"Happy New Year!”
What might be the definitive definition of this proclamation? A day that marks the passage of one year and the beginning of the next with a simple directive from one person to another that the coming year brings good fortune and prosperity, health and happiness, peace and good will?
Although the greeting may be more heartfelt toward close friends, relatives and co-workers, extending good will to frequented businesses and an occasional store clerk are all a part of the tradition.
Personally, extending a bit of gratitude to the gentleman whose dedication delivers the newspaper every morning is a tradition in itself, albeit the token appreciation may have to wait until mid January. (Holiday expenses, property taxes and home insurance renewal fees are steadfast greeters at year end.)
Of course, there are those who give bah-humbug tidings of a 'sappy' or 'crappy' New Year and would just as soon the folklore had never been begotten. So, when did the idea of celebrating the coming of the new year begin?
Around 2000 BC, when the calendar consisted of ten months from March to December, ancient Babylon began celebrating the New Year on the first full moon after the vernal equinox, the first day of spring. And lasted eleven days!
Egyptians, Phoenicians and Persians began the New Year with the fall equinox; Greeks on the winter solstice.
Around 153 BC, Roman emperor Numa Pompilius added January and February as the eleventh and twelfth months of the year while maintaining March 1 as the beginning of the new year. It wasn’t until 135 BC that January 1 was declared the beginning of the new year to coincide with the seasons of the solar cycle.
In 46 BC, Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar and proclaimed the first day of January as New Year’s Day. Caesar felt that Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates and had two faces, one looking forward and one back, was an appropriate symbol of new beginnings.
Caesar celebrated the first January 1 New Year in 45 BC by ordering the massacre of revolutionary Jewish forces in the Galilee. In later years, Roman pagans observed the New Year by engaging in drunken orgies – a ritual they believed constituted a personal re-enactment of the chaotic universe until the gods brought order to the cosmos. In modern times the ‘happy’ part of the New Year continues to bring in the seasonal ‘cheer’ of inebriation.
During the Middle Ages, after the Roman Empire was dissolved, Christians proclaimed the New Year began on December 25 to celebrate the birth of Christ. Other religions reverted back to March 1, or March 25 during the Feast of the Annunciation or Easter.
It wasn’t until 1522 that Venice was the first to establish what would become the universal standard of January 1 as the beginning of the new year. The rest of Italy adopted the new tradition at various times since then, but it wasn’t until 1752 that the British Empire became the last country to follow suit. Spanish, Portugal and French territories had made the change nearly two hundred years earlier.
In Christianity, New Year’s Day, the eighth day of Christmas, is represented by the Eight Beatitudes (Eight Maids a-Milking) with the blessing of the poor in spirit, the meek, they who mourn, they that hunger and thirst after justice, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers and they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake.
The eighth day is also referenced by the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, when the child born in Bethlehem was given his name, Jesus, our Savior.
Of course, religion has very little to do with modern day New Year celebrations. Instead, our expectations are radio, television and newspaper commentaries reviewing milestones of the year gone by of natural disasters, social and political events and memorials to notable people who had passed away.
We are also given a congregation of opinions addressing the challenges facing society during the coming year. Absolutions and hopeful solutions are bountiful. Of immediate importance are public service narratives that announce new laws that will become effective during the coming year.
Of personal commitment, people tend to make New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier foods, redress a variety of excesses, thus improving the quality of life – out with the old, in with the new as they say.
But, is that all there is? Just a few hours or, at most, a few days of reflecting on the past and speculating on the future? Alas, once the day is over, the newness of the year fades away all too soon.
Therefore, may I extend to you my wishes that you Have A Happy Year!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Going, Going, Gong
Looks like my column The Rae Way in the Hernando Times has been given the boot. The two blogs on Christmas, recently posted here on My Space, were not printed.
Those S.O.B.s! How many, and how often, do you see/read something positive in news commentaries? Especially holiday-specific topics.
It appears that when Editor Chris Wessell is on vacation my columns are totally discounted.
Well, the time I spend obtaining data from Google, the Wall Street Journal , The New York Times, The St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune, not to mention various magazines, are time consuming and wasteful if not printed. I'll continue to write and post entries on the four blogspot.com blogs I have neglected to maintain because they were submitted for print. Never mind the fact that no one reads them, it's still an exercise at developing my writing [skills?].
Discontinuing the column is disheartening but that's the way it goes when you have no formal education in journalism.
I am not worthy of the honor to express my opinions.
Sincerely, my Best Wishes to Hernando Today and its Op-Ed pages. The diversity is like no other local newspapers I have read during my lifetime.
I just hope that whoever replaces my space in the newspaper gets paid for it.
It appears it may be Reverend James L. Snyder, a pastor of the Family of God Fellowship in Ocala, Florida. That's all we need in the South - another conservative awash with religious messages. But that's what ya get in a Bible-thumping state.
The reverend and his church should reap a fortune from his column through the church website. I suppose the reverend's revenue for the church will be a major benefit.
Thankfully, the paper still prints Ted Rall's 'Liberal Point of View' column.
I'm a happy and typically positive person. I'm not easily disheartened. Having a personal, intimate, faithful relationship with plenty of love making is about all I need to be fully happy. At this point, it will have to wait until I'm settled in Nashville, Tennessee.
Please, join me in a hopeful and sincere HAPPY NEW YEAR for All!!
Those S.O.B.s! How many, and how often, do you see/read something positive in news commentaries? Especially holiday-specific topics.
It appears that when Editor Chris Wessell is on vacation my columns are totally discounted.
Well, the time I spend obtaining data from Google, the Wall Street Journal , The New York Times, The St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune, not to mention various magazines, are time consuming and wasteful if not printed. I'll continue to write and post entries on the four blogspot.com blogs I have neglected to maintain because they were submitted for print. Never mind the fact that no one reads them, it's still an exercise at developing my writing [skills?].
Discontinuing the column is disheartening but that's the way it goes when you have no formal education in journalism.
I am not worthy of the honor to express my opinions.
Sincerely, my Best Wishes to Hernando Today and its Op-Ed pages. The diversity is like no other local newspapers I have read during my lifetime.
I just hope that whoever replaces my space in the newspaper gets paid for it.
It appears it may be Reverend James L. Snyder, a pastor of the Family of God Fellowship in Ocala, Florida. That's all we need in the South - another conservative awash with religious messages. But that's what ya get in a Bible-thumping state.
The reverend and his church should reap a fortune from his column through the church website. I suppose the reverend's revenue for the church will be a major benefit.
Thankfully, the paper still prints Ted Rall's 'Liberal Point of View' column.
I'm a happy and typically positive person. I'm not easily disheartened. Having a personal, intimate, faithful relationship with plenty of love making is about all I need to be fully happy. At this point, it will have to wait until I'm settled in Nashville, Tennessee.
Please, join me in a hopeful and sincere HAPPY NEW YEAR for All!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
O Christmas Tree!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st to me.”
Among all the traditions of the holiday season, the single most enjoyable is the decorating of the Christmas tree. It’s much more than just a motif for the giving and receiving of gifts. It’s a remembrance of Christmases past, good will toward all and the blessings of the year gone by.
The putting up of a Christmas tree is a personal involvement in the spirit of the season. From the moment the tree finds its place in the home to the crowning of the tree, there’s a sense of achievement that will be shared with friends and family, neighbors and new acquaintances.
Whether freshly cut or a manmade reproduction, the occasion to place ornaments on the bows of the tree might be accompanied with the singing Christmas carols. Perhaps it’s a rehearsal for a night of caroling in the neighborhood. Regardless of singing off key or forgetting the lyrics, the occasion to spread cheer and joy is the central theme. ‘Tis the season to be jolly! Fa la la la la, la la la la!
It’s the Christmas tree that sparks the excitement of the holiday season. It’s no wonder that for many the time to decorate comes shortly after Thanksgiving.
The placement of ornaments with special meaning, such as those that are homemade or given as a gift, are deserving of prominence among other baubles. The participation of kids and their excitement become remembrances in the years to come.
As a child, we would head off to a Christmas tree farm where we kids went from tree to tree on a quest to pick out the perfect tree while mom and dad chatted with friends. We would negotiate what was the best of the best but Mom would make the final decision, considerate of our choices.
Dad would load the tree on the top of the car, head back home, guide us on which branches to trim, then place the tree in the water-filled base with a little sugar added to keep the tree fresh. Although there was a lot of guidance when we were young, as we grew older we were let loose to decorate the tree at will with the very slightest of instruction from Mom.
The worst part of the tradition was the tinsel. We would get whiny and tend to bicker when it came to making the final touches to the tree, the most contentious of which would be placing tinsel on the tree. Cries that it was “glopped” together in spots and “skimpy” in others would end up with Mom demanding that we quit the arguing. The best tactic was to wait until later, after the decorating was finished, then do a little rearranging to suit our individual fancies. Most everyone did it – it never went unnoticed.
Once the tree was all dressed up, that’s when the true realization that Christmas Day was only a few weeks away, the excitement of what presents will be placed under the tree were foremost in our thoughts. But we also looked forward to spending Christmas Day dinner with relatives. The anticipation of the variety of made-from-scratch rolls, including the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever baked, was an excitement in itself. Aunt Ethelyn had been a homec teacher.
As a family, we seldom had the opportunity to visit other people’s homes. With five kids it just made sense to have the get-togethers at our house – there was plenty of room, a big yard where we could play in the snow, go to our rooms to check out each other’s toys and occupy part of the day wandering through the barns.
Even as a youth, I loved to gaze upon the lights and decorations that graced the branches of Christmas trees. Each and every tree was a creation in itself, as unique as the snowflakes that blanketed the ground. Since hosts are very conversant of the history and meaning of their special decorations, the intimacy warms my heart and makes me grin and smile for moments unending.
To this day, I remain disconcerted that there is no ornament made that justifies the importance of adorning the top of the Christmas tree. As I was preparing my thoughts for this column, I realized there will never be light as bright as the Star of Bethlehem, the sight of which heralded the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
Nonetheless, my Christmas tree will remain lit for many days to come as I proclaim, “O Christmas Tree. O Christmas Tree. Much pleasure thou can’st to me.”
Among all the traditions of the holiday season, the single most enjoyable is the decorating of the Christmas tree. It’s much more than just a motif for the giving and receiving of gifts. It’s a remembrance of Christmases past, good will toward all and the blessings of the year gone by.
The putting up of a Christmas tree is a personal involvement in the spirit of the season. From the moment the tree finds its place in the home to the crowning of the tree, there’s a sense of achievement that will be shared with friends and family, neighbors and new acquaintances.
Whether freshly cut or a manmade reproduction, the occasion to place ornaments on the bows of the tree might be accompanied with the singing Christmas carols. Perhaps it’s a rehearsal for a night of caroling in the neighborhood. Regardless of singing off key or forgetting the lyrics, the occasion to spread cheer and joy is the central theme. ‘Tis the season to be jolly! Fa la la la la, la la la la!
It’s the Christmas tree that sparks the excitement of the holiday season. It’s no wonder that for many the time to decorate comes shortly after Thanksgiving.
The placement of ornaments with special meaning, such as those that are homemade or given as a gift, are deserving of prominence among other baubles. The participation of kids and their excitement become remembrances in the years to come.
As a child, we would head off to a Christmas tree farm where we kids went from tree to tree on a quest to pick out the perfect tree while mom and dad chatted with friends. We would negotiate what was the best of the best but Mom would make the final decision, considerate of our choices.
Dad would load the tree on the top of the car, head back home, guide us on which branches to trim, then place the tree in the water-filled base with a little sugar added to keep the tree fresh. Although there was a lot of guidance when we were young, as we grew older we were let loose to decorate the tree at will with the very slightest of instruction from Mom.
The worst part of the tradition was the tinsel. We would get whiny and tend to bicker when it came to making the final touches to the tree, the most contentious of which would be placing tinsel on the tree. Cries that it was “glopped” together in spots and “skimpy” in others would end up with Mom demanding that we quit the arguing. The best tactic was to wait until later, after the decorating was finished, then do a little rearranging to suit our individual fancies. Most everyone did it – it never went unnoticed.
Once the tree was all dressed up, that’s when the true realization that Christmas Day was only a few weeks away, the excitement of what presents will be placed under the tree were foremost in our thoughts. But we also looked forward to spending Christmas Day dinner with relatives. The anticipation of the variety of made-from-scratch rolls, including the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever baked, was an excitement in itself. Aunt Ethelyn had been a homec teacher.
As a family, we seldom had the opportunity to visit other people’s homes. With five kids it just made sense to have the get-togethers at our house – there was plenty of room, a big yard where we could play in the snow, go to our rooms to check out each other’s toys and occupy part of the day wandering through the barns.
Even as a youth, I loved to gaze upon the lights and decorations that graced the branches of Christmas trees. Each and every tree was a creation in itself, as unique as the snowflakes that blanketed the ground. Since hosts are very conversant of the history and meaning of their special decorations, the intimacy warms my heart and makes me grin and smile for moments unending.
To this day, I remain disconcerted that there is no ornament made that justifies the importance of adorning the top of the Christmas tree. As I was preparing my thoughts for this column, I realized there will never be light as bright as the Star of Bethlehem, the sight of which heralded the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
Nonetheless, my Christmas tree will remain lit for many days to come as I proclaim, “O Christmas Tree. O Christmas Tree. Much pleasure thou can’st to me.”
Christmas
In celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, many Christmas traditions are symbolic of the life and teachings of Our Savior, the Son of God. The giving of presents represents the bearing of gifts by the Three Wise Men. Of course, Jolly Old St. Nicholas is the biggest gift-giver of all.
Green symbolizes the potential for eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifices, as with the evergreen Christmas tree. Red is for the blood that Jesus spilled to redeem us for our sins.
Holly branches represent the Crown of Thorns that Christ wore on the cross; the red berries, the blood he shed. The circular shape of the Christmas wreath symbolizes everlasting life. An angel is significant as a divine guidance of love, peace and protection.
Chiming bells allows the Good Shepherd to find lost sheep and guide them back to His flock. The flame from a candle, Christmas lights and the star on the top of the tree remind us of the guiding light of the Star of Bethlehem and that Jesus is “the Light of the world.”
The symbolisms of the candy cane were conceived by candy maker, John Sonneman, in the 19th century. The peppermint flavor is similar to that of ‘hyssop’, an herb that was referenced in the Bible as a healing agent. The hardness stands for the solid base of the Church. The white stripes represent the Virgin Birth and the purity of Jesus; red stripes symbolize the blood of Christ that was shed at the Crucifixion.
Also, the cane is in the shape of a shepherd’s staff; turned upside down it become the letter “J” to represent the name of Jesus.
Even icicles have a special meaning. As the Christ child took shelter under a pine tree, when the tree realized who was lying beneath its bows, tears of happiness fell from its branches and froze into icicles. Bows and ribbons represent that we are tied together through the Brotherhood of Man.
Of Christmas songs, the Twelve Days of Christmas are references to passages in the Bible and the many gifts that the Lord has bestowed on mankind.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree – referring to Jesus.
Second day… 2 turtle doves - The Old and New Testaments
Third day… 3 French Hens - Faith, Hope and Charity
Fourth day… 4 Colly Birds - The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (Written in the 18th century, ‘colly birds’ referred to blackbirds, a common and plentiful food. “Calling birds” is said to be a misinterpretation.)
Fifth day… 5 Golden Rings – The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch man’s fall from grace
Sixth day… 6 Geese a-laying - the six days of Creation
Seventh day… 7 Swans a-swimming - the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy
Eighth day… 8 Maids a-milking - the Eight Beatitudes: Blessed are… the poor in spirit, they who mourn, the meek, they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers and they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Ninth day… 9 Ladies Dancing - the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Tenth day… 10 Lords a-leaping - the Ten Commandments
Eleventh day… 11 Pipers Piping - the eleven faithful apostles: Bartholomew, James the Elder, Andrew, Peter, Jude, Thomas, James the Younger, Major, Philip, Matthew, and Simon the Zealot
Twelfth day… 12 Drummers Drumming - the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
Of course, all of us kids know that Santa Claus, aka Jolly Old St. Nicholas, travels through the night on Christmas Eve to deliver presents out of the generosity of his heart and his caring for the less fortunate.
The greatest gift of all is God’s promise of eternal life through the grace of the King of Kings. Rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ, Our Savior, and have a Merry Christmas.
Green symbolizes the potential for eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifices, as with the evergreen Christmas tree. Red is for the blood that Jesus spilled to redeem us for our sins.
Holly branches represent the Crown of Thorns that Christ wore on the cross; the red berries, the blood he shed. The circular shape of the Christmas wreath symbolizes everlasting life. An angel is significant as a divine guidance of love, peace and protection.
Chiming bells allows the Good Shepherd to find lost sheep and guide them back to His flock. The flame from a candle, Christmas lights and the star on the top of the tree remind us of the guiding light of the Star of Bethlehem and that Jesus is “the Light of the world.”
The symbolisms of the candy cane were conceived by candy maker, John Sonneman, in the 19th century. The peppermint flavor is similar to that of ‘hyssop’, an herb that was referenced in the Bible as a healing agent. The hardness stands for the solid base of the Church. The white stripes represent the Virgin Birth and the purity of Jesus; red stripes symbolize the blood of Christ that was shed at the Crucifixion.
Also, the cane is in the shape of a shepherd’s staff; turned upside down it become the letter “J” to represent the name of Jesus.
Even icicles have a special meaning. As the Christ child took shelter under a pine tree, when the tree realized who was lying beneath its bows, tears of happiness fell from its branches and froze into icicles. Bows and ribbons represent that we are tied together through the Brotherhood of Man.
Of Christmas songs, the Twelve Days of Christmas are references to passages in the Bible and the many gifts that the Lord has bestowed on mankind.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree – referring to Jesus.
Second day… 2 turtle doves - The Old and New Testaments
Third day… 3 French Hens - Faith, Hope and Charity
Fourth day… 4 Colly Birds - The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (Written in the 18th century, ‘colly birds’ referred to blackbirds, a common and plentiful food. “Calling birds” is said to be a misinterpretation.)
Fifth day… 5 Golden Rings – The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch man’s fall from grace
Sixth day… 6 Geese a-laying - the six days of Creation
Seventh day… 7 Swans a-swimming - the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy
Eighth day… 8 Maids a-milking - the Eight Beatitudes: Blessed are… the poor in spirit, they who mourn, the meek, they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers and they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Ninth day… 9 Ladies Dancing - the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Tenth day… 10 Lords a-leaping - the Ten Commandments
Eleventh day… 11 Pipers Piping - the eleven faithful apostles: Bartholomew, James the Elder, Andrew, Peter, Jude, Thomas, James the Younger, Major, Philip, Matthew, and Simon the Zealot
Twelfth day… 12 Drummers Drumming - the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
Of course, all of us kids know that Santa Claus, aka Jolly Old St. Nicholas, travels through the night on Christmas Eve to deliver presents out of the generosity of his heart and his caring for the less fortunate.
The greatest gift of all is God’s promise of eternal life through the grace of the King of Kings. Rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ, Our Savior, and have a Merry Christmas.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Motown Forever
Money, that’s what I want! Barry Gordy sure earned his fair share of it over a music career that marks 50 years of the Motown Sound this year. “Money” was the first hit released on one of the myriad record labels that eventually dominated the Pop and R&B Billboard charts in the 60’s and ‘70’s. Berry wrote the song with friend and associate Janie Bradford.
Even in 1959 Gordy wasn’t new to the music industry, as he had written the ’57 hit “Lonely Teardrops” by “Mr. Excitement” Jackie Wilson who appeared on the Brunswick label. Wilson’s cousin became a Motown heavy-weight in his own right. Ever heard the name Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops?
Originally released in 1959 on the Anna label, named for his sister, “Money” was reissued on Tamla Records, a name that originated from the ‘57 #1 hit “Tammy” by Debbie Reynolds, that soon afterward signed up such top-liners as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and The Marvelettes. From there Gordy set up a string of successful record labels with other artists that also became household names.
In the fall of 1965, when I checked the Sunday newspaper (The Detroit Free Press) for the weekly Billboard Top Ten songs, I kept seeing this Motown group on the charts that I'd never heard of with songs I wasn't familiar. Well, unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the same group that had topped the charts in the early 60's with "Shop Around" and "Mickey's Monkey" and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me". The Miracles had become Smokey Robinson & The Miracles! From then on I never lost out on any of their successes.
It seemed overnight that "The 12 Year Old Genius" Little Stevie Wonder was tranformed into a hit after hit music machine. His first song "Fingertips, Pt 2" went #1 in 1963. After "Castles in the Sand" was released in early 1964, he became Stevie Wonder and the heights of his successes were phenominal. When he released "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" in 1973 and became his third #1 song, I thought it was one of those old standard songs. Come to find out, he had penned the tune himself, afterwhich it truly became a standard and performed by dozens of artists. It was sandwiched between the release of "Superstition" (#1) and "Higher Ground" (#4). Wow! The guy oozed talent from the very beginning of his career. Totally awesome!
Motown Records itself was established in 1960 with The Supremes and The Four Tops and later with The Jackson 5, The Commodores and David Ruffin who went solo from The Temptations. Diana Ross. The label was dubbed ‘The Sound of Young America’.
With or without the Supremes, Diana Ross holds the Number 1 spot on my list of divas. Although nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, but never won.
No way Lisa Minelli should have won the 1972 Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Cabaret. The 1972 Oscar for Best Actress should have gone to Diana for her exquisite and breathtaking performance that chronicled the life of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues. But Diana had no chance of winning. For one thing it, was her film debut.
Instead, Liza Minnelli won Best Actress for her performance in Cabaret for multiple reasons. Liza was to become the only child of two previous Oscar winners (Judy Garland and Viicente Minelli) to win an Oscar. Liza, a Hollywood insider, had the clout. No doubt she was, and still is, an extremely talented entertainer but the dimensions of Diana Ross' acting and singing were unequaled.
By 1964, Soul Records (Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Jimmy Ruffin) and V.I.P. Records (The Spinners, The Elgins, The Velvettes) joined the foray of Gordy’s successes.
And don’t forget the all the Motor City groups that sang in rhythm and danced with perfectly choreographed moves, thanks to a guy named Charles “Cholly” Atkins.
Barry Gordy seldom signed on white artists but the one I remember is The Ones that appeared on the Motown label with the song “You Won’t See My Love”. Of course, the group was flavored with soul but it never made the Billboard Hot 100.
I wouldn’t have heard the song if weren’t for spending time searching for stations on a transistor radio not much larger, but much heavier, than a pack of cigarettes that dangled from the handle bar of my bike. I’d forever be opening the back to tweak the two screws that adjusted the antennae for better reception across the broadcast spectrum.
It seemed like a mine of gold records when I happened on CKLW, an AM station just across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. It played Motown all day, every day.
One of the last successful labels of the Motown Record Corporation was Rare Earth, established in 1969 and named on behalf of the rock group Rare Earth whose first songs were Top Ten covers of The Temptations’ songs “Get Ready” and “(I Know) I’m Losing You”.
Talking about cover songs within the Motown circle of artists, I loved Gladys Knight & the Pips original hit “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” but Marvin Gaye’s version released a year later, in ‘68, is still among my most favorite songs of all time. The string of hits he had with Tammy Terrell (“Your Precious Love”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”, “You’re All I Need To Get By”) are of some the best duet songs ever.
When “The Prince of Motown” came out with “What’s Goin’ On” (1971) and “Let’s Get It On” (1973) it brought a whole new dimension to the world of music. Marvin Gaye brought about a social awareness through music more influential than the protest songs a half decade earlier. The Temptations started the trend in 1970 with “Psychedelic Shack” (remember the flashes of lights and colors on the Ed Sullivan Show?) and “Ball of Confusion” but Marvin took the gender of songs to a new level.
Motown cover songs? The numbers are unbelievable. Marvin Gaye sang “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) in ’65, Jr. Walker & the All-Stars in ’66 then, in ’75, ‘Sweet Baby James’ Taylor gave the tune a mellow tone.
Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Rivers each had their versions of “Tracks of My Tears”. Ronstadt did another Smokey Robinson song “Ooh Baby” and Johnny Rivers, “The Tracks of My Tears”. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, did “Money, That’s What I Want” but the group that charted highest was the Kingsmen.
Every Motown singer performed his/her/their own versions of every other Motown hit.
Perhaps the most enjoyable cover song was of the Marvelette’s #1 song “Please, Mr. Postman” as performed with the sweet-as-honey voice of Karen Carpenter when she did a bouncy rendition in 1974 and made it the Carpenters’ third #1 hit.
The Motown Sound isn't nostalgic. The Motown Sound is forever.
Even in 1959 Gordy wasn’t new to the music industry, as he had written the ’57 hit “Lonely Teardrops” by “Mr. Excitement” Jackie Wilson who appeared on the Brunswick label. Wilson’s cousin became a Motown heavy-weight in his own right. Ever heard the name Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops?
Originally released in 1959 on the Anna label, named for his sister, “Money” was reissued on Tamla Records, a name that originated from the ‘57 #1 hit “Tammy” by Debbie Reynolds, that soon afterward signed up such top-liners as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and The Marvelettes. From there Gordy set up a string of successful record labels with other artists that also became household names.
In the fall of 1965, when I checked the Sunday newspaper (The Detroit Free Press) for the weekly Billboard Top Ten songs, I kept seeing this Motown group on the charts that I'd never heard of with songs I wasn't familiar. Well, unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the same group that had topped the charts in the early 60's with "Shop Around" and "Mickey's Monkey" and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me". The Miracles had become Smokey Robinson & The Miracles! From then on I never lost out on any of their successes.
It seemed overnight that "The 12 Year Old Genius" Little Stevie Wonder was tranformed into a hit after hit music machine. His first song "Fingertips, Pt 2" went #1 in 1963. After "Castles in the Sand" was released in early 1964, he became Stevie Wonder and the heights of his successes were phenominal. When he released "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" in 1973 and became his third #1 song, I thought it was one of those old standard songs. Come to find out, he had penned the tune himself, afterwhich it truly became a standard and performed by dozens of artists. It was sandwiched between the release of "Superstition" (#1) and "Higher Ground" (#4). Wow! The guy oozed talent from the very beginning of his career. Totally awesome!
Motown Records itself was established in 1960 with The Supremes and The Four Tops and later with The Jackson 5, The Commodores and David Ruffin who went solo from The Temptations. Diana Ross. The label was dubbed ‘The Sound of Young America’.
With or without the Supremes, Diana Ross holds the Number 1 spot on my list of divas. Although nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, but never won.
No way Lisa Minelli should have won the 1972 Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Cabaret. The 1972 Oscar for Best Actress should have gone to Diana for her exquisite and breathtaking performance that chronicled the life of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues. But Diana had no chance of winning. For one thing it, was her film debut.
Instead, Liza Minnelli won Best Actress for her performance in Cabaret for multiple reasons. Liza was to become the only child of two previous Oscar winners (Judy Garland and Viicente Minelli) to win an Oscar. Liza, a Hollywood insider, had the clout. No doubt she was, and still is, an extremely talented entertainer but the dimensions of Diana Ross' acting and singing were unequaled.
In 1962, Gordy Records competed against Gordy’s other labels and touted ‘It’s What’s In The Grooves That Counts’ with the likes of The Temptations, Martha & The Vandellas” and Edwin Starr.
By 1964, Soul Records (Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Jimmy Ruffin) and V.I.P. Records (The Spinners, The Elgins, The Velvettes) joined the foray of Gordy’s successes.
And don’t forget the all the Motor City groups that sang in rhythm and danced with perfectly choreographed moves, thanks to a guy named Charles “Cholly” Atkins.
Barry Gordy seldom signed on white artists but the one I remember is The Ones that appeared on the Motown label with the song “You Won’t See My Love”. Of course, the group was flavored with soul but it never made the Billboard Hot 100.
I wouldn’t have heard the song if weren’t for spending time searching for stations on a transistor radio not much larger, but much heavier, than a pack of cigarettes that dangled from the handle bar of my bike. I’d forever be opening the back to tweak the two screws that adjusted the antennae for better reception across the broadcast spectrum.
It seemed like a mine of gold records when I happened on CKLW, an AM station just across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. It played Motown all day, every day.
One of the last successful labels of the Motown Record Corporation was Rare Earth, established in 1969 and named on behalf of the rock group Rare Earth whose first songs were Top Ten covers of The Temptations’ songs “Get Ready” and “(I Know) I’m Losing You”.
Talking about cover songs within the Motown circle of artists, I loved Gladys Knight & the Pips original hit “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” but Marvin Gaye’s version released a year later, in ‘68, is still among my most favorite songs of all time. The string of hits he had with Tammy Terrell (“Your Precious Love”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”, “You’re All I Need To Get By”) are of some the best duet songs ever.
When “The Prince of Motown” came out with “What’s Goin’ On” (1971) and “Let’s Get It On” (1973) it brought a whole new dimension to the world of music. Marvin Gaye brought about a social awareness through music more influential than the protest songs a half decade earlier. The Temptations started the trend in 1970 with “Psychedelic Shack” (remember the flashes of lights and colors on the Ed Sullivan Show?) and “Ball of Confusion” but Marvin took the gender of songs to a new level.
Motown cover songs? The numbers are unbelievable. Marvin Gaye sang “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) in ’65, Jr. Walker & the All-Stars in ’66 then, in ’75, ‘Sweet Baby James’ Taylor gave the tune a mellow tone.
Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Rivers each had their versions of “Tracks of My Tears”. Ronstadt did another Smokey Robinson song “Ooh Baby” and Johnny Rivers, “The Tracks of My Tears”. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, did “Money, That’s What I Want” but the group that charted highest was the Kingsmen.
Every Motown singer performed his/her/their own versions of every other Motown hit.
Perhaps the most enjoyable cover song was of the Marvelette’s #1 song “Please, Mr. Postman” as performed with the sweet-as-honey voice of Karen Carpenter when she did a bouncy rendition in 1974 and made it the Carpenters’ third #1 hit.
The Motown Sound isn't nostalgic. The Motown Sound is forever.
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Little Awkie, A Little Big Man
What’s a “Little Awkie”? What about “Little Big Man”? Actually, they’re “who” questions. Both were nicknames given to me at one time or another. In both instances it took me years to figure out what the heck they meant.
Although they might sound like Indian names, they are not.
Dubbed Little Awkie by dad, it seemed quaint when I was a kid. Fortunately, it was only used in the presence of the immediate family. But I had never questioned or really thought about its importance until later in life.
The affectionate nicknames dad gave my two younger sisters were apparent. Susie was “Susie Q”. The baby of the family, Sally, was “Brat” because she was “always there” in your face chatter-talking. By the age of five, the four of us other kids had so often told her to “Shut up!” that she developed an ulcer. Imagine that! A family full of brats.
Other of my siblings had their own nicknames, all of which came from dad. “Brat” became the affectionate name for the baby in the family, Sally. The name fit perfectly. Born seven years after the next youngest family member, her presence became an annoyance to the rest of us four kids.
Sally was "always there”, chatter-talking, always wanting attention . She usually got her way because there wasn’t much anyone could do about it. It became so bad that at some point we started telling her to “shut up”, and yet she was the most loved member of the family and got plenty of attention without her intruding on our privacy for what seemed every moment of our days.
Although we reminisce about it now as a fond (?) memory and joke (?!?!) about it, Sally developed an ulcer, and I say this with guilt, at the age of five years old. Imagine that! A family of brats! Needless to say, we effectively became respectful to the needs of the Brat as dictated by mom - we had to "grin and bear it". An amount of annoyance was still there; we just didn’t yell at her anymore.
Although Susie, the closest in age to myself, was called “Susie Q”. Since Dale Hawkins had made the song of the same name in 1957, when Susie was five years old, it wasn’t entirely unique. There was also an affectionate expression that whenever Susie fell asleep with a child’s exhaustion after a long day of activities was a takeoff of another 1957 song by the Everly Brothers, “Wake up little Susie, it’s time to go to bed.” Then she’d be swept up in dad's arms and carried off to bed with hardly a stir of awareness to what was happening.
I don’t remember my older sister, Nancy, of having a nickname but as she became a young adult and brought one of her boyfriends, Roger, to family gatherings dad would refer to him as the “big dummy”. The name fit so perfectly but never used in his presence. I don’t remember dad ever calling the man by his Christian name.
Since he had a good tinge of red hair, my older and only brother, Russell, was simply called Rusty when he was little and Russ as he approached adulthood except for mom who never gave up using his given name.
It wasn’t until after dad passed away that I pondered the significance of being Little Awkie. As I thought back to when I was but a little runt, I had a tendency to be “awkward”!
The single incident I vividly remember was when, ignoring mom’s oft-said directive, “Don’t run in the house!”, I whacked my head on the wooden base of what seemed a monster of a living room chair. Now barely noticeable, a one-inch scar on my forehead is a reminder of that summer afternoon when I bawled. Even then I hadn’t learned my lesson as I went running to mom for comfort. She tended to the gash as she scolded, “I told you not to…..”
There’s another scar at the base of my chin from falling off my bike and scraping a few layers of skin onto the sidewalk. Doctor Pauley said I’d never be able to use a straight razor. Many years later, I proved him wrong when I tempted fate. I didn’t bleed to death.
What does “Little Big Man” portend? When living in Orlando, Paul, my next-door neighbor’s son, gave a friendly wave from his dad’s driveway when he name-called me those words.
Having spoken to Paul on various occasions, although he had a full head of dreadlocks, which might imply social profiling on my part, he spoke as a more intelligent communicator and a better educated professional than myself. So the labeling confused me, thinking “little” was somehow derogatory. A few years later, when I was lifting this and hefting that while landscaping the front and back yards of my home here in Spring Hill, it dawned on me how I was always doing some pretty strenuous yard work.
On one occasion Lenny, Paul’s dad, saw me struggling to uproot a monstrous, sickly, ugly ligustrum bush. Lenny came over welding a machete to help, leaving me to finish the job on my own. I accomplished the task without being a Little Awkie about it. So, although small in stature, I constantly tackle jobs that others might consider too big to handle, saving themselves time but at a cost. Well, I’d rather do it myself! Another mystery solved.
Although neither Little Awkie or Little Big Man are Indian names, there’s still a bit of American Indian in my views on life and death.
Some twenty years ago I had wisely set up a living will with instructions that in the event of being in a coma, or some other life threatening condition where I’m left unconscious, rather than pulling the plug, don’t plug in the contraptions to begin with. No going “totally tubular” for me.
Indian names or not, I’ve long envisioned myself following the American Indian tradition whereby, as I grow weak in body but still sound of mind, I should walk with nature through the wilderness along a path of Mother Earth toward oneness with the universe to rejoin the Great Spirit, or My Maker, the center of all being.
Okay, I admit the scenario might only be a fanciful myth scripted by writers for the big screen. But, to me, the idea has a certain attraction.
No last minute decisions, no end-of-life consultation, no pointless hospital charges that would take away from leaving my beneficiaries whatever life-side possessions I may have accumulated. In other words, no going “totally tubular” for me. Becoming a natural part of the food chain seems right.
I should have no regrets. There should be few tears from anyone, save in the event of an untimely, accidental death. Just remember the good times. As mom used to philosophize, “When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go”. My dear mother was kept alive on life support until I arrived to take part in the pulling-of-the-plug ceremony. Pointless. She was already gone.
Although they might sound like Indian names, they are not.
Dubbed Little Awkie by dad, it seemed quaint when I was a kid. Fortunately, it was only used in the presence of the immediate family. But I had never questioned or really thought about its importance until later in life.
The affectionate nicknames dad gave my two younger sisters were apparent. Susie was “Susie Q”. The baby of the family, Sally, was “Brat” because she was “always there” in your face chatter-talking. By the age of five, the four of us other kids had so often told her to “Shut up!” that she developed an ulcer. Imagine that! A family full of brats.
Other of my siblings had their own nicknames, all of which came from dad. “Brat” became the affectionate name for the baby in the family, Sally. The name fit perfectly. Born seven years after the next youngest family member, her presence became an annoyance to the rest of us four kids.
Sally was "always there”, chatter-talking, always wanting attention . She usually got her way because there wasn’t much anyone could do about it. It became so bad that at some point we started telling her to “shut up”, and yet she was the most loved member of the family and got plenty of attention without her intruding on our privacy for what seemed every moment of our days.
Although we reminisce about it now as a fond (?) memory and joke (?!?!) about it, Sally developed an ulcer, and I say this with guilt, at the age of five years old. Imagine that! A family of brats! Needless to say, we effectively became respectful to the needs of the Brat as dictated by mom - we had to "grin and bear it". An amount of annoyance was still there; we just didn’t yell at her anymore.
Although Susie, the closest in age to myself, was called “Susie Q”. Since Dale Hawkins had made the song of the same name in 1957, when Susie was five years old, it wasn’t entirely unique. There was also an affectionate expression that whenever Susie fell asleep with a child’s exhaustion after a long day of activities was a takeoff of another 1957 song by the Everly Brothers, “Wake up little Susie, it’s time to go to bed.” Then she’d be swept up in dad's arms and carried off to bed with hardly a stir of awareness to what was happening.
I don’t remember my older sister, Nancy, of having a nickname but as she became a young adult and brought one of her boyfriends, Roger, to family gatherings dad would refer to him as the “big dummy”. The name fit so perfectly but never used in his presence. I don’t remember dad ever calling the man by his Christian name.
Since he had a good tinge of red hair, my older and only brother, Russell, was simply called Rusty when he was little and Russ as he approached adulthood except for mom who never gave up using his given name.
It wasn’t until after dad passed away that I pondered the significance of being Little Awkie. As I thought back to when I was but a little runt, I had a tendency to be “awkward”!
The single incident I vividly remember was when, ignoring mom’s oft-said directive, “Don’t run in the house!”, I whacked my head on the wooden base of what seemed a monster of a living room chair. Now barely noticeable, a one-inch scar on my forehead is a reminder of that summer afternoon when I bawled. Even then I hadn’t learned my lesson as I went running to mom for comfort. She tended to the gash as she scolded, “I told you not to…..”
There’s another scar at the base of my chin from falling off my bike and scraping a few layers of skin onto the sidewalk. Doctor Pauley said I’d never be able to use a straight razor. Many years later, I proved him wrong when I tempted fate. I didn’t bleed to death.
What does “Little Big Man” portend? When living in Orlando, Paul, my next-door neighbor’s son, gave a friendly wave from his dad’s driveway when he name-called me those words.
Having spoken to Paul on various occasions, although he had a full head of dreadlocks, which might imply social profiling on my part, he spoke as a more intelligent communicator and a better educated professional than myself. So the labeling confused me, thinking “little” was somehow derogatory. A few years later, when I was lifting this and hefting that while landscaping the front and back yards of my home here in Spring Hill, it dawned on me how I was always doing some pretty strenuous yard work.
On one occasion Lenny, Paul’s dad, saw me struggling to uproot a monstrous, sickly, ugly ligustrum bush. Lenny came over welding a machete to help, leaving me to finish the job on my own. I accomplished the task without being a Little Awkie about it. So, although small in stature, I constantly tackle jobs that others might consider too big to handle, saving themselves time but at a cost. Well, I’d rather do it myself! Another mystery solved.
Although neither Little Awkie or Little Big Man are Indian names, there’s still a bit of American Indian in my views on life and death.
Some twenty years ago I had wisely set up a living will with instructions that in the event of being in a coma, or some other life threatening condition where I’m left unconscious, rather than pulling the plug, don’t plug in the contraptions to begin with. No going “totally tubular” for me.
Indian names or not, I’ve long envisioned myself following the American Indian tradition whereby, as I grow weak in body but still sound of mind, I should walk with nature through the wilderness along a path of Mother Earth toward oneness with the universe to rejoin the Great Spirit, or My Maker, the center of all being.
Okay, I admit the scenario might only be a fanciful myth scripted by writers for the big screen. But, to me, the idea has a certain attraction.
No last minute decisions, no end-of-life consultation, no pointless hospital charges that would take away from leaving my beneficiaries whatever life-side possessions I may have accumulated. In other words, no going “totally tubular” for me. Becoming a natural part of the food chain seems right.
I should have no regrets. There should be few tears from anyone, save in the event of an untimely, accidental death. Just remember the good times. As mom used to philosophize, “When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go”. My dear mother was kept alive on life support until I arrived to take part in the pulling-of-the-plug ceremony. Pointless. She was already gone.
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