Today's quiz

From the NY Times:

For the final performance of “A New Day,” Celine Dion’s show at Caesars Palace here last weekend, M J Wylie, 49, a health-care consultant from Denver, decided to go formal. She wore a floor-length black gown and a sparkly white shawl; around her neck was a silver pendant in the shape of the show’s first logo, an elongated figure of a woman. Inside her $3,400 Judith Leiber clutch, bought at the gift shop adjacent to the theater and also bedazzled with the logo, were several autographed photos of Ms. Dion with Ms. Wylie. It was an undeniably elegant ensemble; the only problem, Ms. Wylie said, was that her dress hid her commemorative “New Day” tattoo.

It was her 62nd time at the show.

Ms. Wylie said, “It’s been my escape for the last five years.” She likened her fervor to a drug addiction — except, she said, “it’s legal, it’s wholesome.” But it’s also pricey: She estimated she had easily spent $15,000 to $20,000 on her Dion habit.

Is Ms. Wylie,

1. A bit delusional, but of no harm to anyone but herself and her bank account.
   
2. Delusional and dangerous and this article goes into her already bulging file maintained by Celine Dion's security staff.

I have no Celine Dion songs to add to this.

In other words

A few links to what other people are writing about.

Nine Things Which Appeared on The Muppet Show, But Wouldn’t Make It Onto Family Television These Days

3. War. A Muppet unit of World War One infantrymen, being shelled to pieces in their trench while singing a cheery rendition of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”… Jesus Christ. The performance ends with Statler and Waldorf putting on German helmets and machine-gunning the stage. I swear to God I’m not making this up.

ROCK, ROCK, ROCK AND ROLL RECESS:

When I was volunteering at my son’s school recess on Wednesday I saw something similar. It began like something you’d see in grainy black and white footage documenting the early days of Beatlemania. The vast majority of the third grade came out of the building in a screaming pack. Soon I noticed that they all appeared to be chasing a boy named Isaac.

I started to worry about the safety of Isaac and the other kids. I asked my son Liam what was going on. “Isaac promised us that he would sing at recess!” he replied.

The Best Joni Mitchell Song Ever:

This is a love letter. To a love song. One I keep returning to. One I keep feeling I need to do justice to. I don't know if I can, but I'll try.

A couple of months ago, I'd gone back to playing it. Only I can't play it just once. I have to play it over and over again for hours on end. I can't get enough of it. It's not just a love song: It's a road song, it's a motel song, it's a Southwestern desert song, it's a disappearance and death song. It's a Joni Mitchell song. It's "Amelia."

People get that way about Joni Mitchell songs. Bob Dylan once told me that he'd written "Tangled up in Blue," the opening song of the much-celebrated Blood on the Tracks, after spending a weekend immersed in JM's Blue (although I think he may have been talking about the whole album, not just the song).

Thursday Challenge VI

Christmas edition! Let's zero out everyone's scores and start over.

1 point each

1. "Oh Damn, guess what I forgot?"
   
2. According to the South Park Christmas, what should you not say in front of Jesus?
   
3. Why is Backdoor Santa not like old Saint Nick?
   
4. Complete this lyric from a famous christmas duet:
   

   You're a bum You're a punk
   You're an ________________

   
   
5. In Tom Waits' "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" christmas is not mentioned in the lyrics. What holiday is?
   
6. On the album cover of "Christmas with the Chipmunks," what date are they opening presents?
   
7. According to James Brown, Santa goes where?
   
8. How much cash did Santa leave Run D.M.C.?
   
9. In "Elmo saves Christmas" who does Harvey Fierstein tragically portray?
   2 points each
   
10. Jews singing Christmas songs: name your favorite two.
    
11. In "Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas" what does Grace Jones sing?
    
12. And where was her intended destination?

Rules, always with the rules
Points only for those you know without googling. Obviously I can't stand over you with a Nun ruler, so I'll borrow from the guidelines Ken Jennings uses for his Tuesday Trivia:

As with all good trivia, it would take you about 30 seconds to Google the answers. So you're on the honor system here: no peeking, and only send in the answers you knew off the top of your head.

Unless otherwise noted, spoiler discussions are allowed in the comments. So discuss the answers as much as you want in the comments and if you're still guessing then avoid the comments until your answers are ready.

Malcolm McLaren, Madam Butterfly

45 RPM, 12"
Island 0-96915
Malcolm McLaren -- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton
Betty Ann White -- aria, sung by
Deborah Cole -- soloist, nonopera variety
Robert Erdmann -- photograph


Let's stipulate the following:

1. Malcolm McLaren did not create punk.
   
2. The Sex Pistols did not create punk.
   
3. If anything, the Sex Pistols killed punk.
   
4. American punk was always more about the music; specifically reclaiming it from hippies and boring baby boomers
   
5. British punk was more tied into the economic ruin at the and was wrapped up in class warfare and government protest. Even though many of the studios used were built with government grant money to give the youths something to do and keep them off the street.

Getting back to Malcolm McLaren, he is a particularly vile human being who didn't give a shit about the music or musicians or anyone other than himself. Everything he did was created for the sole purpose of creating a "scene" around him. Johnny Lydon's work with PiL was much more interesting than the Sex Pistols. When Adam Ant had his band stolen by McLaren, he took McLaren's ideas and improved upon them, turning out some fun and interesting music. Bow Wow Wow was created as a mouth piece for McLaren's anti-youth, anti-music tirades. Then there's how he treated the underage Annabella. From Simon Reynolds' Rip It Up and Start Again, postpunk 1978-1984:

Vermorel believes McLaren's master scheme was "to create a child porn scandal implicating as many people as he could." Not just EMI, who was financing Chicken, but the BBC, too.A documentary crew headed by Alan Yentob had been following McLaren around for a program on the marketing of Bow Wow Wow. Partly impelled by his usual lust for maximum media mayhem, McLaren also wanted to make a serious polemical point, exposing pop music as porn for children...and pop as porn using children to titillate adults.

With typical ruthlessness, McLaren, in his eagerness to embarrass the music and media establishment, showed no concern whatsoever about the youngsters (Annabella and the other teenage models) or old friends (Vermorel) who would have been embroiled in the scandal. When he went to remonstrate with McLaren, says Vermorel, "alcolm just laughed and said, 'You should be telling all this to the judge! When the shit hits the fan, I'll be in South America.' So I told EMI what was going on. And they tld Yentob, and he freaked out, and those tapes have been in the BBC vault ever since."

...Chickennever hatched. According to Vermorel, the only physical evidence of Chicken's existence was the rate card for advertising in the magazine." But Bow Wow Wow's second release, Your Cassette Pet, continued to expolit the underage-sex angle.

I'll pick the rest when I get around to the Bow Wow albums. But for all his faults, and dislike of music, McLaren did have interesting ideas that sometimes worked. His 1989 album Waltz Darling, a marriage of funk and waltz, is quite effective in parts. But if I'm picking, I'm going with his 1984 opera/R&B work in Fans. Which began with the release of Madam Butterfly.

...Even though "My white honky I do miss him" is about the dumbest lyric ever.

• Side One: Madam Butterfly
  
• Side Two: Madam Butterfly, On the Fly Remix

Other
1985 MIT review
Robert Christgau
Youtube video

Three songs I like

I'll get around to the bands and the full records eventually. Until then, here's three songs for your (or at least mine) listening pleasure.

There was an old lady, Wallets

Ghi, Voodoolulu

Broken hearts for you and me, Trio

Taking suggestions

Looking to see if there's a preference for what I do next. I'm thinking one of the following:

1. The Something Wild soundtrack. Excellent collection of 80s music -- the Sister Carol track is worth the price of admission. It was released as a CD in 1990, but appears to currently be out of print.
   
   
2. An LP of Margaret Atwood reading her poetry. Years ago, when I was reading a bunch of Atwood novels, I came across this in a used record store. I don't think I've ever played it.
   
   
3. A Civil Defense record from the early 60s. It came with a booklet about how to build a bomb shelter in your backyard. Unfortunately, that's been lost. When I had a college radio show, I'd play this with Beethoven's 9th underneath. Sometimes, with the civil defense siren blaring, it was spooky.

****As you may have noticed, I didn't follow up with any of these. The Malcolm McLaren just needed a couple of finishing touches, then I started ripping some old christmas albums as a parental christmas gift. I did get the civil defense record completed and that should be posted later this week. "Something Wild" might be a bit longer as I'm thinking about pulling some audio clips from the movie.

Thursday Challenge V

It's Shakespop!

Match the artist with the lyrics. Two points for each correct answer.

Bonus Points

• 1 point for each title you know.
  
• 1 point for each song you own.
  
• 10 points if you own none.
  
• I own four, for 1 point each, name them.
  
• For 1-8 points, incorrectly guess the theme. Be creative. Points awarded at the sole discretion of the judge -- me

1. What if I were Romeo in black jeans
   What if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth
   Maybe she's just looking for
   Someone to dance with
   
   
2. Romeo is dead, Juliet is dyin'
   Love and death has got this whole town cryin'
   
   
3. Juliet says "hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
   He's underneath the window she's singing "hey la, my boyfriend's back.
   You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that...
   Anyway what you gonna do about it?"
   
   
4. Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill
   He jumped out the window 'cause he couldn't sit still
   Juliet was waiting with a safety net
   He said, "Don't bury me 'cause I'm not dead yet"
   
   
5. Romeo, oh Romeo
   Wherefore art thou Romeo?
   He's in a car or at a bar
   Or churning his blood
   with an impure drug
   
   
6. I was never satisfied with casual encounters
   I cant hide my need for two hearts that bleed with burning love
   Thats the way its got to be
   Romeo and juliet, they never felt this way I bet
   So dont underestimate my point of view
   
   
7. Romeo and juliet, samson and delilah
   Baby you can bet their love they didnt deny
   Your words say split but your words they lie
   `cause when we kiss, fire
   
   
8. Maybe he's no Romeo
   But he's my lovin' one man show
   Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
   Let's hear it for the boy
   
   
9. Valentine is done
   Here but now they're gone
   Romeo and Juliet
   Are together in eternity...Romeo and Juliet
   40,000 men and women everyday...Like Romeo and Juliet
   
   
10. Juliet, where's your romeo
    where oh where is your romeo
    tell me juliet where's your romeo
    tell us tell us dear for we all want to know

• Blue Oyster Cult
  
• Elvis Costello
  
• Dire Straits
  
• Melissa Etheridge
  
• Madonna
  
• Michael Penn
  
• Lou Reed
  
• Bruuuuuce Springsteen
  
• Denise Williams
  
• Peter Wolf

Rules, always with the rules
Points only for those you know without googling. Obviously I can't stand over you with a Nun ruler, so I'll borrow from the guidelines Ken Jennings uses for his Tuesday Trivia:

As with all good trivia, it would take you about 30 seconds to Google the answers. So you're on the honor system here: no peeking, and only send in the answers you knew off the top of your head.

Unless otherwise noted, spoiler discussions are allowed in the comments. So discuss the answers as much as you want in the comments and if you're still guessing then avoid the comments until your answers are ready.

Jesse Johnson, Crazay featuring Sly Stone

A&M Records
SP-12214
1986
12" Single
45RPM
Original sticker price: $4.28


One of the highlights of 1986 was Jesse Johnson's shockadelica. Except I couldn't have bought in 1986m because I only have the CD and I didn't own a CD player until 1987. What I did buy was the 12" remix of Crazay featuring Sly Stone. Played the crap out of it, too. Searching for a decent scan of the album cover I came across Purple Music, which seems to list everyone ever involved with Prince. Learned that Jesse had tracks on the Pretty in Pink and Breakfast Club soundtracks; somehow I'd missed that.

I think this is his Official Myspace page, where I learned he is playing on Chaka Khan's new CD, Funk This. Her website is all the annoying, but the music sounded good and I downloaded the whole thing from iTunes. She's one of those artists I've always enjoyed, but never really bought any music from. I do have the 12" remix of I Feel For You for whatever that's worth.

Back to Crazay, the side 2 remix, Paul Edit, looks to be by this Cameron Paul.

Need a Sly Stone link -- Phattadatta

Side One

1. Remix (8:18). I could listen to this all day; Sly even drops a bop gun in there.
   
2. Dub Version (6:45). I've been able to figure out what the "Africa-Jungle" intro is supposed to me. Best I can do is wonder if they meant to somehow tie into the South African disinvestment protests.

Side Two

1. Paul Edit (4:21), Paul Edit by Cameron Paul.
   
2. 7 inch Remix (4:32)

Credits

Produced by Jesse Johnson for J.W.J. Productions, Inc.
Executive Producer: John McClain
Mixed by Bruce Forest
Additional Production by Bruce Forest
Engineered by Frank Heller
Original version appears on the A&M album "Shockadelica" SP-5122

Additional Photos
One thing I need to do is work on shots of album covers. There's a number I can't locate on the intertoobs, or they're of poor quality. I've tried my own camera shots and I'm not happy with those. Then there's scanning, which doesn't fit:

Front, partial

Back, partial


Side A


Side B

DJ John: Rob Base vs Prince

A remix of "It Takes Two by Rob Base and Kiss by Prince (mp3).

More from DJ John.

Flip Wilson: Cowboys & Colored People

Atlantic Recording Corporation
1968

Side 1

1. Cowboys & Colored People (5:43).
   
2. Midget (1:07).
   
3. Riot Suit (1:41).
   
4. David and Goliath (5:29).
   
5. Ugly People (2:18).
   
6. Staying On Too Long (1:25).

Side 2

1. Christopher Columbus (6:50).
   
2. Kids (1:40).
   
3. Cheap Hotel (4:25)
   
4. Church On Sunday (2:00)
   
5. Big Hand (2:05)
   
6. Confidential Survey (:50)

Considering how popular he was, it's a little surprising his records were never converted to CD and that there is so little information available about him. Here's three sources:

• TV Party
  
• Museum of Broadcast Communications
  
• January 31, 1972, the cover of Time magazine: TV's First Black Superstar.

Some middleclass, well-educated blacks are offended by the updated Amos 'n' Andy quality of Flip's material. Wilson's way of playing with the stereotypes, however, unselfconsciously holds them up to ridicule. Not even Archie Bunker could find much ammunition for bigotry in Flip's presentation of Geraldine (see box, page 59). If Flip is Amos 'n' Andy, he is Amos 'n' Andy in reverse shuffle—with 30 years of civil rights battles behind him.

Most blacks, uneducated as well as sophisticated, seem to realize this. Last year when he appeared at Black Expo '71, a trade and cultural fair in the International Amphitheater in Chicago, the audience was screaming for Geraldine even before Flip came on. "There was such a massive outpouring of love and appreciation that it overwhelmed the cat and broke him down," remembers the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who helped organize the affair.

No Color. To those who say that he should do more to advance the "cause," Flip has a ready reply: "I have feelings about these things, but I'm selling professional entertainment. Politics is for politicians. Each man has his own style; mine is that 'the funny' has no color. I do these characters because they're what I know. But people are just people to me. The way I see it, I don't have to think black—or not think black. I just have to entertain. I'm just a comic."

....His off-the-cuff comments about his craft are more revealing. "Generally," he says, "it only takes one thing that's different to be great. I don't think there's anything that can compare with Charlie Chaplin's walk and remarkable use of the body. With Bob Hope, it's timing; with W.C. Fields it's complete effortlessness. A long time ago, I decided what my thing was and I eliminated everything else. I used to work with a partner, but he'd get drunk and forget his lines. No partner. I eliminated the orchestra because I didn't sing or dance. I used to wear a ratty old coat and a funny hat. I threw those away. No props. Just me. Flip Wilson."

Back Cover: Liner Notes 1

Flip Wilson belongs to the new wave of comics, stand-up monologists like Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Woody Allen and Godfrey Cambridge. He is a satirist who knows how to use humor to show the foibles of the society in which we live.

The first national exposure for Flip Wilson came with a guest shot on the Johnny Carson "Tonight" show. He scored so solidly that he was quickly booked by Carson for five more appearances. Those shows brought Flip Wilson to the attention of millions. Wilson had been trying for many years to break into the big time. He admits to being the schoolhouse ham who made his debut at the age of nine, playing Clara Barton in the school play because he learned his lines by "hanging around" and the leading lady didn't show up opening night because of stage fright. There are also those who remember Mr. Wilson as the leader of the daily Pledge of Allegiance at the age of six, when he constantly found new and interesting songs and poems to recite while waiting for the pledge.

Flip's professional career began after a four-year stint in the Air Force. As he says, "It is a lot easier than parking cars." After 10 years of playing scores of small clubs throughout the country Flip Wilson became an "in" comic a few years ago. Since the "Tonight" show he has guested on the Ed Sullivan show and other top-rated TV shows, has moved up from the small clubs to the big-time nighteries, and has become a hot act on the college campus circuit. His hilarious comedy routines on this recording indicate that Flip Wilson will remain in the big-time for many years to come.

Bob Rolontz

Back Cover Liner Notes 2
There's also a review from Variety:

Flip Wilson
Comedy
30mins
Paul's Mall Boston

Flip Wilson, around for some time working in concerts, jazz rooms, onenighters and tv guesting, not yet documented in Variety, is a social satirist and his recounting of historical events in which one or more of the important figures always speak with a southern Negro drawl is devastating. His Biblical figures come to life related to present day showbiz personalities. "Little David was the Ray Charles of his time." His chronicling of ancient Rome could aptly be title "Flip Wilson's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire."

He repeats, explains, and always with a new clever twist that hits hippie audiences [I'm always in favor of hitting hippie audiences -- Bill] right where they live for continuous rounds of applause and laughter.

Wilson seques from Rome to a hilarious account of Columbus discovering America, with Columbus a small boy, who always keeps saying "when I grow up, I'm gonna discover America." From this he goes into a far out and funny Indian premise in which he relates the Indians to social prejudices: "Do you want to build a $50,000 split-level and have some Indian put up a wigwam next to?" Wilson builds an Indian Jeremiah, detailing, "I tried to be nice to them, but...Thing is the Indians aren't ready yet." He's got a plentitude of routines, writes his own material and is constantly researching for comic satire premises. His material is sharp and clever, in tune with the times, and he wisely refrains from the politico situations preferring to use his comic talents in wild premises that are fun, relating social mores of the past to the present and vice versa.

Credits

All material written by Flip Wilson
Licensed for broadcast by BMI
Recording engineer: Phil Lehle
Cover photo: George Rosenblatt
Album design: Loring Eutemey
Introductory voice: Jack Walker
Supervision: Nesyhi Ertegun & Monte Kay

This is a high fidelity recording. For best results observe the R.I.A.A. high fidelity roll-off characteristic with a 500 cycle crossover.