Author: ian

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Nervous Norvus

In ‘About Me’, I state that I should like to present you with, what I believe, is music of quality — I am pleased to say that many of you, via your comments, are finding this to be so — as well as tracks that might entertain. The singles by Nervous Norvus definitely, again, in my opinion, fall into the latter category. Of course, exactly how much entertainment you derive from these ‘entertaining’ tracks, depends on you, the listener.

Jimmy Drake was born, in Los Angeles, in 1912…the year the ‘Titanic’ sank. He was one of the performers to seize upon the sudden popularity of novelty recordings that arose particularly from the mid-to-the-late 1950s. Under the pseudonym,’Nervous Norvus’, Jimmy recorded numbers in this vein. Two of these recordings were to bring him almost instant fame, which was to last for not more than about six months.

“Transfusion”, was the larger of his two hits, both of which charted around the middle of 1956. It was destined not to be a success at all, for many radio stations refused to play it because of its unabashed promotion of unsafe driving practices.

Nonetheless, enough did support it and it peaked at No.8 on Billboard’s pop chart. Its reception prompted the release of the single, “Ape Call”, on which the ape calls are credited to a personality on the radio of that time, Red Blanchard. “Ape Call”, reached its zenith at No.24.

http://youtu.be/lhPegt71Jjs

Jimmy’s alter ego was an apt one for he was extremely shy, to the extent that he declined the offer to perform “Transfusion” on the incedibly popular ‘Ed Sullivan Show’.

Jimmy Drake died, from cirrhosis of the liver, in July of 1968, at the age of fifty-six.

Another such recording from 1956 was the sole effort from Eddie Lawrence titled “The Old Philosopher”. It makes Tiki and I cringe to hear it and so we do not play it. However, recognising that listeners can possess vastly differing tastes I include it here so that you might decide for yourself. It followed hot on the heels of Nervous Norvus’s success and reached No.34 on Billboard’s pop chart.

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‘Surround’ Beaten: Saturday, 5th March, 1977

I came upstairs at 2.00 p.m. and watched the last half an hour of the film, “Hold On”, from 1966. It features a British pop group of that era, Herman’s Hermits, its leading singer, Peter Noone, and the American actress and singer, Shelley Fabares. Shelley appeared as Donna Reed’s daughter, Mary Stone, in the popular television series, “The Donna Reed Show”, and also had a No.1 hit, in 1962, when she recorded the single, “Johnny Angel”.

The outstanding mare, “Surround”, was defeated by “Bonfield”, this afternoon, when attempting to win her eleventh race in succession.

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‘If You Don’t Stop It…’: Sunday, 6th March, 1977

Daylight saving ended in the early hours of this morning when clocks were wound back by one hour. It has been hot, steamy and humid .

We ventured to the Village Cinema Centre, which is located on George Street, prior to 4.45 p.m. The opening film, from 1970, was “Bedroom Mazurka”. College students want Max, the virgin, to become the new dean but, in order to do so, he firstly has to marry. However, Max discovers that he is not the marrying kind and becomes a ‘stallion’, instead.

Following the interval, the audience, which was close to capacity, witnessed “If You Don’t Stop It…You’ll Go Blind”, from 1974. As the film nears its conclusion, one of its cast, portrayed by Keefe Brasselle, sings a song in which the words fucking for love (or something similar) are repeated over and over. It is certainly a far cry from the part he played in “The Eddie Cantor Story”, which was produced in the early 1950s.

“If You Don’t Stop It…You’ll Go Blind” possesses its funny moments (in fact, I had to exercise much self-control to stop laughing disruptively at one of the skits) but, in general, is pretty base.

Afterwards, we dined at McDonald’s to avoid the surcharge, of fifty cents each, imposed at the Parisienne Pussycat.

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Status Quo

“Pictures Of Matchstick Men”, released at the height of the Vietnamese War, in 1968, is apparently an anti-war number. I had no idea what it was about then, all I knew is that I really enjoyed its introduction, and still do.

When Status Quo failed to follow up its initial international success with a second single people began to write off this British group as yet another one-hit wonder. Little did those who had know , that the group would still be around decades later, having churned out hit after hit.

The groups origins date back to 1962, when schoolboys, Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster, formed The Spectres. In 1963 drummer, John Coghlan, was enlisted and, in 1964, Rick Parfitt.

By 1967, the band had discovered psychedelia and changed its name to Traffic Jam and thence The Status Quo, towards the end of that year. Within a couple of years, the latter name had been shortened to Status Quo.

It was Status Quo that opened the ‘Live Aid’ concert, in 1985, at Wembley Stadium, with “Rockin’ All Over The World”.

http://youtu.be/TI1KF65beSc

Status Quo has raised millions of pounds for charity and has received a number of awards recognising its achievements. The band entered the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ for having performed four shows in far-flung locations in Great Britain, within a period of eleven hours. It has sold well in excess of one hundred million records and, on the British charts alone, has registered more than sixty hits; more than any other rock band.

While the band’s initial success in America — “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” peaked at No.12 there — could not be maintained, Status Quo’s popularity in Europe has. This is particularly the case in The Netherlands.

Various members of Status Quo wrote many of the group’s hits, however, occasionally, it did resort to reviving the hits of others. The most unlikely example of this would surely have to be the taking of Hank Thompson’s No.1 country hit, “The Wild Side Of Life” — which, in 1952, had stayed atop its respective American chart for fifteen weeks — and releasing it, in 1976, as a rock track.

In 1981, it was the turn of “Something ‘Bout You Baby I Like”, which had been on the charts for Tom Jones, in 1974. Dion’s classic, “The Wanderer”, from 1961, was covered by Status Quo, in 1984. The Searchers’ “When You Walk In The Room” (1964) and Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop”, from 1977, were both released by the band, in 1996.

As one would expect within a group possessing such longevity, there have been changes to its personnel. In fact, six members have come and gone, however, close mates Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt remain. The other members are Andy Brown, John Edwards and Matt Letley.

You can find the names of my favourite tracks by Status Quo in my list of pet recordings, which is located in the suggested playlists. I shall be adding to this list from time to time.

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Monday, 7th March, 1977

After watching “Willesee” from 7.00 p.m., on Channel Seven, we turned our television’s dial to Channel Nine, at half past the hour, to observe “Happy Days” — Henry Winkler’s character, The Fonz, is concerned about the standard of his fighting of late — and “Laverne And Shirley”. Thence we returned to Channel Seven, at half past eight, for Episode 7 of “Rich Man, Poor Man: Book 2”.

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‘John Cadman Cruising Restaurant’: Tuesday, 8th March, 1977

The Department of Education, in New South Wales, plans to spend a million dollars on the modernisation of St. Peters Public School.

Tiki and I met two years ago at Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand. To celebrate, we boarded the John Cadman Cruising Restaurant at the Jeffrey Street Wharf, in Kirribilli. A gentleman, in old blue overalls, was fishing from the wharf whilst listening to “Livin’ Thing”, by The Electric Light Orchestra, as it blared from the radio beside him.

A crowd boarded with us and we headed straight upstairs for a glass of lemon squash each, at fifty cents per glass. The boat became quite congested after it berthed at Circular Quay to take on more diners and we decided to move downstairs as we we passed the Opera House.

The waiter did not appreciate me asking for us to be moved to a separate table for two, after we had been seated at one of three tables that were placed side by side. We were shown to a table at the foot of the stairs. Still more patrons boarded, this time, at Rose Bay.

The “John Cadman” dates from 1906 when it was the ferry, “Lady Scott”. The vessel was gutted by fire in 1972 and rebuilt as a cruising restaurant by September of 1974.

At dinner we both ordered identically: barbecued scallops, with rice, as an entree (we each received a lovely fresh bread roll); deliciously tender fillets of steak prepared in a red wine sauce, served with tasty carrots and small potatoes; Cheesecake Bernard was followed by a cup each of white coffee. A bottle of Penfolds’ ‘Spring Rose’, — coincidentally of 1975 vintage — had been partaken of during our main course. The total bill came to only thirty-four dollars and eighty cents. We were extremely pleased, both with the food and the excellent service.

Once dinner had been served there seemed to be but a fraction of the number of persons on board. We stood at the open starboard doorway, with just the safety chain before us and gazed out at the lights of the northern shore of the Parramatta River and the reflection they cast on the calm water, on the cloudy, yet clear, night.

It was whilst standing there that I espied a quantity of friable cheesecake atop a nearby abandoned traymobile. Tiki was delighted when I homed in on the two handfuls and began to eagerly consume them.

The “John Cadman” turned around at the Gladesville Bridge and headed back along the southern shoreline, past container ships and wharves, as we danced to the music provided by three musicians. It really did not seem like four hours on board but, nevertheless, it was 11.27 p.m. when we returned to our car.

Tiki and I are boarding at her parents’ house. Prior to departing for our night out she had decided to perform a striptease for me. Enjoying it as I was, the act was abruptly terminated with a shriek when an impish compulsion arose that led me to glance towards the doorway to our room and declare, “She’s good. Isn’t she ‘Mum’?”

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Bo Diddley

Ellas Otha Bates — also known as Ellas McDaniel — was born in McComb, Mississippi, in 1926. However, he was to spend his formative years in Chicago.

Ellas became a classically trained violinist. He could also design and construct guitars. These included his trademark rectangular models. As a musician he drew inspiration from gospel, blues, rhythm and blues and whatever else took his fancy.

Popular music was in a state of turmoil in 1955, as rock and roll was erupting. Because no one really knew where the future of music lay, record companies were willing to take a chance on someone with a unique style and sound.

‘Bo Diddley’, as Ellas was now calling himself, cut the self-penned tracks, “Bo Diddley” and “I’m A Man”, in his first session at Chess Records, in March of that year and, in June this double A-sided single rose to No.1 on the rhythm and blues charts. ”

http://youtu.be/ewwe89dtEyE

Bo wrote most of the songs he recorded. He is probably more famous for the influence his music had upon artists to come, as opposed to the sales his own recordings generated. In this way his music also influenced future generations.

Musical luminaries such as Buddy Holly (“Mona” and”Bo Diddley”), The Animals (“Road Runner”), The Rolling Stones (“Mona”) and The Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix (“I’m A Man”), and The Doors (“Who Do You Love?”) are included amongst these artists. As too, is Australian Craig McLachlan and his group, Check 1-2, who also covered “Mona”, in 1990, taking it to No.3 ‘Down Under’ and No.2 in the United Kingdom, where his role in the television series, “Neighbours”, had already made him popular.

http://youtu.be/MAGoqMZRLB4

Bo suffered from a stroke, in 2007, which was followed by a heart attack. His heart failed him in June of 2008.

I regard “Who Do You Love?” to be a classic example of early rock. Therefore, I am including it in the list of my favourite recordings. This can be found in the suggested playlists.