Come into my arms.

Always keep a browser window with Snopes.com open.

Still not sure how I feel about Bait Car, although I am amused. The same way To Catch A Predator amused me. Am I repeating myself?

I love this guy.

And this girl:

One of those songs where I can only imagine how it felt to hear it in the complete form for the first time in a big studio. What an amazing production. Wish I were gay. Damn.  Did you know Donna Summer was the first and only  artist of the vinyl area to go to #1 with three consecutive double albums? Why don’t I have more friends?

Working on perfecting the podcast. I have to ask advice from some of my favorite producers. This week.

Happy birthday Iggy Pop. Does Jim Rome know that he uses your biggest drug-based hit as theme music? Why do old bastards like Jim Rome, Ed Schulz and Rush Limbaugh use such inappropriately subversive theme music?

Here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And a flesh machine
He’s gonna do another strip tease

Hey man, where’d y’get that lotion?
I’ve been hurting since I’m up again
About something called love
Yeah, something called love
Well, that’s like hypnotizing chickens

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before
I have a lust for life
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life

I’m worth a million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a GTO
Wear a uniform
All on a government loan

I’m worth a million in prizes
Yeah, I’m through with sleeping on the sidewalk
No more beating my brains
No more beating my brains
With liquor and drugs
With liquor and drugs

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before
Well, I’ve a lust for life
‘Cause of a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Oh, a lust for life
Oh, a lust for life
A lust for life
I got a lust for life
Got a lust for life

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in my ear before
Well, I’ve a lust for life
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life

Well, here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And a flesh machine
I know he’s gonna do another strip tease

Hey man, where’d y’get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Love, love, love
Well, that’s like hypnotizing chickens

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before
And I’ve a lust for life
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Yeah, a lust for life
I got a lust for life
A lust for life
Got a lust for life
Yeah, a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life

If I didn’t before, I’d like to once again point to my big shining moment as a published writer….almost a decade ago. A decade ago, I thought that the moment that the check arrived meant easy riches or at least literary respect and a humble but irrefutable success. I was wrong. Boy howdy was I wrong. And the ironic thing about it was that by writing this article I not only alienated everyone with whom I worked at the time (I used fake names but come on) but I couldn’t even really use it as a calling card to potential employers because of what the article itself betrayed about me and the lengths I would go to assure my sanity. Having said that, there was a shining moment before any of this shameful self-promotion during which I was a “writer”. I hope you like it.

 

A long weekend. I am sick as a dog.

Here’s John Denver in a video from 1985. Little known fact: The model in this video went on to have a torrid affair off camera with Denver as well. Just kidding.

The guy who co-wrote this song also co-wrote “Mandy“, “Looks Like We Made It” and “Somewhere in the Night”, all hits for Barry Manilow. This song, though, just kinda lays there. Mostly due to Denver’s tepid vibrato.

Did I say “Mandy”? The original version was called “Brandy”.  Co-written by Kerr and the singer Scott English. Here ’tis.

This same Scott English co-wrote “Bend Me, Shape Me“, which became a hit for the Chicago-based band The American Breed.

Here’s that thing:

If it wasn’t for THAT band, there would never have been THIS band (three core members, including the drummer who appears in both of these, formed Rufus.)

That song was written by Stevie Wonder (whose clavinet is also featured on the studio recording.) Wonder also wrote and performed on this with his wife. On the same album as the first video.

Technically, this is also Rufus. Written by David “Hawk” Wolinski in 1983. I loves me some ebony goddesses, but Chaka was really starting to put away the nougat at this point.

Wolinski also co-wrote this for Chicago in 1977. If you hear the studio version, the preach at the end is performed by none other than Chaka Kahn herself.But in this version, that ex-bass playing Peter Cetera has a go at it.

 

Bonus question: Which famous recording star covered “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield,  “Johnny B Goode” by Chuck Berry, “Claudette” by Roy Orbison,  “Every Day” by Buddy Holly, and recorded multiple albums with Elvis Presley‘s rhythm section?