This week’s theme song is used ironically. I’ve been to Spain but not to Oklahoma, which is paired with heaven in Never Been To Spain. I visited Spain in the early 1980’s before it was overrun by tourists. It was before foodies hyped Spanish cuisine, so I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. It made me feel as if I was in on a special secret but the word is out in the 21st Century.
It’s been a long year as my recovery slogs along. I’m feeling decent but I need two more iron infusions before I’m back to normal. I still tire easily but one good sign was how I came up with my Vote Against The Crook, It’s Important: Queens Kourabiedes Edition post. It’s been a long time since I sat down without a clue as to what I’d write about followed by a voyage of discovery. That felt good, y’all.
Hoyt Axton wrote this week’s theme song in 1971 hoping to have a solo hit. That didn’t happen so Three Dog Night had a monster hit with this catchy tune with wry and even sly lyrics. Another day, another Three Dog Night hit. They’ve been dogging me.
We have three versions of Never Been To Spain for your listening pleasure: The songwriter’s original, Three Dog Night, and Ike & Tina Turner.
Speaking of Oklahoma, here’s a song from one of the finest musicians to come out of that state:
Like another longtime Adrastos favorite, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton has been on my shit list since the pandemic. Let’s make some Tulsa Time for his rehabilitation.
We begin our second act with some book chat.
What I’m Reading: I’ve gotten positive feedback about past book chat segments in this space, so let’s go back Jack and do it again. This time, I have something old and something new to write about.
We begin with a 2024 book from an old favorite, Doris Kearns Goodwin.
I posted an excerpt from An Unfinished Love Story in this space back in April. The segment title still works: Dick & Doris-Historians In Love.
The book came to life because Goodwin’s late husband Dick decided it was time to finally go through some boxes that he’d been carrying with him for a half century. They weren’t just any boxes. They contained documents pertaining to Dick Goodwin’s life as a speechwriter and close associate of Jack Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and Eugene McCarthy. Dick Goodwin was the Zelig of Sixties liberalism.
Doris and Dick didn’t meet until Dick’s glory days had passed but they had LBJ in common. Doris worked for LBJ in the White House and helped with his memoirs. Presidential memoirs are always dull and Lyndon’s were no exception. LBJ insisted on being dignified instead of himself in the book. It’s what happens when you don’t write your own book. Presidential memoirs usually make good doorstops.
An Unfinished Love Story is a hybrid of biography, memoir, and history. My favorite bits are when Dick and Doris discuss the past and bicker over their primary presidential allegiances: Dick to JFK; Doris to LBJ.
I was already a Dick and Doris fan but this book made me feel as if I knew them IRL. They’re nice people who led extremely interesting lives. This book is an excellent chronicle of their life and times. I’m glad that Dick insisted that Doris finish the book after his death.
Repeat after me: Dick Goodwin was the Zelig of Sixties liberalism.
Grading Time: I give An Unfinished Love Story 4 stars and an Adrastos Grade of A-. It’s another winner from one of our finest historians.
I’ll let The Byrds sing us out of this segment:
Let’s move on to our next tome. Are you ready to twist?
Peppermint Twist was published in 2012. Typically, books with three co-authors don’t work. This one does.
It tells the remarkable story of Dick Cami and his father-in-law Johnny Biello. They opened one of the first night clubs devoted to rock-n-roll and helped kick start the Twist craze. It was so successful that they opened a branch of The Peppermint Lounge in Miami. One more thing: Johnny Biello was a made man associated with the Genovese family. Biello’s Mafia nickname was Johnny Futto. That’s right, Johnny Foot.
The best summary of the book comes from Ronnie Spector’s blurb on the book jacket: “The Sopranos Meets American Bandstand.” She is not making this up.
I bought this book because the great music writer Joel Selvin is one of the co-authors. He handles the music side. Selvin’s old pal John Johnson handles the mob material and Dick Cami provides the raw material for the book. The collaboration was a success.
I really enjoyed Peppermint Twist. Dick Cami was never a mobster but he learned about the life from Johnny Futto. Johnny was a protege of Frank Costello and like his mentor disliked violence. Alas, Johnny Futto was whacked by his criminal associates in 1967. Dick Cami died of natural causes in 2020 after a long and interesting life as a club owner and restaurateur.
The book even has its own theme song: This recording by the Peppermint Lounge’s house band.
Grading Time: I give Peppermint Twist 3 1/2 stars and an Adrastos Grade of B+. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever read.
The last word of our second act goes to Chubby Checker:
We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.
Separated At Birth: I’ve been pondering pairing Federico Castellucio and Brent Spiner for quite some. Furio meet Mr. Data:
I wonder if Carmela Soprano had a thing for Brent Spiner as Data? It would have been weird since he’s an android but he was a handsome android.
Your Weekly Oscar: OP Plays Richard Rodgers. Say no more.
The Best Of Penn & Teller: Here’s the dynamic duo of modern magic with Conan O’Brien playing the straight man for a change.
Saturday GIF Horse: I still have Sunset Boulevard on my mind since writing Let Him Talk. Let’s converse with Norma Desmond and her weird cigarette holder.
Tweet Of The Week: This tweet showed up on my timeline out of nowhere. That’s not always a good thing but in this case, it was. It shows a young lady (Lucy Rohden?) on the sideline of a Texas A&M football game making a face at Ted Cruz. Who among us hasn’t wanted to glower at the junior Senator from Texas?
— Lucy Rohden (@lucy_rohden) September 2, 2024
Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some jazz.
Saturday Closer: I don’t know how long this album will stay online but it’s on message.
That’s it for this week. The last word goes to two great Spanish artists, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro.
Yeah, I know: Joan Miro was a Catalan but he had a Spanish passport.
I saw some great shows at the Peppermint Lounge when I was living in NYC in the early ’80s. The most memorable were Warren Zevon and Graham Parker.