Till- the Movie / Death of Emmett by Bob Dylan

 I walked over to the local multiplex today to see Till, one of the few films playing there that is suited for older adults.  It is about Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy, who was killed in Mississippi in 1955 after he whistled at a white woman.  The acting, especially by Danielle Deadwyler who played Emmett's mother, was excellent.  I highly recommend it.

In 1962 Bob Dylan performed his song the Death of Emmett Till on Cynthia Gooding's Folksinger Choice radio show.  This recording appeared on some bootlegs but was not released legally until 2010 Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos.

Leaves that are Green (turn to brown) - Seasonal Song by Simon and Garfunkel

 

Much of the music from the 1960s is timeless.  Time certainly hurries on as the days turn to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years.  We can never turn back the clock.  I often think back to events of the past, but I can't do anything to change them.

Jerry Lee Lewis Passes Away at 87

All members of The Million Dollar Quarter are in Rock 'n Roll Heaven

• Johnny Cash
• Elvis Presley
• Carl Perkins
• Jerry Lee Lewis

Obituary in the New York Times

Scott Shannon will Retire from WCBS-FM in December

 

Scott Shannon has been an influence for many years on New York radio since he arrived in 1983 to startup Z-100 as a contemporary hits station.  He later moved to WPLJ where he rebranded it as "Mojo Rado" to compete with Z-100.  He stayed there until 2014 when he was released by the station.  Shortly after that, he was hired to do the morning show at WCBS-FM.  That station hoped that Scott would lure listeners away from Z-100 and WPLJ.  It seemed to work as WCBS-FM consistently gets very high ratings.

I stopped listening to WCBS-FM in 2005 when they changed to the dreaded Jack format.  After two years management realized they made a mistake, adopted the Classic hits format, and avoided the word "oldies".  As the years passed WCBS-FM dropped 60s music and played predominantly hits from the 80s.

I rarely listen to Scott Shannon's morning show as I disliked the Morning Zoo style of AM drive radio.  I prefer a music-intensive show with minimal traffic, weather, and news with no celebrity gossip.

I guess Scott was tired of waking up at 3 AM for his show beginning at 6 AM.  At 75 years old he deserves to cut down on his workload.  He will still host the syndicated show America's Greatest Hits which is heard Sunday mornings on WCBS-FM from 7 AM - 11 AM.  Likewise, he will continue to host the True Oldies Channel which is heard on 101.1 HD-3 in NYC and is streamed over the internet.

 Scott Shannon's Announcement

Don't Think Twice It's Alright - Covers of a Bob Dylan Song from the Ridiculous to the Sublime

 Bob Dylan's songs can be interpreted in many ways.  He originally recorded it on the Freewheelin' album in 1963.  Below are three covers by The Wonder Who (The Four Seasons). Peter Paul and Mary, and Eric Clapton.

The Yankees Lost to the Houston Astros 4 Games to None - Now the Speculation Begins

 

The Houston Astros beat the Yankees 6-5 in Game Four of the ALCS to complete a sweep.  The Yankees were very hot early in the season but did not play well after the All-Star break.  They eked out a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS but were soundly beaten by the Astros.  The Philadelphia Phillies won only 87 games in the regular season but got hot at the right time and are now in the World Series.

I regularly read the Athletic and articles from MLB.com and the sports writers are already speculating on what will happen in the off-season.  On article gives five teams that could sign Aaron Judge.  I think that these speculative articles should wait until after the World Series ends.

The World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, October 28th, and would end on November 5th if it went to seven games.  I suggest that the World Series begin this Wednesday, October 26.  Some marginal fans may lose interest over a four-day gap.  It is known that the TV ratings for the World Series have declined recently,

I will get ready to watch basketball, hockey and football.

Random Thought of the Day

• I don't like to read speculative articles by sports journalists.  The playoffs and World Series are not yet over, and they are speculating on free-agency signings.  As soon as the Yankees are eliminated, they will speculate on whether Aaron Boone or Brian Cashman will be fired.
• I just can't even think of basketball or hockey until the World Series is over.  At that point, I'll have to think about what tickets I should buy.  I looked at the Ranger's schedule and noted that tickets cost at least $167.
• I haven't been to a Broadway show in years.  I'll have to check the listings and decide which ones to see.
• The response for the Oldies Meet and Greet is low.  It is still three weeks away and often people don't want to commit until a few days before.  I suspect that many women are afraid to travel to Manhattan on public transportation.
• It is terrible that too many crazy people have access to knives and guns.  If I had my way I would repeal or modify the Second Amendment to the constitution.  That will never happen.  Likewise, the Electoral College will not be abolished.

 

Talkin' Baseball by Terry Cashman - Original and Customized Version for the New York Mets

I haven't heard these songs in years.  They are obviously not played on the radio.

 

My Favorite Silly Commercial

 

This commercial for Six Flags aired in 2004.  I visited their amusement parks in Jackson, NJ, and near Springfield, MA.  In recent years Six Flags has not advertised on TV.

The bald man in the commercial reminds me of a former boss who sadly passed away.  He never danced around the library, but the scene where he is driving some kids on a bus reminds me of the time when he held a staff retreat in Trenton.  He hired a bus to take the staff from Newark to TCNJ.

I had a dream about him sitting by the reference desk and playing poker with some students.

My mind plays strange tricks on me.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by the Eurythmics - Classic Hit of the Day

 

I am not a great fan of the Eurythmics or of eighties music, but the title of this song hit me today.  This video is crazy and does not project the meaning of this song to me.  I wish I had sweet dreams but on too many nights over recent years I have dreamt about:

• Visiting my former employer either to work or just to visit
• Working in a library (not my former employer)
• Seeing people, I have not been in contact with for years or even decades
• Experiencing mass transit delays

Is this a symptom of PTSD or what?

Thoughts on the 17th Anniversary of Bruce's Journal

 

On October 15, 2005, I started Bruce's Journal and kept going.  It started as an AOL blog, but it transitioned into a Google blog when AOL discontinued that service.  For $10/year I purchased the BruceSlutsky.com domain that I must renew every year.  I wish I could purchase it in perpetuity so that when I pass away, hopefully, many years from now, my thoughts will be preserved on the Internet.  I am approaching 4600 entries with about 1,100,000 hits.  I question that number as I think many of them are from robots.  By the way, the song above Seventeen by Boyd Bennett seen above was used in 1989 when WCBS-FM celebrated its 17th year as an oldies station.

The major topics include:

• Bob Dylan
• The New York Mets
• Other Baseball Issues
• Oldies and Classic Rock
• Family issues (I try not to be too personal here)
• Strange experiences
• Movies
• Old Friends (I usually just write the first name)

I am usually careful as anyone can read my blog.  I read that a couple of people were fired after they wrote articles critical of the police department.  I once got into trouble with a pompous professor from Texas.

I usually write off the top of my head, but my best articles in my opinion were

• Reviewing the times, I spent with Karen that I wrote shortly after her passing
• Remembering Alan Berman

I never know who reads the blog regularly,  Nick from Long Beach, California is one, but people usually want to surf the web anonymously.

I hope I can keep writing for another 17 years when I will be 90 years old.

Adventures with the iPhone This Week

I have an iPhone 8 that I bought in September 2018.  Recently, the battery was running low very quickly.  So, I thought it should be replaced.  I went to the Apple Store in the Queens Center Mall on Monday and was told that I could wait for 2-3 hours as a walk-in or make an appointment for later in the week.  I made an appointment for Thursday.

On the way home I passed by a small electronics store that stated they repair iPhones.  I thought instead of waiting three days to go back to the Apple Store I would replace the batter at this small store.  When I went back home with a new battery, I discovered that it wasn't charging.  I brought it back to the small store the next day.  He fiddled around with it and insisted that it was OK.  When I got home it still didn't charge.

Luckily, I did not cancel my appointment at the Apple Store.  On the way there my phone would not boot up.  The people there reinstalled the software and put in a new battery.  Everything is OK with the phone, but I lost my contacts and had to put in passwords for many of my apps.  This is a time-consuming task, but at least I didn't have to buy a new phone.  The enhanced camera is the only difference I can see in the newer iPhones.

All's well that ends well.

 

Remembering Oldies Diva Andrea Weiner

Andrea with Broadway Bill Lee and Pat St. John

Photo was taken by Bill Dillane in 2008

Yesterday it was announced on Facebook that Andrea Weiner passed away on September 24.  She certainly was oldies radio enthusiast extraordinaire.  She had to be one of WCBS-FM's greatest listeners when it played the hits of the '50s '60s and '70s.  I remember hearing her phoning the DJs many times.  She had an extraordinary knowledge of the artists and songs of that era.  She regularly went to concerts and came to a few of the oldies meet and greets at Ben's Deli in Manhattan.

I first knew about Andrea in the early '90s when she came to the opening of a Genovese Drug store in Whitestone, Queens hosted by Bob Shannon.  She traveled by public transportation from Brooklyn to Northern Queens to see Bob.  In the mid-1990s Prodigy was a popular online service that had radio message boards.  She posted quite often and had many conversations with the late Vic Monachelli.  She later appeared on the New York Radio Message Board, Oldies Board, and Radiodiscussions.

My condolences to her close friends and family,

 

Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli vs Lauryn Hill

 This morning, I was listening to WFUV as they played Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Lauryn Hill.  It is entirely different from Frankie Valli's version that hit #2 on the Billboard charts in 1967.  By the way, WFUV is fundraising this week. I am a sustaining member and encourage listeners to donate to the station.  Which version do you prefer?

 

 

In a Short Series Anything Can Happen

 

By now everyone knows that the Mets lost last night to the San Diego Padres 6-0 and lost the Wild Card Series 2-1.  The Mets were hot in April and May as they led the NL East by 10 ½ games on June 1.  The Atlanta Braves were even hotter during the last four months and tied the Mets with 101 victories but won the NL East since they defeated the Amazins in the season series. 

In 2021 the Braves finished the regular 89-73 but won the World Series defeating teams with better records over 162 games.  Thus, in a short series, anything can happen.  This is what happened as the Mets cooled off in the last half of the season and couldn't beat the Padres.

 We will have to wait until after the World Series for the Hot Stove League to begin.  The Mets have many free agents. Who will stay with the team and who will go elsewhere?  I didn’t realize that there were so many players who could leave to sign with another team.  I think owner Steve Cohen will open up his wallet and sign most of them. He wants to win the World Series. Is Jacob deGrom worth $40 Million since he is so injury-prone?  If many 2022 Mets move to other teams, who will the Mets acquire through free-agent signings or trades? 

Let’s watch the rest of the playoffs and World Series and worry about that later.

 

Mets Beat the Padres 7-3 to Tie the Wild Card Series

 

I paid big bucks for tickets to last night's game.  We sat in section 507 on the upper deck between home plate and first base.  It was less expensive to get tickets through Stub Hub than through the Mets ticket office.

Jacob deGrom started the game and allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.  The game featured home runs by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.  Trent Grisham hit a home run for the Padres.  The Mets took a commanding lead in the seventh inning featuring a double by NL batting champion Jeff McNeil that drove in two runs.

Manager Buck Showalter made an unusual move by bringing in closer Edwin Diaz in the seventh inning.  At that point, the Mets had a one-run lead.  The situation became a little scary in the ninth inning as Adam Ottovino loaded the bases as the Padres scored a run to make the score 7-3.  Seth Lugo got the last out facing the potential tying run and got the save.

The game lasted four hours and thirteen minutes.  There were a total of 15 walks and numerous deep counts, foul balls, and throws to try to pick off runners.  I am looking forward to the pitch clock next season.  Games are just too long.

Game Recap

Box Score

Can the Mets Bounce Back after a Terrible Loss to the San Diego Padres?

 

Max Scherzer got a three-year contract worth $130 Million but pitched very poorly last night as he allowed four home runs to the Padres in Game 1 of the wild-card series.  This was only the second time that a pitcher allowed four home runs in a post-season game.

Greg Prince the author of the blog Faith and Fear in Flushing made the following observation on Twitter:

The Mets lost Game One of...

• 1969 World Series
• 1973 NLCS
• 1986 NLCS
• 1986 World Series
• 2000 NLDS

I especially remember 1986 when the Mets lost the first two games of the 1986 World Series at home and rallied to beat the Red Sox in 7 games.

I will be at Citi Field tonight as Jacob deGrom will take the mound.  But which de Grom will we see tonight?  He pitched poorly in his last two starts in the regular season.

Will Bob Dylan Perform at The Beacon Theater in NYC This November?

For several years Bob Dylan has performed at the Beacon Theater in late November or early December.  At that point, the Never-Ending Tour took a hiatus and resumed in the spring.  At present, Dylan is touring in western Europe with the last concert scheduled for November 7th in Dublin, Ireland.  There is nothing scheduled at the Beacon Theater from November 20 until December 1.

Does this mean Dylan will come there?  I think it is possible but unlikely.  He is now 81 years old and should rest longer between the legs of his tour.  I think if he were to perform there, the concerts would have been announced by now.

We'll have to just wait and see.

 

With 101 Wins the Mets Had to Settle for the Wild Card

 

On June 1 the Mets had a 10 1/2 game lead in the National League East.  Since that time, the Atlanta Braves were as hot as fire as they overcame the Mets in the last week of the season.  The Mets failed by

• Losing four games to the Chicago Cubs in the middle of September
• They performed poorly playing against the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins
• Losing three games to Atlanta during the last week of the season.  Winning just one could have given them the NL East title.
• The trades they made at the deadline did not help the team.

When I look back at the standings in 2000, the Mets were second place team behind the Atlanta Braves and got to the World Series when they lost to the Yankees.  Let's hope for a Subway Series this year.

I got tickets for the second wild card game against the San Diego Padres.  They are in Section 507 in the upper deck of Citi Field.  The prices on Stub Hub were less than those offered by the Mets.  I had to buy two single tickets four rows apart, so I can't have everything.

Full Measure by the Lovin' Spoonful - Random Oldie of the Day

 

For some strange reason, this song came to mind this morning.   It was from the album "Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful" and was also released as a single but only reached #87 on the Billboard chart.  I believe Steve Boone who co-wrote the song was the lead singer.  It was discussed on the Vancouver Pop Music website.

The 2022 Oldies Meet and Greet is Set for Saturday November 12 at Ben's Deli in Manhattan

After a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic we are pleased to announce the Oldies Meet and Greet will return on Saturday November 12^th from 2-4 PM at Ben’s Deli, 209 West 38^th Street in Manhattan.  In the past we have featured radio personalities and oldies recording artists including Broadway Bill Lee, Pat St. John, Bobby Jay, Jim Kerr, Carol Miller, Big Jay Sorensen, Sue O’Neill, Cool Bobby B, Louise Murray of the Jaynetts, and Tony Middleton of the Willows.

Our special guest this year will be Barbara Harris of the Toys. Barbara was born in North Carolina but as a child moved to Jamaica, Queens, NY. In high school she began singing with classmates and they were discovered by the Brill Building songwriting team Linzer-Randell-Crewe who gave the newly created group The Toys, their first top 10 hit "Lovers Concerto" in the fall of 1965. Barbara Harris and the Toys had three other charted hits "Attack," "Silver Spoon," and "Sealed with a Kiss." The Toys appeared on American Bandstand, Shindig and Hullabaloo and still perform today.

Luncheon Menu

Choice of ONE

Corned Beef, Roast Beef, Brisket, Pastrami, Turkey, Smoked Turkey, Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, Salami, Vegetable Burger, 2 Hot Dogs, House Salad

SERVED with FRESH CUT FRENCH FRIES

INCLUDES:

Cole Slaw and Pickles

 Fresh Baked Rye Bread

Choice of Bottomless Fountain Soda or Iced Tea

  The Cost is $29 for all attending (Cash only please) that includes the meal and drinks, tax, tip and chipping in for the special guests. This has been our tradition since this event began in 2006.

 

For further Information contact Bruce Slutsky (BruceS8852@aol.com) or Jeff Scheckner (jmandjs@aol.com)

 

Please register at Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/1768628143488449/

If you are not on Facebook, you can register at https://forms.gle/hKeG5vVx81zBLUBF8

 

The Bob Dylan Tribute Concert at Town Hall was Superb

 

Last night we went to Town Hall in Manhattan and Joe Henry to see A Tribute to Bob Dylan produced by T-Bone Burnett and Joe Henry.  It was part of the Town Hall Centennial Celebration.  It featured covers of Dylan songs by artists including:

• The Punch Brothers
• Bill Frisell
• Margaret Glaspy
• Joy Harjo
• The McCrary Sisters

Songs written by Bob Dylan have been covered and interpreted by numerous recording artists over the years.  I have many CDs in my collection with covers in many genres of music.  In the past I have attended the following performances that covered Dylan songs:

• Dylan Different by Ben Sidran at the Highline Ballroom
• The Complete Unknowns at The City Winery
• Tomorrow is a Long Time – Songs by Bob Dylan’s 1963 Concert at Town Hall

Last night’s concert at Town Hall did not repeat the songs at the 1963 Concert but offered a playlist of songs that represented Dylan’s works from his brilliant 60-year career.  The setlist:

• Blowin’ in the Wind
• Masters of War
• Gotta Serve Somebody
• Positively Fourth Street
• Every Grain of Sand
• The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
• Tangled Up in Blue – got the biggest applause
• All Along the Watchtower
• It’s Alright Ma (I’m only bleeding)
• Mississippi
• A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
• What Good am I?
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
• Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright
• Not Dark Yet – from Time Out of Mind that was released exactly 25 years ago
• The encore was Rainy Day Way Women #12 and #35 which was an audience sing-along

I must say the performances were superb both vocally and instrumentally.

At the show's beginning, it was stated that the performance would be recorded for posterity.  I hope it will be released as a DVD and CD.

Kathy Fortier took this Photo