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 career retrospective of the photographer Walker Evans— whose images of the South during the Depression helped define American documentary photography — is at the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia through September 11th.
Alabama woman (1930’s)JUST WEEKS after its conservative prime minister Malcolm Turnbull won another term, videos taken at a youth detention camp in its Northern Territories revealed what is being called Australia’s Abu Ghraib— abusing mostly indigenous children.
THURSDAY's CHILD is a Maryland kitteh caught in a house fire … but revived by the Baltimore fire department via an oxygen mask.
Oxygen mask revives kittehYUK for today #1 — you may have noticed that years ago, Lipton Tea removed its logo featuring Sir Thomas Lipton— the founder of the company, not an imaginary person — because his image (holding his china teacup) was not appealing to young people (i.e., ‘My mother drinks that stuff’ ).
Thomas Lipton (1848-1931)Said one brand consultant about the need to eliminate (not just change) the logo:
“You couldn’t exactly put the guy on Rollerblades."
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Parsley the Cat— a Scottish kitteh who wanders around town so much, his family has outfitted him with a GPS system … and whose escapades are being followed around-the-world on Facebook, where he is known as the Minister of Cats.
Parsley the CatBRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
YUK for today #2 — as your-friend-and-mine said “Get that baby out of here” …. I thought:
“There’s no crying at Trump rallies!!!!”ALTHOUGH it is not a historical practice there, Milan design firms are making stylish doggie bags a new trend in Italy.
SEPARATED at BIRTH — Norbert Haug, the former Vice President of Mercedes-Benz motorsport … and TV/film star John Goodman.
Norbert Haug (Germany) John Goodman (Missouri)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… someone who had a steady career as a singer was Arthur Prysock— a baritone with a smooth voice who found his most enduring notoriety with (of all things) a beer commercial. He is also in the “What If?” category musically, as to why he never became a major star? His versatility was one reason — when you are a jazz singer, yet can sing blues, R&B, some disco and even issue a country album — that can ensure career longevity, yet not establish one in the public eye, as we will see. Still, his career is worth a look.
Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1929, he was the younger brother of tenor saxophonist Wilbert ‘Red’ Prysock— whom he sometimes performed with (over the years) under the heading of “The Sax and The Voice”. Arthur settled in Hartford, Connecticut to work as a mechanic before he was offered work as a singer by a club owner … for $3/night.
In 1944, the noted bandleader Buddy Johnson was touring in the Northeast, when his featured male vocalist got sick. Prysock was recommended as a replacement, and Buddy Johnson was pleased enough to offer him that job, which he held for eight years. After leaving to become a solo performer in 1952, he kept on singing Johnson’s greatest hit Since I Fell for You and went on to have his own #5 R&B chart success with I Didn’t Sleep a Wink.
One reason for Prysock’s not becoming a major star was his hesitancy to settle-into a clear role. He was in the shadow of the legendary baritone Billy Eckstine, who had a define silky-smooth style. and at times, Prysock covered some of his hits — not the best way to differentiate yourself. And although Prysock did record some early rock songs (such as Good Rockin’ Tonight and Willie Dixon’s I Just Want to Make Love to You, he stopped short of trying to break into that market — unlike his brother, who dabbled much more (and successfully) in that genre.
At the dawn of the 1960’s, Prysock found greater success as a romantic crooner, with his cover of the Ray Noble written The Very Thought of You as one of his better-selling recordings. He also achieved a personal dream in recording an album with Count Basie in 1965, and had a (very) short-lived TV show. Alas, the advent of the British Invasion helped sideline him (like other performers) with the switch to Motown by many young music fans, and he worked (steadily, yet below radar) through the 60’s.
He had one final moderate hit in 1976 with a disco-oriented song When Love is New — produced by Billy Paul’s manager — yet was unable to follow-up and returned to the cabaret scene. Two other career moves in the late 70’s: he recorded a country album (with Percy Sledge) in 1979 and — for those (of a certain age) who are unconvinced they have ever heard him sing: you have if you recall the Let it Be Lowenbrau beer commercials of that era, with his distinctive voice.
In the mid-1980’s he returned to recording with two recordings of more modern songs (from 1985 to 1987) before retiring to Bermuda due to illness a few years later.
Arthur Prysock died in June, 1997 at the age of 68 — and while never a major star, he was honored before his death with a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1995.
A young Arthur Prysock ... … and later in his lifeWhile its instrumentation is a bit too disco-oriented for me, I did like his 1974 version of the song Hurt So Bad— which Little Anthony & the Imperials made famous. And below you can hear Arthur Prysock sing it.
I know you don't know what I'm going through ….. standing here, looking at you
Like needles and pins ….. people say “You've been making out okay ….. She's in love, don't stand in her way”
Well, let me tell you that it:
Hurts so bad ….. it makes me feel so sad It makes me hurt so bad …...to see you again
x YouTube Video