Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, May 29th, '09

Q: What are the top moviegoing countries? In term of number of viewers, the United States ranks third in the world, with 1 billion attendees at movies. What two countries exceed the USA in film attendance?















A: CHINA 14 billion / INDIA 4 billion

Super 60's Tune for Friday, May 29th, '09

Curtis Lee occupies the era of rock & roll in between the death of Buddy Holly and the arrival of the Beatles -- a period usually thought of as "lost years," because, apart from the Beach Boys, few of the artists involved lingered long on the charts or left an obvious legacy into the next era. Neither did Lee, but two of his songs, "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" and "Under the Moon of Love," evoke vivid associations with that innocent, romantic era.

Lee hailed from Arizona, and cut three songs for small labels while he was still in his teens. He was heard by Ray Peterson ("Tell Laura I Love Her"), who'd just started a label of his own, Dunes, and invited to cut a demo if he came to New York. By the time he made it to New York in late 1960, he'd started writing songs in partnership with a friend, Tommy Boyce, who later became one-half of the Boyce & Hart songwriting-producing-singing duo. Lee's first two singles, "Special Love" and "Pledge of Love," were passionate but otherwise unexceptional performances that understandably failed to chart, but for his third record, Dunes agreed to cut a Lee-Boyce original called "Pretty Little Angel Eyes." Phil Spector, who had previously produced a hit for Peterson ("Corinna, Corinna"), ran the session, and laid the orchestra and, especially, the chorus on very heavily, the latter deliberately working in a late-'50s doo wop style. The resulting record made the Top Ten, and became Lee's biggest hit.

Lee and Boyce next turned in the jaunty "Under the Moon of Love," which used less of a doo wop style, in favor of a thick sax sound and a soaring girl chorus, and made the charts in late 1961. Unfortunately, this was to be Lee's last recording success. Lee never charted another record, and he left the music business. "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" is a fixture on oldies stations, however, with its distinctive sound, and both it and "Under the Moon of Love" are considered prime representatives of Phil Spector's early sound.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, May 27th, '09

Q: On average, how many eggs can a hen lay in one year?

















A: 227

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, May 27th, '09

A Los Angeles vocal trio, the Hues Corporation enjoyed two big hits in the mid-'70s, notably "Rock the Boat" in 1974 for RCA. While it was lightweight, mainly pop work, it did take The Hues Corporation to number two on the R&B charts and get them their lone pop chart topper. The next single, "Rockin' Soul," peaked at number six on the R&B charts and number 18 on the pop charts. They had their final R&B hit the next year with "Love Corporation," which reached number 15, but it was evident that the audience was losing interest in their material. "I Caught Your Act" was the last release in 1977. H. Ann Kelley, Flemming Williams, and Bernard "St. Clair Lee" Henderson were the original lineup. Tom Brown replaced Williams in the wake of "Rock the Boat's" success. He was then replaced by Karl Russell in 1975.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, May 26th. '09

Q: Which 19th-century American publisher compiled the first standard reference work for quotations?











A: JOHN BARTLETT

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, May 26th, '09

The Grass Roots had a series of major hits -- most notably "Let's Live for Today," "Midnight Confessions," "Temptation Eyes," and "Two Divided by Love" -- that help define the essence of the era's best AM radio. Although the group's members weren't even close to being recognizable, and their in-house songwriting was next to irrelevant, the Grass Roots managed to chart 14 Top 40 hits, including seven gold singles and one platinum single, and two had hits collections that effortlessly went gold. The group's history is also fairly complicated, because there were at least three different groups involved in the making of the songs identified as being by "the Grass Roots."

The Grass Roots was originated by the writer/producer team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri as a pseudonym under which they would release a body of Byrds/Beau Brummels-style folk-rock. Sloan and Barri were contracted songwriters for Trousdale Music, the publishing arm of Dunhill Records, which wanted to cash in on the folk-rock boom of 1965. Dunhill asked Sloan and Barri to come up with this material, and a group alias under which they would release it. The resulting "Grass Roots" debut song, "Where Were You When I Needed You," sung by Sloan, was sent to a Los Angeles radio station, which began playing it. The problem was, there was no "Grass Roots." The next step was to recruit a band that could become the Grass Roots. Sloan found a San Francisco group called the Bedouins that seemed promising on the basis of their lead singer, Bill Fulton. Fulton recorded a new vocal over the backing tracks laid down for the P.F. Sloan version of the song. The Bedouins were, at first, content to put their future in the hands of Sloan and Barri as producers, despite the fact that the group was more blues-oriented than folk-rock. However, the rest of the group was offended when Fulton was told to record their debut single, a cover of Bob Dylan's "The Ballad of a Thin Man," backed by studio musicians. When that single, released in October of 1965, became only a modest hit, the Bedouins -- except for their drummer, Joel Larson -- departed for San Francisco, to re-form as the Unquenchable Thirst. Sloan and Barri continued to record. "Where Were You When I Needed You" was released in mid-'66 and peaked at number 28, but the album of the same name never charted.

Amid the machinations behind Where Were You When I Needed You, no "real" Grass Roots band existed in 1966. A possible solution came along when a Los Angeles band called the 13th Floor submitted a demo tape to Dunhill. This group, consisting of Warren Entner (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Creed Bratton (lead guitar), Rob Grill (vocals, bass), and Rick Coonce (drums), was recruited and offered the choice of recording under their own name, or to take over the name the Grass Roots, put themselves in the hands of Sloan and Barri, and take advantage of the Grass Roots' track record. They chose the latter, with Rob Grill as primary lead vocalist. The first track cut by the new Grass Roots in the spring of 1967 was "Let's Live for Today," a new version of a song that had been an Italian hit, in a lighter, more up-tempo version, for a band called the Rokes. "Let's Live for Today" was an achingly beautiful, dramatic, and serious single and it shot into the Top Ten upon its release in the summer of 1967. An accompanying album, Let's Live for Today, only reached number 75. The group began spreading its wings in the studio with their next album, Feelings, recorded late in 1967, which emphasized the band's material over Sloan and Barri's. This was intended as their own statement of who they were, but it lacked the commercial appeal of anything on Let's Live for Today, sold poorly, and never yielded any hit singles. Eleven months went by before the group had another chart entry, and during that period, Sloan and Barri's partnership broke up, with Sloan departing for New York and an attempt at a performing career of his own. The band even considered splitting up as all of this was happening. The Grass Roots' return to the charts (with Barri producing), however, was a triumphant one -- in the late fall of 1968, "Midnight Confessions" reached number five on the charts and earned a gold record. "Midnight Confessions" showed the strong influence of Motown, and the R&B flavor of the song stuck with Barri and the band.

In April of 1969, Creed Bratton left the band, to be replaced by Denny Provisor on keyboards and Terry Furlong on lead guitar. Now a quintet, the Grass Roots went on cutting records without breaking stride, enjoying a string of Top 40 hits that ran into the early '70s, peaking with "Temptation Eyes" at number 15 in the summer of 1971. Coonce and Provisor left at the end of 1971, to be replaced by Reed Kailing on lead guitar, Virgil Webber on keyboards, and Joel Larson -- of the original Bedouins/Grass Roots outfit -- on drums. They arrived just in time to take advantage of the number 16 success of "Two Divided by Love," which was the last of the Grass Roots' big hits. The Grass Roots soldiered on for a few more years, reaching the Top 40 a couple of times in 1972, but their commercial success slowly slipped away during 1973. They kept working for a few more years, but called it quits in 1975. Rob Grill remained in the music business on the organizing side, and by 1980 was persuaded by his friend John McVie to cut a solo album, Uprooted, which featured contributions by Mick Fleetwood and Lindsay Buckingham. By 1982, amid the burgeoning oldies concert circuit and the respect beginning to be accorded the Grass Roots, Grill formed a new Grass Roots -- sometimes billed as Rob Grill and the Grass Roots -- and began performing as many as 100 shows a year. Their presence on various oldies package tours have seen to it that the Grass Roots' name remains visible.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, May 25th, '09

Q: Can you name four resort locations mentioned in the chorus of the Beach Boys song, Kokomo?



A: ARUBA, JAMAICA, BERMUDA, BAHAMAS, KEY LARGO, MONTEGO Bay

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, May 25th, '09

Hitting the top of the charts early in 1971, "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" was one of the Temptations' last great hit singles -- their last Top Ten hit, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," reached the peak position a year later -- but it's hardly a last gasp. Instead, this song is one of their stone classics, ranking right next to such seminal '60s hits as "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "My Girl," "Ain't too Proud to Beg," and "(I Know) I'm Losing You." Credit must be given to Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, who wrote a terrific song, filled with telling details: the narrator fantasizes about the girl he has crush on, not just the courtship but the family they'll raise, even as he knows it's all part of his imagination. Appropriately, the Temptations' performance has a dream-like quality, quietly drifting through the singer's hopes and desires. The sentiments were universal and they were wedded to music that was seductive, smooth soul, opening it up to numerous covers. During his fusion years, Donald Byrd cut a mild funk version; Larry Carlton did a smooth jazz instrumental; Ted Hawkins interpreted in his best acoustic- Otis Redding fashion. All of these were faithful to the spirit of the Temptations' original, but the Rolling Stones threw a change-up (as they were wont to do) on their 1978 cover. Kicking up the tempo and turning up the guitars, the Stones made a gloriously ragged version that turned the song inside out. Where the Temptations sounded wistful, Mick Jagger was lascivious, a feeling only emphasized by the Stones' rough-edged backing vocals. Where the Temptations soothed, the Stones rocked -- and while that might not necessarily be a better performances (partisans would certainly argue that it may be better), it does prove that Strong and Whitfield wrote a classic song, open to a variety of interpretations.

Happy Memorial Day 2009!

PREPARATION for Memorial Day

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,

ETERNAL
REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.

















God Bless them all!!!

Makes you proud to be an AMERICAN!!!!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, May 22nd, '09

Q: Most people have 20 of these, but in 1921 a boy born in England had 29 of them. What were they?












A: FINGERS AND TOES

Super '60's Tune for Friday, May 22nd, '09

Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby" -- a classic one-shot, number-one hit from 1962 -- is one of the many records proving that, during a period in which rock has sometimes been characterized as near death, the form was continuing to evolve in unexpected and delightful ways. An irresistible mid-tempo shuffle from the first few bars of homespun harmonica (played by Delbert McClinton), it was a seemingly effortless blend of rock, blues, country, and Cajun beats, featuring Channel's lazy, drawling vocals and an instantly catchy tune. It was perhaps too much of a natural; Channel could never recapture the organic spontaneity of the track, failing to re-enter the Top 40 despite many attempts.

The Texan had written "Hey Baby" around 1959 with his friend Margaret Cobb, and had already been performing the tune for a couple of years before recording it amidst a series of demos for Fort Worth producer Major Bill Smith. First released locally on Smith's label, it was picked up for national distribution by Smash. Channel would continue to write most of his own material (sometimes in collaboration with Cobb) for a series of moderately enjoyable follow-ups that echoed the riffs of "Hey Baby" too closely.

McClinton played his immediately identifiable harmonica on several of these, and made his own contribution to rock history in 1962, when he was touring as a member of Channel's band in Britain. On one of their shows, they were supported by a then-unknown Liverpool group, the Beatles, who had yet to cut their first record. John Lennon was smitten by McClinton's style of playing, and picked up some pointers that he put to use on the Beatles' very first single, "Love Me Do"; in fact, McClinton's influence can be easily detected in Lennon's harmonica playing on many early Beatles tracks from 1962 and 1963.

Channel did get another Top 20 hit in Britain in 1968, "Keep On," which was written by Wayne Carson Thompson (famous for penning the Box Tops' "The Letter"). Nothing else clicked in a big way on either side of the ocean, and by the late '70s he was working in Nashville as a songwriter.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, May 21st, '09

Q: Which artist's first important painting, from 1885, was called "The Potato Eaters"?
















A: VINCENT VAN GOGH

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, May 21st, '09

An impressionable child in the summer of 1976 might have come to the conclusion that Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right" had been created in outer space by aliens who had been studying the conventions of mid-'70s AM radio pop but had gotten many of the details slightly but tellingly wrong. (Seriously, a pop song with an extended marimba solo??) Everything about this song is just a little bit odd, from the hermetically-sealed sound of the pristine and largely electronic production to the ostentatiously tossed off chuckle Bruce Blackman uses to punctuate every chorus to the nagging synth hook that's the song's most distinctive feature. The song is so profoundly weird that it's remarkable that it wasn't intended as a novelty, but as a sexy evocation of summertime lust.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, May 20th, '09

Q: The first names of these 20th century American jazz pianists and bandleaders were William and Edward, but they were better known by their noble nicknames. Who were they?


















A: William "COUNT" Basie / Edward "DUKE" Ellington

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, May 20th, '09

This is probably the best-known album in the Black Oak Arkansas catalog, thanks in large to part to its hit cover of the LaVern Baker R&B classic "Jim Dandy." This effective update combines a countrified touch, some electric guitar fireworks, and a frenetic double-time tempo with the inimitable hillbilly vocals of Jim "Dandy" Mangrum to create a song that became a hit with both country and pop listeners. It is definitely High on the Hog's undisputed highlight, but the other tracks surrounding it also have plenty to offer. Although they were too eccentric a band to fit a strict "Southern rock" label à la Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas did have an ability to dish up both country and rock sounds with style. For instance, "Red Hot Lovin'" is a punchy rocker about the joys of loving a red-haired woman, while "Back to the Land" is a tribute to rural life delivered in a convincing, pure country style. Elsewhere, the group also shows a surprisingly ability to mix elements of pure funk into their country-rock stew: "Swimmin' in Quicksand" glides along on some funky wah-wah guitar licks that could have been lifted from a Funkadelic record. The band also gets a solid showcase for their chops on "Moonshine Sonata," a tasty little instrumental that starts off as sprightly country-rock rave-up before shifting into a down-home ballad tempo for a surprisingly lovely and mellow finale. In the end, High on the Hog probably won't appeal to anyone who isn't already a Southern rock fan, but anyone who enjoys this genre will find plenty to like on this album.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, May 19th, '09

Q: The well-known line: “Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die” comes from the English poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” written by whom?























The Charge of the Light Brigade
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1.

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

2.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

3.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

4.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

5.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

6.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

Copied from Poems of Alfred Tennyson,
J. E. Tilton and Company, Boston, 1870

A: ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, May 19th, '09

Songwriter Ray Parker Jr. first met Chaka Khan backstage at a Stevie Wonder concert. Later Parker journeyed to California and was reintroduced to Khan, who was now part of Rufus. Parker and Khan collaborated on a song, "You Got the Love," for the band's Rags to Rufus album, co-produced by the band and Bob Monaco. The first release was the Stevie Wonder song "Tell Me Something Good," a number three R&B/ pop gold single. As the follow-up single, "You Got the Love" landed at number one R&B and number 11 pop in late 1974.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, May 18th, '09

Q: This television personality, born in 1957 in South Carolina, has a photographic memory, and was champion speller in her high school, which comes in handy in her TV role. Who is she?



A: VANNA WHITE on Wheel of Fortune

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, May 18th, '09

"Everything is Beautiful" is a song by Ray Stevens. It has appeared on many of Stevens' albums, including one named after the song, and has become a pop standard and common in religious performances. The children heard singing the chorus of the song, using the hymn, "Jesus Loves the Little Children", are from the Oak Hill Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee. This group includes Stevens' two daughters. The singer arranged and tape recorded the impromptu session himself for inclusion in the song.

The song was responsible for two wins at the Grammy Awards of 1971: Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Ray Stevens and Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance for Jake Hess. Ray Stevens' recording was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in the spring of 1970. The song also spent three weeks atop the adult contemporary chart. Many country stations played the song, peaking it at #39 on Billboard's chart.

This song was a major departure for Stevens, as "Everything is Beautiful" is a more serious and spiritual tune, unlike some of his earlier ("Gitarzan" and "Ahab the Arab") and later ("The Streak") recordings which were more in the style of comedy/novelty songs.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, May 15th, '09

Q: Which food additive is named after the capital of French Guyana? Give a two-word answer


























A: CAYENNE pepper

Super 60's Tune for Friday, May 15th, '09

In looking back over the history of rock & roll, the sad fact remains that very few of its original practitioners stayed true to its original big beat vision. Some made a handful of brilliant sides before broader horizons -- television or the movies -- beckoned. Others were rockers in name only, pop singers who couldn't wait to shimmy into a tuxedo, trading in stomp'n'shout hysteria for the more "respectable" future of dispensing supper club schmaltz. But Freddy Cannon was a true believer, a rocker to the bone. Freddy Cannon made rock & roll records; great noisy rock & roll records and all of them were infused with a gigantic drum beat that was an automatic invitation to shake it on down anyplace there was a spot to dance. Freddy Cannon remained true to the beat and made some really great fun rock & roll records in the bargain. Because of the time frame he enjoyed his biggest successes in -- the late '50s to the mid-'60s -- Cannon is wrongly lumped in with the "Bobbies and Frankies" that proliferated during that era. But a quick listen to any of his finest records -- all to be found on Rhino's The Best of Freddy "Boom-Boom" Cannon collection -- quickly dispels any preconceived notions of him being a pretty-boy teen idol no-talent.

Cannon could genuinely rock and on two of his very best records -- "Talahassee Lassie" and "Buzz-Buzz-A-Diddle-It" -- Freddy Cannon supplies his own electric rhythm guitar, with his scrappy work on the latter record being particularly effective. His records were masterminded by producers Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, all well-constructed discs with every thump of the big beat and every vocal "woo" out of Cannon perfectly placed and timed for maximum impact. Hits like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," "Action," and "Palisades Park" may be "slicker" records than the two mentioned above, but they still possess an enormous vitality and commitment to rock & roll; few others could bring an old chestnut like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" into the modern age with a straight face. "Cannon"'s immense energy and contagious style make these noisy, very exciting records well worth investigating.

He was born Frederico Anthony Picariello in 1940 and grew up in the nearby Boston suburb of Lynn, MA. He got hit by the big beat early, but it helped having parents who had more than a passing interest in music; his dad blew trumpet, sang, and fronted local combos as Freddy Karmon while his mother's penchant for amateur songwriting would hand him the genesis of his first hit. Young Freddy soaked up the rhythm & blues of Big Joe Turner and the jump blues of bands like Buddy Johnson on the radio. But it was the guitar music of Chuck Berry that made the most lasting impression. As Cannon once said, "Give me four of five guys who can play hard and in the pocket and to me, you've got a rock & roll show." This stripped, down-to-basics motto became his credo, even when surrounded by big, brassy bands, singing old tunes his father had sung; in a time frame full of phony baloney teen idols, Freddy Cannon always remained a true rock & roller.

Like most American teenagers at the time, Freddy went in search of the new music, which wasn't plentiful back then, despite what revisionist history tells us. He soon threw his lot in -- playing rhythm guitar and singing -- with a group called the Spindrifts and cut his first record, a local almost hit called "Cha-Cha-Do." After the group's 15 minutes of local fame had evaporated, our hero formed his first rock & roll band, Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes. With himself on rhythm guitar, another guy on sax taking most of the leads, a piano man, and a distant relative keeping the beat, Freddy had his first big beat combo. The record-hop scene in the Boston area was wide open for artists to make a local dent and Cannon and the boys played at every opportunity that came their way. In the meantime, he drove a truck after school, always coming home in time to watch Dick Clark's American Bandstand every afternoon, wishing he was one of the recordings stars, singing his song on the show.

One afternoon, he arrived home and his mother instructed him to grab his guitar; she had written a poem that she wanted Freddy to set to music. The poem was called "Rock and Roll Baby," which our hero put to a stomping, Chuck Berry beat and three-chord rock & roll progression. A quickie solo demo eventually found its way into the hands of indie producer Bob Crewe and his partner Frank Slay. Slay and Crewe rewrote the tune's verses and had Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes go into a Boston studio and cut the new version as "Tallahassee Lassie." Even with local guitar twanging hotshot Kenny Paulsen brought into the lineup as a ringer, the record was only 75 percent of the way there to being a bona fide hit. After a pre-release acetate hearing at Dick Clark's house, the host of American Bandstand suggests the addition of a bass drum lick and hand claps in the middle, and back to the studio to overdub went Slay, Crewe, and Freddy. To fill up the remaining holes in the record, Crewe got the singer to go "wooo" at every available opportunity, a vocal gimmick that would soon become a signature trademark. A true piece of 1950s DIY studio craftsmanship and a record that simply rocks from beginning to end like few others, "Tallahassee Lassie" was his first solo record, his first hit, and the first record under his new name: "Freddy Cannon," newly named by Bernie Binnick, the president of his new record company, Swan Records in Philadelphia.

It was also the birth of a whole new style, a style that belonged to Freddy and his producers, lock, stock, and excitement galore. Following a formula of cutting tunes that named cities or states in the title, Cannon re-stormed the charts with records like "Okefenokee," "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans," "Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy," and "Muskrat Ramble." It is "Palisades Park," however, that remains his most enduring hit, a one-shot piece of amateur songwriter genius penned by later-Gong Show host Chuck Barris under the original title of "Amusement Park." It's a certified classic of oldies radio with a razor-sharp double tracked vocal by Cannon and roller-coaster sound effects dubbed in by Crewe as its audio hallmarks. Later chart entries like "Humdinger," "Transistor Sister," "If You Were a Rock and Roll Record," and "Teen Queen of the Week," showed that Cannon kept bringing the energy and the big beat at a time when most male singers were insipidly crooning. After leaving Swan with the height of Beatle mania lurking right around the corner, Freddy Cannon kept on rockin', extending his hit streak over to Warner Bros.; with records like "Abigail Beecher," "Beechwood City," "The Dedication Song" and providing the theme for Dick Clark's Where The Action Is!, also appearing in a couple of micro epic rock & roll movies along the way. He continued to knock 'em dead as a live act, something he still does today when the mood strikes him on the revival circuit, still capable of bringing the heat when a young band nails the groove behind him.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, May 14th, '09

Q: Which actress starred in the films Dick Tracy and Desperately Seeking Susan?



A: MADONNA

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, May 14th, '09

Foster Sylvers had a Top Ten R&B/Top 25 pop hit first time out with "Misdemeanor." He can also be heard exclaiming "We kept it going strong" on the Sylvers' million-selling single "Boogie Fever" and sang lead on its follow-up, "Cotton Candy." He also co-wrote and produced Janet Jackson's funk rock single "Come Give Your Love to Me" which went to number 17 R&B in early 1983.

Born February 25, 1962, in Memphis, TN, Foster Sylvers' older siblings, the Sylvers, were well established in the entertainment world by the time he joined the group. Starting as the child group the Little Angels under the direction of their mom, Shirley Sylvers, they had appeared on TV shows with Groucho Marx, Dinah Shore, Mike Douglas, Spike Jones, and Danny Thomas and had toured with Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles. After moving to New York and then to Los Angeles, the group now known as the Sylvers were signed to MGM Records subsidiary Pride Records. Their first hits were produced by Jerry Butler: "Fool's Paradise" (number 14 R&B, fall 1972) and "Wish That I Could Talk to You" (number ten R&B, late 1972). They were included on the LP The Sylvers issued June 1972.

Foster Sylvers' first single, "Misdemeanor," written by his brother Leon Sylvers III, was produced by Jerry Peters. "Misdemeanor" b/w the Sylvers' "Close to You" -- not the Carpenters hit -- from The Sylvers went silver (at one point there was an RIAA silver certification meaning over 250,000 copies sold) and make it to number seven R&B on Billboard's charts in summer 1973. "Misdemeanor"'s follow-up was a cover of Dee Clark's 1959 hit "Hey Little Girl." Arranged by King Errisson with a tropical, steel drum-flavored syncopated groove, it charted at number 63 R&B in fall 1973. The popularity of the records led to Foster Sylvers' appearances on such TV shows as American Bandstand and Soul Train, with his sisters, Pat and Angie, lip-syncing background vocals. Foster, who was perfect pinup material, joined his older brothers and sisters in issues of Right On! and Ebony Magazine's sister publication Black Stars.

Besides "Misdemeanor" and "Hey Little Girl," the Foster Sylvers LP, issued June 1973, included more Leon Sylvers tunes: the funky James Brown-ish "I'll Get You in the End" that was the flip side of "Misdemeanor," the jubilant "Big Things Come in Small Packages", and the exotic, sparse ballad "Only My Love Is True." There are some interesting covers: a flute-laced slowed version of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' 1967 hit "More Love"; a jazzy, sax-sprinkled version of "Put on a Happy Face"; a thick churchy toe-tapper cover of Inez and Charles Foxx's "Mockingbird"; and a medley of "Brahams Lullaby" and Paul McCartney's "Uncle Albert" that includes one of the earliest uses of keyboard bass. Drummer Harvey Mason appears on the album. Just like on the solo spin-offs of their contemporaries the Jackson 5, the Sylvers can be heard doing background vocals on Foster's solo releases. His second LP, Foster Sylvers Featuring Pat & Angie, issued summer 1974, listed the single, a cover of the McCoys' "Hang on Sloopy" b/w "Na Na Goodbye."

Larkin Arnold, vice president of Capitol Records, suggested that Freddie Perren work with new signees the Sylvers. Perren, formerly of the Motown songwriting/arranging/producing collective The Corporation, had hits with the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "The Love You Save," and he was familiar with the group through their hits on Pride. He produced the two gold singles "Boogie Fever" (number one R&B/pop) and "Hot Line" (number three R&B, number five pop, late 1976), as well as "High School Dance" (number six R&B). While with Capitol, Foster recorded another Foster Sylvers LP, issued in early 1978 and co-produced by the Sylvers and their managers Al Ross and Bob Cullen, thus joining the ranks of recording artists (Ronnie McNeir, Loleatta Holloway) who have more than one self-titled LP in their catalogs. On the album were the first single, a ballad cover of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel," a cover of Frankie Lyman's "Goody, Goody," and the single, "I'll See You in My Dreams."

Foster branched out into songwriting/production/bass playing just like his big brother Leon and the two collaborated on sides by Dynasty ("Your Piece of the Rock," "When You Feel Like Giving Love," "Satisfied") and Evelyn "Champagne" King ("Shake Down," number 12 R&B,spring 1984). He also co-wrote the Sylvers' first post-Capitol single, "Don't Stop Get Off" (number 15 R&B, fall 1978) from their Casablanca Records LP Forever Yours. Foster recorded two albums as Foster Sylvers & Hy-Tech, 1987's Plain & Simple for EMI America and 1990's Prime Time for A&M.

Foster's son, Jeremy Sylvers, the spitting image of his dad during his "Misdemeanor" years, co-starred in the 1991 horror movie Child's Play 3: Look Who's Stalking.

"Misdemeanor" has been sampled by various hip-hip and rap acts with one, the D.O.C.'s "It's Funky Enough," being found on Beats & Rhymes: Hip-Hop of the '90s, Part 1.

Smiling young Foster Sylvers is pictured on the cover of Rhino's Soul Hits of the 70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind, Vol. 16, which includes "Misdemeanor."

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, May 13th, '09

Q: During which President's term of office did the first man walk on the moon?



A: NIXON - 69

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, May 13th, '09

This 1976 Charles Kipps song produced by Van McCoy is arguably David Ruffin's greatest solo release and ranks with anything he did with the Temptations. The man's special qualities come to fore for all to see on this emotional saga about leaving before the bomb hits. As Kipps eloquently wrote: "I'm going to walk away from love before love breaks my heart." Ruffin sings "break my heart" at the end of three choruses, raising the intensity and the length of heart each time, with the last the prettiest and most heartfelt. Catching Ruffin live was always a disappointment after this song hit, because he didn't even try to extend the note, just sung it straight. But on the record his performance is touching; it aced the R&B chart and crept into the pop Top Ten, hanging at number nine. The Choice Four originally recorded this song, but listening to theirs and then David's is akin to amateur and pro sports. It's been remade over and over by and including Kimberly Briggs, Ken Boothe, Bares Hammond, Chuck Jackson, Mike Anthony, and Willie Clayton's great version.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, May 12th, '09

Q: In 1893, inspired by the view from atop Pikes Peak, Katharine Lee Bates, Massachusetts educator and author, wrote a song that begins, "O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain." What's the title of that song?



A: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, May 12th, '09

After the Spinners and the O'Jays, the Stylistics were the leading Philly soul group produced by Thom Bell. During the early '70s, the band had 12 straight Top Ten hits, including "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love With You," "Break Up to Make Up," and "You Make Me Feel Brand New." Of all their peers, the Stylistics were one of the smoothest and sweetest soul groups of their era. All of their hits were ballads, graced by the soaring falsetto of Russell Thompkins, Jr. and the lush yet graceful productions of Bell, which helped make the Stylistics one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the '70s.

The Stylistics formed in 1968, when members of the Philadelphia soul groups the Monarchs and the Percussions joined forces after their respective band dissolved. Thompkins, James Smith, and Airrion Love hailed from the Monarchs; James Dunn and Herbie Murrell were from the Percussions. In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now," a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote with Robert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and single eventually climbed to number seven in early 1971.

Once they were on Avco, the Stylistics began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, who had previously worked with the Delfonics. The Stylistics became Bell's pet project and with lyricist Linda Creed, he crafted a series of hit singles that relied as much on the intricately arranged and lush production as they did on Thompkins' falsetto. Every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit, and several -- "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love With You," "Break Up to Make Up," and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" -- were also Top Ten pop hits.

Following "You Make Me Feel Brand New" in the spring of 1974, the Stylistics broke away from Bell and began working with Van McCoy, who helped move the group towards a softer, easy listening style. In 1976, they left Avco and signed with H&L. The group's American record sales declined, yet they remained popular in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, where "Sing Baby Sing" (1975), "Na Na Is the Saddest Word" (1975), "Can't Give You Anything" (1975), and "Can't Help Falling in Love" (1976) were all Top Five hits. The Stylistics continued to tour and record throughout the latter half of the '70s, as their popularity steadily declined. In 1980, Dunn left the group because of poor health, and he was followed later that year by Smith. The remaining Stylistics continued performing as a trio on oldies shows into the '90s.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, May 11th, '09

Q: One of the three main acting stars of the 1969 film, Easy Rider also directed the film. Who was it?



A: DENNIS HOPPER

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, May 11th, 09

Leo Sayer's breakthrough album, 1976's Endless Flight, gave him three Top 40 singles. "How Much Love" went to number 17, the saccharine-induced ballad "When I Need You" went all the way to number one, and the disco-infused "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" did the same four months earlier as his first number one hit, staying in Top 40 domain for 17 weeks. In the U.K., the song went to number two and instantaneously boosted Sayer's career at home and worldwide. With help from Vini Poncia, who later worked with Kiss, and a tight allegiance with producer Richard Perry, the writing on Endless Flight was more commercially pleasing and vibrant than his past material, especially when sung by Sayer's high-pitched voice. The disco-funk high step of "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" was exactly what 1976 was waiting for, and no one could have made it work quite like Leo Sayer. The song started out as a harmless little jam in the studio, but Perry felt it was worth releasing as a single. Guided by its laid-back, sunshiny '70s sound, the crescendoed chorus carries it into disco's breezy stratosphere, reeled in from time to time by the mild soulful undertow, which still works when the song is played today. The melody's cheerful jaunt rides piggyback on Sayer's smiling vocals, and even though there may be an overdose of happiness within the song's entirety, the tempo can't divert any attention away from the over-effusiveness. Whether it's disco or pure pop, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" was one of the biggest hits of the late '70s, and the amount of success that befriended Leo Sayer from his Endless Flight album was never equaled.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, May 8th. '09

Q: In this 1992 film comedy, Nicholas Cage loses his fiance played by Sara Jessica Parker in a Las Vegas poker game to mobster James Caan, and a corps of "flying Elvises" helps him rescue her. What is the film title?



A: HONEYMOON IN VEGAS

Super 60's Tune for Friday, May 8th, '09

The Knickerbockers' "Lies" is justly regarded as the most accurate early- Beatles imitation. Even many years after its original release, there's still a good chance it can fool younger listeners who weren't around to hear it upon its original release in late 1965 into thinking they've stumbled across a Beatles song they somehow haven't heard before. The secret of its success -- and actually it was pretty successful, making the Top 20 -- was that almost all blatant Beatles imitations focused on the lighter, poppier side of the band. "Lies" hardly ignored Beatlesque pop hooks, but it also emulated the Beatles' toughest, hardest-rocking side. It sounded like it could have somehow fit into their A Hard Day's Night, Beatles for Sale, or Help! albums, yet was not explicitly derivative of any one Beatles song. Like several prominent Beatles songs, it's unusual in that it starts with a chorus, à la early- Beatles ravers like "Can't Buy Me Love," "When I Get Home," or "Anytime at All." The group's shouts of "Lies!" are immediately answered by a tough, almost gnarly brief angry guitar riff. The aggressive lead vocal is amazingly like that of John Lennon, and perhaps the single trait most responsible for convincing many that this was a Beatles record. After the title is sung, the melody craftily goes into a brief, far moodier section, returning to the chorus but almost immediately inserting an exhilarating minor-key, very Lennon-esque falsetto. In yet another Beatlesque turn, the brief verses (or bridges -- the delineation isn't too clear) are in a decidedly more minor melodic mood than the relatively cheery chorus. That's particularly so when the vocals accuse the girl of being unfaithful in a fashion simultaneously threatening and hurt -- another very Lennon-esque characteristic. The background vocals were very much like the sort that Paul McCartney and George Harrison sang on Lennon rockers like "You Can't Do That"; the scream in the instrumental break was very much like McCartney's whoops; and the slightly sloppy yet concise guitar solo in the break was rather in Harrison's style. For all the Beatles comparisons, though, "Lies" was a hugely enjoyable single for its own merits, even if the early Beatles styles they were aping had been discarded by the Beatles themselves when "Lies" peaked at number 20 in early 1966. "Lies" was covered, in a less overtly Beatlesque manner, by Lulu and, in France, by Ronnie Bird, in a translated-to-French version retitled "Cheese."

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, May 7th, '09

Q: The hypodermic syringe, a lifesaving devise used by doctors but abused by junkies, was invented at the time of which war?



A: AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 1861-1865

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, May 7th, '09

Before Styx had Top Ten hits with songs like "Babe," "Too Much Time on My Hands," and "Mr. Roboto," they first broke the charts in 1975 with "Lady," a single that peaked at number six, but only on its second time around. "Lady" was first released on the Wooden Nickel label in 1973, gaining some minor attention in and around the Chicago area, the group's hometown. But it wasn't until two years later, when the song was given some fresh radio promotion across the U.S., that audiences began to take notice. This second effort boosted sales of "Lady"'s parent album, Styx II, and brought the band their very first gold disk. Clearly, Dennis DeYoung's soaring vocals are what give the song its energy and flair. Although the song starts off as a ballad, the delicate piano introduction eventually melds into a rock-induced tandem of staunch electric guitar via John Curulewski and thundering drum work from John Panozzo. The beginning of "Lady" was a slight foreshadowing of ballads that were soon to come, some of which gave Styx their biggest hits ever. But "Lady" did more than spotlight DeYoung's rich vocal traits. Still in their somewhat progressive rock beginnings with albums like 1973's The Serpent Is Rising and 1974's Man of Miracles, "Lady" proved that they could mix mystical lyrics with a powerful rock edge, thus keeping the keyboard work to a minimum. Soon, Styx shed all of their progressive tendencies, solid evidence that "Lady"'s radio-oriented sound pointed them in the right direction in which to follow.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, May 6th, '09

Q: This prolific German composer wrote over 600 compositions, symphonies and works of chamber music in less than 20 years before he died of typhoid fever in 1828 at age 31. Who was he?






















A: FRANZ SCHUBERT 1797-1828.

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, May 6th, '09

Rivaling Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" in creating a supremely laid-back mood of complete existential anguish -- a combination that pretty much sums up the late '70s -- Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" is if anything an even prettier song with an even more depressing lyric. One of Alan Parsons' most remarkable productions, "Year of the Cat" is a truly amazing listening experience, just the sort of thing that '70s dudes played for their dates on their wildly expensive new stereo systems just before they broke out the Quaaludes. In all seriousness, the extended solo section, when a succession of different instruments fade twinkling into each other before the final verse, is a marvel of '70s soft rock. "Baker Street" has a much better sax solo, though.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, May 5th, '09

Q: One of the deadliest forms of vegetation is the death cap, which can kill a human who eats it in a few minutes. What form of vegetation is the death cap?






















A: MUSHROOM / FUNGUS

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, May 5th, '09

The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get, Walsh's second solo studio album, continues the heavy and light rock mix of tracks found on his previous release Barnstorm. Indeed, the opening two tracks bear this out. The first, perhaps Joe Walsh's most recognized track, "Rocky Mountain Way", comes replete with overly distorted guitars and the obligatory solo. The next song, "Bookends", is a tuneful ode to happy memories. Walsh's ability to swing wildly from one end of the rock scale to the other is unparalleled and makes for an album to suit many tastes. Joe Vitale (drums, flute, backing vocals, keyboards, and synthesisers – a talented man) and Kenny Passarelli (bass and backing vocals) are once again employed, and once again prove themselves adept at handling Walsh's various styles. The album sees an addition to the backing band in the form of Rocke Grace on keyboards and vocals. The legendary Bill Szymczyk works along with Walsh to handle the production, and takes care of the mixing. Szymczyk's work on this area is as always astounding. The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get features some of the most remembered Joe Walsh tracks, but it's not just these that made the album the success it was. Each of the nine tracks is a song to be proud of. This is a superb album by anyone's standards.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for May 4th, '09

Q: He established a tire factory in Akron, Ohio in 1900. His rubber research allied him with Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, planting rubber forests and at the same time searching for substitutes for natural rubber. Who was he?















A: HARVEY SAMUEL FIRESTONE 1868-1938

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, May 4th, '09

This is the sixth album from the jazz/pop/rock combo Chicago, and was likewise the first to be recorded at the plush, well-lit, and custom-built Caribou Studios in Nederland, CO. The facility was owned and operated by the band's manager and producer, James William Guercio, and eventually became the group's retreat for their next five (non-compilation) long-players. Another and perhaps more significant change was the incorporation of several "outside" additional musicians — most notably Laudir De Oliveira (percussion), who would remain with the band for the next seven years and eight LPs. Although Chicago had begun as a harder-edged rock & roll band, popular music styles were undergoing a shift during the mid-'70s into a decidedly more middle-of-the-road (MOR) and less-aggressive sound. This is reflected in the succinct pop and light rock efforts, contrasting the earlier lengthy and multi-movement epics that filled their earlier works. Nowhere is this more evident than on Chicago VI's (1973) two Top Ten singles: the easygoing James Pankow (trombone) ballad "Just You & Me" as well as the up-tempo rocker "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," which Pankow co-wrote with Peter Cetera (vocal/bass). This more melodic and introverted sensibility pervades the rest of the disc as well — especially from Robert Lamm (keyboard/vocals), who is particularly prolific, penning half of the material on the disc. Even his sardonically titled "Critics' Choice" — which is undoubtedly a musical rebuttal to Chicago's increasingly negative critical assessment — is a languid and delicate response, rather than a full-force confutation. "Darlin' Dear" — another Lamm contribution — on the other hand, is a horn-fuelled rocker that actually recalls Little Feat more than it does most of Chicago's previous sides. Compositions from other bandmembers include the heartfelt Terry Kath (guitar/vocals) ballad "Jenny," which features some fluid fretwork much in the same vein as that of Jimi Hendrix's "Angel" or "Castles Made of Sand." Additionally, Peter Cetera's (bass/vocals) "In Terms of Two" includes a more down-home and countrified acoustic vibe. While Chicago VI is an undeniably strong effort — supported at the time by its chart-topping status — many bandmembers and longtime enthusiasts were beginning to grow apart from the lighter, pop-oriented material.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, May 1st, '09

Q: In 1940, seven months after the outbreak of World War II, Winston Churchill replaced which person as British prime minister?






















A: NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

Super '60's Tune for Friday, May 1st, '09

The unsung heart and soul of the Motor City rock & roll scene, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels' blue-eyed R&B attack boasted a gritty passion and incendiary energy matched by few artists on either side of the color line. Born William Levise, Jr. in Hamtramck, MI on February 26, 1945, as a teen Ryder sang with a local black quartet dubbed the Peps but suffered so much racial harassment that he soon left the group to form his own combo, Billy Lee and the Rivieras. While opening for the Dave Clark Five during a 1965 date, the Rivieras came to the notice of producer Bob Crewe, who immediately signed the group and, according to legend, rechristened the singer Mitch Ryder after randomly selecting the name from a phone book. Backed by the peerless Detroit Wheels -- originally guitarists James McCarty and Joseph Cubert, bassist Earl Elliot, and drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek -- Ryder reached the Top Ten in early '66 with "Jenny Take a Ride"; the single, a frenzied combination of Little Richard's "Jenny Jenny" and Chuck Willis' "C.C. Rider," remains one of the quintessential moments in blue-eyed soul, its breathless intensity setting the tone for the remainder of the band's output.

Ryder and the Detroit Wheels returned to the charts weeks later with their reading of "Little Latin Lupe Lu," scoring their biggest hit that autumn with the Top Five smash "Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly." "Sock It to Me Baby!" followed in early 1967, but at Crewe's insistence Ryder soon split from the rest of the band to mount a solo career; the move proved disastrous -- outside of the Top 30 entry "What Now My Love," the hits quickly and permanently dried up. In 1969 Ryder teamed with Booker T. and the MG's for an LP titled The Detroit/Memphis Experiment before returning home and reuniting with Badanjek in a new seven-piece lineup known simply as Detroit. The group's lone LP, a self-titled effort issued in 1971, remains a minor classic, yielding a major FM radio hit with its cover of Lou Reed's "Rock and Roll"; however, the years of performing were taking their toll, and as Ryder began suffering more and more from severe throat problems, he retired from music, relocating to the Denver area in 1973. In time he began writing songs with wife Kimberley, also taking up painting and working on a novel.

Ryder resurfaced in 1978 on his own Seeds and Stems label with How I Spent My Vacation, his first new LP in seven years; Naked but not Dead appeared a year later, and he continued his prolific output in 1981 with two new efforts, Live Talkies and Got Change for a Million?. In 1983 ardent fan John Cougar Mellencamp agreed to produce Ryder's major label comeback, Never Kick a Sleeping Dog, which generated a minor hit with its cover of the Prince classic "When You Were Mine" but otherwise failed to return the singer to mainstream success, at least at home -- in Europe, and particularly in Germany, he retained a large fan following, releasing In the China Shop on the German label Line in 1986. After satirizing the Iran-Contra debacle with the 1987 single "Good Golly, Ask Ollie," Ryder issued the full-length Red Blood, White Mink the following year; subsequent efforts include 1990's The Beautiful Toulang Sunset, 1992's La Gash and 1994's Rite of Passage. He continued touring steadily in the years to follow and also worked on an autobiography.