1. The last time all four Beatles were in the studio at the same time working on a song was when they were recording “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” from Abbey Road, recorded on August 20, 1969.

2. While everyone knows that Lennon & McCartney were the primary songwriting duo, there is actually one Beatle song credited to Lennon & Harrison. It’s a pure instrumental called “Cry for a Shadow,” recorded in 1962 in Hamburg, Germany, during sessions the boys cut backing up Tony Sheridan. It was finally released on the Beatles Anthology I set in 1995. It was one of the only official recordings featuring Pete Best on drums.

3. On the cover their Help! Album, people think the lads are spelling out “Help” in semaphore, but actually, the flags spell our ‘N-U-J-V.” (You’ll also notice that Capitol Records changed the position of the Beatles so they’re spelling out “N-V-U-J” in the States.)

4. The first Beatle to perform in America was George Harrison. His sister married an American and settled in Illinois. George came to visit her long before Beatlemania took hold and performed a few times with local Illinois bands.

Mike Nichols’ 1967 breakthrough film, The Graduate, was a surprise blockbuster that signaled to studios baby Boomers were ready for more than Walt Disney movies. The film boosted the careers of Dustin Hoffman & Katherine Ross (making them A-list stars overnight) as well as providing a huge lift to the musical careers of Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel (and indirectly resulting in an acting career for Garfunkel).

But here are a few things you might not know about it:

1.) The film’s legendary ending came about by accident. Much has been written about The Graduate’s ending, where Benjamin & Elaine board a bus and then look at each other in a prolonged nervous silence that seems to indicate this isn’t a traditional happy ending. Still, there may be problems for these two down the line.

That ending was never planned. It came about because, on the day that scene was filmed, director Mike Nichols couldn’t be there. He left the film’s editor, Sam O’Steen in charge. O’Steen, very green when it came to directing, didn’t know enough to call out “cut,” so Hoffman and Ross sat there for several moments unsure if the scene was over or, really, what to do next.

When Nichols saw the footage, he liked it and left it in the film.

2.) Hoffman had to give up a part in Mel Brooks’ original version of The Producers to take the part in The Graduate. Brooks had cast Hoffman as Franz Leibkind, the German playwright, a small but flashy part in the film. He totally understood why Hoffman wanted to give that part up to take a lead role. Besides, Hoffman would be appearing with a co-star who was Brooks’ wife, Anne Bancroft!

3.) Mrs. Robinson was really only 6 years older than Benjamin. Although Benjamin is supposed to be a recent college graduate, Hoffman himself was 29 when he got the part. And Bancroft, at 35, was younger than the character she was playing.

4.) None of the characters who are older than Benjamin have first names. Despite boinking on a regular basis, Benjamin always calls his lover, “Mrs. Robinson.” Her first name is never mentioned. That holds true for all other characters in the film who are older than Benjamin & Elaine.

5.) Gene Hackman was cast in the film but fired. Hackman was originally set to play Mr. Robinson, but director Nichols thought he looked too young (he was actually a year older than Bancroft). So, his part was recast. Don’t feel bad for Hackman. That same year, he also had a part in a little film called Bonnie & Clyde, which launched him on a long & successful film career.

6.) That iconic leg Hoffman is looking at in the movie’s poster and the best-selling soundtrack album does not belong to Anne Bancroft. Instead, producers hired a young model for that shot and paid her $25. That model was Linda Evans, who went on the fame on Dallas and later played Mrs. Robinson in stage version of The Graduate on Broadway and London’s West End.

As many have suspected and more than a few predicted, it looks like COVID will be here for the long haul. To make things easy, researchers are already working on a combination flu & COVID vaccine. They say it should be ready by the fall of 2022.

So, it will reduce the number of times you need to be jabbed. And that’s a good thing, right?

What to Know Before You Click That Option

“But now, pay later” has long been a classic marketing come-on for decades, but lately, it’s been popping up as an option for online purchase. And signs are more of us are using that option. Use of BNPL (Buy now, pay later) is up 80% since 2020. Here are some facts to keep in mind:

1.) BNPL can be used instead of a credit card. Most times, but not always, the purchases are offered interest-free.

2.) Be aware, however, some do charge you interest from jump street. Moreover, should you be late or fall behind in your payments, it can trigger late charges and interest on the unpaid balance.

3.) Unlike credit cards or some online pay services, like PayPal, there is no buyer protection should you fail to get the product or service you ordered. And you may experience problems returning items should you change your mind about a purchase.

4.) Buy now, pay later can encourage you to spend more than you should. Missing or late payments can affect your credit rating, so make sure you’re budgeting correctly.

A song that came to embody the summer of 1976, Starbuck’s one and only hit, “Moonlight Feels Right” took its sweet time getting there.

The song was written by the band’s lead vocalist and keyboard player, Bruce Blackman. Blackman was a Mississippi boy who was instantly smitten with a picture he saw of a young girl that was posted on someone’s dorm room at Mississippi Delta Community College. He was so obsessed, he demanded to know the girl’s name and where he could find her. Her name was Peggy Denman and she was enrolled at the school.

Blackman immediately enrolled at the college himself, purely to see if he could meet her. He did meet her, but she was less than thrilled with him. He asked her out. She turned him down. He asked her out again. She turned him down again. Not discouraged, Blackman asked a third time while she was walking across campus on a very windy day. This time, she said yes.

Not only did Blackman have a date with his dream girl, he also had the beginnings of some song lyrics: “The wind blew some luck in my direction…” Eventually, he had a whole song worked out. He didn’t think a community college sounded very romantic, so he moved his lovers’ alma mater to Ole Miss in the lyrics – the school both he & Peggy had wanted to attend, but couldn’t afford. He also moved the song’s location up to Baltimore hoping that might encourage airplay in areas outside the south.

Blackman took his band, Starbuck, into the studio in the fall of 1975 to record it. One of his bandmates, Bo Wagner, improvised a very unusual solo for the record, playing the marimba – a percussion instrument like a xylophone not normally associated with rock & roll. Starbuck’s record label liked the song, but hated the marimba. They told Blackman to cut it out. Blackman refused. Instead, he and the band loaded up a car with a box of the singles and took off, crisscrossing the South, dropping off their song at radio stations and lobbying DJs to give it a chance.

Only one station told him they really liked the song, WERC in Birmingham, Alabama. But the program director thought it sounded more like a warm weather song, so he told the band he would give it shot in late spring. They thought he was just finding a polite way to blow them off, so Starbuck went on their way. Discouraged, the band gave up on promoting the record and returned to performing around the South.

But WERC had been serious. As the weather turned warm in 1976, they played “Moonlight Feels Right.” The response was immediate, positive and heavy. Before long, the song had become a regional and then a national hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the magazine’s Easy Listening chart.

While the band never had another hit record, Blackman has continued performing and also producing other musical acts. Oh, and he eventually married Peggy Denman. They remain married to this day.

Never underestimate the power of lucky wind.

For as long as rock music’s been around (70+ years and counting), the #1 topic in its songs has been, far and away, love. When it’s going right, when it’s gone wrong, when it’s new, when it’s stood the test of time, when it never really was – love is all around, all you need, and a 4-letter word.

We would be presumptuous if we said this is a list of “the” greatest rock love songs. Choices, especially in this category, are always intensely personal. It’s the song that always makes you think of that one man or woman, the one that reminds you of a specific time and place, or simply one that helped you get through a tough time when you thought you’d never love again.

Here’s our list. What’s on yours?

1. Something – The Beatles
   George Harrison’s exquisite ode to his then-wife Pattie Boyd. A song so beautiful even Frank Sinatra named it as one of the greatest compositions ever (and we know how Frank felt about rock in general).

2. Walk Away Renée – Left Banke
   Not all great love songs are written about happy love affairs or even about bad break-ups. This classic was written by Michael Brown about a love that never was. He was hopelessly in love with a young girl named Renée Fladen, but even writing this classic didn’t melt her heart. She never ever gave him a tumble.

3. Faithfully – Journey
   Written by Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain in about a half hour, the composer claimed the melody came to him in a dream. He also said the lyrics were inspired by his Christian faith. That may give you something to think about the next time you hear it.

4. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You – Van Morrison
   Speaking of Christian faith, this deeply felt love song was composed by Van Morrison, not about a woman. The song is actually about God. The song has been covered by dozens of artists (Rod Stewart took it into the Top 10), most of whom, we’ll bet, are unaware of this fact.

5. She’s the One – Bruce Springsteen
   At the opposite end of the spiritual spectrum, if there’s a better song that expresses the sweet torture of pure carnal yearning for someone who may not be the wisest choice for you, we haven’t heard it. “With her soft French cream, standing in that doorway like a dream, I wish she’s just leave me alone.” And yet, you know that’s neither what he really wants, nor what’s going to happen.

6. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
   Believe it or not, the inspiration for this song was the 1979 science-fiction film, Time After Time. Unsurprisingly, the song’s lyrics arose from the romantic problems the tune’s co-authors, Lauper & Rob Hyman, were having with their respective significant others.

7. More Than a Feeling – Boston
   The song that introduced the world to Boston remains their best and most recognizable song. Composer/guitarist, Tom Scholz, credits another song on this list as his main inspiration – “Walk Away Renée.”

8. How Deep Is Your Love – Bee Gees
   While disco eventually imploded, it’s worth remembering that not all of that music was bad. In fact, the Bee Gees created truly great pop songs before, during, and after the dance craze. This song, coming at the height of the craze and the Bee Gees' career, has stood the test of time.

9. Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
   Impossible as it may seem, this tender ballad was also written about Pattie Boyd when she was married to Harrison’s best friend, Eric Clapton (who also penned “Layla” in her honor). Written while Clapton was waiting for her to get ready for an evening on the town.

10. Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
    Billy Joel captured what every woman longs to hear from her significant other, and makes the lyrics and melody flow so effortlessly. This remains one of the best expressions of a love that endures one day at a time.

Who remembers Funday?

Hey, wait till you hear this one!

The year is not even a month old and we’ve already lost another rock icon – Meat Loaf passed away on January 20^th. Cause of death has not been officially confirmed, but has been reported as COVID-related. He was 74 and unvaccinated.

Born Marvin Lee Aday, the singer acquired his stage name while still a football player at Thomas Jefferson High School in Texas. His friends called him “M. L.” (his legit initials), but the football coach, ever the sensitive souls, said the “M. L.” should stand for “Meat Loaf” and the name stuck.

After some time at the University of North Texas ad following the death of his mother, Meat Loaf took off for Los Angeles. Fronting various bands, Meat Loaf found a degree of local success that led to a contract with Motown records, who teamed him with another singer, Shaun “Stoney” Murphy.

The failure of their one and only Motown album drove Meat Loaf to turn his attention to theater, where he found his first taste of real success. Loaf appeared in productions of Hair, Rainbow, National Lampoon’s Lemmings (as John Belushi’s understudy) and, of course, The Rocky Horror Show.

When Rocky Horror became a movie, Meat Loaf made his screen debut as the psychotic biker Eddie. It didn’t really help his career because the film initially bombed at the box office. By the time it became a sensation on the midnight movie circuit, Meat Loaf had already found recording success.

However, it was through these acting gigs that Loaf met the ying to his rock & roll yang – a young composer who wanted to write rock & roll musicals, Jim Steinman. In Meat Loaf, Steinman found the perfect voice for his over-heated, bombastic style of songwriting.

The pair began working on what became Bat Out of Hell in 1972. It took them almost two years to whip the project into shape. They shopped it to every major label and found no takers. Then, another rock icon, Todd Rundgren entered the picture. He agreed to produce the album, even before they had a record deal. When the album was completed, they finally managed to sell it to a small independent label, Cleveland International Records, who got it into record stores in 1977.

After a slow start, Bat Out of Hell caught on – spectacularly!  It has become one of the biggest selling albums of all time, still moving over 200,000 copies every year, 45 years after its initial release.

With everyone eager for a follow-up, disaster struck. Constant touring, drugs and the fact that Meat Loaf had never been trained how to use his voice professionally resulted in Loaf losing his singing voice for what turned out to be almost a year. Steinman grew frustrated and under pressure from the record label, recorded the songs intended for Meat Loaf by himself. Unfortunately, Steinman was a gifted composer, but not that great a singer and that album, Bad for Good, sold poorly.

In the meantime, Meat Loaf returned to acting, playing the title role in the movie Roadie. The film proved a success and even better, Loaf’s singing voice recovered. He and Steinman finally recorded a follow-up to Bat Out of Hell – Dead Ringer. But the long wait and the impossible task of following up such a classic release resulted in disappointing sales for the LP in the U.S. (although it was a monster hit in the UK).

What happened next is really anybody’s guess. Both Steinman & Meat Loaf have told various versions and rumors abound, but the bottom line is that two stopped working together and lawsuits flew on both sides (although Meat Loaf was always adamant that there were never any bad feelings between the two individuals, just their management teams). Whatever the reasons, Meat Loaf had trouble selling albums without Steinman’s songs. It didn’t make things any better when Steinman offered two songs to Meat Loaf, but his record label rejected them. Those songs turned out to be “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” both of which became major hits for Bonnie Tyler and Air Supply respectively (reaching #1 & 2 on the Hot 100).

Luckily, time heals most wounds, and eventually Loaf and Steinman collaborated again on two sequels to their best-known work – Bat Out of Hell II and Bat Out of Hell III, with Meat Loaf copping a Grammy for his work on II. Sadly, Steinman’s health had begun to decline and he unable to complete work on BOoH III. Other writers had to be called in to complete the project.

Steinman’s health continued to wprsen until he finally passed away on April 19^th of 2021. Who knew then, that the other half of one of rock’s greatest collaborations would follow him just 9 months later?

If you can remember, in the early days of Top 40 radio (before FM and album rock took off), most stations played a mix of rock, pop and even country music. You’d be just as likely to hear Patsy Cline & Johnny Cash as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

One of the artists from that era who firmly straddled the line between country and rock was a young man from Jacksonville, FL, named Johnny Tillotson. Signed by Archie Bleyer’s Cadence Records (the same man & label that had built the career of the Everly Brothers), Tillotson actually had a string of 9 Top 10 hits in the first half of the 1960’s, some of which he actually wrote himself. They included “Poetry in Motion,” “It Keeps Right on a-Hurtin’” (inspired by Tillotson’s father having to battle a life-threatening disease), “Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On” and “Talk Back Trembling Lips.” He also frequently appeared in many of the package tours Dick Clark put on the road.

As the 60’s wore on and tastes in music shifted, Tillotson’s string of hits dried up. Nevertheless, Tillotson continued touring, headlining venues that ran the gamut from state fairs to Las Vegas lounges. Although chart success eluded him, he also continued recording, actually releasing his last single in 2010.

Tillotson enjoyed success in Asia, touring in Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand on a regular basis.

Johnny passed away in April of 2025 at the age of 86 due to complications from Parkinson's disease. He has been inducted into the American Pop Music Hall of Fame and the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.