Roger O Green

The #1 hits of 1936

Astaire, Dorsey, Goodman, Lombardo, Waller

I was wondering why the list of the#1 hits of 1936 was so long. It was a function of the national economy. The record industry underwent an almost total collapse. By 1932, only six million records had been sold, compared with a peak of 140,000,000 just five years earlier.

However, according to Joel Whitburn Presents A Century of Pop Music, the jukebox had become ubiquitous whenever people gathered to listen to music or dance. Some 225,000 were in operation by 1939.

You will likely recognize some of these. I’d heard 5 of the first six.

The songs

Pennies From Heaven – Bing Crosby with George Stoll and his orchestra (Decca), 10 weeks at #1. From the Columbia picture, Pennies From Heaven.

Goody Goody – Benny Goodman and his orchestra with Helen Ward, vocals (Victor), 6 weeks at #1. Co-written by Johnny Mercer.

The Way You Look Tonight – Fred Astaire with Johnny Green (no relation) and his orchestra (Brunswick), 6 weeks at #1. The Oscar-winning song from the movie Swing Time

Alone – Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, with Cliff Weston, vocals (Victor), 6 weeks at #1, from the M-G-M film, A Night At The Opera

The Glory of Love – Benny Goodman and his orchestra, with Helen Ward, vocals (Victor) 6 weeks at #1

A Fine Romance (A Sarcastic Love Song) – Fred Astaire with Johnny Green andhis orchestra (Brunswick), 5 weeks at #1, from Swing Time, written by Fields/Kern

The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round – Tommy Dorsey and his Clambake Seven, with Edythe Wright, vocals (Victor), 5 weeks at #1, a novelty song

Did I Remember – Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra, with Charles Chester, vocals (Bluebird), 4 weeks at #1, from the M-G-M film Suzy

It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie – Fats Waller and his Rhythm (Victor), 4 weeks at #1

Is It True What They Say About Dixie – Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra, with Bob Eberly, vocals (Decca ), 4 weeks at #1

Three weeks at #1

Moon Over Miami – Eddie Duchin and his orchestra, with Lew Sherwood, vocals (Victor)

The Music Goes ‘Round and Around – Reilly-Farley and their Oxnard Club Boys, with Mike Reilly (Decca), a novelty song. Reilly’s name is subsequently spelled Riley.

Melody From The Sky – Jan Garber and his orchestra, The Idol of The Air Lanes, with Lee Bennett, vocals (Decca)

Two weeks at #1

When Did You Leave Heaven – Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, with Carmen Lombardo, vocals (Victor), from the 20th Century Fox film Sing, Baby, Sing

In The Chapel In The Moonlight -Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra (Bluebird)

These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You – Benny Goodman and his orchestra, with Helen Ward, vocals (Victor), from the revue, Spread It Abroad

A Beautiful Lady In Blue – Jan Garber and his orchestra, The Idol of The Air Lanes, with Lew Palmer, vocals (Decca)

It’s Been So Long – Benny Goodman and his orchestra, with Helen Ward, vocals (Victor). From the M-G-M film The Great Ziegfeld

Until The Real Thing Comes Along – Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy, with Pha Terrell, vocals (Decca)

Lost – Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, with Carmen Lombardo, vocals (Victor)

When I’m With You – Hal Kemp and his orchestra, with Skinnay Ennis, vocals (Brunswick). From the Temple film Poor Little Rich Girl

You Turned The Tables On Me – Benny Goodman and his orchestra, with Helen Ward, vocals (Victor). From the 20th Century Fox film Sing, Baby, Sing

There’s A Small Hotel – Hal Kemp and his orchestra, with Maxine Grey, vocals (Brunswick). From the musical On Your Toes, written by Rodgers and Hart.

Take My Heart – Eddy Duchin and his orchestra, with Jerry Cooper, vocals (Victor)

One week at #1

Lights Out – Eddy Duchin and his orchestra, with Lew Sherwood, vocals (Victor)

You– Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, with Edythe Wright, vocals (Victor). From the M-G-M film, The Great Ziegfeld

All My Life – Fats Waller and his Rhythm (Victor). From the Republic film Laughing Irish Eyes

I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket – Fred Astaire with Johnny Green and his orchestra (Brunswick). From the film Follow The First, written by Irving Berlin

I’ll Sing You A Thousand Love Songs – Eddy Duchin and his orchestra, with Jimmy Newill, vocals. From the Cosmopolitan film Cain and Mabel

Gonzaga? Really?

Go, Illini!

Gonzaga basketball My old blogger buddy J. Eric Smith invited me to fill out a March Madness men’s college basketball tournament, and I picked Gonzaga (3rd seed in their draw) to win the whole thing. Of course, they were eliminated in the third round by Purdue (2nd seed).

I just like the name, Gonzaga. The Washington state team came out of nowhere some years ago. They were tournament runners-up in 2017 and 2021.

I suppose it might have helped if I had watched any of the games this season. Or not.

Knowing my bracket is irreparably busted, do I even have any teams left in the Final Four? (Did I remember who else I picked? I did not.)

I have Michigan, the #1 seed in their division! Losing to Gonzaga, but whatever. I have Illinois, #3 in their bracket! Beating Louisville (a #6 seed), who lost to Michigan State (#3). Then, Illinois would lose to Gonzaga, which can’t happen.

But picking two of the Final Four was fun, and shocking.

A great ending

The only part of a March Madness game I’ve watched this year was the last 5:20 of the Duke (#1) playing Connecticut (#2). I automatically recorded 60 Minutes for two hours, because college basketball, NFL football, and golf tend to run long. Connecticut was down as many as five, and they were never in the lead until a last-second, long three-pointer won them the game.

Historically, I have rooted against Duke. It’s not entirely rational. The Blue Devils won five championships, but UConn won six.

So Illinois will play Connecticut, and I’m torn. Should I root for the team I had going to the finals, the Illini, or the team from my favorite conference, the Big East? I’ve got to root for the team that’s never won, coming in second in 2005.

Then Michigan (#1), which has won the tournament once, in 1989, is playing Arizona (#1), which has only won the tournament in 1997. I want Michigan, my Final Four pick.

So, my irrational rooting interests – but aren’t they ALWAYS irrational? – are IL, MI, CT, AZ.

***

The Shot That Saved Lives and sent the game to overtime!

Fool in April

puns… too many puns

I am conflicted. On one hand, I like the idea of an Fool in April post. Conversely, humor is very individualized. I see “jokes” on Quora or elsewhere that are unfunny, stupid, and/or outright offensive.

Here is a fast money segment from Family Feud in Botswana. What is mildly funny to me is Steve Harvey’s incredulity, rather than the responses.

Also in the game show category, So Wrong It’s Right: Funniest Responses on JEOPARDY, which are hit or miss for me.

Word Smarts highlights What makes a word funny. I didn’t really laugh at any of them. However, the fact that one of them, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, “has a humorously ironic meaning, as it refers to a fear of long words,” made it mildly amusing.

This video someone I follow online you may find uproariously funny or problematic. I suppose I find it funnier now that the “caller” is American, and thus, if not believable, then at least within the realm of the possible.

Conan O’Brien speaks on why FOTUS jokes aren’t funny, and I tend to agree. That didn’t keep him from making some quips during his opening monologue at the 2026 Oscars, which enraged 47.

I don’t remember jokes. More correctly, I don’t remember jokes other than the ones when I was 10 or 12, long, convoluted tales that end with groanworthy punchlines such as Island of Trids, immortal porpoises, and Mel Famey; the versions I learned differed in some details, as jokes are wont to do.

April Fools: The Roots of an International Tradition.

Puns

A guy I met online, who I subsequently met IRL sent these to me in June 2025. I threatened to post them today. He replied, “Cry UNCLE if these are too terrible.” Some of them are.

1. Two vultures board an airplane, each carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at them and says, “I’m sorry, gentlemen, only one carrion allowed perpassenger.”

2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says “Dam!”

3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and heat it too.

4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says “I’ve lost my electron.” The other says “Are you sure?” The first replies “Yes, I’m positive.”

5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.

6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recenttournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why?” they asked, as they moved off. “Because,” he said, “I can’t stand chess- nuts boasting in an open foyer.”

It gets worse

7. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named “Ahmal.” The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him “Juan.” Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes shealso had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, “They’re twins! If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Ahmal.”

8. These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to “persuade” them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he’d be back if they didn’t close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.

9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

10. And finally, there was the person who sent ten different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did!

March rambling: Clean up the faux king mess on aisle 47

272-867-5309

Just a couple of the many signs seen at the No Kings rally on Saturday, March 28, at the New York State Capitol in Albany: “Clean up the faux king mess on aisle 47.” “So many wrongs – so little cardboard.”

War Becomes Spectacle in His Horrific Propaganda Promoting War in Iran

Volume in stock and oil futures surged minutes before his market-turning post. (If you can access Substack, read Paul Krugman’s Treason in the futures market.)

Ever find yourself watching regime officials and thinking, “What’s wrong with these people?” Three writers offer their answers. “The transition to pathocracy begins when a disordered individual emerges as a leader figure. While some members of the ruling class are appalled by the brutality and irresponsibility of the leader and his acolytes, his disordered personality appeals to some psychologically normal individuals. They find him charismatic. His impulsiveness is mistaken for decisiveness; his narcissism for confidence; his recklessness for fearlessness.” – Steve Taylor, “The Problem of Pathocracy“

Robert Mueller: The former Marine overhauled – and, supporters say, helped save – the FBI after the 9/11 attacks. Then he took on FOTUS in the probe of a lifetime.

Sen. Whitehouse to uncover connections between FOTUS, Russia, and Epstein. (48:10)

What to do with the new FOTUS-signed paper currency

J.D. Vance and Police Stings: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Also

“Humanity has just endured the 11 hottest years on record,” said the secretary-general of the United Nations after the release of the new UN climate report. “When history repeats itself 11 times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act.”

An investigation by The New York Times found extensive evidence that

Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers co-founder and a civil rights icon, groomed and sexually abused girls who worked in the movement for years.

Understaffing as a form of ensh!ttification

Valerie Perrine, Oscar Nominee and Superman Actress, Dies at 82. I saw her in Superman I and II, The Electric Horseman, and Lenny.

Chuck Norris, Black-Belt Action Star of Movies and Television, Dies at 86. I never saw a Norris movie; it wasn’t my thing.

The global nonprofit organization Cancer Support Community (CSC) is taking over one of music’s most unforgettable phone numbers. Anyone impacted by cancer can call CSC-867-5309 (272-867-5309) to receive immediate support, trusted information, and personalized guidance from trained specialists.

What’s the hardest MLB outfield to play in?

‘I’m Dead. Don’t Send Me Any More Mail.’ My relationship with my landlord was among the most reliable of my life. I miss her.

Dick Van Dyke – A Century On Screen

The Conspiracy That Led to the End of the World and The Day It Rained Blobs of Goo and The Man Who Made the Front Page Twice and When an Olive Garden Review Became Internet Famous and How Ignoring Orders Gave Us an Idiom and Because Not Everyone Can Be a Burger King

MUSIC

The Ballad of Stephen Miller – Bruce Kluger

Heavy Foot – Mon Rovîa

Perspective – human/puppet duo of Sammy J and Randy Feltface

Days We Left Behind – Paul McCartney

Bein’ Alive – Melissa Etheridge

It Ain’t Easy Being Green – Ray Charles

Irish Rhapsodies by Charles Villiers Stanford. 4: The Fishermen of Lough Neagh

Louella – Marcia Ball

Tales: A Folklore Symphony by Carlos Simon, “a four-movement piece for orchestra that explores African American folklore as well as Afrofuturist stories.”

Company (Broadway show) Tiny Desk Concert

I Believe – Andrew Rannells and the Broadway Company of The Book of Mormon (LIVE on The Late Show)

Little Green – Joni Mitchell

Coverville 1573: The 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees and 1574: The Wilson Pickett Cover Story II

Green Onions -Booker T. & The MGs

Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – Jason Alexander

The Albums of My Life: The WHEN HARRY MET SALLY Soundtrack, which I had never heard until now

I Got Rhythm from the musical Crazy for You

Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival

K-Chuck Radio: Many Rainy Nights in Soho

These Dreams – Heart

September again and again

True Love – Tobias Jesso Jr.

Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas

Sondheim/Webber medley – Will Anderson and Rachael Joyce

Rick Beato reacts to the experimental math rock band from Quebec: Angine de Poitrine

Loving You – Minnie Riperton

Start a Band, Even if You’re Terrible

Impossible/It’s Possible

Lesley Ann Warren

Back on March 8th, one of my pastors gave a sermon about the loaves and fishes. After reading Mark 6:32-44, the pastor referred to the actions that seemed impossible. How could five loaves of bread and two fish feed 5000 men, not to mention women and children, with plenty left over? I’ve heard dozens of sermons on the topic, but this was a good one, truly.

Nevertheless, what sneaked into my mind was the song “Impossible/It’s Possible” from the Rodgers and Hammerstein television production of Cinderella. You may or may not know that there is a live 1957 version of Cinderella, starring Julie Andrews. I finally saw it on DVD, probably sometime in the early 2010s.

The one I remember, though, is from 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren. There’s a scene in which Cinderella daydreams about going to the ball. Her fairy godmother (Celeste Holm), eventually joined by the title character, sang Impossible/It’s Possible. I saw that production broadcast so many times that the darn lyrics are stuck in my brain.

But the world is full of zanies and fools
Who don’t believe in sensible rules
And won’t believe what sensible people say,
And because these daft and dewy- eyed dopes
Keep building up impossible hopes,
Impossible things are happ’ning every day!

Incontrovertibly true

So I told the pastor, who is a big fan of musical theater, that I was thinking about that song during the sermon, and then I shared the lyrics. A friend who was nearby said, “You have a LOT of stuff stuck in that brain of yours!” This is incontrovertibly true, and denying it would be foolish.

I remember this in part because I had a big crush on Lesley Ann Warren at the time. But Impossible/It’s Possible is not even my favorite song in the show. That would be In My Own Little Corner:

In my own little corner,
In my own little chair,
I can be whatever I want to be.
On the wing of my fancy
I can fly anywhere
And the world will open its arms to me.

The 1997 adaptation, starring Brandy and featuring Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother, was impressive. But it’s often the first version of a musical or song that sticks in the brain and/or the heart.

Listen to:

Impossible/It’s Possible

In My Own Little Corner