VIEWPOINT with Artimus Felding

Luke Slaughter 1950’s radio series and offer from Artimus to the listeners.

SSI checks being cut 25% please prepare yourself for this. Take a listen and you decide what is important in the news. contact: [email protected]

Take a listen to the new song created for Timothy kind of in his honor for coming up with this phrase, “Superpower Suicide”.The article on Substack is, Superpower Suicide and the Recovery of Justice Looking for your opinion on this article and song, email me: [email protected]

Celebrate your Mother on this Mother’s Day, call them or visit them.Recognizing the unique talents of Ted Turner and the great deal of gratitude Atlanta, GA owes him. Two more songs created by A I, sent in by listeners and finally an episode of Beyond 2000 radio series, “The Brooklyn Brain”, released 6-21-1950.Don’t forget SSI checks will be 25% less in 5-6 years, prepare now!

Today ask yourself when they take our music and graphic arts how do we relate and enjoy being human and sharing our love for creativity? A I the scourge of mankind and this world along with the economics collapse. We have created the downfall of our world as we have known it. Listen to SOFT MACHINE and the imperfect humans.

Take a listen to 3 songs created by A I and with the listeners supplying the words, "159 steps", "Humans Exposed" and "Holding on".Next take a listen to John Boorman’s "Domestic Robots”.A I has and is ruining our economy and it will get worse very quickly with massive layoffs set to continue for humans,

Today we showcase 4 new songs submitted by our great listeners. They include Desperate, Nails and Rust, Listen and Washed Away. Take a listen and send me your creations for review and posting. Take care in this crazy world!

The new song “Streak of Mean”, radio series Tom Corbett Space Cadet and episode “Doomed Cargo”, released 1952

Do you care if your candidate knows how to use a firearm? Featured radio series, Luke Slaughter and new song from a senior citizen, Alone and Me

Hey when can we stop thinking it is normal or ok to go after politicians? If we just work together or politicians show the citizens they are trying to get things done, maybe the frustration and anger would be subdued? Vincent Price episode, customer service is a joke and we take it! Take a listen to the SSI blues written and presented to remind those seniors that SSI checks will be cut by 25% in 80 more checks, get ready and be prepared now.

Join us after a week off shooting a movie. The fake bible verses and arguing with the Pope? Superman episode and new intro/outro from a fan.

When all else fails to release the depression of these days fall back into the past hits of Mel Tillis and Johnny Bond. I hope you didn’t forget these great entertainers! Cyrus Whitfield "Johnny" Bond (June 1, 1915 – June 12, 1978) was an American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and composer and publisher, who co-founded a music publishing firm. He was active in the music industry from 1940 until the late 1970s.Early yearsBond was born in Enville, Oklahoma, and grew up on several small farms in Oklahoma. As a youngster, he was influenced musically by records that his parents played. He learned basics of music as a member of his high school's brass band. While in high school he bought a ukulele, but soon he switched to playing the guitar.[2]PerformingBond first performed on radio in Oklahoma City when he was 19 years old. In 1937, he began performing with Jimmy Wakely and Scotty Harrell in the Bell Boys trio, named after the Bell Clothing Company, which sponsored the group[3] on radio station WKY in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He went on to join Gene Autry's Melody Ranch in 1940.[4]He also performed with his own group, the Red River Valley Boys.The Encyclopedia of Country Music says that the Bond-Wakely-Harrell trio "pulled a clever musical scam" by recording for two companies under different names: the Jimmy Wakely Trio (for Decca Records) and Johnny Bond & the Cimarron Boys (for Columbia Records).[3]Bond also acted in more than 40 films,[4] beginning with Saga of Death Valley (1939)[5] and including Wilson and Duel in the Sun.[6]Beginning in 1953, Bond and Tex Ritter were hosts of the syndicated country music television series Town Hall Party, which lasted seven years.[2]RecordingBond's first solo recordings came with Columbia Records in 1937.[2] He is best known for his 1947 hit"Divorce Me C.O.D.", one of his seven top ten hits on the Billboard country charts. In 1965 at age 50 he scored the biggest hit of his career with the comic "Ten Little Bottles", which spent four weeks at No. 2. Bond's other hits include "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" (1947), "Oklahoma Waltz" (1948), "Love Song in 32 Bars" (1950), "Sick Sober and Sorry" (1951), and a cover of Charlie Ryan's "Hot Rod Lincoln" (1960). Lonnie Melvin Tillis (August 8, 1932[1] – November 19, 2017)[2] was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, with a long list of Top 10 hits. Tillis' biggest hits include "I Ain't Never", "Good Woman Blues", and "Coca-Cola Cowboy". His composition "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" became a world-wide hit in 1969 when recorded by Kenny Rogers.On February 13, 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Tillis the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to country music.[3] He also won the Country Music Association Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year. Tillis was a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Country Music Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was known for his stutter, which did not affect his singing voice. His daughter is 1990s country hitmaker Pam Tillis.Early lifeMel Tillis was born in Tampa, Florida, US. His parents were Burma (née Rogers; 1907–1990) and Lonnie Lee Tillis (1907–1981).[4] After a few months living in Tampa’s Lowry Park area, they moved to Plant City, Florida where he attended Wilson Elementary School.[5] The family eventually moved to Pahokee, Florida (near West Palm Beach). After a bout of malaria during his childhood, he developed a stutter.[6] As a child, Tillis learned the drums as well as guitar. At age 16, he won a local talent show. He attended the University of Florida, but he dropped out and joined the United States Air Force.[7] While stationed as a baker on Okinawa, he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclubs.[6]

Dear Friends, please stop the violence of the A I industry. This is an opportunity to make a lot of money and whoever has the keys to the success is lucky and unlucky. Money is the basis of all actions good and bad. These are people selling, creating and marketing this product called A I. Do I like A I? Of course not but I hope we can avoid violence! Joe Rogan come on down and explain yourself and your feelings about the disgraceful acts of Dana White and the President to create basically a love-fest for the MMA crowd. I will take a recorded message or email IF too busy these days. [email protected] Approximately 80 more SSI checks until 25% will be deducted, please prepare!!!!

Calling out Joe Rogan to explain the White House being taken over for the UFC event and the support of everything Trump? When does it become too much to ignore, swallow or follow? Just asking simple questions from a simple senior citizen. Will Joe contact us? I highly doubt it.

Seems like June 14th there will be a Monster Truck event and UFC Rumble at the White House? Man we have sure destroyed the dignity of OUR house over the last few months. What is going on?Can we find good people to run for political offices these days? Maybe it is because of your name? Listen to the tale of Johnny T. and his advice to carry on with your head held high.

Please prepare for this! This is real! Also Alan Ladd in Box 13 radio series from the 1950’s.

Join us today to escape from reality and friends that you are not quite sure of. Or maybe it is you too demanding?Also enjoy an episode from Scotland Yard.

Happy Easter even though we are into global wars these days. Did you watch "The Ten Commandments“? Enjoy this Vincent Price episode, “Out of the mouths"

The rest of the performance and I would recommend “This Was” an earlier album as well. Please look in my past episodes the interview with Jethro Tull’s bass player Dave Pegg, great guy and interview.

Enjoy the best of this group while the talents and health were there. One of the best live shows and performances during their heyday. IF you are new to this group please investigate and enjoy.

When your ego can destroy you.Today I recommend a set of headphones and a trip backward into the 1970’s when Ian Anderson could sing and bring pleasure to a concert experience. I have seen Jethro Tull 5 times and every time remarkable but these were in the early days of the band.Now I may I say what everyone is saying? PLEASE Ian Anderson STOP trying to sing. It does damage to the current presentations, songs, sales, customer acquisitions and memories of the better times. This is perhaps the best case of older singers needing to stop and collapse the ego. I cannot sing and therefore I don’t try, Ian are you listening? Aaron a huge fan it is a travesty to destroy the great performances and past experiences with these horrendous attempts to squeak out any vocals. The audience sits in concern and down right stomach twisting anxiety whilst the forced air escapes his mouth.

Well we start with the news posted yesterday, please research yourself and prepare for your new SSI payment amount. This will change your life a senior citizen depending on this solely. The passing of a friend and the poem understanding we are all just “normal” folks during this life and leaving it unceremoniously. The 1950’s western radio series, Luke Slaughter, a favorite of my late friend. Sam Buffington starred as Luke Slaughter, a Civil War cavalryman who turned to cattle ranching in post war Arizona territory near Fort Huachuca. Sam Buffington enacted the title role on Luke Slaughter of Tombstone, another of CBS's prestigious adult Westerns. The series was produced and directed by William N. Robson, one of radio's greatest dramatic directors was aired from February 23 through June 15, 1958. Buffington portrayed the hard-boiled cattleman with scripts overseen by Gunsmoke sound effects artist (and sometimes scriptwriter) Tom Hanley.Each program had an authoritative opening statement: "Slaughter's my name, Luke Slaughter. Cattle's my business. It's a tough business, it's a big business. I got a big stake in it. And there's no man west of the Rio Grande big enough to take it away from me." Junius Matthews was heard as Slaughter's sidekick, Wichita.In his first adventure, tough-as-nails westerner Luke Slaughter guarantees he will bring a cattle herd to Tombstone despite the threats of rustlers and a spy among the ranks of his cowboys. Like the other CBS radio westerns, HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL or FRONTIER GENTLEMAN, this one had plenty of action, the productions were well done and well-acted. LUKE SLAUGHTER was cut short, like a lot of other radio shows, by the steady pressure from TV.This CBS western series was only a short 16 broadcasts before ending.

Please be prepared, can you stay where you live now? Can you eat the same way? Can you afford not be prepared? DO NOT let this go please do your research and adjust, IF possible.Key Takeaways:The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that Social Security payments will be reduced by 24% in 2032 unless the current system is reformed.A 24% reduction in benefits could result in an annual loss of $18,100 for a dual-earning couple.Workers should focus on saving more in anticipation of changes to Social Security.If retirees should see their Social Security benefits reduced, they may need to go back to work, cut spending or look for assistance programs to make ends meet.PLEASE watch Dr. Ed Weir YouTube channel, retired SSA administrator helping seniors

Never shut down any options or ideas to survive. These are tough times and the creativity of some along with the financial restraints could hold you captive with just a few opportunities.

Be honest are you living in a bubble? Are you concerned about anything in your circle of family and/or friends or the world? At what age do people get their head out of the sand? Let me know; [email protected] Enjoy some great music be adventurous!

Dear friends the days are becoming foggy with the pollen and the politics seem to become the focus of this world. The speech was rehashing favorite phrases or accumulated praises to himself and his staff. Artemis, spelled wrong but that’s ok, grabs the spotlight and making a way to set up a campsite on the Moon on the next trip. Who owns the Moon? First come first serve just bring a flag to stick in the Moon-dust? The phrase “wrapped around the axle” do you remember that one?1950 style radio series on Space Travel for you today. Contact: [email protected]

Can you really tell what is real anymore? Suspense theatre “Doom Machine” 3-4-62

From the valley of the Appalachian Mountains there lies a small community still surviving on hunting wild ginseng, arts and crafts sales and the new drug traffic driven up from the big city. Join us as we listen to an episode of “The Hillbilly Soothsayer’, a local celebrity and leader in the community. Mr. Yank Purdy is the speaker and host of this small AM radio broadcast. With musical guest, Fred Kirby with “Hang your head in Shame”.

Leave the burdens at the door as you listen to a radio classic, “You be the Verdict”. Looking for your comments and or suggestions: [email protected]

One thing is always a common denominator with the world and its citizens, music it can and has calmed the beast and warmed the hearts with compassion. Join with those that create music and refer to this form of creative freedom and pure joy. This episode we say goodbye to Dash Crofts of Seals and Crofts along with Boz Scaggs as the latest to exit the train we are all on during this journey we call “life”. At the end take a listen to another generation and the great Woody Herman with three of his many hits back in the day, as they say.

If you have had enough of the geometry puzzle we have to decipher every week and what direction to look next, please take a listen to Traffic and the second Rare Bird album. Not sure if you have time for the whole episode at one time but just keep it open to complete your assignment.This is your chance to avoid anymore news about the global mess we seem to be in. Traffic were an English rock band formed in Birmingham[4]in April 1967 by Steve Winwood (formerly of the Spencer Davis Group), Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason.[5]They began as a psychedelic rock group and diversified their sound through the use of instruments such as keyboards (such as the Mellotron and harpsichord), sitar, and various reed instruments, and by incorporating jazz and improvisational techniques in their music.[5] The band had early success in the UK with their debut album Mr. Fantasy and non-album singles "Paper Sun", "Hole in My Shoe", and "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush".[4] Their follow-up  self-titled 1968 album was their most successful in Britain and featured one of their most popular songs, the widely covered "Feelin' Alright?". Dave Mason left the band shortly after the album's release, moving on to a solo career that produced a few minor hit songs in the 1970s. Traffic disbanded at the beginning of 1969, when Steve Winwood co-formed the supergroup Blind Faith. An album compiled from studio and live recordings, Last Exit, was released in 1969. By 1970, Blind Faith had also broken up and Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood reformed Traffic, with John Barleycorn Must Die being the band's comeback album. It became the band's biggest success in the United States to that point, reaching number 5. Their next LP, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971), went platinum in the US and became popular on FM radio, establishing Traffic as a leading progressive rock band. 1973's Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory and 1974's When the Eagle Flies were further top 10 successes for the band in the US, and were both certified gold, though neither sold well in the UK. In 1974, the band broke up again. Steve Winwood went on to a successful solo career, with several hit singles and albums during the 1980s. Jim Capaldi also had some minor solo hits in the 1970s in his native UK but was less successful abroad. Chris Wood did sporadic session work until his death in 1983. Winwood and Capaldi reformed as Traffic for a final album and tour in 1994.[5] Traffic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Jim Capaldi died the following year.History1960s: 1967–69Founding members from left to right: Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, Steve Winwood, Dave Mason Traffic's singer/keyboardist/guitarist Steve Winwood was the lead singer for the Spencer Davis Group at age 14. The Spencer Davis Group released four Top 10 singles, including two number ones, and three Top 10 albums in the United Kingdom, as well as two Top 10 singles in the United States.[5] Drummer/singer/lyricist Jim Capaldi and guitarist/singer Dave Mason had both been in the Hellions and Deep Feeling, while woodwinds player Chris Wood came out of Locomotive. The first time all four original members of Traffic met each other was in 1965, when they jammed together at The Elbow Room, a club in Aston, Birmingham.[6] After Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group in April 1967, the quartet formed Traffic.[5] Capaldi came up with the name of the group while the four of them were waiting to cross the street in Dorchester, and was not referring to drug trafficking, as was later rumoured.[7] Soon thereafter, they rented a cottage near the rural village of Aston Tirrold, Berkshire to write and rehearse new music.[6] Traffic signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records label (where Winwood's elder brother Muff, also a member of the Spencer Davis Group, later became a record producer and executive), and scored a hit with their debut single "Paper Sun", which reached No. 5 in the UK (No. 4 in Canada).[5] Their second single, Mason's psych-pop "Hole in My Shoe", was an even bigger hit, reaching No. 2 in the UK (No. 4 Canada). The band's third single, "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush", was made for the soundtrack of the 1967 British feature film of the same name.[5] It was Traffic's third consecutive UK Top 10 single, reaching No. 8. Their debut album, Mr. Fantasy, was produced by Jimmy Miller, and like the singles it was a success in the UK, reaching No. 16, but was less successful in the US, where it charted at No. 88.[8] Mason left the group at the end of 1967, due to artistic differences.[9] He rejoined in the spring of 1968,[10]writing five of the ten songs on Traffic's self-titled second album, released in late 1968, including "Feelin' Alright", which was later covered with great success by both Joe Cocker and Three Dog Night.[4]Winwood, Wood, and Capaldi were still facing musical and lifestyle differences with Mason,[10] leading him to leave the band a second time soon after the album's completion. The remaining trio enjoyed a successful tour of the US in late 1968. In 1968, Winwood and Wood often played with Jimi Hendrix, and they both appear on The Jimi Hendrix Experience's 1968 double album Electric Ladyland, as did an uncredited Mason. The band was dissolved by Winwood's leaving in early 1969. His departure went unexplained at the time, even to Capaldi and Wood, but he later said "Because of the way I ended the Spencer Davis Group, I saw no reason why I shouldn't leave Traffic and move on. It seemed to me a normal thing to do."[10] Winwood's comments clash with the fact that the Davis group continued after he left. A third Traffic album, Last Exit, was issued in the spring of 1969, mixing studio and live recordings. Winwood then formed the supergroup Blind Faith, which lasted less than a year, recording one album and undertaking one US tour. The remaining members of Traffic began a project with Mick Weaver (a.k.a. Wynder K. Frog), the short-lived Mason, Capaldi, Wood and Frog, later shortened to Wooden Frog. They played a few live dates and recorded some BBC sessions, but broke up before releasing any formal recordings.1970s: 1970–74A trade ad for John Barleycorn Must Die, 1970After the break-up of Blind Faith in 1969, Winwood began working on a solo recording, bringing in Wood and Capaldi to contribute, and the project eventually turned into a new Traffic album, 1970's John Barleycorn Must Die, their most successful album yet. Soon after the album was released, Traffic expanded its lineup with the addition of Winwood's former Blind Faith bandmate Ric Grech on bass. In 1971, Capaldi stopped drumming and nearly left the band after his infant son died from cot death. Drummer Jim Gordon of Derek and the Dominos and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baahwere added, while Capaldi switched to a role as percussionist, co-vocalist, and master of ceremonies.[11][4]Dave Mason also returned at this time for a third and final stint with the band, though this lasted only six performances, some of which was captured on the live album Welcome to the Canteen, released in September 1971. Marking the band's break with United Artists Records, the album did not bear the "Traffic" name on the cover or the record label, although the band's logo appeared on the back cover. Instead, the album was credited to the band's seven individual members (Winwood, Capaldi, Mason, Wood, Grech, Kwaku Baah, and Gordon). The album ended with a version of The Spencer Davis Group song "Gimme Some Loving", which became a minor hit.Following the departure of Mason, Traffic released The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971), which was a Top 10 American album but did not chart in the UK. It sold over half a million copies in 1972 when it received a gold disc, and was awarded a R.I.A.A. platinum disc in March 1976 for over a million total sales.[12] Once again, personnel problems wracked the band, as Grech and Gordon were fired in December 1971 due to excessive drug use,[11] and the month after, Winwood's struggles with peritonitisbrought Traffic to a standstill.Jim Capaldi used this hiatus to record a solo album, Oh How We Danced,[13] which proved to be the beginning of a long and successful solo career. The album included a surplus recording from The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, "Open Your Heart", and the new tracks featured drummer Roger Hawkins and bassist David Hood, from the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio house band. Capaldi soon recruited Hawkins and Hood into Traffic to replace Grech and Gordon.[4]The new lineup (Winwood, Capaldi, Wood, Kwaku Baah, Hawkins, Hood) toured America in early 1972 to promote the LP, and their concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 21 February was recorded in multitrack audio and captured on colour videotape with multiple cameras. The 64-minute performance is thought to be the only extended live footage of the group. It was evidently not broadcast on television at the time, but was later released on home video and DVD.Traffic performing in Hamburg in 1973Following Winwood's recovery from peritonitis, Traffic's sixth studio album, Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory, released in 1973, met with a cold critical reception, but in sales it was another major hit. It was shortly followed by a major world tour, for which Muscle Shoals keyboardist Barry Beckett was added to the lineup. The double live album On the Road was drawn from this tour.[11] It broke the band's string of British flops by reaching No. 40 in the UK Albums Chart.[14] After the tour, Winwood informed the Muscle Shoals trio that he was returning to a smaller lineup more like their original one, and their services were no longer needed. Meanwhile, Chris Wood's problems with drug use and depression were increasing.[11]Rosko Gee was recruited on bass, while Capaldi switched back to drums. The resulting quintet began to record a new album in late 1973, but Kwaku Baah was fired partway through the sessions, leaving most of the album to be recorded by the quartet of Winwood, Capaldi, Wood, and Gee.[15] When the Eagle Flies, released in 1974, was yet another Top 10 album in the US, and moderately successful in the UK. However, a subsequent tour of the US, while successful in terms of ticket sales,[16] was emotionally exhausting for the band.Capaldi later recalled "Rosko Gee and I were the only ones in anything like normal shape. Steve was having recurrent problems with the peritonitis, and Chris's body was suffering from chemical warfare."[13]Winwood ultimately passed his boiling point, walking off the stage in the middle of what turned out to be the band's final show, in Chicago. The following day he left the tour without a word to anyone, leaving the rest of the band waiting for him at the venue for that night's scheduled performance.[13] Feeling Winwood had been integral to Traffic's music, the remaining members opted not to continue the band without him.Steve Winwood embarked on a solo career, while Rosko Gee and Rebop Kwaku Baah joined German band Can. Kwaku Baah died on stage from a cerebral hemorrhage in Stockholm, Sweden in 1983, and Capaldi dedicated his solo album Fierce Heart to his memory. Chris Wood also died that year from pneumonia.ReunionWinwood and Capaldi, 1994All of the living members of Traffic's most recent lineup - Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Rosko Gee - reunited in 1994 for a one-off tour, after a fan left a voice mail message at Bob Weir's (of the Grateful Dead) hotel in Chicago during the 1992 "Scaring the Children" tour, and suggested it would be cool if Traffic toured with the (then Grateful) Dead. Traffic opened for the Grateful Dead during their summer tour. The flute/sax role on the tour was played by Randall Bramblett, who had worked extensively with Winwood. Bramblett had never played flute before and had to learn to play it for his role in Traffic.[17]Mike McEvoy joined the lineup playing keyboards, guitar and viola, and Walfredo Reyes, Jr. played drums and percussion. As a duo, Winwood and Capaldi recorded and released a new Traffic studio album, Far from Home, which broke the Top 40 in both the UK and USA. The Last Great Traffic Jam, a double live album and DVD released in 2005, documents the band's 1994 reunion tour.The four original members of Traffic were inducted for their contributions in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 2004. Winwood, Capaldi, Mason, and Stephanie Wood standing in for her late brother Chris, all attended the ceremony. Winwood and Capaldi performed "Dear Mr. Fantasy" at the induction performance, and were joined by Mason for "Feelin' Alright" during the grand finale, which also featured Keith Richards, Tom Petty, and the Temptations. Bramblett also performed at the ceremony, though he was not one of the members inducted.[18]Tentative plans for another Traffic project were cut short by Jim Capaldi's death from stomach cancer at age 60 in January 2005, ending the songwriting partnership with Winwood that had fueled Traffic from its beginning. Winwood subsequently dedicated The Last Great Traffic Jam "to the man without whom Traffic could never be: my lifelong friend and partner, Jim Capaldi."Dear Mr. Fantasy was a celebration for Capaldi that took place at the Roundhouse in Camden Town, London on 21 January 2007. Guests included Steve Winwood, Paul Weller, Pete Townshend, and many more. Dear Mr. Fantasy featured the music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic, and all profits went to the Jubilee Action Street Children Appeal.MembersJim Capaldi – drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards (1967–1969, 1970–1974, 1994, 2004;[19] died 2005)Steve Winwood – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass (1967–1969, 1970–1974, 1994, 2004)[19]Chris Wood – flute, saxophone, keyboards (1967–1969, 1970–1974; died 1983)Dave Mason – vocals, guitar, sitar, bass, harmonica (1967, 1968, 1971)Ric Grech – bass, violin (1970–1972; died 1990) guitar (live only; 1970)Rebop Kwaku Baah – percussion (1971–1974; died 1983)Jim Gordon – drums (1971–1972; died 2023)Roger Hawkins – drums (1972–1973; died 2021)David Hood – bass (1972–1973)Barry Beckett – keyboards (1973; died 2009)Rosko Gee – bass (1974, 1994)Randall Bramblett – flute, saxophone, keyboards, bass pedals (1994, 2004)[19]Michael McEvoy – keyboards, guitar, viola (1994)Walfredo Reyes, Jr. – percussion, drums (1994)Rare Bird were an English progressive rock band, formed in 1969.[1] They released five studio albums between 1969 and 1974. In the UK, the single "Sympathy" reached number 27 in February 1970, selling an estimated one million globally.[2] The band was notable for its organ-driven sound, utilising two keyboardists and no guitar in its original line-up.History1968–1969: Formation, Rare Bird, and "Sympathy"In August 1968, organist Graham Field formed a group called Lunch and banded together with keyboardist David Kaffinetti.[3] The group was short-lived and the two members began looking for a rhythm section for a new project.By late 1969, they had found singer and bassist Steve Gould and drummer Mark Ashton.[2] Former members of the pop-psych band Fruit Machine Gould and Chris Randall had originally joined as guitarist and bassist respectively, but Field and Kaffinetti envisioned a band without guitar so they asked Randall to leave and convinced Gould to take up bass and vocals. Before joining the band, Randall and Gould had written a song called "To the Memory of Two Brave Dogs" which would be included as the opening track to their debut album under the name "Iceberg", for which Randall would receive no credit.[citation needed]Now that the band had established a stable line-up, they recorded a demo which attracted the attention of Tony Stratton Smith. As the band still had no name, Ashton and Smith came up with Rare Bird.[4] Shortly after, Rare Bird became one of the first bands signed to Charisma Records, along with Van der Graaf Generator and the Nice.[5]Within a matter of weeks, the band had begun recording their eponymous debut album, Rare Bird, released in November 1969.[3] According to Ashton, the album was recorded over the course of just a few days at Trident Studios,[3][4] using a Hammond B3 organ, an electric piano, a Gibson bass and a Ludwig drum kit.[4] From Rare Bird, the single "Sympathy" was released, which reached No. 1 in Italy and France, and is estimated to have sold 500,000 copies in France and between one[1][2] and three million globally.[6]It became their only UK hit single, reaching No.27 and staying on the chart for 8 weeks.[7]1970–1974: Later releases and line-up changesIn 1970, Rare Bird released their second studio album, As Your Mind Flies By, which was the last to feature their original line-up. Despite favourable reception, the album failed to chart in both the UK and the US. Due to the lack of commercial success, the band was dropped from Charisma.[3]The band made live TV appearances on programmes such as Top of the Tops and Disco 2 in the UK and Beat Club in Germany in 1970,[8] as well as the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1971. Rare Bird also performed at Jazz Bilzen in August 1970.In early 1971, Field left Rare Bird to form a short-lived solo project called the Fields, releasing one album with CBS in 1971. Shortly after, Mark Ashton left to form Headstone, releasing two albums with Trident Productions in 1974 and 1975.[3]A major personnel change in 1972 had Gould move to rhythm guitar, Kaffinetti remain on keyboards, Paul Karas join on bass, Andy Curtis take up lead guitar, and Fred Kelly join on drums.[3] With this line-up the band recorded Epic Forest, marking a change in direction for the band, veering away from some of the classical-inspired themes of the previous two albums and moving towards a more mainstream progressive rock sound. This was their first album to be released on Polydor Records.The band's fourth album, Somebody's Watching, came about after Nic Potter replaced Karas on bass in 1973. The final track "Dollars" includes extracts from "A Few Dollars More" and features a guest appearance from King Crimson bassist John Wetton.Rare Bird recorded their final album, Born Again, in 1974. At this point, roadie Andy Rae had replaced Potter on bass and Curtis had quit, leaving the band as it had started; a four piece. The band also performed at the Dagenham Roundhouse on 8 June 1974, supporting Barclay James Harvest.[9]1975 onwards: Break-up and legacyFollowing the continuous commercial failures that had been their last three albums, Rare Bird disbanded in 1975. They had run out of money and had "fizzled out" according to Gould.[3]In 1977, Gould went on to form the rock band Runner, releasing one album before they broke up. In 1980, he played bass in Alvin Lee's band for two decades.Kaffinetti eventually went on to play Viv Savage in the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984).[10]MembersOriginal line-upGraham Field – organ, keyboards (1969–1971)David Kaffinetti – keyboards (1969–1975)Steve Gould – bass, vocals (1969–1975)Mark Ashton – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1969–1971)1972 onwardsSource:[3]In addition to Steve Gould (guitar, vocals) and David Kaffinetti (keyboards, organ):Paul Karas – bass, vocals (1972)Andy Curtis – lead guitar (1972–1973)Fred Kelly – drums, percussion (1972–1975)Nic Potter – bass (1973)Andy Rae – bass (1974–1975)John Wetton – guest appearance; bass on "Dollars" (1973)Paul Holland – producer (1972–1973)DiscographyStudio albumsRare Bird released five studio albums.[11]Rare Bird (UK: Charisma, U.S.: Command/Probe, 1969) U.S. # 115 (13 w)As Your Mind Flies By (UK: Charisma, U.S.: ABC, 1970)Epic Forest (Polydor, 1972) U.S. # 194 (2 w)Somebody's Watching (Polydor, 1973)Born Again (Polydor, June 1974)

We live in very risky times and we find ourselves barely surviving with a view of the burning fields daily now on the news. Still we thrive through a virtual reality and the ignorance of pop-culture to console us. We seek sports as the salvation and the diversion we need to exist, whilst knowing the real world is falling apart. Enjoy a day away from the discouraging reality as a senior citizen and take a listen to Vincent Price and “The Family Album”.

When the world is ablaze with wars in and the USA World news comes on the number story is the WNBA, isn’t that crazy? It doesn’t matter any story other than the WARS is the obvious lead story. This jaded cold world is beyond me and the cold-hearted response to tragedy around this globe is appalling. Are we so desensitized that nothing except our own safety is somehow dismissed? This world right now is on the tilted edge of real disaster. The ultimate global collapse and the financial ruins that the masses seem to overlook. The chain of events that has lead us into the crippling economic failure is about to wave over all of us.Rather than you watch anymore news and listen to propaganda from the extreme left and right just turn it off and fall into your favorite old chair with my selection for you today.Please take care of yourself and TRUST NO ONE.THE DAMON RUNYON THEATREThe Damon Runyon Theatre was another of Alan Ladd's Mayfair Transcription Company productions. Ladd, long an admirer of 'The Brighter Side', Damon Runyon's long-running newspaper column, initially signed Pat O'Brien to star as 'Broadway' in the program. Indeed we have an alleged audition from the program, titled "Princess O'Hara" in which O'Brien and Wendy Barrie are heard announcing the next production of the series, 'A Piece of Pie'. Newspaper listings of the era describe Pat O'Brien slated to cut all 52 programs upon completing principal filming of the Howard Hughes/RKO feature, The Boy with Green Hair. But the quixotic Hughes decided the 'message' element of The Boy with Green Hair was a bit too risky for late-1940s audiences. He directed that the film be re-shot, as needed, to remove the social intolerance message from the completed celluloid.Newspaper accounts cite O'Brien as anticipating a New York recording session for all 52 episodes of The Damon Runyon Theatre sometime during the Summer of 1948. But owing to the re-shoot and re-cutting of The Boy with Green Hair, the movie wasn't completed until September of 1948. This may--or may not--explain Pat O'Brien's absence from the remaining episodes of The Damon Runyon Theatre--or whether any were recorded beyond Princess O'Hara. Given the common practice of cutting two to five transcribed recordings in one session, one might well imagine that O'Brien recorded as many as five Damon Runyon Theatre programs before his performances were cut short. But it's intriguing to wonder how many of the episodes they actually did record before O'Brien had to rush back to RKO's West Coast studios to complete The Boy with Green Hair.As it turns out, Ladd tapped short-lived veteran Radio actor John Brown to voice the recurring 'Broadway' character so central to the exposition of every episode of The Damon Runyon Theatre. As most fans of the program would attest, John Brown's 'Broadway' was as good as it gets in Radio. Brown had already begun performing a similar character on My Friend Irma (1947) as Irma's (Marie Wilson) shiftless boyfriend, so the leap to yet another Lower East Side accent wasn't that great for Brown. Indeed, one wonders if Brown ever got out of character for the seven years that My Friend Irma aired over CBS.Yet another stumbling block for many new programs produced in 1948 was the infamous 'Petrillo Ban' on producing any new professional Radio recordings. The following is from the Time Magazine article of December 29, 1947:"Cocky little James Caesar Petrillo just sat back and waited. Recording companies rushed symphony orchestras, hillbilly bands and blues singers in & out of studios, trying to record as much as possible by January 1, when Petrillo's ban on record-making becomes effective. Record officials gloated that they had piled up a big enough backlog of new records to last a year or more. They were hopeful that Petrillo's Musicians' Union might not be able to stand so long a layoff.Last week, James Petrillo pointed his stubby finger at a point they had apparently overlooked. The Taft-Hartley law prevented record companies from signing a new contract which would pay royalties to a union-administered fund—but the record companies had obligingly recorded a year's supply under the old contract. All those phonograph records to be doled out over the bleak months ahead, he thought, would net his union around $10,000,000.The record companies looked as if they had been hit over the head with a kettledrum. Together with men from radio, television, and phonograph manufacturers, they formed a united industry committee to fight Petrillo. But Petrillo wasn't budging an inch: "We are never going to make records again -- ever. That's one New Year's resolution we've made and one we are going to keep."James Caesar Petrillo was president of the American Federation of Musicians, who had successfully imposed a ban on professional recordings between 1942 and 1944 until an appropriate royalty system could be established to the benefit of his union members. Petrillo successfully reimposed the ban for most of 1948 -- it was finally lifted on November 22, 1948. Indeed, then Freshman Congressman Richard M. Nixon made headlines taking up the cudgel for the Recording Industry in an attempt to thwart Petrillo's union.This is the reason the same music theme is employed in both the alleged Pat O'Brien audition recordings and the final production pressings of The Damon Runyon Theatre. Having dodged two potential stumbling blocks, Ladd's The Damon Runyon Theatre was first aired over independent radio station KSEL, Lubbock, Texas.The program was soon heard over most major outlets between November 1948 and December 1951. As with Mayfair's other syndicated programs, the production quality and engineering is superb. Veteran Mayfair producer Vern Carstensen again supervises the production and Richard Sanville directs. Mayfair writer Russell Hughes adapts Damon Runyon's wonderful short stories, maintaining the very Runyonesque flavor of both the dialogue and settings.But what is it that makes a character or storyline Runyonesque? For three generations of Americans, a Damon Runyon character evoked a social archetype from the Brooklyn or Midtown demi-monde elements of New York society. Think of it as the Bizarro World version of New York's 'The 400'. Runyon spun fascinating, tongue-incheek tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters--and their dolls. Most self-respecting denizens of Runyon's fanciful world preferred colorful monikers such as 'Nathan Detroit,' 'Big Jule,' 'Harry the Horse Thief,' 'Good Time Charlie,' 'Dave the Dude,' or 'The Seldom Seen Kid.'Runyon spun his tales in a uniquely vernacular style that mixed overly formal speech with richly colored slang. This idiomatic language was invariably spoken in the present tense, quite deliberately devoid of any contractions. Runyon is credited as the first major American writer to "stylize both the language and the behavior of gangsters and depict them as another part of the socio-economic system, showing how the underworld provided clients with gambling, sex and hard-to-get sports tickets and, during Prohibition, with liquor," according to Cornell University English Professor, Daniel Schwarz.Runyon's flamboyant street characters, with their aggressive one-line retorts, have shaped the world's image of 20th Century New York City for over eighty years. That's the charm and flavor that makes each of these recordings so timeless. Those familiar with Runyon's work will remember that the famous Frank Sinatra/Marlon Brando vehicle Guys and Dolls (1955) was based on Damon Runyon's unique vision of New York City and its inhabitants--and the long-running play of the same name. Indeed, had Guys and Dolls been filmed six years earlier, one might well imagine that The Damon Runyon Theatre may have been named Guys and Dolls.The Mayfair rendition of Damon Runyon's fascinating world remains as true to form and substance as both the 1200-performance Guys and Dolls stage play and the Oscar-nominated Guys and Dolls film. Runyon's most celebrated short stories were spun into a 52-week long, seamless atmosphere of a New York City that shaped popular perceptions of The Big Apple throughout the remainder of the Golden Age of Radio and the Golden Age of Television as well. Veteran dialecticians Gerald Mohr, Herb Vigran, Sheldon Leonard, Luis Van Rooten, Alan Reed and Lionel Stander gave every program of the run an authenticity and indelible flavor that were imitated in both Radio and Television for decades to come.The Damon Runyon Theatre stands as one of Mayfair's finest contributions to The Golden Age of Radio and remains a valuable addition to any Golden Age Radio collector's library. As an artifact of American Society it represents an invaluable time capsule of period vernacular. But most of all it stands as an enduring reminder of the genius of Damon Runyon's insight into the class warfare that evolved during and after the Roaring 20s and The Great Depression.

Well what a day with these topics; Wars, Tesla, massive layoffs, writing a song, healthcare and a great Vincent Price program, “Blind Man’s Bluff"

What would it take to stop the war with Iran? Any details overlooked? Any compromises or diversions to attract the exits into other opportunities? Questions included The Epstein Files?

Take a listen to a quality jazz recording in the prohibition era and with an introduction by the legend Jack Webb. What a voice and talent from early radio and of the TV series as well in Dragnet.

I am afraid we are in the early stages of the end of the world! Shocking to say and more to hear! We are not dealing with rational people with the countries involved and more to come it seems. Beware of the BIG RED BUTTON when you polish your desk, dear world leaders. My own personal feeling is a “mistake” will be made and yet that will be too late, to go back and correct things. I think this is a good time to ask for prayers not just today but going forward. We are losing innocent people here and abroad. I pray for peace and kindness to those deserving.

I completely understand the rules and policies for people coming into this country and I stand behind them. I also agree everyone should be here legally and through the proper paperwork procedures. However maybe I misunderstood that we as a country would seek out the most dangerous murderers, drug dealers, human trafficking groups and the like and not the hard working people that make up this country, proud to be here, being honest and a supporting member of this country. This little story is about the other side of the ripples caused by the seizures of all people and not just the bad guys.

Tell me of another time when we as a country and world are facing these extremes at once: Multiple Global Wars, Homelessness, Financial Collapse, Crime, Racism, Diseases, Poverty, Senior Citizens dying on the road, Countries becoming isolated, Nuclear War, The loss of the “middle-class” in our society, lost moralities, lost religion and the search for another answer after being mislead and lied to. We became a slave to money and all that it promised turned into our nightmares in the quest for money, power and egotistical fame. The time is up I am afraid to say for us the humans on this earth. When we owned the biggest bombs and held power and threats over the rest of the world, we became the strongest and most feared. However now everyone has the same arsenal and capabilities. No one trust anyone now and we are all the biggest in our eyes, but now flexing our military muscles and just waiting for a fight. The difference now is there will be no winners and all sides will fall. The innocent few will fall at a later date after the remaining skirmishes will disappear out of existence. Even by some chance we survive this current situation the truth is out and next time mere threats will yield to action and then the final war will be played out with ourselves being evaporated. In the meantime enjoy Skeeter Davis and “The end of the World”, what else can we do?

Country Joe and the Fish was an American psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley, California, in 1965. They were among the influential groups in the San Francisco music scene during the mid-to-late 1960s. Much of their music was written by founding members Country Joe McDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton, with lyrics pointedly addressing issues of importance to the counterculture, such as anti-war protests, free love, and recreational drug use. Through a combination of psychedelia and electronic music, the band's sound was marked by innovative guitar melodies and distorted organ-driven instrumentals which were significant to the development of acid rock.The band self-produced two EPs that drew attention on the underground circuit before signing to Vanguard Records in 1966. Their debut album, Electric Music for the Mind and Body, followed in 1967. It contained their only nationally charting single, "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine", and their most experimental arrangements. Their second album, I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die, was released in late 1967; its title track, with its dark humor and satire, became their signature tune and is among the era's most recognizable protest songs.[1] Further success followed, including McDonald's solo appearance as well as the band's appearance at Woodstock.[2]The group's lineup underwent changes, until its disbandment in 1970. Members of the band continue in the music industry as solo recording artists and sporadically reconvene. Members of Big Brother and The Holding Company often joined the band.HistoryFormation (1965)The first lineup of Country Joe and the Fish formed in mid-1965, when Country Joe McDonald (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Barry "The Fish" Melton (lead guitar, vocals) came together as a duo.[3] The two musicians had a background rooted in folk music, were enamored with the recordings of Woody Guthrie, and worked on the local acoustic coffeehouse circuit in the early 1960s.[3] Melton honed his political protest prowess as a guitarist in Los Angeles, at venues such as the Ash Grove, before relocating to Berkeley, California, where he was a regular at the Jabberwock cafe.[4] Prior to the group, McDonald set up two folk and jug bands, the Berkeley String Quartet and the Instant Jug Band, both of which served as outlets for his original material, and with the latter group including Melton.[5] In addition, McDonald was a publisher of the left-wing underground magazine Et Tu Brute, which later became Rag Baby, containing poetry, drawings, and political messages.[6] By early 1965, McDonald had become involved in the burgeoning folk scene in Berkeley, and the Free Speech Movement that was organizing demonstrations in University of California, Berkeley, which opposed the war in Vietnam. Not long afterwards, McDonald was inspired to record a "talking issue" of his magazine, and organized Country Joe and the Fish with Melton and fellow musicians Carl Schrager (washboard, kazoo), Bill Steele (bass guitar), and Mike Beardslee (vocals), out of both necessity of a recording alias and political device, to self-produce an extended play.[7][8]ED Denson, the co-publisher of Rag Baby, introduced McDonald to Chris Strachwitz, who owned Arhoolie Recording Studios, to self-produce the EP.[9] Sensing the band's potential, Denson assumed management control, and was responsible for coining the group's name—a reference to Josef Stalin and to Mao Zedong's description of revolutionaries as "the fish who swim in the sea of the people".[4] McDonald, who had recording experience, began utilizing Arhoolie Recording Studios to record four songs split equally between the band and a local folk musician, Peter Krug. It was during this time at Arhoolie Records that Country Joe and the Fish's folk sound and political protest prowess—an amalgam of their own Guthrie-influenced material and their folk music roots—began to emerge. The band's side of the EP featured two originals by McDonald, an acoustic version of "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag", and "Superbird".[7][10]According to McDonald, "The Fish Cheer" was written in 30 minutes, with a purpose of expressing satiric and dark commentary on the US's involvement in the Vietnam War.[11] In October 1965, 100 copies of the EP, titled Rag Baby Talking Issue No. 1, were distributed on McDonald's independent label at a Teach-in in UC Berkeley and underground shops selling Rag Baby magazine.[12]For a brief period, McDonald and Melton performed together as a duo at college campuses in the Northwest on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society before returning as regulars at the Jabberwock cafe.[13] The two were joined by local jug band musicians, including Melton's roommates, bass playerBruce Barthol and guitarist Paul Armstrong, and blues guitarist David Bennett Cohen, with whom Melton played in another jug band. The addition of drummer John Francis-Gunning rounded out the six-piece ensemble.[14] It was during their residency at the Jabberwock that Country Joe and the Fish learned to play as a group and expand their repertoire. Within months, based on McDonald and Melton's interest in the live performances of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the recordings on Bob Dylan's album, Highway 61 Revisited, and their use of the mind-altering drug LSD, the group began equipping themselves with electric instruments and delving more into psychedelia.[15] As a result, Cohen was moved over to the organ. Cohen's experience with keyboards was limited to having played piano at a semiprofessional capacity at the Jabberwock, but, nonetheless, he quickly adapted to the qualities of the instrument.[16]Melton describes the change of the group: "Once we hit into the electric medium and into the rock medium, we were pandering to the public taste. We became extraordinarily popular. The little folk club where we used to play once every two weeks, we played every single night for a month, or something like that, and filled it. And after a while we filled two shows every single night".[15]Incidentally, the song "Who Am I" was written by McDonald for a play called Change Over, written by Fred Hayden. Each of the three verses was to be considered as sung by a different character.Electric music (1966–1968)As Country Joe and the Fish's popularity grew, the band relocated to San Francisco in early 1966 and became popular fixtures at the Avalon and the Filmore Auditorium. On June 6, 1966, the band recorded a second self-produced EP, which was packaged separately from the Rag Baby magazine and, upon its release, debuted the new psychedelic rock incarnation of the group.[17] The EP fulfilled the band's ambitions to incorporate electric instruments into their music, effectively melding the instrumentals and pioneering an early template for the musical subgenre of acid rock. It included McDonald's compositions "(Thing Called) Love" and "Bass Strings" on the A-side and the six-minute "Section 43" on the B-side.[18]Music historian Richie Unterberger praised "Section 43", saying its "Asiatic guitar, tribal maracas, devious organ, floating harmonica, and ethereal mid-sections of delicate koto-like guitar picking rivaled the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's East West as the finest psychedelic instrumental ever".[15] Within three months, airplay of the EP spread across the new so-called progressive radio stations, reaching as far as New York City, and establishing Country Joe and the Fish as a nationally relevant musical act.[19]Through connections that Cohen had with record producer Samuel Charters, the group signed a recording contract with Vanguard Records in December 1966, just as the label, which had primarily released folk music, was attempting to branch out into the growing psychedelic rock scene.[16] While the band waited to record their debut album, they were present at the Human Be-In, along with other influential San Francisco musical acts, including Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. The event was a prelude to the Summer of Love and helped publicize counterculture ideals such as ecology, free-love and the use of illicit drugs.[20]In February 1967, Country Joe and the Fish entered Sierra Sound Laboratories to record their debut album, Electric Music for the Mind and Body, with Charters and Denson overseeing the process. Prior to their studio work, Armstrong left the group and began a two-year alternative assignment as a conscientious objector, driving a truck for Goodwill Industries.[14] Francis-Gunning was involved in the beginnings of the album's development but left when the rest of the band complained about his drumming technique. He was replaced by Gary "Chicken" Hirsh. The next recording session was postponed for three days as the most recognizable lineup of Country Joe and the Fish rehearsed with their new drummer at the Barn, in Santa Cruz.[21] Hirsh's abilities were immediately distinguishable on the album, as he demonstrated an acute and articulate drum beat that music critic Bruce Eder praised as "some of the best drumming on a psychedelic record this side of the late Spencer Dryden".[22]An April 1967 ad for Electric Music for the Mind and Body in the Seattle underground paper Helix.Electric Music for the Mind and Body was released on May 11, 1967. Much of the album's material continued to expand upon the band's new psychedelic medium, with it embracing all facets of the members' influences, which ranged from their folk roots, blues, raga rock and hard rock.[23] The album also saw Cohen coming forward in a larger role with inventive distorted-organ melodies.[24] In addition, McDonald's lyrical content, which brazenly pronounced topics of political protest, recreational drug use, and love, augmented by satirical humor, clearly introduced the band's orientation and message. The compositional structures followed discrete movement patterns emulating the style of John Fahey, whom McDonald admired.[23]Though Electric Music for the Mind and Body was among the most complex works to date, it possessed the quality that several other San Francisco acts shared of being recorded mostly live, with only the vocals being overdubbed after the instrumentals were completed.[25]Electric Music for the Mind and Body was a success upon release, charting at number 39 on the Billboard200, and remains one of the most enduring psychedelic works of the counterculture era. A single, "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine", was distributed a month prior to the release of the album and became the only Country Joe and the Fish single to chart, peaking at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100, in large part a culmination of its airplay on FM broadcasting and college stations.[26] A reworked version of "The Fish Cheer" was intended to be released as a track on the album. However, Charters vetoed the decision to see whether the controversial song "Superbird" would face a radio ban.[27] Nonetheless, the band was considered a forerunner in the emerging music scene in San Francisco, exhibiting one of the more polished debuts, just as its contemporaries were still refining their own sound.[23][28] Melton attributes the album's success, particularly in San Francisco, to the band's appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967. Subsequently, the group toured the East Coast with an elaborate psychedelic light show.[29]The band returned to the studio, this time at Vanguard Studios in New York City, between July and September 1967. When "Superbird", a tune mocking President Lyndon Johnson, was not banned from radio promotion, the band was given the go-ahead to record "The Fish Cheer", which saw the group moving away from the original folk composition toward electric instrumentals more synthesized toward psychedelia. The song became the title track of the band's second album, I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die, released in November 1967. The album was not as successful as its predecessor, but still charted at number 67.[30] The composition represented growing anti-war sentiment expressed by those opposing the Vietnam War, and is often considered one of the most recognized and celebrated protest songs of the era.[31][32] "The Fish Cheer" was also pivotal in communicating the attitude against the war, but was set apart from other anti-war songs for its use of sarcastic humor and satire on the controversial conflict.[33] Writer Lee Andresen reflects on the song's meaning, saying, "the happy beat and insouciance of the vocalist are in odd juxtaposition to the lyrics that reinforce the sad fact that the American public was being forced into realizing that Vietnam was no longer a remote place on the other side of the world, and the damage it was doing to the country could no longer be considered collateral, involving someone else."[34]The song met unprecedented exposure among the band's young audience after a performance at the Schaefer Music Festival in New York City, in the summer of 1968.[22] Hirsh suggested that instead of the opening chorus spelling "fish", it would spell "fuck", giving birth to the infamous "Fuck Cheer".[22] The crowd of young teenagers and college students applauded the act; however executives from The Ed Sullivan Show barred Country Joe and the Fish from their scheduled appearance on the program, and any other possible events.[27] Hirsh never explained why he recommended the change in lyrics, but the act is seen as a social and political statement advocating free speech.[31] The recorded version of "The Fish Cheer" received airplay, even on mainstream radio stations, which contributed to the success of the band's third album, Together, its most commercially successful. The album, released in August 1968, featured songwriting by all of the band members and charted at number 23 nationally.[35]Lineup changes and Woodstock (1969–1970)In September 1968, Barthol left the band, just prior to their fourth album. His departure was due to the rest of the band's unwillingness to partake in the Festival for Life, an event established by the Youth International Party in Chicago that was intended to have the participation of several well-known musicians attract thousands of spectators for the 1968 Democratic National Convention.[14] However, the city refused to issue any permits, and the band members, by majority vote, decided to withdraw out of fear that their equipment would be damaged.[36] After the festival resulted in riots and violent clashes between demonstrators and the police, Barthol's conviction that Country Joe and the Fish should have held a larger role precipitated his departure from the group and move to England.[14]Between January 9 and 11, 1969, the band performed at the Fillmore West as a farewell to the group's most famous lineup, with Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane standing in as the bass player. The band was joined by Jerry Garcia, Jorma Kaukonen, Steve Miller, and Mickey Hart for the 38-minute finale, "Donovan's Reef Jam". Recordings from the concerts were later assembled on the live album Live! Fillmore West 1969, released on March 12, 1996.[37] Hirsh and Cohen left soon after recording the group's next album, Here We Are Again, and a new lineup was configured with Casady and David Getz, who formerly played drums with Big Brother and the Holding Company. The group released Here We Are Again in July 1969. It charted at number 48, and saw Country Joe and the Fish moving to a pop-oriented approach. Country Joe and the Fish's personnel remained relatively stable for the next six months, though Peter S. Albin, also an alumnus of Big Brother and the Holding Company, replaced Casady at bass.[4]However, when McDonald reassembled the band for a last-minute scheduling at the Woodstock Festival, another personnel change resulted in the group's final lineup, which included recruits Mark Kapner on keyboards, Doug Metzner on bass, and Greg Dewey on drums. Among the festival's most memorable moments was McDonald's unexpected solo performance on August 16, 1969, which included "The Fuck Cheer" as a finale.[38] The audience receptively responded by chanting along with McDonald. McDonald's rendition of "The Fuck Cheer" propelled the song into the mainstream culture in the U.S., and was featured on the Woodstock film, which was released on March 26, 1970. Radio stations regularly played both versions of the cheer, though the opposition to "The Fuck Cheer" limited its exposure to underground stations.[39] In December 1969, McDonald began his own career outside the band, releasing cover versions of Guthrie-penned songs on Thinking of Woody Guthrie, and country standards on Tonight I'm Singing Just For You.[40] All the while, the group looked to capitalize on the momentum from Woodstock and their appearance in the film, Zachariah, by releasing their fifth album, CJ Fish, in May 1970. The album was a moderate success, reaching number 111 nationally. However the band members lacked the motivation for touring and recording, which led to their disbandment in mid-1970.[19]Aftermath and reunionsMcDonald pursued his solo recording career, which spans over 30 albums and remained an active anti-war campaigner. He also appeared in every Woodstock reunion festival since 1979.[41] Melton performed solo as well, under the moniker "The Fish" and later became a member of the Bay Area supergroup, Dinosaurs, in the 1980s. Since 1982, Melton was able to practice law in California and became a Public Defender of Yolo County, California until his retirement in June 2009.[42] Country Joe and the Fish members sporadically reconvene, most notably when the classic 1967 lineup recorded Reunion in 1977.[43] The lineup, except Melton, came together again as the Country Joe Band in 2004. In the same year, the group resumed touring, released the Barthol-penned single, "Cakewalk to Baghdad", and the live album Live in Berkeley. Though the Country Joe Band disbanded in 2006, some of the members still occasionally tour together.[44]Hirsh died on August 17, 2021, at age 81.[45] Barthol died on February 20, 2023, at age 75. [46] McDonald died on March 7, 2026, at age 84. [47]Discography

Ah the past and the diversion continues from the reality of war, economic troubles, poverty among seniors, homeless, rent prices, political division, overall global failures and the lack of compassion but replaced by people that think we can live forever, along with the constant greed factor in every equation. Oh yeah does anyone know where the music intro/outro comes from? Hint; 1969

Hey I think we need to turn off the TV and try to avoid any real world horror for a while. After Israel and USA attacking IRAN and the “Doomsday Layoffs” from tech companies tossing out real people with AI, can we just please escape into a radio classic, Suspense theatre. Today the presentation is from November 3, 1942, “Devil in the Summer House”.

Nero Wolfe first appeared on radio on July 5, 1943 on the NBC Blue Network in The Adventures Of Nero Wolfe. This series didn't last long and starred Santos Ortega as Wolfe and Luis Van Rooten as Archie. The second series was during 1945 on the Mutual network in The Amazing Nero Wolfe. This lasted only until December 15, 1946 and starred Francis X. Bushman and Elliot Lewis as Archie. The third series was known as The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe. Starting on October 20, 1950 it lasted only until April 27, 1951. It starred Sidney Greenstreet as Nero Wolfe. The part of Archie was played by Lawrence Dobkin for the first twelve shows. Gerald Mohr took over for the next four shows after making a guest appearance in the twelfth show. Harry Bartell was Archie for the remainder of the series. Nero Wolfe, also known as the galloping gourmet, was an armchair detective. He rarely left the house; instead his assistant, Archie Goodwin, would collect the facts and report back. Nero Wolfe would probably not have taken on many cases had he not needed the clients' money to pay for his two true passions: fine food and the collecting of orchids. Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's male secretary, prodded him into taking cases whenever the bank balance got a little low. Wolfe, as a character, is difficult to like. He's a self-assured type that does nothing unless he wants to, making his assistant, Archie Goodwin, deal with the outside world. The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe is based on a series of books begun in 1934 by Rex Stout. There were two previous incarnations of the radio series: The Adventures of Nero Wolfewhich ran in 1943 and 1944 and The New Adventures of (aka The Amazing) Nero Wolfe which ran in 1945 to 1946. Very few episodes from these earlier series are in circulation today. There was also one later series created by the Canadian Broadcasting Company in 1982.

Suspense radio series, 1942 "Till Death do us Part”.On September 30, 1962 a major milestone in radio drama came to an end with the final episode of the long running series, SUSPENSE. Ironically, the episode was titled "Devil Stone" and was the last dramatic radio play from a series that had its roots in the golden age of radio.What began as a "new series frankly dedicated to your horrification and entertainment" took on a life of its own mostly due to the talents of some outstanding producers and adaptations and original stories from the cream of mystery writers of the time. The golden age of radio was truly the golden age of SUSPENSE as show after show broadcast outstanding plays which were "calculated to intrigue...stir [the] nerves."It was the series' first producer, William Spier, who set the framework of rules that was to stay with the show for most of its run. Mr. Spier determined that the series should deal with life-and-death situations established near the beginning of each play and then through the use of Bernard_Herrmann's musical coloring and the writer's characterizations slowly tighten the knot of SUSPENSE. Many of the early stories were written by the mystery writer John Dickson Carr. Others were by such fine writers as Lucille Fletcher, whose SUSPENSE play, "Sorry, Wrong Number" (listen/download) was turned into a major motion picture; Robert Arthur, Robert L. Richards, Morton Fine, and David Friedkin. The series also drew from the mystery writers of the day as well as the horror writers of literature; writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy L. Sayers, and H. G. Wells.Many of the stories produced by Mr. Spier are now classics of the genre. Listen to the likes of "The House in Cypress Canyon" (listen/downoad) as a young couple encounters something in the closet of their new home, something horrible and dangerous; or "The Hitch-Hiker" (listen/download) in which a man driving cross-country seems to be haunted by an ominous figure, who keeps reappearing trying to get a ride. But what foreboding does the hitchhiker hold for the driver?Another rule William Spier established was to make the series a place to hear the talents of Hollywood's famous actors. There rarely was a famous actor who did not appear on the series at some time. Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, Olivia de Havilland and many others all made at least one appearance. The series had a generous budget from its network, CBS.In 1948 the series had become popular enough that it was decided to broadcast for a complete hour, instead of the former thirty minutes. The actor Robert Montgomery was brought in to introduce the plays, replacing the "Man in Black" character and occasionally star in them. This format lasted only six months most probably due to the realization that the show worked best within a thirty minute framework.It was at this time that William Spier left and over the years others came to produce the shows, each setting his own unique mark. Anton M. Leader, who came from producing another horror radio program, Murder at Midnight (OTRR Murder at Midnight), added some lighter SUSPENSE stories which focused more on the central characters. Jimmy Stewart appeared in an excellent story about a paralysed war veteran who thinks he has found the man who imprisoned and tortured him. Fibber McGee and Molly appeared in a tale about a killer on the loose in "Backseat Driver" (listen/download).Probably the biggest change in SUSPENSE came under the producing eye of Elliott Lewis. Lewis brought in comic actors to play serious roles. Actors such as Jack Benny, Red Skelton and Ozzie Nelson. He also was not afraid to experiment using the series slot for classic "murder" stories such as "Othello".The series continued to produce high-quality drama, though there were many repeats as well as borrowing of scripts from other radio shows. While a number of film actors continued to star occasionally, many of the stars were from radio and television since radio as a dramatic art form was beginning to lose its popularity and budgets were tightened.The show was on the air for a little over twenty years beginning in January, 1942 and was rarely pre-empted. There were 947 performances. Nearly all (approximately 895) are available to collectors. When SUSPENSE left the air, radio was never to see the likes of such a series again. Now the great medium of radio where imagination can run free has been reduced to the occasional brilliant drama airing sporadically in some corner of the world. SUSPENSE was a golden moment in a golden age. A moment when the thrill of the nightime led the listener along the path of intrigue, horror and dangerous adventure.

Spinal TapDerek Smalls (Harry Shearer), Nigel Tufnel(Christopher Guest) and David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean)Background informationAlso known asThe Originals, the New Originals, the ThamesmenOriginFictional: EnglandActual: United StatesGenresComedy rockheavy metalhard rockglam metalYears activeFictional: 1964–19841991–19922001200720092025Actual: 1979–19841991–199220012007200920192025–presentLabelsFictional: PolymerMegaphoneActual: PolydorMCAInterscopeMembersDavid St. Hubbins (Michael McKean)Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest)Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer)Spinal Tap (stylized as Spın̈al Tap)[1] are a parody English heavy metal band created by the American comedians and musicians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. McKean plays the singer and guitarist David St. Hubbins, Guest plays the guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and Shearer plays the bassist Derek Smalls. They are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands".[1]Spinal Tap first appeared on the 1979 ABC television sketch comedy pilot The T.V. Show, starring Rob Reiner.[2]The sketch, actually a mock promotional video for the song "Rock and Roll Nightmare", was written by Reiner and the band, and included the songwriter-performer Loudon Wainwright III on keyboards. The band starred in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap and its 2025 sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. They have released four albums: This Is Spinal Tap (1984), the soundtrack of the original film; Break Like the Wind (1992); Back from the Dead (2009); and The End Continues (2025), the soundtrack of the sequel film.The actors have performed in character at concerts and released music under the Spinal Tap name. They toured in the United States in April and May 2009[3] and performed as Spinal Tap in a "One Night Only World Tour" on June 30, 2009, at Wembley Arena in London, three days after playing the Glastonbury Festival.[4][5]The trio also portray the fictional American folk music revival band the Folksmen; some Spinal Tap concert appearances have featured Guest, McKean and Shearer opening for Spinal Tap as the Folksmen.[6]HistoryFictional historyMain article: This Is Spinal TapFans of Spinal Tap have assembled details about the band based on fictional film, albums, concerts and related promotional material, including a discography and a list of the band's former members.[7] Within the context of the band's fictional history, Spinal Tap began as a beat group called the Thamesmen in 1964 and released one single, "Gimmie Some Money" with "Cups and Cakes" on the B-side, in 1965. They changed their name to Spinal Tap in 1966 and became a psychedelic pop band,[8] before reinventing themselves as a heavy metal band in the early 1970s, the style for which they are best known.[9][10] Over the years the band has also performed progressive rock,[11] jazz fusion,[10] funk[12] and reggae.[12] They have also been classified as hard rock,[9] glam metal[13][14] and rock and roll.[9]Spinal Tap's fictional history documents a succession of drummers, all of whom are said to have died in strange circumstances: one in a "bizarre gardening accident"; another who "choked on vomit", but possibly not his own vomit; and two from "spontaneous human combustion" onstage. Additionally, it is claimed that police described the "bizarre gardening accident" as a mystery "best left unsolved".Real historyThe band Spinal Tap first appeared in a video aired as part of a 1979 sketch comedy special called The T.V. Show, a project spearheaded by Rob Reiner and Michael McKean. The video was for the song "Rock 'N' Roll Nightmare", in a sequence that was intended as a spoof of The Midnight Special.[15] Participating in the video (and playing the music) were Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Loudon Wainwright III, and Russ Kunkel; the segment was introduced by Reiner in character as Wolfman Jack. The Spinal Tap band members were at this point unnamed. McKean and Shearer had previously been members of the Credibility Gap, a comedy troupe that did both spoken word and musical comedy, and had released a mini rock opera and at least one musical 7-inch single.Also in 1979, Guest and McKean were members of Lenny and the Squigtones, a band that was fronted by characters from the hit television series Laverne & Shirley. Guest, on guitar and clarinet, was credited as "Nigel Tufnel", the name he would eventually use as a member of Spinal Tap.The appearance on The T.V. Show eventually led to the creation of a film, tracing a disastrous tour undertaken by the aging British metal band Spinal Tap. Reiner hosted the film in the character of filmmaker "Marty DiBergi", while Guest, McKean and Shearer took on character names for the project, and further developed their Spinal Tap personas. (Guest was guitarist "Nigel Tufnel"; McKean was vocalist "David St. Hubbins"; and Shearer was bassist "Derek Smalls".) Also added to the group were David Kaff (as keyboard player "Viv Savage") and R.J. Parnell (as drummer "Mick Shrimpton"). Parnell had previously been in the band Atomic Rooster, while Kaff had been a member of Rare Bird. The quintet played their own instruments throughout the film.The band played three live performances in October 1982 in preparation for making This Is Spinal Tap, at Gazzarri's (as the support act for Iron Butterfly) and The Central in West Hollywood, and the Golden Bearin Huntington Beach.[16][17]The band Spinal Tap became a going concern, with the group (in character) playing gigs and appearing on a 1984 episode of Saturday Night Live to promote the film. The character of Mick Shrimpton having died in the film, Parnell played his "twin brother" drummer Ric Shrimpton for these and later appearances. Kaff dropped out shortly after the Saturday Night Live appearance.In 1984, the band (Guest, McKean, Shearer and Parnell) issued the single "Christmas with the Devil".In 1985, McKean and Shearer (in character and credited as David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls) participated in the all-star charity recording "Stars" by Hear 'n Aid. They both sing on the record, and are seen in character in the behind-the-scenes "Making of" video.Reunion and recent historyThe group reformed on January 18, 1991, for a performance at the Disneyland Hotel that included new material.[18] This featured on the 1992 release, Break Like the Wind, an album produced in part by T Bone Burnett.Several publicity stunts were staged surrounding the new album. An advertisement was placed in Music Connection,[19] HITS[20] and The Hollywood Reporter[21] saying "DRUMMER DIED, need new one. Must have no immediate family. Auditions October 31 at LA Coliseum with David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, Derek Smalls."The "auditions" for a new drummer were held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 31, 1991. They were attended by a few hundred real aspirants, and by Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction, Gina Schock of the Go-Go's, Debbi Peterson of the Bangles, Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, who auditioned in a fireproof suit. Parnell was retained as "Ric Shrimpton" and remained the band's drummer. Kaff did not return, and consequently the "reunited" band consisted of Guest, McKean, Shearer and Parnell (all in character) and new keyboardist C. J. Vanston (under his own name). A promotional concert tour followed, which included an appearance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, where they performed "The Majesty of Rock", a song they dedicated to Mercury.The band also released the single "Bitch School," which became a genuine chart single in the UK, as did follow-up single "The Majesty of Rock".The band also appeared on The Simpsons in the episode "The Otto Show", which aired in the United States on April 23, 1992. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Wes Archer. Harry Shearer, who is a regular Simpsons cast member, reprised his role as Derek Smalls.On July 1, 1992, Spinal Tap crossed five time zones for three performances in St. John's, Newfoundland; Barrie, Ontario; and Vancouver, British Columbia, for MuchMusic and Molson's Great Canadian Party. For each performance of "Stonehenge", the miniature monument prop was delivered on stage in a courier envelope.Parnell dropped out of the group in the 1990s, leaving Spinal Tap to use session-drummers.[citation needed]In 2000, the band launched a web site named "Tapster", where their song "Back from the Dead" was made available for download. Tapster was a parody of Napster, a peer-to-peer file sharing network.[22][23]In 2001, the band "reunited" for the nine-city "Back from the Dead Tour" that began on June 1, 2001, at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. The tour included a show at Carnegie Hall in New York City and ended in Montreal in mid-July at the Just for Laughs festival. The opening act for some of these shows were the Folksmen, the folk trio seen in the film A Mighty Wind, and also performed by Guest, McKean, and Shearer.In 2007, Tap reunited again, this time to help combat global warming. "They're not that environmentally conscious, but they've heard of global warming," said Marty DeBergi (portrayed by Reiner). "Nigel thought it was just because he was wearing too much clothing – that if he just took his jacket off it would be cooler." This reunion also included the release of a new song called "Warmer Than Hell". The band played on the London leg of the SOS/Live Earth concert series, and Rob Reiner has directed a short film (entitled Spinal Tap) which was released on the Live Earth website on April 27.[24] The film reveals that Nigel Tufnel is now working as a farmhand looking after miniature horses. He plans to race them. David St. Hubbins is currently working as a hip-hop producer, and Derek Smalls is in rehab for being addicted to the Internet. A new album, Back from the Dead, was released on June 16, 2009. The album consists mostly of re-recordings of songs from the original film's soundtrack, along with some new, previously unrecorded numbers.[25] The album was nominated for Best Comedy Album and Best Recording Package at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.[26]On April 6, 2009, the band announced a one-date "world tour," performing at London's Wembley Arena on June 30, 2009.[27][28] Support on this night came from the Folksmen. The band unexpectedly also self-confirmed for Glastonbury Festival 2009 during an online interview on May 8, 2009, in the Philadelphia Daily News following a "Unwigged and Unplugged" show in the city.[29]In 2018, Shearer released an album in the persona of Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls. The single "It Don't Get Old" was, as per the credits, co-written by David St. Hubbins.[citation needed] On 27 April 2019, the band reunited at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival for the 35th anniversary of the film.[30] In May 2022, it was announced that the principal cast and director of the original movie were reuniting for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, a sequel planned for release by Castle Rock Entertainment on September 11, 2025. Filming began in New Orleans in March 2024.[31] Kaff died in July 2025.[32]A third and final Spinal Tap film, titled Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale, was planned to be released in 2026. The film was set to use concert footage which was shot at Stonehenge in August 2025, with Bleecker Street acquiring the rights to release the planned concert film in the United States in October 2025.[33][34] However, as a result of the murder of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle in December 2025, plans to release the film have been put on pause.[35][33]Other appearancesThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: "Spinal Tap" band – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)The band appeared as the musical guests on an episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the spring of 1984. Barry Bostwick was the host. At this time, producer Dick Ebersol approached Shearer, Guest and McKean to join the cast. Shearer and Guest accepted (McKean would not join until ten years later, by which time original producer Lorne Michaels was back at the show's helm). Shearer's stint on SNL the following season—his second, the first having been the 1979–80 season—was to be short-lived, following creative disputes with the show's management.[36]In 1985, at the invitation of Ronnie James Dio, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer took part in the heavy metal benefit project Hear 'n Aid, to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia. McKean and Shearer attended the event in character as David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls, appearing in the behind-the-scenes videos and interacting in character with many real-life metal stars, many of whom were huge fans of Spinal Tap.[37] "David St. Hubbins" and "Derek Smalls" are part of the vocal chorus heard on the record (and seen in the video), and are credited under those names on the Hear 'n Aid single's front cover (alongside many real-life heavy metal stars). The ad hoc supergroup's single "Stars" rose to No. 26 on the UK charts in May 1986.As part of the promotion surrounding Break Like the Wind, Spinal Tap was portrayed in "The Otto Show" episode of the animated series The Simpsons, for which Shearer is a principal voice actor. The Simpsonsfollows the approach of the original film by presenting the group as if they were a real group. During the disastrous performance, a massive devil balloon on the stage does not inflate properly, and Nigel is temporarily blinded by lasers. Later in the episode, their tour bus is accidentally pushed off a cliff due to Otto's reckless driving. In a 2016 interview Shearer said this was the only time Spinal Tap had worked to a script, all other movie, television and live appearances being improvised.[38]On July 1, 1992, as part of MuchMusic's Canada Day "Great Canadian Party" festival, Spinal Tap completed an unprecedented tour of Canada in less than 24 hours. Jetting across five time-zones, the band played St. John's, Newfoundland, Barrie, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia. That evening, during a performance of "Stonehenge", Tap received their signature, triptych set-piece via Canada Post in a small, bubble-wrap envelope that Derek Smalls signed for onstage. Bemused, Smalls tore open the packaging, and revealed to the cheering crowd the prop which looked to be half the size of the original 18 inch Stonehenge rock from the film.In 1993, Nigel Tufnel appeared in the rockumentary Joe Satriani: The Satch Tapes.In 1994, The Return of Spinal Tap was released on video; most of this is live material from a 1992 performance at the Royal Albert Hall where the Stonehenge set was shown to the audience on video as being too big to fit through the stage doors, but it also includes some interviews and follow-up on the band members.In 2000, while promoting Tapster.com, Spinal Tap appeared and performed on the short-lived series VH1 The List (with Mick Fleetwood on drums) and appeared on the Late Show.On January 19, 2001, Spinal Tap played a "one night only" tour at the Hilton ballroom in Anaheim, CA. This was during the annual NAMM Show, and sponsored by Shure. Free earplugs were provided, "Stonehenge" was performed (with small dancers), and tour T-shirts were available the next day at Shure's tradeshow booth. The shirt showed several concert dates, but they were all marked cancelled - except the Jan 19 date.In 2006, Nigel Tufnel appeared in a Volkswagen TV commercial highlighting their offer of a free, exclusive First Act guitar with the purchase of qualifying automobiles. The guitar features knobs and inlays with the Volkswagen logo and pre-amps that allow it to be played through the car's stereo system. Also in 2006, the song "Gimme Some Money" was used in a TV commercial [citation needed] for Open from American Express, "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" appeared in Harmonix's video game Guitar Hero II and "Christmas with the Devil" appeared in BBC One promo spots for the network's Christmas program.In 2007, while accepting an award from the BBC Two program The Culture Show, Christopher Guest broke into Nigel Tufnel, and considered what his wife and kids would make of the Mark Kermode-shaped award.[citation needed]On July 7, 2007, Spinal Tap played at Wembley Stadium in London[39] along with many major bands and groups as part of Live Earth, a climate change awareness concert. Their set included a new song written for the occasion, "Warmer Than Hell". During their final number, the song "Big Bottom", St. Hubbins and Tufnel both picked up basses. Spinal Tap was also joined by "every bass player in the known universe", including Nate Mendel (of the Foo Fighters); Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett, and James Hetfield (Metallica); Gordon Moakes (Bloc Party); and Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys). They were also joined on back-up vocals by Annette O'Toole, Michael McKean's wife.In May 2008, Nigel Tufnel appeared in the National Geographic show Stonehenge Decoded, expounding his nonsensical theories about Stonehenge and who was responsible for building it. His claims to have invented "decoder" experiments capable of unveiling the true purpose of the monument are, as yet, unproven.McKean, Guest and Shearer have made several appearances as their alter egos the Folksmen, including the television shows Saturday Night Live and Mad TV and the film The Return of Spinal Tap.On March 2, 2009, Guest, McKean and Shearer held a press conference at the House of Blues in Los Angeles to announce their forthcoming album of new and old Spinal Tap songs, plus a 2009 "Unwigged & Unplugged" tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film, This Is Spinal Tap. According to an L.A. Weekly report, when MTV News' Kurt Loder asked the trio if they had plans beyond an album and tour, Shearer answered, "We're gonna bomb Iran."[40] The tour also features songs from the Folksmen and others from throughout the trio's career.On April 1, 2009, Guest, McKean, and Shearer played on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as the musical guest.On June 15, 2009, Spinal Tap performed on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien as the musical guest.On June 27, 2009, Spinal Tap performed on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival with Jarvis Cocker guesting on bass during "Big Bottom", and also inviting Jamie Cullum on stage to play keyboards. One of the unexpected highlights for Tap fans was a rendition of the newly written overture from the mythical Jack the Ripper musical Saucy Jack. Also on the bill were Kasabian, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Bruce Springsteen.[41][42]On June 30, 2009, Spinal Tap performed at Wembley Arena with the Folksmen as support. A variety of special guests featured including Keith Emerson (joined them on organ/keyboards – which he later destroyed during the show) and Justin Hawkins from the Darkness.[43]On July 27, 2009, the band performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as the musical guest, announcing their retirement and shortly thereafter their comeback. The next day, July 28, they were the musical guest on The Daily Show.On August 25, 2009, Spinal Tap released a seven-minute short film titled Stonehenge: 'Tis a Magical Place celebrating their 25th anniversary. The video is distributed through INgrooves and is available only on iTunes. The short film depicts the founding members of Spinal Tap making a pilgrimage to Stonehenge for the first time.[44][45]On October 18, 2022, Spinal Tap star Michael McKean shared a deleted scene from the movie on his Twitter account and added: "Wow, thanks. Unseen by me, anyway, Lo these many years."[46]

Let me know if I am crazy or do you feel the same or have the same issues? Also Van Heflin as Philip Marlowe in “Trouble is my business”, 1947 radio series.

Guthrie, Wars, Epstein, High School coaches salaries, Coffee and feeling sorry for politicians?

Jim Morrison and The Doors live at The Matrix club in San Francisco on 3/07/1967, playing to a small crowd just 2 months after their debut album was released. These recordings were made by one of the owners of club and shared with rock promoter Bill Graham. In 1972, "Bill (Graham) spent almost all of 72 hours at KSAN" playing tapes of live shows from his concert venues, going back to 1966.The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts of the 1960s, primarily due to Morrison's lyrics and voice, along with his erratic stage persona and legal issues. The group is widely regarded as representative of the era's counterculture.[4]The band took its name from the title of the English writer Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception, itself a reference to a quote by the English poet William Blake. After signing with Elektra Records in 1966, the Doors with Morrison recorded and released six studio albums in five years, some of which are generally considered among the greatest of all time,[5][6] including their debut The Doors(1967), Strange Days (1967), and L.A. Woman (1971). Dubbed the "Kings of Acid Rock" by Life,[7] they were one of the most successful bands of their time and by 1972, the Doors had sold over 4 million albums domestically and nearly 8 million singles.[8]Morrison died in uncertain circumstances in 1971. The band continued as a trio, releasing two more albums until disbanding in 1973.[9][10] In 1978, they reformed for the album An American Prayer, which combined new music with Morrison's recitings of his poetry recorded in 1969 and 1970. They reunited again briefly in 1993 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and for several one-off projects in the 21st century. In 2002, Manzarek, Krieger, and Ian Astbury of the Cult on vocals started performing as "The Doors of the 21st Century". Densmore and the Morrison estate successfully sued them over the use of the band's name. After a short time as Riders on the Storm, they settled on the name Manzarek–Krieger and toured until Manzarek's death in 2013.The Doors were the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified Gold and Platinum LPs.[nb 1] According to the RIAA, they have sold 36 million albums in the United States[12] and over 100 million records worldwide,[13] making them one of the best-selling bands of all time.[14] The Doors have been listed as one of the greatest artists of all time by magazines including Rolling Stone, which ranked them 41st on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[15]HistoryOrigins (July 1965 – August 1966)Whisky a Go GoThe Doors began with a chance meeting between acquaintances Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek on Venice Beach in July 1965. They recognized each other as they had both attended the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Morrison confided in Manzarek that he had been writing songs.[16] As Morrison would later relate to Jerry Hopkins in Rolling Stone, "Those first five or six songs I wrote, I was just taking notes at a fantastic rock concert that was going on inside my head. And once I'd written the songs, I had to sing them."[17] With Manzarek's encouragement, Morrison sang the opening words of "Moonlight Drive": "Let's swim to the moon, let's climb through the tide, penetrate the evening that the city sleeps to hide." Manzarek was inspired, thinking of all the music he could play to accompany these "cool and spooky" lyrics.[18]Manzarek was then in an unsuccessful band called Rick & the Ravens with his brothers Rick and Jim, while drummer John Densmore was playing with the Psychedelic Rangers and knew Manzarek from meditation classes.[19] Densmore joined the group later in August 1965. Together, they combined varied musical backgrounds, from jazz, rock, blues, and folk music idioms.[20] The five, along with bass player Patty Sullivan,[nb 2] and now christened the Doors, recorded a six-song demo on September 2, 1965, at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles.[nb 3] The band took their name from the title of Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception, itself derived from a line in William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is: infinite".[23][24] In late 1965, after Manzarek's two brothers left, guitarist Robby Krieger joined.[25]The Doors in 1966From February to May 1966, the group had a residency at the "rundown" and "sleazy" Los Angeles club London Fog, appearing on the bill with "Rhonda Lane Exotic Dancer".[26] The experience gave Morrison confidence to perform in front of a live audience, and the band as a whole to develop and, in some cases, lengthen their songs and work "The End" and "Light My Fire" into the pieces that would appear on their debut album.[26] Manzarek later said that at the London Fog the band "became this collective entity, this unit of oneness ... that is where the magic began to happen."[26] The group soon graduated to the more esteemed Whisky a Go Go after being booked by Ronnie Haran,[27] where they were the house band (starting from May 1966), supporting acts, including Van Morrison's group Them.[28] On their last night together the two bands joined up for "In the Midnight Hour" and a twenty-minute jam session of "Gloria".[29][30]On August 10, 1966, they were spotted by Elektra Records president Jac Holzman, who was present at the recommendation of Love singer Arthur Lee, whose group was with Elektra Records. After Holzman and producer Paul A. Rothchild saw two sets of the band playing at the Whisky a Go Go, they signed them to the Elektra Records label on August 18 — the start of a long and successful partnership with Rothchild and sound engineer Bruce Botnick. The Doors were fired from the Whisky on August 21, 1966, when Morrison added an explicit retelling and profanity-laden version of the Greek myth of Oedipus during "The End".[31]The Doors and Strange Days (August 1966 – December 1967)The Doors performing at Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival in 1967The Doors recorded their self-titled debut album around August 1966, at Sunset Sound Studios.[32] The record was officially released in the first week of January 1967. It included the nearly 12-minute musical drama "The End".[33] In November 1966, Mark Abramson directed a promotional film for the lead single "Break On Through (To the Other Side)". The group also made several television appearances, such as on Shebang, a Los Angeles television show, miming to a playback of "Break On Through".[nb 4]In early 1967, the group appeared on The Clay Cole Show (which aired on Saturday evenings at 6 p.m. on WPIX Channel 11 out of New York City) where they performed their single "Break On Through". Since the single achieved only minor recognition, the band turned to "Light My Fire"; it became the first single from Elektra Records to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, selling over one million copies.[36]From March 7 to 11, 1967, the Doors performed at the Matrix Club in San Francisco. The March 7 and 10 shows were recorded by Peter Abram, co-owner of the Matrix. These recordings are notable as they are among the earliest live recordings of the band to circulate. On November 18, 2008, the Doors published a compilation of these recordings, Live at the Matrix 1967, on the band's boutique Bright Midnight Archives label.[37][38]On August 25, 1967, they appeared on American television, guest-starring on the variety TV series Malibu U, performing "Light My Fire", though they did not appear live. The band is seen on a beach and Morrison is lip-synching the song in playback.[39] The music video did not gain any commercial success and the performance fell into relative obscurity.[40] It was not until they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show that they gained attention on television.[41]Billboard advertisement, September 16, 1967The Doors made their international television debut on October 16, 1967, performing a live version of "The End" for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) at their Parliament Street Colour Studio in Toronto.[42] It was recorded in September when they were in Toronto and transmitted on the show O'Keefe Centre Presents. The misconception that it was at the O'Keefe Centre stems mostly from the title, as the venue shown in the video has a dance floor, which the Centre did not have.[42] But after its initial broadcasts, the performance remained unreleased except in bootleg form until the release of The Doors Soundstage Performances DVD in 2002.[43]On September 17, 1967, the Doors gave a memorable performance of "Light My Fire" on The Ed Sullivan Show.[41] According to Manzarek, network executives asked that the word "higher" be removed, due to a possible reference to drug use.[44] The group appeared to acquiesce, but performed the song in its original form, because either they had never intended to comply with the request or Jim Morrison was nervous and forgot to make the change (the group has given conflicting accounts).[45][46] Either way, "higher" was sung out on national television, and the show's host, Ed Sullivan, canceled another six shows that had been planned. After the program's producer told the band they would never perform on the show again,[44] Morrison reportedly replied: "Hey man. We just did the Sullivan Show."[41][47][48]On December 24, the Doors performed "Light My Fire" and "Moonlight Drive" live for The Jonathan Winters Show. Their performance was taped for later broadcast. From December 26 to 28, the group played at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco; during one set, in the middle of "Back Door Man", the band stopped performing to watch themselves on The Jonathan Winters Show on a television set wheeled onto the stage.[49][50]The Doors spent several weeks in Sunset Studios in Los Angeles recording their second album, Strange Days, experimenting with the new technology, notably the Moog synthesizer they now had available.[51]The commercial success of Strange Days was middling, peaking at number three on the Billboard album chart but quickly dropping, along with a series of underperforming singles.[36] The chorus from the album's single "People Are Strange" inspired the name of the 2009 documentary of the Doors, When You're Strange.[23]Although session musician Larry Knechtel had occasionally contributed bass on the band's debut album,[52] Strange Days was the first Doors album recorded with a studio musician, playing bass on the majority of the record, and this continued on all subsequent studio albums.[53] Manzarek explained that his keyboard bass was well-suited for live situations but that it lacked the "articulation" needed for studio recording.[53] Douglas Lubahn played on Strange Days and the next two albums; but the band used several other musicians for this role, often using more than one bassist on the same album. Kerry Magness, Leroy Vinnegar, Harvey Brooks, Ray Neopolitan, Lonnie Mack, Jerry Scheff,[54] Jack Conrad (who played a major role in the post Morrison years touring with the group in 1971 and 1972), Chris Ethridge, Charles Larkey and Leland Sklar are credited as bassists who worked with the band.[55][56]New Haven incident (December 1967)Morrison's mugshot taken in New HavenOn December 9, 1967, the Doors performed a now-infamous concert at New Haven Arena in New Haven, Connecticut, which ended abruptly when Morrison was arrested by local police.[57]Morrison became the first rock artist to be arrested onstage during a live performance.[58][59] Prior to the start of the concert, Morrison was either having a private conversation with[60] or kissing a female fan backstage in a bathroom shower stall when a police officer happened upon them.[61] Unaware that he was the lead singer of the band, the officer told Morrison and the fan to leave, to which Morrison said, "Eat it." The policeman took out a can of mace and warned Morrison, "Last chance", to which Morrison replied, "Last chance to eat it."[62][63] There is some discrepancy as to what happened next: according to No One Here Gets Out Alive, the fan ran away and Morrison was maced; but Manzarek recounts in his book that both Morrison and the fan were sprayed.[62][64][65]The Doors' main act was delayed for an hour while Morrison recovered, after which the band took the stage very late. According to music journalist Gillian G. Gaar, the police still did not consider the issue resolved and wanted to charge him. Halfway through the first set, Morrison proceeded to create an improvised song about his experience with the "little man in blue".[60] It was an obscenity-laced account to the audience, describing what had happened backstage and taunting the police, who were surrounding the stage.[66][67] Later, the police lieutenant approached Morrison, during which Morrison thrust the microphone against his mouth and remarked, "Say your thing, man."[61][66] The concert came to an abrupt end when Morrison was dragged from the stage by the police. The audience, already restless from waiting so long for the band to perform, became unruly. Morrison was taken to a local police station, photographed and booked on charges of inciting a riot, indecency and public obscenity. Charges against Morrison, as well as those against three journalists also arrested in the incident (Mike Zwerin, Yvonne Chabrier and Tim Page), were dropped several weeks later for lack of evidence.[59][64]Waiting for the Sun (April–December 1968)Poster for a 1968 concert at the Cobo Arena, DetroitRecording of the group's third album in April 1968 was marred by tension as a result of Morrison's increasing dependence on alcohol and the rejection of the 17-minute "Celebration of the Lizard" by band producer Paul Rothchild, who considered the work not commercial enough.[68]Approaching the height of their popularity, the Doors played a series of outdoor shows that led to frenzied scenes between fans and police, particularly at Chicago Coliseum on May 10.[69]The band began to branch out from their initial form for this third LP, and began writing new material. Waiting for the Sun became their first and only album to reach number 1 on the US charts, and the single "Hello, I Love You" (one of the six songs performed by the band on their 1965 Aura Records demo) was their second US No. 1 single. Following the 1968 release of "Hello, I Love You", the publisher of the Kinks' 1964 hit "All Day and All of the Night" announced they were planning legal action against the Doors for copyright infringement; however, songwriter Ray Daviesultimately chose not to sue.[70][nb 5] Kinks guitarist Dave Davies was particularly irritated by the similarity.[72] In concert, Morrison was occasionally dismissive of the song, leaving the vocals to Manzarek, as can be seen in the documentary The Doors Are Open.[73]The Doors performing for Danish television in 1968A month after a riotous concert at the Singer Bowl in New York City, the group flew to Great Britain for their first performance outside North America. They held a press conference at the ICA Gallery in London and played shows at the Roundhouse. The results of the trip were broadcast on Granada TV's The Doors Are Open, later released on video. They played dates in Europe, along with Jefferson Airplane, including a show in Amsterdam where Morrison collapsed on stage after a drug binge (including marijuana, hashish and unspecified pills).[74]Robby Krieger at Roundhouse in London (September 1968).The group flew back to the United States and played nine more dates before returning to work in November on their fourth LP. They ended the year with a successful new single, "Touch Me" (released in December 1968), which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in the Cashbox Top 100 in early 1969; this was the group's third and last American number-one single.[75]Miami incident (March 1969)On March 1, 1969, at the Dinner Key Auditorium in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, the Doors gave the most controversial and consequential performance of their career, one that nearly "derailed the band".[9] The auditorium was a converted seaplane hangar that had no air conditioning on that hot night, and the seats had been removed by the promoter to boost ticket sales.[76][77]Morrison had been drinking all day and had missed connecting flights to Miami. By the time he arrived, drunk, the concert was over an hour late.[76][78] The restless crowd of 12,000, packed into a facility designed to hold 7,000, was subjected to undue silences in Morrison's singing, which strained the music from the beginning of the performance. Morrison had recently attended a play by an experimental acting company the Living Theatre and was inspired by their "antagonistic" style of performance art.[79][80]Morrison taunted the crowd with messages of both love and hate, saying, "Love me. I can't take it no more without no good love. I want some lovin'. Ain't nobody gonna love my ass?" and alternately, "You're all a bunch of fuckin' idiots!" and "You’re all a bunch of slaves!"[81] while screaming "What are you gonna do about it?" over and over again.[80][82][78]As the band began their second song, "Touch Me", Morrison started shouting in protest, forcing the band to a halt. At one point, Morrison removed the hat of an onstage police officer and threw it into the crowd; the officer reacted by taking Morrison's hat and throwing it in the same direction.[83][84] Manager Bill Siddons recalled, "The gig was a bizarre, circus-like thing, there was this guy carrying a sheep and the wildest people that I'd ever seen."[85] Equipment chief Vince Treanor said, "Somebody jumped up and poured champagne on Jim so he took his shirt off, he was soaking wet. 'Let's see a little skin, let's get naked,' he said, and the audience started taking their clothes off."[85] Having removed his shirt, Morrison held it in front of his groin area and started to make hand movements behind it.[86] Manzarek described the incident as a mass "religious hallucination".[86]Jim Morrison on the day of his conviction in Miami for profanity and indecent exposureOn March 5, the Dade County Sheriff's office issued a warrant for Morrison's arrest, claiming Morrison had exposed his penis while on stage, shouted obscenities to the crowd, simulated oral sex on Krieger, and was drunk at the time of his performance. Morrison turned down a plea bargain that required the Doors to perform a free Miami concert. He was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail with hard labor, and ordered to pay a $500 fine.[87][88] Morrison remained free, pending an appeal of his conviction, and died before the matter was legally resolved. In 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist suggested the possibility of a posthumous pardon for Morrison, which was announced as successful on December 9, 2010.[89] Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek have denied the allegation that Morrison exposed himself on stage that night.[90][91][92][93]The Soft Parade (May–July 1969)Morrison, who was increasingly distancing himself from the music, announced to the other Doors members his intention to quit the group; Manzarek convinced him to stay for six more months, ahead of completing The Soft Parade, the Doors' forthcoming album.[94][95]Released in July 1969, The Soft Parade was their first-and-only to feature brass and string arrangements. The concept was suggested by Rothchild to the band, after listening to many examples by various groups who also explored the same radical departure.[96] Both jazz-influenced Densmore and Manzarek agreed with the recommendation,[97] but Morrison declined to incorporate orchestral accompaniment on his compositions.[98] The lead single, "Touch Me", featured saxophonist Curtis Amy.[99]The Doors c. 1968While the band was trying faintly to maintain their previous momentum, efforts to expand their sound with instrumental changes, including string, brass, and wind parts, caused critics to attack their musical integrity.[100] According to Densmore in his biography Riders on the Storm, individual writing credits were noted for the first time because of Morrison's reluctance to sing the lyrics of Krieger's song "Tell All the People". Morrison's drinking made him difficult and unreliable, and the recording sessions dragged on for months. Studio costs piled up, and the Doors came close to disintegrating. Despite all this, the album was immensely successful, becoming the band's fourth hit album.[101]Morrison Hotel and Absolutely Live (November 1969 – December 1970)Photo by Henry Diltz used on the cover of Morrison HotelDuring the recording of their next album, Morrison Hotel, in November 1969, Morrison again found himself in trouble with the law after harassing airline staff during a flight to Phoenix, Arizona to see the Rolling Stones in concert. Both Morrison and his friend and traveling companion Tom Baker were charged with "interfering with the flight of an intercontinental aircraft and public drunkenness".[102] If convicted of the most serious charge, Morrison could have faced a ten-year federal prison sentence for the incident.[103] The charges were dropped in April 1970 after an airline stewardess reversed her testimony to say she mistakenly identified Morrison as Baker.[104]The Doors staged a return to a more conventional direction after the experimental The Soft Parade, with their fifth LP Morrison Hotel in 1970.[105] Featuring a consistent blues rock sound, the album's opener was "Roadhouse Blues". The record reached No. 4 in the United States and revived their status among their core fanbase and the rock press. Dave Marsh, the editor of Creem magazine, said of the album: "the most horrifying rock and roll I have ever heard. When they're good, they're simply unbeatable. I know this is the best record I've listened to ... so far".[103] Rock Magazine called it "without any doubt their ballsiest (and best) album to date".[103] Circus magazine praised it as "possibly the best album yet from the Doors" and "good hard, evil rock, and one of the best albums released this decade".[103] The album also saw Morrison returning as main songwriter, writing or co-writing all of the album's tracks. The 40th anniversary CD reissue of Morrison Hotel contains outtakes and alternative takes, including different versions of "The Spy" and "Roadhouse Blues" (with Lonnie Mack on bass guitar and the Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian on harmonica).[106]July 1970 saw the release of the group's first live album, Absolutely Live, which peaked at the No. 8 position on the charts.[107] The record was completed by producer Rothchild, who confirmed that the album's final mixing consisted of many bits and pieces from various and different band concerts. "There must be 2000 edits on that album", he told an interviewer years later.[96] Absolutely Live also marked the first release of the lengthy piece "Celebration of the Lizard".Although the Doors continued to face de facto bans in more conservative American markets and earned new bans at Salt Lake City's Salt Palace and Detroit's Cobo Hall following tumultuous concerts,[108][109]the band managed to play 18 concerts in the United States, Mexico and Canada following the Miami incident in 1969,[110] and 23 dates in the United States and Canada throughout the first half of 1970. The group later made it to the Isle of Wight Festival on August 29; performing on the same day as John Sebastian, Shawn Phillips, Lighthouse, Joni Mitchell, Tiny Tim, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the Who, Sly and the Family Stone and Melanie;[111] the performance was the last captured on the band's Roadhouse Blues Tour.[112]On December 8, 1970, his 27th birthday, Morrison recorded another poetry session.[113] Part of this would end up on An American Prayer in 1978 with music, and is currently in the possession of the Courson family.[114] Shortly thereafter, a new tour to promote their upcoming album would comprise only three dates. Two concerts were held in Dallas on December 11. During the Doors' last public performance with Morrison, at The Warehouse in New Orleans, on December 12, 1970, Morrison apparently had a breakdown on stage. Midway through the set he slammed the microphone numerous times into the stage floor until the platform beneath was destroyed, then sat down and refused to perform for the remainder of the show.[115] After the concert, Densmore, Manzarek and Krieger came to a mutual agreement that they should end their live act, claiming Morrison was ready to retire from performing.[116][117]L.A. Woman and Morrison's leave of absence and death (December 1970 – July 1971)Jim Morrison's grave at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in ParisDespite Morrison's conviction and the fallout from their appearance in New Orleans, the Doors set out to reclaim their status as a premier act with the album L.A. Woman, recorded in Los Angeles in 1971.[118] The album included rhythm guitarist Marc Benno on several tracks and prominently featured bassist Jerry Scheff, best known for his work in Elvis Presley's TCB Band. Despite a comparatively low Billboard chart peak at No. 9, L.A. Woman contained two Top 20 hits and went on to be their second bestselling studio album, surpassed in sales only by their debut.[32] The album explored their R&B roots,[119] although during rehearsals they had a falling-out with Paul Rothchild, who was dissatisfied with the band's effort. Denouncing "Love Her Madly" as "cocktail lounge music", he quit and handed the production to Bruce Botnick and the Doors.[96]The title track and two singles ("Love Her Madly" and "Riders on the Storm") remain mainstays of rock radio programming,[120] with the latter being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its special significance to recorded music. In the song "L.A. Woman", Morrison makes an anagram of his name to chant "Mr. Mojo Risin".[121] During the sessions, a short clip of the band performing "Crawling King Snake" was filmed. As far as is known, this is the last clip of the Doors performing with Morrison.[122]On March 11, 1971,[123] near the end of the mixing of L.A. Woman, Morrison took a leave of absence from the Doors and moved to Paris with Pamela Courson;[124] he had visited the city the previous summer. On July 3, 1971, following months of residency, Morrison was found dead in the bath by Courson.[125] Despite the absence of an official autopsy, the cause of death was listed as heart failure.[126] He was buried in the "Poets' Corner" of Père Lachaise Cemetery on July 7.[127][128]Morrison died at age 27, the same age as several other famous rock stars in the 27 Club. In 1974, Morrison's girlfriend Pamela Courson also died at the age of 27.[129]After MorrisonOther Voices and Full Circle (July 1971 – January 1973)Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek in November 1971Morrison's passing stamped the Doors with a seal of legend and immortality. There was no opportunity for the band to go into the seventies intact. Perhaps that's a good thing. I can't imagine the Doors in the era of disco.— Henry Rollins[130]The recording of L.A. Woman's follow up album Other Voicesbegan while Morrison was in Paris. The band assumed he would return to help them finish the album.[131] After Morrison died, the surviving members considered replacing him with several new people, such as Iggy Pop on vocals.[132]But since this didn't work out, Krieger and Manzarek took over lead vocal duties themselves.[131] Other Voices was finally completed in August 1971, and released in October 1971. The record featured the single "Tightrope Ride", which received some radio airplay. The trio began performing again with additional supporting members on November 12, 1971, at Pershing Municipal Auditorium in Lincoln, Nebraska, followed by shows at Carnegie Hall on November 23, and the Hollywood Palladium on November 26.[131]The recordings for Full Circle took place a year after Other Voices during the spring of 1972, and the album was released in August 1972. For the tours during this period, the Doors enlisted Jack Conrad on bass (who had played on several tracks on both Other Voices and Full Circle) as well as Bobby Ray Henson on rhythm guitar. They began a European tour covering France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, including an appearance on the German show Beat-Club. Like Other Voices, Full Circle did not perform as well commercially as their previous albums. While Full Circle was notable for adding elements of funk and jazz to the usual Doors sound,[133] the band struggled with Manzarek and Krieger leading (neither of the post-Morrison albums had reached the Top 10 while all six of their albums with Morrison had).[134] Once their contract with Elektra had lapsed, the Doors disbanded in 1973.[9]ReunionsThe third post-Morrison album, An American Prayer, was released in 1978. It consisted of the band adding musical backing tracks to previously recorded spoken word performances of Morrison reciting his poetry. The record was a commercial success, acquiring a platinum certificate.[135] Two years later, it was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Spoken Word Album" category, but it ultimately lost to John Gielgud's The Ages of Man.[136] An American Prayer was re-mastered and re-released with bonus tracks in 1995.[137]In 1993, the Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[138] In the ceremony, Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore reunited to perform "Roadhouse Blues", "Break On Through" and "Light My Fire". Eddie Vedder filled in on lead vocals, while Don Was played bass.[139] For the 1997 boxed set, the surviving members of the Doors reconvened to complete "Orange County Suite". The track was based on one that Morrison had written and recorded in early 1969, providing both vocals and piano.[118]The Doors reunited at the turn of the century to record music for the Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors tribute album.[140] Following the sessions, band members reunited in 2000 to perform on VH1 Storytellers. For the live performance, the band was joined by Angelo Barbera and numerous guest vocalists, including Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, Pat Monahan, Ian Astbury of the Cult, Travis Meeks, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, and Scott Stapp of Creed. On May 29, 2007, Perry Farrell's group the Satellite Party released its first album Ultra Payloaded on Columbia Records. It featured "Woman in the Window", a new song with a pre-recorded vocal performance by Morrison.[141]Manzarek along with Krieger, Densmore and DJ/producer Skrillex (Sonny Moore) recorded a new song in 2012, of which Manzarek said, "I like to say this is the first new Doors track of the 21st century". The recording session and song are part of a documentary film, Re:Generation, which recruited five popular DJs/producers to work with artists from five separate genres and had them record new music.[142]Manzarek and Skrillex had an immediate musical connection: "Sonny plays his beat, all he had to do was play the one thing. I listened to it and I said, 'Holy shit, that's strong'." Manzarek formulates, "Basically, it's a variation on 'Milestones', by Miles Davis, and if I do say so myself, sounds fucking great, hot as hell."[143] The track, called "Breakn' a Sweat", was recorded for Skrillex's EP Bangarang.[144]In 2013, the remaining members of the Doors recorded with rapper Tech N9ne for the song "Strange 2013", appearing on his album Something Else, which features new instrumentation by the band and samples of Morrison's vocals from the song "Strange Days".[145] In their final collaboration before Manzarek's death, the three surviving Doors provided backing for poet Michael C. Ford's album Look Each Other in the Ears.On February 12, 2016, at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, Densmore and Krieger reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform in tribute to Manzarek and benefit Stand Up to Cancer. That day would have been Manzarek's 77th birthday.[146] The night featured Exene Cervenka and John Doe of the band X, Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots' Robert Deleo, Jane's Addiction's Stephen Perkins, Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara, Andrew Watt, among others.[147]In 2025, as part of their 60th anniversary celebrations, John Densmore and Robby Krieger, joined by archival recordings of Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek, reunited as The Doors for a performance of "Riders On The Storm" produced for the Playing For Change foundation. Released on 9 January, 2026, the video was a part of their "Song Around The World" series, and the finished recording included a long list of international collaborators, in the style of other productions for the series.[148]

Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from September 22, 1958,[2] to 1960 and by ABC in 1960–61.[3] The series was created by Blake Edwards, who also wrote 39 episodes and directed nine.[4][5][6]According to Vincent Terrace, Peter Gunn was the first detective series whose character was created especially for television, instead of adapted from other media.[3]The series is probably best remembered today for its music by film and television composer Henry Mancini, including the iconic "Peter Gunn Theme", which was nominated for an Emmy Award[7] and two Grammys for Mancini. Subsequently the theme has been performed and recorded by many jazz, rock and blues musicians. The progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer recorded the song, adding synthesizers. The series was number 17 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1958–59 TV season and number 29 for the 1960–61 TV season.[8][9]PlotPeter Gunn is a suave, well-dressed private investigatorwhose hair is always in place and who loves cool jazz. Whereas other gumshoes are often coarse and vulgar, Gunn is a sophisticate with expensive tastes. A contemporary article in Life noted that Edwards "deliberately tailored the part after the famous movie smoothie Cary Grant".[10]Gunn operates in a gloomy waterfront city, the name and location of which is not revealed in the series. He often visits Mother's, a smokey, wharfside jazz club that Gunn uses as his "office", usually meeting new clients there. Gunn has a reputation for integrity and being among the best investigators; he has many reliable informants and is well-connected. His reputation is so good, the police occasionally ask him for help or advice. He sometimes works cases out of state and occasionally out of the country. Gunn was observed in "Murder on the Midway" as "wearing $30 shoes ($321 in 2023 dollars), a $200 suit ($2,144 in 2023 dollars) and carrying a solid gold cigarette lighter".[citation needed] Gunn drives a 1958 two-tone DeSoto two-door hardtop in the first few episodes of the first season, then a 1959 Plymouth Fury convertible with a white top and a car phone. In the third season Gunn drives a 1960 white Plymouth Fury convertible with a car phone, later changing to a 1961 Plymouth Fury convertible.Gunn's girlfriend, Edie Hart (Lola Albright), is a sultry singer employed at Mother's; she opens her own restaurant and nightclub in Season 3, named Edie's. Gunn's pet name for Edie is "Silly". Herschel Bernardi costarred as Lieutenant Jacoby, a jaded, veteran police detective and friend of Gunn who works at the 13th Precinct. Occasionally, he refers people to Gunn as clients. He is especially notable for his cynical, sardonic wit. In 1959, Bernardi received his only Emmy nomination for the role.[7] Hope Emersonappeared as Mother, who had been a singer and piano player in speakeasies during Prohibition. She received an Emmy nomination for the role.[7] For the second season, Mother was played by Minerva Urecal, following the departure of Emerson for a starring role in The Dennis O'Keefe Show. Associate producer Byron Kane portrayed Barney, the bartender at Mother's; Kane was not credited for playing this role. Bill Chadney appeared as Emmett, Mother's piano player. (Chadney and Albright were married in 1961.)[1]Both Billy Barty as diminutive pool hustler Babby and Herbert Ellis as Beat bistro owner, painter, and sculptor Wilbur, appeared in several episodes as occasional "information resources", as "Mother" also often is. Capri Candela appeared as Wilbur's girlfriend, Capri. Morris Erby had the recurring role of Sgt. Lee Davis during all three seasons of the show. Frequent director Robert Gist appeared as an actor in different roles in three episodes. James Lanphier portrayed Leslie the maitre d'hôtel at Edie's restaurant and nightclub during Season 3.CastLola Albright and Craig StevensCraig Stevens as Peter GunnLola Albright as Edie Hart, a lounge singer and Pete's girlfriendHerschel Bernardi as Lieutenant Jacoby, a police detective and friend of GunnHope Emerson as "Mother", a singer and piano player in speakeasies during Prohibition (Season 1)Minerva Urecal as "Mother" (Season 2)Byron Kane (uncredited) as Barney, the bartenderBill Chadney as Emmett, the piano player at Mother'sBilly Barty as Babby, a pool hustlerHerbert Ellis as Wilbur, beat bistro owner, painter, and sculptorCapri Candela as Capri, Wilbur's girlfriendMorris Erby as police Sgt. Lee Davis (Seasons 1–3)James Lanphier as Leslie, maître d' (Season 3)Frequent director Robert Gist appeared as an actor in different roles in three episodes.Executive producer Gordon Oliver appeared as an actor in different roles in two episodes.

Walter Edward Cox (March 29, 1948 – February 11, 2026), known professionally as Bud Cort, was an American actor known for his unorthodox starring roles in Robert Altman's Brewster McCloud (1970), for which he was nominated for a Golden Laurel Award, and Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude(1971), for which he was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. He also had supporting roles in films such as M*A*S*H (1970), Electric Dreams(1984), Heat (1995), Dogma (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Pollock (2000), and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou(2004).Cort also voiced Toyman over the course of various series in the DC Animated Universe, including Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited.Early lifeWalter Edward "Bud" Cox was born in Rye, New York on March 29, 1948, to Joseph, an orchestra leader, and Alma, a publicist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He had a brother and three sisters.[1] One of his nephews is Peter Berkman of the band Anamanaguchi.[2]Cort began taking acting lessons from William Hickey when he was 14.[3] To avoid confusion with actor Wally Cox, he used his mother's maiden name as his stage surname, although he changed the original spelling of Court after Broadway's Cort Theatre.[1][4] He attended Iona Preparatory School, where he frequently skipped classes to watch Broadway shows. After graduation, he attempted to attend acting classes at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, but was rejected, as the classes were already full; he applied again with a portfolio of paintings and was instead accepted as a scenic art major.[3]CareerCort was discovered in a revue by director Robert Altman, who subsequently cast him in two of his movies in 1970, M*A*S*H and Brewster McCloud. In the latter, he played the title role. Cort went on to his best-known role as the suicide-obsessed Harold in Harold and Maude. Though it was not particularly successful on release, it gained international cult status and is now considered an American classic, ranking Number 69 on the American Film Institute's 100 Best Romantic Comedies.[5]In 1979, Cort nearly died in a car crash on the Hollywood Freeway where he collided with an abandoned car blocking a lane into which he was turning. He broke an arm and a leg and sustained a concussion and a fractured skull. His face was severely lacerated and his lower lip nearly severed. The crash resulted in plastic surgeries, substantial hospital bills, a lost court case, and the disruption of his career.[6][7]He subsequently appeared in a number of film, stage and TV roles: Endgame, Sledge Hammer!, The Chocolate War, The Big Empty, Theodore Rex, Dogma, But I'm a Cheerleader, Pollock, The Twilight Zone, The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.[citation needed]Cort's voiceover roles include Edgar the computer in the film Electric Dreams; Toyman over the course of various DC Animated Universe series including Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited; and Josiah Wormwood in an episode of the earlier DCAU production Batman: The Animated Series. He can also be heard as The King in the English-language version of the feature film The Little Prince (2015), which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and won the César Award for Best Animated Film in February 2016.[8][9] It was made available to American audiences through Netflix in 2016.[10]Cort made a guest appearance on the November 8, 2007, episode of Ugly Betty as the priest officiating at Wilhelmina Slater's wedding. In 2010, he guest-starred on Criminal Minds in the episode "Mosley Lane" as the elderly paedophile Roger Roycewood. In 2012, Cort appeared as the artist Gleeko in the Eagleheartepisode "Exit Wound the Gift Shop".[citation needed]DeathCort died of pneumonia at an assisted living facility in Norwalk, Connecticut, on February 11, 2026, at the age of 77.[1]The music of Cat Stevens was featured during the movie, timeless.