All in color for a won

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't recognize South Korea if I visited it again. When I was there almost no one had internet and now it is one of the most connected countries on the planet. My impression of the country was that a person could walk a mile and the landscape, lifestyle and technology would change to resemble anything from 1930s American Heartland to the 1980s and back again all within a comfortable stroll. From new pictures I can see that many of the cities are completely transformed.

The popular music I heard while out was more often than not self-produced, self-promoted and self-distributed and the bands commonly consisted of a small electric organ with pre-programmed bossa nova beats. One of the interesting things to watch while I was in Korea was the evolution of rap and rock music. As restrictions of an oppressive government eased and Korean youth could speak out they did so angrily through their songs, though more polite by several degrees than the urban American inspiration that shocked so many people.

Watching the slick, corporate-owned and high production values of some of the newest Korean pop groups is something of a shock since all I recall are stiff, rote performances to a cassette tape playing on a chair next to the performer. There are few surprises in the music videos though and all pretty much follow the standard themes familiar to anyone born after the 1980s. The girls are cute, bouncy and sexy (very few affect a public street or gangster persona though this is changing) and rapid changes in costume and sets are the rules. A lot of cosplay costumes are involved though I'm sure this is what producers are confident that the audience wants.

The male performers in videos are usually depicted as living large and horribly tortured by emotion, definitely appealing to teen girls. The videos are hilarious because of the overwrought scenery chewing of the performers. I suspect focus groups or something similar dictate the format and themes of the music videos to an extreme perhaps more than their American counterparts and that these groups are similar to the heavily-managed and manufactured boy and girl groups of the American 1990s music scene.

5 Dolls is a typical Korean girl bubblegum pop group featured in a video with a comic book layout theme. Kind of fun and a little daring.

On the male side is So Goodbye from the City Hunter television series soundtrack and it's pretty slick. My wife is addicted to the show and many others that are not fun to locate in the US but she enjoys immensely. Being a good husband, I focus on procuring Korean films and television nearly as much as I do gathering Hayley Mills memorabilia.

Look at me, Ted

TEDMAMMA'S BOY

And let's not forget one of the greatest "Mamma's Boy" songs ever made as performed by Steve Martin from the 1986 film The Little Shop of Horrors...

Pink Rocket

Retro future purple monkey Korean pop from Dal*Shabet (2011).

A lazy, Sunday sexy taxi driver post.

Swingin'

For those seeking old books and LP records there are better places to browse than in San Diego.

One reason is the relatively young and transient population. Farther inland and on the other coast there are generations of collected belongings sitting in basements, attics and garages. Eventually one family member or other will dispose of the Grandparent's old furniture, books and music to the delight of treasure hunters of the region. In Southern California however, a lot of what is donated to thrift stores is late 1970s and 1980s music and tchotchkes. I've even discovered several decades worth of macaroni-adorned picture frames at one Salvation Army store.

The other reason San Diego is a poor resource for keen gear is the economy. Most of the used book stores have shuttered and the usual places one could find groovy LP's, the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, have either combined all their resources into one store or done away with LP's altogether. While reducing the number of places the records are displayed makes sense for the business it hurts the shopper seeking cool stuff because multiple destinations meant that a browser could get lucky if his timing was right. All the LP's kept in one place means one faces constant competition has to be really lucky with the timing to score some choice items.

Recently I found a couple of Jonah Jones Quartet albums, Swingin on Broadway and Swingin' at the Cinema notable among the internet primarily for the pretty women on the cover. Of the JJQ discography these two albums are probably the easiest to find. I found multiple copies of each when browsing and purchased the two best of the lot. Oh, yeah...I agree that those stretch pants and curves, especially on the blond on the Cinema LP, are something else. The album art is pretty typical of the 1950s. Back then nearly anyone producing lounge-type music put an attractive woman on the cover because no one would buy an album featuring John Wilson and the Howard-Johnsons Off State Route 12 Experience on the sleeve. Sex always sold, don't get me wrong, but the producers of the lounge era LP escalated cheesecake and enticement into an art form rarely seen since. These particular albums are probably getting more attention now than before as the "Mad Men" style of fashion seems to be all the rage still. Too bad there are no model credits for the albums, at least none that I can find.
The music is good but not original other than the application of the JJQ style as they are covers of tunes already popular in the era. They are fun to hear as "lost" music and I'm really partial to their treatment of A Gal In Calico from the Cinema album. I think the Jonah Jones Quartet packed enough talent for a dozen musicians.

From the collection: Swingin' on Broadway (1957) and Swingin' at the Cinema (1958).

The occasional four-letter word in context

The much-covered Working Class Hero from John Lennon (1970). The song has a curse word in it so don't be stupid in a place you shouldn't be.

A hard-working Sunday post.

Something more than sexual

An album cover that makes me wish I was old enough to know you then.

The Immortal Ladies by The George Melachrino Orchestra (1956).

Hayley Hayley

Me and Hayley sitting in the backseat cruising with some pals, listening to some tunes on the 8-Track.

Here is the band Prefab Sprout with their 1986 shout out to Hayley Mills, Goodbye Lucille #1 more popularly known as Johnny Johnny.

Still in love with her? Perfectly understandable. Who isn't?

Not a lazy Sunday post.

The Morning After

Well, everybody is still here, unless only two or three people world-wide qualified to be taken to Heaven and no one misses them. To mark the occasion of absolutely nothing happening I present the lovely voice of Maureen McGovern singing The Morning After, an uplifting tune about hope against a backdrop of disaster and horrible death by drowning from the 1973 film The Poseidon Adventure.

I really hope someone pokes into the Rapture Guy's finances. I'd be curious just how much cash the dude raked in from the gullible, scared and stupid. I just hope no one killed themselves or any others in fear or anticipation of the 21st of May.

A lazy Sunday post.

The corner of Abbey Road and Broadway

Nice mash up of Stevie Wonder and the Beatles. It does rock.

Clavinet Together by ccc1

A lazy Sunday post.

This is vewy, vewy distuwbing

If you have not watched any episodes of the new animated Looney Tunes show then you are missing scenes like this.

-Elmer Fudd Grilled Cheese Sandwich song-

Another example of a cartoon not really made for the kiddies.

A lazy, slightly creeped-out Sunday post.

Cry havoc and let slip the hogs of war

Archer is currently one of my favorite animated shows. The adventures of Sterling Archer and the dysfunctional spy agency ISIS and the cast of characters is wrong on many levels. The show is obscene, rude and pushes boundaries. The delivery of H. Jon Benjamin, who voices Sterling, is comedic and note perfect. The recent two part episode where Sterling battles breast cancer and goes on a deadly rampage when he discovers his costly, life-saving medication was replaced by sugar and Zima was the funniest television I've seen in ages.

While the animation is what brings people to the show it is the characters that make them stay. The entire cast is great and they play horrible, flawed people with few redeeming qualities seemingly effortlessly.

The title sequence is awesome and retro, capturing the pastiche of the 1960s-1970s era of spy thrillers perfectly. You can view the lead in to Archer at the website The Art of the Title Sequence which breaks the creation of the opening credits down a bit.

Visiting hours are 24-7, so click the picture and get your visitor pass!

A lazy Sunday post.

I want to break free

Nifty anti-oppression song from 1984 performed by Queen that did well in Europe but not so much in America. The video featuring the male band members in drag, a frequent comedic trope in the UK, was marginalized or banned from play in the United States. That some members of the band were homosexual was known though not generally acknowledged at the time by the media and many fans. I've seen references likely repeated from the same original unverified source that this video heralded the death of Queen as a music force in America. While the sight of Freddie Mercury in a dress probably made some stupid and prejudiced Americans uncomfortable, even though being gay and donning ladies fashions has little or nothing to do with the other, it was more likely that the style of music Queen produced was becoming unpopular rather than public reaction to band members in costume.

While controversial in 1984 it seems American evolution has progressed to the point where many would find the video whimsical and ironic or just another entry in typical bad 1980s MTV.

A lazy, shwooshy peplum Sunday post.

But will it play in the Borscht Belt?

Today's musical video comes from an episode of the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold series. The clip has been out there for a while and while I usually watch the show, I passed on that particular episode due to my general dislike of the Matches Malone character. That is a choice I now regret.

From September 2010 here is Catwoman, Huntress and Black Canary singing the Birds of Prey Song. Words by Gail Simone, sounds by Nika Futterman, Tara Strong and Grey DeLisle.

The entire act is pretty naughty for a show that is supposed to be for children and it was reported that the US release was delayed to reanimate some of the more suggestive scenes. I have no idea if this is the reworked version or not. For those of you who don't understand all the innuendo, the Birds are rating the male members of the DCU superhero club by size and stamina.

A lazy, kinda risque Sunday post.

You Can Count On Me, Eventually

Finally got around to creating my own fan-made Spider-Man movie main title sequence. I've been meaning to do this since 2002 and kept putting it off. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

Original title sequence created by Kyle Cooper of Imaginary Forces and copyright Columbia Pictures 2002. Original score by Danny Elfman replaced by Count On Me, performed by William Kirkland from the classic album Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Superhero. I was always disappointed that songs from the 70s album never made it to the big screen. This video corrects that error. Count On Me is a bit more exciting and upbeat than the fantastic though ominous Elfman score.

Sharp-eyed viewers may notice the omission of a certain someone from the credits.

A really, really, really lazy Sunday post nearly a decade in the making.

Like caviar with chocolate bar

Does Everyone Know About This?
Performed by Martha Tilton with Paul Weston & His Orchestra.
Written by Arthur Altman and Charles Newman (1944).

While driving the car one day about 6 years ago I discovered the Liltin' Martha Tilton and her beautiful voice when a local radio station played this song as part of a big band/rug-cutter swing/jazz compilation. Been in love with her sound ever since. Movie aficionados will recognize the tune from the soundtrack of the 2001 film, Focus.

A lazy, really rainy Sunday post.

Top 5 Love Songs of All Time

Here is my Valentine's Day list of the Top 5 Love Songs of All Time. This list can not be disputed. Eons from now the immortal cybernetic Octo-Wolves that host the digital remnants of humanity via blood-borne nano-bots will gather under the moons of Earth and lift high tentacles to transmit mp3000 howl-bursts of agreement over this list*.

5: Love, American Style theme
Like it or not if you lived during the 1970s this patriotic theme song was being whistled and hummed all over America. Composed by Charles Fox (of The Green Slime theme fame) the song got tweaked a bit from its original awkward arrangement into this snappy tune for a soft-core anthology comedy/romance show. Love, American Style is probably best remembered for hosting a stealth pilot for the long-running television series Happy Days.




4: American Pie
Vomitously covered by Madonna a few years back this 1971 ode to nostalgia was a huge hit for folk-rock artist Don McLean. This song is in the list because it is about a love of music and how it affects people. The song was one long reference to pop-culture.




3: This Guy's In Love With You
Another Golden Oldie from 1968 performed by Herb Alpert and written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. This song could probably be credited for getting Herb all the action he could handle and more for the next several decades. The lyrics are a bit of a downer but the score itself is amazing and can't be diluted even when rearranged as elevator music.




2: X Offender
A seemingly shocking song that features the doo-wop styling typical of the proto-punk era by Blondie with vocals performed by Debbie Harry. Originally Sex Offender, the name was changed due to concerns that the tune would receive resistance from radio stations worried over public reaction to the title. True Blondie fans call it Sex Offender anyway and totally get it. The song about a sex worker who is arrested by a police officer is misunderstood by a lot of people who don't understand that cops are people and need love too.




1: Maybe I'm Amazed
A love song from Paul McCartney to his wife, Linda. Maybe I'm Amazed is considered one of his greatest songs and is prominently featured on several albums and is showcased during concerts. Paul reportedly wants this song to be the one he is remembered by. The live version is better than the studio one, of course.



* Frankly, I'm surprised I ever have sex.

I think serial monogamy says it all

Tracey Ullman in 1983 covering They Don't Know, originally released in 1979 by Stiff Records contemporary Kirsty MacColl. Tracey didn't add much to this version except she is a bit more peppy than Kirsty's early-punkish sound though both efforts are tinged with despair.

A lazy Sunday pre-Valentine post.

Tomorrow: A Mysta Monday entry and for V-Day, The Top Five Love Songs of All Time.

Gee, Thanks

Buck Owens is a pretty familiar performer to many non-Country music fans, thanks to his years of exposure through the syndicated faux-hayseed television show Hee-Haw. As a youngster I watched that show a lot. Really a lot. Not because I really cared to and was a fan of the music but because in Michigan farm country that was often the only show our television could receive with any clarity other than the early morning Farm Report. This early exposure to urban life lead to my life-long aversion to corn fields and rednecks.

Not as well known though perhaps equally familiar to anyone watching repeats or videos of Buck Owens and his band was musical colleague Don Rich, who collaborated for years with Owens as leader of the back up band The Buckaroos.

This clip from Buck Owens' Ranch TV show displays what a great team Buck and Don were.

Buck Owens was a savvy promoter of his brand of music and if the stories are to be believed had a complicated love life and made hard decisions when it came to the music side of the business. Yet whatever minuses and pluses he had as a person Buck didn't let it get in the way of showcasing the other talent. Don Rich was often in the spotlight through their careers and his contribution was not downplayed.

Don Rich and the gang also had a sense of humor it appears. The following song of the relationship-shy is about as R-Rated as it got back then. While it is clear from Don's expression and delivery he was aware of how inappropriate the tune was for the evening television of the era it isn't as obvious that the phrase "Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am" had much meaning beyond the literal for most of the viewers. Like the infamous Brewer and Shipley song that the Lawrence Welk Singers obliviously covered (to the delight of later generations of online viewers) the tune, however salacious, would be perceived as perfectly innocent by much of the targeted audience. As a kid I myself equated the "Wham, Bam" title to the sound of a door slamming as some hapless guy ran apologetically from the chains of matrimony. The lyrics are probably not real safe for the work environment so be cool before clicking

Here is Don with a song from 1970:

And finally their first huge crossover hit in which legend has it Don Rich had to convince Buck to record:

A not-so-Lazy Sunday post, because I couldn't care less about the Superbowl.

Lesson One

Teacher, Teacher performed by Rockpile (1980).

I don't know why but I feel that Katy Perry could do a good job covering this song. I've never heard more than a minute of anything she did but Teacher, Teacher sung by a woman would be cute and evoke enough sexual ambiguity for her to be far superior to the first shallow, calculated, PR firm-driven hit I Kissed A Girl.

Beautiful Love Song

Sexy and scary, Wanda Jackson performs Hard-Headed Woman from back in 1958. This rocks.