xposted from Natter
now for the hivemind question . In the 70's there were at least 2 different fake interviews with popular figures and all the answers to the questions were popular song lyrics. for example: Nixon was interviewed and when asked how he was feeling - the answer to the question was " on top of the world"( carpenters) and when Mr. Jaws was interviewd one of the answers was " why can't we be friends , why can't we be friends" ( war) . anyone got anymore info and even where they might be found?
That was Dickie Goodman, the king of the novelty hit. [link]
Mr Jaws actually sang, "Wouldn't you give your hand to a friend?"
"Mr. Jaws! Wait! That's not the way this record is supposed to end! Help! Help! Blblblblblblbl! Blblblblblbl!"
The annotated Mr. Jaws, and more about Dickie Goodman than you probably want to know. I had the album when I was a kid; maybe it's still at Mom & Dad's. Could hear Melissa Manchester clearly but couldn't remember her/the song w/o looking it up. I'm certain "Midnight Blue" was on one of the K-Tel or Ronco year end compilations we had, but it's not listed on this one from 1975, which has a bunch of the Mr. Jaws clips & which I definitely owned. (I really want to hear "Black Superman": "sing Muhammad, Muhammad Ali, He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee".)
In other news, I can't believe I recommended Nilsson Sings Newman the other day but didn't recommend Newman's 12 Songs, which is not only great but the album on which his New Orleans influence is strongest. Clips available at AMG & Amazon. Christgau loved it, giving it an A+ & putting it at no. 6 on his personal best of the seventies list. Greil Marcus discusses it at length in Mystery Train. Beyond the NOLA-influenced rock Betsy was looking for, I think the lyrics will really appeal to her. Pick hit (from "Suzanne"): "I saw your name, babe/In a telephone book/It told all about you, mama/Oh, I hope it was the truth!"
Hey Tina, I found my Illinoise and it's gorgeous. Reminds me in places of Elliot Smith and Yoshimi, but also Elephant 6 stuff.
But I like it quite a bit more than Michigan, I think.
I really want to hear "Black Superman": "sing Muhammad, Muhammad Ali, He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee".
Some years ago (mid-90s?), Rhino put out a series called Have a Nice Day -- roughly 25 CDs of pop hits of the '70s. "Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)" is on Vol. -- 15 or 16, I think.
What do The Smiths have in common with Abba, Billy Joel, Queen, The Beach Boys and John Lennon?
[link]
This is a really horrible story. Three Chicago musicians dead in car crash [link]
That's an awful story, Jon. How sad for the families.
I can understand the urge to kill yourself. I can't understand taking other people, strangers, along with you.
