Blogcritics

Retro Redux: Amping It Up With Johnny and The Hurricanes

Big Geez — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:14:12 EDT

They had a specialty -- and it led to a lot of record sales.
Although they weren't the only ones with the idea, for a few years in the late Fifties and early Sixties Johnny and The Hurricanes enjoyed a lot of success with an unusual recipe for music. They'd take old, traditional songs and amp them up with a modern sound that was very appealing to the era's growing legions of rock and roll fans....

Retro Redux: Bulldog Songs - They Grab On And Won't Let Go

Big Geez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:48:47 EDT

Ever have a song sink its teeth into you?
I've always wondered what it is about certain songs that seem to just grab you and hang on, becoming a favorite from the very first time you hear them. In a way, that type of song reminds me of a stubborn and unpredictable bulldog that clamps his teeth into your pants leg and won't be dislodged no matter how hard you shake it. Of course,...

Retro Redux: Johnny Ace - Promising Start Leads To Senseless End

Big Geez — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:53:00 EDT

Another of the tragic stories that have always been part of the history of music.
The music business is filled with tragic stories, but that doesn't lessen the impact of individual tales of opportunities lost and potential unfilled. One of those is the story of Johnny Ace. Johnny Ace (John Marshall Alexander, Jr.) was a Memphis native and a regular on the local music scene from an early age. A contemporary of B.B. King and...

Retro Redux: Banned From Radio Play - Nervous Norvus

Big Geez — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 08:01:27 EDT

Being prohibited by many radio stations probably helped make his song a best-seller.
I've enjoyed silly songs for a long time (and have written about them before) but I'm not alone in my admiration. Fans of veteran radio personality Dr. Demento have long appreciated the unusual music he's brought their way, and he's given credit for helping make a star of Weird Al Yankovic and a few others. But Demento's career...

Retro Redux: The Grinch Makes A Rare Summer Appearance

Big Geez — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 18:28:09 EDT

It turns out that the Hulk isn't the only green guy lurking around.
I'm not sure if there's such a thing as an Independence Day Grinch, but I'm very close to being one.The 4th of July is a holiday that in its simplest form is meant to celebrate the historical aspects of independence. But like most holidays it has evolved into something else. For some, it's all about long weekends and family time,...

Retro Redux: Perry Como And The Singing Sisters

Big Geez — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:59:09 EDT

Musical memories can be very deceiving.
We were watching an old movie musical on TV the other night - Skirts Ahoy with Esther Williams - and among the supporting cast I noticed a singing group with a familiar-sounding name, the DeMarco Sisters. Hmmm, weren't they the ones who had a big hit with "Teach Me Tonight," and often made appearances on Perry Como's TV show?...

Retro Redux: Taxi Drivers Have Feelings Too

Big Geez — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:32:21 EDT

Driving a cab in the days before Travis Bickle made it scary.
When Scorsese's Taxi Driver came out in 1976, it drew a lot of attention for its graphic violence and unforgettable portrayals, including De Niro as disturbed cabbie Travis Bickle and Jodie Foster as an underage hooker. But when I first saw the film I had a couple of additional thoughts. For one thing, I was drawn to the soundtrack's lush...

Retro Redux: Joni James - What's In A Name?

Big Geez — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:49:41 EDT

For one unforgettable decade, she was the biggest thing around.
What's in a name? In the 1950's, singer Joni James had a lot of success with one of those names that always seemed easy to confuse with a few others (at least for me). On the other hand, her real name - Giovanna (Joan) Carmella Babbo - might have been a little more distinctive, but it's easy to see why she changed it. A Chicago native,...

Retro Redux: Summertime -- And The Junebugs Are Buzzin'

Big Geez — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:30:34 EDT

Memories - and a chuckle or two - from a simpler time.
The official start of summer is very close now and a lot of blogs are focusing on the season. One that I read regularly has published a long list of summer-related songs, including several different renditions of Gershwin's classic composition, "Summertime." (Although in my opinion they left off one of the best versions, that by the...

Retro Redux: Kentucky's Other Music -- The Hilltoppers

Big Geez — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:16:57 EDT

You gotta love a singing group that wore beanies.
Kentucky has always been home to a rich musical heritage, with an especially strong tradition in bluegrass and other forms of country music, but the state has sometimes provided a fertile birthplace for something a little different. One of those occasions was the creation of the pop music singing group, the Hilltoppers.They began as a trio, formed...