Category: TV

Chicken, Egg, or Archie?

Have you ever heard the expression, “It’s the singer, not the song”? I associate the line with The Who song “Join Together” (1972). (The full line is actually, “It’s the singer not the song that makes the music move along.”) There’s actually an early Rolling Stones song entitled “The Singer Not the Song”, but I have already digressed. In other words, is that true? Can a fantastic singer turn a less than fantastic song into something good or does enjoying the song thereby make the song “good” in and of itself?

Philosophically, it’s a chicken or egg situation. Here is an example to ponder. I was going through my running list of blog ideas and found a note for Wilson Pickett “Sugar, Sugar”. I have no idea where/when I came cross this version. However, it seems like the singer and the song are at opposite ends of the musical spectrum, don’t they?

Give Mr. Pickett some credit. He definitely sounds like himself regardless of the song’s format, which is most definitely bubble gum pop. Apparently, his version charted in both the R & B and pop charts in 1970. The Archies’ orginal version was released in 1969 and was written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim. Apparently Don Kirshner (The Rock Concert guy) arranged the studio musicians for the recording.

I don’t know if that settles the whole singer vs. song, chicken vs. egg thing, but it’s worth a listen. I thought about delving into “Do the Funky Chicken” by Rufus Thomas, but will save it for later.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Law & Order: Overload

I had the TV on last night and I did a double take when I heard the announcer mention “Law & Order: Toronto”. Toronto? Nothing against the city, but it seems like their writers have literally run out of ideas. The original concept has already spun off into the following Law & Orders: Criminal Intent, Special Victims Unit, LA, Organized Crime, UK, and that’s NOT even all of them!

Here are a few ideas for new Law & Orders I’d like to contribute:

  1. Law & Order: Detroit Rock City. The original KISS lineup reforms to investigate crimes in the Motor City. Each episode ends with lead guitarist Ace Frehley crashing the KISS patrol vehicle into a different building while Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley focus on songwriting. Episode 1 features Ted Nugent and James Jamerson as guest stars. Somehow the Red Wings hockey team and Peter Criss are also involved.

2. Law & Order: Steve Miller Band. Steve Miller rides a white Pegasus horse with rainbow wings (like the one on his “Book of Dreams” album cover) while he solves crimes with harmonica player Norton Buffalo. Miller is originally from Texas so it will be set there. Episode 1 will involve heinous crimes committed at various locations of Whataburger. Law & Order’s infamous gavel “cha ching” will be fit nicely in Miller’s “Abracadabra” guitar solo.

3. Law & Order: Grunge. Set during 1990s Seattle, flannel clad detectives investigate crimes while hanging out at Starbucks and writing songs in dropped guitar tunings. This will obviously spinoff into Law & Order: Unplugged Grunge and will feature bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. No one better think about “coming to snuff The Rooster” on their beat. Ticketmaster is also involved.

    4. Law & Order: Bo Diddley. Bo Diddley rides his motor scooter around Chicago with his red square guitar on his back and maraca player Jerome Green in tow. Naturally, they investigate crimes and the theme song now features the Bo Diddley beat interspersed with the “cha ching” sound. In Episode 1, George Thorogood reprises his role as a pool hustler from the “Bad to the Bone” video and Leonard Chess makes an appearance.

    5. Law & Order: The Rolling Stones. The beauty of this version is each week the cast lineup will change to include different guitarists from the band’s history including Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, and Ron Wood. Detectives Jagger and Richards’ contentious relationship doesn’t keep them from investigating crimes in England and beyond. Episode 1 features a deep dive into urban legend Spring Heeled Jack. Episode 2 features a trip on the fabled “Route 66” including their version of the song bearing its name.

    Well, those are a few ideas I have on yet additional spinoffs to Law & Order. It seems NBC is on a similar mission as the NFL, which is to ram their product down the throats of every person on the globe. I think it’s working.

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Foggy Toasted Town

    British Humor — I can’t say I love or hate all of it, but there is one show I highly recommend. “Toast of London” stars Matt Berry as actor Steven Toast. Toast is a portly, middle-aged dude with a skunk stripe in his hair and a moustache. He’s normally dressed in all black…perhaps that’s to mourn is acting career woes. Many, if not all, of the episodes start with Toast supplementing his income while he does voiceover work. At the studio he has to deal with two hipsters. The main one goes by the moniker of “Clem Fandango”. As you might imagine, the show is set in London, England. The Byrds’ tune “Eight Miles High” was inspired by the band’s flight into said town.

    The only show I can remotely compare to “Toast” might be “Seinfeld” in terms of its sheer zaniness. It’s off the wall. A few plot lines involve Toast trying to join the Freemasons, his manager Jane falling back into her L.S.D. addiction, and a homeopath performing an exorcism on one of Toast’s house guests. Toast is always auditioning for various roles and is always encountering his nemesis Ray “Bloody” Purchase. Toast’s affair with Mrs. Purchase probably doesn’t help either.

    The show was created by Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews. It was directed by Matt Cumming. Currently, you can view “Toast of London” free of charge on The Roku Channel. By the way, Matt Berry also composed the show’s theme song and has released several of his own albums.

    Here are some alternate titles for this blog post:

    1. A Post about Toast
    2. London Toast is Falling Down
    3. Toast is the Most (from coast to coast)
    4. Down by the Whipping Toast
    5. Toasted, Not Stirred

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Super Ballers or Super Bawlers?

    Did you get a chance to watch Super Bowl 59? I’d include the Roman numerals, but math has never been my thing and have been sick of hearing about the Super Bowl, especially The Chiefs, for weeks, if not months. Here’s an example.

    Last week I caught a portion of a local Kansas City TV newscast. During said show, they ran an uber peppy Hy-Vee commercial with all of the news team discussing what they wear on game days. You know, a red and gold hoodie, necktie, superstitions, etc. After yesterday’s enormous 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Chiefs fans, and some players, are “Crying” a la Roy Orbison.

    As for the actual Super Bowl game, it lived up to its billing of being an over-hyped, one-sided blowout of a game in the Eagles favor. Here are a few observations from off the field action:

    1. Did The Eagles get Lady GooGoo to put some kind of musical voodoo hex on the Chiefs? I mean she looked like an albino mushroom. GooGoo, rah, rah, rah?
    2. The halftime show is always part of the Super Bowl hype. Did Kendrick Lamar choreograph all of the synchronized nodding to his music or did someone get paid for that?
    3. Three-peat. I heard this expression a lot recently in Kansas City. Some of the media even pointed out that the phrase is copyrighted. All for naught.
    4. I saw an interesting, but creepy AI tribute to broadcaster and former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson.

    The Kansas City Chiefs and their fans must be gravely disappointed by the outcome of yesterday’s game. To make things worse, we all saw some really quality shots of Mahomes and Kelce looking sad and dejected on the sidelines. That’s quite a contrast to the usual shots of Kelce’s brother and mother respectively drinking shirtless or pop star sensation Taylor Swift celebrating a big play.

    In addition, we got to see tears streaming down the faces of Mahomes, Kelce, and Chris Jones. One of the many media angles was that Jones cries during the national anthem because he has to work himself into some sort of berserker rage before kickoff. This is the same guy who missed all of 2023’s training camp during a contract dispute. According to website StatMuse, Jones did not record a tackle during Super Bowl 59. All I can say is, “Boo Hoo!”

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Lost in the Frost

    I’ve been debating on when to stop blogging about the Christmas holidays. You never want to go a bridge too far, right? I’m not quite there yet, but once it’s over, I’ll have to think of something topical for New Year’s. (I’ve already used “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” by George Harrison in the past.)

    Recently, I scrolled through some holiday viewing options and stopped on the 1979 TV special called “Jack Frost”. Buddy Hackett voiced the Groundhog character, but my favorite character on the show is Kubla Kraus.

    Paul Frees handled the voice of Kubla Kraus and also Father Winter. As you might imagine, the story and the show don’t have the staying power of say Rankin/Bass Production stablemate Rudolph, but it still features that same amazing world of stop motion animation. What really swayed my decision to mention this TV special is it gave me an excuse to include Albert Collins’ blues instrumental “Frosty.”

    So if you’re seeking another dose of holiday viewing cheer, you have another choice…but be warned Kubla Kraus has some sort of metallic mini-me puppet as well…so it’s not only Frosty, it’s Freaky!

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Mas Mendez Benzes

    I, like most Americans, officially have Menendez Fever. “Girl, you know it’s true.” I watched the 9 part Netflix series and it is freaky. There’s Menudo, there’s Milli Vanilli, there’s a woman named “Judalon.” Then there are the female attorneys who represented the infamous Menendez Brothers. One of said attorneys had some seriously curly hair. Pop quiz:

    Their curly headed attorney was best known for saying:

    a. “Erik is the wind beneath my wings.”

    b. “Nobody puts Lyle in a corner.”

    c. “The sun will come out tomorrow. (That is, unless, you shoot me to death while I fall asleep watching TV in my home.)”

    d. “Arf.”

    Here are a couple of lawyer-legal-type songs for your enjoyment. “Breaking the Law” by Judas Priest.

    Then there’s “A Legal Matter” by The Who.

    I’m sorry…do I sound harsh? Theoretically, the Menendez Brothers could actually be released after spending over 30 years behind bars. Is their debt to society now considered “paid in full”? I don’t know.

    The “bros” will need to generate some income if they get out. I really think the pair of limited edition Mercedes Menendez Benzes convertibles could be a great endorsement for them. The cars should come with a free subscription to three satellite radio stations. One would play only Menudo, one only Milli Vanilli, and maybe one could be remixes of both artists. The purchase should also include “do rags” with dreads a la Milli Vanilli so you can get the full-on experience.

    Oh yeah, I neglected to mention that O.J. Simpson was apparently serving time in the L.A. County Jail during the same time as the Mendez Brothers. Apparently, they actually had some contact. Bizarre. The Netflix series “Monsters” mentions the district attorney’s office failed to convict Simpson and that might have made them come down even harder on Lyle and Erik. It’s difficult to say, but truth is definitely stranger than fiction.

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Much Menudo about Menendez

    If you haven’t seen the Netflix series “Monsters” and the documentary “The Menendez Brothers”, there are spoilers ahead and, by the way, the whole thing ain’t pretty. Where do I begin?

    In 1989, Jose and Kitty Menendez were murdered via multiple shotgun blasts in their California home. Their sons, Erik and Lyle, were ultimately convicted of the murders, but not before some serious truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists and turns. There were not only allegations of sexual abuse against Jose, but that Kitty knew about it as well. Not weird enough? Okay, how about this? The Menendez Brothers end up going to a ne’er do well therapist whose woman on the side is named “Judalon” and plays a role in their demise. Where did it all happen? Beverly Hills. Thank you, Weezer.

    By the way, have you ever heard the name Judalon? The only think I can think of is her parents were superfans of “Babylon 5” and time travelled back to when she was born to name her after the sci-fi series.

    Did you say you wanted more weirdness? Well, Jose Menendez is portrayed as a domineering power monger, not only at his home, but also in business. He apparently worked as an executive for RCA Records and was heavily involved with the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Even weirder? Apparently, one of the members of the group accused Jose Menendez of sexual abuse as well. Ouch.

    Another bizarre thing portrayed in “Monsters” is the Menendez Brothers listening to the all-time R & B kings of lip sync — Milli Vanilli. What’s worse is apparently some young people are starting to discover their “music.” That could be the cruelest example of history repeating itself that I’ve ever heard.

    After being imprisoned for decades, there’s now talk of the Menendez Brothers being freed. What will they do to support themselves? Here’s my suggestion: Team up with Mercedes-Benz. They can offer two limited edition convertibles called The Menendez Benzes and appear in their sweaters during the commercials. Erik can drive one with the wind blowing through his hair and Lyle can buff the paint of the other one with his bald head — or maybe they can both don Milli Vanilli style dreads?

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Feral Mountain

    When you think about Kentucky, what pops to mind? Bluegrass? Horse racing? Maybe a city like Louisville, Lexington, or even Paducah? The TV series called “Outsiders” is set in Kentucky, but it doesn’t take place in any of those cities. It takes place on the fictional Shay Mountain where those outsiders called The Farrell Clan live off the grid and then some. In between the huntin’, fightin’, and survivin’, there’s even a bit of music like “Whiskey Johnny” by The Ben Miller Band.

    Moonshine whiskey is what The Farrells are known for — besides being, you know, feral. The menfolk have names like Asa, Hasil, and Foster. Big Foster Farell is played by character actor David Morse, who is always great. I have seen him in lots of movies and TV series, but remember him best for being the big corrections officer in “The Green Mile.” An actor named Kyle Gallner’s performance as Hasil Farrell really stands out in my mind, too.

    It’s an interesting series that I would recommend watching. Why? Well, as feral as The Farrells are, they don’t believe in killing each other. As a society, they don’t believe in money. Guns aren’t an everyday thing for them, either. There are power struggles about who will rule the clan and how they will keep nearby town residents off the mountain and away from the coal there. The nearby county sheriff has his family pressures and narcotic addiction issues, too. While the show is set in a rural environment, it’s not a bunch of yee-haw, hee-haw stuff.

    “Outsiders” was created by Peter Mattei. Actor Paul Giamatti was also a producer on the series, which aired from 2016-2017 on WGN.

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    “

    Southland, Part 2

    As I mentioned in Part 1, the TV cop series “Southland” had a fantastic ensemble cast of actors. Most of them I knew from some really great films and TV shows including but not limited to: “That Thing You Do!”, “Band of Brothers”, “Outside Providence”, “Friday”, and even “Red Dawn”.

    Rookie cop Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) was unkown to me before this series, but he was in “The O.C” prior to this. His training officer was played by Michael Cudlitz. Cudlitz played Staff Sergeant Denver “Bull” Randleman in “Band of Brothers.” Ben Sherman’s Beverly Hills upbringing is a problem for his training officer in “Southland.” Perhaps my favorite character in the series is Detective Sammy Bryant who is constantly dealing with his Über flaky wife Tammi (Emily Bergl). Bryant is played by Shawn Hatosy who played Tim Dunphy in the 1999 film “Outside Providence.” He brings the realness to his character. Unfortunately, I can’t find any clips so here is the Season 1 trailer.

    Regina King (“Friday”) plays a dedicated detctive and her partner is likable actor Tom Everett Scott who played the drummer in “That Thing You Do!”. C. Thomas Howell (“Red Dawn”) is the cop you love to hate. He’s boisterous, arrogant, and doesn’t think the rules apply to him. You might also recognize actor Michael McGrady from this and that. The list goes on and on.

    “Southland” was written by Ann Biderman. (Biderman also wrote Showtime’s “Ray Donovan”, which I would love to see.) While I don’t usually pay much attention to popularity ratings, “Southland” gets 8.5 out of 10 on imdb.com. The series started on NBC, but it was sold to TNT and aired the second season and following ones there. During one season, I think they used a different theme song which is an absolute travesty!

    To sum it up, “Southland” is not only a great show/series, but a good example of viewing habits. It started on free network TV, but was sold to a cable network. Now, I’m watching it for free on the TUBI streaming network. I highly recommend this series.

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

    Southland, Part 1

    I usually go for more attention grabbing titles, but I’m sticking with the actual title of this gritty cop drama because I honestly had a hard time remembering it. The TV series “Southland” (2009) originally aired Frigday nights on NBC if I remember correctly. The pilot episode followed rookie cop Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) and his gruff training officer (Michael Cudlitz) as they navigate the turbulent streets of South Central Los Angeles. One thing I always loved about the series is it had a great black and white sequence of opening titles and haunting theme song.

    I initially had a hard time finding info on the theme song, but I found a fan website which identified it as “Song of the Sea” or “Canção do Mar” by Dulce Pontes. Apparently she’s a Portugese singer and songwriter.

    And the song actually has lyrics! While thinking about this show, it made me realize how many other successful cop TV series had great theme songs. “Dragnet” and “Law and Order” come to mind. (To clarify, I mean the original “Law and Order” series — not “Law and Order: Parking Tickets” or “Law and Order: Unruly Rednecks” or “Law and Order: Swaziland” or my favorite spinoff “Law and Order: Grammatical Errors” which will spinoff into “Law and Order: Dangling Participles.”)

    One of the biggest strengths of the Southland series is the ensemble cast. There are some great performances and lots of familiar faces from movies you know and love. I’ve digressed here so I will disucss the show further in Southland, Part 2.

    Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!