This Day in Music History: Guy Mitchell and Singing the Blues

On this day in music history, December 8, 1956, Guy Mitchell had the #1 song on the Billboard charts with Singing the Blues. It was written by Melvin Endsley and produced by Mitch Miller. Melvin was a victim of polio when he was three years old. He was confined to a wheelchair. This was his first successful that he wrote.
Marty Robbins was the first to record the song for Columbia Records. It was the same label that Guy Mitchell recorded for and Mitch Miller was one of their producers/executives.
Before he became Guy Mitchell he was Al Cernick from Detroit, Mich where he was born Feb. 27, 1927. His parents moved to Los Angeles when he was 11 years old. It was during the train ride west that Little Al was heard singing on the train. An Agent heard him and told his Mom her son had a beautiful voice. He gave her his card and told her to call him when they got to LA. She did and the agent got Al signed to a contract with Warner Brothers where they planned to groom him to be a child star. He was given acting, singing, dancing and diction lessons. He was heard singing on radion station KFWB. Then his parents moved to San Francisco and that ended his career as a child star.
He still continued singing and in 1947 he became the vocalist for the Carmen Cavallaro Orchestra. It was with them that he made his first recordings. It was with Decca Records and they were called "I Go in When the Moon Comes Out" and "Ah But It Happens."
His biggest break came years later when Frank Sinatra refused to record two songs for Mitch Miller. The studio was already booked and the band was waiting. Mitch had to find a replacement fast. He remembered hearing a demo for Al Cernick. Two hours later, after making some calls, Mitch had Al in the studio. He recorded "My Heart Cries For You" and the flip side "The Roving Kind." Both made the top 5 on the charts.
Mitch Miller didn't like his name. So he had him change his name. Mitch gave him the name Mitchell and Guy came from Mr. Miller saying that Al was a nice guy. Hence the name Guy Mitchell.
Later Mitchell heard Marty Robbins version of "Singing the Blues" and wanted to record it. He asked Mich Miller if he could record the song. He was given the go ahead. Both versions entered the charts on November 3, 1956. However, Robbins version stalled at #17 while Guy Mitchell's version went to #1 for 9 weeks.

Thor and Hostess in Good Overcomes Evil!

Speed Racer:The Movie

Here he comes
Here comes Speed Racer
He's a demon on wheels.

Warner Brothers also hopes he will be a demon at the box office also. The movie comes out in May of 2008 and will star Emile Hirsch as Speed. Matthew Fox is Racer X. Other in the cast are Kick Gurry, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon,Paulie Lit and Christina Ricci as Trixie.
While I have never been a fan of Speed Racer I can't wait to see this movie. The trailer below can make anybody want to see it if they are looking to see a good popcorn movie.
While Speed Racer is from Japan he has become a pop icon in America. Baby boomers and NASCAR fans should make this movie a must see for the summer. As I said before Emile Hirsch is the star in the role that I heard rumored before that Johnny Depp was asked to play. Emile is not familiar to me but if you have seen Into the Wild, Alpha Dog, The Girl Next Door then you have seen some of his work. Most of the others in the film are already pop icons themselves.
The film was done by Andy and Larry Wachowski who created the Matrix. The Matrix was too avant garde for me. However, that type of film making is just what this movie needs. An askewed view of the family/racing dynamics of the film.
Speed Racer is so much a part of popular culture that just when you think he is gone he pops up again. Not long ago he surfaced in a Geico insurance commercial. According to USA Today that was Christina Ricci's first time to ever see Speed Racer.
I have a humorous story that has a slight mention of Speed Racer that I may share with you soon. Till then look at and enjoy the trailer. Coming in May next year I will see you at the movies.

Skit from Bob Hope Christmas Special from 1970's

Keeping in the vein of Christmas and Star Wars here is a skit from a Bob Hope Christmas Special.

Star Wars Christmas Special

Here is a video of the Star Wars 1978 Christmas special with the first appearance of Boba Fett in Star Wars history. I had always heard that it was held back from any other showings or release on video as they didn't like the looks of it. For the most part it isn't as bad as I thought but some of the facial expressions don't look too good in this video. Still it was a kick to see it for the first time for me to see it.

Chipmunk song

After seeing This post at Booksteve's I looked for this video on You Tube. This was the Chipmunks I grew up with. It's good to know that Hollywood hasn't forgotten them.

Publishing Contract

Keep an eye out for my name at your local bookstore. I just signed a contract with a small publisher called Morning Sun Publishing to publish a children's book that I wrote. They want to get it out in time for Christmas this year as it is a Christmas story. I hope they do but I think it will be closer to next Christmas but I'll take it whenever it comes out. I had a short story published once but this will be the first time I will have written a book.

The story use to be on this site but I have taken it off since then. Long time readers of this site may take the above photo as a hint to the title. I don't want to say much more till I know when it will definitely be coming out.

All Fun Must Come To An End Sometime

The year was 1982. I had been a comic collector for years but had been to very few comic book conventions at that time. A small con was being held not far from my home in Ky at the Drawbridge Inn. I went with my friends Chuck and Mike. While there we ran into my cousin Steve. Now it was fun to be attending such a thing with 3 men who I was very close to. But amongst all of the fun I learned something that day.

You see it was close to my birthday. Chuck and I had become fans of the Pacific Comics publication called Starslayer. It was created by Mike Grell who wrote and drew the stories. For those of you who don't know the story it is about a time-displaced Celtic warrior named Torin MacQuillon. He was taken seconds before he may have died. I say may have as in the first issue it was said that according to history he just disappeared. Now he was traveling through space in the far future. It was near impossible to take him back as it may change the time line. Anyway, I didn't catch on till halfway through the first 6 issues. So I was always looking for the first 3. By this time I had 5 of the 6. However, I was missing the first issue.

Later that day Chuck came up to me and gave me the first issue of Starslayer and told me Happy Birthday. He found it at the convention and bought it as a gift. I was very happy and quickly read it when I got home. However, since the series was originally conceived as a mini-series it now meant that I had the entire series. My happiness turned to sadness when I suddenly realized that my fun was now over. I was enjoying the hunt for this series. Each time I found an issue I felt like I had discovered buried treasure. I treasure this memory and thank my friend Chuck again for getting it for me if he is reading this site. However, I will always remember the lesson that half the fun of collecting anything is the search.

I know the series was continued eventually at First Comics. While it ran for over 30 issues and even had a successful spin-off with Grimjack, it wasn't as much fun anymore so I only bought the first 6 issues. Part of the reason it wasn't fun anymore is I could easily keep up with it each month. The thrill of the hunt was gone.

Thor and Hostess Meet A Glutton For Gold

Another Saturday morning and I ain't got no Twinkies but Thor does. Let's see how he beats this weeks villain.

Beowulf in 3-D

I had the day off work today and wanted to see a movie. There were only two movies that seemed appealing to me. To help get more into the Christmas spirit I thought of seeing Fred Claus. However, I saw that Beowulf was showing in 3-D. I decided on that one as what are the chances I will see a 3-D movie again. I remembered when I was in college and going with my friends and cousins to see 3-D movies when the craze came back around then. Instead of seeing the 12:30pm show of Fred Claus I left my house at 1pm to run a quick errand and then stop at the theater to see the 1:30pm showing of Beowulf in 3-D.
At 1:25pm I entered the theater. I asked to purchase one ticket to Beowulf. I was instantly shocked when the man behind the counter said the price was $9. 45 as he rang up his sale and slid the 3-D glasses to me. I knew the price of movies had gone up but when I saw Mr. Bean's Holiday it was only $6.25. I told the man I only asked for 1 ticket. He said yes but it is in 3-D so they charged more for it and that was the price for Beowulf. I slid the glasses back to him. I told him I know it is in 3-D but I won't pay that much for a movie. He seemed shocked by this. I looked to see when the next showing of Fred Claus was playing. Not until 4pm. So I left the theater. I drove to another movie theater but they didn't have it in 3-D and to me it isn't worth seeing unless it is in 3-D. The person at that theater said it would cost extra if it was in 3-D to pay for the glasses. So I went home.
Now I know that I sound like some old guy just ranting. However, I didn't see any ad that said it was going to cost around $3 more. Since my memory of seeing the older movies in 3-D was that the glasses were free I didn't expect to pay more for the film. Besides when is it that you could use those glasses again? They aren't coming out with 3-D movies that often. If they were they would probably design them in such a way that you had to buy the glasses every time you went to the movies.
Had I seen an ad telling of the extra price I would have been prepared or not wasted my time driving to the theater. To be honest the only ad I saw for the 3-D movie is when it was on the theater marquee as I drove past it yesterday.
Anyway if you plan to see it this weekend in 3-D be aware that it may cost you $3 more.

Wonderful Christmas Time

I don't know who made this but it has to be one of the best homemade Christmas music videos I have ever seen. Children visiting Santa set to the Paul McCartney and Wings song Wonderful Christmas.

A Submarine to Adventure

How many of us saw this half page ad in our comic books while growing up? I use to dream of getting this two man sub and going with one of my cousins Randy, Rachel, Jeff or Steve and using it to travel to someplace like England. If for some reason we couldn't go that far then we could at least explore the bottom of the lake that was across the street from where I lived back then. None of that ever happened as I never got the sub.
As I got older I saw this ad in some old comics and realized how naive I was. It was probably a cardboard box made to look like a sub and your imagination would take you across the sea or to the bottom of your local lake. I am glad I never asked my parents to buy it as I would have been very disappointed.

This Day in Pop Culture History: Magical Mystery Tour

On this day in pop culture history,Nov. 27 1967, The Beatles released their album Magical Mystery Tour in the US. Today is its 40th anniversary. It was also the name of a TV special that aired first in England. It aired in black and white so that didn't help with how the special was perceived. It also had a terrible plot. It was just the Beatles on a bus tour and the rest of the story was made up as they went along.
The reaction to the special was so bad in England that ABC canceled plans to show it in America.
The movie wasn't shown in the USA till 1976 when it showed up in art house theaters at midnight showings and on college campuses. The music was great. The songs from the soundtrack are still heard on radio today but it is hard to find a place where you can see the movie. If you want a taste of what the movie was like you can view the opening to it below.

This Day in Pop Culture History: Casablanca

The romantic movie that even guys like. Casablanca, opened on Nov. 26, 1942 at the Hollywood Theater in New York. Every guy since then has taken or rented this movie for their dates to show they have a sensitive side. Below is the movie trailer to this wonderful film.

Captain America and Hostess in Cut On the Dotted Line

The Monkees-Valleri

Here is a good video from their show. It was done with the guys playing their own music on the show. Notice the huge amps in the back. Davy's singing must have been picked up by the boom mike. Also, a little known fact on this video is there is a cool pull away shot with Davy. He remains the size while the other 3 get smaller. This was done by having Davy sit on a chair that was connected to the camera. Usually the camera man or on movie sets the director sit in this chair but this time it was the actor so they could get this special effect.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ok here is one of my favorite strips from Bloom County. I know it says Christmas in the first panel but I with the Turkey dinner I always felt it better fit Thanksgiving. Hope you get a laugh from it and Happy Thanksgiving.

Mid-Ohio Con is not on for me

Well it's not looking too good that I will go to Mid-Ohio con this weekend. Time and finances, mostly finances, aren't working together for me. Which is too bad as there are two men there whom I would like to meet. Herb Trimpe and Gene Colan. There are others of course but When I was a kid the main reason I read the comic books of Hulk and Daredevil is because I loved the look their art gave them. To meet them in person would have been great. If I can ever arrange my finances to save for next year I will do so. But even that is a dream at this time.
If anyone out there knows how to set up conventions and wants to do so for Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky area next year it would also help. If I knew how I would do it myself. For those of you who do go I hope you have fun.

The Equalizer season one on DVD

When you need help. When there is no one else to turn to, who do you call upon? Call the Equalizer. Edward Woodward played the Equalizer a man who was a former government agent who was targeted to be killed because he knew too much. A friend in the agency had his file down graded so he was not killed but kept a close eye on by the government.
He used his time off to take out an ad telling he could help the helpless. Those who called him sometimes needed his help as what had to be done ran opposed to some government operations. With agents already watching him it made things a but difficult for him to help people with his detective work. But it was fun to watch. The DVD set is a bit pricey at $49.99 but you can save some money if you pre-order at Amazon as they have it for $37.95.

Monkees Memorabilia Auction

Brad Waddell of the Monkees Home Page has said that there is a major showbiz auction that also features Monkees Memorabilia. It is from the collection of producer David Gest. You can see the collection if you Click Here. On the left hand side you can then click on David Gest collection put in the lot # of what you see below to look at his Monkees collection.

What is up for sale is:

394 - Monkees memorabilia, comprising a copy of
the album 'More Of The Monkees' signed in black
markers by the band; and two toy guitars by
Mattell, Inc., both in original boxes

395 - Four 'Monkee-Mobile' toys

396 - A "wax box" of Monkees 'Flip Movies' booklets, with twenty-four wax packs

397 - Six items of Monkees memorabilia,
comprising; a board game, unused; a hat; three
bracelets and a necklace (three on original card)

398 - Four items of Monkees memorabilia,
comprising; a binder and 'Record Tote' case, both
Raybert Productions Inc., a jigsaw puzzle and a
'Swingin' Numbered Oil Paint Set'

399 - An RIAA 'Gold' award for the single "Last
Train To Clarksville" by The Monkees, , named to " The Monkees"

400 - An RIAA 'Gold' award for the single "I'm A
Believer" by The Monkees, named to "The Monkees",

401 - An RIAA 'Gold' award for the single
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees, named to "The Monkees",

402 - An RIAA 'Gold' award for the single
"Daydream Believer" by The Monkees, named to "The Monkees",