Time Machine Coordinates VVI4092016Omega

And welcome to the most mashed mash up in Time Machine history- a thorough mixture of the week's M10 and the top of the year-end M50!  Included in the mix are three new M10 debuts and three tunes that belong to BOTH lists!  So strap in- and take notes, because you won't be able to keep track without a program!

First, the highest M10 debut:

This one I heard on the radio the other day.  They do a "recycled hits" feature where they play an original hit followed by a cover.  Sometimes you get a winner, sometimes a stinker, but this one had a hard time losing, because the original was the Stones' Gimme Shelter!  The cover was from a disc of covers called Re(disc)overed from the hard rockers Puddle Of Mudd, back in 2011.  And this week, it debuts at #8 on the M10...





M50 #8, then, it's only fair...

And at #8, we have a three time #1 from the Beach b... ooops, make that The Explorers Club!  California's Calling Ya, and the wonderful Beach Boys tribute video, can be had here.


This one made both charts, too...

...but we heard the M50 placement way back at #36.  On this week's M10, though, Agnes Obel slips a pair to #6 with Mary.

The last non #1 on the M50...

...Is one of the top five- a group that was set in stone a long time back.  The second hit (virtually at the same time) for Nada Surf, Believe You're Mine, pointed at #13 but makes the 50 at #5.  Another KEXP video live can be seen here.


And the first of the three double-top tens...

... is at #10 on the 50 and down one to #7 on the weekly chart- Radiation City's Come And Go, for which you can catch the audio there on that link.

Here is the current three-member lineup.  It will be a five-piece here in a minute...

And now, debut #2...

... coming in at #9 on this week's chart, it's the return of Ducktails, with another song I pulled off the lp St Catherines...





If you recall, they had the #1 Headbanging In The Mirror back in January- as well as back at #39 on the 50.


Meanwhile, at #4 on the M50...

...another 3 week #1, this one for Eleanor Friedberger, and Two Versions Of Tomorrow.  Her video, which I hadn't seen before, is right here.


The bigger, but not necessarily better....

...Radiation City of 2013 comes in at #4 on the M10 this week, up 4 spots, with Zombies.

With both Elisabeth Ellison and Patti King then...

And the reason why nobody's in point order...

...is because sometimes you get stuck behind a song that doesn't let you through in time.  Such a song will be coming up momentarily, but the one that WOULD have been higher than #28 pointwise IS higher on the non-point based M50.  At #6, I give you case/lang/veirs and Honey And Smoke...


Our second double-dipper...

...on most charts would have been too new to make a year-end chart.  In fact, when I cobbled together the M50, it would have only pointed at #33.  Now, though, it would have fallen just outside the top ten.  On the M10 this week, it is #2 for a second week after 3 at #1; on the M50, it comes in #9... and that song is the El Michels Affair with the Shacks and Strange Boy.


Now, for that big bully...

...who kept Honey And Smoke (among others) out of the top spot for the month of June, and finishes both points and M50 at #2-  Tangerine with You'll Always Be Lonely.

This week's M10 big mover....

...is Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears with PTP, moving 5 to #5.


Our last debut...

...is a Canadian band whose style has been called originally "gay church folk music".  Nowadays, though, The Hidden Cameras go for a less flamboyant style, and this song reaches across the genres.  I would suspect you might be hearing this one here next year....






Day I Left Home comes in at #10 this week.


See what THIS one started...

The first time I played what was soon to be the three-week #1 Keep It Warm by Flo and Eddie for my son KC, the verse, "make a better world from the old one/make yourself a baby and hold one..." really hit him- but I didn't know how hard when, 8 weeks later, Jessica told me she was 8 weeks along with the upcoming Peanut.

"...and that's the story of how YOU came along..."

Keep It Warm, from the 1976 lp Moving Targets, is the year's #3 and you can hear it here... but wear a condom just in case!


More Shacks!  More Shacks!

But of course!  This Strange Effect holds at #3 on the M10 this week.


And the final double dipper...

...would have been 54th had I went by points at the time.  Now, it would have been mid 20s after 2 weeks at the top.  But instead, it places at #7, and still sits at #1 on the weekly chart...

... Melody's Echo Chamber with I Follow You!!!!!!!!!


And that brings us to the top of the fifty...


...and the song I knew would be there right from first listen...







And there we go!  Come back next time, when I MIGHT do 1978, but I WILL do the Beauty Contest!!!!!

Requiem for music 2016

So today (Tuesday) is the day I set down to do a post on the musicians we have lost this year.  I began counting up top ten albums, top 40 singles, top tens, and number ones which had principals die this year thus far.  I counted 68 lps, 118 top 40s, 59 top tens, and 17 number ones.

Then I gave up.  I had just started June.

Wikipedia lists "deaths in rock and roll", a list that includes almost any type of popular music from any year, and includes producers, djs agents, even sound men.  There were 22 names listed dying in the '50s, 59 in the '60s, 121 in the '70s, and 182 in the 80's.

I counted 190 in 2016.

They were as young as 19- year old Tomas Lowe and River Reeves of the band Viola Beach, who charted just outside the UK top ten in 2015 with Swings and Waterslides - and died with the rest of their band and their manager, when they tried to beat a bridge opening and failed.

They were as old as Horacio Salgan, a Brazilian tango pianist who was 80 days past his 100th birthday.


Bands such as Mott The Hoople (Dale "Buffin" Griffin), the Box Tops (Danny Smythe), 3 Doors Down (Matt Roberts),  and Y&T (Leonard Haze), lost drummers.  Others lost keyboardists (Parliament/Funkadelic's Bernie Worrell), bassists (Booker T and the MG's Lewie Steinberg, Harvey Danger's Aaron Huffman, Dio's Jimmy Bain), horn players (Tower Of Power's Mic Gillette, MFSB's TJ Tindall, the Blackbyrds' Alan Barnes), guitarists (Status Quo's Rick Parfitt, Wings' Hugh McCullough).  A lot of acts lost vocalists:  Nick Caldwell of the Whispers, Gary Loizzo of American Breed, former Beauty Contestant Gayle McCormick of Smith, Carlo Mastrangelo of the Belmonts, Pete Burns of Dead Or Alive, Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards of the Intruders, Don Ciccone of the Critters and the latter-day Four Seasons, Jerry Corbetta of Sugarloaf.

And then there were the stars:  David Bowie.  Glen Frey. Paul Kantner.  Maurice White.  Keith Emerson and Greg Lake.  Andy "Thunderclap" Newman.  Merle Haggard.  Prince.  Billy Paul.Glen Yarbrough.  Rod Temperton.  Bobby Vee.  Leon Russell.  Leonard Cohen.  And George Michael, of course.

Names beyond the music itself also fell- Robert Stigwood and George Martin, the guiding geniuses behind two of the biggest acts of all time, the Bee Gees and the Beatles, went down.  Two influential acts of the 60s and 70s lost two members (ELP's Lake and Emerson, Jefferson Airplane's Kantner and Signe Toly Anderson).

Some of the names were more known for what they wrote- Clarence "Blowfly" Reid who wrote Clean Up Woman and Rockin' Chair; Mark Gray wrote The Closer You Get and Take Me Down; John D Loudermilk wrote Indian Reservation, Tobacco Road, Norman, and Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye; Guy Clark wrote Desperadoes Waiting For A Train and Heartbroke.  Some, like Temperton, Sandy Perlman (Blue Oyster Cult), and Gary Paxton (the Hollywood Argyles) were more behind the scenes.  Some, like The Voice's Christina Grimmie, we barely got to know.

Some held records.  Merle Haggard had 36 country #1s.  Julius La Rosa (Eh, Cumpari!) peaked at #21 five times between 1956-8.


21 were listed with heart problems as cause of death; 3 brain tumors, 12 from lung diseases, 6 from dementia or Alzheimers complications, 27 other cancers, 2 suicides, and two drug overdoses.  Which is I guess a good thing, as I counted 31 listed ods from 1956-1989.

Some had only tenuous claims to fame.  Dennis Davis' high point was drumming on Bowie's Young Americans;  McCullough was lead guitar for Wings on Hi Hi Hi and My Love; Signe Toly Anderson was only on the first Jefferson Airplane lp; and Lenny Baker sang Blue Moon for Sha Na Na on Grease.

32 of them were younger than me.


I remember a day when we could fit most of the stars that had died on a Righteous Brothers song.  Now, you'd need a box set.  Maybe just for this year.  But was THIS year really worse?  You tell me.

Wiki listed deaths 2015:  89.

Wiki listed deaths 2016: 190.


And now, I add on Debbie Reynolds.  Her Tammy was #1 for 7 weeks and was the #1 song of 1957.  Just a day or two after her daughter Carrie Fisher.  I don't know if the heroes' hall in Valhalla is full, but I sure hope the musician's hall is...

Newspage go! and more M50

So this is gonna be a mish-mash between the M50 and Newspage go!, bringing you #s 20-11, because the M10-M50 coming up Friday will be mashed enough!

I have no idea going in what all you'll see today, so hang on!  I hit the newspages, pulled back all the articles on the deaths of Carrie Fisher and George Michael, and found some fun on BBC:


Headline 1- Talk about Doctor Mysterio

So the headline on BBC Travel read, "The world's most secretive places".  And it looks like they weren't kidding.  The last place on the list was the world famous Area 51- and the video that went with that section was perfect:

An actual screenshot of the end of the article, with "This video is no longer available" under the blank screen.


Headline 2- Wow, no wonder it's called Dairy Queen

The headline:  "Hammond criticized over gay ice cream joke".  Gay ice cream?  Here, let them tell the tale:

TV presenter Richard Hammond has been criticised after making a joke about eating ice cream being gay.
He was responding to a comment made by Jeremy Clarkson on The Grand Tour.
Talking to an audience, co-host Clarkson points at a photo of a Volvo's interior and says: "The only problem is that in one of those, you couldn't enjoy a chocolate Magnum ice cream."
Richard Hammond replied: "It's all right, I don't eat ice cream. It's something to do with being straight."
After the audience on the Amazon Prime show applauded, Jeremy Clarkson asks: "Why are you applauding him? What do you mean? You're saying all children are homosexual?"
Richard Hammond replies: "What? What? Ice cream is a bit - you know... There's nothing wrong with it, but a grown man eating an ice cream - it's that way, rather than that way.
"I'm right. I can't believe you can't see that. It's easy. It's in front of you."


Maybe in the UK, but here you're all good as long as you don't get rainbow sprinkles.


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20- Lean On Me, Telekinesis:  The highest charting McDonalds ad in M10 history, this tune spent the week after my birthday at the top.  Here's another live video I hadn't seen before.

19- Ride It Out, Redspencer:  Another of my Aussie discoveries with a very Strawberry Alarm Clock- sounding song.   Audio from this gem is right here.

18- Golden Green, Agnes Obel:  Agnes definitely gets Chris's performer of the year kudos.  This is her second of three hits on the 50, and 3rd-highest of the non-number ones.  Relive this very strange experience here.


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Headline #3- C'mon, you know I'm good for it


From the Moscow Times,


Mongolia Requests 100 Bln Ruble Loan From Russia Without Explaining Why

Termed a "concessional loan", the request was met much like a loan request from me would have been.  But Mongolia, cheeky lot that they are- and without apparent care that Russia just forgave 97.8% of their 170 billion ruble debt less than a year ago, marched right over to Russia’s state-owned VTB bank, asking for a $200 million loan with a “better” interest rate, the report said. This money would be used to pay for the import of “Russian oil products.”


Odds on that one going through, anyone?


Headline #4- My luggage went to the right place, but guess where I ended up...


From the Daily Mail:

'They don't even have passwords!' Security experts warn computer hackers are able to tamper with airline bookings - and could even put you on the WRONG plane  


That first bit is a bit exaggerated- but only a bit.  It seems that the password needed to get into most airline databases require all caps only- which means a half-assed computer program wouldn't break a sweat getting in.  Karsten Nohl, head of Security Research Labs, was the go-to guy in this story.  Mr Nohl said: ‘Really everyone can manage to do it. Booking systems lack a security feature that we know from all other computer systems – the password.’
If airlines had more modern computer systems then they would limit the number of attempts a person could make at guessing the code. But the decades-old computers most of them operate have no such limit.
Mr Nohl said the issue was an ‘industry-wide problem’.
And he added that the same flaw also affected rental cars because the hire companies often used a six-digit confirmation code too.


Now you know how Patrick "The Tick" Warburton passes by human contact to get his rental car...

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17- Strange Tides, Shakes:  The first and biggest hit for my NZ boys, this one was on top for three weeks, and by points it would have been #9.  Of course, as I said, I didn't go much by points, and 4 top tens in points missed the top ten on my countdown, including Golden Green at #6, and the song after this one.  For the first time on my show, the official video to this tune:

16- Face Down In The Gutter Of Your Love, Dent May:  This one pointed at #8, and provided me a great Halloween disguise.  The first non-continuous #1 in M10 history, you can listen to the audio again here.

15- You Bring The Summer, The Monkees:  This song, more than any, made my summer.  One of that select few that pointed where I put it.  And now that I'm done watching the video for the umpty-hundredth time, you can too...



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Headline #5- It don't mean nothin' till you tase 'im on the bottom line...

I caught this story last week when it broke out- a Korean Air flight had a near crisis when a drunken passenger refused to be settled down, and the plane staff had no luck subduing him- until singer Richard Marx stepped in.  His efforts were later exposed by himself and fellow passenger/wife Daisy Fuentes on social media, complaining of flight crew's utter lack of knowledge to handle the situation.  Then today comes this headline on The Japan Times:


Following unruly passenger incident, Korean Air to get tough and ease stun gun rules


I'm guessing they meant "ease stun gun restrictions" as the various stories I heard went back and forth between "we have a tase gun, but aren't allowed to use it", and "we don't know HOW to use it".  Here are some bits from the JT article:

The Korea Times reported that he is the son of a Seoul-based trading company’s chairman and recently joined his father’s company after working for Samsung Electronics.

Don't THAT figure...

On the flight, Lim slapped the face of a South Korean passenger sitting next to him, hit two female crew members in the face and stomach, and kicked and spat at a Korean Air mechanic, the Korea Times said. When arrested, he was sent home because he was too drunk to be questioned.

REALLY?  Never heard of a drunk tank?

The new crew guidelines, announced on Tuesday following the Dec. 20 incident, will also include more staff training, the use of the latest device to tie up a violent passenger, and the banning of passengers with a history of unruly behavior.


Men account for about one-tenth of Korean Air flight attendants, and the carrier said it will try to have at least one male on duty in the cabin for each flight.

I asked this then, and I'll ask it again- the co-pilot or navigator couldn't have stepped out for a few minutes?

Marx’s wife, Daisy Fuentes, a TV host and model who was with the singer during the flight from Hanoi to Incheon near Seoul, said on Instagram that crew members “didn’t know how to use the taser & they didn’t know how to secure the rope around him (he got loose from their rope restraints 3 times).”

Good thing they weren't attacked by a drunken shoe salesman...

Upshot being, the airline sent a letter of thanks to Marx's agency for his bravery in doing their job, and the drunk, "Mr Lin" of the "Daddy Dearest Trading Company", pled that he remembers nothing.


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14- Familiar, Agnes Obel:  The song of the summer by points, Agnes rounds out her M50 dominance with this first single from Citizen Of Glass.  Watch the rather odd video here.

13-  Madness, Lucius:  I well remember the first night I heard this one- right after the Joy Formidable's Liana.  The next week, they were 2-3 on the M10.  Here's another one of those great KEXP live videos.

12- Born To Wander, Jack Wood:  With a recording date of 1966, the oldest #1 in M10 history.  You've read the amazing story of it's rebirth from obscurity on previous Time Machines; listen to the amazing lost gem again here.


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Headline #6- Sic 'em, Fido, Indian style



The headline reads, "Cops get into a bow-wow" on the Times Of India, and comes with a delightful "artist's conception":

It was in the wee hours that four constables tried to apprehend a "habitual offender" who was holed up at his sister's place in Kashi Nagar.  First she chewed them out for waking the house at that hour; then she did the appropriate denials; then, when they asked to search the place, she set her dog after them.  After they initially fled, they must have figured out he wasn't so mean and got him tied back up.  Then she really opened a can of invective and hurled her mighty cell phone at them to no avail.  Brother and sister are now both in police custody, and she might be in more trouble than he is.  No word on whether the dog was arrested.


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Annnnd #11- Betty, The Pom Poms:  Kinda surprised me this one only pointed 14th.  The bigger of the two hits by Marlene Gold and Co., You can watch it again here.


So okay, tomorrow comes my Deaths In Music report, and Friday the big M10-M50 mash- and I do mean mash, because not one, not two, but THREE of the current M10 will be IN the top ten of the year!  Don't miss any of it!

You said it...

I have some great commenters.  I regularly get wonderful, thoughtful comments on this blog, and I appreciate them.  But for entertainment's sake, I thought I would go back and pull some of the funniest comments of the year.  The first thing I noticed is what a piss-poor job of replying to comments.  I hereby commit to answering each and every non-spam comment- and will submit to public flogging for each one I miss (how that will be pulled off is undecided.)

But this isn't about me, it's about YOU!  And so, without further doo-doo, here we go!

Chronologically:

1- After Scrappy made his pick of Natalie Imbruglia on the 2016 Beauty Contest, as well as a point where the lottery pot was sky high...

Bouncin Barb January 10, 2016 at 7:04 PM
Can Scrappy pick the winning powerball numbers for me on Wednesday?


CWMartin January 10, 2016 at 8:04 PM
Well, he didn't do much of a job for us Saturday..

2- After a Botany major at the Indian Science Conference suggested that blowing a conch shell was a psychosomatic cure for all manner of ills....

Al Penwasser January 13, 2016 at 11:52 AM

Blowing a conch shell?

That's one happy conch shell.

CWMartin January 13, 2016 at 4:08 PM

Get a grip, Al. Like blowing a trumpet. Think reveille for lobsters.

3- With the New Seekers taking #1 on the charts in the UK on TM week 56, a question from the peanut gallery, AKA Al Penwasser's daughter...

Mackenna Lynch January 16, 2016 at 12:19 AM

So, Coke taught the world to sing? 

What did Pepsi do? Teach it to burp?

4- After a Jeopardy contestant tried to place an Italian mountain range in Russia...

Arlee Bird February 24, 2016 at 11:22 AM

Even I know the Urals is not a mountain range in Europe, but those white porcelain things that men pee into.

5- When a prospective customer at a local restaurant nearly caused the first of many near accidents on my way home one afternoon...

Rawknrobyn March 16, 2016 at 11:21 AM

We already knew about the people of Wal-mart. What we didn't know is that these are the same people rushing to get a burrito at Chipotle.

CWMartin March 16, 2016 at 5:00 PM

Ah, THAT explains it...

6- On that SAME Martin World News post, when Corbin Bleu was listed as the third most translated name on wikipedia....

Mich March 15, 2016 at 1:01 PM

what the heck is a corbin bleu?

CWMartin March 15, 2016 at 5:08 PM

Apparently an actor of some sort. I would have thought it was a chicken dish.

7- Some people, like Jo-Anne, don't need an excuse...

Jo-Anne's Ramblings April 26, 2016 at 9:05 PM

What can one say, well one can say many things like I need to fart, but that isn't something you or anyone else needs to know and yeah that has nothing to do with the post but what the hell I am in a strange mood.

CWMartin April 27, 2016 at 3:41 PM

Well, I always thought the comments section is where my followers should feel they can just let 'er rip...

8 and 9- On a post where I introduced the new names for four newly-discovered elements...

Mich June 28, 2016 at 9:35 AM

As interesting as all of this is, I think it is also why I failed chemistry. 

(Actually I think I failed chemistry because of my propensity towards explosions and fire...)

CWMartin June 28, 2016 at 4:39 PM

I remember in HS one day we had a delay, and chem class was cut to about half usual. Of course, the bell rings and we have crap all over. A friend looks at the teacher and says, "Mr Herber, what do we do?" He says, "Repeat after me: Our Father, who art in heaven..."

Bob G. June 28, 2016 at 2:40 PM

---Ahh, so BERKELEY is actually a WASTE PRODUCT of CALIFORNIA. That explains a LOT...

CWMartinJune 28, 2016 at 4:41 PM

"---Ahh, so BERKELEY is actually a WASTE PRODUCT of CALIFORNIA. That explains a LOT."

Winner, comment of the month!

10- How we got completely off track on a story about a Chinese man who discovered he'd been declared dead...

Rawknrobyn August 10, 2016 at 12:09 AM 

...The Chen thing made me think of a joke Al Penwasser made about HRC - she looked really chubby and bad in a photo, and Al said she has more Chins than a Chinese phonebook.

CWMartin August 10, 2016 at 7:18 PM

That's good stuff, there.

Al Penwasser August 10, 2016 at 9:56 PM

And Chris Christie has more rolls than a French bakery.

11- How I got dissed by a little girl's Grandma, because I skipped a rainy first day of Johnny Appleseed...

ms nk rey September 17, 2016 at 2:49 PM

You mean Morgan is tougher than you ? she is at the Festival ya wimp... haha.. loved your photos.

CWMartinSeptember 17, 2016 at 9:55 PM

Yeah, well was Morgan walking home in the rain afterwards? I think not...

12- after using the Crab Nebula to make a point about you can't listen if all you do is talk...

Rawknrobyn October 11, 2016 at 10:26 PM

I'm not sure if you intended to be profound and poetic, my friend, but you sure were. I love this, and the Crab Nebula. (I wanted to type "crab nutella" but I restrained myself.)

CWMartin October 12, 2016 at 4:35 PM

"Crab nutella?"

13- the day a Presidential Candidate chewed me out...

Cherunda F. October 18, 2016 at 6:05 PM

I am approaching 600 electors with my alternates and yeah, Obama is mine. I have won. I cost me 32,115.00 to do what it cost Clinton and Trump to do with 8 billion. I am not fond of either white candidate. They cheat contributors of every color. Who do you want handling your tax dollars? Don't answer that. I don't think you grasp the concept.

Cherunda Fox

Fox for President 2016

CWMartin October 18, 2016 at 6:43 PM

And there she is, Ms Cherunda Fox. And I guess I did grasp her website better than I thought. She DOES believe getting on the ballot wins you the election! Thank you for stopping by, and feel free to come back often.

Seriously though, ma'am, I am not in opposition to any of your positions that I actually understood. But here's the thing- you may be on the ballot, but you don't get the electorals until the election. Anyway, good luck and have a nice evening.

Al Penwasser October 18, 2016 at 8:12 PM

Hey, she's got three followers, so she rocks.

CWMartin October 18, 2016 at 8:32 PM

That's a follower for every 200 electors...

Cherunda F. October 18, 2016 at 7:19 PM

You didn't see my reparations program that creates a minimum of 105 jobs and reparates 35 Million descendants of slaves, the 1 Trillion in Education and the Balanced Budget reducing our deficit by 16 Trillion without costing the American Taxpayer 1 thin dime. All you see is that I don't care for Hillary or Michelle. You should be fired or shut down this web site as you are manufacturing the truth.

Thankfully she only got 11 votes...

14- similarly, I was chewed out for disliking a John Lennon song.  A week or so later, you were responding to my "halloween costume" of Dent May...

A Beer For The Shower October 31, 2016 at 6:35 PM

I think I'm just barely hipster enough to get that Dent May reference. That is hilarious. The look is spot on.

Oh, and that sweet little deer at the bottom just reminded me of something: John Lennon is overrated and can eat a giant bowl of dicks.

CWMartinOctober 31, 2016 at 6:39 PM

Rarely does someone make my day with a comment so well. And you did it TWICE!

15- a MWN item about some idiot who put a ring on his weiner and almost got an involuntary circumcision got me chided for placement- post placement, that is...

Robin November 18, 2016 at 1:15 PM

I agree with what Debbie said about the ring penis ratio. Or maybe I need to keep in mind George Costanza's famous words about SHRINKAGE! You really should have made that story last as I couldn't concentrate on anything after that. As soon as a penis is in the conversation....

16- But I really have to give my favorite to Jo-Anne for commenting on the UN removing Wonder Woman as a role model for young girls...

Jo-Anne's Ramblings December 14, 2016 at 2:31 PM

Heard about Wonder Woman getting canned on the news, talk about a storm in a d cup...

17- and one more, although technically it's a comment on a blog other than mine.  Long story abbreviated:  A fellow blogger referenced another blogger's rudeness in attacking anyone who didn't worship Hillary as the goddess of the new age.  Of course, I had to get into a set to with the guy.  This caught the attention of yet another blogger, who had fought him many times past, and came to my defense, although the poster "hillaried" (AKA deleted) his comments.  He asked if I had seen it, but I hadn't, and so...

Stephen T. McCarthy December 14, 2016 at 5:01 PM

Ha! Well, thanks, Chris!

The gloves came off between LOLeon and myself many moons ago, which relieves me of the necessity of even feigning civility with the guy.

For your reading pleasure[??], following is the comment I left him there, just below YOUR exchange with him. He promptly "Hillaried" it, thus proving the accuracy of the statement itself:

​Hey, COWARDLY LEON, you overfed tub of Marxist goo....

After that and the subsequent spit take, it was all downhill from there...

And there you have it!  Thank you for the joy you all gave me this year, and I hope I will be deserving of more in the next!

Snowy walks and M50 part 3

So "Boxing Day" is Queen's English for "Go out and get soaked, I dare ya."  First Scrappy and I get caught right by the bark bark (AKA 2.65 miles into a 2.75 mile walk) when the heavens opened the first time.  Then, after surviving making it out to a restaurant, out of the restaurant, in and out of Krogers, it decides to let loose again as we enter the complex.  So that puts me at two hoodies, two pair jeans, 1 pair shoes, 2 hats, one pair slippers and one coat soaked in just over 5 hours.  Thanks, Obama!

So rather than mix more of this day into the mix, I thought I'd mix some pictures of a colder but drier last Thursday in with the next set of M50 songs!  We are at set # 30-21 today, and we kick it off with:

30- Somewhere Only We Know, Keane: Unlike most of our countdown this actually charted on the Hot 100- #50 in 2004, as well as being top 3 in the UK.  Here on the M10, it spent three weeks at #2.  Check out the Druidic video here.


29- Love Is..., Dinosaur Jr:  The second of 2 on the 50 for the elder statesmen of alt, and from here on there are only 5 non-#1s left.  Here is the audio track for this one.

Wow, blue skies.  Haven't seen THEM in a while.

Scrappy braved the deeper, crunchy snow only rarely, and for only the best of reasons.

28- Liana, The Joy Formidable: This song would have pointed higher had they not pulled it off Spotify for about three weeks after releasing it ON Spotify.  The video, which will be a treat for Nature fans, is right here.


27- Let The Night Shine In, Scott Brothers:  The first- and only so far- country #1 on the M10 comes from Property Brothers Johnathan and Drew Scott.  Just proving they can do about anything right.  Join the party here.


26- Tranquilize, Shakes:  Here's one of those five that never hit the top, peaking at #2 for the boys from New Zealand.  Audio track here.

Guess this is far enough south for geese.

The work on the trail has things messed o=up even down at the south end!  More to come...

25- Quietly, The Explorers Club:  One of two acts to hit the top twice this year, this song turned Dent May from a three week #1 to a two non-continuous weeks #1.  Audio to the first one from the modern-day Beach Boys can be heard here.


24- Fall In Love, Phantogram:  One of those songs I could play the instrumental track on loop for a long, long time.  Watch Sara Barthel and co. here.


23- 1-2-3, Pom Poms:  Another one that almost but didn't quite force its way to the top (Damn you, Agnes Obel, lol!), it is also one of just eight songs that I left in the same spot they would have pointed at.  Check out Marlene Gold and the guys here.

THAT is what one of the new tower bases looks like before installation...

A lot of crap to go through just to pee on a damn tree...

22- Beyond Love, Beach House:  One of 3 #1s to overlap the old year- we've already heard Headbanging In The Mirror back at 37, and the other one comes up next!  The only hit this year for the only act with 3 M10 #1s.  Official video which I still haven't watched here.


Annnnnd 21- Small Town Talk, Boz Scaggs:  Do I really need say more than, Boz Scaggs?  And another video I haven't seen yet here!

Frozen river...

And that's what the base looks like installed.

And this is the next day, trying out the trail for the first time.  Apparently only the second man-beast team to try it since the snowfall and deep freeze, it was 4 inches of frozen crust crunchy snow.  Scrappy was NOT amused.

2016 Christmas

First Christmas at the kid's place...

Proud Dad KC, Proud Grandpa/Old Man, slumbering Peanut.  He was a little fussy, trying to avoid sleep. but passed out after 2 minutes of Grandpa softly singing Incense and Peppermints.

I've been waiting for you... and your presents...

We all got to wear hats... which didn't necessarily QUITE fit... ours said "Old Man" and "Laurlie" (Lilly's way of saying Laurie)

I told Aaron, "This is going on my blog as, 'Aaron unclear on the concept of hats.' " He said, whatever.

By height:  My duaghter's BF who has the spanking new nickname of "Soybean"; my daughter Shenan; KC; Jessica; things #1,2,and 3.

Not easy to get any good shots...

SOOO close...

Jessica's mom, Chris, and hubby Jim.

"C'mon, Grandma, let's rock!"

The great gag gift- KC got Jessica inflatable poop.  Also, a mug that says, "Coffee makes me poop".  And lilly WASTED to get fake poop to put in the toilet to get her mom.  What is wrong with these people?

Jessica's sister Tori in the background.
Me, to Tori:  They sure pick on you a lot.
Jessica to me:  Yes, she's our KC.
KC:  I'M RIGHT HERE...

At last count KC had 4 BWW gift cards... and gave one to Shenan!

My favorite part of Christmas.

In the meantime, despite telling all who would listed not to get me anything, I ended up with a new pillow, a Despicable Me Fart Gun, and a big bottle of Admiral Nelson Rum (for sailors too cheap for Captain Morgan, lol!).  Scrappy got a treat-shooter which we are still experimenting with, and Laurlie got a dvd player for upstairs and I think some purse like deal.  (OOOPS, my mistake, it was actually a plaid throw blanket- it was just all wrapped up when I saw it.  KC got Jessica one of those VR goggles, but her phone doesn't have enough memory ("She's got about 10,000 pictures" I believe was the quote).

It was fun watching the kids tear into things- Lilly was an opening machine, casting gifts aside as soon as air hit them and moving to the next.  We tried out a new recipe treat combining oreos and cheesecake into cupcake shells- and low and behold, Tori made the same thing with Mousse on top!  Still good, except KC didn't realize that cream cheese and yogurt would set off his lactose intolerance, and promptly re-deposited his cupcakes.

KC also got the latest NBA game, and we watched most of Forest Gump.

The Christmas post

A little while back, Bobby G was disappointed in me that I didn't respond to a list of his favorite Christmas things with some of my own.  I pled "not feeling it" at the time and mused it would make a nice post for later.  And it might- I'm not convinced that it would make a nice post FROM ME.


A lot of reasons for that, not just "I'm not a kid and don't get neat toys anymore."

Prolly the biggest, as we turn on the confessional light, is the Christmases I was able to GIVE.  After the divorce, I was scraping by on Arden Companies pay. (You can look up Arden on Google Mexico under "entry level sweat shop".)  Now that's ALL my fault.  For a variety of reasons best left dead.  But because of this blame, the kids had some pretty barren Christmas pickings, including one year that our Church at the time pitched in to get them SOME presents when I couldn't.  There are a lot of moments in my life that, no matter how I try, I can't forgive myself for, and that's a big one.

But life went on, and Christmas began to make a reappearance for me.  And new traditions were built.  One of them was (being a former Catholic) watching Midnight Mass at the Cathedral on TV.  The late Bishop John D'Arcy was a "Christian across borders" to me; when he retired, though, Incoming Bishop Kevin Rhodes apparently didn't see the point of it, and the TV broadcast was gone.  Now you're lucky if the local Catholic radio station plays it, luckier yet if you can actually tune their little station in.

But the biggest reason? It's just not what it USED to be.  Our family doesn't get together- they just get together with "their family".  Not like when Mom and dad were still alive.  Imagine that, times change.

Well, times change again this year- Our kids are hosting the party, which means a whole lot of "new family", and that's a real good thing.  Presents for the kids (I have instructed EVERYONE to get me nothing, I'm just getting for the kids), new people to bond with- I'm actually looking foreward to it.  But real Christmas spirit?  I don't know that I can do that.

Christmas spirit was a month of doing carols an hymns in school.  I don't know if they let you sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer anymore.

It was the little bell shaped ornament I always loved the most.  It's prolly been broken glass for more than half my life now.

It was A Charlie Brown Christmas, Frosty The Snowman, the Grinch, and Rudolph.  Though I didn't realize it until I started typing this, I think what has gone before has made it so I can't even watch them anymore.

It was Midnight Mass at St Louis Besancon, with the smell of incense, the hymns and bells, and let's not forget being half-buzzed because you just left a family Christmas party and being packed like sardines in the sacristy because you got there at 11:59:30 and it was SRO.  Okay, well I really just miss the incense and hymns.

It was recently listening to Bishop D'Arcy's "during communion" taped message that always touched your heart.  That man was a saint in every definition and I miss him more than I can say.


So now, starting this year, it will have to become something else.  It will have to be something that climbs over the guilt, past the baggage, the bells that no longer ring and TVs that no longer play.  And it WILL do that.  It will knock on my door.  I just pray that I will have the willingness to climb over the guilt, baggage, broken bells, etc, and OPEN the door.

And then maybe, it will be CHRISTMAS again.

Time Machine: Coordinates VV405122366

Today we fly to December 23rd, 1966- it's almost Christmas, and time to get together, right?  Well, we have all sorts of get-togethers this week, including the one that happened on this date.  The last episode of the UK TV music show Ready Steady Go!- appropriately titled Ready Steady Goes!- aired today, and they had quite the crowd.  Eric Burdon, Mick Jagger, the Who, Lulu, the Spencer Davis Group, the Yardbirds, Peter and Gordon, Cat Stevens, and of course, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich were all there.  And they closed the show with a group-sing of White Christmas- led by none other than Kenny Lynch, about whom I'm STILL awaiting word from Al Penwasser on!!!

(although I bet he and Ken Lynch are NOT the same person...)

Welcome to the near-Christmas episode of Time Machine, where we hit a hot spot from 1979; we actually have movement in the M10 (not a laxative thing) but still I'm debating on having co-#1s; and the next chunk of the M50- featuring both a current M10 song and one that just dropped off!  Oh, and two new debuts!  So why not start off rockin' with one of them?  It's rock, retro-soul, and jazz all mixed up into one.  Another white-boy band like Nathaniel Ratliff and the Night Sweats?  Not at all!  Prepare yourself for- Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears!!!





PTP debuts at #10 this week!

Hello all, I'm your co-president of the week.  My name is Clem Cattini and I was a founding member of the original Tornados, not that lot who are playing nowadays.  I have been asked to do my presidential duty and introduce you to the contestants for this week's top song.  Mr. Martin, if you would...


Thanks, Clem.  Here are your 10 contestants from a 50-station panel:

Coming Home Soldier by Bobby Vinton, the national #12;
The Beach Boys and Good Vibrations, currently sitting at #4;
The Monkees and I'm A Believer, at #1;
James and Bobby Purify and I'm Your Puppet, #11;
Donovan with Mellow Yellow, # 3;
The Royal Guardsman with Snoopy And The Red Baron, #5;
The Hollies and Stop Stop Stop, #19;
Donovan (again?) with Sunshine Superman (note: this was from a UK pirate station; this song peaked in September here);
Nancy Sinatra's Sugar Town, #9;
and the New Vaudeville Band with Winchester Cathedral, #2!  This did not count charting versions on a couple of our stations by a lady named Dana Rollin and a band called New Happiness...

So there you are!  Who do you think got it this time?  I can't say that this is a clue- but this was the biggest landslide we had so far, with the winner lapping the rest of the field combined!  Stay tuned for more results.


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At this point, let's do the next chunk of the year-ending M50!  We hit #s 50-41 last time, so here are #s 40-31- with one notable exception...


40- Brooke Annibale, Remind Me:  I do love this song, and I wish I coulda shoehorned it in higher- but Brooke lands here despite pointing at 16th.  Here's a live vid that might just give Brooke one of those two Beauty Contest slots still open!

39- Headbanging In The Mirror, Ducktails:  The second #1 to appear thus far, it was one of those "overlap the year" songs, which amazingly ends up right where it pointed!  I have another Ducktails song warming up in the M10 bullpen, but this was the first.  Watch it here.

38- The Monkees, She Makes Me Laugh:  One of 8 acts to make the M50 multiple times, and still one of my favorite videos of the year.  Watch the funny pages here.

37- Sound Of Silence, Dami Im:  One of a pair of acts that make both this week's M10 and this week's chunk of M50.  Her Eurovision winner from this summer is right here.

36- I can't tell you yet, because its in the M10 this week!

35- Ruth B, Two Poor Kids:  This tune has something in common with both Brooke Annibale and Ducktails!  With Ducktails, I have a new one in the M10 bullpen;  with Brooke, it took a hit on the M50, having pointed at #17.  Hopefully her spot already in the Beauty Contest will cheer her up.


34- Built To Spill, Living Zoo: If I was giving out "Earworm of the Year" this song would win it hands down.  Which moves it from its point position clear back in 50th.  Here's that strange video one more time.

33- Nada Surf, Cold To See Clear:  They nearly pulled off what the Shacks did a few weeks back- land two debuts on the chart in the same week.  Here's that very popular video one more time.

32- When We Were Good, Strawberry Runners:  The third #1 thus far, and the slowest, taking 8 weeks to hit the top.I sure wish they'd put up a better vid than this live one, though.

And 31- Billy Stewart, Strange Feeling:  Just this week dropping off the M10, the oldest M10 song in history plots just ahead of its point position of 35th.  Doo-wop with Billy here.


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And now, a few words from Sir Malcolm Arnold, composer of the score to Bridge Over The River Kwai:

Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is.

 Ain't THAT the truth!  And this week here's the tale of our friendship with the UK!

Both the #1 song, and the highest UK charter on the American hot 100 this week belong to Tom Jones with Green Green Grass Of Home, which was just starting its climb at #93 in the US of A.

The highest US song on the UK chart was Winchester Cathedral, runner up here and #30 there.

There were 7 common McGuffigans this week between the charts, including Presidential candidates Winchester Cathedral and Good Vibrations- as well as the unknown (to me) gem from Herman's Hermits that was #29 here and #37 there...






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Neil Young once had two lps ready to release, and played them back to back to choose.  He chose the slightly more hopeful Tonight's The Night over the more down Homegrown, which was recorded right after two friends died from heroin ODs.  One of the songs on Homegrown finally was recorded on 1977's Decade- Love Is A Rose.  Linda Ronstadt had a hit version of that tune, and a man by the name of David Linley was the fiddle player backing her up.  That same man was the high falsetto on the live version of Stay that was a hit from Jackson Browne's live Running On Empty lp.  The female vocal in between Brown and Linley was one Rosemary Butler, who also joined Browne and Bruce Springsteen in doing that same song on the famous No Nukes concert lp.  And Springsteen followed with what he called the "Detroit Medley"- which included Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly.  And that tune- the version made famous by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels- is the 6D victim, receiving no votes despite riding the charts at #6 this week.

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And now, the rest of the M10:

The man with the long name- Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster- moves up a notch to #9 with Headed South.

And our other debut (betcha thought I forgot!) comes in at #8.  It is an older and slightly different formulation of the band Radiation City.  With the tune from the 2013 lp Animals In The Median:






NRBQ moves up a notch to 7 with Over Your Head.

And Radiation City still hangs on- the three time #1 is now a three week long #6 with Come And Go.

And here's Dami Im again, up a pair to #5 with Fighting For Love.

And here at 4, a one notch drop- along with being at #36 on the m50, Agnes Obel and Mary- or if you prefer, Agnes Obel, Mary:.

The Shacks take advantage of a lull and move into the #3 spot, up 2, with This Strange Effect.\

And before we get to that #1 tussle:


Here's your elimination round in the Presidential vote:  If you picked Bobby Vinton, either Donovan, the Beach Boys, the Purifys, Nancy Sinatra, or the Hollies, go sit down.  They did not record one of the songs that got more than one vote.


And back to the M10:

The last two weeks I could have easily cheated and called a first place tie, and not be lying.  I chose Strange Boy last week.  This week I choose Strange Boy- for #2.  And that means the number ones are:  from the M10;

...Melody Prochet and her Echo Chamber with I Follow You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the votes are in: Winchester Cathedral got 12 % for third;  The Royal Guardsmen got 24% of the vote for second; and with a whopping 52% of the vote, your new Presidents...

Why, it's Mickey, Davy, Mike, and Peter- the Monkees with I'm A Believer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Next week, the M50 grand finale!  See you then and have a Merry Christmas!