All We Are Saying...

... is Give Peace a Chance [US] - Give Peace A Chance

Given former Beatle John Lennon's penchant for peace, I wonder if he ever saw the irony in his failure to make full amends with Paul McCartney....

I Can Only Imagine

It totally took me by surprise the day I walked into a waiting room and recognized the song, I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me, playing on the radio. It wasn't the music itself that actually surprised me. It wasn't the arrangement of the song, or it's title, it's up-till-then relative obscurity outside of certain circles, or even it's line up. Although Mercy Me is a Christian rock band, there have been others that had crossed over into popular secular music, Amy Grant or Sixpence None the Richer, for example. So it wasn't that another Christian band had somehow snuck, sans religiosity, squarely into the secular scene. No, what gave me the biggest shock wave was that this song is utterly, blatantly Christian. It plainly names Jesus, no doubt about it. In this age of tolerance, where the only intolerance that seems to be tolerated is the disparaging of Christians, the last thing I would ever have expected was for His Name to be gracing the secular airwaves. Clearly. Unmistakeably. Whoa.

As I closed the waiting room door and shuffled past 2 kids playing on the floor, I gathered my purse and sat, thoroughly enjoying and half musing about what I was hearing. Interspersed about the doctor's office were several others reading magazines or simply staring nervously off into space waiting for their time to disappear into the medical inner sanctum. No one but me seemed to be aware that the Name above all names was embedded right in the middle of the lyrics of a song playing softly from the mysterious recesses of wherever sound systems lie hidden in offices of that kind. And no one was rushing to turn it off lest it's Protagonist suddenly offend some or all of those present (but me). My musings carried me past the song itself to thoughts of a world beyond where Christ reigns supreme. When it suddenly occured to me. There is no need for doctors in heaven.

Rather elemental, but I think I blinked twice at the thought, which expanded into the next. Not only is there no present need for doctors beyond the pearly gates, once Jesus returns to reestablish the Kingdom on earth, there won't be a future need for them, or for lawyers either. Or psychiatrists/psychologists. Not nurses, paramedics, veterinarians, not pharmacists. In a new-earthly perfection, where there is no sickness or death, no sorrow, no pain, the need for the most respected and revered professions on the planet will simply be, extinct. And by an odd twist of fate, some of the lowliest of professions will be those that abound. I guess that means that the starving artists, poets and writers, craftsmen and jewel setters can all take heart that they'll *still have a job*.

And musicians. Will we not be among the luckiest of all? I can only imagine.

For those interested- Mercy Me:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/artists/mercyme.html

Bloggin'

Friends are asking me, "What's a blog"? And I have to admit, I don't actually know. It is a website? Or is it a message board?

Kind of reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live Skit with Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner. Dan was sitting at the kitchen table squirting whipped cream from a can onto his butterscotch pudding. Gilda came in with a mop, took the can and squirted it's contents all over the floor. An argument ensued that went something like this:

Gilda: New Shimmer is a floor wax!

Dan: No, new Shimmer is a dessert topping!

Gilda: It's a floor wax!

Dan: It's a dessert topping!

Gilda: It's a floor wax, I'm telling you!

Dan: It's a dessert topping, you cow!

As they wrestle with the can, Chevy Chase rushes in and declares, "Hey, hey, hey, calm down, you two. New Shimmer is both a floor wax and a dessert topping!"

((Ah, I long for the days when SNL was actually sidesplitting funny!))
So anyway.. what say you all? Is a blog a website.. or.. message board??

Trivia

We all remember the couple wrapped in a quilt that graced the cover of the Woodstock* (1969) album. But who knows their names?


(For the answer, click on *comments* just below in this posting, the answer will appear in the popup box). *Important Disclaimer: The author was not actually at Woodstock. Her mother wouldn't let her go.

Antigone Rising

::Having lost all decorum in that last posting, smoothes skirt and manners and straightens up and flies rite. Clears throat::

OK. Who has not heard the CD by this up and coming band? I have to tell you, had that fabulously wealthy (and forever unnamed) producer back in the 80s offered me this kind of talented/serious line up (as opposed to a carbon copy of the GoGos in their underware on the cover of Rolling Stone) maybe I'd have taken him up on the offer...

Take a listen to this: Amazon.com: Music: From the Ground up

Other Birdz

And previously speaking of birdz, I'd like to wave at a few others I've played with over the years.

::Waves at:: Jimmy, it took 5 years of begging to get you hired and I left in 2. Where was my brain? Oh yeah, fried from getting sick and then I couldn't play, I forgot. In any case, you are the best. And you have our drummer, lil (Mom-my-bus-driver-is-in-the-band-with-us!) Jim, coming right up behind you. Keep on rockin' and take care of Nancy ::smiles::

::Waves at:: Bill. Hi Bill. Did you think I didn't know you were chomping at the bit for me to quit, Bill?

::Waves at::: Rich, I love ya Elvis. We really wowed em at Arthur's didn't we? Well, at least we wowed the enigmatic Arthur. He said so. Through the bartender. We never did actually see Arthur though, did we? (Maybe he's related to John Forsythe AKA *Charlie*). Do you think Arthur actually exists? Me either. I'm just glad somebody paid us. Hey, quick- who am I- *Do you guys play anything good*? Really loved your deadpan- *NO*. ::snickers:: Call me, n' say hi to Sue, heck have Sue call me too. PS- Tag, you're it.

::Waves at:: Dianni. My Dianni, where u b rite now Girlfriend? I cannot keep up with your travel plans! Never let it be said that one cannot fit a keyboard, a guitar, 3 mic stands, 2 potted plants, 1 ficus tree, 1 rolled up persian rug, and a silver candelabra into the trunk of your car. We could've decked Liberace out for that gig, but honey tell me, where did we hang our clothes? We did not hang them out the window. Hey, say hi to Cheem for me.

::Waves at:: M&M= Maura and Michelle. Still sorry the 4 girl *Sweet Eve* thing didn't work out. We were all so *enchanting* ::grin:: 'Twas a pleasure singing with you both, and Michelle, give your soundman/brother a pinch on the cheek for me willya? He's such a sweetie.

::Waves at:: DebDeb. Hey Girlfriend, what will it take to get you to stick around for more than one gig a century? ::Begins to wonder if that Journey song was prophetic.. ~if you just.. stay.. with me awhile~:: Yeah, I know you totally rocked the crowd in the Central gym ::giggles:: but the world has never heard your Ann Wilson. (Well, except for my parent's next door neighbor, but he wasn't too happy with the volume level at 1 am). This is totally a sin. I'm going to have to tell pastor Mark. Unless... that would mean he would actually have to learn about this blog. ::As if he'd care:: :)~

::Waves at:: Boyfriend Johnboy Lewis, if auditioning and/or just jamming around in the basement counts as *playing together*. Who am I kidding? I can't jam. I don't know enough blues chords to jam. I don't know any blues chords at all. I can sing tho, can't I!?! ::hopeful look:: Such a shame that we didn't get to do that *Sonny and Cher* thing with Rich and DebDeb isn't it? Maybe some other time... NOT!

::Waves at:: Ronnie, another auditioning/jamming kind of guy. How many times did we try? No, it couldn't have been a zillion. Could it? OK. It was 2. But both times were fun. For me anyway. Love your new website. Hey! I'll post it here~> Double Take . I'll put it in my *links* too. You and Boyfriend JL sound great. Not to mention Scooter and Steve. We'll come to see you soon.

::Waves at:: Phil. You are missing in action, Phil. Whatever possessed you to give up playing covers in back alley bars for the sumptuous life of an successful insurance broker?? Do you realize all the money we could have made? ::totally serious face:: First time I saw you I was in curlers, last time I saw you we were at Wellers. Hope to see you somewhere again someday.

::Waves at:: Kurt, yah, another sellout to the financial industry. This one I clearly understand however, since the last time we shared a stage, Jonny Dark flicked a lit cigarette off the back of your head for playing the wrong chord. Did you even feel that? Lucky it didn't turn into a Michael Jackson hair-on-fire sort of incident. In any case, whatever possessed you to ever play with that guy anyway? ::Probably the same thing that possessed her to ever play with that guy anyway:: hehehe

::Waves at:: Aforementioned Jonathan Dark. A real *Wise Guy*. Har har. Ok. I know you're mad at me. Again. As usual. I quickly discerned this the day you stopped speaking to me, what, 5 years ago? (Don't forget, I have intense training that enables me to notice such things). But c'mon now. This is getting ridiculous. The longest time I ceased talking to you was, what, only a year. Besides, it wasn't me who left the power head in Karl's basement the night of the Candlelite Inn gig! Ok. Be like that. And next time you have a dental crisis, don't think you can send me out for the superglue!

::Waves at::: Chris, I haven't had a Cranky Boyz phone call from you in AGES. You haven't stopped talking to me like your neighbor, have you? You and Butch still playing? Call me and let me know. Use your real voice tho, otherwise I'm just hangin' up. :)~

::Waves at:: Gene, I know, I know, you told me not to play with Jonny Dark. Did I listen? NOOOOOO. But neither did Kurt. Neither did Phil/Karl/Kevin/Mike/Bill/YOU for that matter. You know he's the one we all hate to love and love to hate. I still can't believe he sold the acoustic Matisko you built for him. Dork. When you playin' round here again? Call me and let me know. I'll call Jimmy and Nancy. We'll come see you. PS- I still have to bring you my Takemine. The pickup. It's broke. :(

::Waves at:: Kevin! The cleverest bra unhooker I ever met! (Even if he is the complete gentleman and it was a total accident). Still drumming? Hey. Weren't you the Vice Prezident for Dark Horse? Yah, I think. And Mike was the Secretary, Karl the Treasurer and Jon the Prez (of course). I thought it was all so unfair, after all, where did that leave me? I know, I know, I was allowed to be the *Princess*, but that was only after I twisted Dark's arm almost off. BTW, were you the one that forgot to bring the power head to the Candlelite Inn gig?

::Waves at:: Mike, I still have your mic. I'm not giving it back tho. Jon told me you still owe him for it. That technically makes it his, and since he's not talkin' to me, I guess it's mine now! MUAHAHAHA. I hear you have a light show you're renting out. Is it the same one you brought when we opened for Dakota? Hey, did you ever tell Jon you and I broke the *unwritten rule of bands* and were secretly dating that summer of Dark Horse? Well DON'T, he's mad enough at me now.

::Waves at:: Karl, again. :::Already embarrassed him in a lower thread so won't say nuthin' more. It's not like he'll ever know tho, he doesn't have internet access. The more she thinks of it, begins to actually suspect that he was the one that left the power head in his own basement that night of the Candlelite Inn gig. Could it have been on purpose? Nah, he wouldn't. Won't ask now after all this time tho, becuz, he's famous for cryin' out loud:::

If there is anyone I forgot I apologize. Yah rite. You're probably thankful and hopin' I never remember to name you. Don't count on it, they say long-term memory is the last to go!


Addendum 2/06: News alert, saw Jonny Dark last week and he speaks!

Rachel Fuller

I've no clue why, but I am captivated by the VH1 reality show *Kept*. This is quite odd because if you knew me, you'd know I literally never watch TV. Never. Be that as it may, on the show several *younger men* are vying to become *older woman* Jerry Hall's (model/Mick Jagger's ex-wife) *kept man*. The winner receives (I believe) a year cavorting about as Jerry's escort, accompanying her to celebrity parties/social events, along with a hefty amount of cash. Listed as a competitive reality show, week after week contenders are put through Jerry's paces and one-by-one eliminated. Perhaps it's falling into her *Mrs Robinson* age bracket that has me hooked, or maybe it's the fascination of watching men 1/2 her age swim the Thames and attempt to throw dinner parties to win her attentions. In any case, the show's a hoot.

http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/kept/series.jhtml

Part of what makes the watch so interesting is that Jerry's band of friends are helping her to chose the final lucky bloke (how British of me :P). In the last episode one of them, a Rachel Fuller, performed a live stint at what looked like a London pub's open mic. Rachel is reported to be Pete Townsend's (The Who) partner. I'd never heard of her before and listening to her performance at the pub, was impressed by her vocals. Comparable to Sarah Mclaughlin or Tori Amos, I consequently scouted down her debut CD. I liked it. I liked it alot. A classically trained musician, Fuller's works have been recorded by the London Chamber Orchestra. She is also credited with the arrangements on Townsend's Lifehouse project. Needless to say, her arrangements are lush and her vocals sweetly ethereal. If you're interested, treat yourself to a listen.

Barnes & Noble.com Music - Cigarettes & Housework

Birdz of a Feather...

.. flock together. Considering the gaggle of old bandmates I've hung with over the last 20 years, I can attest that this maxim is not altogether true. How else do you explain the likes of me having once shared a stage with the likes of Karl Logan (Manowar)? I mean, c'mon the guy's not only wildly talented, he's well loved/well known on the European heavy metal scene; I am still fingerpicking an unplugged version of Landslide at the corner cafe. He's an atheist; I'm a Christian. Manowar is in Guinness for breaking the sound barrier; I wear ear plugs to coffee house open mikes for cryin' out loud. Fame and fortune was his dream; it was never mine.

Despite the differences, when music is the tie that binds, it doesn't seem to matter much tho, does it? Just look at the kidz that spent the weekend. Music allowed us to speak the same language. As for Karl, I could still pick up the phone to say *hey*. So then, maybe for musicians it's really *viva la difference*. Nah, I like the bird reference better, but if I'm a nightingale, given that Karl's hair is longer and prettier than mine, would that make him.. a peacock?

http://www.manowar.com/news.php

Attack of the Nerds

After all this time, I thought I was a nerd. With a *nerd score* of 4, I am apparently not. :::having spent obscenely inordinate amounts of time on the internet, scratches head.. wondering how this is possible:::

http://www.nerdtests.com/ft_nq.php

Cover Me

Yep, that's what we were always best at, covering other people's music. I love Ann Wilson. I can't touch her, but my co-patriot Deb can. Too bad she never stuck around long enough for any audience to hear that. Meanwhile, I am Nancy. Hangin' in the background, playing the keyboards or acoustic guitar. Reveling in the harmonies, belting a solid alto (thank heaven for Stevie Nicks). I always loved to watch the boys tinker with the lights or the sound system. Comes in a close second to loving just watching the boys. Ann Wilson. What a vocal. Hey... wasn't it Nancy that snagged them their only number one hit?

Kidz

That's who spent the weekend at my house, 5 kidz. An assortment of niece, nephew and accompanying friends. They carried with them all the essentials. A hairdryer, kohl eyeliner, 2 packs of Twizzlers, 3 lil bags of mac and cheese, a box of Lucky Charms, 1 apple, the crap to make 100 s'mores, 1 iPod and 1000 CDs. In terms of the 5 teenage food groups I guess nuthin much has changed in 30 years. I figured the beloved musical genre certainly would have. Curious, I flipped through their collections. Holy shades of Bach and Beethoven batman, do you know who they are listening to?!? Frampton, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Zeppelin, Petty, James Taylor... the Eagles!! So to all you ex-hippies who have chrysalized (how DO you spull chrysalized?) into yuppies out there, I stand and applaud a job well done. And to all those born so late they've no clue what a 45 rpm vinyl even looks like, yer makin' me proud, yer makin' me proud.

Black Velvet.. if you please

Black Velvet and Lace.. a rather interesting combination of fabrics, wouldn't you say? But the title isn't about fabric, it's about music, which is also what this blog is about. As a professional vocalist/musician (currently on haitus) for many more years than I care to comment (at least at this time) I had 2 signature songs. Black Velvet by Allanah Myles, and Leather & Lace by Stevie Nicks/Don Henley, hence BlackVelvetLace (somehow BlackVelvetLeather seemed like an oxymoron).

So friends/visitors/weary blogger travelers, this blog is all about the music, but then again, isn't it always all about the music? ::Smiles:::