How Did I See This?

YouTube sometimes recommends some surprising stuff that reminds me of my youth, like the following video.

Even before listening to it I thought that I knew the song.  Sure enough once it started playing it was obvious I did, as a mangled version of the chorus has occasionally popped into my head for over 30 years.

Righeira were an Italian duo of Stefano "Michael" Rota and Stefano "Johnson" Righi.  "No Tengo Dinero," " I have no money" in Spanish, was released in 1983.  It was produced by the La Bionda brothers, a successful Italian act from the '70s who had gotten into record production in the '80s.

I assume the version of this video I saw was the shorter 3 some minute version.  How I saw it is a real good question, as Spanish language dance tunes weren't exactly big on the Canadian charts in 1983.  I assume the catchy video caught the attention of some Canadian video show producer, who played it simply because it looked cool.  No doubt it got stuck in my memory because it was something unusual for Canadian TV in the '80s.

The Last Walk Off.

Rush drummer Neil Peart has died.  He was 67.  He had been fighting brain cancer for the past three years, which he managed to keep quiet about.  For those familiar with him that's probably not a surprise.  Despite being drummer for one of Canada's most successful rock bands Peart was a fairly private man.  He tended to let Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson do most of the PR side of things, and that tendency became even stronger after the horrifying double blow of losing his daughter Selena in a 1997 car accident, following the death from cancer 10 months later of his common-law wife Jacqueline Taylor.  The song "Limelight," from Rush's 1981 album Moving Pictures, reflected that introverted side of Peart.  He is survived by his second wife, photographer Carrie Nuttall, and their daughter Olivia.

Didn't Expect That One.

I just had YouTube show me an ad for the Israeli military manufacturer Rafael.  I wouldn't have thought people watching rock music videos would be a demographic they'd think to advertise to.  I'm certainly not in the market for antitank or surface to air missiles.

Were You There?

It's something I sometimes wonder when I see comments on old music on YouTube.  I just saw that sort of comment on a posting of Deep Purple performing "Highway Star" in 1972 on German TV.  It was the common "Oh, music is so horrible today compared to back then!" type of comment you see on all sorts of things.  But before you get too gushy about early '70s popular music(or any other period of pop music) consider the following:

"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" was a big hit in 1970, with versions by three different artists getting chart action.  Middle of the Road's version was the most successful, making the top fifteen or better in 13 countries, and number one in 6.  Check out the charts for any year and you find stuff you're likely to think of as dross. 

Finally, The Original And Greatest.

For years I've tried to find this one on YouTube.  Finally it's turned up.  Possibly the greatest Canadian PSA ever, the story of the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe and what happened one fateful night.  The later ones in the series are cute, but don't have the weight of the original.

This Is More Fun.

I had an idea for a post today, but in one sense it was a repeat of an older post.  So instead watch this, which is more fun.  If you're Canadian and old enough you probably remember this, as it aired on Canadian TV frequently for a long time.  Kate and Anna McGarrigle sing "The Log Driver's Waltz."

Big Earl Versus Billy The Ric.

A long time ago I had a Fender Stratocaster XII 12 string electric guitar, one of the original versions with a Fender Electric XII style bridge.  I never had to do any work on the intonation or action before I sold it to my cousin.  Which is a good thing because I'm not Mr. Mechanical.  But I'm sure it would be a lot easier to work on than a classic Rickenbacker twelve string.  Today I came across a pair of videos from Edmonton's Big Earl discussing his adventures changing the bridge on his Rickenbacker 12 string.  Boy, talk about a lot of work!  And he's not a gigging musician on the road with one.  Watch the videos, and then imagine having to restring one every day, as gigging musicians often do, or if they're really lucky their guitar tech does.

Do They Even Remember It?

Going about my business this afternoon I heard a song I know I haven't heard in 20 years, if not more.  "Notorious" was the single released off Loverboy's  1987 album Wildside.  Co-written by Mike Reno with the late Todd Cerney, Jon Bon Jovi, and Richie Sambora(something I didn't know) it sounds like an attempt at producing another "Hot Girl's In Love."  And it's "nah nah nah, nah nah nah notorious" line in the chorus was probably intended for having an audience sing along live. 

Not having heard it in so long I found myself wondering half seriously if the guys in Loverboy even remember the song.  Of course they might not want to.  Although "Notorious" did generate some airplay it didn't help Wildside, which became their first album not to go platinum, and the group soon broke up over tensions between Reno and guitarist Paul Dean.  Like some other bands that got lumped into the arena rock/AOR category they presumably just ran out of steam, not being pretty enough or having the right sound to keep up with the hair metal bands popular at the time.  In fact it could be seen as ironic that Bon Jovi and Sambora co-wrote "Notorious," since Bon Jovi probably sucked up market share that would previously have bought Loverboy albums.

See what you think.  Here's the promo video for the song. 

Goodbye, Mr. Barnsley.

Sad news to report.  Greg Barnsley has died at 83.  Anyone who watched Saskatoon TV prior to 1992 will be familiar with Barnsley.  One of the original on air personalities at CFQC TV Barnsley appeared in various roles for the station, including weatherman on CFQC's news broadcasts and host of Kingo Bingo.  In 2014 the newly renovated CFQC studio was named the Greg Barnsley Studio in his honor. 

You can hear Barnsley's distinctive voice in the following 1984 documentary.

Remembrance.

Given the number of celebrity deaths in recent days listening to this Rush tune seemed quite appropriate, although I didn't actually decide to listen to it for that reason.  But of course it's not just the famous who have just left us.  Hopefully you aren't facing a loss as you read this.

It's Not My Fault.

It seems that YouTube "stars" are having a bit of a problem this year.  Their viewership has apparently dropped heavily.  If you're one of those folks, and have by chance stumbled across my blog, I'd like you to know it's not my fault you're losing traffic.  The traffic here is so tiny it won't effect anyone's viewership.

Oh, by the way, if you're feeling nice you could mention this blog in one of your videos.  I definitely could do with the traffic.

Another Voice Goes Silent.

In a year that has seen many musicians pass yet another one is gone.  Greg Lake has died at age 69 after a long battle with cancer.  Lake came out of the Bournemouth, England music scene that produced numerous musicians.  In 1969 his friend Robert Fripp recruited Lake as vocalist for his new band, King Crimson, and asked Lake to be the band's bassist as well, although Lake had been a guitarist.  The group's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King was a critical success, but tensions in the band led Lake to decide to leave in 1970.  He soon teamed up with keyboardist Keith Emerson and drummer Carl Palmer to form Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.  With their complicated music and often bombastic image ELP, along with Yes, was the band that came to represent what most people though of '70s progressive rock, and against which the punk movement claimed to rebel. 

Although ELP originally broke up in 1979 Lake and Emerson would work together again in the mid '80s with the late drummer Cozy Powell as Emerson, Lake, and Powell, and reunite with Palmer as ELP in the '90s.  Lake also did solo albums, and a duo tour with Emerson in 2012.  His best known solo work was the 1975 single "I Believe in Father Christmas."

Mister Versatile.

Last night I watched a mid '70s Italian crime film  on YouTube, A Special Cop in Action, or to use its original Italian title, Italia a mano armata.  It was the final film of a trilogy about Italian police commissioner Betti, played by the late Maurizio Merli.  His main opponent in the film is gangster Alberteli, played by American actor John Saxon.  Watching the film got me thinking that there probably isn't a genre, other than porn, that Saxon hasn't done. Crime, westerns, martial arts(Enter the Dragon, supporting Bruce Lee),  horror, science fiction, prime time soaps, and more.  All in a career that began in the mid '50s, and which continues to today.

You can watch A Special Cop in Action below.  Be warned that besides the general violence you'll find in a crime film there's a sexual assault scene, so some viewers may want avoid this one.

Today's Theme Song.

Sorry, but it's what a lot of us are thinking after the election.

Donald Trump's Theme Song.

If this isn't his theme song, it should be.  Not that Trump would probably get that it's supposed to be sarcastic and self-deprecating.

An Odd Desire.

For some reason this morning I got the urge to hear the Three's Company theme.  I did see multiple episodes of it when it ran, but it wasn't exactly a favourite of mine. 



The show was a big hit in the '70s and '80s, but by today's standards the premise seems a bit weird.  A man pretends to be gay so he can share a Santa Monica apartment with two women, because the landlord doesn't approve of co-ed living arrangements.  If it had been set in a small town in a more conservative part of the country it would have seemed a bit more believable, but in a city in Los Angeles County? Not to me at least. 

A Song For Today.

Here is a song appropriate for today.  Well, the title is at least.  Warning, it mentions cat kicking.



I'm sure most of you can figure out who Ronnie is. But Connie? That would be Konstantin Chernenko. If you remember who he is you're old like me.

The Truth Is...

...you don't want to go to Toronto.

Fading Out.

If you've been paying attention to coverage of the death of Keith Emerson you probably know by now that he committed suicide.  This was apparently prompted by health problems in his hands that were increasingly effecting his ability to play.  Emerson had problems in the early '90s, but seemed to have gotten past them.  But that was 20 years ago, when he was 50.

It made me think of this Rush song, one of their lesser known pieces, from 1982's album Signals.  Ironically Rush themselves are currently trying to figure out their future as health problems make the rigours of touring hard on Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.  We're going to be seeing this hit more and more rockers in the next few years. 

Another One Passes.

Yet another rock musician from the '60s and '70s has died.  Keith Emerson was 71.  Emerson first came to public attention with the band The Nice before forming Emerson, Lake, and Palmer with bassist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer in 1970.  Although the instrument had already been used on pop recordings Emerson was an early advocate for synthesizers in rock music, touring with a Moog modular synthesizer from the band's earliest appearances. ELP were successful for a number of years, but were often the whipping boys for the excesses of the progressive rock genre they were one of the biggest bands in.  After their breakup in 1979 Emerson would go on to do a number of film soundtracks, such as for Sylvester Stallone's 1981 thriller Nighthawks.  He would reunite with Lake in Emerson, Lake, and Powell in 1986, with Palmer in 3 in 1989, and with a reunited ELP in 1991.

In tribute here's the title cut from their second album, Tarkus.