It looks as if our minor drought is over. The weather in New Orleans has been wet, wet, wet just in time for the long weekend. Hurricane season is around the corner and we hope to be bypassed as we have been since Ida in 2021. Who wants to hear The Clownfish go on about the weather, after all?
The Clownfish made his first trip to Greenland as Trump’s emissary. It did not go well despite Landry’s cookie gambit. He was booed and generally derided by Greenlanders. He should consider it a rehearsal for his next public appearance in New Orleans.
The great soul singer Clarence Carter died last week at the age of 90. He was known for innuendo laced lyrics, but this week’s sentimental theme song tells the tale of a father and son. It’s lovely, not lascivious.
The lack of innuendo is down to the fact that Carter didn’t write this week’s theme song, Patches. General Johnson and Ron Dunbar wrote it in 1970 for Chairmen of the Board’s eponymous debut album. The OG version is largely forgotten as Clarence Carter won a Grammy for his cover. That’s why Clarence goes first.
We have two more CC tunes for your listening pleasure. The first one brings the innuendo; the second one brings the funk.
We begin our second act with a book excerpt. What do we say about book excerpts? Huzzah, that’s what. Why? I have no idea.
A Childhood In The Weather Underground: Remember when Sarah Palin accused Barack Obama of palling around with terrorists? She was talking about Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn. Their son Zayd Ayers Dohrn has written a memoir about their life on the run,
I’ve long been fascinated by stories of fugitives, especially political radicals, on the run. The most interesting part of the Patty Hearst saga was her time on the road with sports guy and Bill Walton pal Jack Scott. In this case, Ayers and Dohrn faced some serious jail time, which they mitigated by surrendering when passions had cooled.
For the details, get thee to The New Yorker.
Pete Townshend sings us out of this segment:
Things You Don’t Know About Me: Like Pete Townshend, I hate Led Zeppelin. Their music is okay. My dislike is based on witnessing Led Zeppelin’s road crew and thuggish manager Peter Grant beat the shit out of some of Bill Graham’s staff backstage at a concert at Kezar Stadium long ago and faraway. Grant paid off the victims so charges were dropped but Bill refused to work with Led Zeppelin again.
Repeat after me: Bill Graham was a standup guy.
At that same concert, Limp Blimp fans booed The Tubes relentlessly. The band refused to leave the stage as the catcalls continued. I was backstage as Tubes keyboard player Vince Welnick’s guest so I was not amused. Actually, the boys in the band were amused. It put them in the headlines. It was downright tubular.
The last word of our second act goes to The Tubes:
We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.
Separated At Birth Casting Edition: Tomorrow’s movie post is about Strangers On A Train, which came in third on my Alfred Hitchcock Dozen. That’s why this week’s pairing is Hitchcockian: Anthony Hopkins in Hitchcock.
One could call that image a profile in suspense as is this Indiscreet Sparks tune:
Your Basic Basie: Our man Bill Basie recorded with many singers over the years. One of whom was Jackie Wilson:
Have I told you lately how much I love Count Basie?
Classic Movie Trailer: TCM has expanded their cinematic palette by adding some relatively recent movies to the mix. If they can do it, why not me? One of these films is 1988’s Running On Empty, which tells the story of Sixties radicals on the run. It landed at #4 on my Sidney Lumet Dozen.
Have I told you lately how much I love Judd Hirsch?
Grading Time: I give Running On Empty 4 stars and an Adrastos grade of A. It’s a stone cold classic.
Saturday GIF Horse: My motto for this segment is: when in doubt post some knockabout comedy. This time, Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy dance:
Thanks to Laurel & Hardy I have an earworm, which is weird because they’re not Dancing In The Dark:
Toon Time: I’m still horrified by what Senator Sheldon Whitehouse calls the Cop Beater’s Slush Fund. So is cartoonist Steve Sack who is no sad sack.
Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.
Saturday Closer: The Byrds live. Say no more.
That’s all for this week. The last word goes to Farley Granger and Alfred Hitchcock in Strangers On A Train.
