Tag: RIP

Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog

Cory Wells

One of the highlights of my childhood was when my family would get to go shopping at the hometown G.C. Murphy variety store in Ohio. It was there that I bought my first records, 45-rpm singles that I would play on a small portable record player over and over again. One of the early records I bought was “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. So, I was saddened to learn when Cory Wells passed away in October 2015 at the age of 74 in Dunkirk, New York.

I would later discover and love other Three Dog Night songs, but I suppose it is not surprising that a kid would first be attracted to a song with the opening line, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.”

According to Wikipedia, some band members felt that the song written by Hoyt Axton was a silly kid’s song.  But either way the song topped the charts when it was released in 1971. Although Wells sang backing vocals on “Joy to the World” while Chuck Negron sang lead, the voices of the whole band rose to make the song memorable.

Cory Wells did sing lead on other songs for the band, like another song written by Hoyt Axton, “Never Been to Spain.” When Wells hits the high notes, it sends shivers down your spine.

Cory Wells also hits the big notes in Three Dog Night’s version of “Try a Little Tenderness,” which was made famous by Otis Redding. This performance is from a local Philadelphia show in the band’s earlier years.

Finally, in the video below, Cory Wells answers questions from audience members.  One question leads to an explanation about how Three Dog Night got its name. The video is taken from a Continuing Education program entitled “Woodstock: The Music of the First Amendment” hosted by the Robert H. Jackson Center on April 26, 2011.

Cory Wells and Three Dog Night will long be remembered for great songs like Randy Newman’s “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” “Shambala,” “Eli’s Coming,” and “Never Been to Spain.” But for me, it all began with a 45 rpm on a portable record player, listening to a song about a bullfrog who had some mighty fine wine.

What is your favorite Three Dog Night song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    B.B. King: “Why I Sing the Blues”

    kingbb

    The legendary B.B. King passed away on May 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada at age 89. As King’s website noted the next morning, “the thrill is gone.”

    Much will continue to be written about King’s guitar playing and his influence on music. For me, he has always been there since I first discovered the blues, and he helped introduce me to many other blues musicians from the past and present. He left us many great songs and albums, such as one of the great live albums of all time, Live at the Regal (1965).

    When I first picked up an electric guitar, I did not want to play “Stairway to Heaven.” I wanted to play B.B. King’s great memorable opening riff of “The Thrill is Gone.”

    And when I think of the way that the blues is a music of comfort that brings joy through troubled times, I cannot help thinking of B.B. King’s performances of “Why I Sing the Blues.” As the singer recounts his troubles but keeps on singing, it somehow never fails to make me smile. Below he performs “Why I Sing the Blues” live in Africa.

    RIP B.B.

    What is your favorite B.B. King performance? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    RIP Percy Sledge: “When a Man Loves a Woman”

    Percy Sledge, best known for his performance of the great song “When a Man Loves a Woman,” has passed away at the age of 74. Although there is some difference of opinion about who deserves the most credit for writing the song, Sledge’s performance is what made the song one of the greatest recordings of all time. RIP.

    Not surprisingly, the song often appeared in films, including The Big Chill (1983), The Crying Game (1992), When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), and Platoon (1987). But Percy Sledge also recorded other outstanding songs. One of my favorites is “Take Time to Know Her.”

    RIP Mr. Sledge.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog

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    Ronny Spears: “North of Mexico”

    Texas singer-songwriter Ronny Spears passed away this week on October 20, 2014. Although not as well known as the many of those he performed with, Spears had a genuine Texas sound and the man was admired by those who knew him.

    Spears often collaborated with songwriters like Ray Wylie Hubbard. Most recently, Spears worked with Robby White as part of White & Spears. The duo often performed around north Texas, and as recently as Saturday, October 18 were scheduled to play at Hank’s Texas Grill in McKinney, Texas.

    In the video below from June 2011, Spears appears on “Texas Renegade Radio” on KNON 89.3 FM in Dallas, Texas, hosted by Mark Mundy. Here, he performs “North of Mexico,” which he wrote. If you have never heard Spears, check it out.


    RIP Mr. Spears.

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  • Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog

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    Mork and Happier Days

    The world is saddened today by the news that Robin Williams has passed away. He was such a part of our lives that everyone has their own favorite movie scenes or performances, and I cannot add much that you already do not know or that you cannot find elsewhere.

    But Williams is one of the few performers where I remember the first moment I saw him. And I was blown away. As a kid turning on Happy Days, a show that was in its fifth season and showing signs of old age, I suddenly saw something completely new. This strange alien character called Mork and the actor playing him was one of the funniest things I had ever seen. The next day at school, everyone was talking about him and his appearance on the Happy Days episode called “My Favorite Orkan.” Here is a scene with Henry Winkler as Fonzie and Robin Williams as Mork.

    Robin Williams and Mork, of course, got their own spinoff series which I followed until that one went into its own old age. In many ways, I feel Williams and I grew up together, as I enjoyed his juvenile antics but then got to appreciate his more serious adult work in movies I’ve written about in different contexts like Dead Poets Society (1989), Insomnia (2003), and the underrated World’s Greatest Dad (2009).

    It is very sad to hear how he passed, but I am very thankful he lived and gave us so much. Rest in Peace. Na-nu Na-nu.

    What is your first memory of Robin Williams? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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