Category: Music

Hey, Won’t You Play

74 El Rancho
74 El Rancho

Bill (KTAI’s “Mr. Music”) Vessey of Texas A&I University in Kingsville shows us how a stray lock of hair pulled in front of the headset makes for a fantastic fringey sideburn.

How To Scorn A Woodwinder

UPI/Bettman Newsphotos, Illustrated History of US
UPI/Bettman Newsphotos

The bare-chested, bead-donning Pied Piper here was captioned as a member of the Yippies. I confess I know nothing of Yippies (only the later Yuppies), but wikipedia says:

The Youth International Party, whose members were commonly called Yippies, was a radically youth-oriented and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s, founded on December 31, 1967. They employed theatrical gestures, such as advancing a pig (“Pigasus the Immortal”) as a candidate for President in 1968, to mock the social status quo.

Pigasus the Immortal? I don’t get it.

Laughed Till I Cried

boot

If you’re one of those people who hasn’t watched SNL in years, you may want to do yourself a favor and check out this inspirational country parody called “Wishin’ Boot” from last night’s show, hosted by Blake Shelton. It helps if you’re familiar with Alan Jackson and Wynonna Judd.

Johnny Got A Guitar

Comet51-015

You have to pronounce it with emphasis on the first syllable: GUI-tar. That’s how it’s said.

So here’s what confuses me on this (my I Don’t Get It moment). This looks like a 50s rock ‘n’ roll impromptu set in the commons, some ragtag gathering of rebellious devil music. But if this Texas yearbook is a 1951 edition, then the schoolyear was only ’50-’51, and the first legit rock hit wasn’t until 1955 with Bill Haley and the Comets’ (see the Comet connection?) hit “Rock Around The Clock.” It wasn’t even written until 1952.

Elvis was only 16 in 1951. Ritchie Valens a mere 10. So what was this kid doing with his guitar? Surely not playing these top ten hits of 1951.

1 Nat King Cole Too Young
2 Tony Bennett Because Of You
3 Les Paul and Mary Ford How High The Moon
4 Rosemary Clooney Come On-a My House
5 Mario Lanza Be My Love
6 Weavers On Top Of Old Smoky
7 Tony Bennett Cold, Cold Heart
8 Perry Como If
9 Mario Lanza Loveliest Night Of The Year
10 Patti Page Tennessee Waltz

Now the interwebs tell me that classic rock and roll is “usually played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or (after the mid-1950s) an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit.” And I’m sure Mark the Music Man will know more about this than I. It just seems a bit early to go taking your first real six-string (if that’s what it is; I am ignorant) to school to serenade your peers, especially to play lame old people music. On top of old smoky…♫ ♫ ♫