Tourism Queensland Goes Viral on YouTube

Okay, so going viral with a video is the dream of every destination.  And this is hard to plan for.  After all, nobody knows they are going to be the next chubby kid with the light sabre, right?

Tourism Queensland has definitely pulled it off – at least somewhat – with this video called “Roo Mail.”   It’s got everything it needs to have:  It’s quirky, it pokes fun at itself, it has people who are comfortable on camera, it is not over-produced, and it has kangaroos (which are a sort of Aussie icon).

Think about this:  What does viral success in one vertical niche look like?  Do you need 2 million views in 2 days to be successful?  Probably not.  At this writing, Roo Mail has been live for 2 weeks, and has already been viewed over 164,000 times.  I think that’s a very good start, and certainly some great immersive branding for the state of Queensland.

But, go have a look:  http://youtu.be/ndnUTM57iqg.  Tell me what you think.

 

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Again, tonight, the nature of this post requires a soundtrack from Mozart while you read.

Like many people, I spent much of today thinking about Senator Ted Kennedy and the impact he had on my life, the lives of a multitude of Americans and the world.  Although from a rich and priveleged family, he spent his live in service to his country – a champion of the causes that made the lives of those without that same advantage better.  He didn’t have to do this, and – given the tragic circumstances that surrounded him and his family- it would be easy to understand had he chosen against it.  But instead he plunged headlong into public service, and in so doing became the most effective legislator in the history of our country.

For me, however, there is a deeper meaning to Senator Kennedy’s legacy.  Listening today to countless elected officials, political analysts, friends, Republicans, Democrats, and even Independents, one thing became abundantly clear.  Kennedy cared.  They called him the “Lion of the Senate” because his passions were there for his politics, sure, but he cared about people.  And, in an age where politics is so incredibly, so negatively personal that there is an organized campaign to question the President’s citizenship – where the epithets hurled from the left and the right have nothing to do with position and everything to do with persona – in this age of the constant simmer beneath the surface:  There was Ted Kennedy able to make connections, build bridges, among friend and foe alike.  This was a man who was loved by the most ideologically opposed, and for whom “fellow human being” meant far more than “fellow Senator.”  In a world dominated by self-interest and yearning for power, Senator Kennedy was loved not for his ego nor his power, but for who he was.  And that brought commonality and understanding, friendship and decency.

To me, Senator Kennedy had in him the same qualities that music has.  Music, it is said, can narrow the widest divide and form common bonds that last a lifetime.  It is clear that Ted Kennedy lived his life with much the same impact on those who knew him.  I live in New England, and I know many that have had the pleasure to meet him.

Oddly, my encounter with him was from a distance, and purely a musical one.  It was 5 years ago on one beautiful, hot, cloudless July weekend, and my wife and I had put our twins, then still in the double-wide stroller, into the minivan and took off for Cape Cod for the day.  Our first stop was Hyannis, and we were strolling up and down the main street in town, the kids in the stroller, window shopping and enjoying the crowd.  We got to one shop where it was just too small to fit the twins’ in the stroller, so I waited outside with them while Kate shopped.

It was getting near nap time, and both kids were starting to nod off – although pointing at things and exclaiming about them the way toddlers do.  Then, suddenly, from across the street an orchestra started playing.  We couldn’t see it, but we heard it just fine, and it seemed to catch most of those in town by surprise (we later learned this was the Boston Pops Orchestra playing an outdoor concert).  It was the theme to the film Gettysburg.  Then, about three minutes in, a booming baritone – that signature Teddy Kennedy baritone – roared out with the Gettysburg Address.  More people stopped.  My wife came out of the shop.

“Is that Teddy,” she was delighted, “how cool!”  And back in she went.  I leaned down and looked at the twins, who were now both wide awake and clapping.  I told them:  “That’s Senator Kennedy, and someday in school you’ll learn how he made this country a much better place to live.”

And that’s exactly what he did, in person and in policy.  We should all thank him for it.

More notes on notes, tomorrow.

You Don’t Know What Love Is

Play this while you read for a good soundtrack.

I’m not a person who revels in misery.  In fact, I believe that the only company for misery is banishment.  But my poor wife – oh my poor, depressed wife.  Some of it is hormonal, or chemical, and some of it is based on what I like to call the expectations of others.  Basically, my wife is upset that she cannot be, nor does she want to be, June Cleaver.  It seems that others have this expectation.

You remember June – she was always cheerful, her house was so clean you could lick the floors, she met her husband at the door with a smile, a kiss and a cocktail at the end of every day, and her kids were perfect.  She worried about nothing.  In short, she was not just the perfect wife, but her entire life was perfect.

By contrast, there’s an awful lot going on for my wife to absorb on a daily basis.  We have four kids.  The oldest is going to college in less than a week.  The youngest is only 2 and a half.  The twins don’t know how to listen, and they fight with each other all the time.  My daughter is ferociously defiant, her twin brother frequently overactive, and our toddler is – well – a typical two-year-old boy.   There is no keeping our house clean, and it’s too small anyway.  She is often overwhelmed, and nobody could blame her or be surprised.

Just to set the record straight, I’m not in the June Cleaver cadre.  If I wanted to live with June Cleaver, I would have married June Cleaver.  But I didn’t.  I married the woman I love, and my best friend – and that’s all I want her to be, herself.  Opening my heart and my life to her was the best thing I’ve ever done.

I know I can be supportive, but I also understand that I cannot fix this for her.  Worse yet, I worry that somehow, somewhere her depression is my fault – even though the more rational side of me knows that not to be the case.  And I live for her smile, for when I see it, I know that there is hope at the cadence of the blues.  She doesn’t have to be the perfect wife – she’s perfect for me.  And that’s all that matters.

Current Events Soundtrack:

I have discovered the auto-tune, and I am at once amazed and incensed.  I was listening to Studio 360 this weekend on NPR when they began a discussion of the auto-tune by playing a clip of Cher’s Believe.  Basically, the auto tune is the technology used to create this type of artificial vocal effect.  That’s fine.  Not exactly scatting through a line of jazz, but it’s fine.

However, this is not what the auto-tune was originally put into use for.  It’s original design was to alter the voice of a singer so that it was in tune with accompanying music.  HOLD THE PHONE FOR JUST A MINUTE?!  I thought being able to sing on key was – well – a prerequisite for being a professional singer, never mind the record contract.  Have we sunk so far into the abyss of focus-grouped, music-where-music-doesn’t-matter end of the business that we are willing to give people who look the part the opportunity to sing — even if they can’t hold a tune? 

This is not a rant against pop music.  I like pop music.  I even like “special effects” that give us the techno sound.  But I believe that you should actually be able to sing to get a recording contract – but I digress – for the auto-tune has given us a gift:  The Gregory Brothers have created The Auto-Tune News.  Yes, the technology that puts artists back on key, can also take the non-singers of the world and turn them into a rock-opera.  I give you a singing Vice President Joe Biden and Katie Couric.  This could be the best form of political satire – ever!

This day in history soundtracks:

In AD 79 Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Calcutta India was founded in 1690.  I know Petula Clark made this song a hit, but here’s the original Kalkutta Liegt am Ganges – sung by Vico Torriani.

During the War of 1812, the British overrun Washington DC, and chase President James and Dolly Madison out of the White House.   And then there was Canada’s role?

It’s Ukrainian Independence Day (1991).

Birthday Soundtracks:

Alessandro Marcello (1669).  His best known work:  Oboe Concerto in D Minor.

Theodore DuBois (1837).  A French composer, mostly of sacred music.  This is his Toccata for Organ.

Fred Rose (1897).  Rose was a popular and country music songwriter, and later a publisher in Nashville.  Here is Hank Williams, Sr. singing what was Rose’s biggest hit:  Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.

Alyn Ainsworth (1924).  British band leader and musician.

David Freiberg (1938).  Vocalist with the bands Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.

Jean-Michel Jarre (1948).  New age and popular musician.  This is his performance at the millenial New Year at the pyramids, in Egypt, in 2000.

Orla Fallon (1974).  Lead singer of the Celtic Women and an accomplished soloist, Fallon has a clear, beautiful Irish soprano voice, as evidenced in this recording of Down By the Sally Garden.

Passing Memorial Soundtracks:

Louis Prima (1978).  A little bit of Dixieland, a little bit of Chicago blues, a lot of standards – that’s what made Louis Prima so popular.  There are plenty of great Louis Prima recordings, but I have to say I really like I Wanna Be Like You, from Disney’s Jungle Book.  Honestly, it’s a great tune, and Prima is in his prime.  It doesn’t hurt having Phil Harris come in at the end, either!

Paul Creston (1985).  A contemporary American composer that melded jazz elements with minimalism, Creston had a fondness for utilizing instruments usually left by the wayside in classical performance, as evidenced by this Marimba Concertino.

Alexandre Lagoya (1999).  One of the premiere classical guitarists of his generation.  Here is a recording of Lagoya playing Albeniz.

More notes on notes tomorrow.

Feed Me Seymour!

Let’s just say I’m familiar with the workings of the news business – although it’s not something I do for a living now.  And I know, very well, that there are to kinds of news stories that get more attention than any others.  The first is bad news.  It’s always at the top of a news broadcast, screams of print headlines, flies across Twitter quicker than – well – a Google search result.  We can skip that for now, though.

It’s the second kind of news story that I want to address this evening – and that’s big things.  We see these all the time:  Giant statues, huge animal sculptures attracting tourist crowds, giant flags, even the elusive, almost-mythical, giant squid.  Today, however, we get the story of the discovery of a rare, giant pitcher plant in the Philippines.  Now, if you’re not familiar, the pitcher plant is not unlike the Venus flytrap.  It’s a small thing with sticky corrosive goo inside it’s flower that allows it to grab, kill and eat small insects.  This one, however, is not that small, and has been known to devour frogs and rats.

Frankly, I’m of two minds on this one:  One big gross-out for sure, but imagine this as a natural rodent trap.  “Look honey, it kills all the mice in the house – and it blooms so beautifully!  I don’t even have to water it!”  This is clearly the extra-large version, but what if it were to come super-sized?  I’ll stick with the Japanese plum tree in my front yard, thank you.

This day in history soundtracks:

In 1000, Hungary was officially founded.

President Andrew Johnson finally declared the American Civil War over in 1866.  Here’s the theme to Gettysburg by Randy Edelman.

Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture debuted in Russia in 1882.  Do you think we’d love it as much if it didn’t have the cannon fire in it?  I do!

Senagal won its independence on this date in 1969.

Birthday Soundtracks:

Jack Teagarden (1905), one of the great trombonists of the jazz age.  Here he is playing The Stars Fell on Alabama.

Alan Reed (1907), the original voice of Fred Flintsone – Yabba Dabba Doo!

Isaac Hayes (1942) – What’s My Name?  Dig it!

Robert Plant (1948), the lead singer of Led Zeppelin.  Many people think this is the number one rock song of all time.  Many people also disagree, and I happen to be one of them.

Doug Fieger (1952), the lead singer of The Knack, performers of My Sharona – a perennial college party favorite.

Agnes Chan (1955), who hit the Asian music scene with a hit album in 1971 when she was just 15 years old.  Here is her cut of Devoted to You.

Yuri Shiratori (1968), singer of Japanese pop.

Actress Amy Adams (1974), star of the hit Disney movie Enchanted, where she sang this.

Maxim Vengerov (1974), a phenomenal violinist.  Here he is playing Liebesfreud by Fritz Kreisler.  And time for another trivia moment.  Kreisler was a very talented violinist and composer in his own write, who claimed to have come into possession of lost compositions by well-known composers.  These, it turned out, were actually nice pieces he wrote himself – and thus ruined his reputation for the remainder of his career.

More notes on notes tomorrow.

Of Food and XM Radio

I’m a freak.  I love my XM radio but don’t have it in my car.  Instead, it’s in my kitchen, so I get my music when I cook.  This is great.  The kids come in and dance and we cook together.  I can theme my channel to my meal – classical for an elegant steak dinner, musica tropica if I’m going Mexican or spicy latin, even Broadway, rock – it’s all right there.  I used to spend some of that time focused on CNN or the politics channel.  That’s crude fast food fair.

Why have Lou Dobbs — who is to journalism what Leona Anderson was to opera?  Actually, this depends on how you look at Lou Dobbs.  Some think he’s comical – in which case I would compare him more to this.  I think I learned what satire was from Allan Sherman (and my father).  Sherman had some terrific songs, which brings me right back to XM.  The thing has so many channels that I keep discovering new ones.  Case in point:  I discovered one of their several comedy channels, and it was like reliving Doctor Dimento all over again.  I heard – in order – Idi Amin, Yoda by Weird Al Yankovic, and Too Fat Polka by Arthur Godfrey (is it my imagination or is Godfrey’s laugh particularly psychotic?). 

Tears were rolling down my cheeks as I was putting ginger, garlic, soy sauce, coconut milk and honey on chicken breasts and wrapping them in foil.  My wife thought something was wrong.  I was laughing so hard I could not talk, but just pointed to the radio.  At that point, Godfrey was done supporting Jenny Craig and this came on.  We both lost it.

Dinner, by the way, was a smashing success – even our finicky daughter loved it.  That just goes to show you what a little satire – and coconut milk – will do for roasted chicken breasts.  And that is why I love having music in my kitchen!

Current Events Soundtracks:

Hurricane Bill is now a category 4 storm, and although it’s nowhere near land at the moment, the cone of uncertainty (if that isn’t a perfect term for weather forecasting I don’t know what is) has it scraping coastal New England – our little patch of heaven.  And here is Dorothy Lamour from the 1937 film The Hurricane, singing Moon of Manakoora.  Because – well – haven’t you had your fill of “Bill” songs yet?

Nevada Senator John Ensign tells the public that his affair with a married woman was not like Bill Clinton’s, because he did nothing illegal.  Take it away, Fats Waller!

This day in history soundtracks:

In 1692, the Salem witch trials began in Massachusetts.

In 1772, King Gustav III of Sweden staged a coup to consolidate his power.  In subsequent years he became instrumental to the development of the arts in the country, starting both the Royal Swedish Opera and the Swedish Ballet.  He was later killed by a group of assassins, and the story was the theme of Verdi’s opera Un Ballo in Maschera.  Here is Volta La Terrea froma 1990 production featuring baritone Leo Nucci and the legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

In 1909, Indianapolis speedway plays host to its first auto race.  I don’t know why this song makes sense, but it does!

Paris is liberated from the clutches of the Nazis in 1944.  What better way to remember than a song from Edith Piaf.  This is actually one of my favorite Piaf songs.  What a magnificent vibrato!

In 1955, the Northeastern US was pounded by Hurricane Diane.  Another hurricane, another song.

In 1990, Leonard Bernstein conducted his final concert.  One of the pieces was Beethoven’s Symphony #7.  This video is the same piece, but from 12 years earlier in 1978.

Birthday soundtracks:

George Enescu (1881), Romanian composer.  Here is his Romanian Rhapsody, probably his best known work.

Gene Roddenberry (1921), producer.  Space, the final frontier…

Bill Clinton (1946), former President of the United States.

Lee Ann Womack (1966), country singer.  OK, you find another song about Little Rock.

Passing memorial soundtracks:

Jean-Baptiste Accolay (1900), Belgian composer.  Here is his Violin Concerto in A-minor.

Blind Willie McTell (1959), blues musician.  Very, very influential blues musician.

Groucho Marx (1977), comic genius and character.  I love the old crazy Groucho from the Marx Brothers movies.  His timing is perfect, as is his singing.  Hello, I Must Be Going from Animal Crackers is a great example of this.  For those of you who are not in the know about these things, the matronly lady is Margaret Dumont, who – in many a Marx Brothers movie – played the straightest of straight men to Groucho’s antics.  Why was she so good at this?  Well – apparently – she didn’t really get the jokes!

LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and member of the Dave Matthews Band.  You can here his work with the band here.

More notes on notes tomorrow.

Nanny 9-1-1, Meet Cocktails 101

Ok.  Deep breath.  Exhale.  It’s 12:30 AM.  Two of my three youngest are still awake.  Apparently they’ve found Starbucks, or something.  My daughter keeps on running into our room (where the baby is very tickled to see her), with the latest in her laundry list of reasons why she cannot stay in her bed:  It’s hot, she’s scared, there’s a bug (just one?) on the window screen, her twin brother annoys her (apparently even while sound asleep – he’s the treat this evening), she’s lonely, she can’t make her body behave (God help me when she’s 14), etc.  I’m beginning to feel like this.

The baby, as cute as he is at 2, is sitting up in our bed at the moment, rending pieces out of some already-been-chewed kids book, and then whipping us in the head with them.  What he is not is asleep.

So – now – this is a Nanny 9-1-1 moment, right?  Except it isn’t working, or it’s working very, very slowly.  I think we’ve firmly, but silently, put our daughter back into bed two dozen times.  So, we’ve decided that the minute everybody is asleep – it’s time for a cocktail.  But what to have:  Tequila? Vodka? Don’t spill the wine!  No matter what, we agree with Marie Lloyd – A Little of What You Fancy Does You Good! 

A technical note:  Marie Lloyd, the legendary English Music Hall performer, actually died in 1922.  Her daughter, also a great performer, is who you see in the clip here.  And the vodka clip?  That’s Dorothy Loudon in the funniest performance in the history of – well – live performances. 

Current Events Soundtracks:

I know I said not every tropical storm this year – but who’s counting.  Here comes Hurricane Bill.  No?  What about this Bill?  Wow, I could have saved that for the health care debate, instead of this one.

Happy Independence Day in Gabon and Indonesia.  They are both nice national anthems, but I think Indonesia’s contribution to world music, the Gamelan, is far more compelling – don’t you?

Soundtracks for this date in history:

In 1959, Miles Davis releases his landmark album, Kind of Blue.  Here is So What from that album.

In 1969, Hurricane Camille hit the Gulf Coast of the US.  Oh, no, there is no Camille song.  But wait – how about a bit of La Traviata, based on the book Camille?  See, tropical weather can be so musical.

In 1982, the first CD’s were released – in Germany.  And what says Germany and CD’s better than Peter Schilling?

In 2004, the nation of Serbia adopted a new national anthem, (along with numerous other new national symbols).

Birthday Soundtracks

Hans Leo Hassler (1562), composer of high renaissance polyphony in Germany.  Here is his Ave Maris Stella.  Note that the choir first lays down the original plain chant, something that had been out of practice for a number of years outside of Germany, but there remained through the Baroque period.

Nicola Porpera (1686), a lesser known composer of the Italian baroque, who specialized in vocal music.

Davy Crockett (1786), American pioneer and hero.  How could I possibly let this slide by without Fess Parker?

Mae West (1893), actress, comedienne, the last hootchy-kootchy girl, and the first sex symbol.  And she could really belt one out.

Larry Clinton (1909), swing band leader.  His big hit:  The Dipsy Doodle.

Robert DeNiro (1943), actor.  Truly a master of his craft.

Belinda Carlisle (1958), lead singer for the Gogo’s.  When I was in college, Belinda was all that and a bag of chips.  She got the beat.

Memorial Soundtracks:

Ole Bull (1880), great Norwegian violinist and composer. 

Billy Murray (1954., Murray was one of the premiere recording artists from the dawn of recorded music.  Here he is singing In My Merry Oldsmobile from 1909.

Ira Gershwin (1983).  Lyricist, who with his brother George, wrote some of the great standards of all time.  After George died tragically in 1937, Ira soldiered on, pairing with some of the greats of popular song:  Kurt Weill, Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern.  Here is a recording of William Bolcom and Joan Morris performing Long Ago and Far Away, a song Ira wrote with Jerome Kern.

Pearl Bailey (1990), singer and actress.  Here is an interesting vocal pairing – Pearl Bailey and Carol Channing – singing a medley from the hit musical Hello Dolly, in which both played the title role at different points.

More notes on notes, tomorrow.

Lullaby and Good Night

I freely admit this, I sing my children to sleep.  This is no mere attempt to placate them, it’s an attempt to keep the chain going – sort of a musical heredity if you will.  I didn’t ask for this sick, twisted brain that collects music and musical information nobody within twenty years’ of either side of my 45 knows.  I really didn’t.  But I do feel the need to pass it on to my kids.

The twins are at this great age, too, where nothing I can sing to them is uncool, and they want to sing along (OK, that’s counter-productive to the goal but – still – really neat all the same).  The baby – well he bops along to just about everything.  You pretty cannot go musically wrong with a two year old.

I like to be diverse.  Tonight, for example, I gave them four songs:  What Happened to the Manx Cat’s Tail (a Florrie Forde English Music Hall tune), Bali Hai from South Pacific, Exactly Like You, and Stay Awake from Mary Poppins.  I usually start with the English Music Hall or something upbeat, then work my way down in tempo.  High engines become low engines, and – if I’m really luck – at least one of them is sound asleep before I’m done.

Back in my room, with my wife next to me, I can sigh deeply and – no matter what happened during the day, or how naughty somebody has managed to be, know that it’s great to be the dad.

Current events soundtracks:

In honor of the first tropical storm of the year to hit Florida – Claudette – here’s, well, Claudette Peters singing, Go Claudette.  And, no, I don’t expect to do this for every single named storm this year.

This weekend marks Independence Day in India.

Soundtracks for this date in history:

In 1760, Frederick the Great defeated the Austrians at Leignitz.  When not at war, which was only some of the time, Frederick was a very competent composer.  This is his Hohenfriedberger March, as interpreted by the Swedish Army Band.  You’ll also find it on the soundtrack of the epic Stanley Kubrick movie Barry Lyndon, which also features incredibly beautiful music by The Chieftains and composer Sean O’Riada.

The Wizard of Oz premiered on this date in 1939.  From a musical standpoint, the songs really are that good – and would be even if the film hadn’t developed the staying power that it has today.  Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg wrote great stuff, and but I want to focus on Arlen, who spent his life as a pop song and musical composer.  The overture or opening credits sets the mood for this film so very well.  In fact, if you think about what you remember of the movie, the incidental music stands out almost as well as Over the Rainbow.  Think about it, and you’ll see what I mean.

The Beatles play the first stadium concert in history, to 60,000 screaming fans at Shea Stadium in New York.  Predictably, the New York Mets cannot draw more than 1/6 the crowd, but they have a kick-ass theme song.  Pay attention Met fans – this is baseball theme song.  Now, maybe, somebody will comment on my blog.  Probably from Queens.

The summer of love heated up in 1969 at Woodstock.  And the national supply of hallucinagenic drugs dropped drastically for the next week and a half.

Birthday Soundtracks:

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769).  So here’s a kicker piece of trivia:  Beethoven actually dedicated the composition of his Eroica Symphony (#3) to Napoleon.  Then, after Napoleon turned out to be a non-liberator, he rescinded it.  Then he wrote Wellington’s Victory celebrating Napoleon’s defeat.  Thank you, Ludwig, and good night.

Edna Ferber (1885).  She was the author of Showboat, which became a landmark musical in the development of the American musical theatre. Musical theatre was so incredibly different before it, that when Jerome Kern submitted the score to the producers, it contained an 8-minute song called “Misery,” but the producers were scared to death of any song and dance that lasted 8 minutes, so they made Kern cut it out.  Here’s Dame Kiri Te Kanawa with Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man, from Showboat.

Leon Theremin (1896).   Theremin invented the first electronic instrument, and – honestly – I think science fiction movie producers all over the world rejoiced.  Here he is playing his invention.  And here it is in practical use in the opening to The Day the Earth Stood Still, by Bernard Hermann.

Hugo Winterhalter (1909).  How many of you have had your cavities filled to this?

Oscar Peterson (1925).  Good God, he was great!  Here is Peterson and his trio doing Lush Life.  Magnificent!  And I have never seen a clip of Peterson where he is not truly enjoying himself.

Shirley Kwan (1966).  Her very lush, dramatic and stylized hits epitomize modern pop in Hong Kong.

More notes on notes tomorrow.

Are You Going to Washington County Fair?

Apologies to Simon and Garfunkle.

Today was a day of family, a day of suburban surreality.  Like tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders will this weekend, we visited the Washington County Fair.  Our third annual pilgrimage came under the umbrella of good weather (not even the threat of a shower), and so I took a vacation day, we loaded the twins and the baby into the minivan, and headed off at about noon.

I knew that this was going to be an odd day the minute the SUV zoomed passed us in the left lane, featuring a pair of hands pasting a piece of lined paper to the window that read (thickly drawn in ball point ink), “give us boobz.”

The fairgrounds are about 20 minutes down the highway from our home, which sits on a suburban street, in a suburban neighborhood, in a suburban town, in a mostly suburban state.  Yet, once a year, Rhode Island manages to muster enough “country” to provide us suburbanites with tractor pulls, livestock, kitchy crafts, antique farm equipment, live country music, old-fashioned carnival rides and even tons of food-on-a-stick.  Of course, this is Rhode Island, so these delicacies mix in with clam “chowdah,”  johnny cakes, Italian sausage and Del’s lemonade.

We arrived in the middle of the day, so it wasn’t too crowded.  The kids rode the rides.  They ate sugar.  Then they had some more sugar.  We all danced to the country music.  We looked at chickens, cows, sheep, rabbits and – then – pigs.  Huge pink pigs, some with ribbons, and that’s when my youngest looked at one of the pink ones and said, “Daddy, Wilbur.”  Oh, my!  “Fine swine, wish he was mine…”

The second was a run-in with the Calliope.  This calliope is on a boat on the water,  but the sound is just about the same.  All in all, everybody had a grand time, and these suburbanites – at least – are already looking toward next year’s fair with anticipation!

Current Events Soundtracks:

This week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on a trip to Africa, probably the longest trip there ever made by an official of the US government.  She has dealt with important issues, war and peace, trade agreements, oil, womens’ rights, but the media here seems a bit more concerned about her demeanor in answering questions – in short this kind of politics.

Happy Independence Day to Pakistan.

Soundtracks for this day in history:

In 1888, Thomas Edison introduced the phonograph in London with a press conference featuring a recording of The Lost Chord, by Sir Arthur Sullivan.  Here it is.  It is quite hard to hear, but don’t let that diminish the historical significance of what you’re hearing.  You Tube amazes me.

The first beauty contest was held in Folkstone, England in 1908.  This recording by John Steele is perfect, although made 11 years later.

In 1935, the US Congress created Social Security.  Almost 75 years later, people are still fighting about it.  Our tenor, by the way, is the legendary John McCormack.  Enjoy1

Japan surrendered to the US, ending the war in the Pacific on this date in 1945.

1956 marked the premiere of the movie Bus Stop, featuring Marilyn Monroe.

Birthday Soundtracks:

William Hutchison (1586) one of the original colonists to settle Rhode Island.  Happy Birthday, Bill.

Doc Holliday (1851), one of those who fought at the OK Corral.

Comedienne and singer Alice Ghostley (1926), who made her splash in The New Faces of 1952.  Here she is singing The Boston Beguine.

Singer and musician David Crosby (1941), part of the group Crosby, Stills and Nash.  Icons of the folk rock movement, I think their best work is Suite Judy Blue Eyes.  Here they are singing it during Live Aid in the 1980’s.

Steve Martin (1945) is one of the funniest people on the planet.  Let’s just say this was his moment.

James Horner (1953) is right up there with John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry as one of the great film score composers of this generation.  His titles include Titanic, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, Enemy at the Gate, Cocoon, The Pelican Brief and (my favorite) Willow.  It’s lush, exciting, dramatic, and pensive, and turns an OK movie into a great ride.

Sarah Brightman (1960), a soprano who has led an interesting career including performances in classic operas and broadway musicals.  Here she is with Andrea Bocelli singing their hit, Time to Say Goodbye.

Passing Anniversary Soundtracks

William Croft (1727) English Baroque composer.  Here is his Sonata in G.  Note the use of the recorder, which was a feature in English classical composition through the baroque and classical periods, long after it had passed out of fashion on the European continent.

Bertholdt Brecht (1956), German author and lyricist, who wrote with Kurt Weill in 1920’s Germany.  Here is Lotte Lenya in 1930 singing from The 3 Penny Opera.

Bruno Kirby (2006), a wonderful character actor who is probably best known as Billy Crystal’s best friend in the film When Harry Met Sally.  You made a woman meow?  Bruno, this is for you.

More notes on notes tomorrow.

Silence on Mockingbird Hill

I was never really that into the guitar.  I mean, I play chords, but I’m a pianist, a singer, not a guitar guy.  But I knew who Les Paul was early on.  Every kid did.  Somebody’s older brother, their cousin, their dad played in a garage band (or wished they did) and had a Les Paul.  In guitar lingo that’s the same as saying “Steinway.”  And that was just the start of what he did.  He made more than a guitar, he made a new instrument – and with that he made music.  The Les Paul – the solid electric guitar – was revolutionary.  Rock and roll, pop, jazz – none of it would sound the way it does without him.  He invented tracking – the idea that you could layer recordings one on top of the other.  That was really the beginning of mixing music, synthesized music and more.  And he didn’t do it to be impressive, he did it to make music.  And he kept on making music.  There was no retirement for Les Paul – in fact there still won’t be.  Like Bell and Edison, his name will be forever connected with sound, with music.  Thanks Les, for all of us who have stood on Mockingbird Hill and felt your vision.  It’s been an honor.

Current Events Soundtracks:

It’s Independence Day in the Central African Republic and Laos

Soundtracks for This Day in History:

In 1521, the Aztecs lose their capital, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) to Hernando Cortez.  And a vibrant culture is lost along with it.

1889 – Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents the derigible, changing pro-sports events forever (well, think about it).  All kidding aside, the blimp was a huge invention at the time.  In fact, Come Take a Trip in My Airship was one of the earliest hit songs in the history of American popular music.  This recording is Billy Murray, a noted variety singer popular between 1890 and 1910.

1940 – The Battle of Britain began, as the Germans attempted to use constant nightly bombing raids to wear down the morale of the British.  And as Londoners spent night after night in air raid shelters, songs like The White Cliffs of Dover reminded them of better times to come.  This Vera Lynn recording was the original – and became a smash hit overnight on both sides of the Atlantic.

1942 – Bambi premieres in movie theatres, featuring a dramatic plot, cute forest creatures, the requisite death/abandonment by the hero’s mother (what was Walt Disney’s problem, anyway? And they keep on doing it.  Over and over again cartoon mommy disappears.), and this wonderful song.

Birthday Soundtracks

1820 Sir George Grove.  As any musicologist knows, Sir George Grove is to music what Larousse is to gastronomy.  Specifically, he wrote the book – literally.  Grove’s dictionary of music and musicians was the definitive music reference book of its day, and it continues to be republished and updated to this day (even now online).  Grove was a good friend of Sir Arthur Sullivan (one half of Gilbert and Sullivan – never to be confused with Gilbert O’Sullivan) and was responsible for finding a large cache of previously undiscovered Schubert works, including the music to Rosamunde (this is a recording by the Utah Symphony).

1860 Annie Oakley.  America’s greatest woman gunslinger, immortalized in the Irving Berlin musical, Annie Get Your Gun.  Take it away, Ethel.  Her duet partner is Bruce Yarnell (like you care).

1879 John Ireland.  An English composer with a flare for the dramatic, as represented in his Elegy from the Downland Suite.  This is Andre Previn conducting the Leicester Schools Symphony Orchestra in 1970.

1895 Bert Lahr.  The guy was really funny, even without the lion costume.

1899 Alfred Hitchcock.  Good evening – deep breath – your suspicions were correct.  I’m going to link now to Funeral March of a Marionette by Charles Gounod (the Hitchcock television theme).  But – deep breath – I’m not going to stop there.  So many great movies with great soundtracks (mostly by Bernard Herrman), like North by Northwest (my favorite of them).  Oh yes, and have you ever heard the singing of school children by so spooky?  Unfortunately I cannot find it to link to – if you have it, send it over.

1912 Ben Hogan.  Hogan was one of the true legends of golf.  And, I know he’s not in The Legend of Bagger Vance, but the Rachel Portman score seems perfect for his birthday, anyway.

1919 George Shearing.  There’s jazz piano, and then there’s George Shearing’s jazz piano.  Born blind, he developed an extraordinary and unique style that involves block chording and a improvisational style that draws heavily on classical French impressionist music.  This version of Lullaby of Birdland is a great example.

1930 Don Ho.  Ho was the icon of Hawaiian music, and an ambassador for that music to the entire world.  There are certainly plenty of choices when it comes to his prolific repertoire.  But this is just too weird:  Don Ho singing on I Dream of Jeannie.

1948 Kathleen Battle.  Her distinctive, light soprano voice has made Kathleen Battle an icon of American opera singers.  In short, when she sings you think:  O God is that angelic!  Over the years, her repertoire has diversified to include more contemporary and avante garde projects.  Here she is singing O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini.  By the way, this is my favorite Puccini soprano aria.  My favorite Puccini tenor aria:  Nessun Dorma from Turandot.  There is no better tenor to compliment Kathleen Battle than Luciano Pavarotti.

1951 Dan Fogelberg.  In my opinion he only needed to write one song.  Leader of the Band, apparently, was written for his father.  It could have been written for my father, who has been gone now for 14 years.  He gave me my music, and even now – as I sit here listening to Fogelberg, I’m crying.  I love you Dad.

1959 Danny Bonaduce.  Danny Partridge.  Come on, get happy.

1960 Koji Kondo.  Kondo is Nintendo’s most prolific video game soundtrack composer.  Here his is playing his Super Mario music on an acoustic piano.

Passing Anniversary Soundtracks:

Francesco Durante (1757), often overlooked Italian baroque composer.  Here is his Concerto a Cinque in G minor.

Jules Massanet (1912), best known for his Meditation from Thais, a violin piece.  The voilinist is Sarah Chang.  And yes, that is Placido Domingo conducting.

H.G. Wells (1946), one of the world’s first science fiction writers.  Here is something rare indeed, the opening scene (and title score) for Things To Come by Arthur Bliss.  Interestingly, the printed score was destroyed during the Blitz in World War II, but later reconstructed – painstakingly – through the use of computer technology and the actual film.

Nino Ferrer (1998), a well-known French pop and jazz musician who really hit his stride in the 1970’s.  Here is an interesting song of his called Oh! He! Hein! Bon!

Nazia Hassan (2000), who died tragically young from lung cancer, was a rarity in south central Asia:  A Pakistani singer that was also successful in India.  Her first hit was in 1980 with Aap Jaisa Koi, which she recorded for the film Qurbani when she was only 17.

Phil Rizzuto (2007), legendary short stop for the New York Yankees, is probably the only baseball player turned announcer to be featured in a rock song.

More notes on notes tomorrow.

Let’s Turn Out the Lights and Go To Sleep

Note:  Tonight’s header is also the title of Rudy Vallee’s Theme song.  It was written by Herman Hupfeld, who also composed the signature song from the film Casablanca, “As Time Goes By.”

My children will not go to sleep at night.  They find excuses to stay awake that drive my wife and I up a wall.  The twins, in particular, are just one continues hamster wheel of insomniatic behavior.  They torture each other, they sing, they play games, they even pretend to pack to go to Grandma’s house.  Since they sleep in the same room, while it keeps them from torturing the baby (the teenager – of course – is going to eschew sleep at every chance anyway), it also keeps them in independent, trouble-making isolation.

I was relating this to my sister on the phone this morning via the neurotic parent guilt syndrome (“What am I doing wrong?  They’re going to grow up to be narcissistic, drug-trafficking, bank robbers, I just know it.”) when she pointed out the fact that we used to stay up together all the time.  We were in seperate bedrooms, divided by a hollow wall, which was a natural amplifier for all sorts of conversation and entertainment.  A good deal of this behavior revolved around music.  I have a distinct memory, in fact, of staying up until all hours with her turning the kid’s ditty “The Littlest Worm I Ever Saw” into a ballad with well over 50 verses, somewhere around the time I was in the 5th grade.

In fact, as a teenager (before the vampiric phase set in) I stayed up one night with her, she fell asleep, and then I read E.L. Doctorow’s novel Ragtime in one sitting.  By the way, Ragtime made a fantastic movie.  The cast was stellar, and I remember going to see it in 1981, with my parents (and when I was just old enough to see an R-rated film).  Jimmy Cagney had a cameo.  My father was ecstatic.  But, for me, the key to Ragtime was the score.  It was as if Randy Newman was alive in 1911 and new exactly what people were listening to.  The score to the broadway musical is certainly a monumental one, but it tries to marry modern Broadway convention with the lilt and schmalz of the early 20th century.  Newman hit his right on the head.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain – my sister and I were creative, and creatively busy until we fell asleep.  But, from my parental throne, this is an ill omen.  Our antics as kids lasted a long time – well into adulthood, in fact.  About 14 years ago, right after my father passed away, my mother took us on a trip to Las Vegas for the Christmas holiday (my father had absolutely no desire to go there).  I was in the midst of almost divorcing my now ex-wife for the first time (you should always listen to your inner voice), so it was just the three of us.  And my sister and I came to a monumental, if not obvious, conclusion – after several cocktails overlooking the fountains at the Bellagio.  Resort casino development and marketing is all theme-based (oh, wow, is that Mensa on the phone?).  And what Vegas needed was a Swedish-themed casino.  And that meant a Swedish theme song (by now we were sitting up in my hotel room at 1 AM).  And what was that?  Here’s the tune, you can sing along if you’d like:

“You can play…

You can win…

Come let the magic begin…

See the shows…

Eat at the smorgasbord…

Visit the Svendefjord…”

No, I’m not kidding.  And it still works.  In their bedroom down the hall, our 6-year-old twins are now fast asleep!

Current events soundtracks:

Avast, ye scurvy dog, there are pirates afloat in Europe.  Stealing ships carrying lumber, a fair booty that will fetch – OK, OK, well maybe piracy is not what it used to be.

Tonight is another shot at catching the Perseid Meteor Shower.  Last night for background music I suggested either Jupiter, from The Planets, by Holst, or Heaven and Hell (theme from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos mini-series) by Vangelis.  Tonight, I recommend the Theme to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Good stuff.

The US Federal Reserve Board (which never speaks with much clarity) is sending relatively clear signals that they think the recession is over.  That version of Happy Days are Here Again is probably the most famous recorded, by the Ben Selvin Orchestra, one of the great bands of the jazz/pre-swing era.

Soundtracks for this day in history:

In 30 BC, Cleopatra (who didn’t remotely look like Elizabeth Taylor) committed suicide by allowing herself to be bitten by a poisonous snake.  And here is the perfect song for an iconic, stereotypical legend from the dawn of civilization.  Important tip:  Never make the mummified angry (another great score by the late Jerry Goldsmith).

In 1833, the city of Chicago was founded, and they managed to burn the whole thing down less than 40 years later.  Of course, here’s where I could go for Chicago the group, or Chicago the musical, or the soundtrack to In Old Chicago (a 1937 film that chronicles the great fire of 1871).  But, nope.  Here is the song Chicago, Chicago, as sung by Frank Sinatra (and I got all the way to my third post before I got some Sinatra in here).

In 1981, IBM released its first personal computer.  Shall we play a game?

Birthday Soundtracks:

Heinrich Biber (1644), a Baroque German composer of some note. 

Cecil B. DeMille (1881),  one of the greatest directors in the history of film.  Here is the opening theme of The 10 Commandments, by Elmer Bernstein.  I think Bernstein did his best work in the 1950’s and 60’s, scoring  – in addition to The 10 Commandments – The Magnificent Seven, Hawaii, and Thoroughly Modern Millie, just to name a few.  He continued scoring up through 2002, and he died in 2004.

Jane Wyatt (1910) was best known for her role in the television drama “Father Knows Best.”  She also played Spock’s human mom in the original Star Trek series.

Perennial country music favorite and Hee-Haw co-star Buck Owens (1929).  Here is one of his best songs, Together Again.

Mark Knopfler (1949), guitarist and lead singer for the band, Dire Straits.  He’d like to celebrate by Twisting by the Pool.

Pat Metheny (1954) may very well be the world’s greatest studio guitarist, and was a pioneer in both jazz fusion and new age recording.  You’ll enjoy this.

Ruh roh!  Actress Grey DeLisle (the voice of Daphne on the newer batch of Scooby Doo cartoons).  Happy Birthday, Grey!

Passing Anniversary Soundtracks:

Giovanni Gabrieli (1612) the Italian pre-Boroque composer who excelled in exalted, regal liturgical music.  This is his Canzon Duodecimi Toni.

Jacopo Peri (1633), a contemporary of Gabrieli’s, specialized in vocal music.

Anna Held (1918) was Flo Ziegfeld’s first wife, and a singer of some reknown.  Her hits included I Don’t Want to Play in Your Yard, Every Little Movement Has a Meaning All It’s Own, and I Just Can’t Make Eyes Behave.  Unfortunately, recordings of Anna Held are extremely rare, so this is actress Barbara Parkins playing the role of Ms. Held on stage.

Leos Janacek (1928) was the most influential Czech composer of the 20th century.  This Sinfonietta is a strong example of the disjointed, discordant structure that was a feature of post-impressionism, combined with the folk influences of his Czech culture.

Ian Fleming (1964) was the author creator of James Bond, and wrote 14 novels about his exploits – all of which have been made into films.  Here is Moonraker, composed by John Barry and sung by Shirley Bassey.  Barry is incredibly adept at tugging at your heart strings with even a score to a spy movie.  These Bond songs made Bassey’s career.  And Ian Fleming had one other novel of note, for kids – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  180 degrees from Goldfinger, isn’t it!

Henry Fonda (1982) made watching movies so easy, because you didn’t think he was acting – he was just simply going about his life and letting you in on it.  Dave Grusin’s score for Fonda’s last film, On Golden Pond, really conveys that well.

John Cage (1992) was an icon of the post-modern and minimalist movements in 20th century music.  He was known, in particular, for compositions that required what he called a “prepared piano” – a piano that had been altered from its standard construction.  This is his Bacchanale for Prepared Piano.

And – finally – Merv Griffin (2007) for one reason and one reason only.  He wrote this.

More notes on notes tomorrow.