WLSO.FM

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE SOUNDS OF PETS PT.1

Since I have been on vacation, a REAL traveling around vacation, not just one from radio like before, here’s an old show from 2006.
I did it for the 40th Anniversary of the Pet Sounds album, so add 4 years to everything I say, lol!
It was, and still is, a landmark album.
And it is commonly accepted as the challenge to the Beatles that resulted in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
That fact alone makes it worth a listen.
Plus, even before the Beatles, the Beach Boys (always underrated because of their Surf Music beginnings) had developed into a self-contained group- writing, producing, arranging, etc., their own music.
So, the first of two parts on a Classic Album.
An album you will hear me read about, comment on, and most importantly, play.
Frankly, I think I talked too much, lol!

Mike

Tags: Beatles, Classic Album, radio, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Surf Music

ROCKOLLECTIONS: PSYCHOTHERAPY LEFTOVERS PT.2 SERIES FINALE

The Psychotherapy series ends with another Breakdown, then some final words from a Therapist that Love is a minefield.
No doubt about it, Love has made all of us a bit Crazy at some point in our lives.
So I decided to take the Crazy route.
And looking at all the choices I had for Crazy songs, I realized they could be a musical Genre of their own!
Several shows could be done on that Theme alone.
So it has been filed away in my memory for the future.
I hope you enjoy the ones I did pick for this Finale.
Those of you who know me, know that the opening and closing songs mean a great deal to me- one or the other is what I usually think of first in a Series.
This time there was really only one choice to end this whole thing with.
See if you agree with me!
I thank all of you who came along for the entire Psychotherapy Series, or just a part of it- it was done with a deep respect for those who need Therapy.
And I wish you all nothing but good health- Mental and Physical!

Mike

Tags: Breakdown, Crazy Songs, Mental and Physical, Musical Genre, Theme Series, Therapist

ROCKOLLECTIONS: PSYCHOTHERAPY LEFTOVERS PT.1

Well well, August 25 is the 12th Anniversary of my being at the same station.
12 years…those people there REALLY need Psychotherapy!
These are some of the Psychotherapy Leftovers we never got to in the other chapters, and I must tell you, this is one of the strangest half hours of musical selections I have ever done.
Certainly the most somber in those 12 years!
I just went where the free-form Muse took me, and that was a weird place.
So you are forewarned, and the next and Final episode will be much different, more normal.
I started with a song for me, one that has been an old friend for many years.
Then, for some reason last week, I flashed back to a time in 1970 or 1971 when Scott Muni, then with the 2-7PM slot and also the Program Director at WNEW-FM, chose to replace for a day Jonathan Schwartz who couldn’t make it for his 10AM-2PM show.
Scott was unbelievable that day, maybe because it was a different time with possibly a different audience.
He played fantastic old sets he had done in the past where the music went together perfectly, plus terrific new ones.
It was great Radio!
And another of those defining moments that set the stage for how I present music.
One 2-song set stayed with me for all these years, an incredible segue that I will re-create here.
Janis Ian’s “Insanity Comes Quietly To The Structured Mind” into Dory Previn’s “Mr.Whisper”.
One a song about a ledge-jumper suicide, the other dealing with a Mr. Whisper who has an “apartment” in a lady’s head!
Normally I don’t tell you what I am going to play and ruin the surprises, but in this case I figure no one will know those songs anyway, so what the hell, lol?
That’s it, I am tired of writing, so you are on your own.
But I cordially invite you to hear undeniably the oddest, but not the worst, first half of a show I have ever done!
And that’s saying something for me, lol!
There is a Darkness here, and I DARE you to listen!

Mike

Tags: 12th Anniversary, 1970, 1971, Darkness, Dory Previn, Insanity Comes Quietly To The Structured Mind, Janis Ian, Jonathan Schwartz, Leftovers, Mr.Whisper, Program Director, radio, Scott Muni, The Free-Form Muse, WNEW-FM

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IS YOUR SHRINK STILL ON SUMMER VACATION? PSYCHOTHERAPY PT.6

Psychotherapy in August- the most wonderful time of the year, lol!
Try and find one.
Now in my role as “Dr. Pell”, I have had a great success rate with my patients in Therapy.
But I must admit there have been failures.
And yes, they have had to be institutionalized!
I’ll have their musical stories.
Then from the information I have gathered, it will be time for me to write some prescriptions.
These are controlled substances, so use great caution in taking them- I don’t think I need to warn you of the consequences, but I will in the show.
And try not to ENJOY them so much, lol!
I had originally intended to finish out the series with this chapter, but there are so many songs I never got to- some suggested to me as the series has progressed, some even sent to me- I will continue this next week.
With random, neurotic, crazed Psychotherapy Leftovers from my perfectly tuned mind.
Even I have no idea what to expect next week, lol!

Mike

Tags: August, Controlled Substances, Dr. Pell, Institutionalized, Prescriptions, Psychotherapy Leftovers, Therapy

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IS YOUR SHRINK STILL ON SUMMER VACATION? PSYCHOTHERAPY PT.5

Continuing on with our Psychotherapy series, I think I detect some smoldering Anger out there.
Hell I feel it too- I think it’s that red gear in the brain above, lol!
At any rate, there is no shortage of things to get riled up about.
So a good time for all of us to take an Anger Management Class.
You can do that with music?
Sure can…by the time we get to A Musical Apology!

Mike

Tags: A Musical Apology, Anger Management Class, Regretting What I Said

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IS YOUR SHRINK ON SUMMER VACATION? PSYCHOTHERAPY PT.4

Well we have been examining some of the reasons people go to Therapy.
So far, there’s been Depression and Stress.
Now we come to another major cause that is right up there- Gender Confusion.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…!

Mike

Tags: Depression, Gender Confusion, Stress

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IS YOUR SHRINK ON SUMMER VACATION? PSYCHOTHERAPY PT.3

The Doctor is back for this week’s Therapy session- as your’s, if you have one, is probably away on vacation for the month of August.
Making you feel very nervous and anxious.
I got you covered with a 56 to 58 minute session!
And you may not find this at all surprising- the # 1 reason for beginning Therapy is STRESS!
So a musical look at that.
Plus, despite all my training and all the Degrees I have been awarded, there are times I can’t do it all by myself.
I have to consult with another covering psychiatrist.
In this case, a Dr. Steinberg.
And as we all have discovered by now, Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Therapists are among the CRAZIEST people you will ever meet, lol!
Which gives me a reason to play the original version of song that is one the very rare songs covered by Joni Mitchell- man she hardly ever does anything but her own material.
So please…please…take some deep breaths, try to relax and enjoy some good and interesting music.

Mike

Tags: August, David Steinberg, joni mitchell, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Stress

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IS YOUR SHRINK ON SUMMER VACATION? PSYCHOTHERAPY PT.2

We continue for the month of August, with all the Psychotherapists on vacation- leaving their clients very nervous about that.
So I am filling in.
I promised you a Patient Profile and Diagnosis during your first visit.
Please find a seat, take these forms and fill them out- using blue or black ink ONLY!
Then we will talk a while.
Could be you are suffering from Depression.
Looks that way from here…but I shouldn’t be so hasty, lol!
One of the most frequent diagnoses I make is OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
And perhaps the most dangerous form it can take is Stalking.
I’ll begin that set with a song that…well, is it a harmless tune from 1963, or a cry for help from a sick girl, lol?
Enjoy the music.
You DO like music, don’t you?
 
Mike

Tags: August, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, Patient Profile and Diagnosis, Psychotherapists, Stalking. 1963

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IS YOUR SHRINK ON SUMMER VACATION? PSYCHOTHERAPY PT.1

Well I guess we can take the Gone Fishin’ sign down for a while.
I am back with an uneasy peace.
It was great to take over a month off, I feel refreshed, and yet the thought of continuing to do this weekly is a daunting one.
As Mom used to say, we shall see what we shall see.
And naturally, being the contrarian rebel that I am, I am back with a SERIES!
Dedicated to all who don’t like series, lol!
Since this show is a reflection of me and my rebellious ways, what else would you expect?
Series require the most thought and work, yet are the most fun for me.
I don’t know yet how long it will go- but when I feel I am done it will end.
No playlist, no restrictions, no limits- that’s what Free-Form is.
That is a picture above of Sigmund Freud.
Why?
It occurred to me during my mental rest that the month of August is notorious for being the time of year that Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Psychotherapists go on vacation, leaving their patients…oops…clients…fearful, anxious and on their own.
So I will fill the void, giving you 56 to 58 minute sessions instead of the 45 to 50 minute ones they do.
The Doctor is IN!

Mike

Tags: August, Free-form Radio, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Sigmund Freud, The Doctor is IN

ROCKOLLECTIONS: FOR THE 4TH OF JULY- JAY & THE AMERICANS PT.2 END

I will open this chapter with Only In America, having already told you the story behind it.
Last year, I did a 4-part Podcast theme series called A Celebration Of America- and it is here at WLSO.FM.
At the end of Part 4, I played that same song but by the Drifters, only because I wanted to play a different interpretation. Not knowing at the time that THEY had done the first and original version!
So if you want to hear that piece of history, as I say, it is here. You just have to go back and look for it.
After that great song for this holiday, Jay Black at his operatic best with a song by Rodgers & Hammerstein from South Pacific that was a hit too.
Did you know that Jay & The Americans were responsible for Neil Diamond’s first success as a songwriter?
They did a song he wrote called Sunday And Me, and I’ve got and will play it, you get to hear it.
The band’s last Hit reached # 19 in 1970, and was an old Ronettes tune.
After that, I have a strange one, a curiosity they released in late 1966- an odd, very 60’s sound not at all like what we were used to hearing from them.
Even the title is kinda weird, He’s Raining In My Sunshine. Far out, man!
Turns out Jay Black had a big gambling problem with some big debts, and he sold the group name to pay them off.
Of note is that over the years the group included Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who left to form Steely Dan.
Then, I have a couple of treats.
One member of the Americans, Kenny Vance, started a group with the Planetones that in 1975 came out of nowhere with their doowop retro style, for an unlikely hit in the midst of what was by then a no longer experimental but a formulaic music scene.
Their throwback sound broke the formula, and I just remember it seeming so out of place. But I liked it then and I like it now.
As a born and bred New Yorker, I knew about singing in the subways and the bathrooms and Looking For That Echo!
I will end this Independence Day show with a song I have played quite a few times before on the radio.
I will never understand why this beautiful, wonderful song, done years ago by Eric Andersen, never became a perennial hit.
And in addition I have newly tacked on an inspiring John Phillip Sousa March to take us out at the end- perfect to listen to while watching the Fireworks!
Happy 4th Of July everyone, everywhere!
And Happy Birthday America!

Mike

Tags: A Celebration Of America, A New Yorker, Donald Fagen, Eric Andersen, Fireworks, Happy Birthday America, He’s Raining In My Sunshine, Independence Day, Jay Black, John Phillip Sousa, Kenny Vance & The Planetones, Looking For An Echo, Neil Diamond, Only In America, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Ronettes, South Pacific, Steely Dan, Sunday And Me, The Drifters, Walter Becker

ROCKOLLECTIONS: FOR THE 4TH OF JULY- JAY AND THE AMERICANS PT.1

For the 4th Of July, I wanted something American.
Then it occurred to me- Jay & The Americans!
I had some fun with the beginning of this one.
Oh, and that famous Denise likes them too- I don’t know whether more than Herman’s Hermits or not.
After this, she will never have a reason to listen again- certainly not for ME, lol!
At the start there was Jay Traynor, and he was replaced by Jay Black.
Black had that at times operatic voice, as did Roy Orbison.
I’ll have the very interesting story of Only In America, ORIGINALLY recorded by the Drifters but given to Jay & The Americans with the same music track behind them, it was unchanged.
The song was considered unrealistic being sung by The Drifters!
As usual, I will be playing songs that are forgotten by the tight playlists of today’s radio.
Including one in particular, called Think Of The Good Times that had Engineer Ken and I look at each other and smile in recognition, an excellent old forgotten song that revealed nothing by its title, but when it started to play it was instantly recognizable.
There are extra studio bits of intro on some of the songs, that being a trend today.
Oh, and listen closely for that squeaking door at the beginning of one of the songs!
I was feeling very goofy during this show, and that will continue in Part Two- as well as some surprises.

Mike

Tags: Engineer Ken, Herman's Hermits, Jay Black, Jay Traynor, Only In America, Roy Orbison, The Drifters, Think Of The Good Times

ROCKOLLECTIONS: JUNE IS NATIONAL RIVERS MONTH PT.4 END

We will start off this final episode with a few more real River songs- for Rivers that geographically and specifically do exist.
And leaving the country once more for the Amazon River, with a wonderfully twisted use of words by an unlikely source- sweet, cuddly Don McLean.
Then a couple about one of America’s most famous Rivers, at least in song, that we have been misspelling for well over a century!
I have a behind-the-scenes story about doing a show one time, and Engineer Ken refusing to play a song that I wanted to come on next.
So while one song was playing, and running down with each second, I was out of the studio insisting the next tune was the way to go, all the while listening to that playing song tick away, knowing I had only seconds to literally run to be back on the microphone.
Ken and I have laughed about that incident for years now.
Particularly in light of what he did next, lol!
I will play that problematic (for him more than me!) song, and also my vindication for insisting that it was a damn good one.
In between…the most aptly named artist of the entire series.
Then I will begin to wind down our 2 week celebration of National Rivers Month in a Peaceful way.
Ending this Theme in an almost full circle way, I have a song that refers back to the very first song I played to open it!
Hope you enjoyed the trip.
I see Part 3 has gotten a lot of play, but where were you for Parts 1 & 2?
And finally, be kind to your Rivers- look at how the incompetents are ruining the Ocean!

Mike

Tags: Amazon River, America's Most Famous Rivers, Don McLean, Engineer Ken, Peaceful

ROCKOLLECTIONS: JUNE IS NATIONAL RIVERS MONTH PT.3

Continuing on…
National Rivers Month is a time to enjoy all of the things that rivers bring to our communities. Rivers provide drinking water, recreational opportunities, environmental ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Rivers have also been used as a source of food, for transport, as a defensive barrier, as a source of hydropower to drive machinery, and as a means of disposing of waste.
But don’t pee in the River, lol!
After our opening song, a bit of humor from Jackie Vernon.
There’s a name…he was a standup comic known for his deadpan delivery.
He is also known for being the voice of Frosty the Snowman in the special that is run on TV every year at Christmas.
Following that, the most perfect song imaginable to follow Vernon’s story!
Then I thought I would play some songs about real, actual, existing geographical Rivers.
And I will be choosing them from Rock, Folk, Soul and anywhere else the current carries me.

Mike

Tags: Christmas, folk, Frosty the Snowman, Jackie Vernon, Rock, Soul

ROCKOLLECTIONS: JUNE IS NATIONAL RIVERS MONTH PT.2

Opening up this chapter on Rivers, I have a test for you.
Sometimes I like to see just how smart the listeners are, lol!
So you have the length of three songs to figure out the answer, although with my high regard for you, I doubt it will take that long.
And please stick with the first song, don’t bail on me- it is a beauty by Eric Andersen, but you may not be familiar with it.
The next two you should DEFINITELY know…and will answer my pop quiz, lol!
After that slight puzzle, I’ve got a River song in here that for some reason was indelibly stamped into my memory back in the 60’s.
It’s by David Ackles, and it’s the only song I can remember by him. called Down River.
It’s about a guy who is released from prison, so is it the opposite of being sent Up The River?
Everything is changed for him, and he tries so desperately to hide his crushing disappointment to the now married to someone else woman he loves- it is truly heartbreaking.
Following that, a long song that has some not-recommended lyrics- if you ever do them, they will absolutely get you put in prison.
I will close this episode out with a million-selling instrumental River song from the 50’s- a real Rocker!
Guess what it is?
Coming up, I have an idea for our Rivers presentation next week that I think you might enjoy.
So I hope you will return for a listen, as we musically celebrate June being National Rivers Month.

Mike

Tags: A Million-selling Instrumental River Song, David Ackles, Down River, Eric Andersen, The 50's, The 60's, Up The River

ROCKOLLECTIONS: JUNE IS NATIONAL RIVERS MONTH PT.1

I think you can easily see where I am going with this Theme series for the next two weeks.
National Rivers Month is celebrated annually during the month of June to promote awareness and preservation of the country’s Rivers.
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river.
In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely.
Small rivers may also be called streams, creeks or brooks.
For this event, I have gathered a bunch of my favorite River songs.
And as usual, there are far too many for me to have time enough to play.
So I just let the tide take me in that free-form and free-association way of choosing the songs, flowing along like a River.
I haven’t done the Parts 3 & 4 yet, but I can already see that some truly wonderful River songs will necessarily be left out.
In this opening chapter, I will take you down to the River and watch it flow, roll on it, realize how wide it can be, and play a River song that some people (including members of the Beatles) consider the Greatest Rock & Roll song ever made.
We will also hear a River song that would be a drunkard’s dream, one that speaks of how shallow they can be (although not as shallow as me, lol), a classic one from the Man In Black, and ending this episode, a warning about trying to cross a River.
Hopefully, you will enjoy this opening salvo for one of our most beautiful natural resources- it contains some very enjoyable music you will both remember and be introduced to.
Give me a Theme about something, and I will give you several shows, lol!

Mike

Tags: A Drunkard's Dream, Free Association, Free-form Radio, The Beatles, The Greatest Rock & Roll Song Ever Made, The Man In Black

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.8 CONCLUSION

Here is the finale of our look at Money and the Financial Crisis.
So I thought we would take a musical look at some of those who TAKE our money, and give little, if anything, in return.
That includes Unions, Gold diggers (not being sexist, they can be of either gender), and the biggest offender of all…the Government.
What do they care? It’s Only Money. And it is not THEIRS!
In between, it is ironic as we have been playing music, that the music industry itself has one of the most shameful histories for cheating artists out of their money.
To close, I have two separate and completely different endings.
One a bad one, and since I couldn’t leave you like that, another a good one.
I also leave with these thoughts.
We currently owe 13 TRILLION dollars, and according to a Treasury Department report to Congress that will be 19 TRILLION in less than 5 short years, 2015.
Can that amount ever really be paid?
Things don’t look too good for the world either, according to a report today by the IMF below.

IMF: Risks to Global Economy Have ‘Risen Significantly’
Thursday, June 10, 2010
By: Frank McGuire
The RISKS to a robust global recovery have “risen significantly” as many governments struggle with debt, a top International Monetary Fund official has warned.

“After nearly two years of global economic and financial upheaval, shock waves are still being felt, as we have seen with recent developments in Europe and the resulting financial market volatility,” Naoyuki Shinohara, the IMF’s deputy managing director, said in Singapore on Wednesday.

“The global outlook remains unusually uncertain and downside risks have risen significantly,” Shinohara said, according to Britain’s Daily Telegraph.

Countries across Europe are being pressured to slash their deficits, which were deepened by the financial crisis and the governments’ response to it.

Some economists fear that moves by countries ranging from Britain to Spain to rein in public spending at the same time will set back a global recovery, the Telegraph reported.

Europe’s debt crisis could disrupt global trade, hurting demand for Asian exports and sending “hot money” into the region if policymakers fail to act swiftly and appropriately, Shinohara said, according to Reuters.

I have only tried to warn you, so don’t kill the messenger.
There are good people out there working to fix things using the free market system- leave them alone, keep the Goddard government out of it, and they will surely succeed.
Good luck to us all!

Mike

Tags: Britain's Daily Telegraph, Golddiggers, Government, International Monetary Fund, It's Only Money, Unions

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.7

This is the next-to-last chapter, and opens with a song I am sure at least a few people have been wondering when I was going to play!
After that, one of the numbers I thought of during the layoff- another variation on that old Barrett Strong tune.
I won’t say who does it, but I will tell you that the group’s name sounds like something I would see during my worst hangovers, lol!
This is followed by one from the most influential group of the early days of Rock & Roll in my opinion, in fact it is R & B, and BEFORE Rock & Roll.
Then I attempted to go back in time even farther, but fortunately for you, that one CD was missing in a Bing Crosby Box Set I have.
But I found an alternative for this song that is historic, and actually dates back to the Great Depression- it came out in 1931 or 1932.
Turns out I had a vague memory of it being on Spanky & Our Gang’s 1967 debut album, and I was right.
So we’ll hear that version…maybe a better choice than Bing Crosby…maybe not.
This song has some very serious lyrics, and I ask you to listen to them- they were of their time, and may well become of our time if things do not improve.
After that, a song from a guy who was called the World’s Oldest Teenager before Dick Clark, and would have been old enough to remember the Depression firsthand.
Incidentally, this song was recorded at the legendary Sun Studios, before Elvis and the other white Rockabilly artists got there.
And after that, some much needed humor to close out this episode.
One contemporary and one that goes back to 1961 and contains some brilliant satire.
And they both have to do with Money!
One last chapter forthcoming, and then I go back to being sweet, innocuous me, lol!

Mike

Tags: Barrett Strong, bing crosby, Dick Clark, Elvis Presley, Rhthym and Blues, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Spanky & Our Gang, Sun Studios, The Great Depression, World's Oldest Teenager

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.6

I am dedicating almost this entire episode to Gold.
It seems that when people lose confidence in their paper currency they turn to it.
While I can understand that, the problem with buying Gold is that it does nothing to help the economy, except for the seller.
People hoard it, an unproductive asset- while even leaving your cash in the bank spurs economic activity, as banks lend against your deposit.
But it is an ancient store of value, and at over $1200 an ounce a tempting one.
There are quite a few songs about Gold, and I just touched the surface here.
In fact, I wanted to play Midas Man by Renaissance, but time constraints worked against it.
Presumably you know that story- everything King Midas touched turned to Gold.
But as a morality tale, that seeming blessing turned into a curse.
So if you know the song, play it in your head, lol!
However I was able to play a related song by the Hollies that should have your memory in overdrive upon hearing it.
One of those forgotten gems from the FM 60’s!
And here’s something you may not have known. I didn’t.
In 1933, during the Depression and soon after Franklin Roosevelt became President, he confiscated almost all privately owned gold, including gold coins.
If you did not turn in your gold, you were subject to jail time- up to 10 years!
Roosevelt did this without Congressional approval, simply issuing an Executive Order.
Without question his actions were unconstitutional, and hey, those Executive Orders…sound familiar?
The next-to-last song in this chapter makes me laugh, and I chose it deliberately as it pertains to my own lack of Money OR Gold.
And here I am trying to warn you as if I were some financial genius, lol!
But I am attempting to do just that, as I believe some real hard times are coming.
Ending the show with a Beatle song…but not by the Beatles.
We’ll wrap things up next week, and I have two separate endings planned.
I hope you join me for the final two parts.

Mike

Tags: 1933, Executive Order, Franklin Roosevelt, Gold, King Midas, Midas Man, President, Renaissance, The Beatles, The Depression, The FM 60's, The Hollies

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.5

After some time away from it I am back on the Money & Financial Crisis case.
Since I last put out an episode, the Dow Jones dipped 1,000 points in about 20 minutes one day, Greece had to be bailed out (a freakin’ COUNTRY!), Spain’s rating has been downgraded, Ireland is in serious trouble, oil keeps spilling into the Gulf while BP & the Government, aka Dumb & Dumber, stand around with their thumbs up…well maybe their thumbs would be of better use plugging that pipe.
And we keep spending although we don’t have the money!
Things seem better to you?
Plus through all this there are still those entitled-mad people out there who can’t get enough for nothing.
We’ll take a musical look at Easy Money.
People have always attempted to acquire Easy Money- it is almost a time-honored tradition.
And at least it requires some thought, for chrissakes, lol!
During my time away from this series, I naturally thought of more songs, so the series will go a little longer.
I have a song in here by David Bromberg that he co-wrote with George Harrison- and I have always felt that is George at the end screaming in a high-pitched female-like voice.
Almost certainly, his recognizable guitar playing is on the record- although no credit is given on the jacket.
And that’s what I wanted to tell you.
I originally played the CD version of the song and something wasn’t right…it was different, not the way I remembered it.
So I dug out the old vinyl LP and went with the one that was comfortable to me.
Actually, I use my decades-old turntable frequently on this Rockollections thing, I just don’t bother to tell you, lol!

Mike

Tags: British Petroleum, David Bromberg, Dow Jones, Dumb & Dumber, Easy Money, George Harrison, Greece, Ireland, Oil Spill, Old Vinyl LP, Spain, Turntable

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.8 CONCLUSION

We will close out this series of April Showers Bring May Flowers with a mixed bag of music.
First, I was handed a bulletin, actually 2nd Hand News, that people are laying in the Tall Grass!
Then, for the black-wearing Goth listeners that make up such a large portion of our audience, lol, some Flowers regarding the DEAD- as in deceased, not the group.
One of those will be by the Human Beinz, an old very 60’s group that manages to mix psychedelia with a Latin beat!
Do you remember Derek & The Dominoes, with Eric Clapton under the guise of Derek, and the late great Duane Allman as one of the Dominoes?
Did you know they did a song that manages to cover both Trees and Gardens? You do now!
At long last, I will have a cute little number for Farmers- couldn’t neglect them, talking about things that grow in the ground.
Mary Hopkin, with an obscure track I have always liked, will stop by to sing about Kew Gardens.
The one in England, not the one we have in Queens, New York.
I have not been to the one in England, and possibly not consciously the one in Queens either- as I say, Queens confuses me, lol!
Finally, the song I picked to close out this whole long Theme, by the Moody Blues and maybe my favorite by them.
All things are energy- you, me, this computer, the ground we walk on, the food we eat, and on and on.
Though seemingly solid, a microscopic look shows whirring atoms, and the even smaller molecules spinning around. So, nothing is really solid.
Since that is true, why then can’t we use our senses to SEE the light of a sigh, or HEAR colors, to mention a few possibilities?
All of this in a spoken word/song that has a very spiritual aspect to it, regarding “This Garden Universe…”!
A heady song from a heady group.
As always, I hope you enjoyed this Horticultural exploration of Rock & Roll.
And that you will return for the next Theme Series- whatever it may be.
Have a Happy Memorial Day everybody…and please remember our brave troops!

Mike

Tags: 2nd Hand News, April Showers Bring May Flowers, Derek & The Dominoes, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Farmers, Gardens, Horticultural Exploration of Rock & Roll, Human Beinz, Kew Gardens, Mary Hopkin, Memorial Day, Moody Blues, New York, Queens, Tall Grass, This Garden Universe, trees, Troops

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.7

It’s still May, so we continue with our April Showers Bring May Flowers.
Well I promised you Grass, and I will now deliver.
It was funny, because of that smoking pot double meaning of Grass, I couldn’t look at Engineer Ken without both of us cracking up.
I tried very hard to only refer to the grass I walk upon, lol!
Got a real good cookin’ opening set of R&B/Soul songs, all of which you may not have heard in a long time.
Then, do you remember that after the Beatles broke up, we were all wondering what drummer Ringo Starr was going to do?
The others had put out their solo albums, but they wrote their own material.
It turned out Ringo did an album called Sentimental Journey, with all songs from the 1930’s & 40’s- some maybe older, I don’t know.
Now that has become trendy nowadays, but Ringo Starr aka Richard Starkey was the FIRST!
We have a song from that album that fits our Grass theme, followed by a couple of other songs you definitely ought to remember- and no doubt, definitely haven’t heard in a while.
Ahhh, that is my biggest joy with these shows- pulling out those forgotten songs!
We will close out this next-to-last chapter with a sort of musical argument.
It seems one lady thinks the grass is green, while two other women are of the opinion it is blue.
Let’s graze!

Mike

Tags: , April Showers Bring May Flowers, Engineer Ken, Grass, R&B/Soul Songs, Richard Starkey, Ringo Starr, Sentimental Journey, Smoking Pot, The Beatles

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.6

I apologize for this, and let me clear up any confusion.
This series was done a few years ago, and it was in this week that Memorial Day fell- this year it is the last day of the month, Monday May 31st.
I didn’t want to go out of sequence.
So whatever I say about Memorial Day, please keep in your mind and hearts next week.
I am continuing our proposition that April Showers Bring May Flowers with something different this time, Trees!
Then a wonderful 2-song set, analogous to Jimi Hendrix opening for the Monkees at that famous 60’s concert.
But reverse them- a pop song and a protest song- and I love them both.
One for the Flower Girl and one for the Flower Lady.
We will close this chapter out with a song that is within our Theme, and that many people may not realize is actually an anti-war song.
If the people in the world would only stop to really listen to the words, take them to heart, then maybe all nations could get along.
Probably a pipedream, since at any given time there is always some large or small war going on somewhere on this earth.
I guess we need the people who believe peace is possible as much as we need our warriors.
However, for Memorial Day, the weekend and the song is dedicated to our Soldier Heroes who have given their lives for these beloved United States.
The ultimate sacrifice, and we salute them for it.
Happy Memorial Day…next week…and please don’t forget to remember our brave Heroes!

Mike

Tags: Anti-War Song, April Showers Bring May Flowers, Beloved United States, Flower Girl, Flower Lady, Gardens, Jimi Hendrix, Memorial Day, Monday May 31st, Our Soldier Heroes, The Monkees, The Ultimate Sacrifice, trees

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.5

Although this was broadcast on the regular Tuesday, I recorded the show on a very rainy Friday.
Once a year we all get together for a breakfast, lunch or dinner- in this case it was a breakfast.
Where it was announced that our little Rock Lives/Rockollections had won an award for Best Entertainment Show.
I don’t know how or why, and hell, frankly I think there are too many awards given out nowadays, lol!
But I am grateful, and it is always nice to have your efforts recognized. It means I must be doing something right. And the award was even framed, lol.
Since I was at the radio station, after the breakfast and festivities, wired on coffee, I thought I’d try to find a studio and record another show so I wouldn’t have to come back on Tuesday.
As I say, it was pouring outside that Friday, giving me the perfect opportunity to open up with an old song about Flowers and Rain by the Move. Followed by Simon & Garfunkel, and then one with some sunshine by Janis Joplin.
Then a couple concerning another type of Flower we couldn’t leave out. I particularly liked the segue of this short set.
After that, a song even I am surprised I played, lol!
Followed by a very very early, pre-hiccup, almost unrecognizable tune by Buddy Holly & Crickets.
Closing things out with a country tearjerker, but a damn good song, about a drunk driver who finally finds a reason to bring his lady flowers.
All things considered, probably a good representation of what we do musically that won us that award!

Mike

Tags: Best Entertainment Show, Buddy Holly & Crickets, Flowers, Janis Joplin, Rain, Simon & Garfunkel, The Move

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.4

The premise of this series is “April showers bring May flowers”.
And it’s about 50-50 that I run off with those Flowers, frolicking happily naked through the fields, lol!
I need some time off to reconsider this whole radio thing- I am getting burnt out.
For this installment though, we turn things over to The Poets.
Our Poets- and their thoughts on Gardens.
Serious songs, serious words- and I will try to touch you somehow with them.
I will open and close with some secret places, and that closer has always been a personal favorite of mine.
Please listen to the words!

Mike

Tags: April Showers Bring May Flowers, Gardens, Our Poets, The Poets

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.3

I didn’t realize it or plan it, but this is the all 60’s chapter of our little musical look at Flowers & Gardens and things that grow out of the ground.
And back in the 60’s, as the times they were a-changin, flowers were a large part of it.
At least as a symbol of where your head was at- even as a political statement!
We will take a look and listen at those days in our opening set. Including a father/daughter generation gap that gets a little smaller.
Then it is on to some different TYPES of flowers- even those that are not real!
There will be many surprises in this one, I would think…unless of course you are getting to know me!

Mike

Tags: Father Daughter Generation Gap, Flowers, Gardens, Political Statement, The 60's

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.2

As we will throughout this series, I will flip Gardens and Flowers, so a couple of rockers about Flowers open this installment.
First one, Picking Wild Flowers- and anything wild is good!
The next one by the Talking Heads contained the Crossed F incident.
Although I am one of the most disorganized people I know, I can also be very picayune about certain things.
This I have always regarded as just a minor facet of my insanity, not a problem.
So upon realizing on my handwritten list of songs that I had not crossed the F in Flowers, thereby making it Tlowers, I rushed out to tell Engineer Ken.
Ken, the poor soul, thought something had gone terribly wrong, lol!
But that was enough to throw me into an embarrassed lather.
Taking a quick sedative, I was able to continue, lol!
Got a song for Mothers Day that fits our flora requirement- from a couple of tough dudes, Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings.
Returning to the subject of Gardens, there are lots of different kinds of Gardens.
I will open a set with a song that is NOT one of them (HUH?)!
But I later erroneously identified the singer as Loretta Lynn, and I should have said Lynn Anderson.
I always confuse the two…wonder why, lol?
Finally, we end this chapter with something we have known we have to do for decades- get back there to that Garden.
A very Happy Mothers Day to all those still with us, and loving remembrances to those who are not.
If you still have Mom, realize you are lucky, treasure the moments and tell her you love her!

Mike

Tags: Engineer Ken, Flowers, Gardens, Johnny Cash, Lynn Anderson, Mothers Day, Picking Wild Flowers, Talking Heads, The Crossed F Incident, Waylon Jennings

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IT’S BLOOMING TIME PT.1

April Showers Bring May Flowers…as we all know!
We are in the middle of Spring, the weather has gotten very hot here in the Northeast, and I will begin a new Theme series with Gardens, Flowers, Grass and some other things that grow out of the ground.
And this from a CITY GUY!
I may not know much about gardens, flowers, etc. But I do know music.
And I can promise you a truly enjoyable time, as I pick from Rock & Roll, Folk, Soul, Country and anything else to produce a free-form musical bouquet.
I will begin with the 45 RPM SINGLE version of a very long song from the 60’s- it’s so long I didn’t want to scare anyone away. But I’ll play it in full here someday.
Then something live from the old Fillmore East from early 1971, followed by a song from a 1993 CD dedicated to our planet.
When I do these Theme shows, I often take time to look at the topic from a different angle.
In this case, I had a choice of two songs, wanted to play both, but time restraints made me settle for one…well, what was the FIRST Garden?
Closing out this opening seed, we’ll hear Arlo Guthrie doing what he does best- getting into a song and having fun with the audience, and the audience with him.
Using the OLD way of teaching that still works!
And check out the false start- the shows were always either live, or live in the sense that once Engineer Ken and I started, we never stopped for anything short of a very large problem.
In this case, just as I was starting the show, somebody opened the door to my studio totally unexpectedly!
While it surprised me, it also struck me funny because over the years just about everything strange that can happen in radio, eventually will, lol!

Mike

Tags: 45 RPM SINGLE, April Showers Bring May Flowers, CITY GUY, country, Engineer Ken, Fillmore East, Flowers, Folk Music, Gardens, Grass, Rock & Roll, Soul, The 60's, The Audience, The First Garden, The Old Way Of Teaching

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE KENTUCKY DERBY PT.2 END

As we conclude our musical Kentucky Derby, I know a horse I would bet on but he is for a very good reason not on the field, not a contender.
Then I’ll play a couple of songs that are not only about Horses, but RACEhorses!
After that, just for kicks let’s become children again, and go to a place beyond the Derby, where nobody bets on the ponies- into a world of dreams and magic for a ride on and with the Pony Man.
Then what’s that expression, “You can lead a horse to water, but…”?
Followed by a song that seems to bring out strong emotions in people, both for and against.
Finally, and all out of breath, I will leave you with a perfectly named song that was # 2 on the charts in 1968.
Let me know if I came in Win, Place or Show.
I ran my ass off, lol!
Good luck picking the winner at the Kentucky Derby.
May he or she go on to the Triple Crown!

Mike

Tags: #2 In !968, Horses, Pony Man, Racehorses, The Triple Crown, Win Place Or Show, You Can Lead A Horse To Water

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE KENTUCKY DERBY PT.1

Well it only took almost 12 years, but I finally realized in time to do something about it!
A show that has been bouncing around in my head for all those years, dedicated to the Kentucky Derby.
Because the only 2 vices I have avoided in my life are gambling and drugs, I never bet the ponies or the Derby, so it always sort of sneaked up on me.
But this year…voila…I am aware, lol!
So there will be much horsing around, and even imbibing in that famous traditional beverage.
There are some wonderful listeners I am blessed to have, who think along with me in these free-form-radio ventures.
And I am sure they figure there is a Rolling Stones song I HAVE to play.
They are correct of course, but I am going to throw them and everybody else a surprising curveball with that one, lol!
Something you may never have known about regarding that classic song.
Plus I have the chance to play within a Theme a song I have always loved, exquisite in its open to interpretation symbolism, that goes far beyond merely catching a horse.
Ah, there’s a lot here if you like Horses.
And we are only at the halfway marker- with a photo finish still to come.
You are invited to saddle up and join me.

Mike

Tags: Free-form Radio, Horses, Photo Finish, Rolling Stones

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.4

Here is another chapter on Money and The Financial Crisis from me, self-appointed Pessimism Czar.
There will be an interruption in this series, so I wanted to make sure I got the chance to take a poke at the those repulsive bottomfeeders we call politicians.
This also gives them time to send any agency they want after me- maybe I need some reindoctrination, lol!
Bring it on punks!
There has never been a time when I held politicians in such utter contempt- they have dipped below even lawyers in the scum department.
The music here will reflect my feelings, and maybe yours, maybe not.
But I have always done an honest presentation of Rockollections.
Frankly I am uncomfortable with this on a rock & roll show.
But a Financial Crisis is a Financial Crisis, one that is looming big-time in my opinion, so the honesty from me is still there- and I hope I am wrong about all this.
Big government will bring us economic collapse, it’s as simple as that.
If I can make someone aware or curious about the future, and they take a good long hard look, then all the better.
Hell, I played protest songs in the 60’s, so why not in 2010?

Here’s something my man Neil Cavuto wrote in his Common Sense:

Back to Reality
By Neil Cavuto

Good month, good quarter.
So why, a lot of you ask, do I always talk about this economy and these markets and just say, good grief?
Because I’m worried.
I’m happy to see the market up and moving; it’s just that lots of things have me fidgeting and worrying.
I know markets climb a wall of worry, but I’m talking a bigger wall of reality: The reality of spending money we don’t have; blithely assuming we’ll have buyers for all this debt we can’t stop.
I just find it ironic that Boeing was the worst performer among the Dow 30 stocks today, even though it was the best performer for the first three months of the year going into today.
Boeing ending the quarter with a warning: Health care will cost. A lot.
They’re just the latest. There will be more.
Because there will be a reckoning for committing companies to bills they cannot pay, and a society to a tab it cannot afford.
There will be other countries, like China, who say it ain’t worth the fuss holding dollars, so they pull back; and more secret meetings of countries looking for financial alternatives to us, so they will push back.
There is some comfort in knowing as bad as things are here, they are worse out there. So we benefit not because we still don’t stink, but because they stink more.
That is hardly the stuff on which bull markets are built, but these are exactly the markets to which suckers are drawn — convinced that we’ll find a way to pay for all of this. And companies that dare complain are making political hay of this.
I say, enough of this — and back to reality. Not red, or blue: Green. We’re spending it, and we’re losing it.
Just don’t lose sight of the simple reality that what fuels this rally isn’t so much what Barack Obama is doing, but what Ben Bernanke is providing: near zero percent interest rates.
Rates so low, it keeps inflation in check, and investors in clover. Until the bills come due; the folks who help pay them demand more for their trouble, and suddenly they’re not zero. And mortgages aren’t five percent, and the prime pushes higher, and our financial date with destiny comes nearer.
Because hear me when I say that date with destiny is coming.
A date marked by Republicans who let spending get out of control and Democrats who took the reins and let it get out of control more.
A bipartisan blood bath, brought to you by a government that saw it but didn’t tell you, and presented now by a lowly TV anchor, here to say: I warned you.
Have a wonderful day.

Next week, something much lighter, something I have wanted to do for years but I would never realize in time when this particular event was going to happen.
I actually know this year, so I can’t let it pass by without noting it with music.
So a Special Show next week.
After that, 4 weeks of another series I did a few years ago.
I need a leave of absence, but this Money series will continue come hell or high water.
Unless they take me away after this episode, lol!

Mike

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.3

As promised the last time, a look at our being caught up in, and being far too concerned with, the material world.
I don’t feel like writing today, and there are Stanley Cup Playoff games to be watched.
After all this time, you know what I do and how I go about it- it is a different way of presenting music.
I have here in this chapter words spoken and music played.
If you listen you’ll get the message, so why write about it, lol?

Mike

Tags: Material World, Stanley Cup Playoffs

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MUSIC FOR MONEY & THE FINANCIAL CRISIS PT.2

I realize I may make some people uneasy with this series, but I am just expressing my deep concern about our economy.
I fear we will go bankrupt!
If you are a normal, sane person, you would never balance your home budget and spend the way the government has, and is continuing to do.
My own balancing act here is to warn, and at the same time be entertaining with the musical selections.
While the Stock Market has always been a gamble- no sure thing, just like in Horse Racing- the game was never rigged, and some of the biggest risk takers have been the biggest winners.
But due to the reckless actions of some banks and Wall Streeters, there were people who lost everything.
Bernie Madoff anyone?
However, I don’t need and don’t want any more overseeing by some federal agency than is absolutely necessary…in ANY aspect of my life.
The Government and Wall Street will be the targets of my music and my scorn this episode.
So you are invited to join me in mild protest that may grow as we go along.
At least I hope you think the music is good, varied and entertaining.
And hey, listening is free and will not be taxed…yet anyway, lol!

Mike

Tags: Bernie Madoff, Horse Racing, Stock Market, The Government, Wall Street