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Chalky little hearts with corny, outdated sayings...hate it!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