American Badass

It’s a sad day for the United States of America and the global martial arts community. One of the O.G., best-known, truly legit, martial arts badasses is gone. Chuck Norris lived to be 86.

I did a quick search on Google and he appeared in over 35 films, not to mention his TV show “Walker: Texas Ranger”, among numerous other shows. At some point, Chuck Norris Facts (jokes) started to take over the internet. I have seen a few interviews with Norris and he laughed about them as the host read some aloud. Things like, “When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the Earth down.”

Carlos Ray Norris was born and raised in the Midwest, then joined the United States Air Force. He started training in the Korean martial art Tang Soo Do (“the way of the Tang Hand”) and earned his black belt. Later, he was stationed in California and not only started competing in martial arts tournaments, but also opening his own schools, and training celebrities.

Whether you love or hate Norris’ films or acting ability, you CANNOT deny him as a self-made success. Norris made his own way as a competitor. He went up against the best and, more often than not, beat the best. He got into Hollywood movies and even appeared in “The Way of the Dragon” with Bruce Lee.

If you’re short on motivation, I recommend researching Norris. I consider him a true pioneer who spread martial arts and fitness throughout America. He was the oldest of three brothers. His brother Wieland was killed in action during the Vietnam War, which may explain his dedication to American Veterans.

Norris earned numerous black belts in a variety of martial arts and was worth an estimated $70 million dollars. From what I saw of him in interviews, my impression of Norris was a successful guy with a great sense of humor and a positive mindset. I think his competitive drive is what really set him apart from so many others.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Buying Love w/o Amazon

I have been spending some time on the free version of the mega-music-streaming-platform Spotify recently. Unlike Neil Young, I don’t really love or hate it. One thing that’s kind of addictive about it is the ability to create playlists. If you’re a music junkie like me, it’s pretty addicting. For example, I recently listened to a couple of alternate versions of Beatles songs including “Can’t Buy Me Love.” This version is an interesting listen because of the additional background vocals from George Harrison and John Lennon.

The song was released in 1964, was included on “A Hard Day’s Night” album, and was a follow up to “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” If Lennon and Paul McCartney felt any pressure, they certainly delivered with the final version. Apparently, they wrote and started the recording process in Paris, but finished it in England.

The “alternate version” arrangement actually reminds me of some songs they recorded later on the “Revolver” album like “I’m Only Sleeping” along with “And Your Bird Can Sing” because it’s John, Paul, and George all contributing to the vocals. I think you can argue the final version is more like a solo McCartney song, which is great in its own right, but different. It’s a catchy pop song that also features that twangy guitar solo by George Harrison.

What else can you say about this song? Apparently, McCartney has opened some concerts with “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Naturally, you had Ringo Starr doing his thing on the drums.

If you’re into cover songs, there about 350 other versions out there. I haven’t really listened to them yet, but the list includes everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Blackstreet to Michael Buble to Lucinda Williams.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Pre-Spaceman and Cat

When you think about the band KISS, what is the first thing that pops to mind? Probably their makeup. Those platform boots were something else, too. I’d consider myself a legacy fan as since I listened to them back in the 70s. KISS has a pretty enormous catalog of original songs — over 100 with about 20 studio albums — which keeps it interesting for listeners. There’s always something to discover.

Case in point, is a recent demo I found via YouTube. This isn’t of the original four band members, but only lead guitarist Ace Frehley’s previous band called “Molimo.” It’s definitely a departure from the sound of KISS. You can hear some of Frehley’s guitar work starting around the 1:40 mark.

Apparently, the band Jefferson Starship’s use of both male and female lead singers was an influence. From what I’ve read, the name “Molimo” was inspired by some sort of trumpet used by African pygmies. However, looking at the PR photo, it doesn’t look like there were any pygmies in the band.

Another pre-KISS band was “Chelsea” which featured drummer/vocalist Peter Criss. I had always heard that the KISS song “Beth” was originally entitled “Beck.” Apparently, that’s true.

Criss shares songwriting credits with producer Bob Ezrin and his Chelsea bandmate Stan Penridge. Apparently, a band member’s wife named Becky used to call during practice a lot to see when her husband was coming home. It’s pretty ironic that it morphed into an enormous hit for a hard rock band. What a weird inspiration. I don’t think “Beth” is usually mentioned when the term “power ballad” comes up, but maybe it should be. It doesn’t look like there were any pygmies in Chelsea either.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Would you like more Flon with that, Flin?

In my neck of the woods, it poured down rain last night including massively loud strikes of thunder. At some point, I woke up, turned on the Tubi network and found an interesting film title — “Flin Flon.” I can’t remember the description of it, but figured I’d give it a try.

It turns out Flin Flon is the name of a city located near the provincial border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It’s a pretty unique place. A mining company rep discovered there was copper and other minerals for the taking, so things started there. The name is actually based on a character from a sci-fi publication.

As the mining operation grew, so did the city. It’s no surprise that hockey also found a home in Flin Flon, which brings me to the fabulous focus of the Flin Flon film. That’s the Flin Flon Bombers junior ice hocky team. This team has been around since the 1920’s and appear to have a lot of civic support behind them.

I’d have to say the film is a feel-good documentary. That’s not my usual thing, but director Dustin Cohen captures what makes it an interesting place to live and that’s primarily hockey. There are interviews with players, coaches, the team’s bus driver, and plenty of townsfolk who either played for the Bombers in their youth or are currently serving as host families for current players. By the way, if you thought the Detroit Red Wings tradition of throwing an octopus carcass on the ice during the playoffs is weird, Bombers fans throw a moose leg onto the ice after every victory. I’m not kidding.

It wasn’t in the film, but I felt compelled to share the song “Roller” by Canadian rock band April Wine.

What else? Well, cartoonist Al Capp was commissioned to design the 24-foot statue of “Flinty”, who is that character in the previously mentioned publication “The Sunless City” by J.E. Preston Muddock. While he’s not the focus of the film, it’s worth mentioning that Philadelphia Flyers Legend Bobby Clarke was born in Flin Flon and played for the Bombers. I’d recommend viewing this film to see it all for yourself.

Here are my alternate blog entry titles:

How much Flon could a Flin Flon, if a Flin Flon could Flin Flon?
The Legacy of Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin
Ruthless and Toothless in Manitoba
I’d like Canadian mining cities for $500 please, Alex!
Death Match: The Flin Flon Man vs. Mordecai Jones

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

R.I.P. J.H.J.

Bluesman John Hammond, Jr. has gone to that “great gig in the sky”, but not before leaving a couple hundred bluesy covers for us all to enjoy. I was never a superfan, but I definitely appreciate his style. I always thought of Hammond as one of those “triple threat” guys who could sing, play guitar, and harmonica by himself (or with a band.) However, his style was different from guys like Bob Dylan or Neil Young.

Hammond had a wilder vocal style. You might even say he doesn’t really sound like a “white guy”, which is what he was. Case in point is his take on the Jimmy Reed classic “Big Boss Man.” According to Wikipedia, Hammond was inspired to start playing guitar after hearing one of Reed’s albums.

Reed’s version to my ears had more of a lazy, loping kind of feel to it, which is an interesting contrast to Hammond’s. I always thought of Hammond as a slide guitar player, too. He has plenty of electric recordings out there like his cover of “Dust My Broom”, which I associate with Elmore James.

If that’s not enough slide guitar for you, there are many other choices out there including Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen.” This one is more of a Delta blues which was most likely played on a National Resonator Guitar.

Hammond also wrote some original songs, but I think he’s best remembered as an interpreter of blues music — in many different styles. He covered songs written by Tom Waits along with at least one Mick Jagger-Keith Richards tune as well. I know it won’t be the last time I delve into his massive body of work.

Oh, and his father was that other John Hammond — the guy who discovered Bob Dylan.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Scootin’ Along

Motor scooters. What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear that term? Is it a certain brand like Vespa, Honda, or Tao Tao? I’ve always thought they look like fun, but can’t say I’ve ever really tried one. I suppose it’s on my bucket list.

Recently, I was scrolling through the Tubi network and found an offbeat documentary about an event called the Scooter Cannonball. It’s a coast to coast adventure which covers about 3,000 miles. “The Big Scoot!” was just released in 2025 and was directed by Corrie Vaus. It wasn’t in the film, but the song “Bad Motor Scooter” by Montrose seems appropriate.

In case you don’t recognize the voice, that’s a young Sammy Hagar on lead vocals. (Hagar wrote the song. The band was named after guitarist Ronnie Montrose.)

Here’s a clip from the band performing it on TV.

Getting back to the movie, the competitors in the film are really what make it an interesting thing to watch. There are husband and wife teams, a guy whose friend willed him his motor scooter while in hospice, and more. The funniest part to me was hearing some of the competitors’ nicknames. And the best one by far is “QuasiMotard”. I actually found this guy online and he emailed me back right away. He’s not a hunchback, but he told me quasi means almost and motard is French slang for a biker so it means “almost a biker.”

There are actually injuries and plenty of riding the scooters with 10 to 12″ tires on some seriously treacherous dirt roads. I could say more, but I’d recommend checking it out for yourself.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Alibis: Yes or No?

I’ve said it before and will definitely say it again….Music, and certain songs, have a funny way of reaching all of us. A couple of musical friends of mine recently mentioned the name Pino Palladino. I didn’t know him by name, but he is a professional bass player by trade; however, that could be an understatement. Palladino has played with some of the biggest names in rock royalty like The Who, Jeff Beck, and David Gilmour to name just a few.

Palladino was also involved in a short-lived band called “The Law” with singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Kenny Jones. I’m a pretty big fan of Paul Rodgers, but didn’t remember much about this project. I think some of the material wasn’t officially released. One song that grabbed my ears from their catalog is “Alibi” which was written by Jerry Lynn Williams.

If the song sounds familiar that’s because it was also recorded by Eric Clapton on his 1989 album “Journeyman”, but the song was entitled “No Alibis.”

It’s interesting to hear the two distinct versions and contrast some of the differences in the arrangements. The first chorus of The Law version reminds me more of a Bad Company song…not just because it’s Paul Rodgers voice, but it doesn’t feature the full chorus of background vocals like it does later in the song. There’s also a false ending around the 5:30 mark. Clapton’s version sounds like it has some slicker production on it, but there are similarities between the two versions. While listening on headphones, I heard a laugh on the Clapton version around 1:35, too.

Interestingly enough, Pino Palladino played bass on a “Journeyman” track, but it wasn’t this one. The album contained about 5 songs written by Jerry Lynn Williams. I’m planning to blog about other songs involving Palladino and Williams in the future.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Great Flaming Flutes!

I had a Jethro Tull song pop into my head recently. A few of the band’s songs got some airplay on the Album Oriented Rock station I listened to as a teenager and it got me thinking about the band and founding member Ian Anderson.

Anderson is synonymous with one-legged flute playing. (If you haven’t seen Will Ferrell as the jazz playing flautist Ron Burgundy in the film “Anchorman” you’re missing out. He copied many of Anderson’s moves.) I’ve never been a superfan of Tull, but I have to say I like the rock groove of “Locomotive Breath” from the album “Aqualung.” There’s about a minute of piano intro by keyboardist John Evan.

I have seen Ian Anderson listed as the sole songwriter, but have also seen a couple of things about his ex-wife Jennie Franks- Anderson contributing some of the lyrics to “Locomotive Breath.” I did a little research on the song and, apparently, population control was the main inspiration behind it. Anderson used a runaway train as a metaphor for it. I never really got that from the lyrics, but what do I know? Harmonica player Will Wilde did his bluesy take on the song as well.

I like how Wilde inserted his own harmonica solo in place of Anderson’s flute solo.

What else can be said about Anderson? Well, there was an altogether different guy named Ian Anderson who was a professional soccer player. I remember watching a piece on him which featured Tull’s music. The soccer guy used to get asked if he was “THE Ian Anderson.”

What else can be said about Jethro Tull? The band took its name from a real dude named Jethro Tull who is credited as the inventor of the horse drawn seed drill. I wonder how he felt about population control?

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Sesenta Bowl ??

Super Bowl Sixty is in the books. Hopefully, you’re a die hard Seattle Seahawks fan or have jumped on the bandwagon during the past 24 hours. Personally, this is the only NFL game I watched all-season. Here are my thoughts on the actual game:

-Standout players for the Seahawks included running back Kenneth Williams III, QB Sam Darnold (and his ginger-riffic beard), and kicker Jason Myers. (Was Myers in Halloween or Friday the 13th?). Also, the Seahawks defense was dominant.

– On the flip side, does Patriots QB Drake Maye deserve to be “thrown under the bus” for his performance? Maybe, but in his defense, the dude is ONLY TWENTY-THREE-YEARS-OLD. Something tells me he’ll be back.

-Early in the game I spotted what looked like an inflatable being worn on the head of Patriots player Jared Wilson. Apparently, it’s called a Guardian Cap and is designed to absorb the impact of helmet to helmet hits and prevent concussions. Maybe the Pats should have a bobblehead/hot air balloon giveaway as a tribute.

My thoughts on the entertainment event:

-Commercials: Anheuser-Busch decided to act American again by having an eagle on a Clydesdale. Also, Kurt Russell was on skis for some reason. Wow, your marketing team has really bounced back from that whole “trans influencer” thing. How is the weather in Belgium?

–Bad Bunny: This Puerto Rican dude is apparently one of the 50 best-selling music artists of all time. That said, I’m not fluent in Spanish so I have no idea what he was trying to say during his much publicized halftime show. A Super Bowl halftime performance is always completely over the top so I give him credit for not falling into the sugar cane. Did you know his name in Spanish is “Conejo Malo”? Also, I heard that he toyed with the name “Horrible Hare” for European audiences. Maybe American audiences would have preferred hearing the “Bunny Hop” by Ray Anthony and his orchestra?

In case you missed it, Bad Bunny had Ricky Martin and Lady Goo Goo in supporting roles during the halftime show. I guess Ricky is still living his best “vida”? Is it still loca?

I recently saw an interview with an economist who thinks the NFL HAS TO expand globally or else it will financially go under in a matter of time. Maybe the whole Bad Bunny thing is about demographics. Are they trying to gain more Spanish-speaking fans of American football? Duh. If you don’t agree you’re a dumb bunny.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

The Paperboy Cometh

Sitcoms. It seems like they come and go. You could make the argument that they are “dead”, but every once in a while one comes along that is really unique. Case in point: “Get a Life” with Chris Elliott.

Most people know Elliott from his ridiculous characters on David Letterman’s show, but he has also appeared in other shows and movies like “Schitt’s Creek”, “There’s Something About Mary”, and more. “Get a Life” put Elliott in the driver’s seat of his own project. The premise is Chris Peterson is a 30-year-old paperboy who still lives with his parents (played by Bob Elliott and Elinor Donahue.) The rest revolved around his misadventures like getting a driver’s license, going up against a Robocop-like paperboy, and trying to save his childhood playground while simultaneously breaking a world record for having stuff piled on top of him.

A short version of R.E.M.’s song “Stand” was used as the show’s theme song during its two season run during 1990-92.

There are some great scenes with Chris’s best friend who is also age 30, but is married with a wife, house, job and two kids. It’s an interesting contrast to Chris who is finished with his “work day” by 9 am. His friend’s wife is a great source of frustration as you can imagine.

During the driver’s license episode, there’s a scene where Chris tries to charm a gruff highway patrol officer using his natural charm which included playing “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” on the car radio.

I can’t think of another reason to include this bizarre song by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods in my blog so here it is.

I saw “Get a Life” described as an “anti-sitcom” someplace, which seems to be appropriate. Writers for the show included Chris Elliott, Adam Resnick, David Mirkin, Charlie Kaufman, and Bob Odenkirk.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!