In 1987 the move “Dirty Dancing” became a hit. It starred Jennifer Grey (Joel Grey’s daughter) and the late Patrick Swayze. Jerry Orbach played the girl’s father, and the film takes place at a Catskill Mountain “borscht belt” resort. Jennifer plays a nice Jewish girl with a beautiful….way about her. Guess what? She falls for the dance instructor.

I loved this movie for a bunch of reasons, but especially because I spent two summers “working” at a resort like that, and the depiction was quite accurate. All those “mountain” hotels provided a total experience where no one had to leave the grounds. They all had a “dance team” who were professional dancers who gave ballroom dancing lessons and then performed at night in the club, just like the couple in the movie. Did the staff “mingle” with the guests? –you bet they did!

Every show up there had 3 acts: a singer, a comedian and a dance team. That is why dancing was such an important component in the movie as was music. There was music all around. Each hotel had a dance/show band and a Latin band. That’s where I learned to play the claves. (sticks you bang together as part of the rhythm section of a Latin band.)

So here is one of the songs from the soundtrack. Actually it was written in the 1950′s and had been recorded by Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley before Mickey and Sylvia got hold of it for this movie. It has a unique feature: a conversation in the middle of the song. Here are Mickey and Sylvia with “Love is Strange.” —-Paul

In 1956, “Love Is Strange” was a Top 20 hit for little-known R&B duo Mickey Baker and Sylvia Vanderpool. The pair went on to cut a string of moderately successful singles, before parting ways in the early 1960s. Each achieved their share of solo success with Baker working as a session guitarist and Vanderpool establishing a solo career before founding her own record label. “Love Is Strange” was a go-to cover for a variety of artists throughout the 60s, with versions from Buddy Holly, Betty Everett & Jerry Butler, The Everly Brothers and more.

Yesterday, Hollywood, FL surf pop trio Beach Day released their take on the classic. Beach Day’s version of love is strange is drenched in reverb, adding to the Phil Spector Wall of Sound vibe that the band appears to be driving toward. The song falls in line nicely with Beach Day’s pair of 7″ releases on Kanine Records from earlier this year. Listen and download the track for free below.

Connect with Beach Day via Facebook | Twitter

Written by Rob Peoni

People always go on about Dirty Dancing. I mean I like that film too, and I remember having a great time watching the ode in Crazy Stupid Love, where Ryan Gosling performs his sure-fire lady killer trick be recreating the overhead lift as ‘I Had The Time Of My Life’ blasts from his stereo.

But there is another dancing scene in Dirty Dancing where Mickey & Sylvia’s track ‘Love Is Strange’ plays, and Baby finally starts getting her sessy dance moves on. I am always dismayed that it is from Dirty Dancing that people remember this song. “What about Badlands?” I feel like saying.

Kit (Martin Sheen) and Holly (Sissy Spacek) are on the run. They have constructed a tree house to live in, fish for their supper, climb trees, build booby traps, plan escape routes and listen to the wireless radio. On comes ‘Love is Strange’, the perfect R&B love song for a vagabond Bonnie & Clyde, hiding out in the forest by way of Fort Dupree, South Carolina. Kit wears James Dean’s outfit of choice- blue jeans and a white T-shirt while tucking his hands into his back pockets. Leading with his pelvis, he steps around the dirt floor in a killer pair of cowboy boots. He passes in and out of rhythm with Holly, her arms idly waving in time to the music, her hips twisting the full skirted summer dress.  Dancing as individuals, when their steps match up, it’s magic.

Also a perfect example of  ‘white folks, dancing’.

Pop on over to Youtube to view the scene here.

You can listen to the full song here.

Cardio was = Walking

Dance of the Day was = “Mickey and Sylvia” from Dirty Dancing

Improvise Acting Video I uploaded to my other blog was = “Peeping Tom”

Anything to Note =

Happy First Day of the Month!!

Happy September!

I can’t believe it.

As my dad said in his BBM messages this morning – September is Bubbles month!! And will bring us hopefully all luck and strength and all things good!!

Well, Mr. Bubbles, that is a lot of pressure on you down there in my belly!

I hope September is a good month. And will bring all that to my family.

Wowza.

September – me oh my!

Very surreal really. September means that I have three weeks to my due date and that’s just….makes me speechless actually.

I had a tough day yesterday after those two bad pains I got…it freaked me out a little so had a tough evening. And now it’s September! That’s not going to help my freak-o-meter…it hasn’t!

Do you know what would help??? A shot of tequila!!

Or FIFTY!!!!

And these are the Top Ten Songs This Week In 1973….

This Week (Last Week’s Chart Position Is In Brackets)

1. MY LOVE/Paul McCartney and Wings (1) — Paul is celebrating his 31st birthday (18th) with the number one song in the country this week. It’s the 4th and final week on top. Ironically, his ex-bandmate, George Harrison, will reach #1 next week!

2. PLAYGROUND IN MY MIND/Clint Holmes (2) — Clint was born in England, raised in New York, and had this huge hit that peaked at #2 on the charts. He never placed another song on the Top 100. Now THAT’S a ONE HIT WONDER!!!

3. I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY/Barry White (4) — Barry was born in Galveston, Texas and raised in L.A. This is his FIRST hit. He’d score five more top ten songs in the 70′s, his biggest being “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe,” which would reach #1 on September 21st of NEXT year.

4. WILL IT GO ROUND IN CIRCLES/Billy Preston (7) — Billy is one of those few artists who had both instrumentals AND vocals in the Top Ten. This is his biggest hit and will reach #1 after George Harrison drops out of the position. Billy will score another #1 hit next summer with “Nothing From Nothing.” His two Top Ten instrumental hits? “Outa-Space” and “Space Race.”

5. GIVE ME LOVE – (Give Me Peace On Earth)/George Harrison — George was the first ex-Beatle to score a number one hit with “My Sweet Lord” in late 1970-early ’71. This would be his 2nd #1 song. It wouldn’t be until late 1987 that he’d enjoy his 3rd and last #1 solo hit, “Got My Mind Set On You.”

6. PILLOW TALK/Sylvia (3) — In 1957, Sylvia was half of a duo named “Mickey and Sylvia.” Together, they scored one of the true classics of the 50′s Rock ‘n’ Roll era; “Love Is Strange.” Fast forward to 16 years later, and here she is again; this time as a solo act.

7. KODACHROME/Paul Simon (9) — This is Paul’s 2nd Top Ten Hit as a solo act after Simon & Garfunkel broke up in 1970. It’s also his 2nd biggest hit of all-time. A word in this song was censored by some radio stations. “When I think back to all the (BLEEP) I learned in high school.”

8. DANIEL/Elton John (5) — The songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin scores again with this one. “Daniel” peaked at #2 in early June and was Elton’s follow-up to “Crocodile Rock,” his FIRST #1 hit. This was written and recorded on the SAME DAY!

9. LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’/The Doobie Brothers (12) — Tom Johnston was the lead singer of the group. Michael McDonald was added in 1975. Tom left in 1978. This was the Doobies’ first Top Ten Hit.

10. RIGHT PLACE WRONG TIME/Dr. John (11) — This New Orleans artist is in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame, but he only had this ONE hit of note. He must’ve been in the right place at the RIGHT time!

I grew up fascinated by this era and it’s music. I think I listened to music from this era more than any other when I was young.

SOME of my favorites…. there are too many to post here!

Pitbull’s new song for the soundtrack is called Back in Time and samples a surfer song from back in the 50′s called, Love is Strange from Mickey & Sylvia. You might recognize the song from the movie Dirty Dancing.

Take a listen and let us know what you think. Plus, how about a trip lane? Check out the music videos for the first two Men in Black theme songs.

Check out more of JB’s Cool New Music, HERE.

Now on to the few tidbits for the week of February 19-25 in the 50′s.

1951

The Clovers recorded their first Atlantic Records song, Don’t You Know I Love You. After battling Sixty Minute Man by the Dominoes all summer of ’51, the Clovers finally reached the #1 spot on the R&B chart. The Clovers early success on the R&B charts did not roll over to the Billboard Hot 100 as only two of their songs charted there. The one most will remember is Love Potion No. 9 which only reached #23 in 1959.

1957

Arthur Murray claimed the rock ‘n’ roll craze has led to a ten percent rise in the number of teenage pupils who have signed up for dance classes. Meanwhile, the sales of small rugs increased, a trend attributed to the fact parents of teenagers preferred to buy small rugs because they were easy to roll up in preparation for dancing. The term “cut a rug” did not come from this increase in rug sales. In fact, it started in the 1920′s by the young people of that period when they talked about dancing.

Buddy Holly recorded a new version of That’ll Be The Day in Clovis, New Mexico. The title of the song was taken from an oft-used phrase by John Wayne in the film The Searchers. This was done just before Buddy would form a new band and name them the Crickets. A few weeks later the new group failed in an audition for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. Atlantic Records, Columbia Records and RCA all turned down That’ll Be The Day. Finally Coral Records, a Decca subsidiary, signed Buddy and the Crickets.

1958

Bill Haley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly & the Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmie Rodgers opened at tour in Florida.

Sylvia Robinson started her career in the 1950′s as [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Little Sylvia[/lastfm] and then joined Mickey “Guitar” Baker to record as half of [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Mickey & Sylvia[/lastfm]. The pair scored a Number 1 hit R&B hit in 1956 with “Love Is Strange” as well as a Number 8 charter in 1957 with “There Oughta Be a Law.”

As a solo performer recording simply as “[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Sylvia[/lastfm],” her biggest of her four R&B singles to make the chart was “Pillow Talk,” which was an R&B Number 1 (and a Number-3 song on the pop chart).

Robinson and her late husband, Joe, founded Sugar Hill Records in 1979 and released the seminal rap hit, “Rapper’s Delight,” by the [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Sugar Hill Gang[/lastfm] and broke ground by signing [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five[/lastfm].

Robinson died of congestive heart failure at her home in New Jersey.

(1936-2011)

wikipedia

Mickey "Guitar" Baker, From an Unnamed Solo Performance, c. 1972 (YouTube)

Starting with his support of [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Ruth Brown[/lastfm] on her massive hit, “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Mickey Baker[/lastfm] became a star guitarist…and a hit making singer, too.

Born McHouston Baker in Louisville in 1934, Mickey “Guitar” Baker’s licks were to the guitar what [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]King Curtis[/lastfm]‘ lines were to the saxophone. Following his work with Brown, he worked with giants like [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Little Willie John[/lastfm] and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Screamin’ Jay Hawkins[/lastfm] and for labels that included Atlantic, King and Okeh.

In 1956, he had a hit of his own, teaming with Sylvia Vanderpool to record “Love Is Strange” under the name [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Mickey and Sylvia[/lastfm]. The record sold 800,000 copies on the tiny Vik label before being picked up on RCA and topping the million-seller mark. Along with appearing on countless sides as a session player, Baker also cut some solo albums and published a best-selling instructional book called Jazz Guitar.

1931 – (SAY HEY) WILLIE MAYS

1936 – SYLVIA ROBINSON ([lastfm]MICKEY & SYLVIA[/lastfm])

1939 – HERBIE COX ([lastfm]CLEFTONES[/lastfm])

1942 – COLIN EARL ([lastfm]MUNGO JERRY[/lastfm]/[lastfm]FOGHAT[/lastfm])

1945 – [lastfm]BOB SEGER[/lastfm]

1948 – [lastfm]MARY MacGREGOR[/lastfm] [TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS]

1989 – GUY WILLIAMS (ZORRO – LOST IN SPACE)

1931 – (SAY HEY) WILLIE MAYS

1936 – SYLVIA ROBINSON ([lastfm]MICKEY & SYLVIA[/lastfm])

1939 – HERBIE COX ([lastfm]CLEFTONES[/lastfm])

1942 – COLIN EARL ([lastfm]MUNGO JERRY[/lastfm]/[lastfm]FOGHAT[/lastfm])

1945 – [lastfm]BOB SEGER[/lastfm]

1948 – [lastfm]MARY MacGREGOR[/lastfm] [TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS]

1989 – GUY WILLIAMS (ZORRO – LOST IN SPACE)

Click through to The Central Shaft to see all the Strange variations that are all radical.

Huzzah birthday cake!

What day am I on?  I am losing track… six?  Friday was three so this must be six.

The weekend was spent in Coquitlam which was a sea of work to pull off.  My girl is a trillion miles away drinking 3 euro bottles of wine in Paris and I was left to fend for myself.  Saturday was my 29th birthday.  I decided to spend it in Coquitlam with Grandma Mom and Grandpa Jack (who wants to be referred to as the Father of the Father or Faf?  SWA?).  It was an early morning for Mads and I.  Thankfully I had packed the night before so we got up and hit the road first thing.

My buddy Bob came over Saturdat night with his girl Jen and they had a present for Madelyn.

Yeah, they brought her an Oiler’s track suit.  Bob was like, “she could walk into the arena with Ethan Moreau and people would think she was on the team.”  ha, too funny (and adorable).

Jen drove Bob and I downtown to catch the Sam Roberts show.  Randomly we bumped into Marisa who we went to high school with.

The show was pretty rad.  Sam brings the noise.  After the set, some pints in Yaletown and then a late night dash to reach skytrain before the last train.

Sunday, my brother Matt and I rolled into the Glasvegas show at Richards.  They are moving the club to the old A&B Sound on Seymour which is neat but sad.  I walking around that part of town with Matt telling him what used to be where back in my day.  I am not even that old but the physical geography of Vancouver has changed so much.

Glasvegas was an interesting juxtaposition of sounds and style.  Matt and I sensed something was up when the we walked in and some dude that thought he was a a cotton picker from the 1930s Deep South was jamming away at the guitar and singing about “pain.”

After his set, the music they played was 1950′s Dirty Dancing type music.  like this song from 1957.

The boys (and girl) in Glasvegas took the stage and they didn’t look at all like my preconception.  I was expecting an Interpol-y / Franz Ferindand-esque group of hipsters, but what I got was some Rockabilly looking Scottish dudes.  They were very striking on stage.  Their music is epic and grandiose.  Richards was full and the band elicits a passionate fan.  Many times I heard the audience sing with group.  They added to the whole experience for me as I really only know the song we play on the Zone, “Geraldine.”

They got to “Geraldine” about half way through the set and the song lit the club up.  The next song after the radio hit was maybe the band’s weakest song, so they let me down a bit.  Their drummer is also very awkward.  The guitar player and bassist however bring some energy.  They whirl around the stage banging and attacking their instruments or barking and howling their harmonies.

The lights added to their mystique.  They had bright yellow flood lights behind them that made the stage look like there were shadow puppets on stage performing.

The music sounded like a mix of 50′s pop songs and Interpol.  Unique and interesting.

***

Six or so hours after Matt and I got back from Richards, Madelyn and I were up and battling Vancouver traffic to the ferry.  By the end of the weekend, I was a veteran of ferry travel with Mads.  We worked it with the old ladies, played with the kids and devoured some ferry breakfast (mmm eggs scooped from a warm vat).

Day Six

Baby is still alive

Dad: 06
Davey Jone’s Locker: 00

***

I sat down with Tyson, Lewis and Dan this evening.  Their band, Acres of Lions, has a new record out in February.  They brought an advanced copy and we played three new songs on Capital Rock City.  Episode #40 will be posted tomorrow.

Go with yourself.