Me Sailor," a hit single in the U.S.

for Diane Renay, failed to chart as did a cover of "Hey Lover," a song composed

by Don Covay and John Berry and originally recorded by 12 year old Debbie

Dovale of Clairton, PA, a Pittsburgh suburb, and released in September 1963

on the Ricky label, a subsidiary of the small Pittsburgh-based Co & Ce

Records - home to The Vogues. Here now is that fetching warbler,

Susan Maughan, in a 1964 live performance of "Hey Lover." 

 "Hey Lover" - Susan Maughan 

 (Jan./Feb. 1964) 

 BONNY ST. CLAIRE 

In 1959, American zinger April Stevens had a hit with the sexually suggestive
"Teach Me Tiger." In 1967, Dutch singer Bonny St. Claire (born two days
before Shady Del Knight) was just turning 18 when she released her
debut solo single, a sizzler with a similar name, "Tame Me Tiger."
Background vocals were provided by a group called The Jets.

Looks like Bonny lass lost her balance
and was falling backward off her perch
the moment this publicity photo was
snapped. I hope the poor girl didn't
bust her buns. I fancy this Dutch
thrush. Give her a listen.

GO AHEAD, BABY...

TAME ME TIGER!

 "Tame Me Tiger" - Bonny St. Claire 
 (Nov./Dec. 1967) 

 BONNIE ST. CLAIRE 

 AND UNIT GLORIA 

In the early 70s, Miss St. Claire changed the spelling of her first
name and added a backing group called Unit Gloria. Together
they released half a dozen singles including this one--
"Waikiki Man (do the hula with me!)" 

 "Waikiki Man" - Bonnie St. Claire 
 And Unit Gloria (May/June 1973) 

Bonnie and her group scored a huge hit in The Netherlands with

the platter I am about to play. Clap your hands and stamp your feet

whilst Bonnie sings-- "Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet!"

 "Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet" 
 Bonnie St. Claire (And Unit Gloria) 

 (Nov./Dec. 1972) 

 LINDA SCOTT 

Now here's pop songstress Linda Sampson of Queens, New York, better known

as Linda Scott. In the late summer of 1961, Linda followed-up the biggest hit

of her career, the top 3 charting "I've Told Every Little Star," with this

top 10 single, "Don't Bet Money Honey," which crossed over to

the top 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart,

 "Don't Bet Money Honey" - Linda Scott 

 (Aug. 1962, highest chart pos. #3 Adult Contemporary, 

 #9 Hot 100/#10 Cash Box) 

 JACKIE TRENT 

This next record, "You Baby," is not the hit song by The Turtles. This is the song

written by Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann and Phil Spector and first recorded stateside

in 1964 by Spector's girl group The Ronettes. The song was covered in 1965 by

American pop princess Linda Scott. I'd like you to hear the version released in

1966 by English singer/songwriter Jackie Trent. Here now is Jackie doing a

song that's a favorite among Northern Soul clubbers-- "You Baby!"

 

 "You Baby" - Jackie Trent 

 (Feb./Mar. 1966) 

 PETULA CLARK 

Songwriter Jackie Trent, the gifted gal you just saw and heard, in collaboration

with her composer/producer husband Tony Hatch, were responsible for many

of Petula Clark's international hits. Just in time for V-Day, were's a song

that Tony alone hatched for Pet, a single that topped the chart

in the U.S. and Canada-- "My Love." 

 "My Love" - Petula Clark 

 (Jan./Feb. 1966, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100, 

 #2 Cash Box/#1 Canada) 

 I hope these super sounds put you in 

 a shagadelic mood, baby. Oh behave! 

 This is your old chum Austin Powers 

 international man of mystery 

 (and music history)... 

 saying ciao for now. 

 Let's do it again real soon, baby... 

 You know you want to... YEAH! 

Echoes of the Spectorian Era - Vol. 15: The Weekend's Just Getting Started... but Sunday's Already Here!

 Welcome to vol. 15 of my series 

 Echoes of the Spectorian Era 

 featuring the greatest recordings 

 produced by Phil Spector and those 

 who imitated his Wall-of-Sound style. 

 THE CRYSTALS 

First let's hear from Phil Spector's uptown girls The Crystals. Produced by Spector

from clear across the country in LA, the New York based Crystals were one of the

principal girl groups of the early to mid 60s. Barbara Ann Alston, 2nd from right in

the picture above, was a founding member and original lead singer of The Crystals.

Barbara died last year at age 74. Barbara sang lead on the Spectorian classic you

are about to hear. It's The Crystals' second single, "Uptown," the 1962 follow-up

to "There's No Other (Like My Baby)." "Uptown" was written by Cynthia Weil
and Barry Mann and originally intended for fellow New Yorker Tony Orlando
who, at the time, was three years into his career. Spector coaxed Weil and
Mann into giving him the song. Spector then proceeded to doctor the ditty,
changing notes to bring the song within the vocal range of The Crystals.
He also changed some of the lyrics about slum life and class issues
to give the song an African American perspective instead of a
Latin American POV. "Uptown" reached the top 15 on
Billboard and top 10 on Cash Box, making it
the second hit single for The Crystals.

 "Uptown" - The Crystals 

 (May/June 1962, highest chart pos. 

 #10 Cash Box/#13 Hot 100/#18 R&B) 

 JOSEPHINE SUNDAY 

It's Friday - T.G.I.F. - and I've got Sunday

on my mind - Josephine Sunday!

Here to sing a song that was racy by
mid 60s standards is 18 year old Sunday

Heppner, stage name Josephine Sunday.
In 1966, the perky songstress appeared
on American Bandstand to promote her
latest single which became the biggest
hit of her career, even though it failed
to reach the national chart. The song
was also recorded by a girl group
called The Starlets. With those
Spectorian castanets clacking,
miss Josephine sent a message
to every guy with a girlfriend:
Spend Saturday night with
Sunday and... come Monday...
"You Won't Even Know Her Name."

 "You Won't Even Know Her Name" - Josephine Sunday 
 (Apr. 1966, uncharted) 

 THE CINDERELLAS 

Up next, The Cinderellas, an R&B girl group that drew its lead singer,
Margaret Ross, from The Cookies. In the spring of 1964 The Cinderellas
released "Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)." With the Beatles and other
British Invasion bands dominating the pop chart, The Cinderellas'
hopes for a hit were merely a fairy tale. "Baby, Baby" charted
only one week near the bottom of the Bubbling Under
dungeon before vanishing into thin air.

 "Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)" - The Cinderellas 
 (May 1964, highest chart pos. #134) 

 ALDER RAY 

Alder Ray's voice can be heard on some of the finest West Coast pop
recordings of the 60s. The soulful thrush performed as a session singer,
a member of various girl groups and as a solo recording artist.

In 1964, Alder Ray released "Cause I Love Him," a solo single recorded
at Gold Star with The Blossoms supplying background vocals and the
L.A. Wrecking Crew providing the orchestral backing track.

 "Cause I Love Him" - Alder Ray 

 (Aug. 1964, uncharted) 

 LINDA SCOTT 

Linda Scott is best known as a cast regular on
Dick Clark's Where The Action Is and for her
first hit "I've Told Every Little Star" which
reached the top 5 on the pop chart in the
spring of 1961. Some folks don't realize
that Linda made other great recordings
before the Beatles showed up to spoil
the party. However my Pick to Click,

the record I consider the best of
Linda's career, is different from
the others. It's Spectoresque,
and was released post-
Beatles in 1965.

It's a cool cover of "You Baby," the song
written for The Ronettes by Barry Mann,
Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector, recorded
by the popular girl group and released in
the fall of '64 on their album, Presenting

the Fabulous Ronettes Feat. Veronica.
Released as a single a year later, Linda's
exciting version for Kapp Records copied
the lush Wall of Sound production style
of the original. It's a doggone shame a
record this good failed to make the chart.

Heck, it never even Bubbled Under!

 "You Baby" - Linda Scott  

 (Dec. 1965, uncharted) 

 THE 

 WALKER 

 BROS. 

The Walker Brothers often imitated
the Spectorian production and vocal
style of The Righteous Brothers.
Here's a great example, a smooth,
dynamic cover of "Make It Easy
On Yourself," a Burt Bacharach -
Hal David song first made into
a hit by Jerry Butler in 1962.

 "Make It Easy On Yourself" - The Walker Brothers 

 (Sept. 1965, highest chart pos. #16) 

 VIKKI 

 CARR 

El Paso born Vikki Carr achieved her
greatest success singing in Spanish

but, in the fall of 1967, the thrush
reached the top 3 on the pop chart
and #1 on the Easy Listening survey
with a Spectorian English language

version of a French song. Here now
is Vikki Carr with her biggest
pop hit-- "It Must Be Him!"

 "It Must Be Him" - Vikki Carr 

 Oct./Nov. '67, highest chart pos. 
 #3 Hot 100/#1 Easy Listening) 

 I hope you enjoyed vol. 15 of Echoes. 
 More echo-drenched classics are coming 
 your way in vol. 16, so stick around! 

Have a Shady day!