The Retro Mix Playlist For 1/29/10

7 pm hour

Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)- The Gap Band
What A Life- Juliana Hatfield
Heart Shaped Box- Nirvana
Instant Karma- John Lennon
Be Thankful For What You Got- William DeVaughn
Let's Get Down- Tony! Toni! Toné!
Uptown- Prince

With or Without You segment's feat. artist: Morrissey
This Charming Man- The Smiths
Boxers- Morrissey

The One I Love- R.E.M.
Everybody Is A Star- Sly & the Family Stone
Freddie's Dead- Curtis Mayfield
Pop Goes the Weasel- 3rd Bass
Little Jackie Wants To Be A Star- Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

8 pm hour

Talk Dirty To Me- Poison
White Lies, Blue Eyes- Bullet
Slam- Onyx
Sun Is Here- Sun
Hard Lesson- Suddenly, Tammy!
Only the Lonely- The Motels
And Love Goes On- Earth, Wind and Fire

The Guilty Pleasure of the Week:
... Baby One More Time- Britney Spears

Swoop- The Dazz Band
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)- Sylvester
Tattooed Love Boys- The Pretenders
Who Wears These Shoes?- Elton John
Lookin' For A Love- Bobby Womack
Zip Gun Boogie- T. Rex
Here I Go Again- Whitesnake

Do you have any memories to share about songs featured on this week's playlist?

The Retro Mix Video of the Week: Who Wears These Shoes? by Elton John


Elton John - Who Wears These Shoes
Uploaded by jpdc11.

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current A.I. Poll... Thank You

Pernell Roberts: A Good Guy Who Wore Black

Actor Pernell Roberts, who became a household name as eldest son Adam Cartwright on the classic western series Bonanza and who made a comeback several years later as the title character on the hospital drama Trapper John, M.D., has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. Over the last few years, Bonanza has become one of my favorite shows and Roberts' portrayal of Adam was a primary reason. Although he was definitely a Cartwright, Adam wasn't your typical cowboy. Urbane and more serious than his younger brothers Hoss and Little Joe, Adam was equally comfortable reading a good book as he was working on the Cartwright's sprawling Ponderosa ranch.

In addition to my enjoying his work as an actor, I've long admired Pernell Roberts for being his own man. In what some felt was career hari kiri, he left Bonanza in 1965 after 6 seasons. At the time of his departure, Bonanza was the #1 show on television and would remain so for an additional 2 seasons. Pernell's motives for bolting from the hit show weren't because he had a Carusoesque desire to make movies or more money. He left because he wasn't happy with the quality of the scripts and felt that his role wasn't challenging. In an interview after his stint with Bonanza had ended, Pernell said the following:

"I had six seasons of playing the eldest son on that show. Six seasons of feeling like a damned idiot, going around like a middle-aged teenager saying, 'Yes, Pa' 'No, Pa' on cue. It was downright disgusting – such dialogue for a grown man. I felt I wasn't being taken seriously as an actor, and that's like death to one's talent. Stuck as Adam Cartwright, I was only able to use about one-tenth of my ability."

Although I respect Pernell's reasons for leaving Bonanza, I wish that he and the producers were able to work out their differences so that he could have stayed on the show. Even though Bonanza remained successful after Pernell departed (it finally ended its run in 1973), his presence was missed. Watching the opening credits and seeing only 3 Cartwrights ride on horseback toward the camera just wasn't the same.

Last year, I was doing some research on Bonanza/Pernell Roberts and learned some details that made my respect for him grow even more. It turns out Pernell was an outspoken supporter of civil rights and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, AL. He was also active in pressuring NBC (the network that aired Bonanza) to refrain from hiring whites to portray minority characters.

Pernell is survived by his fourth wife, Eleanor Criswell. He was preceded in death by a son from his first marriage, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at age 38.

Below is a clip from the 1963 episode of Bonanza titled "My Brother's Keeper". In it, Adam considers leaving the untamed west and heading east after accidentally shooting Little Joe.

The Retro Mix Playlist For 1/22/10

7 pm hour

Start Me Up- The Rolling Stones
Rockin' Soul- The Hues Corporation
Bad Girls- Donna Summer
Star- Erasure
The Reflex- Duran Duran
Let's Work- Prince
Two of Us- The Beatles

Double Retro segment:
Dust In the Wind- Kansas
Dust In the Wind- Eric Benet

Real Love- Mary J. Blige
Romanticide- Combo Audio
Doll Parts- Hole
Love My Way- Psychedelic Furs
Our House- Madness
Thank God It's Friday- Love and Kisses

8 pm hour

Dirty Diana- Michael Jackson
Just A Touch- Keith Sweat
We're An American Band- Grand Funk
Mighty Mighty- Earth, Wind and Fire
Funkdafied- Da Brat
Goin' Back To Cali- LL Cool J
Flying High- The Commodores

Steve Perry 61st birthday tribute
Oh Sherrie- Steve Perry
Don't Fight It- Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry
I'll Be Alright Without You- Journey
Wheel In the Sky- Journey

Circles- Atlantic Starr
Jeremy- Pearl Jam

The Retro Mix Video of the Week: Funkdafied by Da Brat

Final Results of the Oscar Prediction Poll

In a poll that wasn't even close, Avatar smoked the competition in the recent poll where I asked readers which movie did they think would receive the most Oscar nominations. Although Avatar dominated the poll, there were a couple of voters (Richard and Jenna) who didn't have much love for the James Cameron blockbuster. Other than the visuals, they weren't all that impressed. I like it when people shoot down critical darlings and Richard & Jenna were locked and loaded.

The nominations for the Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 starting at 8:30 am EST.

Here are the final poll results:

Avatar- 57%
Precious- 14%
Inglorious Basterds- 10%
Up In the Air- 8%
The Hurt Locker- 7%
Other- 1% (Damn it! I forgot to ask voters who chose this option to leave the movie title in the comments section)

The Retro Mix Playlist For 1/15/10

7 pm hour

Young Turks- Rod Stewart
She's Gone- Tavares
Tell Me Something Good- Rufus
Age of Panic- Senser
Blister In the Sun- The Violent Femmes
Start!- The Jam
Two Princes- Spin Doctors

Tribute to Teddy Pendergrass, who died on January 13th, 2010
Satisfaction Guaranteed- Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
You Can't Hide From Yourself- Teddy Pendergrass
The Love I Lost- Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Love T.K.O.- Teddy Pendergrass

Voices Carry- 'Til Tuesday
Angry Johnny- Poe
Peg- Steely Dan
Too Late- Junior

8 pm hour

Paranoid- Black Sabbath
Glamour Boys- Living Colour
Black Cat- Janet Jackson
Dolphin- Shed Seven
Beth- Kiss
Living Eyes- The Bee Gees
Knockin' Boots- Candyman
Beats to the Rhyme- Run DMC

On the Flip Side segment:
Beatnik Beach- The Go Gos (the B-side to Vacation)

Love Is Alright Tonite- Rick Springfield
Psycho Killer- Talking Heads
Sweet Rhode Island Red- Ike & Tina Turner
Cars- Gary Numan
Johnny and Mary- Robert Palmer
Welcome to the Jungle- Guns N' Roses

The Retro Mix Video of the Week- Johnny and Mary by Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup. - See the latest featured music videos.

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current Oscar Poll... Thank You

In case you didn't know, Academy Award nominations will be announced on February 2nd and the Oscar ceremony takes place on Sunday, March 7th.

Top 5 On Friday - Week 226

This week's topic came from Russ

Top 5 band members that are neither the lead singer or the lead guitarist. (feel free to tell us why you chose them too!)

1. Keith Moon of The Who- A great combination of skill and showmanship.















2. Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band- In addition to his wailing sax, Clarence is arguably the heart and soul of the E Streeters.















3. Michael Steele of The Bangles- Along with her musicianship and songwriting skills, I also like Michael's wry sense of humor (which she displayed in the Behind the Music episode on The Bangles)














4. Jerome Benton of The Time- The best mirror holder in the biz!














5. Valerie Smith of Josie & the Pussycats- She played the meanest tambourine this side of Davy Jones!














If you'd like to participate, please visit the Music Memoirs site. Be sure to leave the link to your blog in the comments section so that others can check out your list. If you don't have a blog/don't want to post on your own blog, but still would like to participate, you can leave your list in the comments section of this post.

Soul Legend Teddy Pendergrass Dies At 59

Teddy Pendergrass, who was one of the biggest stars in music before a car accident temporarily derailed his career, has died after a battle with colon cancer. He was 59.

As lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Teddy's powerful vocals fronted such Philly Soul classics as If You Don't Know Me By Now, Bad Luck, Where Are All My Friends, and Wake Up Everybody.



Due to the fact that some people weren't aware that Teddy was the lead singer, friction developed between him and Harold Melvin, causing Teddy to go solo in 1976. Out on his own, Teddy didn't miss a beat, scoring such hits as I Don't Love You Anymore, Close the Door, Turn Off the Lights, and Love T.K.O. Teddy's budding reputation as a sex symbol reached new heights and led to him having several "ladies only" concerts starting in 1978.



In March of 1982, the brakes on Teddy's Rolls Royce failed, causing it to first hit a guard rail and then two trees. Teddy and Tenika Watson, a transsexual performer who was a casual acquaintance of Teddy's, were trapped in the wreck for almost an hour. While Tenika had only minor injuries, Teddy suffered a spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

After completing physical therapy, Teddy resumed his recording career in 1984. His comeback album (Love Language) included the hit Hold Me, a duet with a pre-stardom Whitney Houston. One of my favorite memories of Teddy was his emotional appearance in front of his hometown of Philly at Live Aid in 1985 with Ashford & Simpson. It was Teddy's first live performance since his 1982 car accident. The three of them performed Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand).



Teddy had his 3rd and final #1 R&B hit in 1991 with It Should've Been You. Although he kept a lower profile during the latter part of his career, Teddy did star in the stage production of the gospel musical Your Arms Too Short To Box with God in 1996 and two years later released his autobiography Truly Blessed. After retiring in 2006, Teddy made his final appearance the following year to take part in Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities, a 25th anniversary awards ceremony. He is survived by his wife, his son, two daughters, his mother and nine grandchildren.

What Do You Get When You Mix Lana Turner With LSD?

Tonight as part of their cult movie series "TCM Underground", the channel airs the 1969 film The Big Cube. Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't even know this movie existed. I don't know where TCM digs these movies up, but I'm glad they do. The Big Cube stars Lana Turner as a former actress named Adriana who marries a wealthy tycoon, who later dies in an accident. The tycoon's daughter, who despises Adriana, hatches a plot to drive Adriana insane with drugs so she and her drug-addict boyfriend can marry and inherit all the money for themselves.

Whenever a movie marries old Hollywood with 60s psychedelia, unintentional hilarity is inevitable. If you wanna join in on the campy fun, you can catch The Big Cube late Friday/early Saturday at 2 am EST on Turner Classic Movies.

Thursday Thirteen #78: I'd Like To Solve the Puzzle

In honor of the 35th anniversary of the debut of Wheel of Fortune (which premiered on January 6, 1975), this week's T13 pays tribute to TV's iconic version of Hangman. Below are 13 unsolved puzzles, all with a pop culture angle. You can go here if you'd like to make your own puzzles.

How many of these do you know? Feel free to put your answers in the comments section (which is where I will post the solved puzzles on Friday, January 8th).

Hootin' Anni brought up an excellent point about the "spoiler" aspect of putting the answers in the comments section. You can still put them there, but I've changed my blog settings so that the comment form is now a pop-up window. If you just scroll down to the comment box without peaking at the answers, you will be fine.

Also, don't forget to make your Oscar prediction in the current poll located in the upper left corner of the page... thanks!

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Final Results of the Annoying Celeb Poll

By just a slim margin, former reality star and all around good guy Jon Gosselin was chosen as the celeb people would most want to wish into the cornfield... never to be heard from again. No argument from me. One of my favorite TV moments from 2009 was when Nancy Grace opened up a can on Jon during an installment of the infotainment series The Insider. What would have made this dressing down even better is if Kate Gosselin had been on hand to take her share of Nancy's well aimed jabs.

The criteria I used to come up with the 6 celebs wasn't necessarily based on personal preference. Although I find Carrie Prejean to be a self-righteous hypocrite, I wouldn't banish her to the cornfield. My reasons are purely selfish for not going all "Anthony Fremont" on Ms. Prejean... she's fine as hell! And yes it's true, I will be replacing Jack Black in the upcoming sequel Shallow Hal 2.

I also wouldn't send Kanye West-bound to the cornfield either. As cringe-inducing as Kanye can be, he is talented. Many, including me, would say this sets him apart from the other 5 celebs I selected. Although he was wrong for coming onstage during Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech, that incident got blown WAY out of proportion. I have a suspicion that Taylor is glad the incident happened because Kanye's bum rush turned her into America's Sweetheart overnight.

I am surprised that Heidi Montag didn't get more votes. After her godawful plundering of a Yaz classic, I feel she more than earned a one-way ticket to the cornfield.


Here are the final results:

Jon Gosselin- 16 votes
Kate Gosselin and Kanye West- 14 votes each
Spencer Pratt and Carrie Prejean- 6 votes each
Heidi Montag- 5 votes
Other- 3 votes

Receiving dishonorable mention are: Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, Sarah Palin, Levi Johnston, all of Tiger Woods and his "hoochies" (Lori's words, not mine), The Kardashin crew, Miley Cyrus and Octomom.


Thanks to everyone who took part in the poll. Your input is much appreciated.