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THE COMMITMENTS!
 __________ For this "Friday Movie Suggestion Night", I was looking for a movie that was simply just great summer fun to escape a bit of the heat and I found it in "THE COMMITMENTS". Jimmy Rabbitte, has a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers. Starting from scratch, things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females literally in his own back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, further responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan. Song by song, gig by gig, the Commitments start their climb to the top: Dublin gets it's dose of Motown soul! But as you might imagine, internal strife also builds: Deco is insufferable, Joey's an uncontrollable Casanova, and Jimmy--a little "rough around the edges" may lack the seasoning to hold things together. You've got to love the by-line of this film: "They had absolutely nothing. But they were willing to risk it all". The dream is there--to rise above their slum-ridden living conditions and the band builds on that in a big way! Their music and spirit is simply contagious! Anyway, I love the movie, and the whole premise of taking a bunch of unknown, talented, singers & musicians, with pretty much no hope of rising above their surroundings individually,and put them together to form "The Hardest Working Band in Show Business". The individuals you see on film are actually the musicians who are playing! For me, the highlight in the movie is when they put their own stamp on "Try a Little Tenderness", quite apart from the excellent arrangements by late Otis Redding (featured at The Monterrey Festival on Film) and believe it or not Three Dog Night's soulful version featuring Co-Founder and Co-Lead singer Cory Wells. It is raw and emotional. Directed by Alan Parker, and adapted from Dick Clements' novel, the screenplay is by Ian La Frenais and Roddy Doyle. Here's the Cast: Robert Arkins as Jimmy Rabbitte; Michael Aherne as Stephen Clifford (Piano); Angeline Ball as Imelda Quirke (Backup Singer); Maria Doyle Kennedy as Natalie Murphy (Backup Singer); Dave Finnegan as Mickah Wallace (Drums); Bronagh Gallagher as Bernie McGoughlin (Backup Singer), Felim Gormley as Dean Fax (Sax); Glen Hansard as Outspan Foster (Guitar); Dick Massey as Billy Mooney (Drums); Johnny The Lips' Fagan (Trumpet); Kenneth McClusky as Derek Scully (Bass) and Andrew Strong as Deco Cuffe. This band continues to tour to this day, albeit, with some personnel changes, and they have a devoted worldwide following! I hope you love it. It's a great summer film! Nominated 1991 Academy Awards for Best Film Editing: Gerry Hambling.
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SUMMER ROMANCE!
 Bogart & Bergman: Magic in "Casablanca"!
____________________________________ Everyone seems to have covered the topic of Summer Love from Neil Diamond (yes, the song "Summer Love" from his soundtrack of "The Jazz Singer") to Gordon Lightfoot ("Romance" from his CD "Salute"). _____
From the time I blogged here about the note I had a bartender take to a couple from Finland on a date at a local Ruby Tuesday's restaurant, I've wondered if the marriage had already taken place? At last check, the guy took my "advice" and proposed, and the girl accepted and was carrying my note in her purse! At any rate, I'll digress for a moment. My long-time CPA has also been a wonderful friend of mine for years. _____
A group of his friends had set him up without his knowing it. He arrived at a casual summer party and was sitting on a patio chatting it up with everyone. Those multi-colored plastic Chinese lanterns were hung and plugged in and my CPA said that in retrospect, he noticed two things. A card game was going on, and one woman in particular was "beating the hell out of everyone". So, one by one these poor souls would "fold their cards" and drop by his table for some passing chit-chat on the way to the bar (inside the house). Oh, these guys were great actors--a smooth move! After some time had passed, everyone had folded up and the woman collected her winnings. Eventually, only she and my CPA friend were left alone outside on the patio (as the conspirators had planned). They started in with some small talk and became friends. He wasn't even looking to get hooked up with anyone. But over the next week came a first date and the rest--as they say (remember, we all presume to know who 'They' are) the rest is history. So, for Wednesday, may you find Summer Romance --if you haven't already! I have a cool movie ready for tomorrow's "Friday Movie Suggestion Night."
Vh1 UNPLUGGED RETURNS IN FINE FORM!
Bon Jovi: L to R: Tico Torres, Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan and Richie Sambora. _____ Saturday evening's Vh1 "Unplugged" was hugely enjoyable with Bon Jovi in an intimate setting and all-acoustic set that began with "Livin' on a Prayer". LeAnn Rimes sang a powerful duet on “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore.” In support of their new CD "Lost Highway", Tyson Ritter and guitarist Nick Wheeler from Destin, Florida's "All American Rejects" joined the band on "It's My Life", "Stranger" and a surprisingly fresh "Hallelujah". Jon said he first caught the song performed in a New Jersey night club and nodded to a friend said,"Now, this is a hit". There was some self deprecating laughter at this when he learned that the late Leonard Buckley/ Leonard Cohen classic had been written years earlier. Other gems included "We Got It Going On". "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "(You Wan't to) Make a Memory" rounded out a tight performance without the rock arena environment for a pleasant change of pace. All Before the show I caught the singer's comments in the media that, "They'll be strings, they'll be the violin girl that I use in my side projects, the pedal-steel guy, but also another guitar player (and) another keyboard player." This show was great fun for me. It was simply over too soon. _____ Have a Great Week!
ADOPT A SHELTER CAT MONTH!
Adopt a Shelter Cat Month!
___ My late Cousin had a natural Love of animals from the age of 3. She'd sit with my Aunt on a park bench and cats, dogs, and birds were just naturally attracted to her. She returned this love over many years by saving birds who had fallen from their nests and nursed them to health, and adopting a White colored deaf cat ("Beethoven") along with a Black Cat ("Scorpio"). With June coming to an end, I wanted to remind everyone that June is "Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month" to increase cat adoptions. The ASPCA site on my Blog Page can lead you to an ad for you to reproduce and incorporate your own shelter or rescue’s message or adoption events. Place an ad in the newspaper, make copies to distribute or hang on your shelter wall to get the word out about how great shelter cats are. ______
It's never "too late" to adopt a Dog or Cat desperate for a Good Home! Singer/Songwriter Sarah McLachlan's thoughtfully-produced television ads imploring the viewer that "Right now there's an animal waiting to be rescued who needs you" is so sincere. The truth is that dogs and cats are subjected to unspeakable cruelty and abuse in this country. They deserve better. I was recently on a plane trip where the woman sitting next to me (who obviously had a boat load of money) rattled on about how she and her husband spent $10,000 and flew across the country to pick the perfect dog. I managed to keep my mouth shut, but I kept thinking, "Why? There are so many beautiful dogs at the local ASPCA shelter who have had their shots, who are well and only need the right home". _____
Last of all, I want to bring you some mixed news about a topic I have Blogged twice about in recent years, since I love horses and my late cousin bred and raised them. In Texas, The 2007 Legislative Session is over, and all efforts to repeal the state’s ban of horse slaughter for human consumption were defeated! Public outcry killed the amendment to S.B. 911, and no other bills were amended in a similar fashion. The bad news is that proponents of horse slaughter now realize that they cannot legalize it in Texas through normal legislative channels, so they have reverted to a backup strategy: attempting to amend other legitimate legislation as it works its way through the legislative process. To cite an example, during a late-night Senate vote, S.B. 911 (a bill on the duties and regulations of the Texas Animal Health Commission) was quietly amended, without debate, to legalize horse slaughter for human consumption in Texas. The bill passed the Senate, and now awaits a full House vote. This must be defeated! Proponents of horse slaughter will continue to amend unrelated legislation in an effort to legalize what 72 percent of Texans oppose. Please tell your Senate, Lieutenant Governor, and your Congressional representative to look out for and oppose any amendment to any bill that would overturn Texas’s 58-year ban on horse slaughter for human consumption. A sickening fact: Horse meat is not eaten by people in the United States, so these bills benefit the interests of specialty markets overseas. The facts are that last year, over 100,000 American horses were killed in the United States and shipped to Europe and Japan for human consumption. There are only three horse slaughter plants in the United States, two of which are located in Texas. All three are foreign-owned. Ask your State Senator, Liutenant Governor and Congressional Representatives to close down these slaughter mills once and for all! Horses have played an indispensable role in human history, yet these beautiful, sensitive animals have suffered untold abuse and neglect in work, war, and so-called entertainment. Let's help ASPCA ensure that this barbaric practice is stopped. Click-On the ASPCA Logo located on Right-Hand margin of my Blog Page to see how you can help!
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(This Blog I dedicate to my late Cousin)
MAKING GOOD ON AN EARLIER PROMISE AND JUDGE JUDY!
I must admit that I like Judge Judy Sheindlin's style. She gets to the bottom of it and that's it! I didn't know this, but on February 14th along the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard the Judge became the 2,304th star to join the Walk of Fame. I saw her on Larry King Live and I like her no-nonsense rules about maintaining control of the Courtroom. She's remarkably thought-provoking on the Law and allows that she never thought her show would last one season (it's now into its 10th season). She says that people tune in because they know something is going to happen, they just don't know what. In one case of bickering divorcees, she told them to recess out in the hall and work out a sensible visitation schedule like adults, or so help her God she was feeding their pile of motions through a shredder. "Next case!" I'm telling you, she get's a lot done!!...new topic:
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Before I became distracted by the Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner recording story below in another Blog, I was about to provide my Annual Summertime Drink. For this year, I picked one called "Beam Me Up, Scotty"--yes, yes I know. That's how the whole recording subject came along. But now that I've recovered from the severe laughter and sore sides with the aid of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (Aspirin), here it is: _____
Take 1 ounce of Kahlua, Ready? Next we're going to take 1/2 ounce of Bailey's Irish Cream Okay, now add 1/2 ounce of Creme de Banana Now for the big finish--swirl and strain into a shooters glass. And Voila! _____ IT'S FRIDAY---ENJOY IT RESPONSIBLY ! (and by all means have a fun look at Bill & Leonard below!)
AFI NIGHT BELONGS TO AL PACINO!
Tuesday Night was Pacino's Shining Moment at AFI! _______________________ Our Friday Movie Suggestion Night Pick:
 Tuesday night belonged to AL PACINO with the American Film Institutes "Lifetime Achievement Award". I chose the film above for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" for several reasons. It steers clear (for now) of the organized crime dramas that dominated the 1990's. However, the sheer star power and its gritty realism one associates with a "boiler room operation" of a shady Chicago real estate office brought about acting performances of high calibre with this film. The Plot: Alec Baldwin stars as an unscrupulous Sales Director who alternately berates and dangles rewards for "the A,B,C's" of the business:"Always Be Closing". The name of the film is taken from two real estate properties each character is tasked with selling using unethical means of every imaginable variety to close a sale. The film is Directed by James Foley where First Prize is a Cadillac Eldorado; Second prize is a set of steak knives, and Third prize is unemployment! Ultimately the tension reaches a feverish pitch when a robbery is committed that has consequences for everyone involved. During filming, it is said that while some of the actors were not required on the set, they nevertheless showed up each day just to watch each other work. Rarely are seven top actors drawn together. The Cast: Al Pacino is Ricky Roma; Jack Lemmon is Shelley Levene; Alec Baldwin is the masochistic boss Blake; Alan Arkin is George Aaronow; Ed Harris is Dave Moss; Kevin Spacey is John Williamson and Jonathan Price is James Lingk; Original Music by James Newton Howard and Cinematography by Juan Ruiz Anchia.
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Pacino joined the ranks this past Tuesday night of his predecessors for the prestigious American Film Institute Life Achievement Award that includes: Sean Connery, George Lucas, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, Elizabeth Taylor, Sidney Poitier, Gregory Peck, Barbara Stanwyck, Billy Wilder, Fred Astaire, James Stewart, Alfred Hitchcock, Bette Davis, Orson Welles, James Cagney and John Ford. Those in attendance included former AFI Life Achievement Award recipients Sean Connery and Kirk Douglas; as well as Gabrielle Anwar (a great treat was to see Pacino and Anwar performing "The Tango" from the film Scent of a Woman), Jon Avnet, George Clooney, Francis Ford Coppola, Ed Harris, Jamie Foxx, Andy Garcia, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez, Sidney Lumet, Michael Mann, Leelee Sobieski, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep, Oliver Stone, Winona Ryder, Robin Williams, Jeffrey Wright; the cast of OCEANS 13, Adrian Brody, Sophia Bush, Rebecca DeMornay, Hector Elizondo, Anne Heche, Cloris Leachman, Rex Lee, Garry Marshall, Joe Mantegna, Penelope Ann Miller, Richard Schiff, Mykelti Williamson and Ed Zwick. The depth of this man's work is phenomenal.
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Pacino stars in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 13 with George Clooney,Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Righteous Kill is scheduled for release this year again with DeNiro. The two will co-star as two New York detectives searching for a serial killer while resolving issues between them. _____ HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!
MID-WEEK BREAK FOR HUMOR!
Most of you who've come to know me through my Website know that I'm a firm believer in being able to laugh, even when the world can seem increasingly weary. This is a true story. Plus I've included Leonard's' album covers below (not to be missed)! ________ What began for me as a short summer drink recipe BLOG called "Beam Me Up Scotty", landed me in unfamiliar territory (no pun intended). Here's the skinny: I accidentally located an album recorded by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy on the now-defunct Dot Records. In the past, I've dedicated some space to the late Telly Savales with his self-titled album, "Telly" and his spoken rendition of Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World". Looking back, one wonders why Yul Brynner didn't counter this? I may have just uncovered a possible answer! This is a shared CD, so let's start with William Shatner. __________ From Bill we get: Bob Dylan's "Mr Tambourine Man", ("deadly humorous when Shatner was trying to be deadly serious", according to one reviewer). Bill begins with a spoken explanation: "Mr. Tambourine Man has got him under his spell, you see?" Now, I want to be fair. I don't own this C.D. Nevertheless, by the time I heard how this song ended with Shatner screaming "MR. TAMBORINE MAN!", I was slumped in my chair using paper towels to wipe away tears of laughter! Next up was "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and one that I first heard on a crazy radio show some time ago--Ervin Blakes' "It Was A Very Good Year"--half-spoken/half sung by Shatner. To make it worse the D.J. kept "potting down" the music to insert his own comments. I was driving my car at the time (of course) and literally had to pull off the highway at the next exit to park and thus avoid causing a wreck. Not content to let a bad project simply die on the vine, Norman Gill's "How Insensitive" finds a down on his luck Bill Shatner taking a "Boston Legal" swipe with this send off: "What was I to say?...what can you say........when a love affair.......is.......over?" Strings and rhumba drums end the agony. Next up is Leonard Nimoy. Few people are Renaissance Men or have had as wide an influence on the cultural landscape of the United States than Leonard. He continues to have a great career and I'm a huge fan. But in 1967, Leonard proved that he enjoyed a wonderful sense of humor too. _____
After the release of "Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spocks Music From Outer Space", he actually produced four more LP's! On this release we get:"Sunny". From all accounts, straining to remain in key, Leonard offers "I'd Love Making Love To You", Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter", then...the Trini Lopez hit, "If I Had A Hammer": Voices-Up Version, Please: "If I had a hammer/ I'd hammer in the morning/ I'd hammer in the evening/ all over this laaaaand/." Next, there's "Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town." The Kenny Rogers hit is carried out here in a 'boom-chicka-boom-chicka boom' Johnny Cash up-tempo that is actually said to be passable! He even delivers Cash's "I Walk the Line"! The titles of these next three led me to total humorous collapse unable to keep up the strain of a straight face: "Music To Watch (Space) Girls By", "Visit to a Sad Planet" and: "Highly Illogical".
_____ I'll just close by saying that this is a must-have for any Trekkie parties you might have planned during this summer after hanging out your colored string lights out on the patio. May I suggest also that you have a cab company on call and encourage people to use it for transportation? The reason for this is safety, as I can promise you that those who can consume alcohol will insist on nothing less while this CD is playing in the background. Okay, let's at least take a collective deep breath and review Bill and Leonards' "Track Lists" and album covers: _____
TRACK LISTING for WILLIAM SHATNER:
King Henry the Fifth - Elegy for the Brave - Mr. Tambourine Man - It Was a Very Good Year - Hamlet - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds - How Insensitive.
TRACK LISTING for LEONARD NIMOY:
Highly Illogical - If I Had a Hammer- Where Is Love- Music to Watch Space Girls By - Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town - Visit to a Sad Planet- Abraham, Martin and John - If I Was a Carpenter- I'd Love Making Love to You- Put a Little Love in Your Heart- Sunny- Gentle on My Mind- I Walk the Line- Ballad of Bilbo Baggins-Everybody's Talkin'- Both Sides Now- Spock Thoughts.... _____ Here's the Album Covers because I know I kid around a lot (but I'm credible): 
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On the condition of anonymity, my "sources" have informed me these are all now on CD!
THE IDEAL JOB? YOU BET!
 Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa"Live with Regis & Kelly" _______________________________ When I lived in the Southwest, I had my mornings to myself working split-shifts during afternoons and evenings in broadcasting. My buddies and I were just crazy about Kelly Ripa--"the new girl" hired to Co-Host with Regis Philbin on "Live with Regis & Kelly". (Truth be told, we still are). At the top of the show, Regis gets to hold Kelly's hand and walk out onto the set--half-comical, half serious like they're taking over the studio--but always relaxed. The audience is always wildly enthusiastic. Then there's the callers regarding the Carnival-style Prize Wheel that lowers from the ceiling. Those lucky few who receive a phone call presumably watch the show daily, yet it's funny how so many never seem to hear the question asked the first time. Regis and Kelly give themselves an annual "Relly Award", "because nobody else will". And above all, it's great to see Regis back from his by-pass surgery. That's my entire BLOG for Tuesday!
2ND ANNIVERSARY FOR MY BLOG!
 Left to Right: Hugh Hefner's main girl Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson on the occasion of my 2nd BLOG Anniversary. No wait! Just kidding. The girls are actually shown here at the Monte Carlo television festival. But for posterity sake, you know what I mean.
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As you might have guessed from the festivities I felt inclined to share chidingly above, my Blog is 2 years old today. And while I was not dressed dapper in red silk pajamas competing with Hugh Hefner, it's the spirit that counts. The story behind the founding of my Blog was that a friend whom I respect dearly suggested, "Hey, Michael! Why don't you get a Blog?" I did so and that was the beginning of a wonderful collection of friendships worldwide. Friday Movie Suggestion Night debuted in mid-September 2005; this was followed by The Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival begun last year (and which pulled out all the stops beginning this past February) that is held in March during the week of Steve's Birthday. Fun Guitarist Profiles has become an encouraging way to honor pioneers of Rock & Roll, while inspiring many in Blogland to take up the instrument! THE INTERVIEW has celebrated Life (and will continue to do so) with a number of wonderful Past Guests ---all of whom are catalogued. We are in a period of abeyance waiting for Future Guests to finish current commitments and then join us for a visit. So, feel free to enjoy some bubbly tonight! Speaking of which, the proper angle when standing with your glass raised is Southwest Ohio bordering Kentucky (for now). Thanks to all of you for inviting me so graciously into your world and adding an abundance of life to my own.
_____ Cheers!
THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN!
 _______________________________ This week's choice for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night."
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With Blake Edwards' Writing and Directing, this movie is personally how I've come to view Burt Reynolds--which is quite a departure from the roles he's had in recent years. There is no way to take this movie seriously, thanks to Reynold's--who has always made acting and comedy, specifically, look easy. To be fair, in his early years, he had to live down comparisons to Marlon Brando. Next came endless talk of him never topping off his performance in "Deliverance". A number of comedy gems emerged and this movie is loosely based on the 1977 French film "L'Homme qui aimait les femmes". In the movie's main character, we find Reynolds leading a stress-filled life of a sculptor named David who has a major womanizing problem. He goes to seek help from a psychiatrist, Marianna (Julie Andrews), to cure him of his obsession with women. His romantic exploits with the ladies is told by Marianna throughout the film as David struggles to figure out which woman is driving him crazy and why. Many movie goers were said to be expecting a wild sex farce. Instead, Blake Edwards and his co-screenwriters offer created the role of David as a complex, meaningful, and thought-provoking man facing middle age and driven, by instinct, to glimpse the sacredness and inner beauty of almost every woman he encounters to see what makes them tick. Writer Blake Edwards, along with screenwriters Milton Wexler and Geoffrey Edwards were expected, I believe, to deliver a shallow film about a single, well off guy who casually pulls off hedonistic paradise. But Edwards was also after a human being who sincerely felt trapped from being unable to make a commitment, and this really isolates him from the joy of knowing one woman exclusively. In many respects, it is one of Reynold's finest roles. Interestingly, this became Sela Ward's break-through movie role weeks after landing in Los Angeles from a successful modeling career in New York. The Cast: Burt Reynolds as David Fowler; Julie Andrews as Marianna; Kim Basinger as Louise Carr; Marilu Henner as Agnes Chapman; Cynthia Sikes as Courtney Wade; Jennifer Edwards (Blake and Julie's real-life daughter) as Nancy; Sela Ward as Janet Wainright; Ellen Bauer as Svetlana; Denise Crosby as Enid; Barry Corbin as Roy Carr; Tracey Vaccaro as Legs (I'm not kidding) and Regis Philbin as himself. Summer's young and there's time for more intense films. This one sort of eases us into the season of one man's life. Very different. ...I hope you like it!
PETER FRAMPTON'S FINGERPRINTS!
 The New CD From Peter Frampton_________________________
As is the case with "cabin fever", I was able to get out a bit from behind the work desk on Sunday and heard a familiar Guest on our local National Public Radio station. It was some ten minutes before I realized that it was none other than Peter Frampton (of "Frampton Comes Alive" fame) who lives due North of me. He was discussing his 2007 Grammy-Award winning CD "Fingerprints". One of the "tenacious as a bulldog" coping mechanisms I've learned is that when you cannot get at your own guitar, you "listen, listen, listen" like crazy to artists trying things they have never even considered doing in the past. I have a theory that it is good for one's creative mind to do so. In this case, Peter shines with a totally--instrumental CD. Since I refuel my vehicle in the early evenings, (due to smog alerts) I climbed back into the car and was pushing the pre-set buttons on my car in-dash radio to find something inspiring. That's when I had joined the interview already in-progress. The first impression I had was that this guy knew the local area and venues well. Secondly, I found some confirmation in what I had been trekking on my own with artists breaking touring into smaller pieces and pacing them--often with a few weeks apart to remain fresh and avoid burnout. Peter pulls off a great rendition of Sound Garden's "Black Hole Sun" with Mike McCready. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman also sit-in on this CD and it is invigorating--whether the guitar is your choice of instrument or not; this is a fun piece I thought I'd Blog about for the beginning of the week!
SUMMER COMING INTO VIEW!
 Immigrant Wall of Honor Outside Ellis Island _____________________________________ Comings and goings during summer are inevitable. The Sopranos was a hit show that I admit to catching only this last month. It creeped me out with the dialogue alone. That, plus it always struck me as a bit weird that a mafioso figure was in therapy! What legitimate therapist could deal with the dialogue and not be "wearing a wire" for the Feds, right? I'd usually switch the channel. ______ To follow up on my earlier Blog, The Space Shuttle unfortunately suffered a torn blanket and this was discovered once the Cargo Bay doors were opened. One network switched to a reporter sitting with a model of the Space Shuttle who offered an explanation with an ever-present smile which I thought was appropriate to convey self-assurance--as he spoke about how this was really of little concern, as the nose and outer carbon-coated edges of the craft heat up to 3,000 degrees during the last 20 minutes of re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The areas where the tear was discovered near the left rear of the ship heats up "only to about 1,200 degrees", he said unfazed. I'm sure the families of those on board felt less than smiles amid a report that it was all a "moderate concern". I hope the crew can repair it. _____ Elsewhere, I'm convinced more than ever that "A Hard Day's Night" was a good summer pick for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night". Especially when I remembered George Harrison's unplanned tumble during the film's opening where his suit was torn as a result, but he got back up giggling and unscathed to resume running...which tickled my funny bone! I have another smaller trip for the magazine I write for is coming up this week. _____ A "Live Earth" concert to raise public awareness of global warming is underway. ...The diet has been going well. I managed to drop 3 pant sizes. It's been a heavy month (no pun intended) for correspondence. ...Lastly, of all things, my thoughts came across The Immigrant Wall of Honor where my Aunt and Uncle, then my Mother and Father's names are engraved into the wall together. I proposed it over the phone while I was still living in the Southwest doing on-line searches to see where my Father had disembarked in the U.S. from Europe. None of us know for sure. We do know that he spent some time at a cousin's apartment in New York. Anyway, It meant a lot to my brothers, My Mother. My Aunt and myself. So, we three made it happen a few years back and it did matter when I dropped by my Aunt's and Mother's homes with framed certificates. By the way, this privilege is open to anyone who wishes to Honor someone they love, whether they were an immigrant as my Father, Uncle and Aunt were or they were born here in the U.S. as my Mother was. This is a cool feature. Sorry I've blogged a little less often than usual, but freelancing has fortunately kept me busy with broadcast and journalism projects of late. I've still been able to enjoy keeping up with every one's Blogs. Strangely, I am getting invited to MySpace a lot. Since I have been so delayed with unavoidable events of the past two years, regrettably in the music department, I am attempting now to contact many nice people to explain that my account has been dormant for a very long time. Still, I hope I can invite them over here for the time being. Hope your weekend was filled with Fun!
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT!
_______________________________ For reasons that will soon become obvious, it's actually been "A Hard Day's Hell" as I drove completely across town to pay a short visit to my Mother, grabbed her mail at the end of the driveway and proceeded into the house only to realize that my cell phone had disappeared. After an extensive search, I called my cell phone service provider and had the phone locked up, trying to imagine some moron who may have come upon said phone at a gas station where I had just purchased a good cup of coffee probably calling all over Europe to his or her friends (on the assumption they have friends...and specifically, in Europe!). Needless to add, I spent substantially all afternoon backtracking like Dennis Hopper in--well, the movie "Backtrack", albeit without the pleasure of Jodie Foster along. Fate later lent a hand when my Mother phoned me at home on the Land Line earlier in the evening to say the cell phone was recovered. "I found it! It was on the grass where you got out of your car". So, I had the cellular service restored of course with no moron in the actual story (please, I know!). Afterwards, I drove across town again to reclaim the cell phone, as I've started yet another freelance assignment and needed the phone badly. When I stopped to refuel, the overhead outdoor speakers at the gas station were playing "In My Life" by The Beatles. So, I figured one good fortune deserved another in the form of lighter fare that is fun. And on the strength of this deep story of mine, I decided to hold off on my original pick for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" and bring forward a fun cast of characters. They are rather obvious (but still fun to introduce): John Lennon as John; Paul McCartney as Paul; George Harrison as George; Ringo Starr as Ringo; Wilfrid Brambell as Paul's Grandfather; Norman Rossington as the band's Manager; John Junkin as Shake; Victor Spinetti as the T.V. Director; Anna Quayle (no relation to Dan) as Millie, and Deryck Guyler as the Police Inspector. ___ This film debuted as "The Boy's" first Soundtrack with the songs, "I'll Cry Instead", "A Hard Day's Night", "I Should Have Known Better", "Can't Buy Me Love", "If I Fell", "And I Love Her", "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You", "This Boy" (which I just learned is also known as "Ringo's Theme"), "Tell Me Why", "Don't Bother Me", " I Wanna Be Your Man", "All My Loving" (still a hot number at a McCartney concert today), and "She Loves You". All brought together neatly with my cell phone story! The film was Directed by Richard Lester and was shot for United Artists in black and white over a 16-week period in the spring of 1964 because the studio thought that Beatlemania wouldn't even last into the summer! So, the thinking was 'Why blow a wad of cash on color?' One cool innovative technique that works well here is cutting the images to the beat of the music. Lester also produced "Help" in 1965 and well into the 1970's and 1980's with films such as "The Three Musketeers" and "Superman II". Screenwriter Alun Owen was chosen because the band was familiar with his brand of Liverpool humor and dialogue. THE PLOT: This is a mock documentary-style of The Beatles arriving at a theatre to rehearse and later perform in a television special. During the filming, The Beatles described their existence to Owen over a 7-day period as "a room and a car and a room and a car and a room and car". An unfortunate and accurate description I have personally found in every book I've read on The Beatles first arrival here in the United States. Owen quickly grasped that in just two years, The Beatles were prisoners of their own fame, and their schedule of performances and studio work (by that time) was beyond exhaustion. In this film, The Beatles appear constantly amazed at the attention they receive and want nothing more than to run around and have a good time. But to do so meant having to deal with escaping screaming crowds to save life and limb, not to mention putting up a semi-serious demeanor with journalists asking frankly stupid questions. But it is fun! In 2004, Total Film magazine named "A Hard Day's Night" as the 42nd Greatest British Film of All Time. And in 2005, Time.com named it one of the "100 Best Films of the Last 80 Years". ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS, 1965: Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment: George Martin; Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen: Alun Owen. So, how could I resist? One more word. ___ ENJOY!
YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?
 Paul McCartney's birthday is June 18th!_________________________ For the vast majority of women I know, Paul McCartney was their favorite among The Beatles. This past week has been quite amazing as I've Blogged about a given subject only to see it appear in the news the following day or so. I can hardly believe it, but on June 18th, Paul McCartney will be 65. His new CD, "Memory Almost Full" tickled me, because this was the message that popped up when his cell phone's memory was near capacity! For me, Paul has always been "the optimistic Beatle" and so I felt it might be refreshing to glean some of his thoughts below. ___ "A lot of our Beatles songs were quite retrospective. Penny Lane was about our youth. Songwriters often base material on memory. It happened by accident as a lot of my stuff does" ___ "In modern life, there's so much sensory overload. There's so much coming at you these days that you have to delete something to make room for something else. And it applies equally to a 20-year-old as it does to me" ___ "For a while there, I had to say.'Look, I don't want to talk about The Beatles'. I was trying to set up Wings and we knew we had a mountain to climb, and The Beatles were a bigger mountain. I didn't do Beatles songs. All of that's gone away.I look at it now with great fondness and as something to be proud of. I love singing Beatles songs" ___ I had listed "Free As a Bird" on my last Blog post from The Beatles mid 1990's "Anthology". However, I just learned that McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison added parts to "Now and Then" --a late 1970's John Lennon demo, "but we gave up", says McCartney. "John's vocal on the tape, it's pretty bad quality, but emotional. With technology these days, you never know. I'd be interested to see if anything could be done. There is something there in the bushes". To that end, Paul will be speaking with Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and George Harrison's widow Olivia. In signing off here, this is all obviously a ray of light to me! But it's also proof of a continuation of our love affair with "The Four Lads from Liverpool". And so, there is great reason to be optimistic!
10 BIG ONES!
 The Night that America Met The Beatles!
_______________________________________________ All right, here's just 10 songs that have something original about them:
REM: "Shiny Happy People": Sheer genius to add The B-52's Kate Pierson on harmony.
The Byrds: "Turn, Turn, Turn": That song never gets old with McGuinn's 12 String.
The Doors: "Gloria": The Van Morrison Classic recorded during a Door's sound check.
The Cowsills: "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" while inspiration for "The Partridge Family" TV series, this real life family band delivered a song that stays in your head.
Simon & Garfunkle: "Scarborough Fair/Canticle": It's impossible for me not to see a brooding Dustin Hoffman driving past Elaines' (Katherine Ross) house in his red Alfa Romeo trying so hard to figure out how to make sense of it all in the movie, "The Graduate".
The Beatles: "Let It Be": Billy Preston's infectious organ track and smiles helped lighten up a film about the tense, final days of the Fab Four.
The Beatles: "Free As A Bird": Network Television in America actually had a stopwatch counting down the debut mix of John Lennon's highly inspired song and was a triumph from "The Boys"!
James Brown: "Living in America": Six years after his cameo in the movie, "The Blues Brothers", "The Godfather of Soul" was back with this infectious anthem that had everyone reaching for the volume button!
Janis Joplin: "Me and Bobby McGhee": She played the rhythm guitar track and everyone from Tiffany to Jewel has included it in their set list--including the man who wrote it, Kris Kristofferson!
Sonny & Cher: "I Got You Babe": Sonny Bono penned it on an upright piano in their garage with a carpet role sitting on top. It's infectious as it swells to a conclusion and is incredibly optimistic!
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