Did you ever take a ride take a ride on a roller coaster ...

Four years before the Ides of March had their one big hit, "Vehicle" (you know, "I'm your vehicle, baby, I'll take you anywhere you wanna go ..."), the Chicago-area band put out a little single called "Roller Coaster" on Parrot Records.

I thought it was great, bought the record new in 1966 and have played it over and over over the years. Alas, the world was not ready for the Ides of March, and I had to wait four more years to see them on the charts.

By then, my first reaction to "Vehicle" was, "The Ides of March? Can't be the same band, can it?" The horns, nowhere to be heard on "Roller Coaster," and the clearly different vocal style made me suspicious. But there was the name "Peterik" on the label - writer Jim Peterik to be precise. Yep, same band.

The record (pun intended) will show that "Vehicle" was a much more commercially successful song than "Roller Coaster." But me, I like this one better. A girl in love is the greatest thrill the world has ever known ...

Our troubles were torn in half

Aunt Fritzi salutes The Coasters.

"Play Those Oldies Mr. Dee Jay"

The odd thing about "Play Those Oldies Mr. Dee Jay" is that the songs it salutes weren't especially old when Anthony and the Sophomores released it. I am almost certain I owned this record before The Beatles invaded America, which makes it an early-1960s tune. The person who posted this YouTube video suggests it came out in 1963.

I purchased my copy in a cutout bin, on Mercury Records, probably for a dime. I had never heard the song on the radio, I think I confused the band with Little Anthony and the Imperials, and when I played it at home I asked myself, "Why wasn't this song a hit?" It reminds me very much of the Barry Mann tune, "Mister Bass Man," and perhaps it was written and released to grab a little of the reflected glory of that big hit.

It's almost 50 years since this song came out and failed to chart, and I remain convinced that "Play Those Oldies Mr. Dee Jay" deserved (and deserves) to be recognized. It's pretty much the perfect Doo Wop music anthem. And that note Anthony belts out on "Til Theeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnn" – Whew!

Yellow Balloon weather

Hot, sunny days like we've had this weekend inevitably bring my mind back to the summer of 1967, when Dad and Mom took us to Disneyland for the second time. (Unlike six years earlier, when Dad drove the whole way from New Jersey to Anaheim, Calif., including a wretched journey across the Mojave Desert, this time we stopped in Salt Lake City and flew the rest of the way.)

Somewhere in the middle of Nebraska (I want to say Kearney), we started hearing a wonderful little tune on the radio - "Yellow Balloon" by The Yellow Balloon. These 41 years later, it still give me an inner smile. I learned years later that The Yellow Balloon was formed by Don Grady, who played one of My Three Sons on television. It's an interesting factoid, but the main reason I like "Yellow Balloon" is because it sounds so much like the sixties.

I was deep into the Top 40 charts at the time, and I'd listen with pencil and paper poised for the weekly countdowns on WABC and WMCA in New York. When we returned to the East, I told my friends to listen for a song called "Yellow Balloon," because it was going to be a huge summer hit. But it never migrated to New York radio. Wait, maybe it was a "Long Shot" on WMCA, but the rest of the dour East Coast did not delight in the song the way I did.

Maybe that's another reason I moved to the Midwest when I turned 18 and never looked back.

The Haley Reinhart Album

OK, congratulations to Scotty McCreery, winner of this year’s American Idol competition, and Lauren Alaina, the sweet young thing who finished in second place. I come to sing the praises of the third-place finisher, a bright jazz-blues-rock singer from Wheeling, Ill., who has the power to make this middle-aged music aficionado download the studio versions of all of her performances at $1.29 a pop.

Haley Reinhart took her time figuring out what she wanted to do with her gifts, with near-disastrous results – she landed in the at-risk Bottom Three no less than four times. But beginning with a memorably sultry performance of (of all things) Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” Reinhart emerged as the most talented and creative of this year’s crop of would-be Idols.

And the professionals took notice. Producer Jimmy Iovine arranged for Reinhart to cover a then-unreleased tune from Lady Gaga’s new album – sure, it was a shameless promotional gimmick for Gaga, but Reinhart is the one who was offered the gig and (despite the disparaging remarks of the Idol judges) she knocked it out of the park. Then the members of Led Zeppelin gave her the right to do one of their songs – after 10 years of telling Idol “no way.” The result, “What Is and What Should Never Be,” was the single best performance by any contestant this season.

There are 13 Reinhart solo tracks available at iTunes. Putting on my record producer’s hat, this is how I arranged them and have been enjoying during the commute:

1. “Yoü and I” - the aforementioned Lady Gaga cut is an infectious power ballad that builds to a crescendo built on the chord structure to the “Hey Jude” coda. Betcha can’t listen to it just once. The judge’s criticism of her song choice was inexplicable, although it had the side benefit of focusing Reinhart’s energy to come back with the searing version of Song #4 later in that show. “Yoü and I” serves as an energetic opening tune for the album. (Video below)

2. “Rolling in the Deep” - In an episode called “21st Century Songs,” Haley went for with the current #1 song in the country. Smart thinking - and an effective and catchy rendition.

3. “What Is And What Should Never Be” - The song begins with a jazzy bluesy vibe and ends with an psychotic hard rock explosion, and Reinhart negotiates those genres seamlessly. The studio track has the added benefit of no awkward pause in the vocals where she tripped on the stage during the live performance - although it also lacks the marvelous guitar licks that her dad, Harry Reinhart, added live. A track that demands to be played very loud.

4. “House of the Rising Sun” - The song requires raw power and aching vulnerability; in other words, it’s right in the middle of Haley Reinhart’s wheelhouse, and she delivers bigtime. After the unexpected and unjustified criticism of her first song that night, she blistered this one in what (until the Led Zep track) was the most memorable moment of the year.

5. “Call Me” - a competently delivered cover of the energetic Blondie anthem. Hey, after the power of the last two songs we need a party tune.

6. “Piece of My Heart” - In the early rounds where she was still searching for her identity, the judges heard her growl and said she could be the next Janis Joplin. Although this proved there was only one Joplin, it also proved Reinhart might be the next best thing. It’s a good performance that suffers only in comparison with the original. The “We Will Rock You” style drum set adds a dimension.

7. “Bennie and the Jets” - the turning point that turned her star power on. Reinhart weaves slinky jazz vocal elements around the clunky Elton John classic and turns it into something smooth and sexy. How did she find that in this song?! “B-B-B-Bennie and the Jetsssss,” indeed.

8. “Beautiful” - This Carole King gem has always been one of my favorites from “Tapestry,” and Reinhart does it justice. “You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart.” Yep!

9. “I (Who Have Nothing)” - Raw power, aching vulnerability - did I mention Reinhart’s wheelhouse?

10. “Blue” - On country week Haley unleashed her yodel and turned this LeeAnn Rimes nugget into something memorable.

11. “You Really Got a Hold On Me” - Motown week brought this rollicking cover of the Smokey Robinson classic.

12. “Earth Song” - The judges criticized her for picking this Michael Jackson tune as the “song that inspired her,” but in its context as part of this Haley Reinhart album, this fits right in as the dramatic penultimate song.

13. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” - And to conclude our 43-minute jaunt, a Whitney Houston hit. Judges over the years have warned these young singers not to attempt songs by the really really big stars, lest they be overshadowed by the memory of the original. There was no such criticism here. And this rendition ends with a quick little jazzy "I'm your baby, baby beee tonight ..." Perfect way to end the set.

And there you have it, folks, a really nice album by one of the best vocalists American Idol has ever unearthed. The folks behind the show told her to try being Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks or Alanis Morrisette - their suggestions showed they didn’t really know who she could be. The ease with which she melded with Tony Bennett on “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” in the final show of the season, and her duet with Casey Abrams on Art Blakey’s “Moanin’,” gave the strongest hint of the heights of Haley Reinhart’s talent. More, please!

Brushing away the cobwebs ...

No, really.

What is happening here is being caused by a force that, up until a few days ago, was entirely beyond the scope of man's imagination.

Crickets chirp when they're feeling, um, creative

The lack of entries in this blog, and the lack of new podcasts since Christmas, should not be construed as the end of anything.

Astute followers of the Attic have no doubt noticed the recent uptick of activity at WarrenBluhm.com, where I am offering words of encouragement and reflection. This site is my place for aural delights, of which there ought to be more in the foreseeable future.

Just checking in to say "hey" and apologize for what may sound like crickets chirping. Well, note the subject line ...

Putzing around the Attic

Uncle Warren's Attic is a continual work in progress. I'm fiddling with some ideas on where to take the podcast next, and meanwhile I've decided to revert to the original purpose of this site, which was and is to supplement the podcast and talk about music and the other eclectic stuff that makes it onto the podcast.

Meanwhile, I've been posting my more philosophical or political thoughts over at a place I'm pretentiously calling WarrenBluhm.com. Check it out if you'd like a piece of my mind, or to share a piece of yours in the proverbial comment section.

UWA will be back soon!

Opening the book on a new year

Lyrics to a little ditty I wrote back in the day ...

Live Till You Die

Nobody said that it would be easy,
Everyone said it could not be done,
But nobody said it would not be worth it,
So go for it now — you've only just begun.

There's no shame in failing before the end comes.
While there's life, there is hope, there's a seed.
It's better to try, give it all that you have,
Than attempt to do nothing and succeed.

There's just too many people out there
Not caring if they live or die
There's just so much to find out there —
You can't laugh if you're afraid to cry.

So this is my plea: Live till you die.
There's no reason you should give up now.
Tomorrow's a blank page to write what you wish —
The rising sun will show you how.

Cross posted to WarrenBluhm.com

Uncle Warren's Attic 106: Ten Thousand Days

Here's the whole album and a soft sell. If you like a song or two, or the whole thing, you can buy it to download at www.wpbluhm.com. Merry Christmas! Click or right-click on the pod icon or right here to download/listen.

Merry Christmas

Uncle Warren's Attic 105: Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas and God bless us, every one! Listen/download this festive episode by clicking on the pod icon or right here.

Links to stuff that you'll find while listening ...
"Hooray for Santa Claus" from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
"The Lord's Bright Blessing" from Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
"Chiron Beta Prime" by Jonathan Coulton
"Stuck in the Smoke Hole of our Tipi" by Grandfather Old Hands
"Allons, gay, gay Bergeres" and "Joy to the World" by Robert Shaw Chorale
Scrooge by Jim Dale
"O Come All Ye Faithful" by Pomplamoose and Wade Johnston

Last but not least, I promised the video to "Stuck in the Smoke Hole of our Tipi" - see below.

Have a great Christmas - keep subscribing and see you in a few days!