COMPOSER JOHN BARRY DIES AT 77

Many of my favorite film scores were composed by John Barry. Barry is best know for his work on the James Bond films. One of his first film scores was for a 50's juvenile delinquent film Beat Girl. That song, featuring the twangy guitar of Vic Flick, was recycled by Fatboy Slim into the 90's hit song "Rockefeller Skank."

He died over the weekend at age 77. Here is the BBC news obit. If you want to check out his music you can find a whole page of downloads at Amazon.com.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I USED TO LIKE THAT SONG

Did you ever stop liking something that you thought was "cool" when you were younger? Recently, I discovered that I no longer liked a song from my youth called "88 Lines About 44 Women." The song was by a group called the Nails. It kept coming up in my Ipod and Itunes. I had transferred it from a CD of 80's hits, so it wasn't like I had paid to download it.

You see when I was in junior high this song would occasionally be heard on the radio. If it was heard it was after 10 p.m at night. The reason was it had "dirty words" in it. I don't think I ever heard a "censored" version of this song. Somebody in Hammons Hall had it on a tape or record, because you could hear it playing down the hall. I didn't hear it again until I bought this 80's hits CD.

As it began playing on my Ipod and Itunes in shuffle mode, I noticed something. "88 Lines About 44 Women" is a really lame song. It is only about five minutes long, but it seems to go on for an eternity. The singer reads the lyrics like an NPR radio host, while the music sounds like it was played on a children's keyboard. The lyrics are simple yet so random. I could write new lyrics to this song and nobody would know the difference. All I need was to do would be come up with (1) two women's names - one exotic and one common, (2) an action that is very normal or sweet and tender (3) an action that is both disturbing and repulsive about either religion, drugs, sex or bodily functions and (4) throw in a four letter word. It would go something like this:

"Vanda was a fat girl, but she knew how to dance. Melinda was a sexy blond with a bad habit of $#!++ing her pants. Hhhuuummmm-hum-hum-hum-hum-HUM-hum-hum"

At the end of each verse, the lead vocalist/narrator would hum (Yes, I said hum) along with the music. To make things worse, there was another song about that time that sounded like it was being played on a child's keyboard that consisted mainly of the words "Da da da" repeated over and over.

If you MUST hear this song, you can find a homemade video of the song on You Tube. It probably isn't safe for work because it is not PC, not family friendly and down right annoying.

SAN DIEGO RADIO MARKET PROVES THE INDUSTRY WRONG

The talk among radio listeners in Springfield this week is the sudden disappearance of Bass Country 92.9 from the local radio dial has some folks upset. Of course, I believe there is WWWAAAAYYYY too much country music on local radio. My goal in radio was to eradicate country music from the air waves. Now it is to eradicate right-wing talk radio first and then gt rid of the country music.

You frequently hear radio big-shots claim that only country music and talk radio are the only formats that will thrive in the Ozarks, while other formats don't work. I heard for nearly a decade that a CHR station "wouldn't work anymore in the Ozarks." Last ratings period, Power 96.5 was third. I guess some people were wrong.

You hear many listeners say they like oldies and smooth jazz, but radio big-shots claim that those formats don't make money. Tell that to the San Diego radio market. The North County Times of San Diego has a great article about how supposedly unsuccessful radio formats are tops in that area of California.

I've always said Californians were smarter than Ozarkers. Of course, that opinion has made me the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

THE WASHINGTON SQUARES - FOURTH DAY of JULY

One of the great bands I listened to in college and played on the Midnite Snack on KSMU, that you no longer hear on the radio any more. Sad ain't it!

I THOUGHT THAT SONG WAS ABOUT ME

One of the great mysteries of rock and roll lyrics may be solved. Carly Simon is hinting that a guy named David was the inspiration for "You're So Vain." The Toronto Star has the story.

Rumor has it that it is record mogul David Geffen. I thought it was David Coulier of Full House. Maybe I'm thinking of another song.

I always thought "You're So Vain" was about me. Of course, opinions like this are why I'm the Super-Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

TEDDY PENDERGRASS DEAD AT 59

Here is the story from AP/MSNBC.

Here is one of his biggest hits after he left Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.


THE BEST AND WORST MUSIC OF THE OUGHTS

As you know I am an expert on what pop music. That is why I created a list of the best and worst of music of the Oughts (2000 - 2009).

Best songs (in no particular order):
Soak Up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic at the Disco
Gives You Hell-The All-American Rejects
Clocks - Coldplay
I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
Careless Whispers- Seether
Smooth - Santana
Chemistry -Semisonic
Golddigger- Kanya West
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Drops of Jupiter - Train
Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray
If You Seek Amy - Brittney Spears
The Remedy - Jason Mraz
Unwell - Matchbox 20
Hey Ya - Outkast
Hot In Here - Nelly
In the End - Linkin Park
Bent - Matchbox 20
Skater Boy - Avril Lavine
Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
Promiscuous - Nelly Furtato and Timberland
Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
Single Ladies Put a Ring on It - Beyonce
Laffy Taffy- D4L

And now the worst (In order of their awfulness):

1. Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
2. Have You Forgotten - Darryl Worely
3. I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe
4. Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross
5. Heaven Holds The Ones I Love - Nita Whitaker
6. To Where You Are - Josh Groban
7. Angel - Shaggy
8. Your Beautiful - James Blunt
9. Meet Virginia - Train
10. All Summer Long Kid Rock


Of course opinions like this are why I'm considered the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

TWO THINGS I'M NOT INTERESTED IN

1. Tiger Woods' sex life: This story only appeals to racist, old, white men who aren't good at golf.
2. Susan Boyle's CD: I don't understand the fascination with this woman. She can sing but her music is boring. I think I'll buy the Adam Lambert CD instead.

Of course, opinions like these are are why I'm considered the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

OBITS: DICKIE PETERSON AND VIC MIZZY

Obituaries include the lead singer of pioneering heavy metal band Blue Cheer. Dickie Peterson was 63. The New York Times has the story. The Blue Cheer's frantic thrashing style paved the way for Metalica. Their version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" is head-banging music at its finest.

Vic Mizzy, who wrote the theme songs to the TV shows Green Acres and the Addams Family, has died at age 93. Here is the Los Angeles Times article.

Some may question my posting of deaths of celebrities. Once upon a time, the Springfield bloggers had a contest of sorts going as to who could bring a celebrity death to Chatter's Ron Davis attention first. Some found this game distasteful, it stopped around the time Ron slacked off on posting.

Now comes word, from Ad Age, that obits may become a part of TV news just like they are small town radio. Ugh!

ANOTHER THING WRONG WITH RADIO

When I decided to get into radio in the mid-80's, there was a radio show that fired my need to program one of the local radio stations MY WAY. That show was the Dr. Demento Show. I had to listen to it over faint signals from Rolla, St. Louis and Kansas City. There was not an affiliate in the Springfield area.

I colleague of mine was wondering if the Dr. Demento show still aired anywhere in the country. I found both the Dr. Demento page and a Wikpedia page with the sad story. Only seven radio stations carry Dr. Demento's show. Compare that to the numbers of affiliates of right-wing talk radio low-life host like like Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, Mike Savage, Bill Cuningham and Rush "the Overpaid Scumbag" Limbaugh.

I feel the government needs to step in and force stations in every city to drop the talk low-life shows and carry Dr. Demento. Of course, opinions like this are why I'm considered the SUPER-VILLAIN OF THE OZARKS!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR WRITING THAT SONG

There is one horrible plague that my generation had to deal with - a called "You Light Up My Life." The song came from a movie that nobody I know saw. The Debbie Boone version of the song (Oh yes, everyone tried to sing this one) was on the radio every hour of the day and on every radio station between 1977 - 78. She was on TV singing it. They forced us to sing it in elementary school. I once saw on the news where a school forced little deaf children to perform the song in sign language, as opposed to having them sign a good song from the era like "Calling Dr. Love" or "Do You Think I'm Sexy." Yes, while British kids were getting into the Sex Pistols, we were being tortured by Debbie Boone and "You Light Up My Life." This may have been the start of radio's problems.

Even into my high school days in the late 80's, someone would sing "You Light Up My Life" in an assembly or at a school event. So I am glad to report (with help from CNN) that the guy who wrote "You Light Up My Life" is going to be punished for sex charges. I WANT HIM PUNISHED FOR WRITING THAT SONG, BUT OPINIONS LIKE THIS IS WHY I AM THE SUPER VILLAIN OF THE OZARKS!!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I HATE THAT "CHICKEN FRIED" SONG

This is something I have to say, because it is a major problem in the Springfield community that must be addressed. This should be off concern to many patrons of local restaurants with juke boxes. It is people who insist on playing that stupid "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band. This has to be ONE OF THE WORST SONGS EVER RECORDED, yet there is a group of people in this town that insist on playing this song on the juke box the minute they walk in an establishment. It seems to be the same people every time. They are either a gang of rednecks (no surprise), a group of plus-sized women in their twenties and, the most shocking of all, medical workers (or their folks who like to wear scrubs).

See when I go out to enjoy myself. I may be selfish but I like to hear music that makes me feel good. Some headbanging songs like "Action" by the Sweet, "Living After Midnight" by Judas Priest, "Anarchy for the U.K." the Sex Pistols, "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne or "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy are great when you are knocking back a few cold beverages. I also will accept "I Kissed a Girl" or "If You Seek Amy," but NOT "THE CHICKEN FRIED" SONG! Let me also say I don't like to hear any "Cracklin Rosie" by Neil Diamond.

I don't understand the words to this song, but then again, I never understood the point of the lyrics of very many country songs when I was a dee-jay at a country station in Lebanon. Most of them are stupid. About the only songs I liked when I was at that country station was "Friends In Low Places," "Seminole Wind" and "Goodbye Earl." We didn't play any of these because the president of one of the local banks didn't like them. Since he was an advertiser we had to play what he wanted (Bankers make the worst advertisers because they try to boss the radio stations around - I hope President Obama does something to punish these capitalist goons).

I feel this "Chicken Fried" song needs to be banned from all juke boxes in Springfield. I'm calling on Mayor Jim O'Neal and city council to get behind this. I also feel that this should be addressed by the Highway Patrol because I CONSIDER ANYONE WHO PLAYS THAT "CHICKEN FRIED" SONG ON A JUKE BOX A DOMESTIC TERRORIST!

I realize will not be a popular opinion to hold, but that is what makes me SUPER VILLAIN OF THE OZARKS!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Monte Hale Dies

All Access reports: "ALL ACCESS sends condolences to the family of singing cowboy MONTE HALE, who passed away SUNDAY (3/29) at his home in STUDIO CITY, CA. He was 89. HALE appeared on several television shows and films, including "Gunsmoke," "Giant," and "The Chase." One of his good friends was fellow singing cowboy GENE AUTRY. HALE and his wife, JOANNE, co-founded the GENE AUTRY WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM, later renamed the AUTRY MUSEUM OF WESTERN HERITAGE."

Ozarks Native/Steel Guitar Legend Tom Brumley Dead at 73

Tom Brumley, who played steel guitar with Buck Owens' Buckaroos and Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band passed away Tuesday in a San Antonio hospital, according to the Houston Chronicle. He had a heart attack a few days before. Tom is the son of Albert E. Brumley, who wrote many famous hymns such as "I'll Fly Away." Both are featured in The Ozarks Greatest Hits book by KTXR's Wayne Glenn. Brumley has family living in the area.

FIVE DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN

Yes, five days until Halloween, my favorite holliday. Of course, none of the radio stations in Springfield are playing wall-to-wall Halloween music like I have suggested they should. Watch - next week one of the stations will start playing wall-to-wall Christmas music just to irritate me. YOU SHOULDN'T PLAY CHRISTMAS MUSIC UNTIL DECEMBER!

Last Halloween, I posted a list of my Top 50 favorite songs for Halloween. I have had more hits on that post than any other. I've decided to post that list of songs again.
These songs are not in order:

1. Monster Mash – Bobby B. Pickett
2. Dinner With Drac – John Zacherle
3. Til The Following Night – Screaming Lord Sutch
4. Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne
5. Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
6. Bela Lugosi’s Dead - Bauhaus
7. Children of the Grave – Black Sabbath
8. Creature with The Atom Brain – Roky Erikson
9. Season of the Witch – Donavon
10. Welcome to My Nightmare - Alice Cooper
11. Frankenstein – Edgar Winter Group
12. Black Magic Women – Santana
13. She’s Fallen In Love with a Monster Man – Screaming Lord Sutch
14. She’s My Witch – Kip Tyler
15. The Voodoo Walk - Sonny Richard’s Panics (with Cindy and Lindy)
16. Purple People Eater – Sheb Wooley
17. The Midnight Stroll – The Revells
18. Vampire Rock and Roll – Fabulous Poodles
19. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) – Marilyn Manson
20. Spooky – Atlanta Rhythm Section
21. Thriller – Michael Jackson
22. Red Right Hand – Nick Cave
23. Witch Queen of New Orleans – Redbone
24. Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein or Dracula – the Diamonds
25. Boris the Spider – The Who
26. Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde
27. Frankenstein - New York Dolls
28. Nightmare- Artie Shaw
29. In the Hall of the Mountain King - Sounds Incorporated
30. Casting My Spell - Johnny Otis Show
31. Night of Fear - The Move
32. You Must Be a Witch - Lollipop Shop
33. Charlotte’s Web - the Fuzztones
34. The Mummy - Bob Mc Fadden and Dor
35. The Blob - the Five Blobs
36. Ghost Riders in the Sky - The Ramrods
37. Hurry Sundown - The Outlaws
38. I Put a Spell on You - Screamin Jay Hawkins
39. Sympathy for the Devil - the Rolling Stones
40. Godzilla - Blue Oyster Cult
41. King Kong - The Kinks
42. Rockin in the Graveyard - Jackie Morningstar
43. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
44. The Witch - the Sonics
45. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
46. Black JuJu - Alice Cooper
47. I Walk on Gilded Splinters - Dr. John
48. Frankenstein’s Den - The Hollywood Flames
49. Screaming Ball at Dracula Hall - the Duponts
50. Grimly Fiendish - The Damned

I recently found another Halloween song. This is a German-made early disco song called "Soul Dracula." It was a big hit in Europe in 1975, which many people agree was the begining of the Disco Era. This should have been the nail in disco's coffin or stake in it's heart. I'm giving you this performance from a French TV variety show, because it has a cool looking Count Dracula, sexy dancing girls and a man in the audience with a dog puppet.

Neal Hefti 1922 - 2008

He was the arranger for such Big Bands as Count Basie, Woody Herman and Harry James. He worked with Frank Sinatra, but he will be remembered for writing one of the greatest TV theme songs of all time. Neal Hefti, who wrote the theme song for the TV show Batman, has died at age 85 (according to AP).

He said it was the hardest writing job he was ever given, although it has the easiest lyrics to remember. It provided Hefti with his only Top 40 hit and was covered by such artist as Harry James, Nelson Riddle (who scored the TV show and 1966 movie), the Who, the Kinks, Jan and Dean, Link Wray, the Ventures and the Jam.

Hefti was also the writer of the Odd Couple theme song.

Nashville Brass Leader Danny Davis Dies at 83

He cashed in on radio stations having news at the top of the hour and the success of Herb Alpert. Trumpeter Danny Davis died Friday in Nashville according to the Tennessean. He and Chet Adkins came up with the idea of instrumental country hits after hearing former big bands and orchestras mangle rock and roll songs of the day (101 Stings version of "Somebody To Love" is kind-of-cool though). I remember when Davis was in Branson, he told KY 3's Steve Grant that he modeled the upbeat sound and style after Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass. He recorded several short instrumentals for radio stations to use to time up to the network news at the top of the hour. Sadly, it is hard to find Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass on CD.