Music, martial arts and toy mayhem

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The boring disclaimer: We do try to double-check all of the facts we talk about. If something isn’t quite correct, we humbly apologise. Credit to our many sources including, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, Tim from Kicking Harold, Mental Floss, Wikipedia and so many more.

Transcript

Speaker: 0:21

Hello and welcome to Fun Facts and Sidetracks.

Al: 0:24

Welcome. My name's Al and with me as always, is my good friend. Mart. I'm good. Al yourself? Yeah. Good, For those who haven't heard the podcast before, this is where we take a pretty lighthearted look at those things that often make you think, what on earth were they thinking? How did that happen? Or with a healthy dose of fun facts that confirm that the truth really is stranger than fiction. A quick disclaimer just to say that we don't claim to be experts. We're just mates having a bit of a chat about the things that interest us. We spread the net far and wide to. Research different topics, and we kind of call on stories from our backgrounds, I guess, mark. but please, if the facts aren't a hundred percent correct, then don't take us to court. We're just having a bit of fun here. Send us an email Exactly Yeah. To fun facts and sidetracks@gmail.com. Okay. We've got some fun stuff to chat about, Mart, so let's, yeah, let's get into it. What have we got? As always, we really like to have a look at those. Songs that were passed up by different artists over the years, the ones that got away. And first up, Mart I know a personal favorite of yours. It's Raining Men. Well, how did you know that? I just know. I've heard your playlist. anyway, look, it was offered to Diana Ross, to Donna Summer to Cher and Barbara Streisand and, they all turned it down. Yeah, but ultimately a band called The Weather Girls took that song and far out, it's been covered so many times and it's a massive success. Didn't B e tte Middler do a version of it? Look, she probably did. There's, there's been, I think there's been a lot of cover versions once people realized it was, it was a good song. Yeah, exactly. See, so why are you having to go at me al? well, I'm not, I'm not, I think it's a terrific idea. Now another one, this is a, just a quick one. Since you've been gone. Yeah. Which Kelly Clarkson belted out back in 2004 that was actually offered to Pink and to Hillary Duff. Again, they both passed on it, but, you know, you'd have to say Kelly Clarkson, whether you liked the song or not made it her own. She belts it out and it's a phenomenal anthem for its time. Yeah. So crazy. Good song. Yeah. Good song. Another one is how will I know which of course is synonymous with Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston, that was offered to Janet Jackson. There seems to be a lot of songs that are offered to Janet Jackson and they're passed up. But, yeah, this is one of those songs that really broke Whitney Houston. What a voice. Yeah, an amazing Voice. Yeah. Like the, the range. Like how could you, she. Was that an overdose? She died of? Yeah, like have all that talent and just, yeah. Dion. Dion, Warwick was her auntie, wasn't it? Yeah. Such a, such a waste of talent too. You know, she's in an abusive relationship and all that stuff. Yeah. Who was the dude, what was his name? Bobby Brown. Yeah. Yeah. Great guy. But, the person who stuck by Whitney Houston through Thick and Thin was a guy called Clive Davis. And for anyone listening who hasn't seen the special on Netflix, on Clive Davis, terrific. It's just amazing this guy. Was the head of, Sony Music, CBS records. Yeah. And he is still the guy, and he's getting on now, but he's the guy that hosts the Grammy Awards party where all of the Sony, artists go. He's the guy who you talk to, Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, all those people just go, yep, he's the man. So if you haven't seen that, that documentary as, as Molly Meldrum would say, do yourself a favor. 'cause it's pretty amazing. He used to get different people together, didn't he? Didn't he get he did, yeah. Santana and the guy from Matchbox. Yeah, rob Thomas. Yeah. Yeah. He, he was amazing at saying, we've got this guy Ana, who's in his sixties, doesn't sing, just plays guitar. Mm-hmm. What are we gonna do with him? But, and then he had the foresight to go, let's put him together with Rob Thomas. Yeah. And like that song Smooth. Yeah. Won the Grammy Supernatural won the Grammy for Album of the year, right? Yeah. He had, Aretha Franklin Yep. Who was legend, but kind of an aging Mm. You know, kind of rhythm and blue singer. Yeah. But he was the guy who said, but what if we put her together with, the Eurythmics, the Eurythmics with Annie, Lennox and Michael, George Michael. Yeah. Like, you just, there's so many examples of that stuff. Yeah. Where you go. He's, he's the guy that discovered Janice Joplin. He, was actually a, a rep for Fender Yeah. Right. And turned up at, Woodstock. I think it was Woodstock. Yeah. Yeah, of course it was turned up Woodstock, like in a suit and tie. Yeah. And Janice Joplin's going crazy on stage and he goes, yep, this is, he's, he's star. He had no background No. In music or he just had a flare. Totally did. Yeah. Yeah. What a, an amazing fellow. And he was a decent sort of guy. Oh, he's, he's bailed so many people out of crazy contracts and. Got them their songs back. Yeah. Songs, catalogues that they've lost and all sorts of things. Wow you can probably tell that we are fans of Clive Davis, so do yourself a favor. It's amazing. Yeah. Marta came across an article the other day. Yep. Talking about the countries or the places with the highest life expectancy. Yeah. The average life expectancy, globally is 71.4 years. That's a given, given I know I'm, I'm not enjoying that either. But it does mean that there's a bunch of places where the life expectancy is much lower that we have to move to. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, we have to go where it's higher. Mm. Because there are some places where people, regularly live to over a hundred. So I wouldn't mind moving there quite soon. Yeah. So let me just rattle through those places. They're called Blue Zones. Mm-hmm. And they're named that because on the maps. They highlight these areas with a blue circle that highlight the oldest and healthiest people in the world. So, so listen up. So listen up. Here's some Blue zones you might want to visit, SNIA in Italy. Sardinia. Yeah. And this a bit of a recurring theme with this. I have to say. They live on a largely plant-based diet. They get daily physical activity. And, have quite a closeness in their family setup. Yeah, I think that's a very important one. Yeah, totally. So, a lot of them are sheep herders who tend to walk at least five miles a day. So not, not quite so keen on that side of Well, you do more than that before a Barney. I do, so I do mostly carrying him up and down the stairs. Yeah. My cocker spaniel for those who don't know Barney, yeah. Okay. Next up we've got. Okinawa in Japan. Yeah, it's an island. Indeed. You've been to Okinawa, haven't you? No, I haven't been to Okinawa, but I do hold a first Dan black belt in karate, which is the birthplace of, of karate is in Okinawa. Oh, okay. This is, it's a bunch of islands that's, at the bottom part of, Japan. And it was, it was, the peasants lived there. Okay. And they used to grow the rice there. To feed the mainland. And they never used to eat the rice because it was, you know, they was, was what they used to sell. Mm-hmm. But they used to eat a purple sweet potato. So get on this purple sweet potato. It's actually very good for you. It's a purple sweet potato. And they eat fish. They eat meat. And they live to a long time and they do karate and they, they work into their nineties, you know. Well, I was liking it all up until that bit, but Well hold that thought. We'll come back to it. Yeah. 'cause I know you are a, an exponent of the martial arts and I think there might be some sidetracking going on there. Okay. Number three on the list is Nicoya in Costa Rica. Mm-hmm. Again, they avoid processed food. In fact, most of their intake is from beans, squash, and corn and tropical fruits. So, they live to 90 and beyond because they're mentally and spiritually fulfilled. Okay. So there you go. Yeah. That's the same with the Japanese too. They're a bit like that. Yeah. Well, here's, here's the odd one out for me, and this is Loma Linda in California. Oh, wow. Which generally you think. The us, California, the homeless, McDonald's and home of fried crap, right? Mm-hmm. But this area is a blue zone because it's a haven for the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Yeah. So they also have this set of principles where, you know, on the Sabbath is a day of rest where they reflect and recharge. And they get a lot of plants and whole grains and nuts. So they tend to live 10 years longer on average than the general, resident in the us Yeah. Which is, you know, which can't be a coincidence. No, it's not. And last on the list is Ikaria. Hope I'm saying that right. It's in Greece. Yes indeed. You've got a lot of Greek friends. Hopefully they're listening. Yeah. And so there's a fierce sense of pride in their islands and, that combined with late bedtimes offset by daily naps. That sounds good. Ah, they have like a siesta Yes. And restricted adherence to the Mediterranean diet. So again, they eat lots of fruit, veggies, beans, whole grains, potatoes, and olive oil. Means one in three Ikarians live in, well into their nineties, so Wow. One in three. That's pretty good, isn't it? Cannot be a coincidence. But I want to go back to your connection to the arts. Karate Maori. Yeah. You, you have been a, what are you, a black belts first Dan First Dan yeah. Yeah. In Go Ju, which is a traditional Japanese. Karate. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's an interesting sport. I don't know if it's a, yeah, I really, a sport. It's probably a way of life, isn't it? Yeah, I think it is. Yeah. I enjoy it. It's, it's fun. It's strenuous if you wanna make it. Mm-hmm. And, but it's, it's good for you. But there's so many people that do these martial arts, you know, like when, I just noticed when I started doing it, you know. The celebrities and people or musicians, like even Willie Nelson. Yeah. Willie Nelson is something like a fifth damn black belt in karate. Yeah. Right. Like I just can't imagine that he's got a joint in one hand and he's in a sidekick with the other, like Yeah. Yeah. Well, you, you and I went to see with our lovely wives, went to see Jason Alexander, right? Oh yeah. George from Seinfeld. Yeah. We went to see him live on stage and I mean. The only reason you go to see Jason Alexander in concert, if you like Yeah. Or live, is for him to talk about Seinfeld, Seinfeld and George Stories. Right. It seemed to me was just trying to show everybody he wasn't George Costanza. No, and and in fairness, he's a Tony Award-winning actor and all that stuff. Yeah. But he's awesome. But, but for me, the funniest part of the night was when he started talking about martial arts. Yeah. 'cause he's a, he's quite a highly ranked That's Yeah. In, in karate. Yeah. But when he was getting someone up on stage, he was a big fellow. Wasn't that, he was a really big fell and he had a knife. What? He gave him a knife. He kept saying, come at me. Coming. Yeah. Yeah, it was, that was weird. Yeah, it was very weird because the guy didn't wanna do it. No. Like he was coerced into getting on stage and then as soon as he came at him, he put him on his backside. Yeah. Yeah, so it's, it's kind of weird. There's a whole bunch of people. Yeah. Guy Richie, Jack Black. Jack Black. Jack Black, who was, well, you see him do all those big kicks and everything. He's a weirdo. He, he was doing that. Someone, when he was on the Gold Coast, someone was trying to film him and he was. He was doing all these kung fu panda. Yeah, that's right. Moves on him on the beach. Yeah. Which was just bizarre. Yeah. But, anyway, Robert Downey. Una, yeah. Yeah. He's, well he does, there's like a Chinese Kung fu type one. Is it just, is it Wing, wing Chun? That's Wing, yeah. Wing Chun. Yeah. Now President Barack Obama, easy for you to say. He's a green belt. Yeah. I He's only a green belt. Well, yeah, but you know, well, we'll, yeah. We'll pass on him. He's an honorary black belt. There you go. In TaeKwonDo. But there you go. So getting, he's a doctor. He's a TaeKwonDo doctor. Just give it to him. Mick Jagger, big Mick. He does judo, I think. Yeah, he does. He does. Yeah. Phil Mickelson, who's. Not the, not the smallest golfer on the tour. Yeah. But don't mess with him. No, exactly. Let him win. Yeah. So there's a whole bunch of people who, practice this stuff just as a way of life. Yeah. I mean, David Lee Roth. Oh yeah, I get that. 'cause yeah, he was always into the high kicks and all that stuff. Yeah, he was, wasn't he? He was always parading rounds, throwing his legs around everywhere. Yeah. Yeah. Jim Carey. Tommy Lee. Tommy Lee. Bloody hell. Did Have you watched that Pam and Tommy series? No, I haven't. Oh, you need to watch it. Is it good? Is it It's really good. I mean, the whole thing is based on, you know, them making the sex tape. Okay. And then, this guy sort of, Seth Rogan's in it is brilliant. Yeah. Seth Rogan's a tradie I like him. He's a Tradie. Yeah. Tommy won't pay him. And Yeah. You know, won't let him take his tools away and stuff. So he sort of breaks into the house to get his tools back and finds the tape and Wow. And that's how it sort of happens. So, but Seth Rogan's awesome. And the people at play, Pam and Tommy are really good as well. But it highlights that, Tommy Lee would want be a, you know, a jujitsu master or something

Speaker: 15:04

Because it didn't paint him in the most flattering light.

Al: 15:08

So, so yeah, Elvis. Oh, the king. Yes. He used to do all that stuff on stage, you know, long fighting stands and, and thrown his arms around and kicking and yeah, he took pretty seriously in the big Elvis suit. Yeah. Yeah. Well, there's a story that I heard of, Alice Cooper. Mm-hmm. Elvis invited him to the Gracelands with a couple other people. I think it was Chubby Checker and, the lady from Cabaret, what's her name? Oh, Peter Liza Minelli. Liza Minelli, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think it was those three. Don't, it's not written in stone. But anyway, he's. He's got there. And he'd never met Elvis before, and he was invited there by Elvis. So he's, he's rocked in. And he said it was just Elvis was Elvis. Mm-hmm. And he said he was in the kitchen chatting to him, and he pulled his drawer out and there was a, you know, revolver there. And he said, point the revolver at me. This is Elvis saying to, Alice Cooper point the revolver at me. So he does, he points the revolver at me. He says, no sooner he pointed his revolver. Here he is on the ground with a foot on his head. And he said, that's the way you disarm someone who's pointing a gun at you. Oh man. Taken down by the king. It was great. The way, Alice Cooper explained it. Oh, it was, it was just so good the way he explained it. Better to be taken down by Elvis than, yeah. Than George. Yeah. Hey, I've got an Elvis story for you just because, this is quite bizarre. Mm-hmm. So 1957, he recorded white Christmas, right? Yeah. And apparently at the time it was seen as the start of moral decay. So Irving Berlin, who wrote the thing, just he wanted the whole thing banned. Frank Sinatra hated it. 'cause Elvis was all about shaking the hips and Yeah. Uhhuh and all that stuff. There's a really big move to have it banned from being played on the radio. And apparently, you know, d what, Christmas? Yeah. With only because Elvis was singing, because it was Elvis singing it. It was described at the time as being the equivalent of having a stripper, giving Christmas presents to your kids. Whoa, I didn't know that. I, yeah, it's bizarre, isn't it? Like when you. But he did that big Christmas special. Let's talk about music now. Yeah. Yeah. And what's offensive? Yeah. Holy. No. But he did that Christmas special that right at the end of his career. Yeah. And he refused to sing. I can't remember what song it was. Yeah. It was a real Christmas classic. And he ended up writing a song. Yeah. And it was an awesome song. Yeah. Did you see the movie, the Elvis Presley movie? Yeah, did you remember that bit in it? Yeah. Who was the guy in it?

Speaker: 17:47

Austin Butler. He was great.

Al: 17:48

Yeah. It was a really good movie. Yeah. But the, the whole, yeah. And he, so he sings this song that he wrote overnight. Mm-hmm. It was just brilliant.

Speaker: 18:05

Mark. One of the things that most people like to talk about, and I know we are no different, is toys from their childhood. Everyone. Everyone says, oh yeah, no, it's not as good as when we were kids. Right? Yeah, that's right. But it's only when you look back at stuff and you go far out. That was dangerous. That was seriously dangerous. Right. And even, even if you just look at. Toys or even exercise equipment that involve springs. Yeah. So if you look at Yeah, I remember the old CHE span. Yeah, the three spring. Yeah. Or the, or trampolines. Yeah. Which famously, you know, yeah. rowing machines and all that stuff. Like any exercise equipment with springs in, it was pretty well just lethal a trip to the emergency department, yeah. But everybody had those springs, the three spring chest. Oh yeah. But it got me thinking about some of the most dangerous toys. And when you look online at a product called, they've got a few different names, but I think in Australia we called them Click Clacks. Yeah, click clacks. Click clacks. For those people who don't know them, basically it was, it was like a plastic tag. It had two pieces of string attached to it, and on the end of each piece of string was a really hard ball. It was probably bigger than a golf ball. It was probably round about the size of a golf ball, I reckon. Yeah. If not smaller, but yeah. I don't know, but, but really hard. Yeah. Key thing is. In order to use the click-clack, what you had to do was sort of use this wrist action so that the ball would hit at the top, the bottom and the bottom. Make this click-clack sound. Yeah. And the only way that that crazy game stopped was when one of the balls didn't connect properly and it meant it would run into your wrist. Right? Yeah. And so it, it bruised your wrist. Oh man. So famously, I think. There were so many people that ended up with broken wrists from using them, they became banned worldwide. Yeah. There's, there's sort of been versions that have come out since, but they're nowhere near as No. With the, with the solid. The solid, yeah. So you can't get your wrist right. I actually, I actually, um, there was a thing on the radio on four BC and I dunno, I probably was about 12. Uh, and I rang up and I won a set of click clicks and I went into the city up to the four BC station and picked up my click clacks. And Wow. I was a legend at school and, and everyone seemed to have wrists that had like bones put shooting. Must have big bruises. Yeah. Yeah. So that's click lax. So that's click lax. I reckon bring them back. Yeah. Why not bloody kids these days? The other one, and this is a product that has come and gone over the years, but it's slip and slide. Oh. And again, slip and slide is a long plastic mat that the hose plugs into. You have sort of a sprinkle of water, you know, spraying on it all the time. Spray fine Water. Yeah. And you could grease it up. So put it on the hills. Even better. Yeah. Yeah. But the problem with them, of course, was they were made for kids like 12 and underwriting, not for, not for 20-year-old drunks or 45-year-old drunks. They weren't made for the drunk uncle on Christmas day, I can tell you. So consequently, when people were supposed to stop, they didn't, so they ended up running into, you know, fences or cars or roads or whatever. Yeah. again, just a classic piece of what were they thinking? Yeah. Pulled should, you know, dislocated shoulders and Oh, totally broken arms. Yeah, because you're running up and diving at speed, yeah. Sunday afternoon party at someone's house and the kids get out, get out and having a good time. Then suddenly Uncle Fred reckons he's still got it in him and off he goes. 'cause he's had half a carton. But, you know, at, at the risk of sounding like old blokes who are looking back fondly on their childhood. But we will just for a moment, I mean, I, I seem to remember. You know, doing handstands on skateboards and scraping knuckles and you know, all that stuff, and you're just, like that doing jumps on. You drags the pushbike. Well, you are a lunatic, right? You've, you've got so many stories about that. There's some crazy things that, that, that happened. Like there was this trike. I remember the kid across the road had a trike. One was meant for kids probably around the age of five and three. So the 3-year-old sat in the back and the 5-year-old sat on the front part and pedalled, and it was cute, but put it on a, on a straight street going down like a probably and get stand in the back part. And then hang onto the handlebars with no breaks. No, no breaks, and it's just flying. And when he, this, this young fella, David did it and we watched him and we were just roaring laughing, not realizing that he could have died. And when he's hit the gutter at the bottom, he's just become airborne and gone straight through this hedge and down in embankment. But he could have worked. That was. That was probably the, the best scenario that could have happened. You know, it's all downhill from there. Yeah. Holy dooley. He could have killed himself easily. Yeah. Yeah. Good times. It is. Yeah. So, I don't know, bring back the tricycle slip and slide and the click claps. I say do 'em all at the same time. Oh. Dream come true Okay. That's about it for this episode. But don't forget if you wanna get in touch or if you've got any topics you'd like us to cover off, then drop us an email at Fun Facts and sidetracks@gmail.com and we'll catch you next time. We certainly will.