GETTING HOME FOR THANKSGIVING: PLANES PT.1 & PT.2

[Mike Pell]

Moving on and back in the studio, where at least I sound better, I'll continue this series Trains, Planes & Automobiles with year 2.
And to no one's surprise Planes- the best and most interesting songs I could think of!
This is the first week, Pt.1 & Pt.2.

GETTING HOME FOR THANKSGIVING: PLANES PT.1

This year, thankfully I am not at home, but at the studio!
If you come up with an acceptable premise one year, and you can use it again, why not?
We will continue to travel home by those different modes of transportation mentioned in the great Steve Martin/John Candy movie, Trains, Planes & Automobile- one of the few movies about Thanksgiving.
And as always, Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled time of year here in the United States.
Last year was Trains, so logically this year we take Planes.
I will open with a couple of songs I might not ordinarily play- but then, I bring no rules here.
Rockollections is what it is!
The songs this year will be intermingled with the fascinating story of the Wright Brothers, an inspiring one to all would-be inventors out there.
They were not exactly welcomed by scientists, engineers, etc., who could not understand how two ordinary guys could do what they could not do!
Please join me as we take off with an eclectic mix of fellow passengers, including Nick Gilder, the Climax Blues Band and the Flamin’ Groovies.
Oh, the Rolling Stones are with us- but they’ll be in First Class naturally, lol.
Let’s start Getting Home For Thanksgiving

Here's the link to the Planes Pt.1:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1247

Mike


GETTING HOME FOR THANKSGIVING: PLANES PT.2

We continue now with our journey home for Thanksgiving, this year by Plane.
So, all songs will be about Planes or Flying- and for some strange reason I used a LOT of vinyl records for these shows, as all audiophiles will undoubtedly pick up on.
I owed you some ID’s from the previous chapter, and that will be taken care of.
The first song played is an amazing one. It was written on a dare in 15 minutes by someone you will be familiar with, before a trip to the airport.
I will have a bit more about the Wright Brothers, but not much this time.
Then it is time we get our own butts out to the airport, as we have flights waiting.
Two songs about that.
First, one I am sure you have not heard in a LONG time!
A one-hit wonder group from California that made it to #17 on the charts in the Flower Power period of 1967.
An unforgettable song, though I am sure it has been forgotten, about going from the U.S. to England in search of a hit single, and realizing that the trip and the effort is not worth breaking your loved one’s heart.
The next I HAD to play, and is maybe the FINEST song ever about leaving on a plane.
Some people may be surprised to learn it was written by John Denver!
Next, we will fly Trans Love Airways with Donovan- very 60’s sounding (and listen for his sly reference to flying Jefferson Airplane!).
Closing this episode out, I have a very funny set beginning with the brilliant Christine Lavin.
Then we will tackle the subject of Airport Security with a surprise guest, followed by Tom Paxton singing about the airlines’ uncanny ability to drive musicians crazy by breaking their guitars en route.
Closing this one out is a very short number, only seconds long, by Bob Dylan.
I don’t know what the hell he is singing about, but it is called Jet Pilot, lol!
All in all, this one is a fun time, as we reach the midpoint of our trek home for Thanksgiving.

Here's the link to the Planes Pt.2:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1248

Mike

[Mike Pell]

RJ,
Pt.1
I don't know, Strangers In The Night has been played so much I don't need to hear it again.
I remember being a bartender and somebody would play a song by Sinatra I liked a lot, think it was called Cycles.
Shamefully I do like We Can Fly, didn't realize I did until I played it, lol!
You liked the Climax Blues Band one but didn't like the Nick Gilder, fair enough.
The one you liked is clearly the beeter song.
With those last two you did like, technically it's the Flamin' Groovies, no g, and they do a great version of Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London I have played.
And Flight 505 by The Rolling Stones is a somewhat deep album cut (not to some of us old grunts, lol) from the Aftermath LP. And incidentally was thenumber of the British Airways plane the Stones took on their first trip to the US in 1964.
Since you never heard it, I really like that I brought it to your attention, damn good song.

Pt.2
It is CSNY, and you are right, it is too short.
Funny how that happens, sometimes you wish a song would go on longer!
Got the Seinfeld reference to The Rose Garden, and even played Seinfeld.
How's that for mental telepathy, lol?
And it does always work with him.
You are not the first person to be very surprised Leaving On A Jet Plane was written by John Denver.
I love the Donovan song, always takes me way back to some wonderful youthful, impressionable days.
Christine Lavin is always a treat, both solo and with the Four Bitchin Babes- check her out further because she can be just as touching as funny.
Just like the great Tom Paxton, I could listen to just those two for days, lol!
And that Dylan song FLEW by, proper for a show on Planes.
I don't know what the hell it was about either.
Engineer Ken knew we were doing Planes and brough it in with him, so I played it and that was the 2nd time I heard it- the first just before the show.
It was so short it couldn't hurt, lol!
Glad you enjoyed it campanero, and the 2 end parts should be here when you read this.
Thanks for being such a great listener, it's a joy,
Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

Part 1

Mike, I agree with you, I'm not that big of a Sinatra fan either, but I do like to hear an occasional song by him. My favorites would be Strangers In The Night and Just The Way You Look Tonight. But Come Fly With Me works well here.

I wasn't real big on The Cowsills tune, We Can Fly. It sounds to me like it should have been a Partridge Family song.

I did like Sky High by The Climaxx Blues Band. But I didn't like the Nick Gilder song. No real reason, just didn't like it.

However, I did like the last two. The First Plane Home by The Flaming Groovies (great name) and Flight 505 by The Rolling Stones. That's yet another deep album cut from The Stones that I've never heard, but I really like that guitar work, you can tell it's The Stones by that even if Mick wasn't singing.

Part 2

Absolutely love the CSN song and the story about how quickly it was written. And the song is too short. The guitar work is phenomenal and gives it that atmospheric sound. Beautiful.

On the song by The Rose Garden, I believe you made mention of the fact that the female singer had a rather low register, and that's the first thing I thought when the song started. I thought it was a man singing. But he was singing about a man (not that there's anything wrong with that - Seinfeld), then I realized the singer was female.

Leaving On A Jet Plane is a cool song, and believe it or not, I did know that was written by John Denver.

The Donovan song didn't do much for me, but I thought the Christine Lavin song was funny, and I did love the ending.

Jerry Seinfeld, whether in his show or his stand up act, always works for me.

It seems like somebody posted a song on Youtube last year or somewhat recently about the airlines breaking his guitar. So the Paxton song made me think of that.

Was there a Bob Dylan song? It was so short I must have missed it :-)

Enjoyed it my friend...