music Archives - Page 5 of 258 - Ramblin' with Roger

Sunday Stealing – Let’s Blog about Blogging

alternative facts

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

This week’s meme is swiped from If By Yes, a Canadian blogger who describes herself as a “left-wing left-hander with two left feet.” It’s a shame she doesn’t update her blog anymore. Anyway, she participated in a meme that she tells us was popular way back when.

About Blogging

1. When are you at your blogging best – a.m. or p.m.?

Absolutely in the morning. At some level, if I have an idea about a post, I sleep on it, and often I have at least an approach mapped out in the morning. The only time I work on the blog after about noon is doing something mechanical, such as adding links to articles and music posts.

2. How many blogs do you have? Please include the links in your answer.

This is it, at least publicly. The rogerogreen.com blog content morphed from the rogerowengreen.blogspot.com on May 2, 2010. The old content from those first five years is here, but not all comments have been moved, so there’s that. My old work is defunct, as are a bunch of others I’ve participated in. I had a blog on the Albany Times Union from 2008 to 2021, but that ended; the content is uploaded here.

The rest is silence

3. Do you prefer silence when you compose your posts and write your comments?

Absolutely not. I write to music, and it doesn’t matter if it has words or not. I am listening to Rossiniana by Ottorino Respighi, which Kelly posted. But usually, I listen to compact discs of artists whose birthdays are in the current month, such as John Hiatt, Joe Strummer (The Clash), and Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin). Indeed, I can’t do very much without music. I use it when I’m cleaning or filing.

Conversely, I can’t listen to talk, such as the NPR news shows my wife likes to listen to. Sidebar: I’m very sad/angry about the death of the CPB— the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

4. What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever spilled on your keyboard?

Probably Diet Coke.

What’s the use of getting sober…

5. Ever posted while intoxicated?

I don’t generally write on Facebook immediately. I might write a blog post and then post that, but that requires time, thought, and a cooling-down period. The only immediate things I have posted on FB and BlueSky lately are public service announcements about accidents and severe weather.

I don’t even post immediately when ticked off, but let the thoughts simmer. These recent examples bother me as a librarian because they are not fact-based decisions. The FBI redacted djt’s name from several references in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files. The Smithsonian said it restored a display to an earlier version, which notes that “only three presidents have seriously faced removal.” djt accused the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, of faking jobs numbers, directing his team to fire the former President Biden appointee. These are, to quote a former White House staffer, “alternative facts,” which are bad for democracy.

But see how c-c-c-alm-m-m-m I am? And sober.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

1975 #1 pop hits, part 1

He Will Break Your Heart

Here’s 1975 #1 pop hits, part 1 because the full list is too damn long, on which the majority of the #1s reigning for a single week. And it’s not just true for the pop list, but soul, country, and adult contemporary. Some songs crossed over to different charts, and I’ve noted the ones that hit #1 elsewhere.

Love Will Keep Us Together – The Captain & Tennille (A&M), four weeks at #1, gold record. AC #1

Fly, Robin, Fly – Silver Convention (Midland International), three weeks at #1, gold record. RB #1

Island Girl – Elton John (MCA), three weeks at #1, diamond record

He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You) – Tony Orlando & Dawn (Elektra), three weeks at #1, gold record. AC #1. A remake of He Will Break Your Heart (1960), the #1 RB, #7 pop song by Jerry Butler, written by Butler, Curtis Mayfield, and Calvin Carter.

Bad Blood – Neil Sedaka (Rocket), three weeks at #1, gold record. Rocket Records was a label founded by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and others, but Elton was not yet on the label.

Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell (Capitol), two weeks at #1, gold record. AC #1

Philadelphia Freedom – the Elton John Band (MCA), two weeks of #1, diamond record. Meaning Behind The Song

That’s The Way (I Like It) – KC and the Sunshine Band (TK Records), two weeks at #1

Jive Talkin’ – Bee Gees (RSO), two weeks at #1 gold record. My favorite Bee Gees song.

Fame – David Bowie (RCA Victor), two weeks at #1, gold record. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar, and John Lennon. John plays and sings on the track.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – Elton John (MCA), two weeks at #1. Lennon plays and sings on this Beatles cover.

The rest of the songs were all number one for a single week

One Of These Nights – Eagles (Asylum)

Before The Next Teardrop Falls – Freddy Fender (ABC/Dot), gold record

My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli (Private Stock), gold record

Lovin’ You – Minnie Riperton (Epic), gold record

Laughter In The Rain – Neil Sedaka (Rocket)

(Hey, Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song Song – B.J. Thomas (ABC), gold record. AC #1

July rambling: Paleolithic emotions

Bergman, Francis, Laine, Lehrer, Mangione, Osbourne

“The real problem of humanity is as follows: we have Paleolithic emotions, Medieval institutions, and godlike technology.”
– E.O.Wilson

Conspiratorialism and neoliberalism: If “there is no such thing as society,” then all evil must be the fault of evil individuals.

Gang Databases: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Why Nations Fail

Humans vs the alternative – Sharp Little Pencil

What will we call Iceland when all the ice is gone?

Inside the Silicon Valley push to breed super-babies

The mislabeled energy drink that could give you a DUI … or worse.

20 Best Countries For Work-Life Balance—And U.S. Isn’t On It

Investors snap up a growing share of US homes as traditional buyers struggle to afford one

Why Your Voice Sounds Different to You Than to Others

Why you shouldn’t visit Las Vegas

Ryne Sandberg, a baseball Hall of Fame player primarily for the Chicago Cubs, dies at 65

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor, musician, director, and producer, dies at 54

Michael Ochs, Pop Culture’s Preeminent Photo Archivist, Dies at 82

Vince Calandra, ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ Talent Booker Who Helped Bring on The Beatles, Dies at 91

Hulk Hogan, Wrestling Icon, Dies at 71

How a fake astronaut fooled the world, broke women’s hearts, and landed in jail

A toddler tells a joke.

A history of… pizza

Now I Know: The Smell of Time Passing? and The Number That’s Illegal to Share and Do Not Fry This At Home and Getting Divorced Over an Illegal Hyphen? and The Burger With a Side of Insensitivity

Two steps back

Report Details 400+ Attacks on Science in First 6 Months of 2.0

RFK Jr. Reportedly Planning to Fire All U.S. Preventive Services Task Force members and replace them with members of his choosing

Treasury Sec Admits ‘Backdoor’ Scheme to Privatize Social Security

EPA deepens environmental rollback with delays, deregulation, and industry favoritism

Delays and dysfunction: How FEMA overhaul failed Texas flood victims

FCC abandons the future

Memo allows federal workers to persuade coworkers that their religion is ‘correct’

‘Extra Cruel’: Regime Ends Job Program for Seniors as Work Requirements Loom

Mass Firings at Department of Education Are Already Harming US Students

By Refusing to Show Faces or Badges, ICE Opens Door to Vigilante Impersonators

‘We Had to Eat Like Dogs’: Report Details ‘Abusive Practices’ at Florida Immigrant Prisons

‘License to Kill’: New Report Finds Higher Homicide Rates in ‘Stand Your Ground’ States

Venezuelan Little League team denied entry into the US amid travel ban

Doctors in Elected Office Are Turning Their Backs on Science

Republicans keep voting for bad bills to suck up

The worst chief justice of all time

Make team names racist again

“Unitary Executive” is a euphemism for Tyrant

Fight back

WATCH: “How Can YOU Defend Our Democracy?” Panel discussion with Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor Lauren DesRosiers, and Corey Dukes. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) writes: “Refuse to normalize what is happening to our country — because it is not normal. We must stay in touch with our outrage and refuse to accept the idea that the deluge of unconstitutional, horrific actions is our new normal. What is happening is not normal, and we can’t accept it as such.”

ACTION: Stop Palantir’s mass surveillance dragnet targeting immigrants. FOTUS’s billionaire mega-donor, Peter Thiel, is profiting from the violence. The Thiel-founded big-tech company Palantir has a $30 million contract with ICE to surveil and track immigrants so it’s easier for the regime to raid workplaces, schools, and homes. And that’s only one of Palantir’s contracts — in all, the company has received at least $113 million of taxpayer money since January.

ACTION: Not only is extremist adviser Stephen Miller pushing an inhumane immigration policy, but he is also buying hundreds of thousands of dollars of stock in the company the government is contracting with to carry out the very policies he advocates. He is the driving force behind some of the most harmful anti-immigrant measures in modern U.S. history. Support Rep. Robert Garcia’s call to investigate Miller’s misconduct, and demand that every member of the House Oversight Committee join him.

MUSIC OBITS

Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning lyricist who helped write “The Way We Were,” dies at 99

Tom Lehrer, Musical Satirist With a Dark Streak, Dies at 97. Songs and lyrics, with all copyrights permanently and irrevocably relinquished since 2007. LOC interview (2015). Full Copenhagen Performance. The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel. Poisoning Pigeons in the Park and The Vatican Rag and Silent E and The Element Song– Tom Lehrer

Cleo Laine, who boasted a four-octave range, has died at 97. Send In The Clowns – Cleo Laine

Connie Francis, Whose Ballads Dominated ’60s Pop Music, Dies at 87.

From 1958 to 1964, she was the most popular female singer in the United States, selling 40 million records. (Musical links within)

Chuck Mangione, Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer, dies aged 84. Celebrated flugelhorn and trumpet player released over 30 albums and sold millions of records throughout his career. Feels So Good and Land Of Make Believe – Chuck Magione

Ozzy Osbourne, ‘Prince of Darkness’ Turned Reality TV Star, Dies at 76

Paranoid -Black Sabbath

Coverville 1543: The Ozzy Osbourne Tribute

MORE MUSIC

The Day I Saw An Angel Fly – Sharp Little Pencil

Lachian Dances by Leoš Janáček

Coverville 1541: The Jack White Cover Story II and 1542: This Day in Covers: July 17, 2025

Jolanta and Fotographia– Peter Sprague

My Misery – Jake Wesley Rogers

Your Summer Playlist, Courtesy of the Internet Archive: Anchored by the expansive Grateful Dead collection, our Live Music Archive features nearly 300,000 items for endless, easy, summer listening. Search for your favorite artist or discover someone new.

K-Chuck Radio: The First Cut Is The Deepest

Daniel Leaves by Bill Conti from The Karate Kid Part II

Coldplay: Tiny Desk Concert (March 9, 2020)

How to fight against major label abuse of content ID systems on YouTube (Rick Beato), and Why We Won’t Back Down (Professor of Rock), and a Lawyer Reacts

Lydster: Echolalia

the most hunted person

My daughter suggested that perhaps I have echolalia. What is that? “Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases spoken by someone else. Children use echolalia as they learn how to communicate. It usually resolves by age 3, but may be a sign of developmental delay or an underlying condition if it continues or appears during adulthood. It’s common with autism spectrum disorder and Tourette syndrome.”

My daughter has a friend who is self-described as experiencing echolalia. But the situation where she attributed it to me doesn’t track. She or my wife said something about an Impossible Hot Dog my daughter was having for dinner. Naturally, I responded, “And four white mice could never be four white horses. ” It’s a non-repetitive response.

I’ve been doing this for decades. When my mother would request, “Help me,” I might reply, “And I do appreciate you being ’round.” It was usually a musical lyric response to a Beatles or Motown lyric.

Over the last quarter century, it tended to be more likely a musical, such as West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Hamilton, or a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein. The above reference is to the song Impossible from R & H’s television production of 1965’s Cinderella.

So I’m not buying the echolalia diagnosis.

Game on!

Still, she is very bright. My wife and I were doing the NYT Connections on June 26, and our daughter connected Lovelace, Bojack, McQueen, and Hawking as words with playing cards as the second syllable. We all knew instantly it had to be the purple (most difficult) answer, and it was.

Right before that, the Final JEOPARDY response popped up. In the category 20th CENTURY FIGURES: Ironic in light of her name, she was remembered in a eulogy as “the most hunted person of the modern age.”

One contestant replied (Who was) Sanger, presumably Margaret Sanger, founder of the birth control movement. One wrote Found, but Ken Jennings declared, “I’m afraid there’s no such person” (as Hunted and Found). The third player had no answer, but with a locked game, didn’t need to.

I was thinking of someone like Mata Hari, but my daughter immediately thought of Princess Diana; I had my doubts. But sure enough, Jennings noted, “If being hunted made you think of the goddess of the hunt, you might have thought of Diana, Princess of Wales.”

My daughter gleefully said, “You’d better put this in your blog!” I probably would have anyway…

1965 Middle-Road Singles

three Elvis songs

The category that eventually became adult contemporary started on July 17th, 1961, as easy listening. On November 3, 1962, it became Middle-Road singles. Then on May 2nd, 1964, pop standard singles. On October 24, 1964, Middle-Road singles again. Then, back to Pop-Standard Singles on May 1, 1965. Finally, it reverted to easy listening on June 5, 1965, a format it maintained until 1979, when it transitioned to adult contemporary.

1965 Middle-Road Singles, or whatever:

King Of The Road – Roger Miller. 10 weeks at #1; #1 for five weeks CW, #4 pop. A real crossover. I own the greatest hits LP.

Crying In The Chapel – Elvis Presley, seven weeks at #1; #3 pop

You Were On My Mind – We Five, five weeks at #1; #3 pop. I love the folkie harmonies on this song.

Taste Of Honey – Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, five weeks at #1; #7 pop. I own several TJB albums from this era, including, OF COURSE, Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Herb, by the way, turned 90 on March 31.

Make The World Go Away -Eddy Arnold, four weeks at #1; #1 CW for three weeks, #6 pop

Matrimony

The Wedding – Julie Rogers, three weeks at #1; #10 pop. I don’t remember this song.

Cast Your Fate To The Wind – Sounds Orchestral, three weeks at #1; #10 pop. Oh, THAT instrumental. I didn’t know it by the title, but…

Save Your Heart For Me – Gary Lewis and the Playboys, three weeks at #1; #2 pop; Jerry’s kid

I’m Yours – Elvis Presley, three weeks at #1; #11 pop. I didn’t remember this.

A Walk In The Black Forest – Horst Jankowski, two weeks at #1; #12 pop. Oh, that song. On AM radio in the 1960s, instrumentals were often played as the news was being introduced.

(Such An) Easy Question – Elvis Presley, two weeks at #1; #11 pop. Another unfamiliar Elvis track.

A single week at #1

Willow Weep For Me – Chad and Jeremy; #15 pop

You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You – Dean Martin; #1 pop. I don’t specifically remember the recording, but I recall hearing him sing a snippet of it on his NBC variety show (1965-1974) each week.

Have You Looked Into Your Heart – Jerry Vale; #24 pop

The Race Is On – Jack Jones; #15 pop. I remember Vale and Jones from variety shows such as Ed Sullivan’s, but neither of these songs

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me – Mel Carter; #8 pop. I don’t remember it, yet I own a Gloria Estefan CD of cover songs with this song in the first position.