On Dec 9, 1961, the Beatles play the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, UK to a crowd of just 18 people.

The appearance had not been advertised because the local newspaper refused to accept the promoter's check. After the show, the Beatles became a bit rowdy, getting themselves ordered out of town by the local police.

There is a new type of scam that is becoming more widespread on the internet: phony customer service numbers.

Say you find a suspicious charge on your PayPal account. You Google “PayPal Customer Service Phone Number.” The number you find on the search results page may not be the genuine number. It could be a number that leads directly to scammers, who will tell you “of course,” they can get that suspicious charge removed if you’ll just confirm your credit card number. Or provide your Social Security Number for identification purposes.

Fraudbusters recommend these steps should you need to contact any business’ customer service:

1. Go directly to that business’ website and find its customer service phone number. (Not always easy, but it can be done.)

2. Don’t ask devices such as Siri or Alexa to find such numbers. Those devices are easier to fool than you.

3. If you do use a search engine, always check the URL and make sure it doesn’t contain any misspellings.

4. Refuse to give your SSN to any customer service rep. They really don’t need that to identify you.

5. Never give anyone you don’t personally know remote access to your computer.

Just as nursing a broken heart can have real negative consequences on the health of your heart, doctors are now urging caution as anxiety over COVID-19 is on the rise, especially for those of us in the Baby Boom.

Worry about the virus leads to stress on your heart and that’s not good for your health, even if you never come in contact with the virus. Stress causes your heart muscles to weaken, leading to an increased risk of heart attack and heart failure.

What can you do to minimize your risk? Experts say meditation, exercise and staying inContact with friends and family members – even if it’s only by phone or text. Let’s all stay healthy as we head into 2021!

Aunt Bee says there's always room for one more at the Taylor table. Gomer says, :Hey."

A stone-cold favorite of so many people, some have called it the greatest record ever. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” was a record that needed a lot of things to break right to make it out of the studio and onto a record– and they did.

Phil Spector was already a legendary producer in 1964. But nearly all of his hits had featured young black female singers (most notably Veronica Bennett and Darlene Love) singing behind his famous “Wall of Sound.” Spector wanted to try a production that featured male singers.

The Righteous Brothers had been performing around Southern California for a couple of years – first as part of a quartet called the Paramours and then as a duo – named by an audience member who shouted, “That’s righteous, brother!” at one of their shows.

Spector had his singers, now he needed a song. He called two of his favorite composers, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. The husband & wife team had already written a number of hits for Spector and other production teams in the early 60’s.

Mann says he and Weil decided to create something that started slowly and built, like “Baby, I Need Your Loving.” Mann even came up with the opening line, “You never close your eyes when we kiss anymore,” He says he actually took a line for anther song he wrote (“I Love How You Love Me” – the Paris Sisters) and tweaked it. Then he and Weil poured all the memories of various unhappy love affairs into crafting what became initially two verses and the chorus. But they were stuck coming up with a bridge.

They played the song over the phone to Spector (Mann & Weil were based in New York, Spector was in Hollywood). Spector loved what he heard and flew the couple out to L.A. to collaborate on completing the song. 

Spector started fooling around on the piano with a musical figure he took from “Hang On Sloopy.” Weil came up with the line, “Baby, I’d get down on my knees for you.” To finish the bridge, Spector just started singing a lot of whoas. Mann & Weil wanted to create lyrics where Spector put the “whoas,” but Spector said no.

So, they brough in Bill Medley & Bobby Hatfield and played the song for them with Mann singing the lead and Spector adding the harmony. When they were done, Medley replied, “Sounds good… for the Everly Brothers” and was ready to turn the entire thing down. Spector convinced the duo to wait until they heard the instrumental track he’d put together.

A few weeks later, Spector had most of his instrumental track put together. The Righteous Brothers listened and thought they might be able to do something with the song. But there was one more problem, Spector didn’t want Hatfield singing on the verses, only the chorus and bridge. So, Hatfield had to be calmed down and talked into agreeing to the session.

For inspiration, Medley says he focused on how he felt when his girlfriend (who eventually became his wife) had dumped him for a period that lasted six months.

The guys worked on the song for 4 hours a day for several weeks before Spector was satisfied. But now he had another problem. The record, as produced, ran 3:45. This was in a time when most pop records clocked in at 2:30 with some not even making it to 2:00. Spector’s solution was ingenious if a bit devious. He simply lied about the running time.

He had labels printed that claimed the song clocked in at 3:05. The trick worked. In no time, the song was racing up he charts, launching a string of hits for the Righteous Brothers and eventually becoming the song with the most radio airplays ever!

BTW – Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil are still married. Talk about a Lovin’ Feelin’!

Come on. How could anybody else compete wth this?

Flu season is here again. Here are 4 things the pros say can help you avoid flu this winter:

1. ) Get a Flu Shot – Experts advise everyone over 65 to get their annual flu shot. Check with your doctor, there are many ways to get this shot without it costing you any money.
2. ) Use a Humidifier – Viruses love dry air. And winters, especially in northern states, tend to be dry. Those in the know say you should set your humidifier at 40% humidity or higher for maximum benefit.
3. ) Get Plenty of Sleep – This tip can have additional benefits in every area of your life. Also, a cooler bedroom can help you sleep by stimulating the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
4. ) Consider a Vitamin D Supplement – Check with your doctor of this. Our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is in contact with direct sunlight. There’s less of that during the winter months. Also, as we ag, we tend to produce less vitamin D, which helps out immune system, so a boost may be in order.

Here’s a nifty little concert you can enjoy that you probably didn’t even know existed: Paul McCartney Live at the Cavern Club.

When his wife Linda passed away in 1998, Paul was understandably depressed. After more than a year of mourning, he decided to finally move forward with his life by moving backwards a bit. He went into the studio to record an album filled with the kind of music he loved best – the early rock & roll of his youth. The resulting album, Run Devil Run was a joyous celebration of some great, seldom-covered 1950s tunes as well as a couple of new McCartney gems done in the same loud & dirty vein.

With the album completed, Paul decided to launch it with another sentimental journey. He returned to the Cavern Club on December 14, 1999, to play the LP’s tunes in the small club setting where he got his start. His band included David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) & Ian Paice (Deep Purple) as well as legendary British session players Mick Green and Pete Wingfield.

No big pyrotechnics or light show. Just a nice, tight little rock combo playing for an audience of about 300 people.

While the current Cavern Club is actually across Matthew Street from its original location, it’s lost none of its dank, dive atmosphere. The result makes for a totally refreshing event. You’ll get to see and hear Pauly cover Ricky Nelson (“Lonesome Town”), Eddie Cochran (“Twenty Flight Rock” - the song that earned McCartney a place in John Lennon’s band), Chuck Berry (“Brown-Eyed Handsome Man”) and more. As the cherry on top of this rock & roll sundae, Paul slips just one Beatles oldie into the set (I won’t spoil it by giving the title away here).

The concert is available on a DVD that includes 2 music videos Paul produced to promote the Run Devil Run album as well as 22-minute behind the scenes video that includes an interview with Paul.

If you want to feel like a teenager again, Paul McCartney Live at the Cavern Club is a sentimental journey well worth taking.

As you might expect, the current pandemic has inspired inventive con artists to come up with some new scams to separate you from your cash.

As many of us are now seeing our family less, there has been an increase in what’s known as “the grandparent scam.” It starts with a phone call from someone claiming to be from a police department. They say they have one of your grandchildren in custody. They may even put someone on the phone that sounds like your grandchild. They then ask for your credit card number for use is “posting bail.” If you don’t want to give out your credit card number, they may ask you to purchase some gift cards and read them those numbers over the phone.

Don’t do either. That’s not the way our legal system works. Ask for the name of the police department. Then, look up the number for yourself and call. If they do have a relative of yours, you next move should be to contact a good lawyer – not to fork over any of your hard earned cash!