A Christmas Story

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas yesterday.  Family, food, and “A Christmas Story” marathon on TBS!!  What could be better?

In my last blog, I wrote about my last trip to Cleveland, Ohio and my visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  With the holidays upon us, I am compelled to mention that while on that trip, I also visited a museum dedicated to the 1983 film, A Christmas Story, which is a classic tale about a boy eagerly pining for a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas.  It’s an all-time holiday favorite.

The museum, on Cleveland's west side, showcases original props and memorabilia from the film, like Randy’s snow suite and Ralphie’s bunny pajamas. 

    

Across the street from the museum, is the actual Christmas Story house fully restored to the 1940s vintage appeal that you see in the movie.

You can walk through the house and see the kitchen cupboard that little Randy hid in when he thought his dad was going to kill Ralphie, the bathroom in which Ralphie got a mouth full of Lava soap for saying a bad word that was not "fudge," and the desk where Ralphie wrote his theme paper on what he wanted for Christmas.  

Mr. Parker’s infamous leg lamp is even there, perched right in front of the living room window.

 

I couldn’t help but check out this museum, and if you’re a fan, then you’ll get a kick out of the Christmas Story House and Museum too.

Begrudgingly,

BB

Women Rockin' Cleveland

The last time I was in Cleveland, I visited the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and Museum.  Downtown on the shores of Lake Erie, the building is an architectural specter, with cantilevered spaces, exterior white reflective cylinders, and an anchoring rectangular tower.  

Beams and glass form a dual-triangular form providing for a breathtaking entryway into the museum.  And, the reason why the front view of the building resembles the expansion structure of the Louvre in Paris is because internationally renowned architect, I.M. Pei designed it.

The 150,000 square-foot space holds the most prized music treasures in the world. Exhibits include costumes, lyrics, instruments, stage props, posters, and concert handbills.  You can see the outfits that stars like Steven Tyler, Madonna, and Mick Jagger performed in and then walk down another hall to see Jim Morrison's hand-written music notes.  Janis Joplin’s 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet is there and even a few pieces from Elvis’ gun collection.  On the day that I visited, the museum was featuring in its theater a video of Michael Jackson’s induction ceremony.

Music is energy and passion and rock and roll has affected each and every one of us – with joy, tears, exhilaration, or simply the desire to sway, shimmy, or rave.  Seeing the costume or the car or the piano of our music idols provides us with an exclusive entry into their lives. 

But, I do understand that most of us do not have a general motive to venture out to Cleveland, Ohio.  So, I’ll bring a bit of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to you. 

From now through February 26, 2012, the Rock and Roll Museum is featuring the exhibit, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power. The exhibit, featuring more than 70 artists, illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll from the beginning.  

For this post, I selected one artist to represent each of the eras in the exhibit.  Each remarkable woman has had a profound impact on music through the ages and has touched me personally through her words, energy, passion, and song.

Suffragettes to Juke-Joint Mamas: The Foremothers / Roots of Rock

The 1920s and 1930s were a time when women struggled for social justice and equality. Through their strength and perseverance, American women were able to make great strides in the pursuit of equality, attaining the right to vote and pursuing personal and professional interests outside of the home.  

The woman that stands out to me from this era is Billie Holiday.  Holiday was the pre-eminent jazz singer of her day and remains one of the most revered vocalists.  Born Eleanora Fagan Gough, Billie chose her stage name after silent movie star, Billie Dove.

In 1933, a few months after being discovered performing in a Harlem club, Billie Holiday recorded “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child.”   

From the pain of poverty and abuse rose a soulful voice that is unquestionably, Billie.  I've been humming her songs for most of my life. 

I jumped out of the frying pan

And into the fire

When I lost me a cheatin’ man

And got a no count liar

Swipe the old one for the new one

Now the new one’s breakin’ my heart

Jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire

Yes, right into the fire!

Here is the beautiful Billie Holiday, accompanied by Louis Armstrong, singing “The Blues are Brewin.” 

Though her brief life was fraught with tragedy, Holiday left a transcendent legacy of recorded work.  

 

Get Outta that Kitchen, Rattle Those Pots and Pans: Rock and Roll Emerges

The exhibit showcases songwriters, singers, and musicians of the 1950s who were the roots of rock and roll.  

Brenda Lee, also known as “Little Miss Dynamite,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.  This little lady, standing four feet, nine inches could belt out tunes at an early age.  Born Brenda Mae Tarpley in Atlanta, she won her first talent contest by age five and performed on a local radio show by age seven. 

Here is the incredible Brenda Lee performing “Dynamite” at age 12 on the Missouri-based country music TV show, Ozark Jubilee.

Brenda Lee is best known for her 1960 breakthrough hit, “I’m Sorry” and 1958’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which is ensconced as Number 4 on the all-time list of popular seasonal records.

She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and charted in more categories – including pop, rhythm & blues, rock, easy listening, and country – than any other women in the history of recorded music.

Will You Love Me Tomorrow: The Early 1960s / Girl Groups

Teenagers in early 1960s girl groups pushed through the limits and defined the sound of an era.

Three girls from Spanish Harlem, Veronica Bennett, her sister Estelle and their cousin Nedra Talley, became one of the most popular girl groups of the 1960s as The Ronettes. 

From 1963 through 1964, The Ronettes placed five singles in the Top 40 including “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You,” and “Walking in the Rain.”  

Here they are singing their 1963 hit, “Be My Little Baby.”

The Ronettes broke up in 1966, but not before touring with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, and recording the songs that we love to this day.

Revolution, the Counterculture and the Pill: The Late 1960s

Aretha Franklin is the “Queen of Soul” and the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  She is a singer with great passion and control whose finest recordings define the term soul music in all its deep and expressive glory.

Aretha was born in Memphis and grew up in Detroit.  Her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, was the charismatic pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church, where Aretha sang from an early age.  Her first recordings are on an album called Spirituals, recorded at her father’s church when she was just 14 years old.

Aretha’s musical style of church rhythms and pure soul spoke to the Sixties generation, with her greatest song triumph being “Respect.”  “Respect,” which was the opening track on her classic first album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You, represented her assertion of selfhood and became an anthem for the women’s movement.  Other tracks from this pivotal release are “Do Right Woman - Do Right Man,” “Dr. Feelgood” and “A Change Is Gonna Come.”   

Enjoy Aretha Franklin’s 1968 performance of “I Never Loved A Man.”

Aretha’s soulful talent is unmistakable.  She has charted more Top Forty singles – forty-five in all since 1961 – than any other female performer. To date she has made the R&B singles chart ninety-eight times, including twenty Number Ones. Franklin has also earned eighteen Grammy Awards, the most recent in 2007.  In addition, she has sung at the inaugurations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and received the Presidential Medal of Honor from another George W. Bush.

And who can forget the 1998 Grammy Awards?

When program organizers found out that Luciano Pavarotti would not be able to perform under his doctor’s recommendation to rest his sore throat, asked Aretha to fill in.  She accepted the challenge literally minutes before the performance was scheduled to begin and sang Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” in place of Pavarotti.  She even adjusted to sing the tenor arias in his key – which is no easy feat.

It was an extraordinary musical moment.  

I Will Survive: The 1970s – Rockers to Disco Divas

The eras represented thus far in Women Who Rock, came before my time.  But because they include women of such exceptional musical talent and passion, their music endures and is part of my life and the lives of many others.  And, whether these women are not with us anymore or continue to gift us with their voices, they have made a distinctive impact not only reflecting generations, but shaping them.

Stevie Nicks exploded onto the music scene with wide acclaim and attention in the 1970s.  Her smooth style, raspy voice, and poetic words contributed to the success of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumours, which produced four U.S. Top 10 singles. 

Stevie Nick’s song “Dreams” remained Number 1 on the American albums chart for 31 weeks and reached the top spot in various countries around the world. 

Here is a live recording of "Dreams."

Rumours has sold over 17 million copies in the United States putting it in the top three best-selling U.S. albums and over 40 million copies worldwide which puts it in the Top Ten highest-selling albums of all time.

Dance this Mess Around: Punk and Post Punk
Lower East Side band, Blondie, seemed more accessible for the music industry than some of their radical colleagues.  They mixed a vibrant New Wave style with other genres creating a fusion with disco, pop, reggae, and even rap.

Here is Blondie’s 1979 hit single “Heart of Glass.”

Lead singer, Debbie Harry, used her strikingly good looks and two-toned punk appeal to attract and hold a following of fans that were ready for her retro-chic tunes.  During the late Seventies and early Eighties, Blondie had eight Top Forty hits, including four that went to Number 1: “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture.”  No other New Wave group had that many chart-topping singles.

Causing a Commotion: Madonna and the Pop Explosion

Madonna has paved the way for female performers to explore roles and take control of their careers.  She was one of the biggest stars of the Eighties, selling over 60 million records worldwide, and continued to excel musically over the next several decades, transforming her image and propelling her music through time and trends. 

This visually arresting video for Madonna’s “Get Together” was not widely distributed, but is definitely worth checking out.

  

 

Notice in the video that Madonna poignantly asks, “Do you believe that we can change the future?”

I must also make a shout out to Gwen Stefani for being a major force in this era and representing the Pop Explosion.  California rock band, No Doubt, formed in 1986 with Gwen Stefani on lead vocals. Gwen hit the music scene hard with originality, sheer energy, and a punk-funk fusion style. 

Here is a live performance of “Spiderweb” on MTV’s 1996 Spring Break.

Gwen’s blend of punk, reggae, and ska created an infectious, high-energy lady-rock vibe.  Her unique style, refined through the years, remains fresh.  I went to the MTV Music Awards in Miami in 2005 and was thrilled to see her there in all her leopard-print glory. 

Ladies First: The ‘90s and the New Millennium

The British singer/songwriter’s early R&B influences of Aaliyah and Mary J. Blige shine through in Adele’s powerful, velvet voice.  In 2009, Adele won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, for 19, the debut album that introduced her new and authentic voice to the world.  Her much anticipated CD, 21, was released to critical acclaim this year.

I will always remember my summer on the lake listening to Adele’s CD, 19, titled for the age she was when she began recording it.  I’m sure that everyone that was around me that summer will remember her music as well, although they may try to forget my theatrical rendition of "Chasing Pavements."

I got choked up watching this video.  I'm not sure if it is a reflection of memories that I associate with the song, or just admiration for her effortless presentation.  Her music makes me feel - and that's a powerful thing. 

Some croon tones soft and flowing. 

Others belt out lyrics with fierce intensity. 

All bring fire to the stage and joy to our hearts, while shaping contemporary music and changing the world.  

Through their music, they not only share their talent, but demonstrate their strength and prompt women around the world to recognize their own.  Their passion is contagious and their impact unquestionable. 

Before I sign off, I dedicate this post to Lady T and Amy.  Thank you for your everlasting gift of song.

Begrudgingly,

BB

One Night in Brooklyn... I mean Beijing

I was reading about the Peking Opera on a blog site dedicated to Chinese culture.  My exposure to opera is a handful of performances that I have seen at the Met and my favorite La Bohème CD that I have completely worn out over the years.  The Peking Opera is described as an ancient Chinese opera originating in Beijing around 1840 and remaining extremely popular in China through the mid-1900s.

Women were not allowed to participate in the operas or receive publicity, so female roles called “Dan” were played by men.  Mei Lanfang is a Chinese Peking Opera legend who is noted as being the first to expose United States audiences to Peking Operas through his travels here in the early 1900s.

I can appreciate and admire the costumes and slow, deliberate movements of the Dan from this clip from The Drunken Beauty without really understanding the plot of the episode or the implications of the gestures. 

Watching it, though, does make me wonder if getting a teenager to go to the Peking Opera in China is anything like getting a teenager to go to the opera in the United States. 

An extraordinary Chinese female impersonator, Li Yugang, is accredited with bringing the ancient art of the Peking Opera to a younger Chinese generation with a modern, pop take on the traditional Peking Opera style.

Reading about the history of ancient art forms is something that I can get absorbed in for hours at a time.  It’s intriguing to see these ancient artistic traditions and connect them to relatable, modern works.  Li Yugang has been successful in doing just that. 

Of course, there are critics that say that Li Yugang’s work diminishes the integrity of the ancient Peking Opera, but I think that his work expands the art to a broader and younger audience – which is a good thing.   

In a Yugang performance of One Night in Beijing, he actually integrates beatboxers into his musical set.  Beatboxing actually made its way overseas and through cultures to make it onto a Chinese Peking Opera stage! 

While listening to beatbox pioneers Doug E. Fresh and the Fat Boys on the radio back in the day, if someone asked me if I could ever image this hip-hop vocal percussion technique making it to China, I would have said, “not in a hundred years!”  Well, it’s only taken 30. 

Appreciation for the arts is not foreign – whether marveling at a Peking Opera or moving to hip-hop beats.   And there is much to be appreciated with this expansion of styles and blending of cultures through dance and music. 

Begrudgingly,

BB