Today I'm stealing a page from Girl Wonder Robin's playbook and combining my 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') blog bit with a 'THE SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE' ('TSOML') blog bit.
If you read my last post then you already know what "The League Of Soul Crusaders" was, what we were about, and you're familiar with the names of the main characters. If you missed it, click HERE.
Well, today's 'BOTB' song is so utterly intertwined with my "Bay Street Daze" that it segues perfectly into Part 2 of 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' series.
In the next segment I'll probably yak about our insanely crazy dog, Mickie. C-R-A-Z-I-E-R than Nappy and Torch, and with more energy, too. (Hard to believe, but true! What an... ANIMAL!)
But this bit's about Twinkie and The Music Machine.
If you thought the nickname "Twinkie" implied that he was some kinda "girlie man" or perhaps even a gayboy ("not that there's anything wrong with that"), you couldn't be more wrong! Twinkie had more girls than any other Soul Crusader (with the possible exception of Torch, but my money's on Twinkie). You'll remember that Twinkie was the very tanned guy hanging out of his bedroom window in that photo where Pooh and I were just waking up on the front lawn.
We were all wild Irishmen (Irish-American) and Twinkie was the sole exception. He liked Journey better'n Springsteen (we pretended not to notice so we wouldn't have to kill 'im). And Twinkie's "wrong" ethnicity was highlighted in his "other" nickname: "The Blonde-Headed Swede". But I hear ya! You wanna know how a girl-catching guy like Twinkie came to be known as "Twinkie". Hang on. We'll get to that, but FIRST, let's yak about 'The Music Machine'...
Alright, it's Los Angeles at the beginning of the 1980s. Obviously there were countless dance clubs throughout the city, but since "Tough Guys Don't Dance", The League Of Soul Crusaders didn't hit a lot of those clubs. We did go to a few, and one I was partial to was 'THE SUNSPOT' right on the Pacific Coast Highway, between Santa Monica and Malibu. They always played 'Footloose' by Kenny Loggins, and that's the ONE song I convinced myself that I could really dance to.
But by far our normal Dance Club hangout was 'THE MUSIC MACHINE' on Pico Boulevard in West L.A. We were actually "regulars" there, and always on our
Amazingly, I was unable to find an old photo of 'THE MUSIC MACHINE' on the Internet. It's long gone, but I can't believe no old-timers haven't posted a photo of it anywhere. Here's the best I could do...
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| ALL OF THE YELLOW BUILDING WAS 'THE MUSIC MACHINE' |
I'd love to yak ya the story about the night some girl turned Nappy down for a dance and, drunker'n 'ell, he decided to walk home (about a 2-hour walk!) Maybe I can fit it in somewhere before this part of my 'The Soundtrack Of My Life' series comes to an end.
In my last post I mentioned the fact that The League Of Soul Crusaders developed quite a lexicon of lingo which I referred to as "League Language". Here's one for ya...
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| TWINKIE AND NAPPY SIMULTANEOUSLY ASKING, "YOU WANT I SHOULD HIT YOU IN THE WHISKERS?" |
Yep. "You want I should hit you in the whiskers?" was a common expression at the Bay Street house. But we had countless more. Let's examine a slice of "League Language"...
Wanna row-a lib-labs? = "You want me to knock you out?"
Trips = "Problems"
Get some hiths? = "Do you want to go to the store for a pint of Häagen-Dazs ice cream?"
What about my elbow? = "You're not paying enough attention to me."
Ass-whuppin's = "Shooting pool at Jolly Jack's bar."
B.C. = "Breakfast Club" (BEFORE there was a movie with that title!)
Beee! = "Everything's better than alright."
Wha'dja do? = "I didn't hear you. Repeat that."
What with the drinkin' an' all = "It's not really my fault."
A Lynth = "A bad joke."
Woo!-Woo!-Woo!= There's no English translation for this; it's a feeling.
Road Soda = "Beer for the trip"
Mumbly-Peg = Well... never mind. ...We don't talk about THAT in mixed company.
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I'll never forget the Halloween party we were invited to (or crashed - what was the difference?) where I was yakking with Nappy, Pooh, and Cranium, too. We're all standing there with beer bottles in our hands and shooting the breeze. And some cute girl dressed as a bumble bee was standing nearby, listening to us yak and utterly fascinated by it. When there was finally a lull in the conversation, this girl, whom none of us knew, asked, "What ARE you guys talking about? And do you REALLY understand each other?!"
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And this brings us to "I dropped my wallet" and 'THE MUSIC MACHINE'. In the last blog bit I told you that some of the more adventurous, bolder women found the courage to hang out with us. Some were friends of my Sister and some were friends of a girlfriend of one of us League members. All feminine girls, but a bit more... lively... and trusting. (Like I said before, we were all good guys and no female was safer than when surrounded by The League Of Soul Crusaders, despite appearances and our rowdiness.)
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So, one night we we were at 'THE MUSIC MACHINE' and some female friend of a female friend was hanging out with us and trying to drink with us. (Big mistake!) We were all seated at this long table and the girl (whoever she was - lost to history now) lifts the tablecloth and looks underneath. When her head popped up again someone asked, "What were you looking for?"
"I dropped my wallet", she answered.
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A few minutes later she looked under the table again, and someone else asked, "What's wrong?"
She replied, "I dropped my wallet again".
Then someone got curious and looked under the table and saw a puddle of vomit underneath it.
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And THAT, ladies and gents, is how "I dropped my wallet" was introduced into The League lexicon. It obviously meant "I vomited". League members almost never "dropped their wallets", but the hangers-on who tried to go drink-for-drink with us? Well... they tended to drop their wallets.
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'THE MUSIC MACHINE' brought in different bands and DJs, but the Friday and Saturday night house band was 'THE GUMBYS', and they played a mix of contemporary hits and gems from the 1960s. It was just a cover band but they were pretty good and got the crowd dancing.
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The very last song 'THE GUMBYS' always played at the end of the night was 'SEALED WITH A KISS'. When you heard that song you knew that 'THE MUSIC MACHINE' was closing for the night and you had to take your drinking elsewhere. No problem. There was this house we knew of called... "Bay Street".
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To this day, I cannot hear 'SEALED WITH A KISS' without being immediately transported to 'THE MUSIC MACHINE' circa 1981/'82.
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Your job is to vote for your favorite of these two renditions...
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'SEALED WITH A KISS' by Bobby Vinton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gJIGyGHQVo
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'SEALED WITH A KISS' by Cliff Richard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UcE3O-565Q
Now, how did Twinkie come to be known as "Twinkie"? Well, decades ago I wrote a manuscript for a book tiled... (surprise!) ...'THE LEAGUE OF SOUL CRUSADERS', and the following edited excerpt comes from pages 29 & 30:
We went to the Music Machine in the Popcorn Machine that evening. ... Torch was still in Virginia and Cranium had declined the invitation to join us, so it was just Pooh, Dale, Napoleon and myself at the Machine that night. We had been inside for two hours when we decided to get our hands stamped and go out to the truck for awhile. Dale took beer orders and went to the nearby liquor store while the rest of us engaged in a bit of conversation, uncomfortably seated in the Popcorn Machine.
After what seemed an eternity, Dale came staggering up to the truck - he was already drunk.
"Hey, you guys," he said, "I was just inside that liquor store, you know..."
"Yeah, we know," blurted Pooh.
"...And when I was standing there getting the beers, there were these two bikers and they threw a Twinkie at me."
"They threw a Twinkie at you?"
"Yeah."
"A TWINKIE?!"
"Yeah, and I think we should kick their asses!" Dale angrily replied.
"They threw a Twinkie at you and you want to kick their asses?" I asked.
"Yeah... shit, they can't get away with that! ... And when they hit me with the Twinkie I said 'Thank you'."
"You said 'Thank you'?" Napoleon asked.
We were all laughing now because it was so funny and Dale was so drunk.
"Yeah, I said 'Thank you'. What else should I do? I was all alone. Let's kick their asses!"
The fact being that we weren't all that drunk... yet, we decided not to defend Dale's honor, but rather to take up calling him "Twinkie". And so we just sat in the Popcorn Machine, laughing and swallowing our beer, while Twinkie swallowed his pride. ...
"You know," I said to Napoleon on the way back to Bay Street that night, "I think I'd rather have someone throw a brick at me than a Twinkie. I mean, that's humiliating!" Napoleon agreed.
And the humiliation would NEVER end for Dale Anderson, for from then on he became known as "Twinkie".
There are more BATTLES for you to vote on below...
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Voice Your Vote @ ‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JANIE JUNEBUG, RIGHTING & EDITING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'J.A. SCOTT' by clicking HERE.
@ 'QUIET LAUGHTER' by clicking HERE.
@ 'REINVINTAGED' by clicking HERE.
@ 'HOLLI'S HOOTS & HOLLERS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'EVIL POP TART' by clicking HERE.
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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My previous blog bits pertaining to 'The Soundtrack Of My Life' (TSOML) can be found by clicking the links below:
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TSOML #1 - Prelude To An Introduction
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TSOML #2- Introduction
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TSOML #3 - First Song: 1959
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TSOML #4 - 8th Birthday: 1967
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TSOML #5 - Summer: 1974
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TSOML #6 - Outlaw: 1978
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TSOML #7 - M*A*S*H: Late 1978
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TSOML #8 - Innocence Lost: 1980
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TSOML #9 - A Friend With A View: 1980
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TSOML #10 - The League Of Soul Crusaders: 1981
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For more TSOML participants, visit the blog of GIRL WONDER ('Your Daily Dose') by clicking HERE.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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More craziness with you boys. Maybe the girl in the bumblebee suit was kind of perceptive. I can imagine the great times at the time as I can my own, but looking back I sometimes wonder about it all.
ReplyDeleteMy experiences were geographically speaking thousands of miles from yours, but maybe not so far in spirit. Different time, different place, different people. We had some nicknames, but I can't think of them now. We had some jargon too, but maybe not to the extent as you and your buddies.
Now that you got me thinking, I find that there is a lot I'm not remembering. I was going to classes and working a lot so that may have been why I don't recall a lot of the social interaction and a lot of stuff I just don't remember.
Much of my time with friends back then was spent cruising the back roads in the mountains and through the counties. With larger groups there was a lot of camping and hanging out in the wilds. I rarely went to bars or such.
Yeah, there were wild young times. I could never get away with that kind of stuff now and I don't know of any old friends that do the wildness like you're talking about anymore, but some of them still do the camping and mountain man stuff. Thankfully we all grow up. To some extent.
I always liked Bobby Vinton and have a soft spot for this song. I like Cliff Richards a lot and he does a fine version of this. I like the instrumentation which gives his version a somewhat Chris Issak feel. But in the end I prefer that plaintive oboe and bongo song in the opening as well as the mellower orchestration throughout. I think Vinton's version better captures that sentimentality of looking back and the sadness of separation. And the strings in the break are to my liking.
My vote goes to Bobby Vinton.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
And LEE, the craziness on this blog isn't over yet. I've got at least 2, maybe 3 more League-related TSOML blog bits to go.
DeleteI did a fair share of camping also. Earlier, when I was a member of the Police Explorer program. And then some post-League camping after I grew up (a little).
Not one of us could do now what we did then. (Nor would we want to.) It would be suicide. There's a time for sowing your wild oats and a time for civilizing up. And for me, the body told me that most of the Wild Oats phase was done when I was 25. Hangovers started to become no joking matter.
Most people I know had a "wild" phase during their youth, but The League was different. Or maybe just more extreme. We were pretty imaginative and I never saw any group of guys like us before or after. It was about a 4-year stretch that inspired a book, a (great) song, and a couple poems. It also killed about 3 billion brain cells... but worth it.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
That is absolutely hilarious how Twinkie got his name. OMG, I can just see it going down. hahaha
ReplyDeleteAre all of you from the League of Soul Crusaders still in touch? Did you guys all remain good friends throughout the decades? I hope so. Although sometimes you have friends that you think are going to be there forever and somehow time just sucks them away...and then you're just left with the memories...Bittersweet.
As for your battle: I'm going with Cliff Richard on this one. I liked his version much better. At first I thought I was going to pick Bobby Vinton because it reminded me of days gone by but then I heard Cliff's version and said Oh Yeah, that's the one. So it's Cliff for me.
Have a great Sunday Stephen!
Michele at Angels Bark
Howdy, MICHELLE ~
DeleteGlad you were amused by this. I was re-amused just remembering it and typing it.
Well, Nappy, of course, is my Brother, and he and Pooh regularly leave comments on my posts here. I'm still in touch with Cranium - we Email or talk on the phone every so often. I haven't spoken with Torch or Twinkie in years. Torch teaches school back East (Virginia, I think - or West Virginia, maybe). Pooh still connects with Torch from time to time. Twinkie made a lot of money in the construction industry and Nappy is still in touch with him.
So, yeah, we're still all kinda-sorta connected. Every once in awhile there's talk of a "LEAGUE REUNION" but it's never really come to pass... yet.
Thanks for the vote, Michele!
~ D-FensDogG
Mercy! What a "sound battle of your life"! Your story makes me sound innocent, but that's really not so. I did stuff too, (smile).
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a Twinkie fan so I'd probably joined in to kick ass - (Ha!)
My youthful hangout was a place called, "Paleface Lounge." I admit to 'losing my wallet', a few times behind the building. No details could convey my true embarrassment. Take my word, please.
As for the closing song at 'Paleface' - nadda, instead the bartender would shout out, "We're closing; everyone get the hell out!"
Bobby Vinton is sweet-sounding, but I really like the sultriness of Cliff Richard. I hadn't heard his version until now. Also I love the instrumentation on his version. SO my vote goes to Cliff Richard.
Great song choice that fits in well with such an amusing life history, (smile). To quote you guys: "Beee!"
@dcrelief from
remove the rose colored glasses
anartfulblogger
dcrelief - Battle of the Bands
DIXIE POLKA ~
DeleteAnd a "boisterous BEEE!" to you, too.
Ha! Yeah, "Get the hell out" will work also. I guess it's all a matter of style.
Such a waste of money when one drops their wallet, eh? We're only renting alcohol to begin with, but it's a shame to give it all back at once.:o)
BTW, FYI, to make the "Beee!" really official, one makes the "OK" signal with their hand while saying it. But since this is the Internet, I wouldn't have been able to see it anyway.
I'll get to yer Battle a little later today. Right now I have a "B.C." meeting with a co-worker.
Yak later...
~ D-FensDogG
I am loving these stories except the wallet episode...funny that none of you could smell it or hear her throw up her cookies:) So bikers threw a Twinkie at him.....better than a brick and the biker guys seem to be a bit soft since they actually had a Twinkie to throw. Overall bikers are usually not the type to fight with. I have to go with...Bobby Vinton.hahahaaa, I surprise myself but I like his styling a little bit better
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteYou gotta remember that this dance club was nearly 3/4ths of a block long, filled with people, and a live Rock band playing. You pretty much had to shout to be heard by the person sitting directly across from you. So, there was NO WAY you were going to hear a person "dropping her wallet" underneath the table. In fact, I was sitting on the same side of the table as this girl, and I think we were separated from each other by only one other person, and I never heard a thing except... "Though we gotta say goodbye for the Summer..."
HA! I can assure you that the bikers did NOT walk into the store with Twinkies!!! They undoubtedly ripped open a package for sale IN the store and threw one at Twinkie. Ha!-Ha! You think L.A. bikers walk around eating Twinkies? (That's even FUNNIER than this story I told!:o)
>>... Overall bikers are usually not the type to fight with.
This would have been no fight. 4 against 2? And in fact, Nappy probably would have knocked out the bigger biker by himself, and that would have left 3 against the 1 smaller biker. No contest.
BUT... we were still mature enough (and sober enough) to know that you don't beat up a couple guys because they merely threw a Twinkie at your friend. That's something to LAUGH ABOUT, not FIGHT ABOUT.
Thanks for your vote, my friend. Looks like I have a good Battle going on here.
~ D-FensDogG
I have to go with Cliff Richard on this one. I just like the fact that it's a little faster and he has a better voice.
ReplyDeleteOK, thanks, JOHN.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
Bobby Vinton gets my vote on this one. It's the one most familiar and the British version doesn't do it for me. I like Cliff Richards on other songs, and I generally don't care for Vinton - he's so cloying. . .
ReplyDeleteD.G. ~
DeleteThanks for checking in with your vote here. Looks like a close contest.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteBobby Vinton gets my vote but I think Twinkie should win this one. I remember that night and am laughing my ass off while writing this. He was so heart broken that we didn't defend his honor. You've got a great memory my friend, thanks for rekindling mine.
Give me a beeeheeehee and an aight!
We are the things that go bump in the night
Can't wait to see what Nap has to say.
JW,
Pooh
...AND POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!...
DeleteI actually think 'THE GUMBYS' should win this one. But I couldn't find them at YouTube.
You know, any one of those band members might have gone on to fame and fortune and we would never know it.
We had so many nights that we'll NEVER remember, but some of them - like the night a new nickname was discovered - will stand out forever.
Do you remember the night the girl DROPPED HER WALLET? It's so funny how the nicknames and expressions seem to be meaningless, but when one understands the foundation of them, they're all totally logical.
Yeah, we were definitely the "THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT! Ha!-Ha!
Surely you know I'm leading up to "THE HANGOVER WALTZ". (Sorry 'bout calling you "Surely".)
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I will gladly raise my arms and legs to the Hangover Waltz. Alas, the "dropped my wallet" reference is no longer in my files, but I will take your word for it. Then again, there are probably a few nights we are glad that through the Grace of God and the prayers of our Mothers we are glad we will never remember. The wee hours of some nights when Saint Patrick was celebrated for instance.
DeleteJW,
Poooh
>>... some nights when Saint Patrick was celebrated for instance.
DeleteI STILL SAY there was NO cover charge but there WAS a live band, and I don't care that you five guys have five different memories of what actually occurred that night!
Then again... that IS the same night when Nappy and I got kicked out of the bar (after Nappy MADE the bouncer ask very nicely several times!)
And that's the same night I put Bill's head through the living room window. So... my memory MIGHT BE - COULD BE - POSSIBLY IS - a wee bit o' faulty.
POSTSCRIPT:
You don't remember "Dropped my wallet"???!!!
Sheesh! You must-a been drinkin' the entire four or five years! Thank SaInt PAtrIcK tHat SOme oF uZ sTAyd SoBEr eNuf tO rEmembeR wHat haPpend sO we cOuLD RIte aBouT It!
~ d-fEnsdoGg
What a GREAT blot bit. Oh, and the Battle is good, too!
ReplyDeleteIt is such a hoot to read these stories of you guys. You really should push for a reunion sometime. Locate them all, pick the most likely spot that the majority could get to (Reno??), and set a far-out date.
As I've told you before, I was part of a group of guys too, and we had our own lexicon... but it was quite a different group. I think it was tied together differently. What would you say was THE factor that brought you all together? I know you had drinking is common! But THAT was not the factor that made the group... that's just what you did together. That, and cut off the roofs of automobiles. My "gang" was more like the McGloughlin Group than the E Street Band! Though we did have some badass intellectuals in the group! One guy, now in his 50s, STILL directs other motorists to the side of the road to kick their ass. They speed away when he hauls his 6'6" frame outta his BMW.
Anyway, I love that more of these stories are coming!
As for the battle: if the Gumbys were a part of it, I'd vote for them JUST ON PRINCIPLE. But, since they are not, I will choose my favorite: Richards.
VERY fun read, McBrother! (to use League terminology: JW)
SHEBOYGANBROTHER SIX ~
DeleteI'm pleased that you found this entertaining and that you look forward to the others in this series which will follow before too long.
Yeah, a 6'6" guy will take a lotta fight outta someone.
>>... What would you say was THE factor that brought you all together?
Man, that's a REALLY GOOD question!
I had to think about it. And here's what I came up with...
I believe it would be two things that are actually tied together. 1) Our humor, and 2) our inventiveness.
Although we each had an individual sense of humor, there were certain traits we had in common. We had a great appreciation for the witty 'n' wacky. For example, every one of us loved Monty Python (witty 'n' wacky) and Benny Hill (witty 'n' wacky). And then we were all very, very inventive in expressing our own witty 'n' wacky humor...
Well, you can get an idea of it just from the extensive lingo. But we were always coming up with one idea or another that we collectively perceived to be funny and usually a shade outrageous.
And I think that's the reason that the people who liked us DID like us and wanted to be around, partying with us. We were ALWAYS the guys in the room having THE MOST fun, and people were intrigued, wondering: WTH are these guys going to say or do next?
It was extremely high-energy wackiness that others wanted to participate in, or just be around.
See ya in the comment section o' da next one, Brother.
~ D-FensDogG
Big fan o' this post, it's got it all...drama, fight seens, introductory foreign (LOSC), geography (various clubs and cities)...LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a reason to buy al-kee-hall for the drive home so I'd have a reason to use the term "Road Soda"...I'd use it and often. Bwahahaha.
My Pa, when appropriately pickled (often) used the term Mumblely Peg. It was always a smack down kind of thing:
"Whatcha doin', Dad?"
"Playing mumblely peg, what do you think? Don't you have somethin' to do?"
My gang's version of "I dropped my wallet" was to say a person "had a mighty rainbow of a yawn."
As for the Battle....
When I was young, I said that if I ever had to listen to Bobby Vinton again, I'd open a vein. But here it is, all them years later, and dern if I don't feel a bit nostalgic about it.
BOBBY VINTON GETS MY VOTE.
Nice one, brudder.
Thanks, DOC CHERDO!
DeleteActually, I was not at all sure how THIS one would go over with you. It's displaying that old, out-of-control drunken part of my life, and I wasn't sure you'd approve.
Sadly, I was forced to (mostly) grow up and leave Never-Never Land. But it was a blast while it lasted. (Except for the hangovers, which went from funny to excruciating, the older I got.)
I loved that "Don't you have somethin' to do?" Ha! Spoken like a true fan of children. That's right there with "Get off my lawn!" and "Why don't you kids go to the park to play?" The latter one we heard often.
Hmmm... I guess I didn't hear nearly as much Bobby Vinton as you did while I was young. I've always known who he was, but he was scarcely a blip on my radar.
~ D-FensDogG
And THAT is where Pooh's last name comes from!
ReplyDeleteThat is some great anecdotes. I had a feeling a twinkie was somehow the reason behind him being called twinkie, I just wasn't sure what it was.
ReplyDeleteLoved the dictionary slang lingo.
As for the battle, please give my vote to:
Cliff Richard - I think it flowed better. Yes, the song works best as a slow song, but I think Vinton is too much so.
JEFFY ~
DeleteGlad you dug it, Brother.
"Twinkie" was definitely an A-list nickname (provided it belongs to SOMEONE ELSE!) And, you know, it wouldn't have worked had those bikers thrown something ELSE at Twinkie instead.
For instance, what if they'd thrown a bag of Cheetos at him? "Cheetos" does NOT work as a nickname. Or a package of Oreos, or Wrigley's Double-Mint gum? Those don't work as nicknames.
But fortunately for us, the bikers threw a Twinkie at Twinkie, and THAT porridge was just right!
Thanks for your C.R. vote.
~ D-FensDogG
I loved this installment of SOML. I read it yesterday (time was at a premium), but didn't have time to listen. I read it again today. I can see myself as that girl (jury out on the cuteness factor) coming up to you and asking if you really knew what you were saying. hahahaha. I'd be completely intrigued as well.
ReplyDeleteDropped my wallet. Now that's classic. That was always my problem with alcohol. Never too much to make me drop my wallet. That doesn't make me a fun person to drink with, which is one of the reasons I take a pass (most of the time) now.
Poor Dale. I mean, Twinkie. That's so darn funny. I can picture that so clearly. I'm sure he expected you guys to back his play, but instead you laughed at him. Then added injury to the insult by nicknaming him Twinkie... and it stuck. Unlike the original Twinkie which bounced off.
As for the battle, this was not easy. I really liked the Vinton version until I heard Cliff Richard. So, I had to play them again. Definitely Cliff Richard.
GIRL WONDER, I like that you liked this. I thought it was kind of fun combining BOTB with TSOML, as you've done several times.
DeleteIt's funny how so many of our expressions actually make sense, but one needs to know "THE REST OF THE STORY" (as Paul Harvey always said) in order to "get them".
Like, on the surface, "dropped my wallet" for "I vomited" seems to be nonsensical - just invented out of whole cloth. But it makes sense when you learn the origin.
"Get some hiths"... How in the world does one get "Häagen-Dazs ice cream" out of that? Actually, there's logic behind it. And "What about my elbow?"... Ha! That was one Twinkie came up with - he said it several times and we latched onto it and never let it go.
Nappy and I seem to be especially simpatico when it comes to identifying lines for later use. We both seem to gravitate toward the same lines in movies, and it's rarely the obvious, consciously created catchphrase being promoted by the writer or actor.
>>... Then added injury to the insult by nicknaming him Twinkie... and it stuck. Unlike the original Twinkie which bounced off.
Ha!-Ha! Very nice observation. The Twinkie bounced but "Twinkie" stuck.
Once, for Christmas, I made T-shirts for all the guys by using Sharpie laundry markers. For Twinkie I drew a big picture of "The Twinkie Kid" on the front of the shirt:
http://tinyurl.com/j75z8aq
~ D-FensDogG
Am loving the stories! I've 'dropped my wallet' a time or two, but never in public. (At least that I remember) I do recall one night sitting on a bench outside of a closed cafe with a friend. I was a good 5 sheets to the wind and walking was 'too fast' of a movement for me. We were approached by officers of the law. Thankfully, we were not cited for public intox.
ReplyDeleteI thought for sure I was going to give my vote to Bobby Vinton, but then I heard Cliff Richard...
Please give my vote to Cliff Richard. He won me over.
Mary
Battle of the Bands: Plant vs Plant
Thanks, MARY!
DeleteI have so many stories that it's difficult trying to decide which to tell here. It helps that I need to tie them into songs. At least that reduces the pool a bit.
Thankfully, I wasn't a big "wallet-dropper". And when I did, I was apt to be home, the morning after - not in public the night before.
This Battle has been neck-and-neck until now. It seems Cliff has taken a slight lead. Long way to go though.
~ D-FensDogG
Twinkie should consider himself lucky. Those bikers could have thrown some sort of feminine hygiene product at him instead.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I was part of a crew like that was when we were chasing Russians around the Aleutian Islands. I would never have gone into any of those bars without some sort of backup. Of course, those places all smelled of dropped wallet.
Sometimes your writing just jumps off the page. This post is a good example of that.
‘Sealed with a Kiss” ranks right up there with ‘Johnny Angel’ for songs that I remember coming out of the womb. I think the version that I remember was sung by Brian Hyland (had to google that one).
Keith Richard’s version, I mean Cliff Richard’s more up-beat version gets my vote. I might have OD’d on Bobby Vinton in my early years. Thanks Mom.
Is “Beeeeeeee!” the 80’s version of Fonzie’s “Ayyyyyyyyy!”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cwYEkgdJSs
Sigamundo Dos
Hola, SIGAMUNDO DOS ~
DeleteWelcome back, my friend, to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
There behind the glass, there's a real blade---
OK, dat's enough o' dat.
You're right! Twinkie COULD have been known as "TAMPAX".
The smell of dropped wallet. Ha! It seems even funnier when phrased like that.
Hey, thanks for the A-list compliment. The peculiar thing is that I was super-tired when I wrote most of this and I was just thinking: Get 'er done and go to bed!
Maybe that's the key? Wait 'til exhausted... THEN write.
This song was a Top 40 hit in the U.S. three times: Bobby Vinton - #19; Gary Lewis & The Playboys - #19; and Brian Hyland - #3.
Hyland had the big hit, which is why I specifically avoided that version. I figured it would run away with the Battle (even though it may not be my own favorite recording of the song).
Yeah, in this Battle, I would say that Richard's has more of a "Rock" sound, while Vinton's is more "Crooner".
:o) No, we definitely never thought of "Beee!" as the '80's "Ayyyyyyy". I can't even remember how "BEEE!" came to be.
I do remember, however, that Nappy once said it so loud that he set off a car alarm. Ha! Only Nappy...
'The Lords Of Flatbush' - I actually saw that movie once about a hundred years ago. Watching that opening it was like seeing TWO LENNYS and TWO SQUIGGYS (as if one of each wasn't one of each too many, eh Two?)
Thanks for your vote!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Al Bondigas here. Cliff Richard more than held his own on this one. The Bobby Vinton version isn't the one I'm familiar with from the oldies stations I listen to, is it? It sounds different some how? Am I confusing his with another version? Anyway, I'm rulin' fer Vinton anyway, but, it was an excellent battle. Remember, when every once in a while, when we would go to the store for some beer and on a whim pick up a package of twinkies and put it by his door, or on his bed? Hahahahaha. Man, what great times!! Or remember when The Pooh, flicked his cigarette off that guys chest and said "Don't know no Iris, don't know no Iris"? I'm laughing out loud as I write this. Anyway, Vinton gets the nod, barely. That's it!! That's my rulin'.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
DeleteI'm pretty sure the version you have playing in your head is by Brian Hyland. That's the recording of this song which charted the highest (#3 at Billboard). Check it out at YouTube or that music app on your phone. I'm about 95% sure that's the one. (If not, listen to the version by Gary Lewis & The Playboys.)
I had forgotten about the Twinkies by the door, but now that you've mentioned it - hell yes, I remember that!
And Pooh and I were just referencing the "Don't know no Iris" cigarette-butt-off-the-chest miracle a couple of comment sections back.
It was like the 4th of July on that dude's chest. Ha!
~ D-FensDogG
Al and Stephen,
DeleteThe way I see it, that dude from the poor part of the Palisades had it coming. I was just doling out the justice the universe demanded. Essentially it was a force majeure.
JW,
Pooh
"Don't know no majeure." *BOOM!*
DeleteHad I been a smoker, I'd have created the 4th of July on that maroon's chest muh-damn-self.
Without a doubt, the universe ordained that. Because in one million attempts you couldn't repeat it.
I don't know if it hit a button or a zipper at just the perfect angle, or if it was a defective cigarette that God created and arranged for you to pull from the pack at the perfect moment (God can do that, you know!), but whatever it was, it was also unrepeatable and magical.
That was truly one of the most annoying guys I've ever encountered, and he definitely picked the wrong group o' dudes to annoy THAT day. (He's lucky we didn't dangle him over the pier upside-down.)
Just as funny though, as I recall, he scarcely even acknowledged what had happened. Perhaps he was so annoying on such a regular basis that he had gotten used to seeing THE 4TH OF JULY ON HIS CHEST.
What a long, strange trip it was.
Got a new LEAGUE blog bit going up here either tomorrow or Sunday.
~ D-FensDogG
Al Bondigas here. Yeah, it's definitely the Brian Hyland version I'm the most familiar with. Love that version; it would win hands down if it were in the battle. The Gumby's did an excellent copy of that song and it resembled Brian Hyland's sound the most. What say you? Beeeeeeeeee!!!!! What do you think of that, you Feefod?
ReplyDeleteWhooooooooo you callin' a "feefod"?! Why, I oughta...
Delete[I deliberately didn't use the Hyland version because, it being the most famous, I was sure everyone would just automatically vote for it. FAE's 'Bocephus Vs. ZZ Top' BOTB taught me my lesson.]
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen, This is an excellent retro tune. Both versions are superb, but my favorite is Bobby Vinton. Please, chalk up another tally for him on my behalf. Oh I loved the story of how Dale earned his nickname as Twinkie. That's just too funny! Your memoirs are rather entertaining. It's so good you have interesting stories to share. Thanks for sharing and for hosting the fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks, CATHY.
DeleteSay, I have had a helluva time trying to vote on your Battle. I've tried now about ten to twelve times from two different computers.
I have no idea why it's not working for me, and me ONLY. But here's my vote on YOUR BOTB contest...
CATHY ~
I was going to use Keely Smith in my April 15th BOTB contest - just before deciding to sit that one out.
And this time I went a different musical route because I'm combining BOTB with TSOML. But within the next few Battles I'll finally be using that Keely Smith song I have in mind.
KEELY is amongst my favorite female vocalists and back in the early 1990s I got a chance to see her perform live with Sam Butera & The Witnesses at the Sands hotel / casino in Las Vegas. I was with my Pa at that show, which was fitting, seeing as how I learned about Keely Smith and Louis Prima via my Pa's LPs when I was just a child.
Well... please log me in as a vote for Keely.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Stephen, I"m sorry you had issues leaving this comment on my site. Did you get an error message? It's interesting actually because I had an issue visiting Janie Junebug yesterday, but got around it by using a different browser. I will try again today using my preferred browser to see if I have the same problem. Okay, thanks for voting for Keeley. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you bring to the table featuring her in a future post. Have a good day!
DeleteMy vote goes for Cliff Richard. I like the music better especially the intro.
ReplyDeleteThanks, MIKE.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
I loved reading your TSOML story! In 1981, I was ten years old and dancing in my bedroom to homemade 8 track tapes my Dad and my Aunt Betty made for me. I may not remember what happened last week, but I remember the track listings of those tapes from 30 something years ago almost to the t.
ReplyDeleteMy vote in this battle is for Cliff Richard. From the opening chords, I really dug his more psychedelic sound. It sounded like a rock version instead of a bubblegum pop version, if that makes any sense.
Kim (ReInVintaged)
KIM ~
DeleteThanks for your comment and your vote.
Yep, I get it. I kinda-sorta see this one as "Rock" Vs. "Crooner". And I had you pegged as a vote for "Rock".
~ D-FensDogG
Twinkie is a great name. Better than some I've been called. You guys had your own version of Cockney, and no, that doesn't have anything to do with . . . you know. I vote for Bobby Vinton. When my brother was in basic training, I listened to his Bobby Vinton album over and over, especially Mr. Lonely. He was pretty homesick.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks, JANIE.
DeleteCockney... yup... I know. (Ha!)
Gee, I had forgotten that it was Bobby Vinton who sang 'MR. LONELY'. I've always liked that one. I think it was on my 'MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI' movie soundtrack album.
~ D-FensDogG
I think I like the music better in Cliff's version, but Bobby gets my vote for his ultra sexy voice.
ReplyDeleteWell, Dale must have looked just a bit on the "twinkie" side to those bikers Good thing that insult happened before the last beers were drunk, or you might not have your "balls" to call him Twinkie, heh?
Y'all had fabulous lingo. I bet if I would have drank that SoComScrew with you I would have "lost my wallet" too lol. Will still match you one for one (me wine, you liquor) sometime soon :)
OH DONNA! ~
DeleteBobby told me to thank you for your vote. He also told me to tell you that he's staying in room 313 at Boomtown, if you want to stop by and say hello.
The last time I went drink for drink with someone, it was my Pa, in a Kentucky bar circa 1982. He was drinking beer, I was drinking Black Russians.
I didn't drop my wallet, but I definitely lost the contest. Beer Vs. Black Russians - ANYONE would be destined to lose THAT one!
~ D-FensDogG
Hi Stephen, Love the Twinkie story! I think you should pitch your manuscript again, or self-publish it. You have too many great stories to hold back. I like Cliff Richard's version of the song better.
ReplyDeleteJulie
GEM JULIE ~
DeleteThanks so much - as always - for stopping by with a nice comment and vote.
The manuscript (which was hastily, thus sloppily written) was a Christmas present for all The League Of Soul Crusaders members. It was a huge hit with them and came to be known as "The Book".
I have never attempted to rewrite and publish it, and here's why:
I have absolutely zero doubt that it would get published and become a big seller - probably even turned into a movie.
But I also have zero doubt that young guys who read or watched the movie would attempt to emulate us, and many would get seriously hurt or killed.
We were damn lucky, or blessed, to have gotten through those years relatively unscathed. I doubt most guys would be so fortunate, and I couldn't live with deaths on my conscience, knowing that my story was indirectly responsible.
Some would probably die of alcohol poisoning alone. Not to mention some of the insanity involving automobiles (such as "The Space Walk", etc.)
It's a real shame, too, because I KNOW this story is my key to wealth and a life of ease. But I'd SERIOUSLY be afraid of the consequences.
Thanks again for the kind, kind words, GJ.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
When you first talked about this BOTB I figured I would vote for Bobby Vinton, because his was the version I keep hearing in my head, but when I listened that was not the case. So I headed on over to YouTube and listened to Bryan Hyland, whom I figured was in my memory, but alas it was not him.
ReplyDeleteafter a little more searching and yes; it was Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Now who woulda thought.
Cliff sounds like he's trying too hard. His version was really hoky to my ears, so give the Polish boy my vote, but I'm still hearin' Gary in my mind.
Ah poor Twinkie, but then let's think about this. His real name, Dale, isn't all that macho (one of those unfortunate names that are kind of AC/DC) and being called Twinkie by his 'guy' friends certainly would intrigue the ladies, at least it would me. So, in the girls wanting to know more, I'll bet ole
Dale/Twinkie got a lot more attention that say...Mr. Intense.
FAE ~
DeleteI wonder how this Battle would have turned out had I used Brian Hyland versus Gary Lewis & The Playboys.
I listened to all 4 versions, and even though the rendition I know best (and thought I liked best) was Brian's, I surprisingly found that I liked best the two recordings I used here.
In truth, Dale was not Twinkie's "real" name either. I changed ALL the names in my book, and I used "Dale Anderson" for him because it was so "Blonde-Headed Swede" sounding. His actual given name is extremely common and with no AC/DC-ness to it.
Intrigued by a... "Twinkie", eh?
OK, I'll say no more about it, this being a family friendly blog... sorta... kinda... on its best days.
~ D-FensDogG
More great stories. I'll tell you what, if I was Twinkie, I wouldn't be offended that anyone was throwing a snack food at me. I'd grab it, say thank you (and actually mean it), and then just eat it. Now it becomes humiliating for the other side. Or at least I'd like to think. Either way, you could have much worse things thrown at you.
ReplyDeleteAs for the battle, this was a tough one. Ultimately, I've got to go with Bobby Vinton, while other B is going with Cliff (as assumed). He liked both but had an easy time choosing. I liked both and had a difficult time. Cliff has a better voice and better instrumentation, but for some reason, I just feel like Bobby's sounds better overall.
~6B
Thanks, 6-B!
DeleteI don't think your Twinkie idea would have gone over well with the store clerk though. They were all still inside the liquor store and nuttin' had been paid for. Had Twinkie eaten the Twinkie, he was probably going to have to pay for it. Ha! This wasn't a case of "Twinkies for nothing and your chicks for free."
Boy, do we have that other B's voting habits nailed down, or what?!
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC’s Vote On '2016, May. 1st: Battle Of The Bands'
ReplyDelete(Or, 'Bobby Vinton Vs. Cliff Richard')
And The Final Tally:
Thank you, everyone, for voting! It's always appreciated. In fact, I couldn't have a Battle without ya.
I really liked BOTH of these recordings and initially had a difficult time deciding how I would vote. I went back and forth on it a few times before decisively deciding that my own vote was going to Bobby Vinton.
Interestingly, three out of three members of The League Of Soul Crusaders (Pooh, Nappy and myself) all voted for Bobby Vinton. I'm not sure what that means. Maybe his version sounded the most like THE GUMBYS.
I also thought it interesting that a few voters felt Cliff Richard had the better voice. Although I think both sang 'SEALED WITH A KISS' very well, to my ears, Vinton actually has the better voice.
In the end though, I think I sided with Vinton mostly because his version sounded a bit more sincere. I feel the arrangement and slightly slower tempo made the melancholy sentiment of the lyrics ring more true. No wrong votes here though, that's for sure.
After 10 votes were in, the Battle was tied up at 5 to 5. But then Cliff Richard began to surge and went up on Vinton by 3 or 4 votes. But Bobby ain't no quitter, and when the dust finally settled, it looked like this...
Bobby Vinton = 12 votes
Cliff Richard = 12 votes
My 66th Battle Of The Bands contest is in the books, and so is my 9th tie. As Yogi Berra said, "A tie is like kissing your sister." But, hey, it's better'n a blowout, right?
Thanks again, Y'all, and I hope to see you here for my May 15th Battle Of The Bands installment. I haven't made up my mind yet which song I'll be using, but it's sure to be...
...a tie.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground
Interestingly, three out of three members of The League Of Soul Crusaders (Pooh, Nappy and myself) all voted for Bobby Vinton. I'm not sure what that means.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you what it means. It means that yer all a bunch o' sissy wimps!
Oh, wait, I voted for Bobby Vinton too. Never mind what I said about you fine bunch of men.
The Vinton version was the better of the two I agree.
Great battle!
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Thanks, LEE. Sorry I'm late posting and replying to this. Been feeling kind of sick off and on for a couple weeks now.
DeleteI've always said that the only crooners I really like are Johnny Mathis and Bobby Darin (particularly on Standard ballads). But it occurs to me now that actually I like Bobby Vinton quite a bit, even though I've never owned any of his albums. I also really like Andy Williams a great deal. I think I did once own an Andy Williams Christmas album, however.
This revelation hit me this morning while I was lying in bed waiting to see if I was going to "drop my wallet" again. Not sure if there's a connection. Ha!
~ D-FensDogG
A tie? Hard to believe. When I left Bobby was moppin' the floor with Cliff. Who knew it'd turn into a 'cliff hanger'?
ReplyDeleteI still like Cliff's music version best. Goes to show I like dancing my way outta the bar, and homeward bound!
I'm glad I didn't put any money on this battle; I might have really lost my wallet.
Great battle!
P.S. Feel better soon, (smile).
Thanks, Pal!
DeleteHa! Yeah, it was a CLIFFhanger that never got resolved.
I think both of these versions are A-list, that's why I used 'em and why I had some trouble deciding how I myself otter vote.
I'm a bit tired of the ties though.
~D-FensDogG
Better than a blow-out? Is that a jab at my BOTB? I'm so offended, I've decided to give the next battle a miss. LOL, just kidding.
ReplyDeleteAt least kidding about being offended. Because I'm not. But I DO have to take off for the next battle. I need a bit of R&R and a little bit of time to do some actual writing. See you on the 1st of June.
Nah, no jab, JEFFY. We've all had our blowouts. I don't like 'em either, so I would never mock a person for one. That's just beggin' for bad karma.
DeleteOK, no problem. See you for BOTB on 6/1. But feel free to come by here and place a bet on my 5/15 Battle if-n you have the time.
~ D-FensDogG