Time Trippin' -- Things You Found Out Later

Doug:  Several weeks ago, many of us commented that we'd become aware of the Guardians of the Galaxy before we were actually fully aware of the Guardians of the Galaxy.  That is, they had that one late-Silver Age appearance that many of us were ignorant of until much later.  Similarly, I've remarked a couple of times that I heard and loved Elton John's version of Pinball Wizard years before I ever heard the Who's original recording.

Doug:  Today's a day for telling us those times, and some of these could be funny stories, that you thought life was "as we know it", and then had a little bubble burst later on.  One quite-humorous aspect of this conversation could be song lyrics.  My younger son, as a waif, was notoriously famous for singing what he thought he heard.  We used to tease him, saying "sounds like/really is" about his lyrical revisionism.  I think his best one was mistakenly hearing "Livin' in the swamp" for "Eminence front"...  I have no answer.  This entire idea of hard-to-decipher song lyrics was handled quite smartly in the recent ads for Volkswagon, using Elton John's Rocket Man lyrics as the centerpiece.

BAB Classic: We're Talkin' Song Covers

NOTE:  This post was originally published on October 7 2010.  I decided to run it again since I'm sure we can generate a little more conversation than we originally shared three years ago.  For example, a couple of songs have come to mind lately -- I prefer "Always On My Mind" by Elvis Presley over the more famous Willie Nelson cover.  I have also enjoyed Elton John's version of "Pinball Wizard" over the original Who track from Tommy; the Smithereens cover of the same song really doesn't add anything.  Your turn now (again).


Doug: Karen and I have been discussing off and on how we've become quite comic-centric around here. While that's not a bad thing -- your comments speak to the interest that our audience has in those types of things -- we used to do much more music and movie/tv themed posts. So, with a nod to the past (I guess), let's open it up to a music genre that I like to store on my iTouch -- multiple versions of the same song.

Do you have some songs in mind where you think a cover version improved on the original? How about the other way around? Do you have a song or three on your mp3 player where you've stored several different versions?

Just to kick it off, I like Joe Cocker's version of With A Little Help From My Friends over the Beatles' original recording. I like the pace better, and I can't help but see two things when I hear Cocker's version -- John Belushi's send-up on Saturday Night Live, and the intro. to the The Wonder Years. So when I was writing this, I tried to think of other songs that I have -- Van Halen's version of You Really Got Me beats the Kinks', and the Clash has done my favorite performance of I Fought the Law -- as compared to the Bobby Fuller Four and the Bryan Setzer Orchestra.

Whatcha got?

Doug (now):  Diggin' this cover of the Turtles' "Happy Together", as heard in the trailers for The Great Gatsby.

The Voice

Doug:  Today we're talking favorite singers -- from screeching rockers to crooners from the golden age of radio.  Throw out some great voices, performers who always bring a smile to your face or whose work you regularly play to pass the time.

Doug:  David_b and I have long voiced an affinity for the vocals of Karen Carpenter, who unfortunately left us all too soon.  I really like her mellow so-'70's sound, but at the same time I appreciate the fact that Robert Plant's voice was as much a part of Led Zeppelin's sound as was the instrumental talent of any of his three mates.  Elton John is a performer who managed to stay relevant a decade past his prime by embracing the fact that he could no longer hit the notes that were a famous part of his sound in the 1970's; while still clearly Elton, his vocals on That's What Friends Are For were powerful.

Doug:  And as long as we're talking, how about blended vocals?  I'm thinking of the Beach Boys, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.  Do you like harmonies?

Doug:  As a thought toward physical exercise, is it possible to listen to Sinatra sing "The Way You Look Tonight" or "I've Got the World on a String" and not snap your fingers?

Doug:  This ought to be enough to get us rolling today.  Don't be afraid -- it's all fair game.

Doug:  Jeez, and what about Freddie Mercury?!?

Discuss: Elton John

Doug:  Did you know that Elton John was the best-selling solo act of the 1970's, behind only the King of Rock 'n' Roll?  Elton John released 12 albums in the decade...

5 Songs to Love

Do you have those memories that are triggered by a certain song? For me, there are a handful of songs that take me back to the time in my childhood when I lived in Milwaukee for a couple of years. Those were formative years, as I was between the ages of 7 and almost-10. My prized possession was a small black transistor radio -- AM only, of course -- with an earpiece! I thought I had died and gone to heaven! I have always loved music -- I don't play, can't read it, but just love it. My station of choice in those years was WOKY, a Top 40 station that always pumped out pleasing tunes to my pre-adolescent ears.

So, here are some tunes from those days of yore -- are any of them favorites of yours?

Someone Saved My Life Tonight by Elton John (reached #4 in the US in 1975)

For whatever reason, I remember the line in the song where Sir Reginald sings,

"Prima Donna lord you really should have been there
Sitting like a princess perched in her electric chair"


A friend and I used to get together and play Megos in his basement. It was one of those cool basements that was packed to the gills with boxes and other storage items. It made for great landscapes/cityscapes for the good guys and the do-badders to hold epic battles. His mother had an old hair dryer, like from a beauty shop -- padded chair with the overhead dryer dome. We used to plot that one of the crime bosses would get the heroes positioned on that chair and the dome was some huge electric chair-type device!

The other thing I remember about that song is the line,


"And someone saved my life tonight sugar bear"


Now for you youngsters, these were the days when cereal could still have the word "sugar" in the name. Does anyone remember Post Super Sugar Crisp? The mascot back in the day was none other than Sugar Bear! I thought that was so cool that this song had a line in it about this bear that I saw every Saturday morning on the commercials!

The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace (reached #1 in the US in 1974)


Being a transplanted Illinoisan, this song resonated with my young mind, longing for home. This was a fun song, as we used to sit on another friend's porch and sing it a cappella, like some sort of junior do wop group. Of course, it wasn't a do wop song, but hey -- what did a bunch of 8-year olds know?

We certainly didn't know at the time that the events of the song's lyrics were totally ficticious. Still a catchy tune though.

Love Will Keep Us Together by the Captain and Tenille (reached #1 in the US in 1975)


Don't throw anything at me -- but I still like this sappy '70's hit! Seriously. It's also a catchy tune. Originally written and recorded by Neal Sedaka, it wasn't a hit until this cheesy married couple got 'hold of it. Does anyone recall their variety show that ran about a year after this was a hit? Lordy, it was the in the days of Muskrat Love -- now that one you can have. I still grimace whenever I happen across Muskrat Love -- and no, that song isn't on my iPod!!


Man, you can't beat two big ol' bulldogs on that album cover...

Black Superman (Muhammad Ali) by Johnny Wakelin (reached #1 in Australia, #7 in the UK; spent six months in the Hot 100 in the US in 1975)


Admit it -- you used to sing along with this. Or at least hum along.


"Muhammad.
Muhammad Ali.
He floats like a butterfly
and stings like a bee"


That's awesome! What's not to like. This and other gimmick songs like Kung Fu Fighting are so anchored in the "Have a nice day" decade that they just scream out from that era. I could never sing well, but rest assured -- when this came on the radio, I tried!


Oh, and by the way, these were the days when Ali's fights were aired on Wide World of Sports. For free. I know, seems a bit strange in these days where everything is pay-per-view.


Jive Talkin' by the Bee Gees (reached #1 in the US in 1975)

I love the Bee Gees. There. I said it. I live about 50 miles from Chicago, where local DJ Steve Dahl once blew up a huge stack of disco albums at a Chicago White Sox game -- it was in between a double-header, a riot ensued with fans storming the field and tearing it up -- the Sox had to forfeit the second game! But this song was pre-disco, and it has one of the best opening beats of all time!! Barry Gibb tells that they picked up on that rhythm while riding in a cab. At any rate, it's a fun song. And yes, this one is on my iPod!