The Monkees Movie "Head" Airs On TCM

As part of its cult film showcase "TCM Underground", the classic movie channel will air the Monkees' 1968 feature "Head" this coming Friday night/early Saturday morning at 2 am EST. If you are a fan of Mike, Micky, Davy, and Peter and haven't seen this movie, it's worth checking out. However, let me say up front that if you are expecting a 90 minute Monkees episode you will be sorely disappointed. Even though I knew that "Head" was totally different from their sitcom, my first time watching it still left me feeling as if I had just eaten a mushroom. In the years since then, I have seen "Head" a few more times and have grown to appreciate it.

Sticking with the 60s vibe, TCM will show the Herman's Hermits 1968 film "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" immediately following "Head". For more details on the movie "Head", please click the following link:

Head

Below is a clip of one of my favorite sequences in the film. Recorded live in Salt Lake City, the Monkees perform the Mike Nesmith-penned rocker "Circle Sky".

Happy Birthday Chuck Berry

October 18th is the 81st birthday of a man who helped write the book on rock and roll guitar... the one and only Chuck Berry. It's funny because just the other day I was tossing ideas around as to what I would write about Chuck when his birthday did come. Admittedly, I didn't realize that Chuck's birthday was on Thursday until I visited the blog of Dane Bramage (his webpage contains a birthday widget).

One of the things that I have grown to admire about Chuck is that he does things the "Chuck Berry way". There are several scenes in the 1986 documentary "Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll" that illustrate this point. If you are a fan and haven't seen this film, I highly recommend it. One of my favorite parts of the doc is when Bruce Springsteen talks about the time early in his career when he and the E Street Band backed up Chuck Berry one night. Bruce recalls that Chuck didn't show up until about 5 minutes before showtime. When Chuck did arrive, he headed straight to the promoter's office. Once Chuck left the office, Bruce and the band asked him what songs they were gonna do. Chuck replied, "We're gonna do some Chuck Berry songs." Probably the most famous scene in the film is when Chuck and Keith Richards have a heated exchange during a rehearsal for Chuck's 60th birthday concert. Lesson: whatever you do, don't ever mess with Chuck's guitar amp.

One of the most imitated performers in rock and roll, below are just a few examples of artists who have been influenced by Chuck.

1. The Beatles recorded Berry songs such as "Rock and Roll Music" and "Roll Over Beethoven" early in their career. Even towards the end of their time together, the Beatles were still being influenced by Chuck Berry. Their #1 hit "Come Together" contains the line "Here come old flat top he come moving up slowly". That's a direct rip from the Chuck Berry classic "You Can't Catch Me". It contains the lyric "Here come old flat top he come moving up with me". As a result, Chuck Berry's music publisher sued John Lennon for copyright infringement. The suit was eventually settled out of court. Ka-ching!

2. The Beach Boys hit "Surfin U.S.A." is a rewrite of "Sweet Little Sixteen". Basically what Brian Wilson did was use the melody of "Sweet Little Sixteen" and change the lyrics. Try playing both songs in your head if you doubt me. Eventually, the Beach Boys were forced to give Berry a co-writing credit in order to avoid a lawsuit. Again... Ka-ching!

3. The Rolling Stones (esp. Keith Richards) are some of the biggest disciples of Chuck Berry. Their very 1st single was a remake of the Berry tune "Come On". You can even hear Chuck's influence on such Stones classics as "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Tumbling Dice", and "Start Me Up" just to name a few.

4. Chuck's signature move, the Duckwalk, has been imitated by a variety of rock and rollers... mainly Angus Young of AC/DC.

When I think of all of the classics that Chuck recorded during the 50s and 60s, it amazes me that he had to wait until 1972 to have a #1 hit (My Ding-A-Ling) on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. You know that things are just not right when "You Light Up My Life" is allowed to clutter up the top of the charts for 10 weeks, while Berry songs such as "Johnny B. Goode" and "Sweet Little Sixteen" failed to land in the top spot for one lousy week.

Oh well... Chuck's music has stood the test of not only time, but space as well. In 1977, the Voyager Golden Record was included in the the spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Among the many sounds and images included on the record is the song "Johnny B. Goode". This means that in the far distant future, alien life form might be grooving to Chuck Berry. Take that Debby Boone!

Below is a clip of Chuck performing "You Can't Catch Me" in the 1956 film "Rock, Rock, Rock". He is introduced by legendary DJ Alan Freed.

Ellen Degeneres and the Saga of Iggy the Dog

Don't you hate it when you set out to do what you think is a good thing and it goes wrong? By now I am sure that most of you have heard about Ellen DeGeneres and the animal rescue organization that took back her adopted dog (Iggy) after she gave the puppy away without the agency's permission.

Although I am not a pet lover, the clip below of Ellen's tearful plea really gets to me. It's clear to me that she is in pain and doesn't want those two kids to get penalized because of the mistake she made. I know that Ellen did sign the agreement stating that she would return the dog to the agency if she couldn't keep it. Based on her comments, it sounds as if Ellen wasn't aware that giving away the dog was a violation of the agreement. I can also understand that the agency has the rule in place to protect the animals. However, I think that there are instances such as this where exceptions can be made to the rule. On the other hand, some have suggested that Ellen could easily buy the two kids another dog and that would be the end of it. Some might argue that this doesn't take into account that (according to Ellen) the two kids bonded with Iggy during the two weeks that they had it.

After searching for a photo of Ellen that I would include with this post, I found that this story has taken an uglier turn. According to the operator of the animal rescue organization that took the dog away, she has been deluged with threatening emails and phone calls. For the full story, click here. As I said earlier, the animal rescue organization could have made an exception and let the family keep the dog. It's probably a moot point now because I have heard that the dog has been placed with another family. But making threatening phone calls and sending hate e-mails is going way too far!

Regardless of whether or not you are a pet lover, I am anxious to hear your thoughts on this entire matter.

Ellen DeGeneres photo courtesy of the AP

Thursday Thirteen #17: Some of My Favorite Stand Up Comics

Thirteen of my favorite stand up comics
Unless you suffer from geliophobia, you more than likely have enjoyed the wit and wisdom of a stand-up comic. Below are 13 of my favorites. With the exception of the 1st comedian listed (who I think is the greatest of all-time) the comics are listed alphabetically. You can see the comics in action by clicking on their name. If a favorite comic of yours didn't make my list, it's due to one of the following:

a. There are only 13 slots, which makes it impossible to fit in all of my favorites
b. I'm not very familiar with the comic's work
c. I don't think they are all that funny

With that being said, I would love to hear who some of your favorites are.

As a side note, profanity doesn't bother me in the least. This is probably because I was a sailor in a previous life (don't laugh, Shirley MacLaine told me so herself). Anyways, since there may be some readers who are offended by profanity, I have included a "P" at the end of an entry for any comic whose performance contains harsh language.

1. Richard Pryor- In my opinion, any list of stand-up comics has to start with Richard. If the only things he had done was "Richard Pryor Live In Concert" and "Richard Pryor Live On the Sunset Strip, he would still be a comic legend. In the clip he talks about the time he spent talking to prisoners while filming "Stir Crazy". P

2. John Caponera- I first saw this comic when he appeared on "A&E's An Evening At the Improv"... man I used to love that show! Anyways, the clip I linked to is from an appearance that John made on Comedy Central in 1991. He does a dead-on impersonation of Cubs broadcasting legend Harry Caray.

3. George Carlin- He is living proof that not everyone mellows with age and for that, I am grateful. I was lucky enough to catch his stand-up act when he came to the campus of Northern Michigan University in the early 1990s. P

4. Dave Chappelle- The abrupt ending of his brilliant sketch comedy show was one of the great tragedies of TV. In this clip from one of his stand-up specials, Dave discusses the differences between grape juice and grape drink. P

5. Margaret Cho- I was glad to see that she was able to survive her failed ABC sitcom and go on to be a force on the stand-up circuit. Her ruminations on issues such as race, sexuality, and female body images in Hollywood are Pryoresque (if that isn't a word, it is now).

6. Lavell Crawford- I first saw his act when I was over a friend's house back in the 90s and we were watching "Showtime At the Apollo". I was holding my stomach I was laughing so hard!

7. Rodney Dangerfield- With his bug eyes and stage mannerisms, Rodney could be funny without saying a word. When he opened his mouth, he was a riot!

8. Kathy Griffin- Kathy was the best (if not only) reason to watch "Suddenly Susan". I love her stand-up act because she has no problem ripping a celebrity to shreds. P

9. Lisa Lampanelli- I first discovered Lisa when I stumbled upon one her clips on You Tube a couple of years ago. I call her the female Don Rickles. P

10. Dennis Miller- Smart assed stand-up at its best. I have always been a fan of Dennis' use of pop culture/literary references in his act. P

11. Eddie Murphy- Years before starring in family fare like "Daddy Day Care" and "Dr. Doolittle", Eddie was a stand-up God. Can you imagine how big of a deal it would be if he decided to do a stand-up tour again after all these years? P

12. Chris Rock- Chris is another stand-up that I saw perform in person. My stomach muscles got a good workout that night. P

13. Marsha Warfield- Although she is best known as Roz on the sitcom "Night Court", Marsha had a pretty successful career as a stand-up. This clip is from an appearance on one of the Comic Relief specials. P


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Final Results of Motown Poll

In the recent Motown poll, The Temptations were selected as favorite group by almost 50% of the voters. What does it take for Jr. Walker and the All-Stars (as well as the Marvelettes) to receive some love? I wish I had the answer because both of these groups, though popular, received 0 votes. Here are the final results:

The Temptations- 46%
The Supremes- 20%
Martha & the Vandellas- 13%
The Four Tops, The Jackson Five, and The Miracles- 6% each
Jr. Walker & the All-Stars and The Marvelettes- 0% each

Below is a clip of the winning act performing their classic 1966 hit "Ain't Too Proud To Beg"

The Jazz Singer Premieres On TCM

On Tuesday at 8 pm EST, TCM premieres the 1927 film "The Jazz Singer". Starring Al Jolson, the film tells the story of an Orthodox cantor's son who defies his father's wishes that he follow in his footsteps and instead realizes his dream of becoming a jazz singer.

For most, the film is notable for two reasons:

1. It was the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences.
2. The lead character's use of blackface in his Broadway act

Since I have never seen "The Jazz Singer", I am looking forward to its premiere on TCM. Because much has been said and written (both positive and negative) about this film, I want to see it for myself before passing judgement. In addition to the film itself, I am interested to hear TCM host Robert Osborne's introduction of the film. Because TCM has a reputation of doing a fine job addressing the history of Hollywood's depiction and treatment of blacks, I am hoping that they won't sugarcoat the blackface scenes that take place in the film. Although I am prepared to be offended by these scenes, I am trying to keep an open a mind. In addition to the 8 pm showing, TCM airs an encore presentation of "The Jazz Singer" on Wednesday morning at 4:30 am EST.

All My Children Recasts the Role of Babe Chandler

An odd thing happened on "All My Children" last week. Alexa Havins (top photo) was replaced by Amanda Baker (bottom photo) in the role of Babe Chandler. What was odd is that the switcheroo took place in the middle of the scene! When I read about the impending recast in a September issue of TV Guide, I was intrigued to find out how AMC would pull off the switch. Below is the scene in which the switch takes place.

As expected, many AMC fans are not happy about the recast. Since her debut on the show in 2003, Alexa Havins had become a fan favorite in the role of Babe. However, I think it's too early to tell whether or not the recasting of Babe will work. While we're on the subject, what do you think were some of the best or worst recasts (soap or non-soap)?

Spin City Playlist For 10/13/07

4 pm hour

Don't Leave Me This Way- Thelma Houston
Romanticide- Combo Audio
Gangsters of the Groove- Heatwave
Armageddon It- Def Leppard
Silly- Deniece Williams
Get the Cream Off the Top- Eddie Kendricks
Dude Looks Like A Lady- Aerosmith

Common Thread segment: In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, 4 tunes by Latin artists:
Tell Her She's Lovely- El Chicano
Falling In Love (Uh-Oh)- Miami Sound Machine
Will the Wolf Survive- Los Lobos
Suavecito- Malo

Bust A Move- Young MC
Old Fashioned Love- The Commodores

5 pm hour

Saturday Night- The Bay City Rollers
Acid Queen- Tina Turner
You're A Friend of Mine- Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne
Human- Human League
Live It Up- The Isley Bros.
Jack & Jill- Raydio
Don't Talk To Strangers- Rick Springfield

Now & Then segment's featured artist: Simply Red
Stay (the title track from their 2007 CD)
The Right Thing

Look Into Your Heart- Aretha Franklin
September- Earth, Wind, & Fire
I Wish I Had A Girl- Henry Lee Summer
Lookin' For A Love- Bobby Womack
State Farm- Yaz

6 pm hour

Talk Dirty To Me- Poison
Five Minutes of Funk- Whodini
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting- Elton John
Holdin' On- L.T.D.
Atomic- Blondie
Illegal Alien- Genesis
Body Heat- James Brown
Bring the Noise- Public Enemy
Wild & Crazy Love- The Mary Jane Girls
Power To the People- John Lennon
Baby Let Me Kiss You- King Floyd
Rock Steady- The Whispers
Head Over Heels- Tears For Fears

Did any of your favorites make this week's playlist?

Retro Commercial: Pizza Hut

In this 1995 commercial, the man formerly known as Richard Starkey proclaims that he is ready to "get back" with the lads... and eat some delicious Italian pies from Pizza Hut. When this first aired, I really got a kick out of seeing the "lads" appear near the end.

WKUF Returns To the Airwaves

After suspending all live programming for over a month, WKUF-LP, 94.3 returns to the airwaves this week. As some of you may know, this is the college radio station where I host a show (using the alias Xavier B) every Saturday from 4-7 pm EST. On my show (Spin City), I play a wide variety of music from the 70s and 80s. On any given show you are likely to hear artists such as James Brown, Duran Duran, Donna Summer, Run DMC, Suzi Quatro, and The Smiths. My 1st show after the layoff will be Saturday, October 13th.

If you live outside of the Flint area, you can hear the station right through your computer! To listen, you will need either Real Player, Winamp, or iTunes. Just click on the link below and you'll be taken to Kettering University's home page. Next, click on the "Listen to the NEW WKUF Student Webstream" link. You will find this link in a blue box on the right side of the page.

WKUF