Moon River, Yogi the Bear and me

What's that man movin' cross the stage?
It looks a lot like the one used by Jimmy Page
Its like a relic from a different age
Could be . . . . . Ooo-Ee . . . . 

"Rock Show"
Paul McCartney & Wings

Jimmy Page turned 75 today. Wow!

That got me to thinking about music and some idle thoughts and musical memories stashed away, just looking for a good excuse to come out…Like this example here…
I can remember the first time I ever heard the classic orchestral version of the Henry Mancini song, “Moon River”.  Thing is I didn’t know the song was named Moon River until I heard Andy Williams singing it on TV.

But to the point: The day I first heard Moon River was a Saturday. I was maybe 11-12 years old and I was dressed in a Yogi Bear costume - giant Yogi head and all!  I was a Boy Scout and there was some giant Scouting event down at the old Milwaukee Auditorium. I think I was picked to be Yogi because I fit into the costume less badly than other kids. Someone was Booboo Bear and there were lots of other kids in cartoon costumes. 

I remember that HUGE bear head was hot and it stank and the suit was WAY too big and I was dragging fabric around on the floor.  I had one job to do: “Listen kid, when the music starts, you just start skipping and you skip right out that door over there and skip all the way across the main floor, over to the door on the other side and all the other kids will follow you! Got it? Great!”
And so we waited, and we waited. And then! OMG…It’s Moon River!!  And out the door I skipped and the crowd went wild!!  True story.


FYI:  My iTunes folder has 2,631 items, which they say equals 7.3 days of listening pleasure!  And of those items, a good number of them feature Jimmy Page.

Jimmy Page: Simply a Guitar God

A Les Paul guitar

Marshall stacks

No back-up singers

No extra guitar players under the stage

No changing guitars every song

No hundreds of effect pedals

A far more humble version is me and my Strat.  This Strat is my sixth and probably last ax - though never say never. I did just switch to lighter gauge strings: 07- 38...easier on the old hands!






Led Zeppelin

I’ve got no recollection of when I first heard the Zeppelin tracks, but it had to be listening to Bob Reitman on FM radio. I don’t remember buying the album - though I was probably the first person in school who did.  Likely I picked it up at the “1812 Overture” record store on Brady Street. 





Meet the Beatles

True: there were earlier releases in Britain. But in Milwaukee, this was all we knew. And I know exactly when I heard my first Beatles song:  It was Christmas, 1963. I had just returned home from Florida. We were all in the grand living room, with the huge Christmas tree. The AM/FM table radio was playing, when my brother Denny said, “Have you heard this song?!?!” I hustled over to the radio, raised the volume and we gathered round to listen to, I Want to Hold Your Hand.





The Byrds
I had a grade school friend by the name of Dick Wing.  He invited me over to his house. He played me this album. 
And that was the last I ever saw of the guy. I wonder if he still has that album?
















The DC 5

Growing up, there was a summer Youth Center at Shorewood High School.  Sort of a soda pop and candy shoppe for bored kids - which I was. Example: I’d walk up to the school and hit tennis balls off a big brick wall of one of the buildings.  Then I’d go inside and grab a soda or maybe a popsicle. I’m sorry…do you think a popsicle is “lame"?? SHUT UP... It was summer and I was HOT!  Point is, I distinctly  remember hearing the DC5 pounding out Bits and Pieces.  

California Dreamin’

I had a cheap AM transistor radio, complete with white ear plug. I’d tote that thing around and use it to listen to Braves and Packer games and also music.  I didn’t make the basketball team, but Coach Harwood said I could be the Manager - which meant I could hang out with my friends, but just not suit up. Anyway…there was always a practice, or game on Saturday mornings. I couldn’t drive, so I had to hump it up to school on the city bus: Oakland Ave. to the Hampton Ave layover: then transfer to the next bus up Hampton, then to Marlborough Dr., then left on Silver Spring. It was a long ass ride on Saturday mornings!  PLUS it’s Milwaukee in the winter, so it’s COLD!!  Whenever I hear California Dreamin’ these days, I can smell the cold winter air mixed with diesel and the icy feel of a bus seat rumbling up Oakland Ave. with the ear plug jammed in listening to... 🎶 All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey!

BS & T

I think it was Senior year of high school. There was something of a multi-purpose converted classroom, that had some record players, books, art crap….was it the Library?? I’m not sure I was ever even inside the Library.  I think it was the old Language Lab converted into a hangout for displaced students; which was usually me. 
Anyway…I can vividly remember being in that room one day, sitting with my friend Peggy*.  I have no idea how it came to be that she had this album in her hands. Who knew you could bring records to school?? Regardless, she asked me what I thought of the group.  Being totally engulfed by the music of Guitar God Jimmy Page, I said something to the effect of, “BS&T sucks!”
She put the album on a turntable and together we listened with earphones to side one. Not bad…not bad. I still say "Chicago CTA" was better, but BS&T got a Grammy. 

*Another one of the unlucky girls who didn’t answer the phone the night I worked up the courage to call.

That’s all folks!