In the video for The Killers singing their holiday single “Christmas in L.A.,” Owen Wilson laments life in Los Angeles.
The Killers have released their annual Christmas song. This time, the video for “Christmas in L.A.” stars Owen Wilson lamenting life in Los Angeles, dreaming of a white Christmas.
As was the case with The Killers’ seven previous Christmas singles, all proceeds from “Christmas in L.A.” go to to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS as part of a partnership with (RED).
In addition to Owen Wilson, the video for “Christmas in L.A.” also features an appearance by Harry Dean Stanton. And see if you can spot the animated Warren Zevon too. Check out “Christmas in L.A.”
One of the great American songs of the late twentieth century is “City of New Orleans.” The song was originally written and recorded by Steve Goodman but made famous by Arlo Guthrie.
“City of New Orleans” was a top 20 hit for Guthrie in 1972, and numerous artists have performed and recorded “City of New Orleans.” While the song recounts the story of the Illinois Central Railroad’s City of New Orleans train, one might read a little more into the story by knowing more about the songwriter.
Steve Goodman and “City of New Orleans”
Goodman was born on July 25, 1948, and when he was in college, he was diagnosed with leukemia. While the disease was often in remission, Goodman always recognized he was living on borrowed time.
Goodman died at the young age of 34 on September 20, 1984. Knowing about his diagnosis, one may see more in the sadness of the song about the end of the life of a train.
The Real Train
The City of New Orleans itself was a train that the Illinois Central Railroad began operating in April 1947, a little more than a year from Goodman’s birth. The overnight train had the longest daytime regularly scheduled route in the country for a time. The train went between New Orleans, Louisiana and Goodman’s birthplace and hometown, Chicago, Illinois.
In May 1971, though, Amtrak took over the City of New Orleans train. The company converted it to a nighttime route, renaming it the Panama Limited.
Goodman reportedly came up with the idea for a song about the train while riding on a trip. But it is hard not to see some heartfelt connections between Goodman’s life and the train in his most famous song.
“Half way home, we’ll be there by morning, Through the Mississippi darkness. . . . This train’s got the disappearing railroad blues.”
Below is Goodman performing the song live in 1972.
Arlo Guthrie’s Version: Changed Lyrics
While Arlo Guthrie’s famous verion of the song follows Steve Goodman’s lyrics, there is one exception. Note in the video above, Goodman sings about “passing towns that have no name.” In Guthrie’s famous version, he sings about “passing trains that have no names.”
One commentator has explained that the difference between the two versions comes from Goodman’s knowledge of train travel. Goodman would know that traveling on the train, one would go through many towns without seeing any signs. But perhaps Guthrie did not understand or he thought city listeners would not understand a train traveling through nameless towns. Or maybe Guthrie just wanted to contrast regular nameless trains with the train named “City of New Orleans.”
In this video, a young Guthrie performs “City of New Orleans.”
“City of New Orleans” Today
Sometimes we all forget that we have a limited time on earth to make a difference, but Goodman’s leukemia diagnosis at a young age made him want to do as much with his life as he could. And his song about a train did make a difference.
After the song “City of New Orleans” became popular in the 1970s, Amtrak, hoping to capitalize on the song’s popularity, brought back the “City of New Orleans” train name in 1981. Thanks to Steve Goodman, you may still take a ride on the City of New Orleans today. And thanks to him, you may also sing along to one of the great American songs.
The changing attitudes toward marijuana, with states legalizing medical marijuana or legalizing it outright, reminded me of a 45 rpm record I had as a kid. I had never seen or smelled pot at that time, but I just liked a funny song called “Wildwood Weed.”
Jim Stafford recorded the song, which is really more talking than singing. If you had a TV in the 1970s, you probably know who Jim Stafford is. Like Paul Williams (and to some extent John Denver), he was one of those singer-performers who for a period seemed to be on every television show before suddenly seeming to disappear.
Stafford was a country-singer-comedian who often appeared on The Tonight Show. He had his own summer variety TV show in 1975 called, appropriately, The Jim Stafford Show. You might also remember him as a co-host of Those Amazing Animals from 1980 to 1981. Or you might recall his appearances on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ‘Revival Show.’
But before all of that, I knew Stafford from a 45 rpm record playing in my bedroom where he sang a story about “Wildwood Weed.” Below Stafford performs “Wildwood Weed” while hosting Nashville Now. But first he explains how the song was controversial at the time.
“Wildwood Weed” went to number seven on the U.S. charts in 1974. One of his other songs that I recall from that same year was “My Girl Bill,” which is a little more serious than “Wildwood Weed.”
Stafford was one of the most likable people on television in those days, and he always seemed to be smiling. So I was glad to hear that he is still performing even if the shows are not on national TV. Since 1990, he has performed at The Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri.
What is your favorite memory of Jim Stafford? Leave your two cents in the comments. Photo via public domain.
One of the great songs by The Mamas & the Papas is the song “Creeque Alley,” which was released in April 1967. It is a fun song that clearly is telling some kind of story, but one may find it hard to follow.
In this video below, posted by RollingStones50yrs, a performance of “Creeque Alley” by The Mamas & the Papas is inter-cut with photos illustrating the references in the song. “Creeque Alley” is about the band’s early years and some of their friends in the folk scene in the 1960s. The video also includes some interviews about the song.
So, to learn more about John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips (as well as some of their friends), check out the lyrics in this video of “Creeque Alley.”
Of course, it is a lovely song whether or not you catch all of the references. But it is still interesting to know a little more about it.
For a more detailed analysis of “Creeque Alley,” check out this website. For example, the website explains how the final lyrics describes the band members’ journey to the Virgin Islands in 1965, Cass Elliot’s vocal range, and the group’s return to the U.S. and relocation to California.
Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can’t be trusted, And Mitchie wants to go to the sea. Cass can’t make it; she says we’ll have to fake it – We knew she’d come eventually. Greasin’ on American Express cards; Tents low rent, but keeping out the heat’s hard. Duffy’s good vibrations and our imaginations Can’t go on indefinitely. And California dreamin’ is becomin’ a reality.
Of course, that last line is a reference to the band’s hit “California Dreamin’,” released in December 1965.
In fact, the name of the song Creeque Alley (pronounced like “creaky”) comes from “a narrow area of alleys that spiderweb the docks which historically carried ship cargo and pirate booty to the warehouses lining the waterfront on the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.” Another website with analysis of the song is here.
Tina Turner was born as Anna Mae Bullock in in Haywood County, Tennessee on November 26, 1939. She has had an incredible music career, including her work with Ike Turner and Phil Spector in the 1960s as well as her great solo work in the 1980s, including the album Private Dancer (1984).
1980s Music
In 1989, Turner released the album Foreign Affair, which did not do as well as Private Dancer, which had hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” But Foreign Affair was a solid album and did include a song that became one of her signature hits, “The Best.” That song was written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight and had previously been recorded by Bonnie Tyler.
Turner also did some great duets beyond her work with Ike, including a hit recording of “It’s Only Love” with Bryan Adams. Below she performs “Tonight” with David Bowie in 1985. The song was written by Bowie and Iggy Pop. This live version appeared on the live album Tina Live in Europe (1988).
On the Big Screen
Turner also appeared on the big screen, such as acting in the 1985 movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. She also appeared as the Acid Queen in The Who’s Tommy (1975).
In addition to acting on the big screen, she has been portrayed in a movie. Her abusive relationship with Ike Turner was portrayed in What’s Love Got to Do with It in 1993.
Retirement
Turner followed those movies with some more music releases and performances. But she announced her semi-retirement in 2000 and formally retired from the stage in 2009.
Today, Turner lives in Switzerland with her husband, and she became a Swiss citizen in 2013. Unfortunately, we do not get to hear from her much nowadays. She of course deserves her privacy and happiness after the life she gave to us through her music.
But she did return to the stage in 2015 around her birthday to perform “The Best,” and she showed us that at 76 years of age she still was the best.
Absence as Solo Artist from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
There is one thing that Turner deserves from us. While she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the duo of Ike and Tina Turner, she has not yet been inducted as an individual artist, even though she has been eligible since 1998. She more than deserves it based on the quality of her solo work (not even addressing the way women have been treated in rock). So, hopefully the Hall will correct the injustice while she can still attend the induction. UPDATE: In 2021, Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
And that brings me to my favorite Turner solo track, “Better Be Good To Me,” which is from Private Dancer and one of the best songs of the 1980s.
What is your favorite Tina Turner song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
The changing attitudes toward marijuana, with states legalizing medical marijuana or legalizing it outright, reminded me of a 45 rpm record I had as a kid. I had never seen or smelled pot at that time, but I just liked a funny song called “Wildwood Weed.”
