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 — an exhibition entitled Cuba Is will be at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, California to March 8th.
In Los Angeles to March 3rdYOUR WEEKEND READ is this essay by former GOP congressional aide Mike Lofgren — about the contradictions between conservative statements and actual practices.
CHEERS to a Rwandan native living in the UK, Eric Eugène Murangwa— who was given an MBE award by Queen Elizabeth (as part of her traditional New Year's Honours) for raising awareness and education about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in UK schools (as spotlighted by the film Hotel Rwanda).
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Percy the Cat— an Alaska kitteh who went missing for nine months .. now returned to his family just in time for Christmas.
Percy the CatTHE ECONOMIST took an internal poll of the world’s best national anthems— which did include La Marseillaise and even the Star Spangled Banner … yet left out O Canada.
RANDOM THOUGHT — all of those on the right who self-congratulate about their new tax bill ….. Michael Wolff will now qualify for the tax breaks … which were intended for the Mercers and Kochs.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Sammy the Hero Cat— a Maine kitteh who awoke a sleeping couple when their house was on fire, disappeared in the confusion … then located five days later (hiding in the garage) … also just in time for Christmas.
Sammy the Hero CatHAIL and FAREWELL to the member of the Moody Blues, Ray Thomas— who was set to be inducted with his band mates into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a few weeks (and who was the lead singer flutist on their landmark song “Nights in White Satin”) — who has died at the age of 76.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
SEPARATED at BIRTH — two Indiana notables: Vice President Mike Pence and former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight — whom the Trumpster claimed did more for the Hoosier State than his own second-in-command (which apparently stems from the fact that Bobby Knight initially endorsed him, whereas Mike Pence had originally backed Ted Cruz).
Former Indiana governor Former Indiana hoops coach...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… this past Christmas Eve, one of the most famous creators of the New Orleans R&B sound of the 20th Century marked his 99th birthday (according to most accounts) .. but who is much less-known than his most famous protegé, Fats Domino (who died two months ago at age 89). Not surprising, because Dave Bartholomew only had one R&B hit under his own name (back in 1950). Yet it was his efforts as a bandleader, talent scout, producer and arranger that has led to his unsurpassed status in the Crescent City.
Born forty miles west of New Orleans (in the town of Edgard) he took trumpet lessons from Peter Baker (who had tutored Louis Armstrong). His family moved to the city in his teens and he found himself performing in local bands (sometimes on riverboats), even having a spell in the big band led by Jimmie Lunceford before before drafted into the Army during WW-II. In the 196th Army Ground Forces Band, he learned valuable skills (in scoring and arranging) that served him well in the post-war period.
After the war, he formed a band that proved to be (albeit less formally) akin to what Booker T and the MG’s would be years later: a performing band in its own right and a house band for Stax Records in Memphis. In the case of Dave Bartholomew and the Dew Droppers: it was less for specific labels and more for whatever performers came to Cosimo Matassa’s recording studios. They also had a #14 hit on the R&B charts for A Country Boy in 1950. One of the band members (drummer Earl Palmer) was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a sideman) for his total session work career. Another song Bartholomew wrote and recorded in 1952 (“My Ding-a-Ling”) became a big hit twenty years later for Chuck Berry (who changed the song quite a bit).
Yet it was Dave Bartholomew’s abilities without his trumpet that would be his true claim to fame. At a Houston gig in 1949 he met the Canadian-born record company owner Lew Chudd, who was beginning his new label Imperial Records. Chudd was impressed with Bartholomew’s total musical ability, and hired him as an A&R man (with the freedom to recruit, produce and record talent).
“I never had a budget,” Bartholomew told writer Adam Block. “Any talent I saw, I could record. I worked for Lew Chudd for 13 years, and no matter what I wanted to do, he never once second-guessed me.”
Chudd especially didn’t second-guess Bartholomew when he asked Chudd to accompany him to see the rising star Antoine (Fats) Domino — and Chudd signed him, with Bartholomew to act as his arranger and producer. The result? Bartholomew co-wrote many Domino hits, such as “I’m in Love Again”, “Blue Monday”, “I’m Walking”, and “The Fat Man”. He also produced other hits for Fats written by others, such as “Blueberry Hill” and my favorite Domino song, “Walking to New Orleans”. Recording studio owner Cosimo Matassa thought their pairing was crucial: as Domino was not a driven performer, and so Bartholomew’s persistence and attention to detail brought out the best in Fats.
Bartholomew also produced work for other labels as well as Imperial (including Decca, King and Specialty) and some of the other songs he had a hand in were “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” (Lloyd Price, w/Fats Domino on piano), “I Hear You Knocking” (Smiley Lewis), Shirley and Lee (“Let the Good Times Roll”) and “Sea Cruise” (originally recorded by Huey “Piano” Smith, later made famous by Frankie Ford). Bartholomew also worked with Earl King, Chris Kenner, T-Bone Walker and others.
Like many other performers, the British Invasion of 1964 brought his headlining days to an end, but he continued to produce, play with his Dave Bartholomew New Orleans Big Jazz Band (his initial role), with a 1998 album his last release.
Other performers who later recorded his works include Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and George Benson, with some hit singles including “I Hear You Knocking” (Gale Storm), “One Night” (Elvis Presley”) and “I’m Walking” (for Ricky Nelson).
His legacy includes induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1991), the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1998) and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (2009). And with any luck: Dave Bartholomew will turn age 100(?) this coming Christmas Eve.
Dave Bartholomew and his hornOne of the songs that Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino co-wrote was Fats’ 1955 #10 hit Ain’t That a Shame— which was one of the first songs that crossed-over to the pop charts from the R&B charts. One reason was that Bartholomew sought a sweeter sound from the melody (while retaining a more bluesy rhythm) that made the song more palatable to white DJ’s and teenagers. It worked.
Among those with famous covers include the Four Seasons, John Lennon, Cheap Trick and Paul McCartney. An early hit cover was one by Pat Boone, who (as a magna cum laude graduate of Columbia University in NYC) is alleged to have wanted to record it as “Isn’t That a Shame”. Either way, the song reached #438 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list: and below you can hear the original by Fats Domino.
x xYouTube Video