WEEKEND PLAYLIST: The Telephone Blues

The telephone...has there ever been an invention that went from such a necessity to such an annoyance so fast? I'm not exaggerating when I say that 9 out of 10 calls we receive on our house phone is from someone trying to sell me something I don't want or actually a criminal trying to steal my money.

We don't even answer it anymore, so if you call make sure you aren't offended by having to leave a message. It's just too frustrating anymore.

With that, here is our week's top five list of songs devoted to Alexander Graham Bell's invention that worked its way under our skin.

5. "Hanging on the Telephone" - Blondie. The bands hard rocking hit from their Parallel Lines album hits it hard. The lyrics mean something else altogether but I can see it being me getting so upset with the idiots that call nowadays. Listening to this, I'll get Frank Infante's great driving guitar solo stuck in my head for a week. 

4. "Telephone Line" - Electric Light Orchestra. A lot of songs about the phone are more longing love songs...trying to connect with a lost love, rekindling a friendship or romance. Jeff Lynde treats us to one with this pretty ELO track.

3. "Call Me" - Blondie. Debbie Harry had a thing for phones, I guess. Here's another...the theme song for the film 'American Gigolo'...this one more along the lines of another telephone love song. But after the movie, more like a paid love song. Still a great song.

2. "Jenny" - Tommy Tutone. This song is so ingrained into our minds that a phone number had to be universally retired because of it. What a miserable existence it must of been to have the number 867-5309 when this song about harassing a girl who's number was scrawled on the men's room wall came out.

1. "Operator" - Jim Croce. What a sad day it was when we lost one of our great balladeers when Jim Croce's plane went down. Another song about lost love and trying to reconnect over the phone line.

Like the music? Come by The Musick Channel Garage Sale and pick up some classic vinyl albums, along to other merchandise.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2018 - All Rights Reserved.

WEEKEND PLAYLIST: A Day at the Beach

It's been a helluva hot summer, hasn't it? Well, it's just about done. For a lot of you, This may be the last weekend you can pack up the family and heat to the beach before the kids get back to school For you parents with kids that have already gone back to school - congratulations.

Now, let's strike up some tunes for that last day on the hot sand...

5. "Upholstery" - The Juicy Fruits (Phantom of the Paradise Soundtrack). Back in the early days of his career, director Brian de Palma teamed up with actor and composer Paul Williams to come up with a brilliant send up of several themes...Faust, "The Picture of Dorian Grey," "Phantom of the Opera,"scheming record companies. Trust me, it all comes together in this comedic, horror musical. In fact, I think it'll be our Halloween night movie this year.

The basic story is a composer named Winslow writes a rock opera based on the story of Faust selling his soul to the devil. An evil record company exec steals his music...and his soul...and pumps out crass versions of it while the composer haunts his nightclub like the Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera".

One of those rip off version is this one, a catchy tune by a manufactured Beach Boys ripoff band about the joys of car upholstery. Too bad for the band that Winslow takes offense at it.  See the scene from the movie at this link: Juicy Fruits - "Phantom of the Paradise" Video (2:53)

4. "Vacation" - The Go Go's. Why we take summer vacations, all wrapped up in a peppy, poppy song by the ultimate 80's girls band. Who wouldn't want to spend a day at the beach with them?

3. "Wipeout" - Surfaris. Who doesn't want to dance on the beach all day to this song?

2. "Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band. Yep, shots and drinks on a pristine Mexican beach while the prawns are roasting on a stick over an open fire in the background. Perfect day at the beach.

1. "Sloop John B" - The Beach Boys. My ultimate beach song is more about a bad boat cruise in the Bahamas...very bad...something that we here can relate to.  My all-time favorite tune from one of the greatest California bands ever.

Stop by the Musick Channel Garage Sale to pick up your own copy of some of our classic vinyl LPs. Click on the link, above, for more.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2018 - All Rights Reserved