EAST COAST * WEST COAST DIVAS: "I Wish" - Stevie Wonder

EAST COAST * WEST COAST DIVAS: "I Wish" - Stevie Wonder

Can This Be Real?...

  Hola! I'm back again...for a minute anyway! lately I've been absent from the writing scene because I've been on a hiatus (self-imposed) due to "brain-drain" or lack of creative thought. However, today I feel like chit-chatting. First; how about those so-called "Real Housewives?" If "Real" is the operative word here, then why haven't we seen "Real Housewives" of the Projects yet? I mean, come on...who lives like these so-called reality housewives? Let me break it down according to the ones I watch: TRHW of New Jersey; TRHW of New York, TRHW of Atlanta, and the newest addition, TRHW of D.C.. I don't bother with TRHW of Orange County (which started the franchise in the first place), because I can't relate in any way at all! I feel a kinship with the East Coast shows simply because of geography.
  Since I don't know any women like the ones portrayed on these shows, I will critique based on my perceptions. Women in general already get a "bad rap" for being catty and envious towards each other so for the life of me, I don't get why seemingly educated, sophisticated, wordly women would want to perpetuate that stereotype? TRHW of New Jersey have proven to be the most volatile and aggressive; TRHW of New York come across as snobby and pretentious, and TRHW of Atlanta as the most "ghetto." So far, the D.C. housewives have shown all of these characteristics except the aggressiveness! They have indeed mastered the snobbery and pretentiousness.
  I mean, these women talk behind each other's backs, gossip about one another, change alliances like underwear and act like high school "mean girls" towards one another! So...why do I even bother to watch? We can all use some "guilty pleasure" television sometimes can't we? I can't watch The History Channel, PBS, The Discovery Channel and Sixty Minutes all the time!!! I need some dessert sometimes too! I can only hope that one day the RHW franchise will cast "real housewives" and I'll finally get to see LaQuisha and dem from the projects! Although I can't imagine how they would be different.
 

"Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street?"

  Howdy-do peeps! Hope all is well in your world! Well, time to rant about over-zealousness and "political-correctness" gone amok!!! I am talking about the Katy Perry video that was taped for a Sesame Street segment, then scrapped because some parents objected to it. Seems it was deemed "too sexy" for viewing by the target audience (2 to 6 year olds). The video features singer katy Perry of "California Girls and I Kissed A Girl" fame cavorting (gosh I love that word) around with Elmo! Katy wears a bustier topped, short dress which is the basic uniform for a twenty-something California Girl. What? You didn't know that? Where have you been recently?



Elmo does seem a bit too interested in her outfit though!

        Huummm...could it be that the protesting parents are on to something? Elmo does seem a bit distracted. Naw! My problem with the entire situation is this: where were these parents in all the years that Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Kermit have been running around in the "buff"? I mean, these guys have never worn clothes on the show! Kermit wears that silly collar around his neck and Elmo has worn a cowboy hat on occasion!

See any clothes on this guy?

Hey bird, where's your pants?

Is it true being in green skin aint easy?

Looking quite "dapper" unclothed!

The last thing I want to want to add as I wiggle my tongue around in my cheek is, "has anyone asked Miss Piggie to weigh in on the controversy? I'd really be interested in hearing her opinion on the matter...afterall, who bares more cleavage on television than Miss Piggy? I mean besides Wendy Williams and Dolly Parton?

"Sleep Walk"...Santo and Johnny

  As a "self-proclaimed" music observer/critic/lover/commentator, I felt "compelled" to watch MTV's music awards show. I know, I know...I am not in their targeted demographics! They do not consider my generation when making programming choices. I don't give a rat's behind!...I'll watch what I want and they can't stop me! An ulterior motive though, is that I get such pleasure from comparing "our" music (as in Baby Boomers) with "their" music (as in Gen X!).
  It often saddens me when I am reminded that music today seems more about "extreme" stage shows, acrobatic dance moves, outrageous costumes (shades of LaBelle and George Clinton's Funkadelics!), and increasingly less about singing!
  Before I go further, I'd like to note that coming up with a title for today's blog proved to be quite a challenge! If you are a follower of my blogs, you already know that I always choose a song title which summerizes the tone of my article. Well, note today's title: Sleep Walk by Santo and Johnny! Does that pique your curiosity in any way?
  The show opened with a performance by the "Elvis" of rap...Eminem, including a duet with Rihanna. While Em is usually controversial or somewhat interesting in his performance behaviors, he seemed oddly subdued or even "detached" last night; there was no "sizzle." His and Rihanna's duet even seemed disconnected.
  The "star power" of shows past even seemed absent from last night's show, although there were a few surprises: Lindsay Lohan mocking her own "bad behavior" in a skit with Chelsea Handler, who was the MC, for example.~Side bar~ I am a fan of Chelsea Handler and often find her humor "decadently delicious, wonderfully wicked and naughtily nice" but for some reason, she seemed "off her game" and came across as trying "too hard" to be funny and irreverant. Instead, some of her jokes fell flat. One joke directed at Justin Bieber was downright crass, so I won't even repeat it.
  The usual male artists did their things: Justin Bieber had 'em screaming; and when Drake and later, Usher took to the stage, they seemed "geriatric" compared to young Mr. Bieber! "Pseudo celebrities" such as The Jersey Shore cast were in the house, as well as other current pop culture ."icons."
  The night's big winners include Eminem, who won "best male video" for "Not Afraid" and Lady Gaga who won the first four awards for which she was nominated, including the most coveted "best female video." A surprise moment that woke me back up (hence the title above) was an appearance by the one and only Cher!
  As she stepped on stage with her sixty-five-year -old baaaddd self, in that iconic, "barely there" black outfit that shows her in her ancient glory, I had to give props! She still has it! The old gal looked good! She presented Lady Gaga an award and when the camera panned the audience for reaction shots, you could see the looks of awe on the faces of today's "divas." The "other" oldster on the show was Mary J. Blige. Rememer her?
  Here's some irony: my young niece Mary Klausner called to ask if I was watching "Rock, Rhythm & Doo-Wop" which was airing all day yesterday on PBS; I answered "no" because I had seen the episodes before; it was a marathon of previously aired shows, some dating as far back as 2001. Many of the artists are no longer with us. Mary is a younger person who appreciates "our" music; no theatrics, elaborate stage shows, funny or outrageous costumes, or controversial lyrics. Just pure vocal harmonizing, meticulous suits and glamorous dresses. And here I was watching MTV!
 

God Bless The USA...Lee Greenwood

            I'd like to simply share a poem I wrote on September 11, 2001:

                                 The Day Terror Struck My City

                                        Terror struck my city today
                                        It rained down from the sky
                                       I fell down on my knees to pray
                                      I asked God in heaven, "why?"
                                     But God no answer had to give
                                        Terror is not God's game
                                     So when you curse and rant and rave
                                         Be careful who you blame
                                       Remember God is a loving God
                                       Who'll see that we get through
                                   The darkest days our eyes will see
                                          Our faith we must renew
                                          Terror struck my city today
                                    God bless the Red, White and Blue

                                   

EAST COAST * WEST COAST DIVAS: Memories - The Temptations

EAST COAST * WEST COAST DIVAS: Memories - The Temptations

Been So Long...The Pastels

    Good morning peeps! I'm back!!! It's been at least four months since I last posted on this blog thingy! I can't really say why it's been so long, other than I guess I had nothing new to say...I was "worded-out" for a spell. So why am I here today you ask? Well, I can only suppose that I felt an urge to be! My focus is still on the music that I love so much and other tid-bits of pop culture, trivia and life! In the world of music, we've suffered so, so many losses this past year: Teddy Pendergrass, Ron Banks, Randy Cain, Ollie Woodson, Harvey Fuqua, Marvin Isley, Robert Wilson, Al Goodman, Big Ron Carter, Abby Lincoln and the biggest name of all: Michael Joseph Jackson! These are obviously not in the order of their transitions and I am sure I am forgetting many others but this is a heartbreaking number as it is.
    Yes, many of these artists lived wonderful and long lives...but it's always sad to lose such talented members of our universe. I like to remind myself that they are not really gone... their bodies of work assure us that they will always be around. They have just moved into the "Night Shift" to join the most soulful choir ever. If you close your eyes, open your minds and listen...you can hear them singing.

Hollywood Swinging - Kool and the Gang

Good morning peeps!! Did you watch The Oscar Ceremony last night? Being the pop culture "junkie" that I am, I watched in anticipation of the highly publicized hype of "something different from The Oscars that you've never seen before..." Well, unless I dozed off  (which I did occasionally), I missed something. Sure, there were two hosts: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and less big production numbers; not much else seemed really new. Did they mean having former winners from each category offer commentary about the new nominees? Ho-hum. Nothing exciting there. However, what was somewhat new, was having at least three African Americans in the running for Oscars, at one time: Morgan Freeman (Invictus),  Mo'Nique, (Precious), and Gabourey Sidibe, (Precious), and an African American in contention for Best Director (Lee Daniels; Precious).  Can't remember when that happened before or if that ever happened. An African American won for Best Adapted Screen Play for Precious; Geoffrey Fletcher, a New Yorker who teaches at NYU.

Speaking of Precious, it is only one of three of the nominated movies I actually saw; the others being Avatar and The Lovely Bones. I don't go to the movies much these days, but I do see what I want on DVD. Now, back to the Oscars. Kudos to Mo'Nique for her winning her very first Oscar on her first time nominated! That is quite an accomplishment! I also have to say that she looked stunning in her royal blue, shirred front gown, and her beautifully coiffed hair!  In watching her performance in Precious, I do agree that she was powerful, but I don't know if it was Oscar worthy...don't hate, it's my opinion. To me, it was "The Monster's Ball Syndrome" all over again. That is, when Black women play either overly sexualized women (Halle in Monster's Ball) or some convincingly brutal batterer as in Precious, they get Hollywood's attention! I have seen many other performances by African American women that I felt should have won Oscars but didn't. Angela Bassett as Tina Turner for example. This is progress though, in this sense: in the not too distant past, heavy set African American women were relegated to playing maids, mammies, slaves; or fair-skinned black women were always portraying  "tragic mulattoes" "passing for white" or "exotic island dwellers."

Speaking of maids, I thought it was very gracious of Mo'Nique to pay homage to the late Hattie McDaniels, that I'll bet went over the heads of many in the audience, as well as home viewers. How many African American youth even know who Hattie McDaniel was! Do You? Hattie McDaniel was a heavy set African American actress who was very active in films during the thirties, forties and possibly fifties. She played...you guessed it...maids! She is also the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her portrayal as a "mammy" in Gone With The Wind." In her real life, she supposedly quipped that she'd rather "play a maid than be one" as she laughed all the way to the bank!

Another first this time around, is that a woman won a "Best Director" Oscar for the little known film, "The Hurt Locker." This is significant for more reasons than one: the movie beat out the Goliath: Avatar, and the director, Kathryn Bigelow, beat her former husband...James Cameron in the Best Director category!
Congratulations to all the winners!!!

You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics

Good afternoon peeps!!! It's been a while, but I am back with reason to smile! In a few more weeks, Spring would have sprung; no more snow (knock on wood); I'll be celebrating another year of living (God willing) because my birthday is April 1st, and my sister-friend Stephanie Jordan has redesigned the layout of this blog! So, I just wanted to make this piece an opportunity to say thank you to Stephanie, and to all of you who have read our collective blogs. I'll return soon with more commentary, more songs, more little gems of knowledge and hopefully...more reasons to bring a smile to your lips. Until we meet again,

Ciao my friends!

Dance, Dance, Dance - Chic

Good morning peeps!! You already know that, "I love music, any kind of music, long as it's grooving..." but, I also love to dance! The two go hand in hand of course. In my parallel universe, I was a "Solid Gold Dancer" like Darcel Wynn; memba her! Tripping back down memory lane, I can recall the many dance records and dances from my youth. The Two-Step, The Twist, The Madison, The Stroll, The Bop, The Mashed Potatoes, The Swim and The Pony to name a few, were from my really early years of dancing. That's when we were glued to the TV set watching American Bandstand.

Next phase: The years of The Motown Sound and The Philly Sound ushered in a new set of dances: Remember The Jerk (the original one), The Hitch Hike, The Monkey, The Boston Monkey, The Boogaloo, The Philly Dog, The Wobble, and The Twine?  Now I know that many of these dances might have been local or regional favorites, but often, when a singing group picked up the dance and created a song around it, the dance became more widespread. The Twist is an example of this. Although it was first performed by the original creator of both the dance and song, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters; it was Chubby Checker's version that achieved world-wide fame and became an international dance sensation! To this day, even young children pick up this dance and work it! I taught it to my class of Kindergarten and First grade students, who performed it on stage, to the delight of everyone.

Moving into the Disco era, dancing re-emerged as an important social activity. In my East Harlem neighborhood, we were doing a latin dance called The Palladium. We had no knowledge of the club by the same name...we just knew how to do this particular dance to the Latin music that we all listened to at the time.

This style of dancing evolved into The Hustle that predominated the dance floor, when Van McCoy recorded a song by the same name, Do The Hustle. However, in the movie Saturday Night Fever, The Hustle was depicted as a line dance. That's not how we did it in the hood. It was also during this phase that line dancing became popular once again, after having all but disappeared from the local scene! If the song, "Moving" by Brass Construction came on, nearly everyone did a line dance very similar to The Electric Slide, called The Bus Stop. Solo dances around this time included The Bump, The Rock, The Freak (or Freaky-Deaky depending on where you were from), The Wop, The Skate and numerous other dances with names I can't recall. And I can't talk about dancing without mentioning the best music and dance show of all time...Soul Train of course! A party ain't a party without a Soul Train line!

Just as the music scene changes, so do the dancing styles. By now, Disco was fading and Hip-Hop was emerging as a dominate force. B-Boys and girls destroyed with their gravity-defying moves! Break dancing! Popping and Locking! The Robot! The Electric Boogaloo! By now, people in my age group had to go to dances given by organizations in order to hear "our" music and do "our" style of dancing. I know you can feel me on this. Oh the dances that have evolved out of The Hip-Hop culture!

Moving on through the eighties and nineties: The Cabbage Patch, The Snake, The Worm, The Running Man, The Pee-Wee Herman, The Charlie Brown. All the line dances that evolved from The Madison...Electric Slide, Mississippi Mud Slide, Cupid Shuffle and on and on and on! Walk It Out y'all, Walk It Out! We have danced into The New Millineum ...What's next? Dancing on the Ceiling for real?

Memories - The Temptations

Good morning peeps!! Lately it seems my mind has been a Tabula Rasa when it comes to writing; that is; a "clean or blank slate." Hopefully, I've inspired, entertained, amused or gave food for thought in my previous posts. A while ago, I was thinking about the past and in particular, my teen-aged years. What brought it on? I dunno; probably a dream I had last night or perhaps a song I listened to. Maybe the fact that my next natal anniversary is fast approaching and I'll be another year older (God willing). I am thankful for the life I've lived and lived through. I am thankful for the lessons learned and taught. I am thankful for the many struggles, hard times, rewards, punishments, experiences, encounters, disappointments, surprises and whatever has come my way; it made me who I am. Segueing to a trip down memory lane.


I present to you some of the fashions, slanguage, fads and other cultural phenomena from my teen age years.


Cute boys were not "hunks;" they were "fine"
Cute girls were called "foxes"
Cars were referred to as "my ride" or "my short"
Your parent's apartment was called "the pad" 
You were lucky to have one TV and even luckier if it was a color TV!
Some of the more fortunate girls had their own Pink Princess Phone in their bedroom (not me; we only had that traditional black phone in the living room).
When you out grew toys, you probably wanted some "fly" new clothes or shoes for Christmas; maybe even ice-skates or roller skates. Perhaps a new bike.
You always wanted whatever "uniform" was in fashion at the time. I can't speak for guys but for girls, some of the items that were popular at the time were:

Stirrup pants, patch-sleeve sweaters, tan suede bucks with the pink, rubber soles, Clarkes from The Village in the Purple striped box; my favorites were called, "Bunnies;" wrap-a-round skirts, knee-socks to match your outfit and a "Greek Bag" also from The Village. Other desirables were: Chesterfield Coats,Rabbit Fur Coats, Leather or Suede Coats, Boy Coats, Pea Coats, All American Sweaters, fish net stockings in colors to match your outfit. The jeans of the day were tight, Levi's and were called dungarees.

Hairstyles varied; scarves and head bands were worn. French rolls, flips, bangs were popular. Boys who wore processes were considered cute, but "strange" or "different" from the rest. *Fights were with fists and girls always greased their faces with Vaseline so that scratching would be minimal; hair pulling and blouse pulling were a must! Earrings came off first of course!


You always repped your neighborhood wherever you went; traveling to another borough could be perilous unless you had cousins there, and if you invited other boys to your projects or neighborhood, they were often chased out by the boys that lived there.

Though not really a *fighter, I do remember three fights I had in particular. Now I have to say that when I lived in the Bronx prior to moving back to Harlem (East Harlem; Wagner Projects), I can't recall fighting. However, when I got to Wagner, I was provoked into fighting: one about a boy; one because a girl retaliated for her friend that I had beaten about the boy and one because I wrote something disparaging about a girl in a *"slang book."  Remember "slang books?" Well, in my east Harlem neighborhood, girls and some guys would pass around a *notebook. Each page would be dedicated to a particular person. You were to write how you felt about that person on their page.(Some people do that now on Face book!) Guys were usually complimentary about girls: "she's a fox", etc. But, girls could be vicious! She's a scank! She can't dress! She thinks she's cute! I wrote that a particularly heavy set girl was a "fox without the f!" Did I know that she would see it? Of course! Did I think about the consequences...of course not!


She confronted me in the hallway of my building, on the seventh floor, as I exited the apartment of a mutual friend of ours (to this day, I think I was set-up to be confronted by this mutual friend)! Anyway, we fought and somehow ended up on the floor with her pinning me down. I remember wise cracking about being "hit by a truck!" I was trying to use humor I guess! I also remember biting her and declaring: "All is fair in love and war!" How corny was that?" I think that fight was a draw! Anyway, I gave up fighting and learned to be non-confrontational...I abhor physical violence and don't recommend it as a solution for anyone.

The music was mostly Motown, and parties were called sets. Invitations were written on index cards and the admission was usually 25 cents! This covered the costs of sodas and snacks! The lights were blue; parents were out and grinding was in! Oh, and when you wanted to ask a girl to be yours, you asked, "will you go out with me?" If you wanted to break up, you would say, "it's quits!" No texting in those days, Lol. Ah...memories... sweet, sweet memories! Please share some of yours...

 

                                         

Me on the left, in front of the building where I had the 3 fights; 2385 First Avenue; Wagner Projects

I am wearing a cream color patch sleeve sweater trimmed in olive green, and olive green stretch pants. The blouse was long sleeved, mint green with a Peter Pan collar. Suede green shoes completed the look. My hair was in a french roll, with my signature bangs...I never liked to show my forehead!

"I'm Not In Love" - 10cc

Happy V-Day Peeps!!! No, I don't mean that V! I mean Happy Verification Day! You know, that day when your partner verifies that they really do love you afterall, even if they've neglected to tell you all the other 364 days of the year! Wow, you say? Why is she so cynical and bitter?  I'm neither cynical nor bitter, but I do consider myself  pragmatic...a realist. Yes, I used to be idealistic about love too...we probably all have been at some place and time in our lives. It's just that...well, I've come to the realization that while being in love feels really good, it can also feel really bad too. Even hurtful.

Now, along comes this once a year day, on February 14th; called Valentine's Day! Oh, the excitement! The anticipation! The thought of getting flowers, candy, marriage proposals, cards...or, the acknowledgment that you will probably not get any of the above because simply put...you are alone. You don't have a partner to share the festivities with. You broke up with someone you loved; You lost someone you love. For whatever reason, you don't look forward to the great Valentine's Day hoopla. They say misery loves company...well I'm not miserable, but I am willing to suggest reasons not to feel so down if you don't exactly look forward to this day! I ask you, what is so lovable about a little chubby naked baby flying around shooting people with arrows?

Bad poetry..."Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Sugar is Sweet, and So Are You"...now what have we learned about sugar? It is bad for you!!!

Candy...Chocolates...love it, but if it contains certain nuts, I get really ill. Can't eat Hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews. Thing is, there was a time when you didn't know which one's contained those nuts until you bit into the chocolate. I think they now include a description on the box to identify which ones contain nuts, but that would be most of the box!

Chalky little hearts with corny, outdated sayings...hate it!

Flowers...they die in two or three days and are so darned expensive!

And last but not least, hurt feelings if your sweetie forgets to give you anything. If you don't expect anything in the first place, you won't feel so let down. Besides, love should be shown 365 days of the year, don't you think?

Now, I give you my lists of favorite love songs and anti-love songs...

My Favorite Love songs: not in preferential order

1.  You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics
2.  You Are Everything - Stylistics
3.  You Really Got A Hold On Me -  Miracles
4.  La-La-La-La-La-La Means I Love You -  Delfonics
5.  Cupid - Sam Cooke
6.  I'll Always Love You - Whitney Houston
7.  Oh, Baby Baby - Miracles
8.  I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
9.  My Girl -  Temptations
10.What's Come Over Me? - Blue Magic
11. Oh What A Night -  Dells
12. Rainbow - Gene Chandler
13. I Want To Know - Joe
14. For You - Kenny Latimore
15. I Love You - Patti LaBelle
16. Here And Now - Luther Vandross
17. Make It With You - Bread
18. I Want To Dance To A Love Song -  Manhattans
19. Love's Train - Confunkshun
20. Oh Girl -  Chi-Lites

My Favorite Anti-Love songs:

1.  What's Love Got To Do With It? - Tina Turner
2.  Where Did Our Love Go? - Supremes
3.  After The Love Is Gone - EWF
4.  Love Is A Hurting Thing - Lou Rawls
5.  Hate That I Love You - Rihanna
6.  You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
7.  To The Left - Beyonce
8.  I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
9.  I'm Gonna Walk Away From Love - David Ruffin
10. I'm Not In Love - 10cc
11. Caught Out There - Kelis
12. Victim - Candy Staton
13. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
14. Why Do Fools Fall In Love? - The Teenagers
15. Out In The Cold Again - Frankie Lymon
16. Mexican Divorce - Drifters
17. On My Own - Patti LaBelle
18. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
19. Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles
20. Love Is Blue - Dells

Footnote:  My darling granddaughter Kalila just brought up a card she made and...A heart shaped tin of chocolates! Happy V Day!

Yesterday - The Beatles

Good morning peeps!!! Yesterday was Groundhog Day and I wrote about it. At the end of the piece, I posed a question.The question asked was: what did my song title; Charlie Brown by The Coasters have to do with the theme of Groundhog Day? Apparently, only one person read the blog, or tried to answer. That person will get honorable mention today: Keith G. aka Teddy Bear. However, he didn't figure out the connection. I have no other blog-ossip today because I want someone to answer yesterday's question...see ya!

Charlie Brown - The Coasters

Good afternoon peeps! As you probably know, today; February 2 is Groundhog Day! Ho-hum...only a teacher of young students might really care, right? When and where did this legend begin you ask? (Work with me here alright!)

When did Groundhog Day begin?

In 1841 a German shopkeeper in Berks County, Pennsylvania, wrote that February 2 was the day the groundhog (woodchuck) comes out of his burrow from hibernating (sleeping through the winter). If the day is sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow, he returns to his burrow for six more weeks of hibernation. If the day is cloudy and the groundhog cannot see his shadow, then he ends his hibernation and the weather will be mild. The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who lives near Punxsutawney in north central Pennsylvania. Members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declare that in more than ninety years of predicting the weather, Phil has never been wrong!

So, today Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania did indeed see his shadow! (Anybody got any rodent poison...it's a joke PETA, so relax!)

What does this have to do with my choice of song title as the lead in? Well...the first person that writes a comment making the connection will get an honorary mention in my next blog; my utmost respect for being as geeky as me and...temporary admission to Mensa...you know; that elite organization for brainiacs! In honor of Groundhog Day, here are:

My Top Songs About Rodents and other Critters

1. Ben - Michael Jackson

2. Muskrat Love - Captain and Tennille

3. The Chipmunk Song - David Seville

4. Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles

5. Monkey Time - Major Lance

6. Mickey's Monkey - The Miracles

7. Black Cat - Janet Jackson

8. Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton (the original)

9. Down in a Rabbit Hole - Bright Eyes

10.Centipede - Rebbie Jackson

"Side Show" - Blue Magic

Good morning peeps!! Did you watch the Grammy Award show last night...wow! All I can say is it's the best I've seen in years! The Grammys are clearly trying to keep up with The Video Music Awards Show. The Grammys used to be a snooze! Where do I begin? Trying to come up with an appropriate song title to set this off was a challenge, but I decided to use Side Show, by Blue Magic. Can you guess why? I will reveal my reason...although you probably get it. Now, for my analysis of the show.

Opening number: It was brilliant and inspired to pair Lady GaGa with Sir Elton John. Both are flamboyant, talented, over-the-top show people...period! GaGa is a native New Yorker who has taken this town by storm, just in the last two years. While it's true that she uses props, costumes and gimmicks in her shows, she has the talent to back it up! Sir Elton also uses props at times, but began his career on the strength of his writing talent and musicianship. In my opinion, these two put on an amazing opening performance.

Beyonce! This lady has enough talent to share with all of her peers and then some! She reminded me of Tina Turner at her maddest, baddest Mad Max self! When B dropped to her knees and did the hair swinging routine, she was definitely channeling Ms. Tina Turner! The only criticism an old fogie like I have, was the "crotch grab" when she sang, "If I Were A Boy," though I understand she did it for the effect. All in all, she put on an amazing performance, only to be outdone (in my opinion), by...Pink!

Pink! I've always enjoyed Pink's stage performances that I've only seen on television on shows like these; never in person. However, she blew the roof off that sucker last night with her acrobatic prowess and finesse!
Plus, she was singing! Not lip syncing...singing! Kudos to Pink!


The Black Eyed Peas! Another high energy, fun performance! These fellas and lady never fail to bring the audience alive with their futuristic looking sets, costumes, themes and energy. I hope they are around for a long time; they are very creative and innovative. Those dancers behind them looked like they were wearing lip costumes; a bit tacky.


Maxwell! If ever there was an heir apparent to Marvin Gaye, I think it's Maxwell! Someone needs to hurry up an write Marvin's biopic and by all means, cast Maxwell as Marvin Gaye! For real though.

Mary J: My friend Keith says that Mary J. can really sing now, after perhaps taking some voice training. Before, she used to be able to belt out a song with just raw emotion and often sounded "off key." Now, she exhibits more control and can actually sing a ballad smoothly.


Jamie Foxx and T-Pain: Good fun; Jamie is indeed a multi-talented performer and has conquered several genre of the entertainment sphere. T-Pain needs a makeover by now.


Lil' Wayne, M&M and Drake: Ho-hum! Why bother when every other word had to be bleeped! And little Wayne is the poster boy for "pants on the ground!" Won't somebody buy him a belt? That "dropped waist pants look" is so last decade!


3-D tribute to Michael Jackson: Note to Grammys...where were the glasses? If you didn't happen to have the 3-D glasses (I thought my Avatar glasses would work); it was just a well intentioned but blurry mess. God bless Micheal's children; they are so well mannered and well spoken. They obviously and genuinely loved their daddy.


Kings of Leon: Who?


Taylor Swift: Thanks to Kanye West, she is the Reigning Queen of Awards!


Chris Brown: Had it not been for your terrible behavior and brutalization of Rhianna last year, your ass might have been in the Michael Jackson Tribute. As it was, you probably weren't even invited this year.


Rhianna: Why was it necessary to trot Solange's little boy up to the stage with you and Jay?


Well, that is my assessment of last night's Grammy Awards Show. Overall grade: B+ because it got boring in spots, after all the exciting performances. I kinda wanted the high energy to continue throughout the entire show. However, it was still the best I've seen in years! Why Side Show? The whole show had a Cirque De Soleil; Las Vegas feel to it. Weigh in with comments about the show, please.

"Sixty-Minute Man" - Billy Ward and The Dominoes

Good morning peeps! Remember when you were a youngster and heard songs that you thought you knew the meaning of but didn't? I sure do! So, I've decided to write a little ditty about some of  the most clever "innuendo" songs from then and now; only now, these songs are way more explicit, and younger children have them figured out. It's the parents that often don't know the true meaning of these songs. Back in the fifties, Doo-Wop music was all the rage, although it wasn't called *Doo-Wop; (*see yesterday's blog for a little history); it was called rhythm and blues. My mother had a particular fondness for this music and had many records in her collection. She would play music almost everyday as she cooked and cleaned house. On weekends when we were home from school, I'd sit under her and sing-along with the songs she played, not fully understanding what the songs were about. I just knew that they sounded good. I'd also watch my mother's reactions, and form a child's opinion as to whether the song was a "somebody-done-somebody-wrong-song," or some other grown-up dilemma. Little did I know that some of these songs were actually  talking about sex!

It wasn't until years later when I became a teen-ager did I understand the true meaning of these delightful songs! The first innuendo songs that I figured out the meanings of were, "Work With Me Annie" by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (he wrote and performed the original version of The Twist, which later became a monster hit for Chubby Checker), and a song called "Sixty-Minute Man" by The Dominoes. A follow up song to "Work With Me Annie" was called "Roll With Me Henry" by  Etta James and Hank Ballard, later to be retitled, Wallflower...perhaps to quell the controversy. Now both songs were purportedly about dancing, but another follow-up song declared, "Annie Had A Baby", also written by Hank Ballard. Now I ask you...can you have a baby by merely "dancing" with Henry? I think Not! These are innuendo songs. The other popular one, "Sixty Minute Man" speaks for itself: "there'll be sixty minutes of kissing, then you'll holler don't stop, they'll be 15 minutes of teasing, 15 minutes of squeezing, and 15 minutes of blowing my top!" Through the years, many more songs joined the ranks of  innuendo or double entendre songs. 

Fast forward to eighties and nineties: The New Jack era introduced a whole 'nother type of innuendo songs; songs that were more explicit and less implied. Songs like "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd" and anything by R. Kelly. Songs about bumpin', grindin' and knocking da boots! The Rap lyrics were very explicit and soon warning labels had to be added to the jackets and labels. Biggie Smalls had a song that clearly stated what he wanted to do to his woman tonight! I used to cringe hearing that blared on a boom box out in public...not that I'm a prude, but I felt it was inappropriate for children to hear, in that context. More recent songs contained lyrics that talked about "milkshakes" and "skeets,"and I swear I didn't know what any of this meant until younger people explained it to me. By the time Flo -rida sang about about "when you go downtown", I knew for sure what he was insinuating! I wondered if the producers of American Idol knew when they had him on? After all, that is supposedly a family show! LaBelle's Lady Marmalade seems tame now, when they ask, "voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?" As Bob Dylan said, "times, they are a changing."

"Those Oldies But Goodies" - Little Ceasar & The Romans

Good morning peeps!!  "I love music...any kind of music"...so said The O'Jays. Well, the same goes for me! I was raised in a home that valued music as a form of entertainment and enjoyment. Some of my happiest memories from very early childhood include music as a back drop. My mother, Vergie, fancied herself as a singer and would always harmonize along with the Doo-Wop artists of her generation: The Clovers, The Heartbeats, Shep and The Limelight's, The Platters, The Dells, The Spaniels, The Five Keys, The Five Satins, The 5 Royales, Billy Ward and The Dominoes and The Drifters to name a few of her favorites. Then there were the various "bird name" groups: The Penguins, The Ravens, The Orioles, The Wrens, The Flamingos, The Crows, The Larks and so on. I can't forget the "car name" groups: The Cadillacs, The Edsels, and The Fleetwoods. So, what is "Doo-Wop?" A young friend of mine recently asked me this question upon learning about my preference for this type of music. Now, I thought it would be an easy enough question to answer until he offered examples of what he thought it was. His frame of reference only went back to the late sixties or early seventies, and his examples were groups like The Temptations, Stylistics, Delfonics and Whispers. I thought about his choices, then explained that although these groups sang in a style that was influenced by Doo-Wop, these are not really Doo-Wop groups. So, what is Doo-Wop?"

When the style of music we now call Doo-Wop was introduced to our culture, it was not called "Doo-Wop." This style of group harmonizing was originally sung by gospel groups and influenced by blues singers. These groups often sang "A Capella" which is an Italian term that means, "in the style of the chapel." However, it has taken on the meaning of singing without instrumental accompaniment. Credited as being an African-American vocal style that emerged from the streets of Northeastern and industrial Midwestern cities like New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Baltimore, this music was called "Rock and Roll" or "Rhythm and Blues." When performed by Black artists, it was also referred to as "race music." However, when the same songs were "covered" by Caucasian artists, it was called, "pop" or "mainstream" music.

One of the earliest groups to sing in the style that was later labeled "Doo-Wop" were The Ink Spots, who recorded a nifty tune called, "My Prayer" in 1939; a song which was later covered by The Platters. Rhythm and Blues groups usually consisted of anywhere from three to six members; singing in 3, 4 or even 5 part harmonies. Bass singers held exalted positions in Rhythm and Blues groups; (think Bill Pinkney singing bass on The Drifter's White Christmas) Okay, when did it become "Doo-Wop?"

The term "Doo-Wop" first appeared in 1961 at the height of a vocal harmony resurgence. The first hit record (don't quote me on this) to use the actual syllables "doo-wop" in the refrain was the 1955 hit, When You Dance" by The Turbans. Other songs using this particular set of syllables soon emerged including, In The Still Of The Night, by The Five Satins. This song incidentally, is often considered the greatest "Doo-Wop" song of all time by some loyalists. Now I am certain that there are other schools of thought regarding what constitutes "Doo-Wop" music, but this is my opinion, backed by some informal research and readings. Regardless of the origins of this music, it will always hold a most favorite place in my heart...and soul.

"Benny and the Jets" - Elton John

Good afternoon peeps and peepettes!!! Are you caught up in football fever? I'm not but...I can't think of another topic to write about that I haven't already touched lately, so I'll go with the perennial flow and talk about...gasp...football! There! I've said the "F" word! As you might have figured, I am not a football fan; nor baseball for that matter. However, I am a New York fan and will get caught up in the hoopla of a New York sports team making it to a playoff of any type. In speaking with my son today, who is celebrating his Bornday, I now know some of the "whys" and "wherefores" of the game. I must however add this caveat: my native New York born son is a die hard, staunch Pittsburgh Steelers fan! Always has been and always will be! He even went The University of Pittsburgh for goodness sake! By the way ladies, weigh in as to whether or not you watch the games with your significant other; back in the day I used to cuddle up with my then husband and pretend to watch the game...he too was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan (so, that's where my son got it from); don't think I'd be willing to do that today...unless my man agreed to watch Project Runway with me that is!

Here's what I know:

1. The Jets and The Colts are AFC teams

2. The Vikings and The Saints are NFC teams

3. Mark Sanchez is The Jets QB

4. Peyton Manning is The Colt's QB

5. The Colts used to be situated in Baltimore but are now representing Indianapolis (guess they watched The Wire too).

6. Brad and Angelina broke up...oops, how'd that get in here?

7. The Vikings play for Minnesota (son, I knew that!), and are called The Purple People Eaters

8. The Raiders play for Oakland ; gang bangers and rappers love to wear their hat.

9. The Jets are called Gang Green

10.The Jets and The Saints are the favored teams today

My Top Football songs (Team names, colors, related to football)

1. Benny and the Jets - Elton John

2. It Ain't Easy Being Green - Kermit D Frog

3.When You're A Jet - From West Side Story

4. You Gotta Be A Football Hero - Jon Reeves


5. When The Saints Go Marching In - Everybody


6. I'm Going Down - Rose Royce (what? somebody has to)


7. Jet - Paul McCartney


8. leaving On A Jet Plane - Peter, Paul and Mary

9. The Saints Are Coming - U2


10. We Love Brett Favre  - Tom Sumner


11. The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley


12. A Horse With No Name - America

Nightshift - The Commodores

thGood morning peeps!! It's good to be here again albeit on a sad note. This new year of  2010 had hardly settled in good when the bad news just kept on coming. January, 2010 will forever be known as the year that the small country of Haiti was decimated by a catastrophic earthquake! The death toll still not yet tallied. The flip-side though, is that after nearly two weeks, survivors are still being pulled from the rubble! Nothing short of miraculous!

In the world of politics, backlash is rearing it's ugly head. Opponents of President Obama's Health Care initiatives are gloating about the democratic defeat or republican victory if  you will, in the state of Massachusetts, where the late Senator Teddy Kennedy's seat is going to be filled by republican Scott Brown. Brown defeated his heavily favored; Obama endorsed democratic opponent, Martha Coakley. To add further insult to injury, he defeated the other possible heir to the seat, Independent Joseph L Kennedy, with Kennedy acquiring a mere 1 percent of the vote! Notable because not only is Joseph a Kennedy, but the Kennedy's have held a stronghold on Massachusetts for over forty years! For many, the vote was not as much for Scott Brown as it was a vote against President Obama's agenda. Remember when Rush (Hush) Limbaugh declared he wanted Obama to fail? Well it seems that his followers have taken this to heart. We all knew there would be a backlash against Barack Obama sooner or later, didn't we? Well now it is coming to fruition. This persistent opposition can only serve to undermine President Obama's legacy, as his approval rating is slipping drastically.

Finally, 2010 has seen the death of some of the singers we have loved and listened to as we entered adulthood. Teddy Pendergrass: "The Chocolate Teddy Bear" He was one of the handsomest, most soulful singers of our generation. Tall, dark and deliciously handsome...he will be missed! Robert "Squirrel" Lester of The Chi-lites; I used to chuckle as he bounced around the stage in the Chi-Lite's live concerts' wearing their traditional "Chicago gangster" style zoot suits! Oh how the ladies loved Squirrel! Smooth and still fine well into his sixties; he will be missed too!

The "B-side" of these losses is that the "Heavenly Soul Band" just became more soulful! Can you imagine the jam session that must be taking place? Michael Jackson "Moon Walked" down to the Pearly Gates to greet the new comers with open arms. James Brown said, "I Feel Good," as Marvin wondered, "What's Going On?" Sam Cooke chimed in with, "A Change is Gonna Come" while Curtis Mayfield said this band is going to be "Superfly!" Jackie Wilson added, "You Better Know It." Brook Benton said "Fools Rush In" but Dinah Washington added, You Got What It Takes!" Billy Holiday said, "Our Love Is Here To Stay!" Fats Waller piped, "One Never Knows, Do One?" Louie Armstrong intoned, "What A Wonderful World"
Paul Williams, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin harmonized,"Don't Look Back"
 Ah yes, the Heavenly Soul Band...God is jammin' with the best!

"Turn Off The Lights" - Teddy Pendergrass

Good morning peeps! Another day and more sorrow. Our sisters and brothers in Haiti are reeling in suffering, pain, death, missing family members, hopelessness, lack of everything! Whatever we are going through in our lives certainly pales in comparison. Unfortunately, there are those who would even use a tragedy like this, to bash our president! Right wing pundit Rush Limbaugh, is criticizing President Obama for pledging aid to Haiti so quickly. Limbaugh says the president wasn't as concerned about the passengers on the flight with the so-called "underwear bomber", and didn't respond in a timely manner. We are not surprised though, because this man; Rush will always "rush" to judgement when it comes to Barack Obama. He has nothing but disdain for this president, and will take any opportunity to bash him; even this most recent tragedy. If President Obama had not responded swiftly, he would have been resoundly criticizes by all...including Rush. Next, Pat Robinson, the conservative so-called religious spokes person (I don't know what he really is) makes the outrageous and most outlandish statement that I've heard in a long time! He says, with great relish I might add, that "the Haitian people made a pact with the devil, in order to be freed from French rule, therefore, they are now being punished, while the Dominicans (who also occupy the same island of Hispaniola) are flourishing." This man really said this with a straight face, as the woman he was speaking with nodded in agreement. You can see this on YouTube. Now I don't begrudge him his right to say what he wants to, but I cannot believe that he truely believes what he is saying...in the year 2010! It sounds like what was said in the 1600's during The Salem Witch Trails; Salem Massachusettes. What?

On another sad note: We music lovers have lost yet another one of the great voices of all time; the soulful Teddy Pendergrass. There will never be another like him...R.I.P. Teddy Bear!

"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - The Hollies

Good afternoon peeps...well, not so good. How sad that as we enter a new year we are faced with a tragedy of catastrophic proportions. Under these circumstances, people are prone to question God...as if God is The "Punisher." When rationality resumes, we intellectualize, analyze and realize that the forces of nature kicks in every so often, as part of the "natural order" of things. Depending on your geographic location on this planet of ours, you are going to experience the forces of nature; be it hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, flood, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires or mudslides. Without getting into a technical, geologic discussion which I am not qualified to do anyway, I think it is accurate to say that Haiti happens to be located in area of the earth that is atop many a fault line and shifting plates, that move periodically. The results are devastating! So, what can we do about it?

Praying will make us feel better but a more pragmatic response would be to assist in material ways. No, we cannot realistically hop on a plane and physically go to the Island of Hispaniola; the portion called Port-Au-Prince Haiti. We can however, send monetary donations to The Red Cross; a reputable organization that offers disaster relief. There is a way to text a ten dollar donation: text HAITI to 90999, and The Red Cross will acknowledge your donation.Also, check with your local Red Cross to see if donations of food, clothing and other staples are being accepted. Pack up those clothes you or your children no longer wear because you feel they are "out dated" or no longer fit. They might seem useless to you but boy would they be appreciated by the people affected by this earthquake!

Before you do anything though, make sure you deal with a legitimate relief organization! Don't act impulsively out of feelings of sorrow, empathy, or misplaced guilt! Check the video I posted on Facebook about this. What a sad way to remember the new year of 2010. It will now be forever known as the year Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, that affected over three million people, and possibly killed untold thousands. As I write this piece, the totality of this disaster is not yet written!

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" - Chicago

Good morning peeps!! Recently my brother Keith, commented that 2010 seems to already be zipping by. How can this be? We just said "Happy New Year" about a minute ago; didn't we? But, could it be that as we get older, our perceptions of time alters? Of course this is the case, for as we get older we become more acutely aware of our own mortality, and time becomes more precious to most of us. Also, we have many more obligations to meet, that are bound by time constraints. We begin to lament that we don't have enough time in a day to meet these obligations. Leisure time comes and goes in the proverbial "blink of an eye." The solution? Sorry, don't have one. Advice? Yes...try and live in the moment more. Appreciate the fact that you wake up in the morning. Connect with family and friends; spend good times together as often as you can."Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of." - Charles Richards. And above all, CARPE DIEM!

My list of favorite songs about time:

1. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Chicago

2. Time In A Bottle -Jim Croce

3. Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away? - James Hinton; Willie Nelson, Al Green; et al

4. Time Is On My Side - Rolling Stones

5. The Best Of Times - Styx

6. These Are The Times To Remember - Billy Joel

7. Time Can Make You Change -The Clovers

8. What Time Is It? - The Jive Five

9. Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers

10. Out Of Time - Hall and Oats

11. Remember The Time - Michael Jackson

12. This Time Baby - The O'Jays

13. Second Time Around - Shalimar

14. Funny How Time Flies - Janet Jackson

15. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

16. Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx

17. Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairman Of The Board

18. Night Time Is The Right Time - Ray Charles

19. For The Good Times - Al Green

20. Twilight Time - The Platters

21. Golden Time Of Day - Frankie Beverly and Maze

22. Yesterday - The Beatles

23. Turn Turn Turn - The Byrds

24. One Moment In Time - Whitney Houston

25. Summertime - Billy Stewart

"Who Let The Dogs Out?" - Baha Men

Good afternoon peeps!! So, San Francisco is flying several Chihuahuas to New York City, to be adopted by New Yorkers eh? Apparently the folks in California who owned these pooches, tired of them and abandoned them on freeways and in city dumps. Say it isn't so! Another theory is that the appeal of  Chihuahuas waned as more Californians became unemployed and couldn't afford to keep them, or lost their homes to foreclosures. Celebrities like Paris Hilton tote these dogs around as status symbols and carry them around in designer bags.  But why New York? Because New Yorkers live in smaller dwellings and prefer smaller dogs!! Excuse me? Uh, we have rats in New York the size of Chihuahuas! We have Pitt Bulls! We have...well, I won't go there. Welcome to New York City you lucky dogs!

"AEIOU" - Freeeze

Good afternoon peeps!! Acronyms! We all use them on a daily basis, especially in our texting, sexting, emailing, and sometimes even long hand writing. But let's get real. Will you admit that sometimes you find yourself scratching your head while trying to alternately be "cool" and in the know, but not really knowing what a particular acronym or internet jargon stands for? I admit it! It has happened to me more than a few times.  It could be something as simple as, "ty"  (you know this one, right?), or more complicated. In doing research for this topic, I consulted a "Teen Internet Lingo Dictionary" (can you believe it even exists?), and found some very interesting acronyms that I will share with you. First let me say that we have used acronyms way before the internet, and in fact, some have entered our lexicon as actual words. Here are a few: NATO, CEO, TGIF, AWOL, ASAP, AKA, BYOBB. Instead of saying the soldier went "Absent Without Official Leave", we say the soldier went "AWOL"! We have become a society of linguistically challenged individuals. Are we in such a rush to nowhere that we can't even take time to say or write a word completely? IDK...!

Now for the "new lingo" This is only a partial list because there are too many to list!

                     

BTW = by the way

AAMOF = as a matter of fact

BOL = back on later

G2G = got to go

B4N = bye for now

ROFL = rolling on the floor laughing


AML = all my love


BAC = back at computer

ZZZ = bored


Y2K = you're too kind (remember what this used to mean?)


CD9 = parent's around (you figure that one out)


?4U = question for you


>U = screw you (beats me)


420 4life = marijuana (huh?)


143 = I Love You


and last but not least,


53X = sex???

"I Am Woman" - Helen Reddy

Good afternoon peeps!! I am a child of the sixties; a time of many defining moments in our country's historical framework. The assassinations of: President John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy. The beginning of the end of segregation and institutional discrimination; the enactment of civil rights legislation and the deaths of civil rights activists of all nationalities. It was a time of  The Black Panthers out of Oakland, CA. The Young Lords out of New York City, and many, many other movements. One particular movement was geared towards women and was labeled, The Women's Liberation Movement. At the time, women were fighting for equality in all areas of  life and were establishing themselves as equally able as men, to do certain jobs, make decisions and be more than just a man's appendage. Now, I ask you...what the hell happened???

In recent years, there have been a plethora of  so-call "reality shows" that seems to have set women back to the pre-liberation movement days!!! The women on these shows act like desperate shrews, who will cut each other's throats to get the prized man! On one such show, the prize was, get this; Flava Flave!! The young women would fight, spit, and act ignorant as all get out to be picked to date Flava. Oh I am not so naive to not realize that their real goal is that proverbial "fifteen minutes", as some actually went on to star on their own "reality" shows. And yes, men have appeared on these types of shows also, supposedly looking for love, wives, etc. Somehow, the women on these shows appear more desperate!

The show The Bachelor, is what motivated me to write this piece. It debuted it's new season last night, for the thirteenth year...wow! I am not a viewer of this show ordinarily, but based on a conversation I heard on a morning talk show, I decided to see what they were talking about this time around, so I watched the episode on Hulu. I already knew the premise: an eligible bachelor gets to pick a potential wife out of a harem of twenty-five women. He gets to size them up the way a potential slave owner probably got to size up slaves, before purchasing them; or the way one sizes up a horse, dog or other animal they wish to own. How degrading! On the other hand, the women; all career women, seem so eager and happy to be there. Each one has dillusions of being "the one." We, the viewers, get to hear snippets of conversation from each woman; sometimes in isolation and sometimes as part of the larger group. The Bachelor gets to "spend time" with each woman, one-on-one. Sounds almost like the function of a brothel to me...but I digress. At the end of each show, The Bachelor decides who gets to stay and leave, by presenting or withholding a rose. As the women anxiously await their fate, the camera moves around panning their faces. Some look pained and pitiful, if each rose given is not for them.

It is at this point that I shake my head and ask myself why these attractive, seemingly intelligent young women, put themselves out there like this. Some appear in agony as their peers receive a rose and sigh a sigh of relief at being "a chosen one." When the final rose is given and they are not chosen, some of these young women react as if their world and reason for being has fallen apart! Even before the rose ceremony, some of the women go through extraordinary lengths to gain favor with the bachelor. One woman, knowing he is a pilot, donned a faux pilot costume. Another brought a toy plane from her seven-year-old son, to give to The Bachelor. (There is something wrong with this picture)! Usually, a token African-American woman or two is put into the mix, but not this time. The only woman of color is a Cambodian woman, who belittles herself by saying something sexually suggestive in her native language: "you can land your plane on my landing strip anytime" The Bachelor himself says equally corny things like, "as long as I let my heart lead, I know I can't go wrong" awwww! Am I a cynic you ask? Well, yes, I am. But I used to be a romantic too! Young ladies, get your self-esteem back and listen to Helen Reddy's anthem of the seventies, I Am Woman!

"I Write The Songs" - Barry Manilow

Good evening peeps!! Long time no see! How have you been, boo? Miss me? I miss you, cause I haven't written anything since New Year's Eve. The reality is that I had "Writer's Block" and was feeling uninspired. However, today I feel like writing about the singer-songwriters of the seventies. In my opinion, some of the finest songs I've ever listened to were written in the seventies, by singers who penned their own songs, as well as wrote for other artists. One of my favorite singer-songwriters of that era is Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam. He had a string of songs that were not only pretty to listen to, but told stories that touched the soul. "Wild World" comes to mind. In the song, he sings about his woman leaving to go out into "the wild world" as he cautions her to be careful: "but if you want to leave, take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there, but just remember there's a lot of bad everywhere;" a gentle, not hostile warning, from a man that is obviously hurting over losing his love.

Another prolific writer of the seventies is Don Mclean, who wrote the enigmatic, metaphorical, speculative masterpiece, American Pie and Vincent. While Vincent is a straightforward ode to the artist, Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting; Starry Night (maybe metaphorical also?); American Pie created a stir by referencing multiple figures, including "The Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Some interpreted that as the religious trinity; whereas others felt he was talking about the three rock and rollers that died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959: Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens. This song has produced more interpretations than The Beatles walking barefoot on the cover of their Abbey Road album. My son Shannon, who was five at the time, even offered his interpretation of the song as he tried to explain it to me; it was one of his favorite songs at five!

The seventies was also a time of  female singer-songwriters as well. Carole King, Laura Nyro, Ellie Greenwich, Joni Mitchell and Carley Simon come to mind. Carole King started writing in the nineteen fifties; writing some of the best lyrics for rhythm and blues artists like The Drifters. She later recorded her own compositions. Ellie Greenwich wrote some of the most memorable lyrics ever sung by female and male groups: "Da Do Run Run Run, Da Do Run Run" and "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Doo"

How can I not mention Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka,  Gamble and Huff, Holland Dozier Holland, Linda Creed, Thom Bell, Smokey Robinson, who was called "the world's greatest poet" by none other than Bob Dylan  and of course, the man who writes the songs himself; Barry Manilow! Oh how I could go on and on about these singer-songwriters and how much I miss this kind of music...but I won't! Thanks to YouTube, I have been able to hear my favorites whenever I so desire.