Linda Z

A la Prochaine, is this the one?

It sounds sappy without Kathy Mattea's sweet voice, but this one could make rocks cry. It's one of my all-time favorite love songs, and I'm not even a big country fan. I think her hubby wrote the music and Nancy Griffith wrote the lyrics (sorry hubby and Nancy, if I got that wrong!) :-)

Where Have you Been?

Clare had all but given up

When she and Edwin fell in love

She touched his face, and shook her head

In disbelief, she sighed and said

"In many dreams, I've held you near.

Now at last you?re really here.

CHORUS

"Where have you been?

I've looked for you forever and a day.

Where have you been?

I'm just not myself when you?re away."

Verse

He asked her for her hand for life

And she became a salesman's wife

He was home each night by eight

But one stormy evening he was late

Her frightened tears fell to the floor

'Til his key turned in the door

"Where have you been?

I've looked for you forever and a day.

Where have you been?

I'm just not myself when you?re away."

(Bridge)

They'd never spent a night apart

For 60 years she heard him snore

Now they're in a hospital

In separate beds, on different floors

Clare soon lost her memory

Forgot the names of family

She never spoke a word again

Then one day they wheeled him in

He held her hand and stroked her hair

And in a fragile voice she said,

"Where have you been?

I've looked for you forever and a day.

Where have you been?

I'm just not myself when you?re away.

No, I'm just not myself when you?re away."

Linda Z.

I don't post here often...

but I do look in and pray. Still praying for Tim and you!

Linda

I'm happy to pray for this and the other prayer requests on this forum.

Linda

Ted said, "Outside of Linda Z don't think anyone on gs has ever seen or heard me perform in clubs."

*gasp* You gotta be kidding. Well, if that's true, a lot of people are missing out, and I feel like a very lucky duck!!

Ted is Mister V for "Versatile." He can play/sing any kind of music. The first time I saw him perform outside Waydom, I was blown away at his range. Up till then I had him filed in a small twi-music box, but I soon learned that I was soooo wrong.

Ted, you sure have brought back fond memories of that little club in Indian Lake, Ohio. I saw you up in Lima, too, but the place in Indian Lake (wasnt' it an Italian restaurant?) was my kind of cozy little joint.

Well, if anyone ever hears that Ted's going to be playing in a club, go see him, that's all I can say. You won't be disappointed.

Linda Z

We've heard what touring was like from Ted and Socksie. Here's my view of what it was like to be on the other side.

It was 1976. I was driving home from work, looking forward to seeing Ted and JN on their America Awakes tour later that night. I turned a corner and, lo and behold, I spotted that little equipment trailer Socks mentioned. Claudettee Royal was driving the car pulling the trailer, and I was so excited. Joyful Noise had arrived! I waved at Claudettee and she grinned and waved back. It meant so much to me that they were going to perform for us "on the field." and I saw it as a special little blessing to run into them on my way home from work. It brightened my day after a tedious day of looking at people's water bills.

Somehow, my sister and I got my parents to go to the concert with us. While Mom and Dad were okay about our involvement in twi, they didn't want any of our beliefs shoved down their throats, so they were pretty standoffish about going to ministry "events." But for some reason (I think because we played some JN music for them, and because they were the kind of parents who were willing to check out what their kids were into), they agreed to go.

We pulled into the parking lot at Roehm Jr. High School and made our way into the auditorium and took our seats. I remember loving the music, of course, but the biggest impression I recall was how proud I was to have my parents hear Joyful Noise (and Ted, my dad especially loved "White House Across the Street"). Mom and Dad really enjoyed the concert, and that made my sister and me happy.

Despite the fact that many things went wrong with twi in later years, and some things were wrong even back in the "good old days," God sure reached the hearts of people via that organization, often through the music. For our family, life and our relationships with each other improved as a result.

So Ted, John, and anyone else who's lurking here from Way Prod., thanks for the part you played in the good times!

Love,

Linda

...didn't happen. I chose to play one because my best friend was taking lessons. So any sympathy for me should be for my poor choice of an instrument.

As for the stinkin' lottery: On a recent Mega Millions drawing, I had 5 of 6 numbers and only won $7. Why only $7, you might ask? I'll tell ya why. Because two of the numbers were in the wrong places (the "gold" ball and a regular number were switched). Had those two misplaced numbers been reversed, I think I'd have won $150,000.

Details, details.

Linda Z

Still praying for you both.

xo,

Linda

A la and bowtwi, sorry, no flute, no violin, no dulcimer (though I love the dulcimer). And Yana, no autoharp--this was a full decade before my hippie phase.

laleo, you got it. Yes, as a little shrimp of a girl, I played a biiiiiiig red accordian that probably weighed almost as much as I did. I could barely peek over the top of it to see my music, and the bottom came down to my knees. I used to get a chapped chin from it!

What I really wanted was a piano, but there wasn't room in our house for one (or so Mom and Dad told me...I think they actually were afraid after paying to have one hauled in, I'd lose interest). So when my best friend started taking accordian lessons, I insisted on doing the same.

It wasn't the coolest instrument in the world, but when Zydaco (sp?) had its burst of mainstream popularity and when Drew Carey appeared on his show playing one, I felt I'd been redeemed from total geekdom.

Anyone want to hear a few bars up "Up on a Housetop"?

Laleo, e me your address so I can send the prize.

Linda

Since you're the only contestant and since it's my contest and I can make the rules, I say enter as often as you like!!

Linda

Thanks to all who's been praying.

Everyone's on the mend, and no one ended up in the hospital (it was pretty dicey for one of them last night when I posted my request (glucose level of 48 and in miserable shape), but this increased pretty quickly and became stable by this morning.

God is great, and so are all the faithful folks around here who lift each other up in prayer!

Love,

Linda

I think I'm seeing a trend here! One reason I had trouble learning to play guitar was that my right hand didn't seem to be able to catch on to the pickin' and strummin' part. I do lots of things right-handed: throw a softball, bowl, etc., but the fine-motor skills required for quitar pickin' escaped me. Maybe it was really that I lacked the patience to practice long enough to get the hang of it.

I wasn't totally without musical training growing up, though. From the age of about 9 years old till I was 11 or 12, I played the...

Hmmmmm! I'm not telling. I think I'll make it a contest. Whoever guesses what instrument I played as a child will win my duplicate copy (vinyl) of America Awakes.

I'm serious about the prize, but I won't send it till after the holiday madness has passed.

Happy guessing!

Linda

Six members of my immediate family are very sick with a particularly virulent GI flu. Please pray with me for their speedy recovery and that we can keep the elderly ones adequately hydrated and their glucose levels stable.

Thanks! I know our prayers make a difference.

And please pray for the three relatively healthy ones among us, that we can stay that way and take care of the rest!!

xo,

Linda

I thought my question about Les Paul was just a pretty face on the cutting room floor. I thought he was instrumental (shameless pun) in some way in developing the electric guitar, but I didn't know about all his other achievements. Heard him and his wife, Mary Ford, singing on our radio many a time as a child, and on black and white TV a little later. I remember now, Socks, the stiffness of his right arm, and I remember hearing why.

I'm no music techie, so I suspect one of you might have already said this in a way that went over my head, but didn't Les P and Mary F develop the recording technique in which they recorded her voice more than once so that, in effect, she could harmonize with herself?

Hope, that stuff about the Brill Building was fascinating. I only had time to click on a couple links, but I learned two things there that I didn't know: that Neil Sedaka and Carole King were high school friends, and that Carole King was married to her first collaborator. Interesting stuff!

Linda Z

One of Eric Clapton's guitars is for sale on ebay. It's only up to $72k. Better hurry!

Just kidding! Heck, it'll be time for another one in 10.5 months! But I wanted to say thanks again for the kind words that appeared after my earlier thanks.

Kit, I want you to know that what you said in your greeting was one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me. To you and excath I say, I believe it takes love to recognize love...the real stuff, anyway!

Matilda, glad you could stop by for some cake, zeester!

And Rev. Mommy Ex, what can I say to you but that I love you, too. And I'm so glad you're back!

xoxoxo,

Linda

I've noticed that GS goes through cycles. When it hits one of its wacky cycles--times when it seems as if everyone's jumping down everyone else's throat and half the posts make no sense to me--I'd like to use this one, courtesy of Ozzy Osbourne:

"I love you all more than life itself, but you're all f'n mad!" (delivered with Ozzy's trademark befuddled look, of course)

Linda Z

Sunesis, yep, I loved Eric Anderson. I've been trying for years to find an album of his that I once had and lost. (I NEVER got rid of any of my albums on Uncle Harry or any other day, thank goodness.) I can even remember the record store near Sunset Strip where I bought that album!! I've bought (on ebay) a couple "Best of" and "Greatest Songs" type albums that he put together in later years, but they were mixed with orchestra backgrounds and, in my opinion, he'd lost his edge by the time he put those out.

I love many of the blues performers that have been mentioned here, as well as some of the white, workshirt-wearin' blues players of the late 60s...I still have a much-played album called The Singer Songwriter Project (on Elektra, I think) that features several of them.

I also loved Tom Rush, but he sorta went the way of Eric Anderson. His early stuff was his best, in my opinion.

As folkies went, I loved Richard and Mimi Farina and Buffy Ste. Marie. I ran into her once at Pier 1 in Los Angeles, and if my memory serves me well, she was only about 4'10". Her gorgeous black hair was almost as long as she was tall! I was in awe. Her country-tinged folk stuff still blows me away.

Oh Ted, I took my l'il mom to see Flatt and Scruggs at the gym at Baldwin Wallace many, many moons ago. They were wonderful.

Floods of memories are coming to me in this thread!

There used to be a club in Cleveland near University Circle called La Cave. Used to go see Josh White, Bob Gibson, and later, Arlo Guthrie and so many more there. Nice, small folk/blues club. I still like the smaller venues. A concert in a doggoned arena or huge auditorium just isn't the same. Loved those little smoky clubs!

Hey Ted, I also went to see the Ramsey Lewis Trio at a jazz club called Leo's Casino, also near Uni Circle. I'll bet you went there too! My date and I were the only white people there, and we were both underage, but the enforcement of liquor laws was a little more lax back then (when dinosaurs roamed Euclid Ave.) so we got away with it and had a ball.

A couple years later, I was a very lucky 21-year-old when I moved to L.A. and worked for the Free Press. I had a press pass and never missed a concert I wanted to go to. My son still brags to his friends that when he was a year old, he went with me and his dad to see Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Chuck Berry and fell asleep on his little blanket right next to one of the speakers. It's amazing the child didn't lose his hearing, but I was 21 and I liked taking him places with me, and he always had a great time. Incidentally, he's much more musically talented than I am! Osmosis, maybe.

In '68 or '69 we used to go see Spirit (formerly Spirits Rebellious) at the Ashgrove in L.A. all the time, becaue we knew Randy and his dad (their drummer). Often opening for them were JB Hutto and the Hawks...they were sort of a rockin' electric blues band. Loved them both.

I haven't turned into an old fogey, and I still like to go to concerts, whether it's Crosby, Stills and Nash or The Presidents of the USA (Hope's daughter will probably point out that they're old news, but I really liked them a few years back!) .

I think Sunesis is right. The music scene isn't like it was when we were young. There are so many genres, and most kids seem so divided on what they like instead of sampling more variety like we did. Maybe (speaking just for me, and not for Sunesis) I'm just suffering from Old Fartitis and thinking that ours were the only golden years of rock 'n roll, but the music was such a part of our culture. Maybe that's still the same, but it doesn't seem to be.

Well, thanks for putting up with my rambling (like you could stop me). And keep those musical memories coming, everyone. I'm loving this!

Linda Z

I don't know if Walter Cummins ever peeks in here, but if anyone's in touch, please give him, Joyce and the boys, and the rest of the family, Tyler's and my love and condolences.

"Aunt" Naomi was a sweet soul...when I think of her, the phrase "innocent as doves" comes quickly to mind.

What a day that will be...

Linda Zinn

Pardon my self-indulgent stroll down memory lane thus far. I'll try to contribute something now that has to do with the original topic.

For all the complaining about rock 'n roll by some adults during the 60s, I for one think the questioning and rebelling that was reflected in our music led many of us to the place where we at least considered spiritual things. We (the youth of the 60s) had graduated out of the bubble gum pop scene and into some real music, performed by real people who were also questioning the status quo of society at the time.

One of my favorite bluesy-folksy singer-songwriters in the late 60s was Eric Anderson. I found a friend at HQ in the 80s who said some of his songs were instrumental to her turning to God. I had another friend who said the Moody Blues did that for her. For me it was a combination of Dylan, lots of classic blues, some Moody Blues and a little Beatles mixed in for good measure.

Even during my brief stint as a self-proclaimed agnostic in my late teens/early 20s and during my pre-Way days, I could tell right from wrong in song lyrics without some clergy person telling me what was "evil." Music by communists, for example, didn't turn me into a communist, so the whole "Marxist Minstrels" thing fell on deaf ears with me.

Likewise, today's music that I consider harsh and violent doesn't magically turn kids into murderers and gang bangers, if they've been brought up with love and boundaries and if they've been taught/allowed to think for themselves.

I thought the whole subject of "worldly" music in twi was overspiritualized. I did balk at some of the stuff my son brought home, like the time he went to an AC-DC concert and brought back a program with that picture of a fetus that looked like a devil with horns and a tail. I didn't let that stay in my house, but I tried and mostly succeeded in keeping my nose out of his musical tastes. He claims I threw away a Motley Crue T-shirt of his once because I didn't like it. I might have, but I don't remember that.

It wasn't just the kids' music at HQ that many people looked down their noses at. When my son went off to art school after graduating from NK High and came back for a visit sporting wild skateboarder's hair, some people gave me crap about "letting" him look that way. In the adapted words of Kelly Osbourne: "his hair, his life, his business!" I figured young people needed to find themselves and find their own way, once they'd been given a solid foundation in childhood. I was proud of him that he had the guts to follow his own fashion desires.

Linda Z

You guys wound me up, and now I can't stop!

The late 1950s musically were for me about love ballads and "It has a good beat...you can dance to it...I'd give it a 10!" As a young teen, I wanted music that you could either dance to or dream about kissing Ricky Nelson or Fabian to.

Obvioiusly, my music-appreciation range started out pretty narrow but, because of something Socks mentioned earlier, my scope widened. As he said, radio stations used to play everything from Perry Como to Bill Haley and the Comets to the Chipmunks to you-name-it. Without that, I don't know if I'd have gotten exposed to anything more than the pop song d'jour!

Linda Z

You said something so wonderful that I just wanted to bring it back up:

"As far as being a Christian, I figure, my job as a musician is to bless those people, make them forget about their day jobs and idiot bosses and have fun. When I look up and see people jumping up and down on tables 'cause the music has taken them to another place and they've had a great time and talk about it with their friends for the next few days, I've done my job."

If you ask me, that, my old friend, captures the heart of a true musician, like you and Socks and Ted (and sorry if I missed others in this thread).

Nothing pleases me more when listening to a band, whether in a small club or a huge concert venue, than seeing the musicians (a) enjoying what they're doing and (B) connecting with the people they're playing for.

In 1998 I went to Hord Fest with a friend and her teenage daughters. (Pretty hip for an old hippie long past her prime, eh? LOL) I was especially excited about seeing Smashing Pumpkins and Barenaked Ladies.

Smashing Pumpkins were musically fine, but they barely even bothered to look out into the crowd. They could have been in a damn recording studio for all they seemed to care. Barenaked Ladies were the exact opposite. They connected bigtime. They were so much fun, and way more versatile than I'd have guessed, from show tunes to hard rockin' rock. So while Smashing Pumpkins might be considered more serious musicians and all that, I'd take another day with BNL over them any old day.

Music, the music I love, is about passion, about fun, about heart and guts and rhythm and feelings--laughter and tears and amazement. It's not about sitting there in your perfectly tailored costumes being all theatrical and self-important. Blech.

Linda Z

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll be back after I go get some grub for my hard-workin' floor crew.

Linda Z

If any of you decide to take Ted up on his offer, I'd love to join the outing. I don't have a thimbleful of musical knowledge compared to Ted, but I am a Cleveland history buff and could point out some pretty groovy historic homes and landmarks on the way there.

And Ted, maybe you and I should blow off our next lunch rendezvous at Applebee's and do lunch at the Rock Hall one of these days. Your singing and my dancing wouldn't cause quite as much of a stir there, and I bet you could give me one heck of an education!

Ted, I loved Bobby Darin, and your story about meeting him and helping him brought a sweet tear to my eye. I was so sad when he died, and I'm so happy you had the chance to give him a leg up.

Linda Z

Hey Johniam, that's something about your mom traveling to Davenport to hear Bix play. He was another musician who succumbed young...to the ravages of alcohol, I believe. My dad, when he was young, tended bar in his aunt and uncle's tavern in Davenport, and Bix's dad was a regular customer whom my dad got to be friends with. Don't know if he ever went to hear Bix play, though. I'll have to ask him.

While on the jazz topic, even though I've never been a huge jazz fan, I loved the heck out of Ken Burns's jazz documentary. He really put the people, and hence the heart, into the history of jazz. I was so jealous when Socks e-d me that he met Ken Burns at the Mark Twain film preview! What a talent that man has for seeing into the humanity in all he chronicles.

Linda Z

Socks, thanks for pointing out this thread when you did. I've been so busy that this is the first time I could sit down and read the whole thing.

My son and bro-in-law are laying new tile in my kitchen, and since my living room is full of the contents of my kitchen, and since they don't really need any sidewalk supervision from me, I have a perfect excuse to dive in here!

First, thanks CK, for starting this thread. It's gotta be among my top five favorites of all WayDale/GreaseSpot time! I'll do my contributions in small pieces, so as not to drive anyone nuts with long post toasties!

Music is such a part of my heart and soul and memories that I can't imagine life without it. Being of rather (ahem) advanced years compared to some of you here, I can remember listening to the radio as a little girl in the early 50s, before we had a TV. My first favorite song on the radio was called "Happy Wanderer." I have no idea who sang it, but I can remember listening to it on one of those big wooden radios in our living room, and I can vividly remember singing it on a happy, summer day as I crossed the field between our house and the neighbors' house.

I'm not nuts about the sound of that song today, but I still like the lyrics! A Web search revealed that this is now considered a camp song for scouts. Here are the happy lyrics:

The Happy Wanderer

I love to go a-wandering,

Along the mountain track,

And as I go, I love to sing,

My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,

Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

Val-deri,Val-dera.

My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream

That dances in the sun,

So joyously it calls to me,

"Come! Join my happy song!"

I wave my hat to all I meet,

And they wave back to me,

And blackbirds call so loud and sweet

From ev'ry green wood tree.

High overhead, the skylarks wing,

They never rest at home

But just like me, they love to sing,

As o'er the world we roam.

Oh, may I go a-wandering

Until the day I die!

Oh, may I always laugh and sing,

Beneath God's clear blue sky!

[Amen to that!!]

Another favorite was Vaya con Dios by Les Paul and Mary Ford. Hey Socks and Ted, didn't Les Paul invent the electric guitar?

More after I see how the floor installers are getting along.

Linda Z

[This message was edited by Linda Z on November 30, 2002 at 10:50.]