Motley Moose – Archive

I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in “Cheers & Jeers”. For example …..

WHO WOULDA THUNK that one of the GOP senators who voted to override President Reagan’s 1986 veto of sanctions against apartheid was a freshman named … Mitch McConnell … probably viewed as a ‘youthful indiscretion’ today.

OK, you’ve been warned – here is this week’s tomfoolery material that I posted.

ART NOTES – the exhibition Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals is on display at the Frick Collection in New York City through January 19th.

POLITICAL NOTES – Chile’s presidential runoff election takes place December 15th, as former left-of-center president Michelle Bachelet takes on her conservative challenger Evelyn Matthei …….. her childhood playmate.

THURSDAY’s CHILD is Mazy May the Cat – an Oregon kitteh who had gone missing on a camping trip 16 months ago …. yet was spotted and caught with a live trap, then sent home thanks to posters placed at the campsite.

AS A CHILD I wanted to be a steam locomotive engineer …. and now come to find that the world’s largest concentration of active service steam trains are in northwest China ….. perhaps it’s not too late for a career change?

HAIL and FAREWELL to the 1960’s iconic artist Martin Sharp who has died in his native Australia at the age of 71.

He spent time in London in the 60’s and – as I am a big fan of the band Cream – he did the cover art for their hit albums Disraeli Gears as well as Wheels of Fire …. and was the co-author of the band’s song Tales of Brave Ulysses – A major loss, indeed.

BRAIN TEASER – try this Quiz of the Week’s News from the BBC.

FRIDAY’s CHILD is Bluey the Cat – a Vermont kitteh who went missing eighteen months ago ….. before being spotted by his family on a Petfinder listing.

THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at the very strange past twelve months for Canadian mayors – it isn’t just Rob Ford, I am sorry to say.

SEPARATED at BIRTH – former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant as well as the professional golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez from Spain.

   

……and finally, for a song of the week ……………  I once heard a description of the R&B/rock music of Gary US Bonds this way: “like opening the door to a fantastic dance party”. That after more than 50 years the analogy still holds … is a testament to his ability: never truly going out-of-style but falling out of mass appeal at times … before returning again.

Born as Gary Anderson in Jacksonville, Florida: his family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in the mid-1950’s (as his father became a professor at Hampton University nearby). Gary began to sing in church and later as a member of a band called The Turks.

Fortunately, the talented record producer Frank Guida happened to live in Norfolk and heard the not-quite age 21 Anderson sing. In signing him, Guida released a single of Gary’s in 1960 and used some subterfuge in promoting it: changing Anderson’s name to U.S. Bonds (hoping that DJ’s would play it in the belief that it was a public service announcement). Whatever effect that had: the single “New Orleans” reached #6 on the pop charts. Afterwards, the name Gary was appended onto U.S. Bonds …. which is what it remains to this day.

This was followed-up in 1961 by Quarter to Three – which remains his signature tune. Guida often double and triple-tracked Bonds’ voice (not unlike some of the technique that Phil Spector was doing around the same time across-the-country) helping to create a unique sound especially on this tune. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame includes “Quarter to Three” on its list of 500 Songs that shaped rock & roll.

By 1962, Bonds had five more Top 40 hits, including “School is Out”, “School is In” and “Twist, Twist, Señora“. A sign of his star power came when a 1963 British tour saw him headlining … above The Beatles. And therein was the problem: the rise of the British Invasion and Motown sidelined many performers like Gary, and while a song that he co-wrote She’s All I Got was nominated for a 1972 Country Music Association “Song of the Year” award after Johnny Paycheck had success with it: Gary US Bonds toiled in obscurity for several years.

Fast-forward to 1980: a chance encounter with Bruce Springsteen and members of his E Street Band (who had grown up on Bonds’ music) led to them backing up Bonds on his 1981 comeback album Dedication that helped Bonds reach the singles charts again with “This Little Girl” and “Out of Work” and regain the limelight for a few years. But once again, this faded over time and Bonds resumed a career on the oldies circuit.

Now jump ahead to 2004 – and the release of his album Back in 20 – the title denoting that his popularity works in twenty-year cycle – and interestingly, he says that the album started as a blues recording but which in time morphed into a party album. This time the guest performers include former Allmans’ guitarist Dickey Betts (on “She Just Wants to Dance”) as well as Phoebe Snow (“Bitch/Dumb Ass”). Bonds followed-up with the 2009 album Let Them Talk and also has a 2012 Christmas album as well as a Best Of compilation from his early days.

Gary US Bonds has several achievements to-date (besides the awards that “Quarter to Three” and “She’s All I Got” had previously garnered). Having been a long-time resident, he has been inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame as well as a Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1997.

An avid golfer, he regularly plays in celebrity pro-am tournaments. And when he toured in Britain in 2009: instead of the Beatles, his tour partners were the former Stones bassist Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings band – in a sort of coming full-circle. Finally, just this year he released his autobiography entitled “By U.S. Bonds – That’s My Story”.

At age 74, Gary U.S. Bonds has two shows in New Jersey this month and in January will appear in Philadelphia in a showcase of popular 1960’s singers. While he’s apparently slowed down … he shows no signs of shutting down the party.

My favorite tune of his dates back to 1962: Seven Day Weekend was a #27 hit for him, and in many ways captures the spirit of his music. And at this link you can hear it.