Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, June 30th, '09

Q: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ..." are the first words of what 1859 novel, and who is the author?



















A: A TALE OF TWO CITIES / CHARLES DICKENS

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, June 30th, '09

Sure, Dolly Parton was a star by 1978, but she was a country music star, at a time when country was still a niche genre. The single "Here You Come Again," written by the superstar songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, has utterly no country elements to it. Supported by a pop-oriented album of the same title featuring multiple cover photos of Parton in what can only be called a "Dig ME!" outfit and a tour of seemingly every television show that would have her, Parton broke through to the pop charts in a big way and stayed there for close to a decade. In and of itself, "Here You Come Again" isn't one of Parton's classic tunes; it's bouncy and catchy, with a very '70s plink-plink piano part that sounds like it was lifted from one of the Carpenters' peppier hits, and Parton, as always, sings the heck out of the tune, but it's finally just a little too lightweight to be an all-time great.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, June 29th, '09

Q: How many years did the Berlin Wall stand? (+/- 1 year margin of error)


















A: 28 YEARS - 1961-89

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, June 29th, '09

Just to clear up a generation's worth of rumors about the lyrics of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," Walter Becker stated for the record in a 1985 interview in the pages of Musician that the "number" in question was not slang for a marijuana cigarette ("send it off in a letter to yourself," supposedly a way to safely transport one's dope back before the post office abolished general delivery mail, was held up as the key line), and an uncharacteristically forthcoming Donald Fagen has similarly revealed that the " Rikki" in question was simply a woman he'd had a crush on in college. It says something about Steely Dan's reputation as obscurantists that even a straightforward lost-love song like "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" could be so widely over-interpreted. After a strangely quiet, hollow-sounding introduction played on the flopanda, a sort of electrified marimba, the song proper starts with a bass-heavy piano riff lifted outright from Horace Silver's "Song for My Father," set to a samba-like beat from drummer Jim Gordon, opening into one of Steely Dan's most graceful melodies. It's unsurprising that "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" ended up becoming Steely Dan's biggest commercial hit (hitting number four in the summer of 1974), as it's one of the group's most gentle and accessible songs.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, June 26th, '09

Q: Who was the first Hispanic musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (located in Cleveland, Ohio)?



A: CARLOS SANTANA In 1998

Sensational '70's Tune for Friday, June 26th, '09

Riding high on the wild success of the Jackson 5, Motown ringleader Berry Gordy assembled every single notable production team member and songwriter in his arsenal to contribute to the solo debut of the J5's boy wonder, Michael. By the time Got to Be There was released, much had changed in the Jackson dynamic, none the least Michael's voice. But this album launched three chart singles: a cover of the bubblegum classic "Rockin' Robin," Leon Ware's "I Wanna Be Where You Are," and the title track. As a cohesive album, Got to Be There is wildly erratic, and his covers of "You've Got a Friend" and "Ain't No Sunshine" show Jackson's versatility as a singer. It was a world away from the politically charged sound of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the introspection that would later grace some of the best works of Stevie Wonder. But Got to Be There kept Gordy as king of the sound of young America — at least for a few months longer.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, June 25th. '09

Q: Which U.S. state has the largest prison population, as well as the largest number of prisoners on death row?























A: CALIFORNIA

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, June 25th, '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 Wednesday, June 24th. '09

Q: In March, 1998, NASA announced that an unmanned lunar spacecraft had discovered up to 6 billion tons of ... what? ... on the moon?

















A: ICE

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, June 24th, '09

Here is a rare case where Bernie Taupin's lyrics compliment perfectly an exceptional Elton John melody -- not just remaining innocuously out of the way, and not outrightly fouling up a beautiful composition, but actually reaching the same level of sophisticated pop songcraft. And it may just be for the basic reason that Taupin keeps it simple, not allowing his ambition to exceed his ability or to weigh down a simple pop song with pretense and forced verbiage.

The result -- from John's eponymous second LP -- is a near-perfect song, with an aching melody, sentiment, and performance. The music is the sort of blend that John often pulls off: a little bit of country, soul, folk, and jazz, with the R&B hook of the chorus: "I hope you don't mind/I hope you don't mind/That I put down in the words/How wonderful life is while you're in the world." The instrumental focus is on John's nimble Leon Russell-influenced piano work, with acoustic guitar, Paul Buckmaster's string accompaniment, and a shuffling rhythm section. Taupin offers an innocent love-song lyric: "It's a little bit funny this feeling inside/I'm not one of those who can easily hide/I don't have much money but boy if I did/I'd buy a big house where we both could live." At times the self-deprecating narrator stumbles to get out his feelings, a melodramatic device, to be sure, but effective and sweet nonetheless: "So excuse me forgetting but these things I do/You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue/Anyway the thing is what I really mean/Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen/And you can tell everybody this is your song/It may be quite simple but now that it's done." This is the other hook: "Your Song"'s self-consciousness as a song written as a gift for a loved one. It has been a self-fulfilling legacy, going into the Top Ten in 1971 and remaining a staple on radio for decades. In 2001, it was included in the musical film Moulin Rouge, sung by actor Ewan McGregor with a far more intentionally melodramatic flair that -- out of the context of the film -- just seems over the top.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, June 23rd, '09

Q: Which TV Series spawned the most spin offs?



A: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (4): Mary, Rhoda, Phyllis, Lou Grant


Mary,


Rhoda,


Phyillis,


Lou Grant,

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, June 23rd, '09

Bubblegum music's early cash-in attempt on the first stirrings of reggae, Bobby Bloom's "Montego Bay" is lousy reggae (it sounds like those involved had been told what Jamaican pop music sounded like, but they hadn't actually heard any of the records) but entertaining bubblegum. Bloom, who has a far more soulful and commanding voice than one might expect from his earlier hits as a songwriter, like Tommy James' "Mony Mony" and the 1910 Fruitgum Company's "Indian Giver," puts over the tale of a tropical paradise convincingly, over a rather bizarre arrangement of handclaps, whistling and an inappropriate but oddly effective drum part that sounds like somebody hitting a car's hubcaps with drumsticks in a rough approximation of steel drums. Never mind that Jamaican records didn't use steel drums anyway. The record's unconventional ending -- an a cappella riff on "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" that Bloom sings alone before the record trails off into silence -- is gimmicky but effective, much like the rest of the song.

And, here's the full version that's very hard to find:

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, June 22nd, '09

Q: Whats the fastest-growing quick -service restaurant chain in America?























A: JIMMY JOHNS

Sensatonal '70's Tune for Monday, June 22nd, '09

Eddie Holman's 1970 number two smash "Hey There Lonely Girl," with its creamy falsetto vocals and lush Philly soul arrangement, is one of the most well-remembered one-shot soul hits. Actually, Holman had been recording since the early '60s, scoring some minor hits with "This Can't Be True" (1965) and "Am I a Loser (From the Start)" (1966). In 1969, he hooked up with Philadelphia producer Peter DeAngelis, best known for his work with teen idols Fabian and Frankie Avalon. His arrangements for Holman, however, rivaled Gamble-Huff's in quality, yielding some other minor R&B hits in 1969 and 1970 with "I Love You," "Don't Stop Now," and "Cathy Called," as well as an album in 1970. Most identified with his rich falsetto, Holman actually sang in a much more traditional vocal range on much of his material, some of which was written by himself or his wife, Sheila. He largely vanished from sight after 1970, though he recorded for several labels in the '70s.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, June 19th. '09

Q: The three busiest airports outside the united States are located in what three cities?
















A: LONDON HEATHROW - 61 million / TOKYO - 51 million / FRANKFURT - 43 million

Super 60's Tune for Friday, June 19th, '09

Ernie Maresca was a fairly successful songwriter in the New York doo wop/rock & roll scene in the first half of the 1960s, most known for writing several of Dion's biggest hits (by himself or in collaboration with Dion): "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," "Lovers Who Wander," "A Lover's Prayer," and "Donna the Prima Donna." He also wrote for a great deal of other artists throughout the 1960s, usually in a style that combined doo wop with the developing sounds of girl groups or Dion's boastful Bronx pop/rock; the Regents' modest modern doo wop hit "Runaround" was the biggest of these. Although he didn't think of himself as a singer, and was an average nondescript vocalist at best, he was persuaded to record as a solo artist. In mid-1962, he ended up with his one and only hit under his own name, "Shout Shout (Knock Yourself Out)." A fun if extremely basic rocker that used the same chord pattern that anchored Dion hits like "Runaround Sue" and added the dance-rock energy of bands like Joey Dee & the Starliters, it made number six.

Maresca made an album in 1962, and continued to record, without success, for Seville through 1965 and then for Laurie during the remainder of the 1960s. He kept on writing for plenty of artists, too (often on the Laurie roster), and in that capacity had some modest hits with Reparata & the Delrons ("Whenever a Teenager Cries"), Bernadette Carroll ("Party Girl"), and Jimmie Rodgers ("Child of Clay," co-written with Jimmy Curtiss). While some of his songs for Dion were classics, Maresca was a limited songwriter, many of his compositions limited to variations (or replicas) of the ascending, circular basic doo wop chord structures heard on Dion's "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," "Lovers Who Wander," and "Donna the Prima Donna." By the 1970s he was head of Laurie Records' publicity department, which concentrated on reissuing the label's catalog, and as of 2000 was working as a consultant to EMI and administrator for Laurie's publishing.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, June 18th, '09

Q: This British pop musician, born in 1940, had dozens of hits in Britain, but never met with great popularity in the USA. He is sometimes called the Elvis of England. Who is this superstar of British rock music?



A: CLIFF RICHARD

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, June 18th, '09

The third new studio album of Paul Simon's post-Simon & Garfunkel career was a musical and lyrical change of pace from his first two, Paul Simon and There Goes Rhymin' Simon. Where Simon had taken an eclectic approach before, delving into a variety of musical styles and recording all over the world, Still Crazy found him working for the most part with a group of jazz-pop New York session players, though he did do a couple of tracks ("My Little Town" and "Still Crazy After All These Years") with the Muscle Shoals rhythm section that had appeared on Rhymin' Simon and another ("Gone at Last") returned to the gospel style of earlier songs like "Loves Me Like a Rock." Of course, "My Little Town" also marked a return to working with Art Garfunkel, and another Top Ten entry for S&G. But the overall feel of Still Crazy was of a jazzy style subtly augmented with strings and horns. Perhaps more striking, however, was Simon's lyrical approach. Where Rhymin' Simon was the work of a confident family man, Still Crazy came off as a post-divorce album, its songs reeking of smug self-satisfaction and romantic disillusionment. At their best, such sentiments were undercut by humor and made palatable by musical hooks, as on "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," which became the biggest solo hit of Simon's career. But elsewhere, as on "Have a Good Time" (written for but not used in the film Shampoo and perhaps intended to express the shallow feelings of the main character), the singer's cynicism seemed unearned. Still, as out of sorts as Simon may have been, he was never more in tune with his audience: Still Crazy topped the charts, spawned four Top 40 hits, and won Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, June 17th, '09

Q: The first starring role for both Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw came about in which 1969 film based on a Philip Roth novel?



A: GOODBYE COLUMBUS

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, June 17th, '09

"The Way I Want to Touch You", written by Toni Tennille, was actually released the year before on a couple of independent labels as well as on A & M. Its first life was as released on the pair's own label, Butterscotch Castle Records (the name of the record company becoming a tune on their second lp), brought to the Joyce imprint by indie promoters, as mentioned on the www.CaptainandTennille.net website, and re-released for a third time by A & M prior to the "Love Will Keep Us Together" single and album. It became "Como Yo Quiero Sentirte" when its two minutes and forty-five seconds found themselves on the Spanish version of Captain & Tennille's smash lp. That's a total of six different releases of this song in the span of about a year - it showing up on four singles and two lps. The production by Morgan Cavett is a bit more dense than Daryl Dragon's, a decidedly different sound for this act, the percussion and synthesizers all blending nicely. Its certainly not as ostentatious as their renditions of "I Write The Songs" or "Shop Around" giving the couple a nice warm addition to their repertoire. Why it wasn't the break-out hit is the question as it is a solid song and wonderful performance.

Given the chance to follow-up the phenomenon that was "Love Will Keep Us Together" brought this tune Top 5 five months after the first hit, A & M single #1725 arriving around the time Melissa Manchester was singing about "Just Too Many People", though not reaching as many people as Tennille did with this title. Not only did Manchester's career parallel Captain & Tennille in regards to amount of hits and time span when those hits happened (though MM is eight years Tennille's junior), Melissa's "Come In From The Rain" was a big AC hit for Toni and Daryl. When one realizes that "Disney Girls" is Toni Tennille as a commercial Jane Oliver and then you add the majesty of this mini-masterpiece, the depth of the woman's talent becomes clear. Tucked inside the cute world of the husband and wife team, a bubble gum middle-of-the-road arena, the very thing that brought the singer's work to the world in some way held her back from being recognized as the multi-faceted craftswoman that she truly is. Would Toni Tennille have been viewed as a Carole King / Carole Bayer Sager in another setting? We don't know, but we do know that as a team they garnered a Grammy and a huge following. It's the perfection of this tune which begs those questions.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, June 16th, '09

Q: The classical design of acoustic guitars as we know them today was created in the 19th century in what country?






















A: SPAIN

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, June 16th, '09

Bad Girls marked the high-water mark in Donna Summer's career, spending six weeks at Number One, going double platinum, and spinning off four Top 40 singles, including the chart-topping title song and "Hot Stuff," which sold two million copies each, and the million-selling, Number Two hit "Dim All the Lights." Producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte recognized that disco was going in different directions by the late '70s, and they gave the leadoff one-two punch of "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls" a rock edge derived from new wave. The two-LP set was divided into four musically consistent sides, with the rocksteady beat of the first side giving way to a more traditional disco sound on the second side, followed by a third side of ballads, and a fourth side with a more electronic, synthesizer-driven sound that recalled Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love." Though remembered for its hits, the album had depth and consistency, concluding with "Sunset People," one of Summer's best album-only tracks. The result was the artistic and commercial peak of her career and, arguably, of disco itself.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, June 12th, '09

Q: The invention of the match for starting fires was made possible about 1680, when scientists realized that two chemical elements, when rubbed together, would burst into flame. Which two elements?

















A: PHOSPHORUS / SULFUR

Fabulous '50's Tune for Friday, June 12th, '09

The Rock-A-Teens were an American rockabilly group from Richmond, Virginia, active in the late 1950s.

They are best known for their 1959 single "Woo Hoo", backed with "Untrue", released on Roulette Records. The song hit #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it proved to be their only hit.

"Woo Hoo" is a rockabilly song, originally released by The Rock-A-Teens in 1959. The song is distinctive for its lack of lyrics apart from its title words, which gave it popularity around the world as it is not subject to language barriers. It makes use of the twelve-bar blues chord progression, further adding to its accessibility.

Cover versions

It was later covered by the Scottish rock band, The Rezillos, (under the name "Yeah Yeah"), under the same title by the french psychobilly (or as they say themselves, "yéyé-punk") band Les Wampas on their 1988 album, Chauds, sales et humides, by the Japanese girl band The 5.6.7.8's on their 1996 album Bomb the Twist and as a dance/electronica track in 2005 by the American act The Daltronics. It was also covered by Showaddywaddy.

The 5.6.7.8's version gained cult popularity when it was featured and performed by them in Quentin Tarantino's 2003 movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1. The 5.6.7.8's version is also included on the Kill Bill Volume 1 soundtrack. Additionally, it appears in the movie Glory Road. A different song by the name of "Woo Hoo" was also recorded by the Christian rock band The Newsboys.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, June 11th, '09

Q: According to the popular 1980's television series, Dallas, J.R. Ewing and his clan live at what ranch?



A: SOUTHFORK

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, June 11th, '09

Two years after the single "If Not for You" hit the Top 25 on the Uni label, the MCA imprint re-released most of the If Not for You album, along with Newton-John's second U.S. hit, "Let Me Be There," and titled the disc after the new smash. With seductive blue ink shadowing her beautiful face and the word Olivia splashed atop the cover, the company created a collector's item with the original LP, a respect from the aficionados that couldn't have been predicted in the '70s, and well-deserved credibility for the popular artist. The first single hit number one on the middle-of-the-road charts, and that market, along with her country base, enabled Newton-John to rack up 26 additional hits, concluding with 1985's "Soul Kiss," the last one almost mirroring her initial success, going Top 20. This collection is a little awkward for the fans who purchased the original hit album, and it gets more confusing: Pye released a 1971 disc, entitled Olivia Newton-John, with most of these tracks, while EMI pressed two different titles in 1974, Crystal Lady and First Impressions, also containing much of this music. Along with the excellent title track, "Let Me Be There," MCA added a cover of John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads," a nice rendition of the Merilee Rush classic, Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning," and a convenient country tune, "Just a Little Too Much." Tunes missing on Let Me Be There which appeared on the original If Not for You release are the weak version of David Gate's "If," the Band's "In a Station," a second Lesley Duncan tune, "Lullaby," Tom Rush's "No Regrets," "If I Gotta Leave," and "Where Are You Going to My Love." It's early Newton-John, a bit naïve and far from the sophistication of her Warm and Tender release on Geffen, but it works, especially because it contains her first two hit records.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, June 10th, '09

Q: The word "aspirin" is a generic term today, but in the 19th century it was a brand name for a new wonder drug developed by what company?

















A: BAYER

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, June 10th, '09

Peter Frampton's name is synonymous with two songs: "Baby I Love Your Way" and "Show Me the Way." They, along with "Do You Feel Like We Do," were the monster hits from his commercial breakthrough, Frampton Comes Alive, and both were originally featured on his fourth studio album, 1974's Frampton. In a way, they were two sides of the same coin, both love songs about "the Way," which wasn't some Tao of Peter thing, but rather what he loved about his love. Since it was the ballad, "Baby, I Love Your Way" wound up being the standard, getting covered many times, but it was actually the smallest hit on the three Frampton Comes Alive singles. The biggest was "Show Me the Way," and it still brings back the heady thrills of 1976 when Frampton Comes Alive was a phenomenon. A large portion of the nostalgia has to do with his heavy use of talk box on the track -- in memory, it feels like he speaks through his guitar nearly as much as he sings -- but if that's all that it was, it wouldn't have been a hit in 1976 and it wouldn't remain a favorite of album rock fans of all ages. The reason why "Show Me the Way" endures is that it's a veritable cavalcade of hooks with the guitars and vocal melodies fighting for space, and all the while they both make indelible impressions. This is that rare song where the verse melody is catchier than the chorus, and the whole thing is memorable after a spin simply because the hooks are so insanely catchy. "Show Me the Way" isn't a deathless pop song -- it certainly is tied to its era -- but it's undeniably fun and easily the best pure pop song Frampton recorded during his teen idol phase.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, June 9th, '09

Q: In 1933, two-thirds of American homes owned one of these household appliances. Today 99% of all homes have one or two or even ten of them. What are they?























A: RADIOS

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, June 9th, '09

One of the most delightful Doobie Brothers singles, this classy ballad introduced an element of Cajun music into the band that would soon become a trademark. Built on a simple, seventh-note guitar lick, the folksy melody is driven by some subtle fingerpicking by the writer, Patrick Simmons, and some excellent group vocals. Lyrically, it's a backwoods tale of romance, and it's filled with references to New Orleans and its atmosphere. There is a creative production touch, where the vocals become an a cappella workout in the middle of the song. This was utilized by producer Ted Templeman, and he learned it from Lenny Waronker, who used it on Templeman's own group, Harpers Bizarre, on their hit "Feelin' Groovy."

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, June 8th, '09

Q: He is the son of a Philadelphia Phillies pitcher. His wife comes from Star, Mississippi. Together this country music couple sold more than 30 million records and won numerous awards. Who are they?






















A: FAITH HILL / TIM McGRAW -father Tug McGraw

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, June 8th, '09

Paul Lavon Davis (April 21, 1948 – April 22, 2008) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music. Notable songs in his career include 1977's "I Go Crazy", a #7 pop hit which once held the record for the longest chart run on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the #6 "'65 Love Affair", his highest pop hit. In the mid 1980s, he also had two country Number One hits as a guest vocalist on songs by Marie Osmond and Tanya Tucker, and wrote singles for other country singers.

Career

Davis was a member of a local group called the Six Soul Survivors in approximately 1966 and later in another group called the Endless Chain. In 1968 he was a writer for Malaco Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi.

Ilene Berns, widow of Bert Berns, signed Davis to Bang Records in 1969, and in 1970, released a cover of The Jarmels' hit song "A Little Bit of Soap", reaching #52 on the Billboard pop charts. His first album, A Little Bit of Paul Davis, was released in 1970. In 1974, he recorded his third album, Ride 'Em Cowboy, which entered the Top 40 for the title track. The same song also became a Top 40 country hit for Juice Newton in 1984.

Davis had his first American Top 10 single with the ballad "I Go Crazy," which peaked at #7 in 1978. "I Go Crazy" spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, which at the time set the single-song record for most consecutive weeks on the chart in the rock era. The follow-up, "Sweet Life", did moderately well, peaking at #17. The corresponding album Singer of Songs - Teller of Tales was a modest success, peaking at #82 on the Billboard pop album chart. He was the last artist active on the Bang Records label when it folded in 1981.

After one more album, in 1981 he signed with Arista Records and had two more Top 20 singles, "Cool Night" (which rose to #11) and "'65 Love Affair" (which rose to #6). Davis retired from making records, except for two duet singles that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The first was in 1986 with Marie Osmond on "You're Still New To Me" while the second was in 1988 was a collaboration with Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet on "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love". Davis also wrote "Meet Me in Montana," which Dan Seals and Osmond took to #1 on the Billboard country charts in 1985.

He survived a shooting in Nashville on July 30, 1986.

Before his death on April 22, 2008 (one day after his 60th birthday), Paul Davis returned to singing and songwriting recording two songs, "You Ain't Sweet Enough" and "Today." He died of a heart attack at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Friday, June 5th, '09

Q: Today you can buy this handy small item item for less than $1, but when Hungarian Laszlo Biro invented it in 1938, it was a revolutionary advance in the field of communication. What is it?












A: BALLPOINT PEN

Fabulous 50's Tune for Friday, June 5th, '09

Gene Vincent only had one really big hit, "Be-Bop-a-Lula," which epitomized rockabilly at its prime in 1956 with its sharp guitar breaks, spare snare drums, fluttering echo, and Vincent's breathless, sexy vocals. Yet his place as one of the great early rock & roll singers is secure, backed up by a wealth of fine smaller hits and non-hits that rate among the best rockabilly of all time. The leather-clad, limping, greasy-haired singer was also one of rock's original bad boys, lionized by romanticists of past and present generations attracted to his primitive, sometimes savage style and indomitable spirit.

Vincent was bucking the odds by entering professional music in the first place. As a 20-year-old in the Navy, he suffered a severe motorcycle accident that almost resulted in the amputation of his leg, and left him with a permanent limp and considerable chronic pain for the rest of his life. After the accident he began to concentrate on building a musical career, playing with country bands around the Norfolk, VA, area. Demos cut at a local radio station, fronting a band assembled around Gene by his management, landed Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps a contract at Capitol, which hoped they'd found competition for Elvis Presley.

Indeed it had, as by this time Vincent had plunged into all-out rockabilly, capable of both fast-paced exuberance and whispery, almost sensitive ballads. The Blue Caps were one of the greatest rock bands of the '50s, anchored at first by the stunning silvery, faster-than-light guitar leads of Cliff Gallup. The slap-back echo of "Be-Bop-a-Lula," combined with Gene's swooping vocals, led many to mistake the singer for Elvis when the record first hit the airwaves in mid-1956, on its way to the Top Ten. The Elvis comparison wasn't entirely fair; Vincent had a gentler, less melodramatic style, capable of both whipping up a storm or winding down to a hush.

Brilliant follow-ups like "Race With the Devil," "Bluejean Bop," and "B-I-Bickey, Bi, Bo-Bo-Go" failed to click in nearly as big a way, although these too are emblematic of rockabilly at its most exuberant and powerful. By the end of 1956, the Blue Caps were beginning to undergo the first of constant personnel changes that would continue throughout the '50s, the most crucial loss being the departure of Gallup. The 35 or so tracks he cut with the band — many of which showed up only on albums or b-sides — were unquestionably Vincent's greatest work, as his subsequent recordings would never again capture their pristine clarity and uninhibited spontaneity.

Vincent had his second and final Top Twenty hit in 1957 with "Lotta Lovin'," which reflected his increasingly tamer approach to production and vocals, the wildness and live atmosphere toned down in favor of poppier material, more subdued guitars, and conventional-sounding backup singers. He recorded often for Capitol throughout the rest of the '50s, and it's unfair to dismiss those sides out of hand; they were respectable, occasionally exciting rockabilly, only a marked disappointment in comparison with his earliest work. His act was captured for posterity in one of the best scenes of one of the first Hollywood films to feature rock & roll stars, The Girl Can't Help It.

Live, Vincent continued to rock the house with reckless intensity and showmanship, and he became particularly popular overseas. A 1960 tour of Britain, though, brought tragedy when his friend Eddie Cochran, who shared the bill on Vincent's U.K. shows, died in a car accident that he was also involved in, though Vincent survived. By the early '60s, his recordings had become much more sporadic and lower in quality, and his chief audience was in Europe, particularly in England (where he lived for a while) and France.

His Capitol contract expired in 1963, and he spent the rest of his life recording for several other labels, none of which got him close to that comeback hit. Vincent never stopped trying to resurrect his career, appearing at a 1969 Toronto rock festival on the same bill as John Lennon, though his medical, drinking, and marital problems were making his life a mess, and diminishing his stage presence as well. He died at the age of 36 from a ruptured stomach ulcer, one of rock's first mythic figures.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Thursday, June 4th. '09

Q: This glamorous, mysterious German movie star, first popular in the 1920's, refused an offer to return to Nazi Germany, and instead became an anti-Nazi propagandist during WWII. Who is she?



A: MARLENE DIETRICH

Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, June 4th, '09

The two minutes and twenty-six seconds regenerating this energetic Andrew Sisters hit from 1941 became a #1 Adult Contemporary hit for Bette Midler in the summer of 1973. Atlantic 45 rpm #2964 was her second hit single and first Top 10 on the pop charts, beating the Top 15 showing of the version that was popular 32 years before. It's a real period piece produced by Barry Manilow, Ahmet Ertegun and Geoffrey Haslam, arranged by Arif Mardin, with a vocal arrangement by Marty Nelson. But here's the clincher, it is The Divine Miss M herself on all vocals! Despite having her Harlettes available the song becomes a brilliant vehicle to silence any criticism of Bette's ability to sing with the best of them. This isn't a modernization, it's a period piece with ette Midler as The Andrews Sisters backed by drummer Ted Sommer on those great horn parts, Don Arnone on guitar, Dick Hyman playing the old-style piano with Milton Hilton on the essential bass. "He was a famous trumpet man from old Chicago way" the serious musician turned into a clock who has to wake the boys up with reveille. The camp is not in its reverence, it is in the audacity to tackle such a selection, the vocal sound straight out of an old Victorola with big band jazz embracing the old world pop.

This rendition is a dance tune with amazing scat from the quickly emerging talent, so very different from everything else on the ten song eleven track debut lp. The singer is saying "8 to the bar" not "H to the bar" as the mondegreen - misheard lyric - is alleged on this tune which was nominated for a Best Song Academy Award in 1941. 1977's Live At Last take is an amazing re-creation of Midler's studio track from 3 years before, though this time there really is a big band behind her and other singers - her famous Staggering Harlettes (all different from those who appeared on the first album) to help The Divine one become the famous forties trio. It's total musical energy creating a tremendous platform for the actress/vocalist. A neat little reprise on the live version brings the intensity back in instant replay, the only thing that differentiates it from being almost a carbon copy of the original - a very tough thing to do, and done so well by Bette.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Wednesday, June 3rd, '09

Q: What ukelele playing singer was married on live television on what show and what was his wife's name?



















A: TINY TIM, THE TONIGHT SHOW, MISS VICKY

Sensational '70's Tune for Wednesday, June 3rd, '09

The follow-up to Barry Manilow's breakout number one hit "Mandy," "It's a Miracle" was one of the theatrical, slightly (if unintentionally) campy up-tempo numbers that Manilow sometimes recorded to indulge his taste for Broadway. It just missed the Top Ten in 1975, which seemed to be taken as an indicator that Manilow's hit potential lay with ballads; most of his future single releases and best-known songs were in that vein. "It's a Miracle" establishes the sonic blueprint Manilow would use on much of his future show tune-style numbers: a relatively driving beat with lots of '70s high-hat (though one still might wish it was faster), a female backing chorus echoing most of his lyrics, and an over-the-top flair that came across more playfully than on his ballad fare. The song is about coming home (clearly, from a national tour) to a lover, and the lyrics lay it on pretty thick, as Manilow sings repeatedly that "there'll be dancing in the streets," celebrating the miracle of their love (and he's talking about the city of New York dancing, not himself). The sentiment is overdone, yes, but the break where that line is repeated over and over is tailor-made for a glamorous stage production with a gaggle of elaborately costumed and choreographed dancers. (Pity there's no way to know from the exciting version on Live just how much the song was done up visually.) The studio version from Barry Manilow II features a groovy electric piano, an instrument rarely heard on Manilow singles; it instantly dates the song, but that's not a bad thing at all. Manilow was often accused of a complete lack of subtlety, but songs like "It's a Miracle" demonstrated where at least part of that sensibility came from.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Tuesday, June 2nd, '09

Q: In the first celebrity fundraiser, in 1971, musical stars Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Ringo Starr joined event coordinator and former Beatle George Harrison to raise money for hungry residents of what starving nation?






A: BANGLADESH

Sensational '70's Tune for Tuesday, June 2nd, '09

"Who Loves You" is the title song of a 1975 album by The Four Seasons. It was composed by Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker and produced by Gaudio. Reaching #3 on the Billboard Top 100 in November 1975, it re-established The Four Seasons as a viable recording group (even though their popularity as a performing group had never flagged) after a five year absence from the Hot 100, and five years after their last single on Philips Records ("Patch of Blue").

Song information

After their release from Philips, the group signed with Motown and released one album and three singles for the organization in 1972 and 1973. All Motown recordings failed to chart on the U.S. charts, and Motown refused to release a collection of eight songs; instead, the company dropped The Four Seasons from its roster. After some negotiation, lead singer (and partner of the Four Seasons Partnership) Frankie Valli bought the master recording of "My Eyes Adored You" from Motown for $4000. After Larry Uttal, owner of Private Stock Records, heard the recording, he signed Valli onto the label and released "My Eyes Adored You" as a Frankie Valli "solo" single. "My Eyes Adored You" rocketed to the top position of the Hot 100.

In the wake of the success of "My Eyes Adored You," Motown re-released "The Night" as a Four Seasons single in the United Kingdom (the song reached #7 on the UK singles chart) and the group was signed to Curb Records (distributed by Warner Bros. Records) in the summer of 1975. In August, "Who Loves You" entered the Hot 100 as Valli's "Swearin' to God" was sliding off the chart.


Different versions

There were three versions of "Who Loves You" released in the United States: the one on the Who Loves You album is four minutes, 20 seconds, long and begins with a short percussion section before the start of the vocals. The A-side of the single has a four minutes, four seconds, version which starts with an unusual "fade-in" beginning that begins with the first word of the vocals; the B-side (labeled "Who Loves You (Disco version)") is the same as the A-side but with the instrumental break one and one-half minutes longer.

Although the trademark Four Seasons' falsetto is present on "Who Loves You," Valli's vocal performance on the recording is limited to singing the lead on the verses as the effects of otosclerosis were diminishing his hearing (later reversed by operation).

For a record from a group that had gone so long without any chart records, "Who Loves You" was a tremendous success. Released in August 1975, the single spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100 (longer than any Four Seasons single prior to it) and managed to stay on the chart until the beginning of 1976.

As "Who Loves You" was sliding down the Hot 100, both Valli and the group had become hot musical properties. Valli's version of "Our Day Will Come" was peaking at #11 as The Four Seasons' followup to "Who Loves You" was released by Warner Bros. Records. "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" would become the largest-selling single in the history of the Four Seasons.

Brainbuster Question of the Day for Monday, June 1st, '09

Q: Some of her best-known works are Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, and Silas Marner. Her real name was Mary Ann Evans, but her pen name was ... what?


















A: GEORGE ELIOT

Sensational '70's Tune for Monday, June 1st, '09

Originally a hard-driving rocker in the vein of fellow Michigan garage rockers the Rationals and Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger developed into one of the most popular heartland rockers over the course of the '70s. Combining the driving charge of Ryder's Detroit Wheels with Stonesy garage rock and devotion to hard-edged soul and R&B, he crafted a distinctively American sound. While he never attained the critical respect of his contemporary Bruce Springsteen, Seger did develop a dedicated following through constant touring with his Silver Bullet Band. Following several years of missed chances and lost opportunities, Seger finally achieved a national audience in 1976 with the back-to-back release of Live Bullet and Night Moves. After the platinum success of those albums, Seger retained his popularity for the next two decades, releasing seven Top Ten, platinum-selling albums in a row.

Seger began playing music in 1961 as the leader of the Detroit-based trio the Decibels; his future manager, Eddie "Punch" Andrews was also a member of the band. Moving to Ann Arbor, he played with the Town Criers before he became the keyboardist and vocalist for Doug Brown & the Omens. Billing themselves as the Beach Bums, the band released "The Ballad of the Yellow Beret," a parody of the Sgt. Barry Sadler song "The Ballad of the Green Beret." The single was withdrawn shortly after its release after Sadler threatened a lawsuit. In 1966, Seger released his first solo single, "East Side Story," which became a regional hit. Several other local hit singles followed on Cameo Records, including "Persecution Smith" and "Heavy Music," before his label folded. In 1968, he formed the Bob Seger System and signed with Capitol Records, releasing his debut album, Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, in the spring of that year. The title track became a national hit, climbing to number 17, but the group's follow-up, Noah, stiffed and Seger decided to quit the music business at the end of 1969 to attend college.

By the end of the summer, Seger had returned to rock & roll with a new backing band, releasing Mongrel at the end of the year. For 1971's Brand New Morning, he disbanded his group and recorded a singer/songwriter effort. Following its release, he began performing with the duo Dave Teegarden and Skip "Van Winkle" Knape, and the duo provided support on 1972's Smokin' O.P.'s, which was the first release on Palladium Records, a label he formed with Andrews. The album failed to sell, as did Back in '72 (1973) and Seven (1974), and he moved back to Capitol Records for 1975's Beautiful Loser. For the recording of Beautiful Loser, Seger formed the Silver Bullet Band, which consisted of guitarist Drew Abbott, bassist Chris Campbell, keyboardist Robyn Robbins, saxophonist Alto Reed, and drummer Charlie Allen Martin. Seger supported Beautiful Loser with an extensive tour with the Silver Bullet Band, and while it didn't make the album a hit, it provided a widespread grassroots following across the country. The touring paid off in 1976, when Live Bullet, a double album recorded in Detroit, became a hit, spending over three years on the U.S. charts and going gold; the album would eventually go quadruple platinum.

The groundswell behind Live Bullet sent Seger's next studio album, Night Moves (1976), into the Top Ten early in 1977. Night Moves became a blockbuster, generating the hit singles "Night Moves," "Mainstreet," and "Rock & Roll Never Forgets." Stranger in Town, released in the summer 1978, was just as successful, featuring the hits "Still the Same," "Hollywood Nights," "We've Got Tonite," and "Old Time Rock & Roll." Stranger in Town confirming his status as one America's most popular rockers. Seger's next album, 1980's Against the Wind, became his first number one album and all of its big hits -- "Fire Lake," "Against the Wind," "You'll Accomp'ny Me" -- were ballads. The live album Nine Tonight continued his multi-platinum success in 1981, selling three million copies and peaking at number three.

Seger returned with The Distance in 1982. The Distance was the first album since Seven to be recorded with the addition of session musicians, which caused guitarist Abbott to quit the band in frustration. Over the course of the next decade, the membership of the Silver Bullet Band shifted constantly. While The Distance featured "Shame on the Moon," his biggest hit single to date, its sales plateaued at a million copies, suggesting that his popularity was beginning to level off. Seger also began to drastically reduce his recording and touring schedules -- he only released one other album, 1986's Like a Rock, during the '80s. Like a Rock and its supporting tour were both successes, paving the way for "Shakedown," a song taken from the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II, to become Seger's lone number one hit in 1987. Four years after its release, he returned with The Fire Inside. Although the album went platinum and reached the Top Ten, it only appealed to Seger's devoted following, as did 1995's It's a Mystery, which became his first album since Live Bullet to fail to go platinum, leveling off at gold status. In 2006, after an 11-year hiatus, Seger released Face the Promise.