I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Laramie, Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES — an exhibition from music photographer Jim Marshall’s collection highlighting Johnny Cash's historic Folsom and San Quentin prison concerts in 1968 and 1969 — as part of a symposium held on prison reform — will be at the Pepperdine University library in Malibu, California to April 9th.
YOUR WEEKEND READ is this essay by the eminent columnist for The Guardian, Jonathan Freedland — believing that London’s Metropolitan Police (which has been quite adept at protecting bad apples in the form of rapists and even a murderer) … needs to be scrapped altogether and redone.
HAIL and FAREWELL #1 to two rock-n-roll guitarists: Tom Verlaine (at age 73) who worked in the 1970’s band Television … and also Anthony “Top” Topham (at age 75) who was the original lead guitarist in The Yardbirds yet had to leave (at age 15) … to be replaced (in order) by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page … yet after a career in both music and art, he rejoined a re-formed Yardbirds from 2013-2015.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Jura the Cat — a Scottish kitteh who lost a leg in a fall from a high-rise building (where other pets have also recently fallen) — but has now been adopted and recuperating well.
FINANCIAL NOTES — a plan to develop a common-currency (much like the Euro) is to be discussed at a summit between Brazil and Argentina, who have a combined nearly 60% of South America’s population … if successful, other nations would be invited to join (as a way of reducing the US$ role in the region).
HAIL and FAREWELL #2 to some other names in music: Barrett Strong, one of Motown’s earliest premier songwriters (often paired with Norman Whitfield) at the age of 81 …. and Floyd Sneed, the drummer in Three Dog Night (and Canadian native) at the age of 80.
FRIDAY's CHILD is the late Paul Newman the Cat — who would venture from his home each day to the South Parkway commuter rail station in Liverpool, England: bringing a smile to many a daily commuter as the station’s “Chief of customer relations” before his recent death.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at a nice letter received from my high school principal — one of my early role models — replying to a Christmas card that I sent mainly because … it was the last one in the box of cards that I had left.
BRAIN TEASER — try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
HAIL and FAREWELL #3 — the child actress Lisa Loring — who famously portrayed Wednesday on the Addams Family — at the age of 64. (Now at the age of 92, John Astin is the only surviving cast member).
I recall one exchange that Wednesday had with an Avon Lady (although they didn’t mention the company, you knew what it was) that went something like this:
Avon Lady: “Honey, what sort of powder does your mother use?”
Wednesday: “Baking powder”.
Avon Lady: “No, honey … I mean on her face?”
Wednesday: “Baking powder”.
DIRECT DESCENDANTS? — Czech novelist Franz Kafka and retired boxer Erik ‘El Terrible’ Morales (now a member of Mexico’s Congress).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… while much of the tributes to the late David Crosby have focused on the music and the good times others had with him … there were also some difficult times (including as recently as 2021). Some date back decades to when he was using, others were more recent (including comments about Neil Young’s wife) that were a flashpoint. Yet in the end, his old friends could not forget the accomplishments they achieved (plus numerous accounts of kindness and friendship). And through it all, he had those songs … one of which came at just such a time of discord.
After a stint (1962-1963) in the folk group Les Baxter’s Balladeers (along with future Lovin’ Spoonful and The Association member Jerry Yester) he joined The Byrds in 1964. Over five albums they crafted some excellent tunes that helped eventually result in the band being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (and Crosby later would also be inducted a second time, as part of CSN).
Tensions were high in 1967, as the band was undergoing what would (later) be a major shake-up. By his own admission, Crosby admitted to being an a-hole, leading to his being fired in October by Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman (though they later reunited for various concerts).
One touchstone was Crosby’s song Triad — not extolling a three-way (which could merely be a one-night affair) but polyamory. It was based upon Robert Heinlein’s 1961 novel Stranger in a Strange Land — which explored non-traditional families, including phrases such as “sister lovers” and “water brothers”.
The Byrds did record the song and performed it live that September at the Whisky a GoGo … but the decision not to release it on the Notorious Byrd Brothers album was a further sour note, adding to the split. Crosby felt the song was too risqué for McGuinn and Hillman, who retorted that it was simply subpar.
Undaunted, David Crosby gave the song to the Jefferson Airplane, who recorded it on their 1968 album Crown of Creation (which reached #6 on the album charts without the benefit of having a hit single). In hindsight, I think this song gained tremendously by being first recorded by a woman: a man might seem a mere libertine, yet Triad took on a whole new meaning (being more about relationships) when sung by Grace Slick. Eight years later, such a song written by two men (Torn Between Two Lovers) reached all the way to #1 … when sung by Mary McGregor.
Triad was recorded on the 1971 CSNY live album Four Way Street, and there was an interesting cover version in 1973 … by the film star Sally Kellerman. The original 1967 Byrds studio recording was finally released as part of a 1989 archival release (as well as appearing on their excellent 1990 box set).
Looking back at the song: Crosby admitted that he was involved in a few such relationships. In a different situation: he fathered Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher's two children via sperm donation in the late 1990’s.
Here is the (originally) unreleased 1967 recording by The Byrds (included on their 1990 boxed set).
Where I first heard it: sung by my boyhood crush, Grace Slick (she still is, today).