I have a bad case of summer ennui this year. It’s the day after my birthday. It was an unusual one. I went to the eye doctor to confirm that I need cataract surgery. It’s happening next month. I’m really celebrating on Saturday with a trip to Brigtsen’s for a joint celebration with Dr. A and our old friend Jazz. She, too, is an August baby. I’ll leave the Leo shit to her.

I was feeling stuck until I saw Cassandra’s post this morning. The whole Trump on the roof thing was bizarre even for him. It was so weird that NY Magazine has a piece up called: Why Was Trump on the Roof? Here Are Some Theories.

I have no theories of my own but this mishigas reminded me that I’d written a Friday Cocktail Hour post about Up On The Roof. I’m revisiting that July 2022 post with some tweaks. It’s not Friday, so the tweaking begins with the featured image.

The featured image is of Jerome Flynn and Robson Green. They’re better known for their acting: Jerome for Ripper Street and Game Of Thrones and Robson for Seeing Evil, Wire In The Blood, and Grantchester. In the Nineties, they were the singing duo Robson & Jerome. We just saw them in Ain’t Misbehavin’ in which they played World War II era musicians. It was great fun as is their video for Up On The Roof.

I’m afraid of heights but I still love Up On The Roof. It was written in 1962 by songwriters extraordinaire Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It’s been recorded many times over the years. Carole King did so as did her and Jerry’s daughter Louise Goffin. We’ll get to those versions later.

We begin at the beginning with The Drifters who went up on the roof and found a hit song.

Ike & Tina Turner cut a funky-n-nasty version of the Goffin-King classic in 1972. It was a funky-n-nasty year, y’all.

Here are Robson & Jerome up on a London roof.

Here’s Ms. Goffin. Jeez, Louise.

Ray Brown Jr is the adopted son of Ray Brown the great jazz bassist and Ella Fitzgerald. Ray got together with Sophie B. Hawkins and made some magic.

We saved the best for nearly last. Ladies and germs, Carole King and James Taylor apart and together.

What would the Friday Cocktail Hour be without an instrumental version of the week’s song? This time, German jazz pianist Walter Lang and his trio.

That’s it for this week. I propose a toast to the late Gerry Goffin and Carole King who is still very much with us. Thanks for all the great words and music. It’s what Jerome Flynn as Bronn would want. Never argue with a man with a bloody sword.