Keep on whatevering: Busy Doing Nothing with Charlie

Listener comments!

11:15am Charlie:

Charlie!
What?
It's time to get ready for your show!
Oh, right-o. I'm for it!

11:25am Artie Haywire:

No pushing! This is a *classy* llama party!!

11:29am Charlie:

OK, who's gonna be the caboose?

11:31am Artie Haywire:

I've been called worse...

11:58am Wendy del Formaggio:

Your email and the accompanying photo lured me in, Charlie. Those people ARE from the future! Their dog is an ambassador from the year 2075, and a good one, at that.

11:59am listener james from westwood:

Good Thursday, Charlie and all!

11:59am Wendy del Formaggio:

I love how one guy is wearing black socks and white shoes, and another guy is wearing flip-flops. Dress codes are so laissez-faire in the future!

12:01pm ndbob:

afternoon Charlie and everyone!

12:01pm Parq:

As folks on the south shoulder of the street said when Lady Godiva rode side-saddle, hooray for our side.

12:01pm Michael:

Is this the right room for an argument? Hello Charlie and everyone. And Wendy, that pic is great - what a grouping!

12:02pm melinda:

Howdy! Nice art.

12:04pm Wendy del Formaggio:

Michael, right? Who are these people?!
And I love your little pic. Sluggo is a favorite character of mine. Yay Ernie Bushmiller!

12:04pm Carmichael:

OK, now I gotta go see the pic. Hiya, Charlie. Keep playing this Longines Symphonette type stuff!

12:08pm Mike in AK:

Greetings from way north! Enjoying the many Moods, Charlie. Hi Wendy!

12:08pm Charlie:

Greetings all! Been busy getting it together.

12:09pm Charlie:

I see Artie, Wendy, James, ndBob, Parq, Melinda, Carmichael, Mike in AK. Welcome all and those yet to arrive.

12:09pm Mayuko:

Hello, Charlie and everyone!

12:10pm Charlie:

@Melinda -- I love Shari Elf's art! I highly recommend you check out her site: www.sharielf.com

12:10pm doyle:

HULLO CHARLIE

12:11pm listener james from westwood:

Ah, now this is a fine Ennio track. Whistling along...

12:11pm Charlie:

Hey, Doyle, nice to see ya.

12:12pm northguineahills:

I like how Morricone is instantly recognizable, no matter the genre.

12:13pm Michael:

Good film too!

12:13pm doyle:

damn webcam! (nice to CU2)

12:13pm sugarwolf:

hello

12:14pm Charlie:

@Michael -- no, it's getting hit on the head lessons in here (a little late with my response)
"Duck, you sucker!" (isn't that the name in English?)

12:15pm Carmichael:

Suddenly I feel like marching ...

12:15pm Charlie:

"mobs don't march, they run"

12:16pm northguineahills:

Wait, I've seen this film! And only b/c someone on WFMU a few years ago linked a clip to it.

12:16pm Michael:

Yup. With Coburn as the Irish revolutionary and Rod Steiger in the Eli Wallach role.

12:16pm Wendy del Formaggio:

Mike in AK! Yay!

12:17pm doyle:

this music goes well with leftover pizza dipped in ranch dressing. this is based on independent research

12:19pm listener james from westwood:

I'm glad you're loving my proofreading an excerpt from "The Epic of Gilgamesh"!

12:19pm listener james from westwood:

@doyle, this research should receive an immediate grant.

12:21pm listener james from westwood:

Treasure of San Gennaro = a sausage & pepper sangwich & a bag of zeppole.

12:22pm Mike East:

San Sebastien festival is happening outside my apartment this week...I can see a zeppole truck out the window. I'm sure I will give in by the end of the week.

12:25pm βrian:

Gilgamesh calls for the best quality paprika.

12:26pm doyle:

listener james. thank you. i concur. i'm making a Gilga-mess out of my
pizza

12:26pm Charlie:

Mmmm, Gilgamesh with ranch dressing...

12:27pm Uncle Michael:

I had to come say hi because I love this Ribot album! Greets!

12:28pm Charlie:

Uncle Michael! Me too :)

12:28pm Charlie:

Hi also, Sugarwolf, NGH, Mike E, ßrian

12:29pm Carmichael:

Clicky star the hell out of this Ribot thing.

12:29pm sugarwolf:

oooo zeppole!!!

12:29pm Charlie:

to be followed by another great whorled music track!

12:30pm Carmichael:

"Don't give me that, you snotty faced heap of parrot droppings!" Oh. sorry, but this is Abuse. Arguments are down the hall.

12:30pm Dominick:

Hiya boobie!

12:30pm Michael:

I may step away and do the Mouse.

12:30pm Wendy del Formaggio:

Soupy Sales!!! The world needs more Soupy Sales songs played at random intervals.

12:32pm listener james from westwood:

Soupy, or someone posting as Soupy, had a blisteringly filthy Twitter stream up until his death. High-level old-style sick-comedy profanity, like some of the guys Kliph Nesteroff writes about.

12:33pm listener james from westwood:

To this veteran of his songs and his old show, it was surprisingly shocking.

12:36pm Michael:

I think they were all filthy - Soupy, Chuck McCann. Even Officer Joe Bolton!

12:36pm Mayuko:

I remember many music fans were talking about Juana Molina in Tokyo, but I actually never heard her music. This is very beautiful!

12:36pm listener james from westwood:

Quite likely true. The only sane response to network higher-up schmucks.

12:37pm listener james from westwood:

(that last comment to @Michael)

12:37pm Wendy del Formaggio:

Chuck McCann always creeped me out, even in his role on that episode of Columbo where he plays a sort of schnooky film projectionist.

12:37pm Charlie:

Hi Mayuko! I like Juana Molina very much. Wed 21 is my favorite album. Highly recommended!

12:39pm listener james from westwood:

w00t! Gary Wilson!

12:41pm Michael:

Agree Wendy - that was a sort of perfect role for the creepy Chuck. And don't get me going on Sandy Becker and Sonny Fox...

12:42pm Charlie:

Yeah, I guess a lot of those kids show hosts had their 'blue' acts. Was oblivious to that as a kid of course. Loved Soupy Sales' TV show! also Chuck McCann, Sandy Becker, Wonderama, all of those...

12:43pm Charlie:

anyone remember "Fingleheimer"?

12:47pm Carmichael:

My favorite filthy comedian was Buddy Hackett.

12:52pm listener james from westwood:

Hoo boy, there is a whole generation of kids who grew up on his seagull voice acting in "The Little Mermaid" who likely Have. No. Idea. re: Buddy's background.

12:52pm listener james from westwood:

I knew b/c he had an HBO special some years earlier that was def. his Vegas act.

12:53pm listener james from westwood:

(And my Hackett touchpoint was "Herbie the Love Bug," so I was in for a shock.)

12:54pm Parq:

James, I've read that the session from Robin Williams voicing Disney's Genie are full of improvs, much of it far from family friendly. Wouldn't you love to hear Hacket's unedited Little Mermaid sessions?

12:54pm Artie Haywire:

Goodness how I loved that little Love Bug as a kid. Then Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World after that.

12:55pm Artie Haywire:

I'm still loyal to my Volkswagens.

12:55pm Carmichael:

Didn't he also do some of the old Claymation voices, like Santa Claus is Coming to Town? Or maybe I'm thinking of a contemporary of his.

1:00pm Mike in AK:

'...but there was one song he played that I could really feel...'

1:00pm the Canterbury wood-elf:

Furry wasn't too happy about having this written about him after Joni requested an audience with him, then failed to ask permission to release a song about him.
jonimitchell.com...

1:01pm listener james from westwood:

@Carmichael, I wouldn't be surprised. 60s & 70s toons and Rankin-Bass gigs were havens for comics. Work in your bathrobe!

1:01pm melinda:

Had to leave my computer & I see I missed Five O'Clock World. Darn.

1:01pm the Canterbury wood-elf:

"We're only welcome for our drink and smoke"

Hmmm.

When he pointed his bony finger at Joni and said "I don't like you", he probably meant it.

1:02pm Parq:

C-W-E, I always thought this song was kinda nervy.

1:06pm Charlie:

catching up with myself, here's a video of Soupy Sales singing Pachalafaka: www.youtube.com...

1:11pm Michael:

That's great Charlie. That may have opened a Soupy wormhole.

1:11pm melinda:

Middle of the Road! Yeah!

1:11pm Charlie:

@Michael: earwormhole?

1:12pm melinda:

Did she say past or pants behind her?

1:13pm the Canterbury wood-elf:

I heard "pains".

1:15pm Charlie:

haha! I've never been able to tell if she said 'past' or 'pants'! Never thought of 'pains' though...

1:15pm melinda:

Pains sounds right.

1:21pm Uncle Michael:

Thanks for the plug, Charlie. I may go longer than 90 but I'm not committing at this point.

1:22pm listener james from westwood:

First non-"Convoy" McCall I've ever heard! Thanks, Charlie!

1:23pm Carmichael:

10-4, good buddies.

1:24pm Uncle Michael:

This was a commercial for Old Home Bread in Omaha.

CW was fictional. Bill Fries and Chip Davis made these. Bill is from Clay Pigeon's home town and Chip is Mannheim Steamroller.

1:26pm Carmichael:

I used to watch Pearl Bailey on Ed Sullivan, when I was a lil tyke.

1:27pm mauri:

sauna fresh oh damn I missed so much hello!

1:28pm Charlie:

Uncle Michael -- I had no idea! The name Bill Fries is familiar. But I can't remember from what?

1:28pm Charlie:

Hi Mauri!

1:29pm Uncle Michael:

They were ad men. The commercial became so popular a record followed.

1:31pm Uncle Michael:

Here's a telling of the tale:

bozell.com...

1:32pm northguineahills:

Ah, the old sampledelic sounds of my youthier years....

1:33pm Charlie:

Will check later, UM, ty.

1:36pm Parq:

Uncle Michael, that's terrific. Never knew anything about that.

1:37pm Uncle Michael:

I know a fellow that tours on guitar in Mannheim Steamroller and was in the C.W. McCall touring band in the '70s. he's not on the Wolf Creek Pass LP though.

1:38pm Carmichael:

Yep, ol' CW was a studio invention. I believe the ad company had Post or General Mills, and were trying to create an ad campaign.

1:39pm Uncle Michael:

The actor that played C.W. in the commercials didn't sing on them or the records. I heard a story where the band was touring behind the success of Convoy and the actor showed up on his own initiative to do a personal appearance where the tour was...leading to much consternation and confusion.

1:39pm Carmichael:

I love the Sunshine Rock Music era ...

1:40pm Uncle Michael:

The client was Metz Baking Co., in Omaha, Carmichael. The agency won the national Clio for the campaign.

1:40pm Parq:

Mrs. Parq had a co-worker who was married (at the time) to Robert Kinkel, who went on to found Trans Siberian Orchestra, which might as well have been Manhein Steamroller. Darn it, Kevin Bacon, I know you're in there somewhere!

1:41pm ndbob:

@UM Very interesting!

1:47pm Parq:

Hah! I saw Ces Evora at NYC Town Hall years ago. At some point during the (terrific) show, I thought to myself, "She's going to encore with some corny Latin-American pop hit, I bet." Sure enough, she encored with "Besame".

1:48pm Carmichael:

I'll have to dig out my book One Hit Wonders, that explained it in detail. I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in that era.

1:50pm listener james from westwood:

Must slide on out of here to do chores; many thanks, Charlie!

1:50pm Charlie:

Parq -- Besame Mucho is one of those songs I love collecting versions of.
Peace, James!

1:55pm Michael:

This is new right - read about 'em and wanted to check it out so a big thank you.

1:56pm ndbob:

excellent show Charlie!

1:57pm Charlie:

Yes, Michael, I got it from their Soundcloud page. Various videos around, and I guess they're on iTunes. Very sweet stuff. Two college kids, I think.

1:58pm Parq:

What can I say -- an entirely Charlie show. Many thanks. Step up to the mike, Herr Baron.

2:02pm Michael:

Thanks Charlie - exemplary show!

2:03pm Charlie:

Thanks for being here, see you next time :)