Music In My Shoes
Come be entertained as the host talks about music, bands, and connected stories.
"It's a really great podcast" - Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin
"I appreciate talking to you guys and the good questions" - Mitch Easter of Let's Active and R.E.M. producer
Learn Something New or
Remember Something Old!!!
Please like and follow the Music In My Shoes Facebook page.
Contact us at
musicinmyshoes@gmail.com
Music In My Shoes
E58 Beverly Hills Cop, and the Road to Utopia
What if you could relive the magic of the 80s with a fresh perspective on a comedy classic? Join us as we celebrate Eddie Murphy's iconic role as Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop." We laugh our way through the film's unforgettable moments, like the "banana in the tailpipe" scene, and share behind-the-scenes gems including Damon Wayans' cameo debut. It's a delightful throwback to a film that cemented its place in cinematic history, bringing humor and nostalgia to the forefront of our conversation.
Ever wondered how a band could create 18 versions of one music video? We unravel the mystery behind the band Yes and their song "Leave It," exploring the creative genius of Godley and Creme who made the mundane captivating. Our journey through musical history continues with a visit to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, where we marvel at exhibits featuring legends like Billy Joel, Twisted Sister, and Run DMC.
Step back in time to 1991, when Jimmy's backpacking trip through Europe lead to unforgettable experiences. From luxury in Zurich to street performances in Paris, the unpredictability of pre-digital travel shines through his tales. He reminisces about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and hitchhiking through England, weaving musical memories into his adventures.
We finish off the episode with a look back at Utopia's 'Adventures in Utopia' and a song I can still relate to, "Forever Young" by Alphaville.
"Music in My Shoes" where music and memories intertwine.
Learn Something New or
Remember Something Old
Please Like and Follow our Facebook and Instagram page at Music In My Shoes.
You can contact us at musicinmyshoes@gmail.com.
He's got the feeling in his toe-toe.
Speaker 2:He's got the feeling and it's out there growing. Hey everybody, this is Jim Boge and you're listening to Music In my Shoes. That was Vic Thrill kicking off episode 58. As always, I'm thrilled to be here with you. Let's learn something new or remember something old. One of my favorite comedies of the 80s was released on December 5th 1984, Beverly Hills Cop.
Speaker 1:Oh, great movie.
Speaker 2:Starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, judge Reinhold as Detective Billy Rosewood and John Ashton as Sergeant John Taggart, and there's a whole bunch of other people in the movie. I just love this movie and kind of what I've done, you know, since this whole podcast started. A lot of times I'll go back and I'll listen to an album that you know. Since this whole podcast started, a lot of times I'll go back and I'll listen to an album that you know I'm going to talk about it. Let me go back and see what my reaction is all these years later. Right, I watched it twice in the past three days. It is as funny to me now as it was back in the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I watched it on vacation a couple of years ago. It just happened to be on the TV in the hotel room and it was kind of near the beginning and it was awesome. It's still a great movie.
Speaker 2:It really, really is. I mean, I think this is the movie that brought Eddie Murphy into the superstardom. You know he had been in trading places Saturday Night Live To me, this is where he just became this superstar. So again, I don't like always giving out the whole premise of everything, because I want people. If they want to watch it or listen to it, they have that opportunity. But basically, his best friend from childhood visits him in Detroit, ends up murdered.
Speaker 1:Billy right, mikey, mikey.
Speaker 2:Yes, Mikey.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm confused with 48 Hours. His name was Billy Ray Valentine. Right, there you go, okay, no, no, no, no, I'm wrong again, billy Ray Valentine was his name in Trading Places. In 48 Hours, there's a new sheriff in town and his name is Reggie Hammond.
Speaker 2:There you go. You're correct. I was going to agree with you. Well, I was agreeing with you at first, but you're right. You are right. Axel heads over to Beverly Hills where his friend had been working. You know, search for his killers. Axel's you know, a cop in Detroit. I think I forgot to mention that he gets to Beverly Hills, california, from Detroit, Michigan, by driving an old beat-up 1970 Chevy Nova, convertible though.
Speaker 1:No, it wasn't a convertible. No, oh, it was not.
Speaker 2:I'm remembering it with rose-colored glasses, then If you looked at that car, you needed a lot more than rose-colored glasses to think that it was a convertible because it was beat up. That's true, it was rough and I'm not sure how far this car could actually drive in real life, like I'm thinking 100 miles. There's going to have all kinds of issues with it. The fact that he took it from Michigan to California wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that's movie magic. I don't think he really drove it Very good, jimmy, very good, that is movie magic.
Speaker 2:So he has several I call them comical encounters with Taggart and Rosewood, and one of them being actually this is probably my favorite is they're following Axel back to the hotel, so they're, you know, tailing him. He's in a car and they're in a car, and, you know, following every move that he makes. Once inside, axel calls room service and has them deliver food to the police in the car, to Billy and Taggart Outside the hotel on the curb.
Speaker 2:Yes. So the room service guy walks across the street up to their car and says good evening sir.
Speaker 2:And that just makes me laugh because the guy is in Beverly Hills and no matter where he goes or what he's doing, he has to speak to people a certain way. And he just he doesn't go out of character because he walked across the street to an unmarked police car, you know. Taggart says what the hell is that? And the room service guy says late supper, sir. Compliments of Axel Foley. And it's just like the writing to me by just saying late supper. That is funny to me. That just that cracks me up. Taggart doesn't want the food, but Billy says this looks really great. And then he starts eating it. He's enjoying it. He's like, hey, do you have some extra mayo? He's just really into the whole thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, judge Reinhold, as Billy was such a great like innocent straight man, you know.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, they cast him well for it. Definitely cast him well. So the same time that they're getting this food and Billy's eating, axel gets some bananas from the buffet inside the hotel and goes outside and stuffs them in the tailpipe of their car.
Speaker 1:Wait, you forgot to mention who gave him the bananas.
Speaker 2:In his first movie role, damon Wayans Right. Yes, very small little cameo.
Speaker 1:Tiny little part yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I didn't know it for many years. All of a sudden one day I'm like, wait a minute, I think I know him and I rewound it and looked and I was like, yep, that's definitely him for sure, but that was his first movie role that he ever had, I believe it was. So Axel hops into another car and when they try to follow him in their car that has the bananas in the tailpipe, it stalls out and they can't do it, which is I learned something when I saw that movie.
Speaker 1:you know as a teenager that apparently you can disable a car with a banana because it can't get enough air out the tailpipe Right. Does it work?
Speaker 2:It worked, the old banana in the tailpipe trick, yeah. So a later scene, taggart's and Billy's boss, lieutenant Bogomil, says I love this scene A banana in your tailpipe. How could you not notice a man sticking a banana in your tailpipe? Taggart says well, he distracted us, sir. And the lieutenant says how'd he do that? And Billy says well, he sent us a late supper, sir. And the lieutenant says how do you do that? And Billy says well, he sent us a late supper, sir.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he brings it back around.
Speaker 2:The late supper just makes me laugh. And the lieutenant says a late supper. And what did you have, rosewood? Billy responds I think it was a shrimp salad sandwich, sir. And the lieutenant looks at them in disgust After he walks away. Taggart sarcastically looks at Billy and he goes a late supper and you know, shaking his head and obviously thinking you shouldn't have told the boss that. You know right, should have said something else. So the part of billy we talked about, judge ron hall, you know he was in fast times at ridgemont high playing brad brad um and did a great job in that and I wasn't sure what to expect of him in beverly hills cop.
Speaker 2:But you are right, I mean they really cast the right person for that innocent cop youthful, you know, he does such a wonderful job. I mean, at one point in the movie he says to Taggart he's like by the time people are 50 years old, most people have five pounds of undigested meat in their bowels. And Taggart's like why are you telling me this? Why do you think I care? And Billy's like I know you eat a lot of red meat. And it's just funny Like he's so deadpan in telling him this. It just cracks me up, it really does. So deadpan in telling him this, it just cracks me up, it really does. Yeah. So the part of Lieutenant Bogomil is played by Ronnie Cox, who had his film debut in 1972's Deliverance as the guitarist playing dueling banjos with the mountain boy banjo player. Do you remember that?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And he got the part. One of the reasons he got the part is because he could actually play the guitar. So he plays the guitar in the scene where you're seeing dueling banjos.
Speaker 1:Was he on the raft with those guys? Was he on the trip with Burt Reynolds? Yes, yeah, he's one of the four.
Speaker 2:So it was his film debut and Ned Beatty, who was in the film, it was his film debut as well, back in 1972. Right, just kind of crazy, kind of crazy. So if you remember, axel Foley in a bunch of the movie has a Mumford Fiz Ed shirt and my mother somehow, someway, somewhere, managed to find one. So the film comes out in December of 1984. And I think she got it for me by like March of 85, like when the movie's like super hot and she gets this shirt for me. That wasn't perfect looking, you know exactly the way the shirt was in in the movie, but it was pretty close. So Mumford's an actual school up in in Detroit. You know it's an actual school. So I had the shirt and people would ask me, people would want to buy it off me and I was like nope, nope, nope and I wore that shirt until I wore it out, like you couldn't wear it anymore.
Speaker 1:That's all I ever do with t-shirts, but yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now I'm a little bit choosier, I guess I want them to last forever as compared to then. I was like I'm just going to keep wearing this, you know. So the soundtrack to the movie was as big a hit as the film was Not to me, but to the American people.
Speaker 1:This is true.
Speaker 2:Okay, just want to make sure that I clarify that.
Speaker 1:It was a great score for the movie. You know, it was just the song and the score and everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, harold Faltermeyer, did you know that song, axel F, that they just keep bringing up? And but you know they knew what part of the song to bring up in all the different situations, like it's just like whoa. So the first single which opens up the movie is the Heat Is On. It's sung by Glenn Frey of the Eagles. Peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in March of 1985 when I was wearing my Mumford Fizz Zed shirt. Second single, new Attitude, sung by Patti LaBelle, reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1985. Reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1985. Third single, axl F by Harold Faltermeyer, peaked at number three in June of 85.
Speaker 2:And again, like you said, you know they did a great job of placing songs, the right songs, at the right place at the right time, so that even if you didn't like that song, you were okay because it just kind of went with it. And one of those was the Pointer Sisters song, neutron Dance, because it was on their most recent album that they had out and it was also on Beverly Hills Cop. So it was actually kind of out on two albums at the same time, which is not the norm by by any, they released it. The Pointish Sisters didn't even really like it. They didn't want to release it. They didn't want to have anything to do with it. They'd already had out three songs as singles from their album. All three of them hit the top ten on Billboard. Jump For my Love, I think, was one of them. I can't think of what the other two were.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited. I'm so excited. I think it might have been one of them. I can't think of what the other two were. I'm so excited, I'm so excited.
Speaker 2:I think it might have been one of them. This song ends up number six on Billboard's Hot 100 in February of 1985, after being a song that they didn't want to do as a single, but because in the movie it's the second song, I think, and it might be the song that they play when the truck is driving through the streets of you know what's supposed to be Detroit the cigarette truck and it's going all over the place and you get that excitement of watching this chase with the police and everything and, lo and behold, it ends up to be number six. So I like the movie much more the comedy than the soundtrack. But, axl Laff, it's definitely catchy. I mean, I like the song. I can't tell you that I don't like it.
Speaker 1:It works great in the movie.
Speaker 2:It does and they used it, you know, in all the rest of the movies. There were three more after it. If you've never seen the movie, check it out. If you haven't seen the movie in a long time, watch it again. It's still pretty funny. Last episode, number 57, do they Know It's's Christmas vacation? I mentioned MTV starting to broadcast on Long Island a year after it was launched. I originally said November 1982. Why I said that, I'm not really sure, because I really meant to say August of 1982. And I want to thank Jimmy for working your magic and getting it corrected. And I want to thank Jimmy for working your magic and getting it corrected. So, anyone that initially listened to the podcast, you do hear me say the wrong month, but through the magic of Jimmy's editing everybody else, you hear the right thing.
Speaker 1:Glad you cleared that up.
Speaker 2:Me too. I feel much better now. We also spoke of the band yes and the song Leave it, which I never had any intentions, never knew that that was going to come up. I checked into it more from what you talked about, saying that there were 18 versions of the song Leave it.
Speaker 1:Of the video.
Speaker 2:Of the video, of the video correct and that they couldn't find some. And I found that as far-fetched as could be, and I know, right after the episode you sent me some links and I looked at them. I did some more research. You were 100% correct on all. I don't know how. I've never heard about this, like I'm just amazed at it. So they still have not found all of these different versions. Supposedly they just found one in February of this year, but my mind is boggled that MTV just doesn't have the videos or whatever. Their record company doesn't have the videos. When I say they found it, somebody found it on a VHS tape that someone had recorded you know some show and they put this other version of Leave it On and they're considering that we've got one now. Yeah, it just is amazing to me that they don't have all of them. How is that possible? So they got Godly and Cream. You remember Godly and Cream? They did a bunch of videos. They had some songs out back in the 80s too. Wasn't really my cup of tea, but they did the videos and their job was to make the video as boring as possible.
Speaker 2:Now the ones I saw, they all look like they're upside down. I didn't see any that were normal. Some of them. They have the whole band just standing. They don't move. Another version has it where they might take their heads and move their heads a little bit. One just has John Anderson, the singer, in it. You know I could go on and on, but I found this list. They have number one, number two, they partially found Three, four, five, six are lost Again. I'm not going to go through this whole thing. I cannot believe that they can't find all these videos.
Speaker 1:It's 40 years later. It's just crazy. Yeah, In like 40 more years we're not going to be able to find the thrilleriller video.
Speaker 2:It's just gone from the earth, is that?
Speaker 1:possible, you know.
Speaker 2:Like it's just crazy. It really is. So last episode I was in New York. I broadcast from New York and while I was there I went to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook, which is out on Long Island Hall of Fame in Stony Brook, which is out on Long Island, and they have not just the Hall of Fame but they have this Billy Joel, my Life exhibit. So we went to it. It's about 8,800 square feet just to kind of give you an idea of how much room. And it's got all this different stuff on Billy Joel and his influences. His influences, you know, has displays on on ray charles and the beatles and several others. It's got a thing on billy joel live from long island which he released in 1982, which was recorded at the nasa coliseum.
Speaker 2:I was at that show. So to me I got my picture taken with, you know, all the advertisements because you know I was there. It's got in the Hall of Fame. It's got displays on Twisted Sister. So the outfits the band wore in I Want to Rock and we're Not Going to Take it which were made by Dee Snider's wife, they're actually there. You get to go right up to them and take a look at these outfits that she had made for the videos. They've got stuff from Run DMC, the Shangri-La we've talked about them Arlo Guthrie, kiss a bunch of different bands. So now I know some people are saying, wait a minute, if this is the Long Island Hall of Fame. I know some of those people aren't from Long Island. Well, what is Long Island? And that's always the big question.
Speaker 1:Oh, does it include Brooklyn and Queens?
Speaker 2:Does it include Brooklyn and Queens? So the Hall of Fame includes Brooklyn and Queens? Okay, you know. So that's why they have, you know, simon and Garfunkel and just all these other different people you know that are from there. People that live in Brooklyn and Queens generally say Long Island is only Nassau and Suffolk County. That it's, you know, the suburbs, it's not the city. So that's kind of clearing it up. It's not really clearing it up, but that's kind of you know how they go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, speaking of Billy Joel, back on December 21st 1989, so it was at 35 years ago I saw him. It was the first of five sold out nights for him at the Coliseum and of the 25 songs he played, 12 were vintage Billy from 82 or prior. And it was like Allentown, miami, 2017, prelude Angry Young man, new York State of Mind. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. You know Big Shot Piano man. And then he did a cover of have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and I used to go. He would play every December and he would do a bunch of shows at the Coliseum and I would go, try and go every year because it was just fun and everybody always wanted to go. So you just be like, hey, I'm going to go, what night are you going? You know, you just pick it out and stuff. My brother's actually going. He's playing New Year's Eve at the UBS Arena and that's still in Nassau County, it's in Elmont, it's kind of taken over the Coliseum. The New York Islanders who played hockey at the Coliseum now play at UBS and so he's going.
Speaker 2:But Billy doesn't do all those nights like he used to. It used to be a fun time and as he's gotten a little older, like the rest of us, he's got to shorten up that a little bit. Do you know what time it is? No Music in my shoes, mailbag time. Music in my shoes, mailbag. So regarding episode 55, John Lennon and Elton John's musical bet and Thanksgiving memories from Vinny on Long Island, he says he loved the John Lennon story when he played MSG Madison Square Garden. That is Same for the Thanksgiving traditions, alice's Restaurant in particular. But I gotta say I really enjoy Miracle Drug and I'm with Jimmy. I love that album from start to finish talking about how to dismantle an atomic bomb. And he says we were renovating our house when it was released and I used to play the CD when I was working on the house.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, cool.
Speaker 2:And you know, I think there's things that I remember when my kids were young and working on their rooms One of them, my oldest. We had moved to a new house and I was getting her room ready and I was listening to Zoropa. That was like something that I was listening to at the time and you know I have fond memories of that. But it's funny how you are renovating or you're painting a room or you're doing this and you're listening to something, and that always tends to be one of your favorite things that you like to listen to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know that album also had a concert video and I don't know if they released it, you know, on DVD, but it was on my cable. I had a DVR from whatever cable system I had then and I had it saved Like, oh you know, I'd go back and I'd watch it now and then it was really good live versions of those songs. And then when I switched over to the next cable company I lost that and I haven't seen it since. But you know it was good live stuff of those songs.
Speaker 2:I bet you miss it.
Speaker 1:I do.
Speaker 2:There you go. Episode 56, altamont Chaos the who Concert Tragedy and U2 at Radio City. Steven from Missouri says long live Graham Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers. So we talked about the Flying Burrito Brothers. They played. That was the calmest point of Altamont, even though a lady got hit in the head with a bottle and had to go to the hospital. But that was the calm after and before the storm. Gary in California writes Lou Reed. New York was a great album and we talked about that on the Minute with Jimmy. Yeah, a lot of people have said about that Lou Reed album how much they liked it. On that episode I mentioned that someone you know right before we did it had said that they think it's the most underrated album of the 80s. So it's funny getting a lot of Lou Reed love there, love it. There you go. Jack comments the who should have done like Zeppelin and quit when Keith died.
Speaker 1:I mean.
Speaker 2:I think one of the things about Led Zeppelin. I think we still hold Led Zeppelin in a higher regard because they didn't try and get back. You know, we'll talk about the Live Aid debacle, you know, in a few months. And then they did that. What was it? 2007,? I think that they played one more time. So they only played twice. After John Bonham died, the who, you know, I think immediately they were at a point where they were changing their music anyway because they were getting older, it was different. And then, as you know, in 78, keith dies and they go out on tour and they're different people and you know, the drumming just was your standard drumming. It wasn't the keith moon that people knew. Yeah, I understand what he's saying. Um, from dennis interesting, because the only time that I saw the best live band at the time, the who was in London and Lou Reed and others played before them.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 2:That must have been a good show. Yeah, that must have been a really good show. Barry in Georgia says enjoyed this week's episode. We, the fans, deserve seven minutes with Jimmy explaining backpacking through Europe. Now, I understand the seven minutes we don't have seven minutes to go through the whole thing but I think it's talking about where you exchange books. You remember that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was a fun trip. I went for three weeks over to Europe and the only real contact I had was my parents knew somebody in Zurich. There was a neighbor of theirs that had moved to Zurich. So I showed up at this house in Zurich unannounced you didn't have I don't know. I was a kid, I was 21 or something, and I call the house when I get to the train station in Zurich and the housekeeper answers the phone and says, oh, they're out of town. But hey, why don't you take the train here? And you can spend the night and whatever.
Speaker 2:But you don't know the housekeeper.
Speaker 1:I don't know the housekeeper. So the housekeeper, housekeeper, so the housekeeper is like oh yeah, I don't know my word, just come on down.
Speaker 2:What year is this, jimmy?
Speaker 1:1991, yeah, and, and so I get there and she says, oh, um, well, it turns out, these people are like crazy wealthy, they live on the top of a mountain and they've got this gorgeous house. And she says, oh, there's a great view on the roof. I go up on the roof and it just happened that that night was the 700th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland, of the founding of Switzerland. So I was looking down on the city of Zurich with all these fireworks and bonfires and things, sitting in this amazing house, literally just happened to get there, like on their 4th of July for 700 years. Wow, and lucked out there, spent the night. Wow, and lucked out there, spent the night, went on my way, and so I would just go to different cities and meet up with people, other travelers, and it was so fun.
Speaker 1:I went to Munich and then met up with some guys that were going down to Italy and went to it's called the Cinque Terre have you ever heard of that? It's like five cities on the coast of Italy, really really cool, little out of the way place to see. And went to Rome, then kind of back up to Austria and Paris and met up with a guy that I had my guitar with me and so met up with a guy that I had my guitar with me and so, um, he was kind of like my barker and I was the busker, so he would tell people, oh, come, come see him play, you know, and we'd, we'd get tips in the in the guitar case and then go buy like French fries and beer or something, wow, and then I went over to England.
Speaker 1:Oh, I really cool thing from England was I arrived in Dover because you took a ferry from Calais, france, to Dover, england.
Speaker 2:The White Cliffs of Dover, white.
Speaker 1:Cliffs of Dover exactly, and I hitchhiked, got a ride with somebody to London. You're looking at your watch. You're like this is seven minutes.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not. I was worried about hitchhiking because I know that that's not a safe thing to be doing.
Speaker 1:Right, we're not advising that for anyone. This was a long time ago, back when we didn't know how dangerous hitchhiking was. I think it was probably okay in England. I don't know, somebody had told me it was an okay thing to do in England. I don't know, somebody had told me it was an okay thing to do. And so one of the cool things on that ride from Dover to London, the guy pointed out this area and he said this is where they had a fake London setup during World War II and it was just like fake city lights so that when the Germans would come over and they're looking for the bright lights to bomb, they would bomb this place that was like 10 miles away from London, rather than bombing the real thing. I don't know how many times that worked.
Speaker 1:Wow that was one of the tactics that the British used to try to throw off the Germans.
Speaker 2:That's pretty cool. So did you know where you were going before you got there, or did you like, once you were there? You're like all right, yeah, I'm going to go to this city or this city?
Speaker 1:I had a few things I wanted to hit like, especially in England. I wanted to go up to Scotland because my ancestors are from Scotland and I got to go and like go to the Hall of Records in Edinburgh and see my great-great-grandfather's signature that he'd done in 1860 or something like that.
Speaker 1:so pretty cool stuff well, I like that and there was a thing going on that still goes on to this day. Uh, the fringe festival, which I just heard was is the largest performing arts festival in the world. Uh, and I actually have some friends that performed at the one this year, but it was going on back then in August 1991. And I got to see some great comedy and plays and things.
Speaker 2:Sounds like you had a good trip. What'd you?
Speaker 1:say Three weeks, three weeks.
Speaker 2:That's definitely pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Got like an unlimited train pass and you could just go wherever you want. But a lifetime of memories, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, and you got a book that made a difference in your life. It did. Yeah there you go. So I'm not sure if that was seven minutes, but it was close enough and you listeners asked for it, so you got it right here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's. All you got to do is ask.
Speaker 2:There you go. And, speaking of asking, you want to know how to connect to us. You can contact us at musicinmyshoes at gmailcom, or click on the send us a text link located above the episode notes on the streaming platform you listen to us on. It's a one-way text. We can't message you back, but we may acknowledge you on a future episode, as we have today. Please like and follow the Music In my Shoes Facebook and Instagram pages.
Speaker 1:Music In my Shoes Mailbag.
Speaker 2:And on that note, are you ready for Minute With Jimmy? It's time for Minute With Jimmy. Minute With Jimmy. Minute With Jimmy. It's time for Minute With Jimmy. Minute With Jimmy. Minute With Jimmy. Minute with Jimmy. It's time for Minute with Jimmy. Minute with Jimmy. Minute with Jimmy.
Speaker 1:Alright. So I'm talking today about the Libertines' latest release. They just put out a single called the Windmills of your Mind. Well, it's a great song. It's got this really cool kind of little haunting melody to it and I looked it up. Well, it's a cover of a song that was written For the 1968 movie, the Thomas Crown Affair oh and it was originally recorded by a guy named Noel Harrison.
Speaker 1:And then a record executive heard that and said oh, I want this new artist that I have named, dusty Springfield, to record that for her first album. You know it on the album. She didn't like the song, but she did it anyway. They released it as a B-side and he said oh wait, this song's now been nominated for best song for the Academy Award. And so he tells, because the single wasn't selling very well with the other A-side, he said tell you what, flip it over, make that the A-side, repackage it. And well, you don't get to hear the rest of the story because my time's up.
Speaker 2:Tell us the story, Jimmy. We want to know the story.
Speaker 1:So as the Academy Awards are going on, in 1969, jose Feliciano comes on. He sings that song at the Academy Awards.
Speaker 2:Mr Felice Navidad himself.
Speaker 1:Yes, and the mailroom guys are literally waiting with 2,500 repackaged copies that say with the Academy Award winning song on it, and as soon as they announce yes, this song has won Best Song 1968 Academy Award, they rush to the post office, drop them all off, send them all out to key radio stations and the song rockets up into the top 40.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's a really cool story it really is.
Speaker 1:It's like a Jim Bosch story.
Speaker 2:There you go. I like that. So the Libertines version. What do you think of it?
Speaker 1:I think it's great.
Speaker 2:I stumbled upon it the other day and was like whoa, where did this come from? But it is. I think it's a really good song I like it.
Speaker 1:It's a little bit of a Goldilocks kind of thing, because if you listen to the original version by Noel Harrison it's really fast. It's kind of like he's rushing through. It sounds like he's rushing through the words to me almost. And then Dusty Springfield really wanted to slow it down and her version is cool, but it's much slower and the Libertines ones is right in the middle. It's a good pace, I think.
Speaker 2:Good song. I like it, and that was Minutes with Jimmy, minutes with Jimmy. So, jimmy, we've talked about a ton of stuff today and I'm just enjoying it, having a good time. A lot of good things that we've talked about. I just want to finish up. Let's revisit some music from the past.
Speaker 2:Utopia Adventure's in Utopia album was released on December 27th 1979. It's the classic Utopia lineup, with Todd Rundgren on guitar and vocals, Roger Powell keyboards and vocals, kasim Sultan bass and vocals, willie Wilcox drums and vocals. All of them sing lead on at least one song and that's the cool thing that I like about Utopia their voices are fantastic. Together they, you know, harmonize like perfect. So it doesn't matter who's doing lead, the other guy's doing you know the harmony. It's just really, really good. Bam was huge with my friends, older brothers and sisters when I was in high school. So that's how I really got to know about Todd Rundgren and got to know about Utopia. Because you would go to someone's house or someone would be driving you around and their older brother and sister driving you around. They'd be playing Utopia and that's how I got into it. Driving around, they'd be playing Utopia and that's how I got into it. Album featured their only top 40 hit, set Me Free, but I'm not a big fan of that song at all. They released two other singles in 1980 also and they're okay Not really into them, but it's the songs that aren't the singles, that make this album a great album. That's the funny thing, like why did they not release these ones?
Speaker 2:Opening song the Road to Utopia. It opens up with like a transmitter-type sound, like a satellite Remember, this is 1979. And Morse code almost sounding, and then guitar and then like serious sounding piano chords and then, at a minute and a half exactly it breaks into a pop song. It's just so cool how they do this. I blink my eyes and then it happens again. I lose my way but I discover a friend. It's a typical day on the road to utopia. Second song you Make Me Crazy and the Seven Minute Caravan. They're my other favorite songs from this album. They're just really, really good. For those of you still wondering who Todd Rundgren is, you may remember his 1983 song Bang the Drum All Day. I don't want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day. I think everybody knows that song. They play it at all sports arenas and stuff Alphaville.
Speaker 2:They released a song, forever Young, screamer of the Week, third week of December 1984, and it peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March of 1985. They released a few versions of it. My favorite's the special dance version and it's a synth pop by a German band that talks about youth and then growing old. I had just turned 18 when the song came out and you listen to it and the beginning of the song where they talk about all these youthful things and stuff like I can definitely relate to all that when I was young. But then as they talk about the growing old part, I can relate to that today, 40 years later. It's just really cool how they put this song together. They were young, they weren't old, but knowing almost how you would feel in the future, if that makes sense at all. So it's really cool. I really like that song.
Speaker 2:Johnny Q by the Crazy Eights Scream of the Week, fourth week of December 1984. I have to be honest, this is the only Crazy 8 song that I know. A catchy song with a horn section reminds me a bit of an American version of the band Haircut 100. And they actually got on Star Search. Remember Ed McMahon? Yeah, he would have. Yeah, they actually were on Star Search. That's just crazy. And still, 40 years later, I don't know. No, I don't, but I care. And speaking of caring, that's it for episode 58 of Music in my Shoes. I'd like to thank world traveler Jimmy Guthrie, show producer and owner of Arcade 160 Studios located here in Atlanta, georgia, and Vic Thrill for our podcast music. This is Jim Boge, and I hope you learned something new or remembered something old. We'll meet again on our next episode. Until then, live life and keep the music playing.
