I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES — over seventy-five works by a French painter with an out-sized (if often overlooked) influence on Impressionists, in an exhibition entitled Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism are at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. through July 9th.
In Washington, D.C. … to July 9thCHEERS to all participants in yesterday’s March for Science rallies on Earth Day.
I was delighted to see that the organizers of the Washington march were perceptive enough to invite the musician who had a novelty techno-pop hit single (and music video) thirty-five years ago ….. to reprise that song yesterday.
And while the British scientist who was the special attraction in that video — Dr. Magnus Pyke— died several years ago ….
Magnus Pyke (1908-1992)… the singer Thomas Dolby sang She Blinded Me with Science on Saturday … with some (slightly) altered lyrics.
x YouTube VideoHAIL and FAREWELL to the English-born guitarist Allan Holdsworth— whose work straddled both the progressive rock and jazz spectrum and influenced many a performer — who has died at the age of 70.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Kinako the Cat— who has changed the life of a 94 year-old Tokyo resident with Alzheimer’s.
Kinako the Cat … and best friendONE OF THE RUNNERS in this past week’s Boston Marathon was someone who now heads a non-profit group devoted to removing gender bias from the media. Paula Broadwell had an affair with Gen. David Petraeus (whose career ended over this) — yet she is on-a-mission to retire the word “mistress” ….. believing it unfairly singles out women.
FRIDAY's CHILD is one of the kittehs who took the cats-in-a-square challenge originally posed by a woman in Hamilton, Ontario …. and the results are in.
If there is a box ………BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC. Note: it has several UK election questions, which may be tough for North Americans. But there is one gimme question … anyone reporting a score of zero should quit.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary — with my wish that the ‘centrist’ pundits who always complain that the Democrats “should do more” for the white working class (and few others) would get together and come up with concrete observable proposals … rather than just complain.
WHO WOULDA THUNK that a parchment manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence would turn-up in Philadelphia, ... Boston …. actually, West Sussex, England.
SEPARATED at BIRTH — University of Virginia professor (and political pundit) Larry Sabato and My Pillow TV infomercial guy Mike Lindell.
Frequent TV election pundit My Pillow TV infomercial...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… in mid-December of 2011, the retirement of the lead singer of a veteran British band left its future in doubt … but The Troggs decided to soldier on - and there are many bands and musicians who cite them as an influence.
The original name of this southern England band was The Troglodytes - that morphed into a simpler name. They formed in 1964 with lead singer Reg Ball, who took the stage name Reg Presley (for some …… well, unexplained reason), as well as Dave Wright and Chris Britton on guitar, Pete Staples on bass and Ronnie Bond on drums. They were signed in 1965 by producer Larry Page after he was sent a tape of The Troggs claiming they could sing "You Really Got Me" better than The Kinks (whom Page managed). After telling them to improve and come back in a year (which they did) they released one single Lost Girl .... before fate intervened.
Larry Page had travelled to New York, where he heard a demo tape by The Wild Ones - a house band for a discotheque run by Richard Burton's ex-wife Sybil - and brought the song back with him to England. The Wild Ones had recorded a song written and recorded first by the singer-songwriter Chip Taylor (but whose real name is James Voight: and who is the brother of actor Jon Voight and the uncle of Angelina Jolie). Chip Taylor went on to write the tune Angel of the Morning which became a hit for Merrilee Rush originally in 1968 (and Juice Newton years later).
Larry Page added an uncommon instrument called the ocarina (for the solo on the instrumental break) when The Troggs covered the song he brought back ... and the result was Wild Thing - which rose in 1966 to #2 in the UK and #1 in the US. Every young rock guitarist can play its three chords, and when Jimi Hendrix performed it at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (declaring it the "English/American combined anthem" before burning his guitar) - the song became a part of history, ranked as #261 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
The "B" side of the single was With a Girl Like You - which reached #1 in the UK, #29 in the US - and was one of several songs to follow written by the band (in an era when that was uncommon) … and which Reg Presley said he largely composed when he was still working as a bricklayer.
The Troggs had started off well in Britain, but success in North America was hampered by two factors: one was a dispute over labels (not unusual, as many UK labels had to rely on trans-Atlantic distribution agreements back then) which delayed US releases over legal battles. The second was that the band did not tour in the US until 1968, when the music scene was changing rapidly.
The band was changing, itself: as their early Kinks/garage style was becoming more melodic and pop-oriented. In late 1966, they released the song I Can't Control Myself - which, strange as it seems now given the song's pop sound, was banned by some radio stations as being too raunchy (although Reg Presley denied the song was explicit).
They went on to have several more singles in Britain, including "Anyway that You Want Me", "Night of the Long Grass" and "Surprise, Surprise" before splitting-up in the spring of 1969 (and several of the band members went on to record solo albums). A 12-minute studio tape (known as the Troggs Tapes informally) featuring the band arguing is thought to have inspired the writers of the film This is Spinal Tap later on.
The band reformed in the 1970's and have remained together in an off-and-on-again fashion, with a few new members over the years. With old manager Larry Page, they did a rather offbeat version of the Beach Boys tune Good Vibrations but which failed to chart.
While retaining a British and European audience over the years, two moments-in-the-sun in the US came first in in 1981, when they released a live album recorded at NYC’s Max’s Kansas City and in 1992, when the band REM - just one of the bands who cite The Troggs as influences - invited The Troggs to record a joint album of new material entitled Athens Andover - named after Andover, England (where the Troggs hail from) and Athens, Georgia (REM's hometown and where the album was recorded).
Two original members (Reg Presley and Chris Britton) performed along with Pete Lucas and Dave Maggs in the new century with The Troggs (second set of photos, below) while two original members have died: drummer Ronnie Bond in 1992 and guitarist Dave Wright in 2008.
Then, lead singer Reg Presley suffered a stroke in mid-December, 2011 at the age of 70 — which led him to retire at that time, as he learned that he also had lung cancer. (Reg Presley died in February, 2013 at the age of 71, due to that cause). At the time of his Presley’s stroke, the surviving members considered retirement, but founding member Chris Britton explained:
“Reg had a stroke and developed lung cancer. He didn’t have the energy to continue touring – much as he wanted to – and asked us to continue as a three-piece ... but none of our voices were as strong as Reg’s”.
Thus, they recruited veteran singer Chris Allen, and still tour (primarily in Europe). With last year being the 50th anniversary of “Wild Thing”, Chris Britton said that its author Chip Taylor sent him some new songs .. and so they hope to release a new album in the future..
Their legacy is strong, with performers such as Iggy Pop, The Buzzcocks and The Ramones citing the band as an influence (along with REM as previously noted). There is a noted one-disc compilation album of their best-known material and of their songs: the MC5 recorded "I Want You" on their album Kick Out the Jams … and "With a Girl Like You" was used in the films "Shine" as well as "Flirting" (starring Nicole Kidman). And whenever you hear "Wild Thing" sampled or covered: it probably isn't the Chip Taylor, Wild Ones or even Jimi Hendrix version you'll hear. As long as there are garage bands forming ………. The Troggs will serve a useful purpose.
The Troggs (in the 1960’s) …… and the 2014 line-upOf all of their songs, my favorite was a Reg Presley-written one that was their last US hit (#7) from 1968: Love is All Around represented the high-point of their later, more pop-oriented sound (even using strings) and the song was featured in the films "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (from 1994) and "Love Actually" (from 2003). It was also performed by REM, and even showcased on an "MTV Unplugged" appearance. And below you can listen to it.
It's written on the wind It's everywhere I go So if you really love me Come on and let it showYou gave your promise to me And I gave mine to you I need someone beside me In everything I do
You know I love you I always will My mind's made up By the way that I feel There's no beginning There'll be no end Cause on my love You can depend
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