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Showing posts with label Paul Anka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Anka. Show all posts

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Lauren Monroe's Secret Stash

 

COLD OPEN:
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!


"The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" - Cher
(Dec. 1990/Jan. 1991, highest chart pos. #33 Hot 100,
#43 Cash Box/#1 UK and five other countries,
from OST of Dec. 1990 film Mermaids)

Lauren Monroe

Kicking-off the show with the first musical gem from my Secret Stash...
that was the one and only Cher doing her updated 1990 version of
 "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)." The ditty first became
popular in the spring of 1964 when R&B singer Betty Everett brushed
the top 5 on the pop chart and topped the Cash Box R&B survey with her
cover. "The Shoop Shoop Song" was first released in 1963 by soul/gospel
artist Merry Clayton. In 1990, Cher recorded the song for the soundtrack
of her movie Mermaids. Released as a single, Cher's rendition became
an international hit and her first chart-topping solo single in the UK.


In that music video you just watched promoting the film and
the record, Cher was joined by two up-and-coming young
actresses who played her daughters in Mermaids.

Winona Ryder

 The older daughter is Winona Ryder, currently starring in Stranger Things.
The younger daughter is Christina Ricci in her film debut.

Christina Ricci (left foreground)
 
 Months later, Christina delighted audiences in the role
of Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family movie.


 By the way, in case you're wondering why Cher's record charted so low in the U.S.
while topping the charts in 6 other countries, it's because the single was released in
Europe in conjunction with her album Love Hurts which included "Shoop Shoop"
as a bonus track. Stateside, the album was released without "Shoop Shoop," and it
would take nearly a decade before it became available on a Cher album in the U.S.

Hi, I'm Lauren Monroe.

Think I look like Lily Collins, daughter of the famous musician Phil Collins?
Yeah, I get that a lot... but I really don't see the resemblance.

Lily Collins
daughter of Phil Collins

I mean, as you can see (above), Lily Collins
is wearing a bright red, white and black print...

Lauren Monroe
D.A. & DJ

...whereas I... Lauren Monroe (above) am wearing solid black.

Need further convincing? Let's do that comparison again.  

Lily Collins
daughter of Phil Collins

Lily Collins is wearing a white blouse (above)...

...and once again, as even a child could see... 

Lauren Monroe
D.A. & DJ

I... Lauren Monroe... am wearing solid black.


 I hope that puts to rest the silly rumor that I am Lily Collins.
I am, in fact, Lauren Monroe, star of the 2020 thriller movie
Inheritance. In a nutshell, I'm the Manhattan district attorney
and elder daughter of Archer Monroe, patriarch of a wealthy
and powerful New York City political family. 


Poor daddy died recently and his estate was divided among the family.
Damn!  My piece of the pie was a measly one million dollars...
about as much as you could typically find in the
couch cushions at daddy's mansion.


 However, my inheritance also included a surprise...


...a secret that had remained buried for the last 30 years.


I could tell you more, much more...


 but I don't want to be a spoiler.

Lauren Monroe - D.A. & DJ 
(not Lily Collins)

I refer to my buried treasure as my Secret Stash and, coincidentally, that's
the name of my new S-P-M-M Radio series coming soon to Shady's Place.
Today I'm giving you a sneak peek at the show. As a D.A. - turned - DJ,
I'll be playing seldom heard, little known recordings by well known
artists along with seldom heard, little known recordings by obscure
artists. These great songs and filmed performances have been
kept secret far too long. My job is to bring them to your attention.


Alright, now that we have the pleasantries out of the way,
let's get back to boppin' as I spin more great but
overlooked and underappreciated tunes.


Toward the end of 1968, the American-Canadian psychedelic rock
band Steppenwolf topped the Canadian chart and had a top 3 hit
in the U.S. with "Magic Carpet Ride." In 1988, the dance duo
of Stacy "Acacia" Smith and Lisa "Jaz" Teaney released
an entirely different song with the same title. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

In March of that year, the sizzling single broke into the top 5
winner's circle on the Dance chart. Here they are now...
LA's best kept secret - a hot ticket called Bardeux - 
and they want to sweep you off your feet and
take you on their type of- "Magic Carpet Ride!"


"Magic Carpet Ride" - Bardeux
(Mar. 1988, highest chart pos. #5 Hot Dance Singles,
#78 Cash Box/#81 Hot 100)


The secret's out about Loving You, Elvis Presley's second film,
released in June, 1957, and you're hearing it from me first.
The cast includes Jana Lund and Yvonne Lime,
the latter in the uncredited part of "Sally."


 In 1958, those two young actresses starred in High School Hellcats,
and Yvonne's character, Joyce Martin, is now a celebrity presenter
at Shady's Place, star of the S-P-M-M Retro Radio series
Joyce Martin's a Gold Digger.


Those Hellcats are trouble with a capital "T" - I just know it.
More fun facts: Loving You introduced actress Dolores Hart,
best known by some as one of the spring breakers in
Where The Boys Are, the 1960 coming-of-age
comedy movie that stars Connie Francis.

Dolores Hart
Actress - turned - nun

In the early 60s, Dolores, who was compared to Grace Kelly,
stunned Hollywood and her fans when she walked away from
her blossoming acting career to become a Roman Catholic
Benedictine nun. Dolores spent the next 43 years
of her life in a monastery.


Elvis Presley recorded the song "Mean Woman Blues" for the soundtrack
of Loving You. Released as a single, the song brushed the top 10 on the
R&B chart in September that year, and was also a hit on the Country
chart. In the fall of 1963, rock & roll crooner Roy Orbison
reached the top 5 with his cover of the song.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Here he is at his swaggering best, Elvis "The Pelvis" Presley,
in a scene from Loving You singing-- "Mean Woman Blues!"


"Mean Woman Blues" - Elvis Presley
(Sept. 1957, highest chart pos. #11 R&B,
scene from June 1957 film Loving You)


If you're just tuning in, I'm Lauren Monroe, star of the 2020 thriller movie
Inheritance and your Hostess with the Mostest... a D.A. - turned - DJ...
bringing you a sneak preview of my Shady's Place radio series
Lauren Monroe's
Secret Stash.
 We're right in the middle of a 6-in-a-row non-stop
commercial free cruise on S-P-M-M Retro Radio.  

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

In 1968, Simon And Garfunkel topped the chart with "Mrs. Robinson," a song from
the soundtrack of the hit Dustin Hoffman movie The Graduate.  Now meet the
secret weapons of alternative rock, Beantown's best, The Lemonheads, as
they perform their cover, a top 10 single on the Alt-chart in early 1993!


"Mrs. Robinson" - S&G cover by The Lemonheads
(Jan. 1993, highest chart perf. #8 Alternative,
#118 Bubbling Under/#16 Australia/#19 UK)


Lauren Monroe, the little girl with the really big shoe...sitting up here
in the blogcast booth on the top floor of Shady Towers and dragging
another long lost, seldom heard relic from my Secret Stash. In 1957,
prolific singer/songwriter Paul Anka turned a crush he had on an
older woman into his breakthrough hit, the chart-topper "Diana."
 You may not know that Paul released a sequel to the song
that cracked the top 40 in 1963.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's not-so-tall Paul asking you to-- "Remember Diana."


"Remember Diana" - Paul Anka
(Apr./May 1963, highest chart pos.
#35 Cash Box/#39 Hot 100)


That wraps-up my sneak preview. Thanks for joining me. Stick around.
Coming up on the flip side of Gary Owens' news, it a solid COLD
edition of Arnie Ginsburg's Night Train Show, and I'll
be back soon with the official debut of my new series
Lauren Monroe's
Secret Stash.

"Michael - look out!"
To close the show and play us off, here comes actor
David Hasselhoff of Baywatch and Knight Rider fame.
It's a well kept secret that David is also a gifted singer with a
 long list of recording credits that includes two #1 hits in Europe.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

This is your last chance to Party Your Hasselhoff as David sings his
cool cover of Neil Diamond's 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline." Now this
is D.A. - turned - DJ Lauren Monroe reminding you that some
secrets are well worth sharing. See you soon!


"Sweet Caroline" - David Hasselhoff
(single from Sept. 2021 album Party Your Hasselhoff


Thursday, March 26, 2020

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!