Sarah Palin: The Dark Side of Cute

In a recent opinion piece from the Orlando Sentinal, “With Palin, it’s all about the messenger, not the message” writer Kathleen Parker explores the “genius” of Sarah Palin’s “…jaw-juttingly patriotic and estrogen rich, not to mention cute as a button…” approach. Lo and behold, a phrase I thought of long ago has finally come to pass. Sarah Palin personifies “The dark side of cute!”

A fool's paradise?

Smart Enough to Vote?

Are you smart enough to vote?
Be advised, some of the dumbest people are.

Oil Junkie Cartoon from 1988

The tragedy of the Gulf Oil Spill reminded me of this political cartoon by Martin Kozlowski that I had saved from over twenty years ago, so I’m passing it along. I think that America needs an oil change! Isn’t it time for an intervention?

More on Doing it with Duets

After seeing the Cass Elliot and Andy Williams video, I realize that we tagged Words/Words of Love with You’ve Got Your Troubles, I’ve got Mine. So that was a triple-play!

I should acknowledge how much both Andy and Cass contributed to the success of the piece. It was fairly complex arrangement, but they made it seem effortless. They worked very hard on it as both singers and actors to pull it off so well. They did it in one-take with no edit!

Another quodlibet (two songs at the same time) arrangement that Allan Blye and I worked up for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a trio number involving Tom & Dick and Mickey Rooney. Tom wanted to sing Side by Side and Dick wanted to sing You’re Just in Love (I hear music and there’s no one there) and Mickey was torn between two Smothers! The collision of lyric from the two songs was pretty funny. For example, I remember “We ain’t got a barrel of... music… …and there’s no one there” and then “I smell… …ragged and funny.”

I also forgot to mention how important my arranger and close friend, Denny Vaughan, was to figuring out all of these tricky combos of songs. He was a master!

The Muck Stops Here!

An oil spill souvenir:

Every person on the Gulf Coast should get a
Harry Trumanesque sign for their desk that says,

“The muck stops here.”

Do it with Duets!

Today I spent some time looking for duets to share with my friends, Evynne Smith & Peter Hollens. A few years ago, Evynne recorded a great lead vocal for my song, Eddie, I'm Ready, which appeared on my album, Electrical gas. I saw Peter & Evynne perform here in Eugene at the The Shedd and it got me thinking about material for them.

My most famous duet is Cinderella Rockefella. It was made popular by Esther and Abi Ofarim back in 1968. It was a hit in every foreign country, except Japan and other parts of Asia. It never hit big in the US, but it was performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour several times. It’s a novelty tune and might be considered to be in the English Busker-Skiffel group style. There are several videos of it on YouTube including a performance by The Carpenters that I didn't even know existed! Cinderella Rockefella was most recently used in the film, Walk On Water.

I wrote and arranged a few different songs as duets for television shows that I worked on back in the 60's and 70's. One of the things we explored was the notion of quodlibets... an arrangement that is two songs sung together at the same time.

I arranged Words, by the Bee-Gees with Words of Love, by the Mamas and Papas for Andy Williams and Cass Elliot to sing together for her first television appearance without the Mamas and Papas. The show was called the H. Andy Williams Kaleidoscope Company.

My most popular combo was aired on The Summer Brothers Smothers Show. Glenn Campbell was the host and Allen Blye and I worked up a duet with him singing By the Time I Get to Phoenix, and Nancy Sinatra singing, I Say a Little Prayer. Glenn eventually recorded this arrangement of I Say a Little Prayer with Anne Murray on one of his albums.

Adopt-a-Pull Out Program

A piece by Alexandra Lange in today's New York Times reminded me of an idea I had back in August 2003;

Adopt-A-Pullout program is a shorter and less expensive way to be a part of the Adopt-A-Highway program. If you can’t afford to "adopt" a long stretch of highway, or freeway, perhaps you could support the maintenance of a pull out or passing lane, or even a cul-de-sac?

The Oscar for Extras

Written: {3/10/10}

Since the Academy Awards has expanded it’s award categories over the years - in 2010 there were (10) films, up from (5), nominated for best picture, and they are considering a future award for best Movie Titles Sequence, why not an Oscar for Extras?

It would obviously have to be a separate event from the main red carpet event in Hollywood. There could be thousands in wings and in the audience! They would show clips of extras scenes from the nominated films – Pure extras! No stars! No Story!

This idea came to me back in 2005 after having seen Shaun of the Dead. The extras in that film were remarkable and would have won hands down as far as I’m concerned.

The film Gandhi had 300,000 extras. What a bill to pay if it had won!

Question: What does a single Oscar statue cost to produce?

Things to consider: The engraving of the winning picture on 10,000 awards would take months.

It would take hours for the winners (10,000 soldiers, perhaps in make up and costume?) to accept the statues.

Tiger Woods' Cell Phone Fiasco:Telephone Miranda Rights

Perhaps every phone call should be proceeded by a Miranda Rights Warning.

You have the right to remain silent... or keep talking. However, remember anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law or public opinion.

Regarding the Tea Party Movement: Cattle Spook

Wall Street and Corporate America have treated the people of America like cattle...
Now they're about to stampede.