Guess The Connection #1

Feb 26, 2012 1980s, 2000s, hard rock, trivia

It’s funny how the mind works sometimes. You think of one thing, and that reminds you of something else, and then that something reminds you of something else.

Today we’ll do things a little differently, or oddly, depending on your point of view. I’ll show you two videos, and see if you can guess the connection.

(To be fair, I will put the answer at the end of the message, but do your best to not skip ahead.)

Ready?

The first video is for Aerosmith’s 2001 hit “Jaded”.

Next is “Elvira” by The Oak Ridge Boys (#5 US, 1981).

Here’s a little hint: You have to watch the Aerosmith video, but you only need to listen to The Oak Ridge Boys song.

Okay I will admit that that hint may be a bit confusing, but I need to put a little space between the videos and the answer.

Remember, no peaking at the answer until after you have watched both videos.

Did you guess the connection yet? If not, that’s okay.

The answer is below.

The connection is this: The Aerosmith video for “Jaded” stars Mila Kunis as the female lead, and her mother’s name is…Elvira. Like I said, it’s funny how the mind works sometimes.

Tags: aerosmith, music videos, oak ridge boys, rock and roll, trivia

My Favorite Rock And Roll Book

Apr 16, 2010 Uncategorized

My favorite rock and roll book lists every Billboard Hot 100 single from 1955 thorugh 2006. Now, that may sound a bit dry to some people, but it is absolutely brimming with all kinds of trivia and interesting information for the music junkie in all of us.

I got an earlier version of this book which only covered the years 1955 through 1990. The people I used to work with knew how badly I wanted it and they all pitched in the cash to put into my going away card when I found a new job. Needless to say, I was grateful, and the book got more than its fair share of a workout.

It is almost a full 1,000 pages and weighs a few pounds, but once you pick it up, it’s almost impossible to put down.

Want to know who sang a certain song, when it came out, or what label it was on? On top of that, it will show how high it charted, when it peaked on the chart and how many weeks it was there, and more. It’s all there! And it’s arranged in an easy-to-use format that makes it a serious research tool and fun to browse at the same time.

Rock on!

Tags: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, rock and roll trivia, rock deaths, trivia

Rock And Roll Remakes Wednesday #7

Mar 17, 2010 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, cover songs, trivia

You may be as shocked as I was as to the number of cover versions of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David classic “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me”.

I was most familiar with the version done in the 1980s by Naked Eyes, and was under the impression it was originally done by Sandie Shaw. Her version was one of the earliest and went to #1 in her native England and hit the Top 100 in the US.

However, the first released version was done by Lou Johnson, and charted a few notches higher than Shaw’s later version.

So, in a nutshell…

Lou Johnson recorded it first and charted higher than Shaw in the US. But Shaw had the biggest hit with it in the UK. However, Naked Eyes had the highest charting US version, though they didn’t chart with it in their native England.

Here are each of the above-mentioned versions, as well as a few others for good measure.

Lou Johnson’s original:

Club mix by Tin Tin Out featuring Espiritu:

The “almost original” by Sandie Shaw:

An acoustic Latin take by Jose Feliciano:

The highest charting US version by Naked Eyes:

Modern rock (ska) version by The Hippos:

Tags: 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, cover songs, trivia

Some Pop Rock and Roll from Mr. Sacco

Mar 16, 2010 1960s, trivia

Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco came into the world in 1943. He had a #1 hit by the time he was 23.

Even by today’s standards, some of the lyrics of that song seem a bit racy. Yet, his delivery calls forth deeper feelings than pure infatuation.

Lugee Sacco was better known by his stage name, Lou Christie. While “Lightnin’ Strikes” was his only #1, he had other hits with such songs as “The Gypsy Cried”, “Two Faces Have I”, “I’m Gonna Make You Mine”, and the somewhat controversial song “Rhapsody In The Rain”.

As an added treat here’s one that you may not have heard in many years (if at all). It seems our protagonist let his girlfriend, Sarah Jane, use his car while he was serving in the military. But upon his return he finds plenty of evidence that she was using the car for illicit purposes. He even finds pictures of Sarah and someone else in his car’s ashtray. (See, cars used to have these things called ashtrays)

Hear the whole story in “If My Car Could Only Talk”

Tags: 1960s, trivia