Bruce Slutsky was born in New York City in 1949. I retired six years ago after working as a Science/Engineering Librarian at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark for 25 years. I was married to Karen until she passed away in February 2021. I have a son Lee who is now 35 years old. I am very much interested in the popular music of the 1960s, especially Bob Dylan and the Beatles. I am interested in rock and roll radio. I am an enthusiastic fan of the New York Mets.
Much has been written about the high number of celebrities who passed away in 2016. For my last entry of 2016 I would like to pay a brief tribute to three radio personalities who left us this year.
Jim worked at WNEW 1130 AM and WNBC 660 AM but was also a recording artist best known for his hit Green Door. Here is an obituary from the New York Times
Rich Conaty WFUV
His untimely passing at age 62 was announced last night. He loved the music from the 1920s and 1930s and played it on WFUV Sunday nights. Please see this tribute from the WFUV staff.
I'd like to thank reader Gary Fishbein for telling me that Dan Daniel and Jim Lowe also worked for WNBC 660 AM.
I have always tried to keep informed of what is going on in the world by watching TV News and reading newspapers. The former can be depressing as much of the stories are about crime and accidents. This morning as I watched the Today Show there was a report that Conor Kennedy, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy was arrested for disorderly conduct after a fight at a bar.
What is the big deal here? There are likely hundreds of arrests each day for disorderly conduct, but since a Kennedy was involved it becomes big news. The best thing for me to do is just turn off my TV.
Karen and I visited the Paley Center for Media today to "follow-up" on the movie Jackie which we saw on Saturday and Rolling Stones Exhibitionism that we visited Monday. First of all I must say that Natalie Portman was excellent in her portrayl of Jackie Kennedy. The film showed Jackie giving a tour of the White House that was on CBS TV back in the early 1960s. The Paley Center had in its database the actual show in January 1962 where Jackie escorted Charles Collingsworth through the White House. We also viewed some footage of NBC News on November 22, 1963 when the shooting of JFK was first reported. It took about 30 minutes until his death was confirmed. Back then there were no satellite transmissions, so there was a delay in getting out the news.
I searched the database under the Rolling Stones and found a special about them on MTV in 1990. We also viewed an episode of Shindig from 1965 featuring the Rolling Stones, Byrds, Everly Brothers, Billy Preston, and others.
The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism started its run in NYC (775 Washington Street near the Whitney Museum) in November and will continue until March 12. I highly recommend it to my friends who are oldies enthusiasts. It included over 500 items including vintage guitars, rare instruments, lyric books, album art, and personal letters. The best part of the exhibit was a short 3D movie of the Rolling Stones singing Satisfaction.
When we finished the show we went to the gift shop across the street, I bought the Stone's new CD called Blue and Lonesome where the group returns to its musical R&B roots. I have several of their albums from the 60s and 70s on vinyl, but only a greatest hits compilation on CD. We also got a t-shirt for Lee and a refrigerator magnet for Karen.
I found this picture the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Facebook site of friend Jay Mandel. We just found out today of the untimely passing of musician George Michael at age 53. Too many of the celebrities in the photo left us much too soon. RIP and may 2017 be a better year. A list may be found at this web site.
Yesterday with a unique day as I saw two sporting events in
person within hours in Newark. Let me
explain how this happened. Yesterday was
faculty and staff appreciation day at NJIT so we were invited to the Athletic
Center to see the Men’s Basketball Team play Dean College. The Highlanders won 92-50 as Damon Lynn
became the top scorer in the school’s history.
They are now unbeaten at home and are 6-8 on the season. They will be playing Atlantic Sun Conference schools shortly after the first of the year.
After the game ended I took the light rail to get to the
Prudential Center where I met Karen and Lee to see the New Jersey Devils play
the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils shut
out the Flyers 4-0 for their first win in 8 games. It was Corey Schneider’s first shutout in
almost a year. There were several fights
especially in the first period when the teams combined for 17 penalties and 46
penalty minutes.
Two of Bob Dylan's recent albums, Fallen Angels and Shadows in the Night, are all adult standards with none of his compositions. Since he appeared in a tribute concert Tony Bennett, I thought that he would chose a song on one of those two albums. Instead he picked a song titled "Once Upon a Time" which was recorded by Tony Bennett. Ironically, Like a Rolling Stone starts out saying "Once upon a time."
I think the segment with Dylan was pre-recorded and not done at the Radio City Music Hall with the rest of the show. Elton John appeared from Las Vegas, but nothing was said about where Dylan's song was recorded.
It was announced today that Joan Baez along with Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam, Journey, Yes, and Electric Light Orchestra were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There is always controversy overe who gets in and who doesn't. I would label Joan Baez as a folk singer while other rock stars are not in. I personally would like to see Neil Sedaka and Chubby Checker inducted.
I hearty congratulate Joan and the others for their election and forthcoming induction in April. Perhaps Mr. Zimmerman will induct her.
I work in a college with a relatively small campus of about 50 acres, yet I regularly see students skateboarding. It is a pain in a neck at times to avoid these kids who can easily walk from one building to the next. Today I saw a kid trying to do that in a corrider that is narrow since it is adjacent to a construction site. I asked him nicely to just carry his skateboard through this passageway. He did that for about 10 seconds and after I turned my head he started to sidewalk surf. C'mon guys, there is a time and place for skateboarding, but please don't do it on a crowded campus.
I also observed students wearing shorts and flip-flops in the winter. I am not their father and just can' stop them.
What can I say? A little common sense and courtesy go a long way in this world.
I always like to be informed so habitually I watch TV News at 11 PM just before I go to sleep. Both local and national news organizations are guilty of often creating the news instead of reporting it. It seems that crime and accidents dominate the TV news. For example the Jon Benet Ramsey murder is still on national newscasts 20 years later. There have been many high profile cases where police have acted inappropriately which dominate the news for months. But when the police go beyond the call of duty and rescue people there is little or no mention.
The only thing one can do is not watch the news or read newspapers.
The 7 Line (not the dreaded subway #7) is a group of diehard Met fans who usually sit in the seats in deep center field at Citifield. They are also known for selling Mets apparel. Toward the end of last season I saw a girl wearing a Home Run Apple ski cap. I google and found at this this item was available from The 7 Line, but they were out of stock. I saw some advertised on Ebay at outrageous prices, but it just wasn't worth it.
I have always been on their mailing list and found out a few days ago that the hat was now available. I ordered mine just after I read the e-mail. I was really lucky as an hour later they were sold out. It arrived today and I asked Karen to take a picture of me wearing it. This hat will not leave my apartment.
I was listening to Bob Dylan Tracks which features mostly covers and this one comes up which Dylan did on his Bringing it All Back Home album in 1965. Taj does a pretty good "silly song."
I read about the story of Cindy Stowell on the Jeopardy web site and other places on the web. Today's show was recorded on August 31, but Cindy passed away on December 5. She beat 7 time winner Tim Aten on today's show and of course will stay on until she loses. She donated her prize money to cancer related organizations.
This was a very touching story. I'll be rooting for her.
Since I thought I needed a break from watching sports events on TV on Sunday I thought we would take a trip to the Brooklyn Museum to see the exhibit Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present at the Brooklyn Museum. Since this particular exhibit will close on January 8th, I wanted to make sure that I saw it.
The exhibit covers any any all sport at any level. The must outstanding photo was that of Muhammed Ali standing over Sonny Liston after knocking him at at Lewiston, Maine in 1965. I saw so many photos, but a few that I remember are:
Greg Louganis hitting his head on a diving board
Jackie Robinson stealing home in a World Series against the Yankees
Johnny Unitas in the 1958 championship game against the Giants
We took time to take in the other exhibits in the museum
I mentioned before that Patti Smith went to Stockholm to accept the Nobel Prize for Bob Dylan. I heard that she sung A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall at the ceremony. You can see below that she flubbed a couple of lines. I forgive her for that, but I really feel that the wrong song was selected as this was a cold war song from the early 1960s. We should all look ahead to the future, no back upon the past.
I would have selected Forever Young which is much, kinder, gentler, and timeless. I just finished watching a DVD of The Last Waltz where Dylan sang it backed by the Band.
About two years ago I joined SABR which is an acronym for the Society for American Baseball Research. I was always interest in the history of baseball and was thinking ahead to retirement as I'd like to be active in a "cultural" organization. After about a year I volunteered to be the record keeper for the Games Project. SABR members write up various games that are historical in nature such as a no hitter, world series victory, and record setting incident among others. When a member submits a game I have to check the spreadsheet to see if the game has been done before. There have been over 1000 games done. This has been a lot of work.
Today is the 36th anniversary of the tragic murder of John Lennon. I don't want to repeat what I said in previous years so I'll refer my readers to these posts about John.
It was announced on Bob Dylan's official web site that the Never Ending Tour will come to the United Kingdom in May 2017. Hopefully it will come to NYC over the summer.
It was announced today that astronaut and Senator John Glenn died at age 95. I remember back in February 1962 as a student at Russell Sage Junior High School many kids brought in transistor radios to monitor his three orbits around the earth.
Again, I must express my disappointment that Bob Dylan will not appear in Stockholm to accept his Nobel Prize for literature. Patti Smith will appear and sing A Hard Rain is a-Gonna Fall. I also feel that this is a cold war song and is not appropriate for this occasion. I would have liked to have heard Blowin' in the Wind instead. I also read that Dylan sent an acceptance speech to be read.
Since ticket prices have skyrocketed over recent years for professional sports at Madison Square Garden, we have gone to college games. Most of the times we have seen St. Johns basketball, but last night there was rare college hockey game with the University of North Dakota playing Boston College.
I was somewhat surprised to see so many fans rooting for North Dakota. I must assume that the university sponsored a group trip to New York City. They were very enthusiastic about their hockey. There was also a small er contingent from Boston College. The quality of the game was quite good as North Dakota won 4-3.
I highly suggest that readers of Bruce's Journal watch this interview. Rich talks at length about That Thing with Rich Appel. It is heard on over 66 internet and terrestrial radio stations all over the world. I usually catch it Sunday nights on Pop Gold Radio.
I am actually mentioned in this interview. I guess I am now a celebrity in North Haven, CT.
Can you really call playing baseball labor? These guys get millions of dollars a year for playing a boys game. Sometimes these multimillionaires act like children, but there is labor peace for several years. I really think that the baseball strike of 1994-95 was really devastating and must never happen again.
The one thing I like about this agreement is that the All-Star game will not decide what team gets the extra home game in a 7 game World Series. The pennant winning team with the better record will get the home field advantage now. Another change is that the minimum time on the disabled list is reduced from 15 to 10 games.
Please see this article in SB Nation for a further discussion.
The news came through today that Yoenis Cespedes will get a 4 year deal from the Mets for $110 Million. It will not become official until he passes a physical exam. He is an excellent player, but not Hall of Fame material. He certainly helped the Mets get to the World Series in 2015 and to the wild card game in 2016. It is just he is at times inconsistent and did miss some time for injuries.
Meanwhile on the way home fromwork I received a cell phone call from the Mets ticket office trying to sell me tickets. I guess they have to raise money to pay his salary. Presently, the smallest partial plan is for 20 games which is just too much for me. Also why should they hold my money for several months before the season begins.
I think I have been making Jeff Bezos a rich man as I have been buying so much stuff on Amazon.com. I never liked to go shopping in stores anyway, so online shopping is the way to go for me.
Anyway, I have had a small Bluetooth speaker for a few years, but I decided to upgrade to something bigger and better. Alexa on Amazon Echo is similiar to Siri on the iPhone and Cortana on Microsoft Windows 10. I experimented with it for about an hour before Jeopardy tonight, so I'll have spend a little more time with it again.
Brian Matthew and Sounds of the Sixties have appeared many times over the years in Bruce's Journal. It has been on BBC2 for over 25 years and is aired in London 8 AM on Saturday mornings. I discovered this show at least 10 years ago as there is a podcast. I usually listen to it Sunday mornings. It is a terrific show with a good blend of British hits rarely heard in the US and American oldies.
When I turned on the show this morning a different announcer, Tim Rice, announced that Brian is under the weather and will be out for a while. Brian is 88 years old, so there is some concern for his health. Back in late 2006 and early 2007 Brian was away from the show for about 6 months.
I am sure that I speak for all his listeners in the UK and the USA by wishing him a speedy recovery.
Since the ticket prices for professional basketball are so high we usually go to several college basketball games a season. This afternoon we took the subway to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to see the Syracuse Orangemen play the Gamecocks of South Carolina. Most of the people were fans of Syracuse as that university has many students and alumni from the NYC area. The Gamecocks really played tight defense as they held the #18 Orangemen to 50 points.
Ralph Branca who passed away today at age 90 was best known for pitching to Bobby Thompson who hit "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" in the 1951 playoffs as the New York Giants won the pennant. Russ Hodges famous call was heard on radio station WMCA which was later a famous Top 40 station.
Ralph was a pretty good pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers Dodgers in the 1940s and 50s as seen below in his records taken from Baseball-Reference. His lifetime record was 88-68. He actually won 21 games for the 1947 Dodgers.
In 1962 and 63 the Met games were broadcast on WABC and Ralph was the sidekick of Howard Cossell for the pre- and postgame shows.
Ralph was also the father-in-law of former Met manager Bobby Valentine.
For the last 65 years of his life he had to suffer the infamy of that one pitch.
Every year on November 22 I write something in this journal about the Kennedy assassination. There is no need to repeat where I was at the time or the people I knew back in 1963 at Russell Sage Junior High School. Since the 53rd anniversary is not a milestone year, there hasn't been much written or said in the mainstream media. About 2/3 of the people living today were not yet born on that tragic day.
Even though the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin, most people believe there was somewhat a conspiracy. Perhaps in the year 2063 the Federal Government will tell everybody what really happened.
The Performance above was at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY in July 2014
When a major group disbands or many of the original members pass away, tribute groups often form. There are umpteen Beatles tribute groups and Elvis Presley impersonators out there. Since 1968 I have been a fan of The Band which recorded with Bob Dylan and by themselves for many years. Original members Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Levon Helm passed away while Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson are still living.
Last night we went to see The THE BAND Band, a tribute group, at The Iridium on Broadway and 51st Street. I guess if the original group is no longer around, a tribute group is the next best thing. They performed mostly early Band recordings of the late 60s and early 70s. They played a few songs done on the Jericho album from 1991. The only two Dylan songs that they played were Like a Rolling Stone and I Shall be Released. I wish they would have played This Wheel on Fire, but they just couldn't do everything.
We enjoyed the show. I do remember seeing the original group at Central Park in the Summer of 1971,
Rolling Stone magazine and other sources report that Bob Dylan will not go to Stockholm to accept his Nobel Prize. He told the Swedish Academy that previous committments preclude him from accepting the prize in person. I assume that someone will go in his place to accept it, but who? I must respectfully disapprove of Dylan's actions here. Winning a Nobel Prize is an honor bestowed on a very select few. What committments does he have? The last concert on this leg of the Never Ending Tour is November 23 while the ceremony in Stockholm is December 10. Maybe he is just lazy. There will be a reception that day in his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota honoring him for winning the prize.
News travels very fast in this era of social media. This morning I logged into Facebook and found out that Leon Russell passed away at age 74. There was a link to the announcement on his offical web site. There is a good obituary including a summary of his musical accomplishments from NPR. Thus I will try to make this journal entry unique.
I searched Youtube and found a video of Leon at BB Kings in November 2011 praising Bob Dylan. He said that Dylan taught him everything he knew about songwriting.
I had the pleasure of seing Leon in concert once in August 2011 when he opened for Bob Dylan at Jones Beach. If you link to that journal entry there is a Youtube video of his singing A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall. Below is a Youtube video of Leon sing another Dylan composition Watching the River Flow.
Jeff Scheckner and I have organized these gatherings of oldies radio enthusiasts since 2006. Every year Jeff makes an effort to get a well known NYC radio personality to come, but this year several sent their regrets. It is more important to me for people who "know each other" through social media to meet face to face at least once a year. Electronic relationships are just not the same as meeting people in the flesh.
In the past we have had as many as 80 people come to these events. Perhaps many just came to meet the celebrity that agreed to come. This year the turnout was somewhat lower since we did not have a DJ from a major NYC radio station. Cool Bobby B as seen in the photo above who has come for several years spoke to the group on how he succeeded in producing a Doo Wop Concert on a shoestring budget. Louise Murray, another regular, sang for us again.
You just can't get too attached to a ball player these days as you never know when they will leave your team. It is very rare today when a superstar like Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams will play his entire career with one team.
Today Bartolo Colon signed a one year $12.5 Million contract with the Atlanta Braves. You have to think about the Mets' options here. Although Bartolo had an excellent season for the Mets last year winning 15 games, he is 43 years old. You never know when an "elderly" athlete will all of a sudden lose his skills. Bartolo was injury free last season when 4 of the Mets yonger players lost much time due to injuries.
My favorite memories of Bartolo was seeing him run out two doubles at Citifield. His home run in San Diego was "amazing". Thanks for 3 good seasons for the Mets.
In September I mentioned in this journal the announcement of the Bob Dylan 1966 Live Recordings. This boxed set inlcudes all of his concerts in April and May of 1966. I received my package from Amazon.com today. I decided to listen to one CD a week for the next 36 weeks.
I just found out on Facebook and Twitter that Leonard Cohen just passed about at age 82. To be honest, I really didn't spend much time over the years listening to him. From time to time his recordings were played on WFUV, but I never bought any of his albums. With 20/20 hindsight I really should have since his 50 year career as a singer/songwriter was legendary.
I went to sleep last night at about 11:15 thinking that this close election would not be resolved for several hours. I promised myself I would not wake up in the middle of the night to check the results. I woke up at about 5:45 (normal wakeup time for me is 6:10) and looked at my phone and saw that Donald Trump won as he took most of the battleground states. I can only pray for the future of this country. Will he be the same jerk as he was as a candidate? The Republicans will also have control of the House and Senate. Who will be appointed to the Supreme Court and to cabinet positions?
Michael Moore when he was interviewed on NBC last night summarized it perfectly as he said that Trump conned the American public into thinking that he was best for the presidency.
I remember hearing Murray the K play this all those years ago when he was a DJ at WINS. It was released in late 1964, but only peaked at #51 in the Billboard chart. I think it is quite appropriate for today.
In 48 hours I will sitting at my TV screen watching the election returns. Will it be over by 11 PM or be a cliffhanger? In any event I will be happy that it will be over as I have to vote for the lesser of the two evils. I would like to comment that I feel that the electoral college should be abolished. In 2000 Al Gore won the popular vote, but since he lost in the electoral college George W. Bush became president. In the campaign the two candidates have visited the so called battleground states. I guess Trump has conceded NY State to Clinton so nobody has camapigned here.
I must of had my old HP inkjet printer for at least 7 years. The last several times I have tried to print, there were problems so I thought it was time to get a new one. This device is a combination printer, scanner and photocopier. I was able to get it for $60 at Amazon.com. The "catch" with printers is that in the long run you pay more for ink than you do for the printer itself.
In September I announced in this journal the 36 CD set of every live Dylan recording from 1966. As it is now only 8 days from the release of this boxed set a preview was released today on the NPR web site. As I am writing this I am listening to the preview. Back then he actually talked to the audience.
It was short and sweet as my quest to name a street in Forest Hills after Simon and Garfunkel ended as I found out from an official source that streets in NYC can only be named or co-named after dead people. I sent my query to Community Board #6 which covers Forest Hills and received a prompt response. This is what I received:
Standards for Council Consideration of Street Co-naming
Subjects Must Be either: An individual who:
1. Is deceased; and
2. a. Was a New York City resident or native; or
b. Was an individual of particular importance to a significant population of New York City; and
3. a. Whose contributions to art, science, culture, politics, education, society or health and safety have a lasting positive impact on a city community, the city, the state, the country or the world; or
b. Who knowingly risked their own life to save the life of another person in an act of heroism above and beyond the call of duty; or
c. Who engaged in extensive community involvement or activism, including, but not limited to, the providing of aid to members of a community in need; or
d. Was a uniformed member of the Department of Correction, the Fire Department, the Police Department or the Department of Sanitation who died in the line of duty.
Organizations or Cultural Works that have:
1. Had an enduring or lasting impact on large segments of the City’s population, or have undertaken an act or acts that had an enduring or lasting impact on a community; and
2. Whose importance to the City or whose enduring or lasting impact is a result of exemplary acts or achievements which reflect positively on the City.
On tonights Jeopardy there were answers alluding to Bob Dylan, Donovan, and Simon and Garfunkel. Since the answers are revealed so quickly, I can not remember the exact phrasing of each answer. In a few days I can check one of the fan sites for the exact wording.
What is Hibbing? - This is Bob Dylan's home town. Lee got it while all 3 contestants passed on it.
What is Season of the Witch? The answer referred to Halloween III. That is a Donovan song that is on his Sunshine Superman album.
What is the 59th Bridge - This alludes to Simon & Garfunkel's 59th Street Bridge Song
Today the intersection of 67th Avenue and 110th Street in Forest Hills was named for the punk rock group the Ramones as reported on NY1 News. This is right in front of Forest Hills High School where yours truly was in the class of 1967. Actually Tommy Ramone (birth name Thomas Edelyi) was in my class. I was not acquainted with him back then.
Certainly the Ramones were quite influential in the genre of punk rock and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
It is in my humble opinion that Simon & Garfunkel (Forest Hills HS class of 1958) be simliarly honored by the Forest Hills community. Simon & Garfunkel have won 9 total competitive awards, 4 Hall of Fame awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
I requested this on Bob Radil's 60s 70s show on Friday, but he didn't have it in his collection. He played the Vanilla Fudge version instead. I appreciate all of Bob's efforts in trying to please his listeners.
Bob Dylan in an interview with the British magazine The Telegraph states that he was thrilled about winning the Nobel Prize for literature and that he plans to be in Stockholm to accept the award on December 10. The 2016 leg of The Neverending Tour will be over by then so I think he will be there.
I best remember Zacherle as a radio personality who appeared on WPLJ and WNEW-FM. In his later years he did a Halloween special on WCBS-FM. He hosted many TV shows over the years as well. It seems ironic that he passed away a few days before Halloween,
Today we found out that Bobby Vee passed away at age 73 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. There have just been too many entertainers who have left us in 2016 . Bobby who was born Robert Velline recorded 38 Top 100 hits from 1959 to 1970. I thank Don Tandler the owner of Pop Gold Radio for playing his major hits at 3 PM today shortly after the death was announced. There is an exellent biography of Bobby published today in The Guardian.
It turns out that c.1960 Bob Dylan using the name Elston Gunn toward with Bobby Vee. In 2013 Dylan played a cover of Vee's Suzie Baby at a concert in St. Paul, Minnesta. As you can see from the Youtube video below he acknowledged that his old friend was in the audience,
I was listening to Don McGee's Mixed Bag show on WFUV this afternoon when he played Dylan's Ain't Talking from the Modern Times album. He played it since Dylan ain't talking publically about his winning the Nobel Prize. Over the last few years he doesn't talk to the audience during his concerts. He just won a very presigious award and is the envy of millions throughout the world. C'mon Zimmy, talk to us and show some gratitude to the people who have supported you for over 50 years.
The video above is from a 2006 concert at New York City Center.
It is certainly a rare honor and privilege to win any Nobel Prize. I think that anyone who won it would be ecstatic and jump at the opportunity to publically acknowledge it and go to Stockholm to accept it. We all know that Bob Dylan has been uncommunicative and reclusive for many years. I read that the Nobel Prize committee tried unsuccessfully to contact him. There was a brief mention on Dylan's web site, but it was taken down.
The question is will he accept the award? The ceremony is scheduled for December 10 in Stockholm. The last concert on the 2016 leg of the Never Ending tour is November 23 in Fort Lauderdale, so there is absolutely no excuse for a no show on his part.
I usually don't comment on political issues, but I got a good laugh on the way home when I viewed this interview with former NY1 political reporter Dominic Carter speaking to Donald Trump in 2008.
At least one recording artist from the 1950s is still active today. Happy Birthday to Chuck Berry. One of my favorites of his is No Particular Place to Go from 1964.
October 16, 1983 was also a Sunday and the weather was the same as it is today. We walked down the aisle at the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation. Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner performed the ceremony. We featured Beatle songs at the wedding but Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie was our wedding song which was picked by Karen. I didn't hook her on Bob Dylan until after we were married.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a gypsy queen
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle all dressed in green
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle ’til the moon is blue
Wiggle ’til the moon sees you
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle in your boots and shoes
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, you got nothing to lose
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a swarm of bees
Wiggle on your hands and knees
Wiggle to the front, wiggle to the rear
Wiggle ’til you wiggle right out of here
Wiggle ’til it opens, wiggle ’til it shuts
Wiggle ’til it bites, wiggle ’til it cuts
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle—you can raise the dead
Wiggle ’til you’re high, wiggle ’til you’re higher
Wiggle ’til you vomit fire
Wiggle ’til it whispers, wiggle ’til it hums
Wiggle ’til it answers, wiggle ’til it comes
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like satin and silk
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a pail of milk
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, rattle and shake
Wiggle like a big fat snake
It was pretty much a normal commute this morning as I approached my NJ Transit train in Penn Station at about 7:40. Out of habit I looked at my iPhone and saw that Bob Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. I knew that he had been nominated a few times, but had doubts if he would ever win the award. Can song lyrics be considered literature? According to the article in the New York Times some people questioned his choice for the award while others praised it. He is the first musician to win this prestigious award and is in some pretty good company. Toni Morrison in 1993 was the latest American to win it.
Needless to say I was elated upon hearing the news. I am thinking are other singer/songwriters or other composers of popular music worthy of the award? Off the top of my head there is Lennon/McCartney, Paul Simon, Carole King, Leonard Cohen and many others. I think the Dylan song that demonstrates his ability as a poet is Visions of Johanna recorded in 1966 on Blonde on Blonde.
Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re tryin' to be so quiet?
We sit here stranded, though we’re all doin’ our best to deny it
And Louise holds a handful of rain, temptin’ you to defy it
Lights flicker from the opposite loft
In this room the heat pipes just cough
The country music station plays soft
But there’s nothing, really nothing to turn off
Just Louise and her lover so entwined
And these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind
In the empty lot where the ladies play blindman’s bluff with the key chain
And the all-night girls they whisper of escapades out on the “D” train
We can hear the night watchman click his flashlight
Ask himself if it’s him or them that’s really insane
Louise, she’s all right, she’s just near
She’s delicate and seems like the mirror
But she just makes it all too concise and too clear
That Johanna’s not here
The ghost of ’lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place
Now, little boy lost, he takes himself so seriously
He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously
And when bringing her name up
He speaks of a farewell kiss to me
He’s sure got a lotta gall to be so useless and all
Muttering small talk at the wall while I’m in the hall
How can I explain?
Oh, it’s so hard to get on
And these visions of Johanna, they kept me up past the dawn
Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues
You can tell by the way she smiles
See the primitive wallflower freeze
When the jelly-faced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, “Jeeze
I can’t find my knees”
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel
I survived another Yom Kippur. We went to services at the Free Synagogue of Flushing this morning. Karen felt a little dizzy at the end of fast, but she felt better later.
I just can't wait until this presidential election is over. In all the years that I have followed politics, this has been the most bitter campaign. Sadly, we have to vote between the lesser of the two evils.
Sometimes I wonder if the media creates the news about a trivial situation. I was watching the ABC Evening News where the final story concerned a high school volleyball game. The CD player was not working so one of the student athletes volunteered to sing the national anthem. I think most high school students know how to sing it. I guess the young lady involved got a thrill seeing herself on national TV. At least this story was not about the presidential election.
Back in September 2008 I wrote a journal entry about WOR-FM. Right now I am listening to a tribute to that station that was originally heard on WFUV Saturday night October 8 at 8 PM. At that time I was listening to Cousin Brucie on SiriusXM 60s on 6, but was not aware of that show. After Vin Scelsa retired, Paul Cavalconte, another New York radio icon started a show in that time slot called the Cavalcade. Luckily I found out on Facebook that the show was being archived. I highly suggest to my radio enthuisast friends listen to it at at http://www.wfuv.org/content/cavalcade-10-08-16. I don't know how long it will be on this site, so please check it out soon.
I must give special thanks to radio historian Rob Frankel who restored many WOR-FM airchecks that were heard on this show. It is great hearing Scott Muni, Rosko, Murray the K, and Johnny Michaels who were the first DJs on the station in October 1966. I had the pleasure of meeting Rob Frankel on the WABC Rewound Cruise in June 2007.
Below is a Youtube video of Paul McCartney teaming up with Neil Young at Desert Trip to sing Why Don't We Do it in the Road which was originally done on the White Album in 1968. I'm disappointed that Paul did not team up with Bob Dylan at all.
Dylan decided to take a few months off from touring during the summer. Since he is 74 years old, he has a right to take it easy. The tour resumed last night at the Desert Trip Festival which also features performances by Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones. Boy would I love to hear Sir Paul sing a Dylan song. Anyway below is Dylan singing Desolation Row.
Noah Syndergaard was outstanding last night for 7 innings, but Jeurys Familia gave up a 3 run home run to Conor Gillaspie in the 9th inning as the Mets lost the wild card game to the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner came through in the clutch as he usually does in post-season and shut out the Mets.
With injuries to 3 of the starting 5 pitchers and to several position players, I didn't think the Mets would get to the post-season for the second season in a row. They were able to win 27 of their last 40 games to get the first wild card slot.
Already we must speculate on next season. Some questions are:
Will David Wright be able to come back from a major injury?
Will Yoenis Cespedes opt out of his contract and sign with another team?
Will Bartolo Colon return? He was certainly the "ageless wonder" this season.
Will the Mets re-sgn Neil Walker or will T. J. Rivera become the regular second baseman?
For the second year in a row the Free Synagogue of Flushing is opening its doors to everyone for high holy day services. It is sad that so many synagogues in Queens have closed over the years as the Jewish population has declined. Karen, Lee and I attended services there yesterday. They announced that they will be observing their 100th anniversary next year. I would think that back then Flushing was rural.
From 1978-81 Queens B'nai B'rith singles held its monthly meetings at the Free Synagogue. I described my days in that group in this journal entry written in 2008.
On August 8th I wrote a pessimistic journal entry about the Mets. At that point they were losing and were several games behind in the race for a wild card spot in the postseason. It was a tough situation as they lost 3 of the 5 strating pitchers to injuries. There were also long term injuries to Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, and David Wright. The team came back to life as Asrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes returned from short term injuries. Minor league reinforcements including Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, and T. J. Rivera also helped.
Their victory against the Phillies today clinched the home field advantage in the wild card game on Wednesday against the Cardinals or Giants. In one game or a short series anything can happen.
The 11th Annual Meet and Greet of Oldies Radio Enthusiasts will take place Saturday November 12 from 2 PM – 4 PM at Ben's Deli 209 West 38thStreet, New York, NY. Our gatherings in the past have attracted from 60 – 80 people. In the past radio personalities including Ken Dashow, Big Jay Sorensen, Broadway Bill Lee, Pat St. John, Sue O'Neal, Jim Kerr, and Carol Miller have attended. Bob Radil of Rewound Radio and Cool Bobby B of SiriusXM 50s on 5 are likely to attend. .We will announce if other radio personalities are coming.
This year there will be a choice of (sandwiches): Corned Beef, Roast Beef, Brisket, Pastrami, Turkey, Smoked Turkey, Chicken Salad, Salami, , 2 Hot Dogs, Tuna Salad, Vegetable Burger, Pasta Primavera, House Salad with French Fries and Choice of Bottomless Fountain Soda or Iced Tea. There will be cole slaw, pickles and rye bread on every table.
The cost will be $16 per person which includes tax and gratuities. You must order a meal. We are making these changes so that people will get their food faster and there will no problems with splitting the check since everyone pays the same price.
You may state you are coming on Facebook or send an email to Bruce Slutsky (bruces8852@aol.com) or Jeff Scheckner (jmandjs@aol.com). Please feel to contact either one of us if you have any questions.
This morning I got an email from the Bob Dylan fanzine ISIS announcing the release in November of a 36 CD box set featuring all of his concerts form 1966 which is my favorite year. Later in the day announcements were made in Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times and other online publications. It can already be pre-ordered from Amazon and Sony Records for the reasonable price of $150. That turns out to be less than $5 for each CD. I am concerned that the set lists for these concerts may be almost identical. What the heck, I'll go for it.
