Whenever I wrote music trivia questions, I would go online to one of those lyric websites for accurate song lyrics. There are times when I'm stumped by lyrics of a favorite song now and search online for them. We all do it, right? Whether you're running a contest or not, you want to know the real words. Listeners truly believe that the lyrics to "Drift Away" are "Give me the Beach Boys and soothe my soul", the Rascals' "Groovin": "You and me and Lesley", Crystal Gayle, "Donuts make my brown eyes blue." Regular CBS-FM listener Leonard, who would get upset with everything, once asked me if a countdown I was writing contained one of his favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs, "The Wreck of the Ella Fitzgerald"? ...
Websites that supply lyric content (AZ Lyrics Universe and Lyrics.com) have become an endangered species and are about to be wiped out by AOL Music and MTV Networks. Those two websites, along with other lyric sites publish lyrics to songs illegally. In the coming weeks, AOL will offer lyrics as part of their editorial features and MTV will offer music lyric features on MTV, VH1 and CMT starting next month. Yahoo! Music and Real Networks' Rhapsody started offering lyrics earlier this year...
Gracenote, a digital music services company will be the chief supplier of lyrics to both AOL and MTV. You can bet it will be easier to get lyrics to songs by Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Tim McGraw and others than it will to find out if Jimi Hendrix really did sing, "Scuse me while I kiss this guy"...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1938] War of the Worlds: H.G. Wells' epic is aired on "Mercury Theater on the air presents Orson Welles". Of the 6 million listeners, more than 1.7 million believed the fictional account of Martians invading New Jersey. Maybe they were looking for Jimmy Hoffa. Here's the opening of the bogus invasion (audio only): http://youtube.com/watch?v=4wf5TPVz56A ...
- 1961] Body? What body?: The Soviet Party Congress orders the removal of Josef Stalin's body from Lenin's tomb, setting up this great trivia question: Who's buried in Stalin's tomb? Ans: Nobody...
- 1966] Johnny U: The greatest QB of them all, Johnny Unitas passes Y.A. Tittle as the all-time passing leader with 252 yards in a game. Johnny U. will also become the 1st QB to pass for over 40,000 yards. Here's a fitting tribute to number 19: http://youtube.com/watch?v=aihFz9_uPuU ...
- 1971] Runaway: Cornell running back Ed Marinaro runs for 272 yards against Columbia to surpass 4,000 yards and break Steve Owens record at Oklahoma...
- 1974] Are you ready to rumble?: "The Rumble in the Jungle" is fought in Kinshasa, Zaire with Muhammad Ali beating George Foreman on a TKO in the 8th round and here's that knockout: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kf64ZCYVcEI ...
- 1975] DROP DEAD!!!: That was the subtle headline on page one of the New York Daily News after President Gerald R. Ford says he would veto any proposed federal bailout of New York City. Yep, better to use the money on police body armor in Keokuk, Iowa any day...
- 1976] Anchors away: Jane Pauley becomes co-anchor of "The Today Show". Jane, and all the anchors, is featured in this Today Show tribute: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HC5jM_IuGl4 ...
- 1989] A piece of the Rock: Mitsubishi Estate Company announces the buying of 51% of Rockefeller Group Inc. This includes Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center...
- 1997] Convicted: A Cambridge (MA) jury convicts British au pair Louise Woodward of second degree murder in the death of 8-month old Matthew Eappen. The judge later reduces the verdict to manslaughter and sets Woodward free. Who was the judge? Lance Ito???
- 2000] "Happy Trails": Legendary comedian and the first host of "The Tonight Show", author and composer Steve Allen dies from cardiac arrest at 78 and here's a rare clip of Steve hosting the show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QPwRo0YTTe4 ...
Music Memories:
- 1973] Released on this date: "Mind Games" LP - John Lennon...
- 1984] Record Breaking: Barry Manilow breaks Diana Ross's box office record at Radio City Music Hall with sales exceeding $1.9 million. Miss Ross's record was $1.8...
- 1984] They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway: Linda Ronstadt makes her operatic debut in "La Boheme"...
- 1995] R&R HOF inductees, class of '96: David Bowie, Gladys Knight & Pips, Pete Seeger, Jefferson Airplane, Little Willie John, Pink Floyd, The Shirelles (seen here with 'do's' to die for: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dLOweTZJt98 ), the Velvet Underground and Tom Donahue, The father of FM radio, who goes in as a 'radio pioneer'...
Commentary:
Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the death of a dear friend to everyone associated with him through the years, Tommy Noonan. Tommy, a victim of cancer of the bladder worked endlessly as a conduit for the gathering of former CBS Records employees with his Alumni newsletter and lunches held on both coasts. Tommy, your spirit and friendship are missed by everyone you touched..."Happy Trails" to Porter Wagoner who passed away on October 28. I remember watching Porter and Dolly Parton, who he took under his wing, on a weekly TV show. Wagoner was 80 when he passed away from lung cancer...In response to my commentary on the Red Sox, Tom Kennedy comments: "It was another late, but very rewarding, night and I like the new math. Hold that Pats thought too! BC is doing OK as well. I can tell that you hold Boston near and dear and I won't hold that NY thing against you." This is from Harvey Mednick: "And maybe even the rebuilt Celtics with KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Could be a sports Trifecta in the Hub City." FYI: The parade for the Red Sox starts at noon at the corner of Kilmamock and Boylston...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Harry Hamlin (56), Timothy B. Schmit (60), Henry Winkler (62), the only surviving original Temptation, Otis Williams (66), Grace Slick (68) and Motown's Eddie Holland (68)...
Timeline Countdown: One night until Halloween, 5 days until Standard Time and 17 days until Thanksgiving...
