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 covering art with industrial themes during the 1920’s-30’s entitled Cult of the Machine is at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, California through August 12th.
Until mid-Aug in San FranciscoIN AN EFFORT to keep its delicate historic district’s streets clean (and placate UNESCO, which had threatened to include it in its “black list” of World Heritage Sites at risk due to excessive tourism) the city of Venice, Italy will not issue any licenses for new take-out food shops for three years, and making the rules stricter for those already open (including providing more trash bins).
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Nala the Therapy Cat— an eighteen year-old Virginia kitteh who brings happiness to those at rehabilitation centers throughout the Richmond area.
Nala the Therapy CatAN ESSAY in The Economist — not The Nation, nor Mother Jones — has an interesting look at the two Trump-loving black women comics performing as Diamond & Silk— checking-off the boxes such as: their friendship with Kanye West, their use of the word “plantation”, being able to charge $50 to a nearly all-white audience … and helping attendees feel as if they are truly color-blind.
FRIDAY's CHILD is from a litter who served as therapy kittens during finals week at a college biology department in Denver … and will soon be up for adoption.
Colorado kittenA HIGHER PROFILE is the goal of gay activists in the South American nation of Bolivia— with a public display at the Cultural Center of Spain in the capital city.
NORMALLY yours truly is neither a celebrity-oriented enthusiast (in general) nor a royal watcher (in particular) and I did not awaken to watch any of the Windsor Castle ceremonies. Yet I did take some pride in this event, not only due to the ground-breaking nature of this marriage — marrying a divorced American sank King Edward’s boat, yet not Prince Harry’s — but also to believe that the Obamas were probably not on the guest list … in order to thwart a controversy over not inviting the Trumpster.
I did hope that a gust-of-wind might have blown-off at least one of those aerodynamically imbalanced hats yesterday … no such luck, I suppose.
YUK for TODAY — the man from the Acropolis chimes in:
xThe reaction you make when people think it’s Laurel and not Yanny... #YanniToBeExactpic.twitter.com/Zp1hbvK2AP
— Yanni (@Yanni) May 16, 2018BRAIN TEASER(S) - first, try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
And, if you’re so inclined: try this very timely Royal Wedding Quiz, as well.
FATHER-SON? — instrumental pop saxophonist ‘Kenny G’ Gorelick and the SNL cast member Kyle Mooney (and the SNL season finale took place last night).
Kenny Gorelick (born 1956) Kyle Mooney (born 1984)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… at present, there are twenty-two performers who have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame more than once: with most gaining a second induction as a solo artist or — if due to being in two noted groups (such as David Crosby and Jimmy Page) — have also had a successful solo/duet career.
An exception is the soul singer Sammy Strain— who began his career as first tenor for Little Anthony & the Imperials, then after that group ended (and had a non-musical interlude) joined The O’Jays — then later re-joined the Imperials before retiring from music after a nearly fifty-year career. He rarely sang lead, but Sammy was a noted ensemble singer whose career deserves a fresh look.
Born in Brooklyn in 1940, he began as a street corner singer, eventually being part of two doo-wop groups (the Chips and The Fantastics) before having a chance in 1961 to join a famous quartet … in the middle of a difficult transition period.
The Imperials had been founded in 1958 and had immediate success with Tears on My Pillow, “Two People in the World” and Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop. The famed DJ Alan Freed had nicknamed the lead singer as “Little Anthony” Gourdine, and when their success waned in 1961, Gourdine left to try a solo career, with another member getting his draft notice and another leaving the group to marry.
Sammy Strain was a childhood friend of several band members, and joined along with another new member. They had only modest success without the angelic voice of Little Anthony and by the autumn of 1963 — Sammy Strain had left the group, gotten married and had taken a factory job which lasted … about a week.
That was because Little Anthony’s solo career was not panning out. And so he approached the Imperials about re-forming: this time, with the assistance of his new manager (the veteran promoter Ernie Martinelli) and a very talented young songwriter named Teddy Randazzo. Sammy Strain had become a fan of Sammy Davis Jr.’s act, and the band modeled its stage show and style of dress after him.
And while the British Invasion had taken-its-toll on many veteran R&B performers (at least for awhile), it worked to the benefit of the Imperials with their maturing sound, and they were prominently featured on white radio stations. It didn’t hurt that they were releasing instant classic songs such as Hurt So Bad, Going Out of My Head and 1969’s Out of Sight, Out of Mind. They became featured performers on TV shows such as Shindig! and the Ed Sullivan Show, and by the mid-60’s were beginning to record more sophisticated work on albums, as well as singles. Steve Huey of the All-Music Guide feels the band took its doo-wop roots to fit the sweet uptown soul sound of the mid-'60s.
Sammy Strain felt that they were slowly transforming from recording artists (a more ephemeral status) into performers (built to last). That came in handy by 1971, when the band changed labels and lost the songwriting talents of Teddy Randazzo. Their own songwriting was not as good as their previous work, the group members were going in different directions musically, and by 1972 Little Anthony Gourdine was ready to try a solo career once again.
Sammy Strain also left the Imperials then and for the next three years he co-owned a steakhouse in North Hollywood (named the Meat Rack) along with Redd Fox and Dionne Warwick. 70% of their business was due to the adjacent Universal Studios, and he often saw people from Telly Savalas to Barbra Streisand. Yet he never lost the urge to sing.
Meanwhile, by 1975 the fortunes of The O’Jays were about to change once again. The quintet that had been founded in Canton, Ohio in 1958 had soldiered on for nearly fifteen years with modest success, yet were considering a break-up by 1972 (when two original members left). Then they fatefully joined forces with the Philadelphia International label founded by Gamble & Huff. In three short years, they had chart-toppers such as Back Stabbers, Ship Ahoy, Sunshine, For the Love of Money and their #1 hit Love Train.
Yet in late 1975, original member William Powell had to leave the group due to illness (and who died in 1977). Based upon recommendations from people such as Smokey Robinson, Sammy Strain was recruited out of the restaurant business and joined the O’Jays in January of 1976.
And while their interstellar pop chart success had passed, they did have some hit singles with Sammy Strain on board: including 1987’s Lovin’ You and my favorite tune of theirs, 1978’s Use Ta Be My Girl— which you can hear at this link. The band became a steady concert performing band and some R&B chart success.
In 1992 (during a tour break) Sammy was approached about a Little Anthony & the Imperials reunion show at Madison Square Garden. The rehearsals and concert Sammy described as being magical, as was a subsequent appearance on Dick Clark’s 40th anniversary show. He left the O’Jays and rejoined the Imperials.
And he stayed with them another dozen years, with tours taking them to the growing number of casinos, plus large concert halls and state fairs. The band also had two CD releases during this time (including an a capella version.
In the 2004, the Imperials wanted to sign with new management and move to Las Vegas. At age sixty-four, Sammy Strain decided that he wanted to retire... and did so after a forty-nine year singing career.
In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The O’Jays— who have announced they will retire in the year 2020. Four years later, he was inducted a second time, with Little Anthony & the Imperials— who are still performing today, as well. In both cases, Sammy Strain came out of retirement to perform at the ceremonies. In his seventy-eighth year, he has kept a low profile … yet if he never sings a note in public again ….. he has made his mark.
Sammy Strain in the 1960’s ... ...… and much more recentlyWhile much of his career was as an ensemble singer, there was (at least?) one tune on which Sammy Strain did sing lead on — which dates back to 1967. A Thousand Miles Away was written by James Sheppard (of Shep and the Limelights) in 1957, first recorded that year by The Heartbeats, which ten years later was recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials as the closing tune on their album Reflections (and was the only song out of twelve not written or co-written by Teddy Randazzo). Below you can hear Sammy Strain’s lead tenor.
You’re a thousand miles away But I still have your love to remember you by Oh my darling, dry your eyes Daddy’s coming home soon
I’m on my knees every day All I do is pray, just for you I hope you’ll always want me, too Daddy’s coming home soon
It may be on a Sunday morning It may be on a Tuesday afternoon But no matter what the day, I'm going to make it my business To get home soon
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