Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Christmas TV Special Poll... thank you.

85th Birthday Anniv. For Redd Foxx

Sunday, December 9th is the 85th birth anniversary of Redd Foxx. Born John Elroy Sanford, Foxx made a name for himself on the chitlin' circuit during the 1950s and 1960s. His style of comedy paved the way for comics such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Andrew "Dice" Clay, Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes, and Dave Chappelle.

Although he made several movie and TV appearances ("Norman, Is That You?", "Harlem Nights", "The Royal Family", etc.), he is easily best known for his starring role in the hit sitcom "Sanford & Son" (1972-1977). As cantankerous junkman Fred Sanford (named after Foxx' real-life brother), he created one of the most memorable sitcom characters in TV history. It's a testament to his skill that he was able to take a character who was basically an ornery son of a bitch and make you care about him. I mean, some of the things that he would say probably wouldn't even make it on network TV in today's PC world. As a matter of fact, many of the episodes are edited for content when they air in syndication today.

One of the things that I liked about Redd Foxx is that he didn't forget his friends from the old days once he attained TV success. Over the course of the run of "Sanford & Son", he used his clout to get roles for pals like LaWanda Page (Aunt Esther), Slappy White (Melvin), and Pat Morita (Ah Chew). He continued this practice on his ABC variety show "The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour" (1977-1978). One of the features of the program was "Redd's Corner", a showcase for comics that he had worked with on the chitlin' circuit.

It's ironic that Redd Foxx died the way he did. During rehearsals for his comeback sitcom "The Royal Family" in 1991, Foxx collapsed on the set of heart attack and died. Apparently, the cast and crew thought that he was doing his "fake heart attack" routine that he made famous on "Sanford and Son". He was 68.

Below is a clip from a 1974 episode of "Sanford & Son" titled "Julio and Sister and Nephew":

Spin City Playlist For 12/08/07

4 pm hour

In My House- Mary Jane Girls
Georgia- Boz Scaggs
Time To Get Down- The O'Jays
Toy Soldiers- Martika
Love Is In Control (Finger On the Trigger)- Donna Summer
She's On It- The Beastie Boys
I Got Ants In My Pants- James Brown

Common Thread: John Lennon tribute (27th anniv. of his death)
How?
I'm Stepping Out
Whatever Gets You Through the Night
Nobody Told Me

Girlfriend- Pebbles
Snap Shot- Slave
Help Yourself- The Undisputed Truth

5 pm hour

Roll With the Changes- REO Speedwagon
World Shut Your Mouth- Julian Cope
Just Be Good To Me- The S.O.S. Band
I Gotcha- Joe Tex
Gimme Gimme Some Good Soul Music- The Dramatics
Lessons In Love- Level 42
Baby Love- Regina

Double Retro segment's feat. artist- Smokey Robinson
Way Over There (with The Miracles, 1960)
Cruisin'- 1979

Circles- Atlantic Starr
Rock and Roll Never Forgets- Bob Seger
Pearl In the Shell- Howard Jones
Everybody Plays the Fool- The Main Ingredient
Let It Flow- Grover Washington, Jr.

6 pm hour

New Year's Day- U2
Walking In L.A.- Missing Persons
I'm Qualified To Satisfy You- Barry White
Natural High- Bloodstone
Tattooed Love Boys- The Pretenders
Big Mouth- Whodini
Dusic- Brick
Hey Deanie- Shaun Cassidy
He's the Greatest Dancer- Sister Sledge
Come Back and Stay- Paul Young
The Captain of Her Heart- Double
Love the One You're With- Stephen Stills
Where Was You At- War
American Heartbeat- Survivor
Keep On Smilin' Wet Willie

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

Retro Commercial: Mr. Microphone

If the line "Hey Good Lookin', we'll be back to pick you up later" means anything to you, chances are that you remember the 1979 commercial for one of the most famous creations by Ron Popeil... Mr. Microphone. If we are to believe the commercial, Mr. Microphone served a variety of purposes.

1. In the days before karaoke, it was a great way to liven up a dull party or make an ass out of yourself by singing terribly off key.

2. You could practice your singing and dancing at the same time. I still can't make out what the high-steppin' brotha is singing.

3. For any wannabe Lotharios, it could aid in pickin' up the ladies... yeah right!

Although this commercial ran constantly, I don't think I actually knew anyone who had one of these damned things. Given the power of television, I'll bet that millions of them were sold. I'll admit that it would've been cool to at least play around with one for awhile. I think my big Christmas gift that year was a Fonzie/Happy Days pinball machine so if I did get a Mr. Microphone, it probably would have been tossed in the closet within a couple of weeks.

After watching this commercial again after all these years, I wonder if "Good Lookin" waited around for the Christopher Atkins lookalike to come back to pick her up. Personally, I think he had to at least toss in a set of Ginsu knives in order for her to give him a second look.

See if you recognize the dude who has "Mr. Microphone" in his coat pocket at the beginning of the commercial. I had to watch the commercial a few times to make sure it was him. Although he isn't a household name, you may remember him from a recurring role that he had on a popular nighttime drama. You can click here to find out who he is.

Thursday Thirteen #23: Little Richard Quotes

Wednesday December 5th is Little Richard's 75th birthday. Along with a birthday tribute (please see the post directly below this one), I decided to devote this week's Thursday Thirteen to the man born Richard Wayne Penniman. One thing is for sure, Little Richard is never at a loss for words and for that I am thankful.

Thirteen Quotes by Little Richard

1. Awop-bop-a-loo-mop alop bam boom!

2. Elvis may be the King of Rock and Roll, but I am the Queen.

3. The band hated that makeup. If we didn't put on makeup, they wouldn't have let us in those white clubs. They figured we weren't gonna bother the [white] girls.

4. When Pat Boone cut my record, I was mad. I wanted to get him. I said, "I'm going to Nashville to find him." I wanted to get him at that time because to me, he was stopping my progress. I wanted to be famous... and here this man done came and took my song! Not only did he take "Tutti Frutti", but he gone even take "Long Tall Sally" and he didn't even know how to duck back in no alley!

5. I did get arrested... for long hair. They said, "Why do you have on all that stuff you have on?" They didn't know it was just natural beauty on duty.

6. Talking to Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry: I was just telling Bo I'm just so sorry and saddened as I traveled the world... Bo Diddley, and like through Europe he's so huge through those countries and when you get back here at home, you don't hear nothing you know. This man has never gotten any recognition AT all. He's an innovator, he's an emancipator.

7. Referring to his wife's decision to divorce him: Ernestine was right. I was a neglectful husband. A terrible husband. I wouldn't have married me if I'd had diamond toenails and ruby eyeballs.

8. They shoulda called me Little Cocaine, I was sniffing so much of the stuff! My nose got big enough to back a diesel truck in, unload it, and drive it right out again.

9. Don't you dare, I know you got a spare!

10. On Janis Joplin: It had started raining and I had to close the show. Janis was screaming. She had been sucking on that Southern Comfort bottle. When she took off her shoes I thought, Oh Lord. And when she started leaping up and down I thought, Look at this woman. And you know, she could scream too. I thought, Oh my God. She stopped the whole thing. Got three standing ovations. She was very dangerous, that girl.

11. I had signed a very bad deal with Specialty. If you wanted to record you signed on their terms or you didn't record. I got a half cent for every record sold. Whoever heard of cutting a penny in half!

12. As a presenter at the 1987 Grammy Awards: And the winner is... me! I have never received nothing! You never gave me no Grammys and I've been singing for years! I am the architect of rock and roll! I am the originator!

13. SHUT UP!


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Happy 75th Birthday To Little Richard

Wednesday, December 5th is the 75th birthday of one of the legends of rock and roll... the one and only Little Richard. I have been a fan of his music from my days as a kid listening to oldies stations such as WHND AM 560 (Honey Radio) out of Monroe, MI. If you follow music, you are probably familiar with Little Richard's claims that he has never gotten the credit he's deserved as a rock and roll pioneer... by the way, he's RIGHT! Some people may tire of Richard tooting his own horn (or should I say pounding his own piano). But hell, should he sit idly by and wait for someone to do it for him? There is something wrong when Mr. White Buckshoes himself (Pat Boone) covers Little Richard's classic "Tutti Frutti" and has the bigger hit! Of course, Pat didn't single out Little Richard in his desecration of R&B/rock and roll (he also covered songs by Fats Domino, the El Dorados, and The Charms, just to name a few). History has righted things in some regards though. No self-respecting oldies station today is going to play Pat's covers over the original and far superior versions.

If you only know Little Richard from his recent movie and TV appearances ("Why Do Fools Fall In Love", the commercial for Geico, etc.) do yourself a favor and check out some of his music. Songs like "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Ready Teddy", and "Good Golly Miss Molly" are still some of the most exciting records to be laid to wax. I can only imagine what they sounded like back when they were recorded during the Eisenhower era.

Below is a clip of Little Richard performing his classic "Long Tall Sally" in the 1957 film "Don't Knock the Rock". He is introduced by legendary DJ Alan Freed. Also appearing in the clip is another rock and roll pioneer (Bill Haley). He is seen (seated in the center) at the 1:20 minute mark enjoying Little Richard's performance.

Final Results of the "Annoying TV Character" Poll

In an extremely tight race, Scrappy-Doo emerged "victorious" by being named the most annoying TV character in my recent poll. A son-of-a-bitch in the true sense of the term, Scrappy-Doo is blamed by many (including me) for the decline of one of the most successful Saturday morning cartoon franchises in TV history. There have been long standing disputes between various groups over the years (Yankees fans vs. Red Sox Nation and the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud, to name two). However, you could probably get the camps of both sides to agree on at least one thing... their mutual disdain for Crappy er... Scrappy-Doo.

I realize that Scrappy has his supporters. If any of them happen to be reading this, please tell me... what purpose did he serve? I understand that long-running shows require overhauls, but damn! Many who didn't watch the show during the "Scrappy" era, often wonder why all the hate towards Scoob's nephew. To this I say that all they have to do is sit through one episode (if they can stand it) and they will understand.

Now that I've gotten my Scrappy-Doo digs in for the day, I'll move on. In the poll, "Family Matters" resident nerd Steve Urkel came in a close second. Steve Urkel is a classic case of a character being shoved down the audience's throat... to the detriment of the show. Urkel was funny the first couple of years (before his voice changed and he could still pull off the "nerdy" voice). However, as time went on and Urkel's antics started to dominate "Family Matters", the show strapped on those skis and quickly headed up the ramp. I don't blame JoMarie Payton Noble (who played Harriete Winslow, the character that "Family Matters" was originally centered around) for saying "fuck this" and leaving the show during the last season.

Although I am a huge fan of "The Nanny" and Fran Fine, I can see why many of you voted for her as the most annoying TV character. Call me crazy, but I find her New York/nasal whine and Lucy Ricardoesque antics endearing. Those sexy outfits that she wears on the show don't hurt either.

Tying for 4th place in the poll were "Saved By the Bell" kid Samuel "Screech" Powers and "Friends" resident paleontologist Ross Geller. Like Steve Urkel, Screech's antics wore thin as the character aged and it was obvious that he was straining to do the "nerd" voice. At least, the producers of "Saved By the Bell" didn't allow Screech to completely dominate the show. When it comes to Ross (or as my best friend calls him, "Wuss"), I found him to be funny... but a bit on the whiny side.

One thing that surprised me about the poll results was that only one person found Drew Carey's dreaded co-worker (Mimi) to be the most annoying character out of the 6 choices. Although she wouldn't have received my vote, I thought that more would have found her to be grating. I guess she is more grotesque and hideous than annoying to some. True story: once, Kathy Kinney (the actress who played Mimi) appeared on the cover of TV Guide. It was a close-up picture featuring Kinney as Mimi (overdone make-up and all). This issue of TV Guide was on the table facing up when I was eating dinner one evening. I had to flip that bad boy over before I could finish my meal.

Here are the final poll results:

Scrappy-Doo- 27%
Steve Urkel (Family Matters)- 25%
Fran Fine (The Nanny)- 22%
Screech (Saved By the Bell) and Ross Geller (Friends)- 11% each
Mimi Bobek (The Drew Carey Show)- 2%

Normally, I will post a clip related to the winner of the poll. However, I thought that a photo of Scrappy-Doo would more than suffice. Besides, maybe some of you might want to print a copy of the photo and practice your dart throwing.

New To the Blog Scene: Traces of A Stream

Although I don't own a wide-brimmed hat or platform shoes with clear heels that have fish swimming in them, I do pimp blogs from time to time. If you haven't already, I urge you to check out a new one written by Pjazzypar called "Traces of A Stream". As some of you already know, Pjazzypar is a relative of mine. However, this isn't a case of nepotism. If I didn't think the blog was any good, trust me... I wouldn't be propping it.

If you regularly check out the comments sections of my blog posts, you may recognize the name Pjazzypar ("Pjazzy" for short). She has been not only a faithful reader of my blog, but a frequent commenter as well. As someone who loves pop culture as much as I do, Pjazzy never fails to provide a unique and interesting take on the topics that I write about on my blog. She continues this approach over at "Traces of A Stream". According to her blog header, she will tackle topics in the areas of politics, music, sports, family issues, and literature, just to name a few. Although her blog has been in existence for barely a week, Pjazzy has already written about topics such as The Boondocks, Lena Baker/The Death Penalty, The Jackson Five Reunion Tour, Don Imus, and Rosa Parks. Her blog also includes a weekly poll, the quote of the day, and famous birthdays among other sidebar features.

So if what I've said has piqued your interest, swing by and take a dip in Traces of A Stream.

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current "Annoying TV Character" Poll... thank you.

Spin City Playlist For 12/1/07

4 pm hour

Cum On Feel the Noize- Quiet Riot
A Lover's Holiday- Change
One Night Affair- Jerry Butler
Killer Queen- Queen
Weakness- Stevie Wonder & Dionne Warwick
Hot Line- The Sylvers
Too Shy- Kajagoogoo

Double Retro segment's feat. artist: Cher
All I Really Want To Do (1965)
We All Sleep Alone (1988)

Love Don't Love Nobody- The Spinners
Baby Be Mine- Michael Jackson
Oh Yeah- Yello
Say No Go- De La Soul
Love In Store- Fleetwood Mac

5 pm hour

I'm Your Boogie Man- KC & the Sunshine Band
Full of Fire- Al Green
Endicott- Kid Creole & the Coconuts
Mad About You- Belinda Carlisle
Hand To Hold On To- John Cougar
While I'm Alone- Maze feat. Frankie Beverly
I Wanna Be With You- The Raspberries

Now & Then segment's feat. artist: Erasure
Storm In A Teacup (from their latest CD "Light At the End of the World")
A Little Respect (1988)

You Stepped Into My Life- Melba Moore
(Fallin' Like) Dominoes- Donald Byrd
Broken Wings- Mr. Mister
She's Strange- Cameo
Theme From the Rockford Files- Mike Post
Silver Moon- Michael Nesmith

6 pm hour

I Love Rock & Roll- Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
I'm That Type of Guy- LL Cool J
Stuff Like That- Quincy Jones feat. Ashford & Simpson and Chaka Khan
Tighter & Tighter- Alive & Kicking
Only A Lad- Oingo Boingo
Rockit- Herbie Hancock
A Real Mother For Ya- Johnny "Guitar" Watson

The Guilty Pleasure of the Week:
Danny's Song- Anne Murray

Winning- Santana
Jam Tonight- Freddie Jackson
(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again- L.T.D.
Rockaway Beach- The Ramones
How Do I Make You- Linda Ronstadt
Dream Police- Cheap Trick
Shame- Evelyn "Champagne" King

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