"Fun" Is a Christmas Feeling, Right? -- MA-17 - 45s & Favorites, Disc 2

Here is another collection of songs that take me back.  Most are 45s I had, ripped from them ol' seven-inch pieces of memory when I was given that USB turntable a few years ago.

Here's the line-up:

1970

1    Mississippi Queen           Mountain
2    Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy/Mr Bojangles        Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3    We Gotta Get You a Woman         Todd Rundgren  

1971

4 That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be       Carly Simon
5 Walk Away James Gang
6 Tiny Dancer Elton John
7 Hocus Pocus Focus
8 Behind Blue Eyes The Who  

1972

9 School's Out Alice Cooper
10 Rock And Roll Part 1 & 2 Gary Glitter
11 A Piece of Paper    Gladstone
12 Back Off Boogaloo Ringo Starr
13 Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) Stevie Wonder
14 Give Ireland Back to the Irish - instrumental - (Version) Wings
15 Early 1970 Ringo Starr
16 Mary Had a Little Lamb Wings

1973

17 You Light Up My Life Carole King
18 Back When My Hair Was Short -single version Gunhill Road
19 Rocky Mountain Way Joe Walsh
20 Under the Boardwalk Rickie Lee Jones - 1983
21 It's the Real Thing The New Seekers - 1971

Track 2 is a recreation of the B side of my 45 release of "Mr Bojangles."  The A side was the song by itself, as heard on the radio.  Side B was the same song, prefaced with a spoken reminiscence from an old man talking about his life and his "singing" dog.  When I finally heard the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album I discovered several of these spoken tidbits sprinkled through the two sides.

For some reason, at Bartlesville's Madison Junior High School in 1970, it was a small catchphrase to mimic the old guy when he said to his dog, "Sit down, Teddy!"

The last cut is from a promo 45 given out at record stores, containing "the Coke song."

 

Come on, time-trippin'!
 
 

Book Review - Subterranean Worlds by Walter Kafton-Minkel

NOTE:

I use Grammarly's free plagiarism checker online because

if something’s got your name on it, it should be your stuff!

 

 

AND NOW, OUR REVIEW …

            This is a wonderful book on a fascinating subject.  The author writes with a mix of humor for the offbeat topic and compassion for those who were true believers.

 

            Sadly, this book is not cheap if you want to buy a copy, going for around $60 the last time I checked online retailers.  Maybe this is because the publisher, Loompanics Unlimited, is no longer in business. You can go here to see a PDF of their catalog, along with FBI files investigating them!

 

            Anyway, in this 1989 book, Kafton-Minkel examines the long history of the Hollow Earth idea in mythology, fiction, and supposed nonfiction.  He tells us of Cyrus Teed (the original Koreshian whose title was later appropriated by some Waco whackos), John Symmes, and “the Shaver mystery.”

 

            Here are the few pages of his introduction to tempt you:

 

 

            Although his fiction round-up can’t cover all “underground fiction” (see what I did there?), he gives us a representative sampling of pulp writers like Ray Palmer and Edgar Rice Burroughs.  He also synopsizes Etidorhpa, one I read around 1979 in paperback.  Spell the name backwards for a special treat, kiddies!

 

            However, my favorite scene from Etidorhpa isn’t mentioned by Kafton-Minkel.  The 1895 book by John Uri Lloyd is a tale within a tale of Llewyllyn Drury -- more specifically, Johannes Llewellyn Llongollyn Drury -- who is visited in the night by an old man who goes by the moniker of I-Am-the-Man-Who-Did-It.  Catchy, huh?  Anyway, Drury and “I-Am” get into an argument about the inexorable progress of man.  Drury keeps talking about how wonderful and civilized Mankind has become, and “I-Am” keeps shooting out one-liners to take him down a peg.  To Lloyd’s hero, mankind is like Norman Vincent Peale -- every day, in every way, Mankind is getting better and better.  In fact, Drury exclaims in a transport of pride and joy, there is NOTHING that man cannot accomplish?

 

            Oh, yeah? “I-Am” deadpans.  If you can do anything, “Kiss your elbow.”

 

            Folks, I have tried it.  Can’t be done.

 

 

 

            This is an example of the creepy things in Etidorhpa.  And that’s only ONE of the works discussed in this survey.

 

            Folks, if you’re fascinated by this topic, and of man’s quest for “hidden” things, please buy it (if you are rich) or get it through Interlibrary Loan and read it.  It’s fascinating, fun, and makes you feel normal again, in comparison to those poor souls who lost their minds and sometimes lives in quest of the shimmering ideal of “lands below the surface.”

 

 

            This final bit of imagery is from the end pages of the book.  Do you suppose that these books were actually as listed? or jokes? or perhaps the books were real, but perhaps “Dr Ima Peeper” is a pseudonym.

 

            Anyway, this is a wonderful book that should have a much wider circulation than seems likely.

 

This book review is sponsored by Grammarly.

 

Christmas Song Compilation: MA-42 - Happy Christmas Time

Christmas celebrates the most meaningful event to take place in human history.  However, the fact of its importance also makes it a metaphorical magnet for the entire range of human creative endeavor, from devoted offering to smarmy or even intentionally offensive actions.

Me?  I'm too busy marveling over the fact that, skanky as my character is (you too -- have you looked into your own soul and thoughts lately?), the fact of my existence makes me valuable enough that the Creator of all things (including the universe that contains me, and the "universes" contained within each person's heart and mind) loved -- and still loves -- me enough to do this:  He voluntarily shed nearly all of his essence to "fit into" a human existence; lived a life of service and compassion -- and knowingly died, just to communicate his love for me.

All of this music helps me celebrate.  Some is quite and meditative; some is both thankful AND silly.  After all, families don't ONLY communicate with hugs, but also with tickles!

1 -      Hark! the Herald Angels Sing   The Philadelphia Orchestra

2 -      Joy to the World    The O.C. Supertones

3 -      Exotic Night   Martin Denny

4 -      Little Drummer Boy    Georgia Kelly

5 -      Sweet Little Jesus Boy  Chris Willis

6 -      Happy Birthday Jesus Sparklepop

7 - Cha-Cha All the Way Capitol Studio Orchestra

8 - Carol of the Bells Teja Bell

9 - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Joan Baez

10 - Heaven's Got a Baby Sarah Masen

11 - Away in a Manger The Philadelphia Orchestra

12 - I Need Christmas Erin O'Donnell

13 - We Three Kings Bop Claymation Christmas Celebration

14 - Here Comes Santa Claus Elvis Presley

15 - Jingle Bells Johnny Mercer

16 - Silent Night Twila Paris

17 - Christmas Time Is Here Again The Beatles (VM)

18 - White Christmas The Drifters

19 - Winter Wonderland Fleming and John

20 - Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo Billy May

21 - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree Xmas! The Beatmas

22 - You Gotta Get Up Five Iron Frenzy

23 - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing A Charlie Brown Christmas

24 - Christmastime Is Here Seranova

25 - I Wonder as I Wander Joan Baez

26 - Silent Night, Holy Night The Philadelphia Orchestra

 

 

Track 17 is courtesy of the Beatles Remixers Group.  One of their fine and creative members melded a song from a Beatles Fan Club record (recorded by the Fab Four for their fans) with "Flying" from Magical Mystery Tour.  It's, well, magical.

Consider what love the Father has for us, as you listen.

Merry Christmas Time!