Philadelphia Phillies Quiz (1883 to date): 1) Most hits, career?
2) Who are the only 200-game winners? 3) Most stolen bases,
season? [Hint: Post-1950] 4) Most RBI, season? Answers
below.
Top Twenty Firsts, continued
Name the first Top Twenty Billboard Hit for the following:
Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Paul McCartney / Wings, Sergio
Mendes / Brasil ”66, Roger Miller, Steve Miller Band, The
Monkees, The Moody Blues, Ricky Nelson, Ohio Players, The
O”Jays, The Partridge Family, Gene Pitney, The Platters, Elvis.
Answers below.
George Harrison
Last Sunday, the news certainly looked bleak for the ex-Beatle.
Then by Monday, Harrison and his friends said the reports of his
imminent demise were greatly exaggerated. When it comes to
the British press, it”s impossible to know what”s real and what
isn”t. In fact, in doing a little research just now, back in
December 1992, Harrison said of the UK media, “They are like
animals. They should have their heads chopped off.” Then
again, there is no doubt that Harrison is very ill. His cancer, after
all, first came to light in 1997 after he had a cancerous lump on
his neck removed. And not to fall into the UK media”s trap
myself, but when I heard Harrison representatives say he was
fine, I thought of Joe DiMaggio”s last days, when similar
pronouncements were being made. Of course, we all hope
George is with us a long time. For us 60s music fans, it”s
incredibly depressing to think of a world without the Beatles.
But since I committed to this piece last weekend, here”s a brief
synopsis of Harrison”s career.
Born on February 25, 1943 (hold on.make that 11:42 pm on the
24th.Harrison didn”t realize this, himself, until just a few years
ago) in Liverpool, George was brought up in a working-class
family and attended Dovedale Primary School 3 years behind
John Lennon. In 1954 he entered Liverpool Institute, a grade
behind Paul McCartney and in 1956, Harrison formed his first
group, the Rebels.
Soon he also started jamming with McCartney and in ”58, Paul
introduced him to John Lennon, whereupon the 3 formed the
Quarrymen, who later became the Silver Beetles and then the
Beatles.
Besides playing lead guitar, Harrison sang backup vocals and a
few leads (“I”m Happy Just To Dance With You” perhaps being
the biggest). Harrison was also one of the first rockers to
experiment with Eastern instruments; studying the sitar under
Ravi Shankar (which Harrison then first employed on
“Norwegian Wood”).
But the Beatles were reluctant to record Harrison”s own material,
a major cause of the troubles within the group, though they did
record George”s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Here
Comes The Sun,” and “Something” (his only big hit while with
the Boys).
After the breakup, George released the 3-record “All Things
Must Pass,” produced by Phil Spector, which included the #1
“My Sweet Lord.” Well, you all know the story behind this
one. Just two months after the release, a legal claim was made
against Harrison and the tune, with representatives of the
deceased songwriter of the Chiffons “He”s So Fine” claiming he
had plagiarized that group”s #1 1963 single. For his part
Harrison claimed the tune was inspired by The Edwin Hawkins
Singers” UK hit, “Oh Happy Day.” Well, George coughed up
$587,000 in 1976 and the case actually dragged on further until
1990 when more money, and ownership of the song rights,
changed hands.
One of Harrison”s big moments was in late 1971 when he hosted
two benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden for the people of
Bangladesh. Guests included Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Bob
Dylan, and Eric Clapton. Speaking of Clapton, it was around
this time that he was messing around with Harrison”s wife, Pattie
Boyd.
Boyd met Harrison on the set of “A Hard Day”s Night” and they
were married in 1966. But shortly thereafter the marriage died,
though the divorce wasn”t finalized until ”77. In the meantime,
Boyd was the subject of Clapton”s own 1972 smash “Layla.”
Other highlights in the George Harrison story.
–He co-wrote (though uncredited) Donovan”s “Hurdy Gurdy
Man” in 1968.
–In the late Sixties, Harrison produced albums for Billy Preston
and Badfinger.
–In 1969, George and Pattie Boyd were arrested for possession
of 120 joints of marijuana, on the day that Paul married Linda
Eastman.
–February 1972, on the way home from a Rick Nelson (now
there is one of the truly underrated musicians of all time) concert,
Harrison and Boyd get in a serious auto accident, with Boyd
remaining in a coma for days. “She”s trouble, George. Dump
her!” (said Clapton, he he he he). Actually, the editor apologizes
for this last remark.
–December 1974, Harrison visits President Gerald Ford in the
White House. Another reason to love Gerry.
–November 1976, George guests on “Saturday Night Live,”
turning down producer Lorne Michaels” offer of the union
minimum payment for the Beatles to reunite on the show.
Ironically, Lennon and McCartney are watching it at Lennon”s
New York apartment.
–December 1984, Harrison joins Deep Purple on stage in
Sydney, Australia. Now I ask you, how cool would that have
been, mate?
–January 1988, in one of the better music success stories,
George hits #1 with “Got My Mind Set On You,” eons after his
first hits with the Beatles.
–November 1988, the Traveling Wilburys release their first
album. Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Jeff
Lyne.
–September 1993, George guests on “The Simpsons.” And with
that, let”s leave out the knife attack and every other bad moment
in the latter years. God bless you, George. Hang in there.
[Sources: VH1 Rock Stars Encyclopedia, The Rolling Stone
Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll.]
More “Tales from the Deep”
–Bigeye tuna: can reach a length of 7 and a half feet and weigh
400 lbs.
–Blackbeard: Edward Teach (or Thatch). The most famous
pirate of all time, Blackbeard was a British privateer until 1717
when he captured a French warship and converted it into a 40-
gun ship of terror, the “Queen Anne”s Revenge.” Blackbeard
plied his trade along the Virginia and Carolina coasts, but he was
eventually captured by a Virginia force led by Robert Maynard.
Maynard went “thump,” and Blackbeard was decapitated, with
his head being displayed on the bow of Maynard”s vessel.
Aargh.
–Blue Whale: Largest animal ever to have lived on earth, there
are still 5,000 (hopefully) of these 300,000 lb. (150 tons), 100-
foot long creatures.
–Box Jelly: OK, boys and girls, gather round and pay particular
attention, because the box jelly, aka the sea wasp, is considered
to be one of the deadliest animals in the sea. It is a box-shaped
jellyfish with a fleshy arm at each “corner,” and “complex” eyes.
The stringlike tentacles are loaded with stinging cells that contain
venom so potent it can kill an adult human in 3 minutes. One
lucky survivor of a bite described the pain as excruciating,
likening it to a “red-hot poker applied to the skin.”
The “box” itself is just 8 inches across (about the size of a
volleyball) and the tentacles trail 20 feet below. Since 1880, 65
have been killed by jellyfish stings in Australian waters, but it
wasn”t until 1955 that the culprit was identified…the box jelly.
[Source: “Encyclopedia of the Sea” by Richard Ellis]
Top 3 hits for the week of 7/31/71: #1 “You”ve Got A Friend”
(James Taylor) #2 “Indian Reservation” (Raiders) #3 “It”s Too
Late” (Carole King)
Top Twenty Hit Answers (with peak chart position)
Barry Manilow – Mandy #1 12/74
Johnny Mathis – Wonderful! Wonderful! #14 5/57
Paul McCartney / Wings – Another Day #5 3/71
Sergio Mendes / Brasil ”66 – The Look of Love #4 6/68
Roger Miller – Dang Me #7 7/64
Steve Miller Band – The Joker #1 11/73
The Monkees – Last Train For Clarksville #1 9/66
The Moody Blues – Go Now! #10 3/65
Ricky Nelson – I”m Walking #4 5/57
Ohio Players – Funky Worm #15 4/73… “Love Rollercoaster”
wasn”t until 11/75..say what? Yeow.
The O”Jays – Back Stabbers #3 8/72
The Partridge Family – I Think I Love You #1 10/70
Gene Pitney – Town Without Pity #13 12/61
The Platters – Only You #5 10/55
Elvis – Heartbreak Hotel #1 3/56
*Wayne Newton isn”t even 60 yet! [4/3/42] I don”t know, I
found this fascinating. You mean you didn”t?!
Philadelphia Phillies Quiz Answers: 1) Most hits, career: Mike
Schmidt, 2234. 2) 200-game winners: Steve Carlton, 241; Robin
Roberts, 234. 3) Stolen bases, season: Juan Samuel, 72, 1984.
4) RBI, season: Chuck Klein, 170, 1930.
Next Bar Chat, Monday. How ”bout a little Southern Rock? Get
the cooler ready.
