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. If you celebrate either: Happy Passover and Happy Easter.
ART NOTES — an exhibition entitled The US-Mexico Border: Place, Imagination & Possibility is at the Albuquerque, New Mexico Museum to April 15th.
Closes in Albuquerque 4/15IN MANY COUNTRIES the rural poor move to the cities in search of a better life … only to be disappointed. Working off a model proposed by academics in Germany and Switzerland, the nation of Ethiopia hopes to entice those in rural areas to stay by building schools, training centers and model houses.
CHEERS to the thirty-six year-old Scott Foster— a Sarnia, Ontario native — whose dream came true. Nat’l Hockey League teams have two goalkeepers per game, plus an “emergency” one in case of injury. Last night, the Chicago Black Hawks main goalie was hurt in rehearsals, and the back-up (making his major league debut) cramped-up with fourteen minutes left to go and had to leave the game.
Scott Foster hits the iceAnd so Scott Foster (who had played at Western Michigan, but now plays in an adult recreational league) was called upon to make seven saves … and did so. I especially smile, since today he returns to his (and my) day job as an accountant.
A SPIRITUAL for TODAY — "Christ the Redeemer", which I listen to each Easter (and being an instrumental: the music would not be out-of-place for Passover). Written by Duke Jordan, this was performed at Martin Luther King's funeral.
x xYouTube VideoTWENTY YEARS AGO in a Washington Post Op-Ed, there was an admission that her negative views on gays had modified somewhat …. but as befits a right-winger, Laura Ingraham did so only after it had affected a loved one: her brother Curtis, who came out and she saw the discrimination he faced.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Willow the Cat— an English kitteh who went missing and was believed dead when his family found the remains of a tabby cat near their home, and gave it a proper burial … but in the words of Mark Twain, the news of Willow’s death …. had been greatly exaggerated.
Willow the CatMORE THAN 500 YEARS after the edict of Ferdinand & Isabella to either convert or leave, 160 Sephardic Jews in Colombia have recovered their Spanish citizenship— following a 2015 Spanish law revoking the 1492 edict.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Dawntreader Texas Calboy the Cat— a Texas kitteh who has been banned from some (though far from all) best-in-breed competitions at cat shows because he is a very rare male calico ….. and unlike most of that small fraternity, he is not infertile.
Calboy the Cat (for short)MO BREXIT NEWS — an Italian confection-maker is concerned about Britain’s leaving the currency union…. on a day where Easter eggs play a key role.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
xRFK in Brooklyn, 50 years ago today, after LBJ withdraws from race: #Laffontpic.twitter.com/TMZyS5On3O
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) April 1, 2018FACING SAGGING RATINGS various Fox hosts are begging for Roseanne Barr to appear on their shows … with Sean Hannity even offering a guest host slot.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER? — two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank and TV newcomer Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”).
Hilary Swank (born 1974) Millie Bobby Brown (b 2004)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… during their existence from 1965 to 1973, The Byrds had a remarkable music run, with several hit singles and a changing style of music: from Bob Dylan covers (which led to his joining with the band on-stage) to pop songs to psychedelia to a more rocking sound … they covered a lot of ground. One change fifty years ago this month: a 1968 swing towards country music, with (1) the legendary (yet ill-fated) Gram Parsons in the band, (2) a very mixed reception at the Grand Ole Opry, and finally (3) a decent selling album that has achieved landmark status. If all you know of the Byrds are “Turn, Turn, Turn”, “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Eight Miles High” … sit back.
By the end of 1967, founding members Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clark had all left the band, leaving only guitarist Roger McGuinn and bassist Chris Hillman remaining. They added Hillman’s cousin (Kevin Kelley) on drums, but it was the addition of the next member that took the Byrds to Nashville.
Born Cecil Connor in 1946 (and coming-of-age in Waycross, Georgia), Gram Parsons had briefly attended Harvard before moving to Los Angeles in 1966 to pursue country music. He performed in the International Submarine Band (yes, their name taken from the Little Rascals) before being recruited to join the Byrds. He quickly won over the other band members in urging a country music path.
The Byrds chose to record their new album at Columbia’s studio in Nashville. Several session players appeared on the recording, including guitarist Clarence White— who was born in Lewiston, Maine, then came-of-age in California where he co-founded the band Nashville West (and Clarence White would later play a much larger role in the Byrds).
Sweetheart of the Rodeo (which began recording in March 1968, and was released in August of that year) was arguably the most important early country-rock album, although its song selection was not strictly country. It had covers of songs by the Louvin Brothers, Woody Guthrie and Merle Haggard, plus the country stylings of Gram Parsons. It also had two Dylan songs, plus one by Tim Hardin (of “If I Were a Carpenter” fame). It sold reasonably well at the time, but as noted: has achieved a legendary status, paving the way for 1972’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which revived the fortunes of Nashville’s veteran musicians.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo — Aug, 1968They appeared on March 15, 1968 to play two songs at the Grand Ole Opry (which was still held at the Ryman Auditorium downtown before 1974) and were assigned to play two songs: Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” (which was on the album, and would be the single released from it) and also Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home” — but announced they would (instead) play another song from the album, Hickory Wind — which Gram Parsons dedicated to his grandmother.
Stories vary on how the reception they received was. Some accounts describe them as being “booed off-stage” (in part by breaking with protocol) — which one writer says could never happen today, no matter how bad a performance there was.
The Byrds’ box-set booklet describes it as “a muted reception” — which Roger McGuinn’s recollection is closer to. "There were indeed some folks attending The Byrds' appearance at the Grand Ole Opry who didn't seem to appreciate how sincere we were in doing country music," McGuinn says. "You have to remember, it was during the Vietnam War and we were perceived as hippies”.
From bassist Chris Hillman— on the support they got from a veteran country singer (who also had some crossover pop hits):
We walked out the back door with our tails between our legs ... when Skeeter Davis caught up with us and said, "You Byrds don't be afraid of these people: they're just not caught up yet." I told her later, You were the only one who stood up for us. You were there for us, and I'll never forget you for that."
After the show, Gram Parsons and Roger McGuinn appeared on the veteran Nashville radio host Ralph Emery’s show … and it did not go well. He felt their music was not country music and that they were “hippie country musicians”. Over the years various members of the band appeared on his show, with the hatchet mostly (but not completely) buried: Ralph once asked Roger McGuinn, “Well, how is Gram doing?” and Jim replied, “He’s still dead”. That is because Gram Parsons went on to work with Emmylou Harris and others, but that tortured soul died in 1973 of a drug overdose at only age 26 … missing the “Dead Rock Stars at Age 27” club by six weeks.
Kelley, Parsons, McGuinn and Hillman in early 1968Usually I feature a song from an album I feature, but here I will feature a song from the band’s 1969 follow-up album. With Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and Kevin Kelley having left the band, they were replaced by lead guitarist Clarence White (as noted, who had played on Sweetheart) plus a new rhythm section of bassist John York and drummer Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram).
Written by Roger McGuinn and Gram Parsons (just before he left the band), Drug Store Truck Driving Man was a song taking aim at Ralph Emery for that initial interview. In case listeners didn’t understand …. there was a spoken clue at the end of the song (as seen below)
(Coda) — on Saturday, February 18, 1989 there was a special election for a Louisiana legislature seat that was vacated (with Establishment GOP candidate John Treen vs. an insurgent) that I was aware of (but did not follow closely). The next morning when I turned on the radio (to a local, eclectic Sunday morning program) … this song was playing. It wasn’t until nearly the end of the song that it dawned on me … that David Duke had been elected the day before.
He's got him a house on the hill He plays country records till you've had your fill He's a fireman's friend, he's an all-night DJ But he sure does think different .. from the records he plays
He don't like the young folks I know He told me one night on his radio show He's got him a medal he won in the War It weighs 500 pounds and it sleeps on his floor
He's been like a father to me He's the only DJ you can hear after three I'm an all night musician in a rock & roll band And why he don't like me: I can't understand
He's a drugstore truck driving man He's the head of the Ku Klux Klan When summer rolls around He'll be lucky if he's not in town
(This one's for you, Ralph)
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