MP3 Of The Day

Mighty Mississippi : The New Christy Minstrels

Brian Pang — Wed, 06 Nov 2002 21:12:00 +0000

On Your Way Down To The Gulf Of Mexico

The Mississippi River has been a central part of North American civilization for at least 5,000 years.
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Evidence of some of these early inhabitants can still be witnessed today in the form of burial mounds and effigy mounds built along the river as part of their religious beliefs.

Most history textbooks credit Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto with discovering the Mississippi River in 1541. Of course this is an aberration due to chronic vanity suffered by the "Paleface."

Ironically, De Soto died on the banks of the Mississippi River, succumbing to a fever in 1542.

Today, while it is the nation's most heavily trafficked river, it is cited that more than 18 million people in 50 cities rely on the Mississippi River for daily water supply.

Mud from the Mississippi River is also used for covering baseballs, to reduce glare and so they are not slippery for the pitchers.

Oney : Johnny Cash

Brian Pang — Mon, 02 Sep 2002 17:38:00 +0000

The Working Man That Put His Point Across

Nashville songwriter Jerry Chestnut had once worked for the Florida East Coast Railroad under a foreman named Frank Oney who bordered on being a slave driver. When Chestnut was approached by Larry Butler, who was looking for a hit song to produce for Johnny Cash, he wrote Oney about his former boss and how he would have liked to avenge himself.

During the late sixties and early seventies Chestnut became well known as a versatile, productive, and independent hit songwriter. He licensed the release of more than 50 recordings per year several times. Once he had 5 songs in the Billboard national chart and 3 in the Top Ten in the same week.

Among his numerous awards, he has received the Songwriter of the Year 1972 and International Writer of the Year 1973. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Foundation Hall Of Fame (1996) alongside Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams, Sr. and into the International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame (1999) joining Billy Joel, Carole King, Bono and Bruce Springsteen, to name but a few.

Other of Chestnut's songs have been recorded by great performers such as Faron Young, Brooke Benton, Elvis Presley, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton.

Gilligan's Island : Billy Kuai

Brian Pang — Wed, 02 Oct 2002 15:23:00 +0000

A Tale Of A Fateful Trip

If Gilligan's Island had been "Survivor" who would have won?
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Of course, you'd have to find a way to actually get someone off the island after they've been voted off by the tribal council, something it took the castaways three years to accomplish.

While it would be easy to come up with many reasons to vote any member of the cast off of the island, in the end, the last man stranded would have to be Gilligan (Bob Denver). Not because the show is named after him, but because it was he who single-handedly foiled every attempt at being rescued, so he would certainly defeat any attempt to extricate himself.

The Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.), however, would never leave his "Little Buddy" behind. After all, when they were in the Navy, Gilligan once saved his life by pushing him out of the way of a depth charge which had broken loose.

The original song lyrics were intended to be used as the theme for "I Dream Of Jeannie," but the story of tour boat passengers being stranded on an island grew a life of its own.

In a 1999 auction, one of Gilligan's orginal, red shirts sold for $28,750.

Speaking of clothes, why did it seem that the castaways always had a wardrobe to choose from? Consider, perhaps, that the "three hour tour" was not a round trip, rather a charter to a remote Hawaiian resort, thus the passengers would have brought along a suitcase or two. Or in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Howell (Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer), twenty.

The Brady Bunch : The Brady Bunch Cast

Brian Pang — Thu, 03 Oct 2002 15:43:00 +0000

Here's A Story...

Combine two single-parents, their six combined children, a maid and a dog together in a Los Angeles suburb and call it a show.
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The Brady Bunch cleverly used the shotgun approach in reaching the broadest demographic possible.

Single-parenting was becoming a mainstream idea when The Brady Bunch first aired in 1969. Mike Brady's (Robert Reed) former wife had died, and he is left to raise 3 sons. It was intended that Carol Brady (Florence Henderson) had been divorced, but ABC wasn't comfortable with that idea at the time.

The Brady kids, three boys to Mike, three girls to Carol, gave children in the viewing audience, ranging from ages 4 to 17, someone to identify with.

Over the 5 year run of the show, the youngest Brady kids, Bobby (Mike Lookinland) and Cindy (Susan Olsen) lost much, if not all, of their cute appeal. For the final season, the producers added Oliver (Robbie Rist) as Carol's nephew in an attempt to fill that void. Except that kid was nothing but annoying.

The show even attempted to appeal to the 50+ demographic with Alice (Ann B. Davis) and her boyfriend, Sam The Butcher (Allan Melvin).

Though it never attained a Neilson rating above 25, the show produced four spin-offs, "The Brady Kids," "The Brady Bunch Hour," "The Brady Brides" and "The Bradys" and a TV movie, "A Very Brady Christmas."

Sherwood Schwartz created the show five years after he created Gilligan's Island.

Robert Reed died in 1992 of colon cancer.

Florence Henderson became almost as famous for her Wesson Oil commercials as for her role of Carol Brady. She also had five appearances on The Love Boat.

The Muppet Show : The Muppets

Brian Pang — Fri, 04 Oct 2002 15:47:00 +0000

It's Time To Get Things Started

The Muppet Show was a new breed of weekly variety show which featured Jim Henson's muppets interacting with live guests.
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A muppet is a cross between a marionette and a puppet.

The Muppet Show first aired in 1976, but muppet history goes back as far as 1955. "Sam and Friends" was a five-minute, live show which aired twice a night on WRC-TV, Washington, D.C. Kermit The Frog, the muppet host of The Muppet Show, made his debut on "Sam and Friends."

First season guest stars were mostly friends of Henson, but by the third season performers were lined up to make an appearance including Candice Bergen, Phyllis Diller, Vincent Price, Ethel Merman, Florence Henderson, Jim Nabors, Steve Martin, John Cleese, Dom Deluise, George Burns, Milton Berle, Don Knotts, Liberace, Alice Cooper, Harry Belafonte, John Denver, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, and Paul Simon.

The Muppet Show's success also spawned the films "The Muppet Movie" (1979), "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981), "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984), "Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992), "Muppet Treasure Island" (1996), and "Muppets From Space" (1999).

Henson had made a deal with the Walt Disney corporation in 1989 to sell his company, Jim Henson Productions. However, Henson died from pneumonia in 1990. Subsequently, the deal fell through.

Tijuana Jail : The Kingston Trio

Brian Pang — Mon, 07 Oct 2002 15:55:00 +0000

So Here We Are

Mexican prisons are notorious houses of detention. Squalid and overcrowded where if you have no money or someone to bring it to you, there is no food.
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Of course, if you do have money, the guards will bring you anything you want.

Playing only acoustic guitars and banjos and singing simple melodies with three part harmonies, The Kingston Trio was formed in 1957 by Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard.

Though they disbanded in 1967 to pursue individual careers, Bob Shane reformed the group in 1976. The Kingston Trio still performs and tours with the current lineup of Bob Shane, George Grove, and Bob Haworth.

Both original member Dave Guard and John Stewart, an interim replacement, learned to play the banjo from Pete Seeger's book, "How To Play The 5-String Banjo."

On September 18, 2002, the Tijuana Jail, otherwise known as La Ocho Prison, was closed as part of prison reform in Mexico. The closing ended a legacy of riots, escapes, corruption and loathing which spanned five decades.

Tijuana Jail was the Kingston Trio's third highest charting single.

Makes A Long Time Man Feel Bad : Ian & Sylvia

Brian Pang — Tue, 08 Oct 2002 17:23:00 +0000

But I Rode It 'Til I Rolled It Down

As if going to jail wouldn't make you feel bad enough, consider how much worse you would feel if you were to go to jail for a long time.
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Though much has changed in today's prison system where convicts are allotted time outside, reasonable meals, conjugal visits and television, at the time this song was written, incarceration often meant no contact with the outside world in addition to the hard labor of a chain gang.

Thus, the singer laments not receiving mail with news from home and the likely passing of his mother. All the while maintaining the hope that his sweatheart will be waiting for his release.

San Quentin : Johnny Cash

Brian Pang — Wed, 09 Oct 2002 17:27:00 +0000

What Good Do You Think You Do?

Opened in 1852 on 432 acres of prime real estate in Marin County, California, tourists often mistake San Quentin for a resort complex, from a distance.
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San Quentin is the oldest penitentiary in the state and second in popular recognition to Alcatraz, which is a few miles to the north.

On an annual operating budget of $120 million, San Quentin houses nearly 6,000 inmates and the state's only gas chanber, with over 500 men on death row.

Originally, a prison ship was anchored just off-shore of where the prison now stands, however it quickly became overcrowded during the lawlessness of the time. The prisoners were hence put to work building their new residence.

Johnny Cash recorded San Quentin in a 1969 concert performed at the prison. The concert was released as an album, "At San Quentin." At the time, Johnny Cash was selling around 250,000 albums per month of the "At San Quentin" and "At Folsom Prison" albums. During this period, he was even outselling the Beatles.

San Quentin was a particularly hated house of detention for inmates. Men were sent to prison for their crimes to serve their time or to await their execution. It was a hard life with little hope for improving one's situation.

Cash wrote San Quentin for the inmates of San Quentin, thus the lyrics hold much disdain for the institution. Evidence that prison reform was in great need can be heard in the prisoners' reactions to passages in the song such as "Do you think I'll be different when you're through?" and "The whole world will regret you did no good."

The Dying Convict : The New Christy Minstrels

Brian Pang — Thu, 10 Oct 2002 17:32:00 +0000

Dig My Grave With A Golden Shovel

Prison labor has long been used on public works projects and chain gangs have achieved an almost legendary status with portrayals in feature films such as "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and "Cool Hand Luke."
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In prisons of today, through prison reform, an over-abundance of inmates and greater demand for cheap, domestic labor, much of the work performed is in manufacturing, ranging from stamping out license plates to sewing.

Prison reform introduced the idea of providing skills training to inmates so that when their sentences were completed they could be reintroduced into the workforce, thus reducing the odds of their return to a life of crime.

Chain gangs were first introduced after the civil war as a replacement for slave labor. The work was often accompanied with severe cases of abuse and neglect, such that many a man would rather die than be subjected to what many states declared to be cruel and unusual punishment.

Georgia was the last state to end its chain gang program in 1962. However, in 1995, Alabama reintroduced the chain gang into its penal system. A 1996 shooting death of a convict forced the state to abolish the chain gang, in favor of shackling prisoners individually.

Jailbreak : AC/DC

Brian Pang — Fri, 11 Oct 2002 17:33:00 +0000

All In The Name Of Liberty

Do the crime, do the time. Not all convicts find this to be an acceptable agreement as numerous attempts at escape are made every year.
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Of course, there is considerable risk in this activity. More often than not, escapees are recaptured and returned to prison, often to serve more time than their original sentence. If you do make it out, assume you will be living on the lam for the rest of your life, wary of every siren, dreading being pulled over for speeding. Then again, you could just as easily be shot dead. I suppose that's one way to avoid going back to the big house.

Prisons are intended to be correctional facilities, not resorts, so the experience should fall short of "Enjoy your stay."

Prison reform policies have improved the comfort level of many penitentiaries to the point that some accommodations are better inside than out. In addition to the three hot meals a day, inmates receive alotted time outside for excercise, televisions and medical care. Some even find loving companions with whom to spend the long, cold nights.

It can't be any worse than it is back in the ghetto or flipping burgers for minimum wage? So why bother trying to leave?

Then again, you might get shivved and occasionally pepper-sprayed by the guards for no reason. Just keep to yourself, and maybe you won't get noticed.

Remember, it's your own fault that you're in this predicament in the first place.

From Australia, AC/DC featured Angus Young, sporting British-schoolboy trousers and suspenders, on lead guitar and Bon Scott's raspy lead vocals. Scott died in 1980 after a night of excessive drinking and was replaced by the even raspier-voiced Brian Johnson.

AC/DC was a popular target of the religious right who made many claims to the band's affiliation with evil. Ok, so they released an album with the hit title-track of "Highway To Hell," and Bon Scott donned devil horns for the cover photo. Where is your sense of humor? Does that necessarily mean that "AC/DC" was an acronym for "Anti-Christ/Destroy-Christ" or was it truly intended in the electrical sense of "Alternating Current/Direct Current?" I suppose if your tradition is deep-rooted in persecuting others (while claiming that it is you yourself who is being persecuted), you are always on the lookout for new targets.

Crocodile Rock : Elton John

Brian Pang — Mon, 14 Oct 2002 17:45:00 +0000

We Were Hopping And Bopping

The Crocodilian order, which includes the Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae families, are the direct descendants of the Archosauria, which also included dinosaurs and other reptiles. Archosaurs ruled the reptile kingdom with their superior intelligence, leaving Crocodilians as today's most intelligent reptiles.
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As cultures have evolved in the presence of crocodiles, many myths about their activies and relationship with man have originated in various parts of the world.

In Malaysia, local lore states that a crocodile has a special stomach in which it hides the clothes of its victims.

In Sulawesi and parts of Australia, the crocodile is an ancestor to man and is treated with great deference.

An awesome predator, the Salt Water Crocodile is the world's largest reptile, capable of killing prey as large as cattle as well as humans.

This innate ability and immense power has made for many an exciting series on the Discovery Channel and the namesake of Paul Hogan's most popular role, Michael J. "Crocodile" "Mick" Dundee.

Like Cockatoos : The Cure

Brian Pang — Tue, 15 Oct 2002 17:47:00 +0000

And All Around The Night Sang Out

Cockatoos are large parrots, up to 15 inches in length and are quite common in Australia with habitat ranging from the outback to the cities.
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Types of Cockatoos include the Leadbeaters, Gang Gang, White-Tailed Black, Yellow-tailed Black, Palm and the more common Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.

Cockatoos have very strong big bent beaks which are used for breaking open nuts and seeds. Their natural diet consists of seed, nuts and fruit and they can quickly destroy cultivated crops. As a result, some Australian states consider them a pest animal and allow licensed culling.

They often form flocks which number in the hundreds, though they will split into smaller groups while feeding with some birds acting as sentry, alerting the others if danger approaches.

A popular pet and highly intelligent, Cockatoos can be trained to talk. Living for up to 50 years and requiring a good deal of attention, they are also more of a commitment than a dog or goldfish.

Platypus (I Hate You) : Green Day

Brian Pang — Wed, 16 Oct 2002 17:48:00 +0000

What Goes Around Is Coming Back And Haunting You

One of the world's strangest looking animals, the Platypus is often described as a living fossil due to its combination of mammalian and reptilian features and for an ancenstral lineage dating back about 110 million years.
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Platypus are one of the three extant species of the order Monotremata; warm-blooded, egg-laying mammals.

According to Aboriginal legend, the Platypus arose as the offspring of a female duck and a water-rat, explaining the inheritence of the "duckbill" and webbed feet combined with four legs and brown fur.

In describing the Platypus in 1799, British scientist Dr. George Shaw's initial reaction was that it was an elaborate hoax. He cut away at a pelt with scissors, expecting to find stitches attaching the bill to the skin.

Found only in Australia, the Platypus hunts primarily at night using electroreceptors in its bill to locate freshwater invertebrates such as shrimps, worms, yabbies, pea-shell mussels, aquatic insects, small frogs and fish eggs on which it feeds.

The Platypus is armed with a spur which can be used to inject a poison. Though not considered to be life-threatening to a healthy human, being spurred by a Platypus is particularly painful as the spurs are sharp and can be driven in with great force. Additionally, the poison triggers a severe pain reaction and can cause localized swelling.

Perhaps Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong was once spurred by a Platypus thus inspiring the song's title.

Halfbreed : Cher

Brian Pang — Wed, 27 Nov 2002 16:26:00 +0000

Give Her A Feather, She's A Cherokee

Mary Dean wrote the lyrics to Halfbreed, a story of the girl with a Cherokee mother and a white father, specifically for Cher.
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Though Cher's mother was only 1/16 Cherokee, her father was Armenian, which helps to account for her dark features and common misconception that she is half Cherokee, as is the girl in the song.

There are quite a number of celebrities who are reported to have Cherokee blood. Among them, Ava Gardner, Burt Reynolds, Val Kilmer, Tina Turner, Loretta Lynn, James Earl Jones and Elvis Presley.

Presley, who himself was 1/16 Cherokee from his mother's side, also played the part of a mixed-blood Indian in what is considered to be one of his better movies, "Flaming Star" (1960).

Halfbreed reached the number one position on the Billboard charts in October, 1973.

Didgeridoo Call Kookaburra : David Blanasi

Brian Pang — Thu, 17 Oct 2002 17:51:00 +0000

Play It 'Til You Turn Blue

A didgeridoo (didgeridu) is a musical intrument native to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. A droning, wind instrument whose typical construction is from a long, hollow branch or stick.
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The common term for a didgeridoo player is "Puller." This name has risen because, as the aboriginies say, a white man sounds either silly, disgraceful or both when he attempts to play a didgeridoo. This is because he cannot "Pull Wind" as the aboriginies do and cause the instrument to drone on and on.

The didgeridoo is played by blowing into the tube in a similar fashion to blowing a trumpet. As a drone instrument, the didgeridoo only plays one note, but "color" can be added to the tone by changing the shape of the mouth while playing. This alters the relative strength of the intrument's natural harmonics, much in the way the human voice forms the sounds of different vowels.

David Blanasi is a didgeridoo master, tribal elder and ceremonial law man. His nickname "Bomb" comes from the way in which he plays the didgeridoo, descibed as "very hard, straight out, with no muckin' around."

A Kookaburra is a bird native to Eastern Australia. It's call, replicated in this song, resembles fiendish laughter.

The didgeridoo has also become a popular instrument with the Deadhead community as its drone is great for tripping out to. Just remember, the natives think you sound pretty pathetic. Perhaps you should put down their sacred instrument and fashion yourself a "doo-da-doo" with the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels or wrapping paper.