Bobby Vee: 1960s pop singer dies at the age of 73

BBC ^ | 10/24/16

[sparklite2]

Bobby Vee, best known for hits including Rubber Ball and Take Good Care of my Baby, has died at the age of 73.

[Resettozero]

Uphill both ways too!

Matter of fact, had to traverse a little mountain. In the country, two-lane and one-lane roads. Didn't mind it at all. It was radio! Road the bus to school doing homework, get a short ride to the station after school, work for seven hours Tu-F (twenty more hours on the weekend for a total of 48 at $1.05 per), and there was almost always a way to bum a ride home. Called the manager if all else failed. Turned sixteen before very long.

[Steely Tom]

A few months ago, I played Olivia Newton-John's song Magic (from Xanadu) for my daughter; before it started, I said "here's someone who didn't need Autotune."

She was only slightly moved by it.

To me, the music that came out right at the end of the disco era was the absolute pinnacle of purely human recorded music production, and ONJ and the BeeGees (of course along with Steely Dan, Dire Straits, the Eagles, and a few others) were the most perfectly recorded performances ever done pre-digital.

After that, electronics became dominant, both on stage and in post-production.

[dfwgator]

How could you ever digitally recreate Keith Moon on drums?

[Steely Tom]

I meant for #62 to go to you; I clicked myself by accident.

[Resettozero]

After that, electronics became dominant, both on stage and in post-production.

And earphones caused everyone to sound professional to himself or herself while singing along. Soon, few could really sing at all.

[beelzepug]

“The Poor People of Paris”

If I recall, that tune ended with a little “cha-cha-cha”, didn’t it?

[editor-surveyor]

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That would be the programmer’s job to make the tools available on the chip.

[Resettozero]

“If I recall, that tune ended with a little “cha-cha-cha”, didn’t it?”

Thinking of this one?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aWkhuAu8go

[beelzepug]

Yeah, I got mixed up. Oh, well. That wasn’t such a bad tune, either.

[Steely Tom]

If I recall, that tune ended with a little “cha-cha-cha”, didn’t it?

Not quite that bad, no. Close!

Les Baxter was a pretty successful arranger and bandleader in the era that immediately preceded the far more sophisticated styles of Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, Francis Lai, Lalo Schifrin, Burt Bacharach, etc.

Unfortunately for Mr. Baxter, he made a bitter enemy out of another up-and-coming bandleader and movie composer Nelson Riddle, and as Riddle grew in stature he made it his business to destroy Baxter's career.

This happened when Baxter — when he was Riddle's boss — took credit for composition/arranging work that Riddle did for Nat King Cole.

It appears that Riddle absolutely hated Baxter, who was professionally isolated and left the business entirely.

[beelzepug]

“...after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.”

That’s really scary. Does anyone know if Glen Campbell is still with us?

[Sans-Culotte]

I distinctly remember The Poor People of Paris as elevator music from that time, and (as a small child) I liked it; I did not like Elvis, or Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, etc. Rock and Roll struck my childish ear as chaotic noise. I don't like those performers to this day.

I cannot remember music that preceded Elvis because I was born the year Elvis made it big on the national stage (1956). Through my formative years, I grew up being exposed to rock and roll/rock via my friends, or country music from my parents at home. Around the time I was in high school, I developed a taste for Sinatra and Nat Cole. By the time I started college, I was getting into classical music.

Now that I am 60, I have rejected rock and modern pop music entirely. It seems to be music written and performed by young people for young people. It simply does not speak to me anymore. I guess for me it is a "when I was child I spake as a child..." sort of thing. Now I listen only to classical (I'm listening to Handel's Op.6 Concerto Grossos as I type), or Sinatra and singers of his ilk.

[beelzepug]

Nelson Riddle had a good band. One of my favorites was his theme for the “Route 66” TV series. I had just started driving that summer and it was way too easy to let your foot get heavy listening to that one.

[Resettozero]

Almost had forgotten this one written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King until today. Brings back specific never-to-be-repeated emotions for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saBK2BeIPmw

[Steely Tom]

Now that I am 60, I have rejected rock and modern pop music entirely. It seems to be music written and performed by young people for young people. It simply does not speak to me anymore. I guess for me it is a "when I was child I spake as a child..." sort of thing. Now I listen only to classical (I'm listening to Handel's Op.6 Concerto Grossos as I type), or Sinatra and singers of his ilk.

I hear you. I too listen to more classical music. I still listen to pop music as a nostalgia trip; it amazes me how clear are the memories it brings back.

I love the videos of the Vienna Philharmonic that are available on YouTube. With headphones and a good video monitor, they are quite immersive. The video camera switching is (seemingly) done by someone who knows how to read music, jumping from soloist to soloist with perfect timing.

[Steely Tom]

Nelson Riddle had a good band. One of my favorites was his theme for the “Route 66” TV series. I had just started driving that summer and it was way too easy to let your foot get heavy listening to that one.

Route 66 was a terrific theme song.

Have you seen this tribute video to the show?

Quite well done amateur work, and kind of funny at points.

Also contains a few seconds of the early appearance of gorgeous Barbara Eden, who plays Martin Milner's new wife in the last episode, drawing to a close his wandering days.

[gogeo]

Boots and pants and boots and pants and...

[gogeo]

He is.

[Sans-Culotte]

I love the videos of the Vienna Philharmonic that are available on YouTube. With headphones and a good video monitor, they are quite immersive. The video camera switching is (seemingly) done by someone who knows how to read music, jumping from soloist to soloist with perfect timing.

I also like the nostalgia that old pop music evokes. I just find I don't like the music as music any longer.

Are the Vienna videos the Beethoven cycle by Thielemann? I have that set on Blu-ray. They were very well directed. I credit the set with (finally) getting my wife to appreciate Beethoven more, particularly in the smaller symphonies. I think Thielemann's swashbuckling style may have had something to do with it. I have seen some classical videos that used too many dizzying cuts that did not take into account which soloist/section was playing. The Vienna Beethoven set largely gets it right.

The same company did a set of the Brahms symphonies with Thielmann again, this time conducting the Dresden Staatskapelle. They're very good. If anything, Thielemann may be better in Brahms than he is in Beethoven. But the videos don't pop like the Vienna Beethoven set.

[editor-surveyor]

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Boy did that show sell a bunch of Corvettes!
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