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RIP Jeff Beck, one of the ultimate rock guitarist who defined electric blues rock sound of the 1960s, dies at 78
Beck replaced Clapton when he joined the Yardbirds in 1965, becoming part of one of Britain’s defining acts in the growing electric blues movement. Three years later, he formed his own band, the Jeff Beck Group — along with Rod Stewart, a little-known singer at the time, and the equally obscure Ron Wood on bass. — the weight of the music created an early template for heavy metal. Another former guitar colleague from the Yardbirds, Jimmy Page, went on to found Led Zeppelin several months later.
"The backbone of The Yardbirds' music was Chicago blues, and I just suddenly got a flair for it," Beck said. "I'd been practising technique, finger tremolos and stuff, and I could put it to good use in the Yardbirds."
"I said to them, 'We can't keep going and doing Howlin' Wolf numbers for the rest of our lives. Or Sonny Boy Williamson. You got to start writing your own material'. I found that I had a lot of influence on that.
Beck left The Yardbirds in November 1966 after leaving in the middle of a United States tour as part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars.
Beck formed The Jeff Beck Group in 1967 with a little-known vocalist called Rod Stewart out the front and perhaps even lesser-known guitarist and bassist Ronnie Wood.
While he loved the way Stewart sang, Beck was even more drawn to his attitude.
"I dug him because he just didn't seem to give a shit about anything, you know," he said. "He was just straight down the road.
"I couldn't stand the thought of having a singer that had a singer's complex. I mean, he did have a complex, but it wasn't one that affected the direction or his ability. You know, it enhanced it if anything.
"I just liked his couldn't care less attitude with the public. We just got this bitching blues band together and I don't think anything has ever lived up to it really, not those heydays, when Stewart was singing really good."
After his less than amicable departure from The Yardbirds, Beck began working on evolving as a person.
"I used to hate myself," he said. "Regret was my biggest thing. Doing something stupid in a moment of rash abandon, and then regretting the hell out of it afterwards.
He still had plenty of opinions about rock'n'roll though, especially its perceived devaluation as the industry around the music grew.
"It's just a big, big industry now, just like anything else," he said.
"That side of it is depressing, because groups are not forming to do anything that they really feel is theirs anymore. They just think 'Well how can I interpret their idea in a way that people won't recognize it and I'll make a hit record and be rich'.
"They see junk records making it so they're gonna make more junk records. Junk cars come out more junk cars are made. It's the same thing."
To comprehend Beck's impact, you need to understand the mindset of music consumers of the time.
The shredding of heavy metal – to which Beck provided untold influence – hadn't yet emerged, so a player with the fast fretwork of Beck was hard to pigeonhole.
"I think a lot of people think that if you play more than three notes very fast that you're a jazzer because it's so unusual to hear a guitar player that can play that fast," he said.
"Usually, rock is associated with chunky slow easy stuff. Anything with any speed or chord changes and immediately becomes jazz."
Like many pioneers, Jeff Beck felt misunderstood as an artist for much of his early career. His love of guitar and of rock'n'roll meant he wouldn't stop trying to keep it fresh and exciting, for both him and his fans.
"My biggest problem is trying to make it people realise where I'm at, where I've come from, and where I'm going, all in one breath".
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THE HONDELLS - Go Little Honda (1964. Vinyl Rip!)
THE HONDELLS – Go Little Honda (1964. Vinyl Rip!)
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“The Hondells were a west coast surf/hot rod band in the early 60’s that had songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared in several movies like “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “Beach Party”.The band toured throughout the United States with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars and played with a USO tour in Vietnam. They released several albums and singles on the Mercury label under the name of The…
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RENÉ RENÉ
RENÉ RENÉ
"Lo mucho que te quiero"
"Angelito"
Este talentoso cantante, compositor y compositor nació como René Victor Ornelas en Laredo, Texas, donde comenzó su carrera musical a los 14 años como vocalista y trompetista de la popular banda de su famoso padre, la Orquesta Mike Ornelas. René también toca la guitarra, los teclados y arregla sus propias composiciones.
René se convirtió en el primer artista hispano en grabar una canción bilingüe internacional cuando
grabó dos millones de ventas en todo el mundo, "ANGELITO" y "LO MUCHO QUE TE QUIERO".
Como uno de los primeros hispanos en aparecer en "AMERICAN BANDSTAND" de DICK CLARK, el graduado de la Universidad de Texas en San Antonio fue elegido para ir a la gira "Caravan of Stars" de Dick Clark con Diana Ross and the Supremes • The Beach Boys • Fats Domino • Three Dog Night • Jan and Dean, además de muchos otros.
En el camino, el artista de ojos verdes de 5 pies y 10 pulgadas de altura ganó dos DISCOS DE ORO y un GLOBO DE ORO. Además de ser un animador titular dinámico, René es considerado un compositor muy prolífico y sus composiciones han sido grabadas por estrellas como:
Vikki Carr Trini Lopez José Feliciano Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass
Peter Nero Lawrence Welk Pedro Fernández Trio Los Panchos
Pedro Vargas Ray Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Little Joe y La Familia
Laura Canales Carlos Guzmán Grupo Mazz y muchos otros.
La fama de René lo ha llevado de gira por México, Canadá, Alemania, Francia, Italia, Japón,
Okinawa, Corea, Hawai, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Panamá, Venezuela y prácticamente todo Estados Unidos, donde continúa actuando ante multitudes entusiastas.
En vista de sus muchos logros musicales y logros, René ha recibido la codiciada ESTRELLA DE PLATA de México, una DISCO DE ORO y un GLOBO DE ORO, además de numerosos otros reconocimientos. Además, René ha sido incluido en el TEJANO MUSIC HALL OF FAME y en el TEJANO ROOTS HALL OF FAME.
Como resultado, el nombre RENÉ RENÉ se ha convertido en una palabra familiar en el hemisferio latino. Sin embargo, su fama no se limita al mercado hispano ya que fue uno de los primeros latinos en irrumpir en el mercado estadounidense. Por lo tanto, la continua difusión en las estaciones de radio oldies estadounidenses y su continua participación en varias giras "Oldies but Goodies" ha mantenido su popularidad internacional.
Una multitud de fans son testimonio de que la todavía joven, atractiva y enérgica RENÉ RENÉ es ahora MEJOR QUE NUNCA!
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Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Sharp, is a popular American R&B singer, known for “Mashed Potatoes Time,” a number one hit in 1962. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 9, 1945, as Dione LaRue.
LaRue has a musical background as a lead singer of a group of gospel-singing teenagers, playing piano at an early age as well as being the director of the choir at Eternal Baptist Church in Philadelphia, which was her family’s church, pastored by her grandfather Rev. Eubie Gilbert.
When LaRue was 13 years old her mother was injured in a car accident. Late that year, to make money to help the family, Sharp answered an ad for a singer who could play piano and sight-read music. LaRue got the job with the Clara Ward singers, singing backup on many of Ward’s records. She later credited Willa Ward, sister of the gospel singer, with getting her started as a professional musician. While on one tour in New York Sharp took the opportunity to produce a record centered around a new dance craze, the Mashed Potatoes. Sharp recorded “Mashed Potatoes Time” on the Cameo/ Parkway label, and the song became an overnight success. She adopted the stage name Dee Dee Sharp for the recording, partly because she was already called D, and sang in D sharp.
Recording “Mashed Potatoes Time” at the age of 16, Sharp was the first Black female teen idol.
Living in Philadelphia, the home of Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, helped her career. She appeared on the syndicated teen dance show many times from 1962 to 1981, and in 1965 she joined Clark’s popular Caravan of Stars.
While “Mashed Potatoes Time” propelled Sharp to stardom, it pigeonholed the Philly songstress as a teenybopper forever to be identified with her number one smash. Sharp’s next hit, “Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes),” was released in 1962, peaked at #5 on the U.S. Pop Chart and #7 on the U.S. R&B Chart. Also, in 1962 Sharp collaborated with fellow Philadelphian Chubby Checker on the album Down to Earth. Ride! “Do the Bird,” was released in March 1963. Other songs from Sharp were “Wild,” “Willyam, Willyam,” “Never Pick a Pretty Boy,” and “He’s No Ordinary Guy,” were all released in 1964 and “I Really Love You,” and “Standing in the Need of Love,” were released in 1965.
Sharp left Cameo because of slumping sales of her recordings, and signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. Then in 1967, she and her then husband Kenny Gamble, founded Gamble Records with Leon Huff. In 1969 she released “The Bottle, or Me” on the Gamble Label followed in 1975 by “Happy Bout the Whole Thing.” Despite the major success of Gamble and Huff with other Philadelphia artists like Teddy Pendergast in the 1970s, Sharp never had a hit on her husband’s label. The couple divorced in 1980.
Later Sharp became known for her cameo appearances in films such as Don’t Knock the Twist, (1962), Desperately Seeking Susan, (1985), Hairspray (1988), Troop Beverly Hills (1989) and Sister Act (1992).
Dee Dee Sharp currently lives with husband Bill Witherspoon in Medford, New Jersey.
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Dee Dee Sharp (born Dione LaRue, September 9, 1945) is a popular R&B singer, known for “Mashed Potatoes Time,” a number one hit in 1962. She was born in Philadelphia. She has a musical background as a lead singer of a group of gospel-singing teenagers, playing piano as well as being the director of the choir at Eternal Baptist Church in Philadelphia, pastored by her grandfather, Rev. Eubie Gilbert. When she was 13 years old her mother was injured in a car accident. She answered an ad for a singer who could play piano and sight-read music. She got the job with the Clara Ward singers, singing backup on many of Ward’s records. She credited Willa Ward with getting her started as a professional musician. While on one tour in New York she took the opportunity to produce a record centered around a new dance craze, the Mashed Potatoes. She adopted the stage name Dee Dee Sharp. She was the first African American female teen idol. She appeared on the syndicated teen dance show many times and she joined Dick Clark’s popular Caravan of Stars. While “Mashed Potatoes Time” propelled Sharp to stardom, the first record pigeonholed the Philly songstress as a teenybopper forever to be identified with her number one smash, her next hit, “Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes),” was released, peaked at #5 on the US Pop Chart and #7 on the US R&B Chart. She collaborated with Chubby Checker on the album Down to Earth. Ride! “Do the Bird”. Other songs from her were “Wild,” “Willyam, Willyam,” “Never Pick a Pretty Boy,” “He’s No Ordinary Guy,” “I Really Love You,” and “Standing in the Need of Love”. She signed with Atlantic Records. She and Kenny Gamble, her husband, founded Gamble Records with Leon Huff. She released “The Bottle of Me” on the Gamble Label followed by “Happy Bout the While Thing.” Despite the major success of Gamble and Huff with other Philadelphia artists like Teddy Pendergast, she never had a hit. She became known for her cameo appearances in films such as Don’t Knock the Twist, Desperately Seeking Susan, Hairspray, Troop Beverly Hills, and Sister Act. She lives with her husband Bill Witherspoon in New Jersey. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CiSL5LeLpmL5_7_w60SANy_Q4PZnlCrUB02pPY0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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Duane Eddy, Coasters, LaVern Baker, Drifters, Lloyd Price, Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, Opera House - Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO, 1959.
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HOLLYWOOD BOND CAVALCADE
September 4, 1943
On September 4, 1943, the Hollywood Bond Cavalcade departed to raise money for America’s Third War Loan. It began in Washington DC and went through 16 American cities before ending in San Francisco 21 days later. Millions of Americans flocked to these events buying war bonds as their tickets, with seat prices ranging from $18.75 to $1 million. After crossing 10,091 miles, the campaign raised a total of $40,110,000 and pushed America’s War Loan over the $2 billion mark.
The Hollywood Victory Committee was an organization founded on December 10, 1941 during World War II to provide a means for stage, screen, television and radio performers that were not in military service to contribute to the war effort through bond drives and improving morale for troops. It was associated with the Screen Actors Guild. The Committee organized events between January 1942 until August 1945. Its first chairman was Clark Gable.
This was not the first such event. In 1942, Desi Arnaz participated in the Hollywood Victory Caravan. He was joined by stars Joan Bennett, Joan Blondell, Charles Boyer, James Cagney, Claudette Colbert, Jerry Colonna, Bing Crosby, Olivia de Havilland, Cary Grant, Charlotte Greenwood, Bob Hope, Frances Langford, Laurel and Hardy, Bert Lahr, Groucho Marx, Frank McHugh, Ray Middleton, Merle Oberon, Pat O'Brien, Eleanor Powell, and Risë Stevens. The Caravan show played in 12 cities and netted over $700,000 for Army and Navy relief funds. [Note that in the above Minneapolis welcome sign, Desi’s surname is mis-spelled!]
Along with Lucille Ball, some of the celebrities involved included:
James Cagney ~ had just opened his film Johnny Come Lately on September 3, 1943.
Judy Garland ~ won a 1940 special Oscar for her contributions to film. In September 1943, she released Thousands Cheer (co-starring Lucille Ball) and two months later, Girl Crazy with Mickey Rooney.
Mickey Rooney ~ was also in Thousands Cheer with Garland and Ball, as well as premiering Girl Crazy with Judy Garland in November 1943. Rooney won Oscars in 1939 and 1940. In 1966 he played himself on an episode of “The Lucy Show.”
Kay Kyser ~ was a bandleader who made his film debut with Lucille Ball in That’s Right - You’re Wrong. He made four films in 1943, including Thousands Cheer.
Paul Henreid ~ was most known for playing Victor Laszlo in Casablanca (1942). His name was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “The Adagio” (ILL S1;E12) when Ricky lights two cigarettes at once, just a Paul Henreid did for Bette Davis in 1942′s Now Voyager.
Greer Garson ~ won Oscars in 1940, 1942, and 1943, for Mrs. Miniver, her most recent success at the time. She had a film in release called The Youngest Profession and was about to debut another hit, Madame Curie.
Betty Hutton ~ was an actress and singer who was seen that summer of ‘43 in Let’s Face It, starring Bob Hope.
Kathryn Grayson ~ was yet another Cavalcade member starring in Thousands Cheer.
Harpo Marx ~ is best known for the act he developed with his brothers that was a hit on Broadway and screen. He was a silent clown in an over-sized raincoat and fright wig. Lucy and Harpo had appeared together in Room Service in 1938. In 1955, he guest-starred on “I Love Lucy” (S4;E28) as himself.
Fred Astaire ~ was one of Hollywood’s most legendary dancers. In July 1943 he released The Sky’s The Limit with Joan Leslie. In 1943, he had already done three musical films with Lucille Ball, and was about to film a fourth - Ziegfeld Follies. His name was mentioned on two episodes of “I Love Lucy.”
Olivia DeHavilland ~ was a two-time Oscar nominee at the time of the Cavalcade. She memorably played Melanie Wilkes in Gone With The Wind in 1939.
Martha Scott ~ was a 1940 Oscar nominee for the screen version of Our Town. Her film Hi Diddle Diddle was in release during the summer of 1943.
Dick Powell ~ was preparing to premiere Riding High with Dorothy Lamour in November 1943. He was about to start filming Meet the People with Lucille Ball, which opened in 1944.
The stars participated upon behest of the US Treasury Department.
A special 11-car Union Pacific Railroad train carried the stars from Los Angeles, to Washington DC for the kick-off.
Union Pacific Railroad provided access to their new Domeliner for location and second unit footage on “I Love Lucy” during “The Great Train Robbery” (S5;E5).
Tour Schedule:
Sept 4 - Depart Los Angeles
Sept 8 – Washington, DC
Sept 9 – Philadelphia
Sept 10 – Boston
Sept 11 – New York
Sept 12 – Pittsburgh
Sept 13 – Cleveland
Sept 14 – Detroit
Sept 15 – Cincinnati
Sept 16 – Chicago
Sept 17 – Minneapolis
Sept 18 – St Louis
Sept 20 – New Orleans
Sept 21 – Dallas
Sept 22 – San Antonio
Sept 25 – San Francisco
Sept 26 & 27 – Los Angeles
A Typical Cavalcade Performance (depending on celebrity availability)
Kay Kyser served as master of ceremonies and started the show with his band's theme "Thinking Of You". James Cagney came on to read a poem - "What Do We Do When We Buy A Bond" - and did two numbers and a dance from Yankee Doodle Dandy, for which he had recently won the Academy Award. Dick Powell then crooned some of his hits: "Don't Give Up The Ship," "Let's Get Lost," "In My Arms," and "Happy Go Lucky".
Harpo Marx would intermittently chase a blonde across the stage. He eventually settled down to play two harp solos, bang on the piano, wheeze on the harmonica, and finally played a pantomime poker game with Lucille Ball, who had appeared with Harpo in Room Service in 1938 and learned physical comedy at his knee. Harpo ended the game by cutting the cards with an ax!
After Fred Astaire danced, Kyser brought down the house with a burlesque imitation of his style. Mickey Rooney did imitations of Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Wendell Wilkie, and then played the drums.
Betty Hutton performed some hot boogie-woogie. Judy Garland sang "The Man I Love," "Embraceable You," and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."
Greer Garson urged continued bond purchases, saying, "If we relax, if we don't back the attack, the war will go on indefinitely."
Upon arrival in Washington DC on September 8, Lucille Ball and the stars paraded through the streets in military jeeps, waving to the assembled crowds on their way to the Washington Monument. A similar parade was held in most all subsequent cities.
After departing DC, the stars embarked on a 15 city ‘barn-storming’ tour of American cities.
September 9 ~ the Cavalcade played Philadelphia's Convention Hall...
...and moved to play Boston on September 10.
September 11 ~ at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was here that Betty Hutton announced her engagement to camera manufacturer Ted Briskin. They tied the knot in 1945 but the marriage ended in divorce in 1951.
September 12 ~ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The newspapers promoted its arrival with this photo from their Los Angeles departure.
September 13 ~ the Cavalcade rolled through Cleveland, Ohio the stars spoke to an assembly of Defense Workers. That night, at the Civic Auditorium, Kay Kyser auctioned off an American flag for $10,000,000 and two pounds of butter and a three pound steak for $100,000 each!
September 14 ~ Detroit, Michigan
September 15 ~ Cincinnati, Ohio. Stars rode into town on chartered Cincinnati Street Railway buses kicked off at Union Station. Lucille Ball is 8th from the right, next to Harpo Marx.
September 16 in Chicago’s Soldier Field.
September 17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
September 18 in St. Louis, Missouri at the Kiel Auditorium. Most of the stars lodged at the Hotel Jefferson, where police had to chase 300 autograph hounds out of the lobby. They also had to drag a high school girl out from beneath Fred Astaire's bed. In another incident, surging fans shattered a plate glass window, which tore Judy Garland's dress to shreds.
September 19 was left as an ‘open’ day in New Orleans, Louisiana, before their official performances on September 20 at the Tad Gormley Stadium. Variety reported the crowd at 50,000, The States stated it was between 65,000 and 75,000, while The Item claimed 100,000 showed up, despite the actual venue only seating 35,000!
September 21 in Dallas, Texas at the Cotton Bowl...
...and in San Antonio, Texas on September 22.
September 25 in San Francisco to perform...
...and on September 26 went home to Los Angeles to conclude the 10,000 mile tour. A crowd of 6,000 greeted them at the station in Glendale as the Navy Band played "California, Here I Come."
The song would memorably be sung on “I Love Lucy” to launch the Hollywood episodes in 1955.
Lucille Ball helped sell bonds throughout her career. Click here for a look at Lucy and US Savings Bonds!
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undercurrents.
WHO: Bruce Wayne (@justicealwaysprevails) and Wanda Maximoff (@chaos-hexes)
WHERE: Le Mont-Saint-Michel
WHEN: Backdated to January 17th, 2021
WHAT: Bruce and Wanda take a much needed vacation.
WANDA: Wanda was honestly overtaken with anticipation at the notion of a whole week alone with Bruce and away from Star City. She wanted to see how he would change. Would he different with the sun in his golden hair and his eyes washed brighter with the reflection of the sea. They had only had each other in the ominous stone trappings of Star City where some new drama could steal his attention at any time. She wanted to feel him breathing.
Her mouth hung open and her large amber eyes were wide as she took in the crisp and pristine marble of the foyer. “Oh Bruce,” she breathed, hand letting her suitcase fall to the floor as she did a slow turn, the motion barely picking up the scarlet chiffon of her dress’s hem. “It’s beautiful.”
BRUCE: Bruce had a spotty history when it came to taking vacations. He didn't take often. When he did, he had a habit of not actually vacationing, if such a thing were even a verb, and typically cut the time short the second he had an excuse. Promising Wanda a true vacation was substantial, but he wasn't going back on his word. This was something she deserved; at this point, he was willing to believe they both deserved it.
Her amazement made him smile. This had been the home his mother painstakingly decorated after his father purchased it for her - consequently, it was the one he visited the least, but he didn't regret his decision to stay here. It was worth it to see Wanda look so happy. Leaving their suitcases by the stairs, he gently took the back of her elbow. "My mother spent every summer here. It was her favorite place to visit. Would you like a tour?"
WANDA: Reaching out to take his hand, Wanda looked up at him. “After you show me our room,” she responded. “We need to put our things up there.”
Reaching up with her free hand, Wanda laid a gentle touch to his cheek. “Is there a view of the ocean?” She asked. “A place to watch the sun rise or set?”
BRUCE: There was only one room with a view of the ocean. It wasn't the room Bruce typically spent the night in, but he'd already phoned ahead to ensure the mansion would be ready to receive visitors. He'd specifically ask that all rooms be made ready. Originally, he'd intended to have Wanda decide, but her question made him wonder why he hadn't anticipated the answer on his own.
"Yes." He covered her hand against his face, fingertips pressing against the side of her wrist. "It's this way." Taking both bags, he led the way up the winding staircase. The bedroom was the master and the bed faced a set of large glass doors leading out to the portico. It had a perfect and unobstructed view of the ocean.
WANDA: The room was beautiful, and Wanda was spellbound yet again. The elegance of it all coupled with the wide and open beauty of the clean baroquism was enough to have her smiling.
But... a room this grand could only be the master bedroom, and the master bedroom was where his mother must have slept. His father. Her expression turned serous. Respectful. Carefully, her hand extended to rest on one of the columns of the canopy bed. She could already envision the curtains wrapped around them and shutting out the world. It was a wonderful room, but she only hoped it didn’t interrupt the sanctity of their memory. “Are you sure?” She asked him, looking over her shoulder before turning to him. Her hands came to rest on his chest. “Is it...okay?” Her eyes watched him, intent on any single tiny indication or change in his expression. He was excellent at hiding, but she was just as good at seeing.
BRUCE: There was a time when Wayne Manor had been closed up like a museum, half of it shut away from everyone but Alfred, who had earned the right long before Bruce could call it his own. That was something he thought would preserve his parents' memory.
However, the thought of the room being closed away to rot didn't feel right. He was reminded of that tug at his conscience standing in this room, a room that had known more joy than most people would have in their lifetime, and he nodded. He reached up to cover her hands again, a gesture that was instinctive in his need to reassure. "Yes, I'm sure." She knew what room this was. He didn't even wonder why she was asking. Sometimes he was half-convinced Wanda was also a telepath; she had an uncanny way of reading him that took most people several years to master. Even Clark still struggled. "This room shouldn't be left in the dark."
WANDA: The sun had already set outside by the time they arrived, and his words sent a swell through Wanda’s chest as she felt her magic stirring under her skin. Around them, warm fairy lights conjured from nothing began to twinkle, bathing the room in a golden glow. “Then we will fill it with light, Ozi,” she told him softly. She knew how special Bruce’s parents were to him. How important their memories were. For him to offer her the chance to write new ones was not a small thing.
Looking up at him with so much bare affection in her eyes, Wanda stepped so close that their bodies shared heat. Her hands slid out from under his hands to slide up his chest. “Can we go for a nighttime swim? I want to feel the warm air.” She wanted to see him doing something fun, but in the comfort of the shadows he had gotten so used to hiding. Baby steps.
BRUCE: Wanda's magic had a way of putting him at ease. It was normally something he would have been more mindful of, at least enough to take notice and maintain a clear head. However, it was getting easier to simply allow himself to experience it. It wasn't typical for him. In the beginning it had been uncomfortable, but he'd adapted and given in to its warmth. He found immense comfort in her presence even without it - it seemed to be innate to her, and was largely what attracted him to Wanda in the first place.
Bruce had never been the type of person who showed his feelings on his sleeve. He wasn't used to such open displays of affection, aside from when Dick was a child, and there were times he felt deficient. "Of course. The pool has been cleaned." The suitcases were in front of the ridiculously large closet. "Or did you mean the ocean?"
WANDA: Wanda didn’t need Bruce to be so tactile. She merely needed him to not hurt her. To care for her and to stay. These things, she believed more and more that Bruce would do. She didn’t need Bruce to change. Merely to relax.
“Well I had meant the pool, but is the beach private?” A sweet little half smile tinged with mischief painted her lips. “I don’t want to share you tonight, Bruce. If you’re amenable.”
BRUCE: "The beach is private." The land had its own beach access. Bruce's parents had been private, although not nearly to the same extent. When they were on vacation, rare because Bruce was not unlike his father, they didn't like to be disturbed either. "More than amenable," he said with a slow smile, his hand tightening around her own. "In fact, I insist."
WANDA: His smile made her heart flutter and her stomach tighten as she lifted his fingers to kiss his knuckles. “Let me change, then,” she told him. “I’ll meet you down by the water?”
BRUCE: He nodded. "Follow the path down. It should be lit." The grounds were sprawling, even in such a small location, and the landscape arranged in such a way that there didn't seem to be anyone around for miles. That hadn't been an accident.
WANDA: She took her time putting on her suit, braiding her long hair into a plait down her back so the sea air didn't puff it up. Doing up the lace on the front of her suit, she finally stepped into the warm night air and made her way down to the beach. As she reached it, she didn't see Bruce at first and her eyes slipped closed. For a moment, she stood on a cliff face in Wundagore, the sound of the waves upon the rocks only just louder than her family caravan a few hundred feet away.
The wind blew up the ends of her hair and she let out a sad little sigh as the sound of Marya's voice in her head had her unwilling to open her eyes so she wouldn't see something that wasn't there. "Bruce?" She called softly.
BRUCE: The beach wasn't large or ostentatious, but that had been the point. Martha had imported a special soil that felt more like sand instead of the pebbles that had been there before. He could still remember how it felt under his feet, even though it'd been years since he'd made use of the beach here. This time he knew better. He'd come prepared.
He'd been obscured by the side of a steep boulder, but was in her line of sight seconds after she called his name. "Come see." There was a rare lightness in his voice that made the lines by his eyes appear less deep. The lack of exhaustion took years off of him. "Watch your step."
WANDA: When she heard his voice close, Wanda grounded herself in it before finally opening her eyes and trusting herself to look up. There he was. And he was smiling. Lighter. So beautiful in the pale light of the moon. Reaching out, she caught his hand before holding onto it as he guided her. "What are we looking for, ozi?" She asked him.
She liked this Bruce. The one that seemed less heavy. That had memories to show her. He was a person. She loved Bruce in all iterations, but she worried about him often. Here, perhaps she could let a little of that go.
BRUCE: Bruce's exterior was hard because it had to be. He'd worn Bruce Wayne like a costume for so many years that finding a balance between the two had always been difficult. Those who knew him would say that Bruce Wayne was the mask. Those who truly knew him would disagree. He had always been both. The difference was accessibility. Wanda had managed to bypass the distance he'd strategically placed between himself and everyone else. When it came down to it, he allowed her to see him because she wanted to, and because he knew it would be the only way to know her.
Taking her hand, he helped her navigate the slippery rocks bordering the shore. On the other side, the sand faded into pebbles at the mouth of a cave. "You can't go too far. I came down here a lot when I was a kid."
WANDA: She looked into the cave with curiosity, cocking her head as she kept her fingers in Bruce's. "What's in there?" She prompted. "Untold memories of your boyhood adventures?" Wanda was playful, adapting easily to the energy he was giving off to her. It was a good sort of energy. And Bruce let her in, which she knew was immensely difficult for him. She never took it for granted and she wouldn't.
"Will you protect me in the dark?" She asked with a very Serious expression that was all gentle humor in her eyes.
BRUCE: It had taken years for Bruce to discuss his childhood with anything but heaviness and anger. Discussing it with Wanda felt natural, even though it had taken time for him to get there. Discussing his past in general wasn't something he was prone to do, let alone the subject of his parents, but Wanda was different. She'd been different before too, which was part of why the relationship ended.
"Not quite," he said, his hand dropping to rest against the small of her back. "As I said, it's been many years. But I did bring a flashlight if you're curious." He offered her to her, still with the same faint smile. "Of course, and I happen to be quite comfortable in caves." As if to illustrate the point, he pulled her close against his side, his hold strong enough to nearly lift her off the ground. Amused, he reached down to brush a piece of hair off of her forehead. "Or... we could skip an excursion and stick to the shore." He nodded down the coastline. "Then we could take that swim."
WANDA: "I want you to show me where you adventured," she bade him simply. She wanted that insight to his mind. His childhood. If that meant exploring a cave, then that's what it meant. She wasn't afraid of the dark or anything of that nature. There were things far more frightening in this life, weren't there?
"So lead the way, Ozi." As she said it, she took the flashlight and leaned into his side, feeling the strength of him and the hard lines of his body as he kept her close. "I'm not afraid."
BRUCE: There were things Bruce knew about himself without having to be told, although he’d heard it enough from his kids, and he was aware of his tendency to control situations whenever possible. He was doing his best not to be that way with Wanda. Wanda, who - in her effervescence and compassion - was different than anyone he’d ever known. She’d endured more than most, but still managed to come back. When he looked at her he saw strength.
Nodding, he slid a strong arm around her back, allowing her to lean against him as they stepped into darkness. The cave was narrow enough that the light didn’t leave any dark corners, but it was impossible to see the end. “I liked how quiet it was,” he said, watching the light bounce up the jagged rock wall. There was a pause before he continued. “They weren’t like me. They didn’t like the house to be too still.”
WANDA: As they walked, she listened to him speak. Bruce's voice was strong and calm, but also pulled back. Like he couldn't give away too much, even just talking. It gave her all the more reason to pay attention.
"When you were a little boy, even?" She asked him. She often wondered what Bruce was like as a child. She'd never really get to know, but she would take what he told her.
BRUCE: "Even then." It made him smile that Wanda would find that surprising. Bruce had been a quiet child, serious, and had taken after his father in that respect. His mother had been softer; she didn't shy away from touch.
Their deaths had changed him, but not in the way people would expect. "We're reaching the end." The beam of light finally reached the jagged pile of rocks - a cave-in that prevented them from going any further. "It's always been closed off."
WANDA: That smile... like it was conspiratorial in a way. Like he was telling her a secret. It made her heart thump in his chest when he smiled. Always.
"It's beautiful in a way," she said. "Quiet and final. The dark isolates us from everything else in the world." Was that why Bruce liked the Night?
BRUCE: "Yes." There was chalk on the walls, tiny signs that Bruce had been there years ago, and even a dusty, corroded Rubik's cube. He captured her chin between two fingers and kissed her softly. "I do not mind being isolated with you." That was unlike how he'd been with anyone before. When Bruce withdrew, it was to be completely alone.
WANDA: Could he feel the way her breath picked up whenever he got close to her? She had to imagine he could. He noticed everything. Still, her lips were pliant for his and her arms wrapped around his neck to push herself closer. "Then stay isolated with me," she breathed in the space between their lips. "Just for now."
BRUCE: As she moved, he adjusted with her and wrapped his arm around the small of her back. Even in this moments he was never unaware of her power, but all thoughts were pushed aside in favor of this moment - a kiss that started off soft, reassuring, and then inevitably deepened.
WANDA: Wanda could lose herself in moments like this. Even alone in the dark of a beach cave, she felt safe. Like he wouldn't hurt her or leave her alone. Bruce had accepted her into his heart, even if he was still trying to fully open it. And she had seen the kinds of things he could survive. The things she hadn't seen, she had heard of. Maybe Bruce Wayne was the man who was strong enough to love her. To stay. Not like Vision, who hadn't loved her and hadn't stayed. Not like Simon, who had loved her but couldn't stay. Maybe Bruce would do both. If he did, she'd give him everything. Anything she could manage.
Pulling back from their kiss, Wanda rested her head against the thump of his heart and let her eyes slip closed so she could feel it against her cheek and focus on nothing else. "I love you, Bruce." They had only said it once or twice now. But Wanda wanted to tell him always. He deserved to hear it over and over until it lived in his head.
BRUCE: Although they were alone - and on vacation, no less - there would always be a part of Bruce that maintained a hyper-vigilance to what was going on around him. He had difficulty fully relaxing in any moment, but he still came close with Wanda. The ability to quiet his thoughts and singular purpose was something he'd never been able to do, not even for his own children, and he knew it was one of many reasons for their resentment. He didn't want his relationship with Wanda to have that same bitterness. It was why he'd brought her here: to show her that he could and would turn away from the world even for a few minutes.
The slight weight of her head on his chest made him exhale softly. His hand found the back of her head, fingers threading through her thick hair. "I love you, too." The words came without hesitation, instinctively, as if they'd been saying them for years.
WANDA: It made her shiver to hear him say it back, just like it had the first time. Looking up at him, she smiled gently. She couldn't keep the affection from her face even if she tried, which she didn't. Instead, she let their hearts beat together before reaching down to tangle her fingers with his. "Do you want to stay in the cave?" She asked him, turning away to run her fingers over one of the faded chalk drawings. "Or should we see the moon next, Ozi?"
BRUCE: "I think we've had enough of the dark." They'd come out here to swim and this had been a brief detour. Bruce guided her gently away from the doodling on the walls and back in the direction of the cave's entrance. It was minutes later that they stood on the beach again, the waves lapping the shore. "Do you still want to swim?" He'd dressed for it. The moon was large and the sky was clear, the air cool but not unbearably so.
WANDA: The sand was soft beneath her feet as she let the sea breeze dance over her skin again. "This reminds me of back home. Just a little bit. The smell. Wundagore isn't beachy. But there was a cliff face there. We traveled all over the country, but that cliff face was so beautiful. It looked out on the sea and when it stormed the wind whipped so hard." As she spoke, the wind picked up around them and her scarf fell from her hair to lay at their feet so the thick black locks picked up in the new gusts.
Her voice was even and steady. Gentle and soothing. "The ocean was grey then, which white caps. If you stood right at the end of it, near the ledge enough, the wind and the waves combined would blot out all sound and all you could feel was earth.'
Her fingers stayed curled with his as she brought him there. Not really. Just changed how it looked around them. Altered their private bubble in the world around them just so he could feel it with her. Inside his mind, she murmured, "That was my alone. It was the first time I felt the threads of reality and was are of how I could pull them."
BRUCE: As he listened to her speak, Bruce was able to picture what she described clearly. It was easy to imagine Wanda there because of the natural way she merged with the image in front of him. The dark waves and the salt in the hair set the scene, and the wind that picked up her scarf and started its tumble down the beach was at home in her hair.
He realized the world was shifting around them, cross-fading into the image that'd been in his head. Silent, he took in the white foam and the glistening rocks on the cliff-side. She'd done this in the privacy of the manor before, altered their reality so they would have a place to call their own, but this was different. This belonged to Wanda and she'd allowed him in.
"It's beautiful." Bruce spoke aloud. Habit, perhaps, but his mind was also the most guarded thing about him. It had to be.
WANDA: "I don't think we go in tonight, Ozi," she told him simply, turning to look at him with a shy little smile. "I want to just sit with you on the balcony." She could make the wind blow as she rested up against him on the chaise there, warmed by his heat and a thick blanket over their lap. Talking. Sharing kisses.
"I hope that's okay," she said lightly. "You don't have to talk any more than you're comfortable with. But anything you do have to say, I'll hear." She would enjoy Bruce in any and all capacity that he may be there with her.
BRUCE: The last time he'd been swimming was in Gotham, a country club he'd only visited for the purpose of gathering information, and Bruce wouldn't have remembered the swim suit at all had Alfred not reminded him. As it was, he didn't mind putting it off for the evening. They would be here for an entire week. There would be plenty of time to swim.
"Of course." Tightening his hand over Wanda's, he took his time to lead her back up to the house. He'd left the sliding door open; the house was cool and the air no longer felt stuffy or stale. The futon only had pillows, but he brought a large blanket from the closet for her. It was warm during the day, but the ocean breeze at night could be chilly.
January 29, 2021
WANDA: It was just where she wanted to be, pressed up against his side and leaning into his shoulder before letting out a slow breath. Her fingers tangled with Bruce's and she let her eyes slip closed for a minute, simply enjoying the closeness.
"I'm glad I managed to convince you to come," she told him with a little smile, looking up at him before reaching up to run the back of her hand over the curve of his cheek.
BRUCE: "It did not take much convincing." It wasn't just the timing. Wanda deserved this peace and tranquility; she'd had so little of it in her life. If he had the ability to give it to her, then he would without question.
Settling her against his shoulder, he was amusingly informal on the futon, one knee bent as his fingers trailed a delicate pattern on her knee. "You look like you belong here."
WANDA: "Do I?" She asked him playfully. "Do I strike you as an Island girl, Bruce?" The idea made her grin. She supposed she could look the part. Beach frizzed curls and sunkissed brown skin. She could assimilate here.
Bruce, for his part, looked out of place. For all that he was relaxed with her right now, his blonde hair and the permanently etched furrow in his brow spoke to belonging elsewhere. And she knew where it was. Still, to pretend with him was... perfect. "Do I match the moonlight on the sand, Ozi?"
BRUCE: "Yes," Bruce said simply, but his tone conveyed seriousness rather than matching Wanda's playful demeanor. "You move like the tide. Steady. Loyal. Underneath..." Bending his head, he kissed her directly below her ear. "You are powerful, wild, and intriguing. I don't think an entire lifetime will grant me the ability to know you."
It was the most he'd ever talked like that, the uncharacteristic softness even lingering in the gentle brush of his fingers through her curls.
WANDA: He made her sound mysterious. Something beautiful and good, but also something to watch. But it was so much better than being made out to be dangerous. She was, she supposed, but people had treated her like that for ages. Bruce just... didn't. He wouldn't. It mattered to her that he saw her like a woman and not like a, well, mutant who could harm him. Or who had harmed him.
"I'd give you the lifetime I have left," she told him softly, looking away as a thick shyness settled over her. "If you promise not to leave." She couldn't... she couldn't lose another love. Her heart couldn't take it. And comparing her others to Bruce... it was different. Markedly. Like he saw her and didn't shrink away. And he wasn't some wish fulfilment or a way to hide from the pain. He kept her on the ground, and she reminded him to float sometimes.
BRUCE: It went against Bruce's nature to disregard potential dangers. He knew Wanda, but what's more, he sincerely believed in her capacity to heal herself. Her resilience was what made him believe she would overcome the reputation that still lingered. Perhaps it always would, but its role in her life would change.
When she looked away, he reached up to catch her chin in a gentle grip. He didn't want her to look away from him right now - not now, when she needed the reassurance more than ever before. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise," he said firmly. There was no hesitation, no tentative agreement with conditions, because he knew what he wanted. He knew better than to let it go a second time.
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Music History Today: September 16, 2020
September 16, 1959: Dick Clark's first "Caravan of Stars" tour opens in New York, featuring The Coasters, The Drifters, Lloyd Price, LaVern Baker, Paul Anka, Annette Funicello, and Duane Eddy. Eddy's first album was titled Have Twangy Guitar Will Travel.
"Rebel Rouser" was recorded in a Phoenix studio that had an echo chamber what was originally a large water tank. A speaker was placed at one end of the tank, the microphone at the other, and the guitar "twang" was piped in there.
Read more:
https://www.olafsings.com/2020/09/music-history-today-september-16-2020.html
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Fans return to the Muncie Fieldhouse
He remembered when Dick Clark presented his "Caravan of Stars,' and when the Golden Glove State Boxing Championship happened in the gym.
from Google Alert - gym https://ift.tt/2EjEYXO
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Monday 9pm: RadioMax Special - Exile
Monday 9pm: RadioMax Special – Exile
Exile, originally known as The Exiles, is an American rock band founded in Richmond, Kentucky, by J.P. Pennington. They started by playing local clubs which led to touring with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars opening shows and providing backup for major rock artists of the period.
Their name was shortened to Exile in 1973, consisting of guitarist Pennington, leader/lead singer Jimmy Stokley, Bernie…
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Lou Christie : Guitars And Bongos : Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars, Nov 18, 1964, Bowling Green, KY
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Dee Dee Sharp (born Dione LaRue, September 9, 1945) is a R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961. Her first job was with Willa Ward Moultrie and was soon singing backup vocals for the likes of Lloyd Price, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, and Jackie Wilson. She was signed by Cameo/Parkway and was christened Dee Dee Sharp by producers Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe. At the time, her brother called her “Dee” and since she sang in D sharp she was given this new identity. She produced a string of successful Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits: "Slow Twistin'" (with Chubby Checker) (#3) for which she was uncredited on the label, "Mashed Potato Time" (#2), "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)" (#9), "Ride!" (#5) and "Do the Bird" (#10). Both "Mashed Potato Time" and "Ride!" each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs. "Do the Bird" provided her only entry in the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at #46 in April 1963. She has appeared several times on the American Bandstand, a syndicated music performance, and dance television program, from 1962 to 1981, and was also a regular feature on Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tours. Unhappy with record sales, she switched to Atco/Atlantic Records and later founded Gamble Records with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Over time she would also work with TSOP and Philadelphia International. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CTo_o7wrzVCM9LTAnAz7oZ85_IYOjsh2ArDCBU0/?utm_medium=tumblr
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My life-long love affair with cars and motor sport has left me with a treasure trove of memories about the cars I’ve owned and driven, the races I’ve watched, the tracks on which I’ve driven or been driven and the race drivers I’ve met.
Hot laps with Alan Jones around Calder, Craig Lowndes around Phillip Island, Le Mans winner Klaus Ludwig around the Le Mans Bugatti circuit come to mind — and then there’s the circuits I’ve been lucky enough to drive on myself.
These include Phillip Island (my favourite) on many occasions, Bathurst, Albert Park, Symmons Plains, Sydney Motorsport Park, Calder, Hidden Valley and Wakefield Park.
Overseas I’ve watched races at Le Mans, Brands Hatch and Silverstone, and in Australia at most of the tracks.
My fondest memories as a small boy involve watching races with my Dad and brother at two tracks – Albert Park at the 1956 Australian Grand Prix and the long-since defunct Longford circuit in Tasmania.
I remember vividly my excitement at Albert Park, where I watched my hero Stirling Moss and his French teammate Jean Behra hurtle past us just the other side of small hay bales in their Maserati 250F open wheelers and 300S sports cars.
Moss drove with a very straight-arm style – something I could see quite plainly in the 250F – and it was this style I adopted for years after I was old enough to get a licence.
Then there was Longford.
As well as being there for the enjoyment, Dad and his two small boys had another reason for being there.
Dad’s younger brother Dick was THE doyen of Tasmanian motor sport for much of last century.
He was a real character who was much loved and respected by all who knew him, and he raced cars until well into his seventies.
In fact, he was for many years Australia’s oldest licensed racing driver.
Uncle Dick also raced speed boats and was Tasmanian champion for many years.
So dedicated was he to going fast, both on water and land, in his early career, he’d race his boat the Touchalong on the Derwent River in the morning, before jumping in his car and driving to the Baskerville circuit to race in the afternoon.
As a small boy, Dick pulled his mother’s Singer sewing machine apart to find out how it worked (he did reassemble it too) and in 1933 when he was 17 he built his first race car from bits and pieces scrounged from wreckers’ yards. It could do 140km/h.
Over his racing career, Dick competed in more than 30 different cars.
He was an outstanding mechanic who, despite being busy with a successful business in Hobart, was never too busy to help other race drivers with a mechanical problem they had.
But back to Longford . . . a track that in its day was undoubtedly one of the world’s finest (if most dangerous) road circuits.
The track was 23km south-west of Launceston and its 7km layout included a 300km/h straight, a railway viaduct, two wooden bridges, and part of down-town Longford itself.
The first race was held there in 1953 but what really put the track on the motor-racing map was the 1958 Gold Star meeting which was won by Stan Jones in his 250F Maserati, from Len Lukey in his Cooper Climax.
A young Alan Jones was there to watch his father race.
The first time my Dad and his small boys went to the Longford races was in the early 1950s and I have two outstanding and indelible memories — watching my uncle in his hotted-up Austin A40 tourer and a bright red Cadillac-powered Allard J2 driven by the late Tom Hawkes.
It was quite the most magnificent-looking and sounding car I’d ever seen — not to mention the fastest.
Fast forward to 1964 and the track hosted a round of the wonderful Tasman series (as it did for five years) that saw some of the world’s greatest F1 drivers come to Australia and New Zealand for their off-season grand prix break.
No fewer than seven world champions – Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Denny Hulme, John Surtees and Jackie Stewart — all graced the Longford bitumen.
Not to mention the likes of Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Piers Courage, Richard Attwood, Pedro Rodriques, Tony Maggs, Roy Salvadori and Timmy Mayer who tragically was killed there.
During the three Longford Tasman series races I covered as a young motoring editor of the Launceston Examiner, I had the run of the place and could go anywhere at any time in the pits and around the track.
I even had my own Kombi van to take me from corner to corner whenever I wished during the weekend program.
The more I write this piece the more memories come flooding back.
Each year, on Friday night before the races, there was a big dinner at one of Launceston’s best hotels and most of the visiting international drivers would be there and mingle happily with the locals.
Imagine Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel doing that today.
I remember well one night when Graham Hill and Jim Clark had a bread-roll fight — much to the delight of us mere local mortals.
Speaking of Graham Hill, a late mate of mine, Peter Mawdesley, used to race the ex-Leo Geoghegan/Alan Ling Lotus Super 7.
As well as the car, Peter used to take a little plywood caravan and park it in the pits.
One Saturday morning, it started to rain and suddenly there was a knock on the door.
To my mate’s amazement and delight, it was Graham Hill who asked it he could come in and have a cuppa.
Again . . . imagine Hamilton or Vettel doing that today?
Years later my mate Peter told me that his most vivid Longford memory was being flat out (about 210km/h) on the so-called “flying mile” in his Super 7 and having Bill Brown in the magnificent Ferrari P4 sports car flash past at 300km/h.
It was in fact this car – in the hands of Chris Amon – that holds the Longford lap record of 2:12.6 at an average speed of 196.66km/h.
Naturally, with so little of the track remaining today, this record will stand forever.
So far as the Australian drivers are concerned, probably the most legendary Longford story concerns Lex Davison.
Barrelling down the short straight between the railway viaduct and the right-hander at the local pub, his Cooper lost traction over a slight jump, was caught by the wind, spun into a grassy ditch and careered across the road before slamming into the pub wall.
Davison, who was uninjured, calmly got out of the largely demolished car and walked into the pub. The story goes that he ordered a brandy but I reckon it was probably a beer.
A brake disc from the Cooper is now part of a fascinating collection of memorabilia at the pub.
So that’s Longford, or at least my memories of it.
A wonderful but extremely dangerous (by today’s cotton-wool standards) road circuit that had everything.
Most of the international drivers I spoke with at the time said it was one of the world’s finest.
I’m just glad I got to see them master it.
CHECKOUT: Book chronicles Australia’s two-wheel talent
CHECKOUT: Australia’s first pro race driver was a woman
Auto Draft #cars4start My life-long love affair with cars and motor sport has left me with a treasure trove of memories about the cars I’ve owned and driven, the races I’ve watched, the tracks on which I’ve driven or been driven and the race drivers I’ve met.
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Welcome to Music Monday when we bring you golden oldies with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Gary Lewis & the Playboys perform "This Diamond Ring," a 1965 chart topper about a heartbroken young man desperate to sell a piece of precious jewelry that doesn't shine for him anymore.
In the song, Lewis is stunned when his girlfriend returns her engagement ring and admits she's been untrue. For him, the stone had symbolized something genuine, "like love should be," and the ring reflected dreams that were coming true.
Lewis sings, "Who wants to buy this diamond ring? / She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thing / This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore / And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before / So if you've got someone whose love is true / Let it shine for you."
"This Diamond Ring" was released as the group's first single in January of 1965 and quickly ascended to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The popularity of the song helped Gary Lewis & the Playboys to land a high-profile appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and a touring gig with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars. By the end of 1965, Gary Lewis was named Cash Box magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," beating out nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. The group would go on to score seven Top-10 hits.
Lewis, who is still performing with his band at the age of 71, told songfacts.com that his biggest hit is often misinterpreted.
"A lot of people love 'This Diamond Ring,' but they think it's a getting-together song," he recounted. "They say to me, 'Hey, we got married because of 'This Diamond Ring.' I say, 'Really?' I mean, it's a breakup song."
Despite the success of "This Diamond Ring," songwriters Al Kooper, Bob Brass and Irwin Levine were unhappy with the uptempo arrangement of what was supposed to be an R&B song, claiming Gary Lewis & the Playboys removed the soul and "made a teenage milkshake out of it." The song had been written for The Drifters, who passed on the opportunity to record it.
Quick trivia: Gary Lewis is the son of the comedian Jerry Lewis, who passed away in August at the age of 91.
Please check out the video of Gary Lewis & the Playboys performing "This Diamond Ring." The clip is introduced by TV's Batman, Adam West, who also died this year at the age of 88. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...
"This Diamond Ring"
Written by Al Kooper, Bob Brass and Irwin Levine. Performed by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.
Who wants to buy this diamond ring?
She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thing
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So if you've got someone whose love is true
Let it shine for you
This stone is genuine like love should be
And if your baby's truer than my baby was to me
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.
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