Wanted: Pips

My good friend, Mary Ellen Martelli, posted the following on Craig's List.

I am looking for 3 Guys to follow me around and sing back up lines for my daily life. You know, Pips.

Nothing exciting like being on stage or anything, just sing back up to my daily conversations, like at the grocery store, dry cleaners, visiting clients,..etc.

I need, three guys, who can really sing. You needn't be afro-american, but must have an afro or at least an afro wig. And also not opposed to wearing matching suits ( which you must co-ordinate).

And I need three guys, not four, and five is right out.

This is not a long term gig, maybe 3-4 days to a week. Depending on how it goes. I can not afford to pay my Pips, but hey, who knows what will come out of it. At the very least, we will have a blast.

Send a pic and any other info that will put you at the top of my Pip List.

This can work, I once got a guy to follow me around with an industrial bucket and mop - mopping up behind me wherever I went for 3 days in St. Augustine Fla. It was a blast!

Click here to become a Pip.

Listen / Download:
Mary Ellen Martelli and The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia

Two More Reasons Why Clapton is God

Buddy Guy Ain't No Slouch Either

About a year ago I wrote that I met Eric Clapton. In the post I included ten examples why I believe Clapton is God. Well, here's two more. The first example is a pulled from an excellent audience recording from Eric's 1994 "blues" tour. The second example is Eric and Buddy Guy from 1987 and it is one of the down-and-dirtiest, funky, greasy blues numbers you will ever hear. As an added bonus I've included the video of this performance in addition to the complete 13 minute long performance as a mp3 download. Enjoy.

Listen / Download:
Eric Clapton - Black Cat Bone
Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy - Wanna Make Love

Remembering Lennon

A message from Yoko Ono

I miss you, John. 27 years later, I still wish I could turn back the clock to the Summer of 1980. I remember everything - sharing our morning coffee, walking in the park together on a beautiful day, and seeing your hand stretched to mine - holding it, reassuring me that I shouldn't worry about anything because our life was good.

I had no idea that life was about to teach me the toughest lesson of all. I learned the intense pain of losing a loved one suddenly, without warning, and without having the time for a final hug and the chance to say, "I love you," for the last time. The pain and shock of that sudden loss is with me every moment of every day. When I touched John's side of our bed on the night of December 8th, 1980, I realized that it was still warm. That moment has haunted me for the past 27 years - and will stay with me forever.

Even harder for me is watching what was taken away from our beautiful boy, Sean. He lives in silent anger over not having his Dad, whom he loved so much, around to share his life with. I know we are not alone. Our pain is one shared by many other families who are suffering as the victims of senseless violence. This pain has to stop.

Let's not waste the lives of those we have lost. Let's, together, make the world a place of love and joy and not a place of fear and anger. This day of John's passing has become more and more important for so many people around the world as the day to remember his message of Peace and Love and to do what each of us can to work on healing this planet we cherish.

Let's: Think Peace, Act Peace, and Spread Peace. John worked for it all his life.
He said, "there's no problem, only solutions." Remember, we are all together.
We can do it, we must. I love you!


Listen / Download:
Paul McCartney - Here Today
George Harrison - All Those Years Ago
Elton John - Empty Garden
David Gilmour - Murder

Black Friday 2007

Moorestown Mall

Like so many other Americans I woke up at 4am to take advantage of the "Black Friday" specials. Many retailers open very early and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the term "Black Friday" has been traced back only to the 1970s. "Black Friday" was originally so named because of the heavy traffic on that day, although most contemporary uses of the term refer instead to it as the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (i.e., turning a profit).

This morning I sat with thirty some people in order to purchase what some are calling the hardest Christmas gift to get - Nintendo's Wii. The actual wait really wasn't really that bad. For one, we were able to wait inside mall. As I drove in I saw many people standing in long lines outside Sears, Circuit City, Best Buy, and Boscovs. This morning the temp outside was in thirties. So, waiting inside was welcomed. Secondly, the woman I sat next to gave me a story.

A few minutes after I arrived a young, attractive woman sat down next to me. Her name was Sandy. The moment she sat down she started to take off her many layers of clothing. She, like many of us, anticipated that we were going to have to wait in the cold. When she finally reached her tee shirt she reached into purse and pulled out her underarm deodorants. "Whew, boy am I sweating!" Nice. I could tell Sandy was into the gadgets. She was either talking to her girlfriend, texting or playing her pink GameBoy. Eventually, her girlfriend showed up. She looked like a boyish version of Rosie O'Donnell. Sandy introduced her as her fiancée.

There is nothing else to say about Sandy and this story other than its mandatory to note that whenever a lesbian sits next to you have to mention it in a blog or conversation. Its a rule.

Here's a series of photos documenting my time in line:

GameStop - Moorestown Mall

To my left were two housewives. To my right were two lesbians.

Sitting in line and listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

My ticket that guaranteed my purchase

GameStop - Moorestown Mall

Listen / Download:
Black Friday - Steely Dan

It Was Forty Years Ago Today

Sgt. Pepper Taught The Band To Play

June 1st 1967 the Beatles released what some feel is the greatest rock album ever made: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Do I think its the greatest rock album ever? Yes. Without a doubt. It changed my life. It is my favorite album of all time? No, that would be The Who's Quadrophenia. Pepper, incidently, is not my favorite Beatle album either. That would be Revolver. Why I feel the way I do about Pepper being the best ever rock album ever and not my favorite is for another post for another day. Today, I'd like to share a few Pepper stories with you.

When I was about 10 years old my parents took me to their friends house for a cook out. It was an all day affair and there were no other kids to play with. Somehow, my mother's friend noticed how my brother and I were bored and told us to go her daughter's bedroom and see what she's up to. We found the daughter sitting on her bed listening to music. In her hands was the Sgt Pepper album. I asked her if I could look at the cover. I recall staring at the cover with amazement. I never saw anything like it before. All those faces! I believe looking at that cover is why I recall this moment in my life. It was that profound.

A few years later my DJ uncle, Steve Martorano, arranged to have the entire Beatles catalog shipped to my home. As I opened the boxed and looked at the covers I immediately recognized Pepper. Because I knew the cover I decided to play that album first. My brother and I shared a small beige record player with a built-in 2 inch by 2 inch speaker. I remember placing the needle on the record and hearing the orchestra tuning up. Then it segued into an incredible guitar sound unlike anything I had ever heard in my life. It didn't matter that the record player was shitty. the music was amazing. Up to this time all I heard in my home was classical music and some skinny Italian singer name Sinatra. Rock music was not allowed in my home. For the next 39 minutes I sat listened to not only my first Beatles album but my first rock album ever. Not a bad first choice, eh? For the next week I played that album over and over again and started my life long love affair with the Beatles.

Cut to June 1, 1987 - twenty years ago today. I'm working for the number one radio station in Philadelphia, WMMR. To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the release of Pepper Capitol records re-releases the masterpiece on CD. My music director, Erin Riley, gave me a copy of the CD. That afternoon, I went home and played Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety just like I did the first time I ever heard it some eight years before. This time, however, I didn't have to turn the album over to listen to side two.

Now, here I sit, June 1, 2007, listening to Pepper in its entirety just like I did twenty years ago. This time around I'm listening to the album via mp3 and through my computer. After all these years Sgt. Pepper is still an incredible listen and one filled with musical memories I'll cherish forever.

I'll leave you with my favorite song from Pepper, "She's Leaving Home." Enjoy


Listen / Download:
Beatles - She's Leaving Home