Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Tina

It was just two months ago that Terri and I were mesmerized by the traveling company of Tina: The Musical. If you get the opportunity to see this amazing production, it comes highly recommended from us (yeah, it's coming to Madison next summer...but we couldn't wait). And, for you, it will doubtless take on an even more special meaning, as she's now tearing it down in Heaven's House Band.

Known best for her iconic version of John Fogerty's "Proud Mary," our Music Friday homage will focus on the amazing duets Tina did during her sensational career. Not that her solo work was in any way lacking...but it was the sheer joy she exuded when riffing with others that always gave me goosebumps.

This list is by no means complete...but these are my favorites:

With Jimmy Barnes (probably Tina's most perfect vocal match) on "(Simply) The Best."

With Mick Jagger at Live Aid and "State of Shock/Only Rock n Roll."

With David Bowie on "Tonight," (and we can only pray they danced this week upon her arrival).

With Cher in 1975 and "Shame Shame Shame."

And, the one song I'd take to a desert island if I had only one to choose? "It's Only Love" with Bryan Adams.

The rabbit hole? There may be others that some may like better...but the concert I loved most was from the "Private Dancer" tour (and two of my favorite duets above are from that concert).

Thank you for all the love, Tina. We'll so miss you. And, that's all.

Bobbi Ercoline

You may not know the name, but you probably know her picture.

Music Friday has, of late, been filled with recording artists that have departed terra firma. Bobbi was not one of them...but we all knew her. She was the woman wrapped in a multi-colored blanket, hugging her boyfriend on the cover of one of the most important albums of the rock era, Woodstock.

We lost her last month...but will never forget that moment in time, captured on Max's farm.

And, we'll never forget the music...and among the most electric performances:

Sly & the Family Stone with "Dance to the Music / Take You Higher," Santana's "Soul Sacrifice" and "Freedom" from Richie Havens.

You may have others in your Top Three...but those are the ones that still stop me in my tracks over 50 years later. As does the cover shot with Bobbi.

RIP.

 

Don’t be a Tourist – be an Explorist

For all the good (and evil) Artificial Intelligence can unleash...sometimes you just gotta laugh.

Like this video from Visit Denmark, written by ChatGPT and utilizing classic paintings and statues that talk.

10,000 views in two weeks. Not bad for asking a computer to have a little fun.

Burt

My initial thought for this Music Friday was to bypass the passing of one of the most impressive composers of the "schmaltz era" of pop culture because Burt Bacharach wasn't at all like those we traditionally feature. He was just someone with a gift for penning non-obtrusive pop hits for others.

But, my friend George Tzougros of the Wisconsin Arts Board (and a past guest on DMOU) steered me to a higher appreciation of the man and his art. That creating these airy pop hits was indeed a much more nuanced artistry than I had ever imagined.

And there is no better rabbit hole than this compilation from Variety.

Or, this far more intriguing rabbit hole of Bacharach songs covered by alternative artists (I stand so corrected).

Enjoy...and godspeed, Burt

 

The Unseen Win in Hosting a Super Bowl

Collectively, the ads were among the worst in memory (what a waste of money). The Halftime show was over-produced (please...just let her sing). And the game was genuinely enjoyable for its drama and thrilling come-from-behind win (that is, if you aren't an Eagles fan).

But, all the conspicuous consumption that surrounds such a spectacle is not inconsequential. An estimated 2,000 tons of food waste was expected to be produced. Not good for the planet.

However, working with Denali, the City of Phoenix will capture that organic waste and produce compost that can be applied to the dry Arizona soil and help the City achieve its goal of making the Super Bowl and its ancillary events zero waste.

Very cool. And, just maybe, that will help with all those turf issues in future games.

Just a thought.

Barrett Strong

It's a name that few know...but you know the songs. And his impact on modern music was beyond significant.

Barrett Strong shuffled off this mortal coil earlier this week after a career that included Motown's very first hit and writing and producing music for such break through artists as Marvin Gaye, Edwin Starr and the Temptations.

That first hit in 1959 was "Money (That's What I Want)," which sold a million copies on its own...but was then covered by the Beatles and the Stones.

He wrote (or co-wrote) "Ball of Confusion," "I Can't Get Next to You," "Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Wherever I Leave My Hat (That's My Home)" among a treasure trove of others.

You may not know the name...but we all so loved his artistry.

RIP, sweet prince.

New on DMOU: Embracing the Night Time Economy

A lot of attention is paid to the 6a to 6p economy...but that has been a disservice to its 6p to 6a sister of the night. 24 Hour Dallas intends to change that...and we talk with the organization's Coordinator, Bryan Tony, on the most recently released episode of the DMOU Podcast.

Chick here to listen...or find us on your favorite podcast platform.

Baby, It's Old

Even those of us that love the "classic" versions of the quintessential holiday song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from artists like Dean Martin may not know that the tune dates back to the mid 1940s. And, that it was penned and performed by a couple to encourage guests at their lavish parties to go home.

Eventually, it found its way into the movies and was first performed to public view by Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams. And then no fewer than 10 duets followed in 1949, featuring names like Bing, Doris, Bob, Ella and Dinah.

But, as I dove into the history of this classic, there was one that stopped me in my tracks; a version that deviates so subtly from the original that it is elegant in its improv departure from the script.

On this Music Friday in which we shift to holiday music...this is Pearl Bailey and Hot Lips Page from the Ed Sullivan Show.

My new favorite. Yours?

Jerry Lee Lewis

One of my favorite Jerry Lee stories is that of a time when a biographer asked, “Is it true that…”

“Yeah,” he interjected, without waiting to hear the particulars.

That was Jerry Lee Lewis, who departed terra firma today at the age of 87. A man who lived by his own rules, his wife said "he is ready," just a few days ago.

As Rick Bragg shared in his obituary, "somewhere in the world, in a mean little honky-tonk or big music hall or church basement rec room, someone is playing a Jerry Lee Lewis song. Wherever there is a piano, someone is shouting…

You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much love drives a man insane…"

The song that, more than "Danger Zone," will always be the Top Gun song." The song that inspired countless pianists to view their piano as a percussion instrument.

Despite such a massive catalogue of hits, we gotta go with the Killer's most killer on this Music Friday that marks the end of an era.

From Maverick.

From Top Gun.

And the Original + "Breathless.*"

I'd say rest in peace...but that's just not how it's gonna go down in his next life.

* and since we're talking movies...there's always the (spoiler) ending of Richard Gere's Breathless.

 

Nothing About Us Without Us

I've been pondering this quote almost every day since I heard it this summer at the Annual Convention of Destinations International. And, we included it in our DMOU podcast episode in which we asked DMO pros about new positions and titles they were considering that they never would have in 2017.

Well, we decided to go deeper. And, on the just dropped 100th episode of DMOU, we talk with Ottawa Tourism's Catherine Callary about how Canada's indigenous story is being told through an increasingly authentic lens...and learn about the Ottawa Indigenous Tourism Entrepreneur Training program.

Good Stuff.