Cry Baby

I've been listening to 10CC all week. I have this weird affliction (as I am sure many do) that when I listen to music from my past, I am returned there in my mind. Over the course of a single song, hundreds of memories can come back. Situations and events, however simple, that I definitely wouldn't have recalled without music being the catalyst. They (whoever they are) say that happens mostly with music, food, smells, and funnily enough, liquor. The perfect combo as I sit with a tall rum (Jamaican of course), barbecuing burgers, and listening to more 10CC.

The band 10CC is (or was) a collection of seriously talented musicians. All of whom could write, and play every instrument. Two of those were Kevin Godley and Lol Creme (yes, liong before texting and Facebook, there was a guy named Lol). After the members of 10CC went their separate ways. Godley and Creme went on to write, produce and work on many videos. Tonight's effort features their song "Cry" from 1985. The song is amazing, but what may be most interesting, is that the video features one of the first uses of "image morphing technology". What's that? Watch and learn...and have an AWESOME weekend.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere........Ocho Freaking Rios, Jamaica

I need to suck it up buttercup. After seven fantastic days in the Jamaican sun, we returned home to YVR at around 11:30 to 7°C and sheets of cold rain. Not great weather, considering we were still wearing shorts and flip-flops. I whined like a baby who had dropped his soother. Yes, we could have changed into more suitable attire, but that would have been a full acknowledgment that the holiday was indeed over. The saving grace for my family was that they had five more days of Spring Break vacation. I, on the other hand, manned up and went to work the next morning. Although I have tried to focus for the last few days, every once in a while, I am taken back to the beach, the sailing, the seemingly endless supply of rum, and deep inside, I yearn to go back.

Speaking of rum (and I know my rum), I must admit that it was weird to get up in the morning, scout out a spot for the day, apply the sunscreen, and then order a tall rum-based beverage. One day as I swam up to the bar to place my order (around 11:00 a.m. if memory serves correct), I joked with a woman beside me that it might be a bit early to imbibe. She responded with the quintessential "it's 5 'clock somewhere". As Arron the bartender filled my insulated mug with a seriously strong concoction of rum and who knows what else, I thought to myself....."yes, it is". And that was the only excuse that I needed.

So tonight, I raise a toast to that moment with a video by Alan Jackson (featuring a cameo by the legendary Jimmy Buffett). I'm not a big country guy, but this one gets me toe tapping every time. Enjoy, and have a strong Appleton's for me.

The Tale of Pirate Smokey Joe

No words this week. Just watch the video.........

Same as it ever was......

As I write this, my sweetie and I are taking a collective breath and toasting to a well-deserved and long awaited Spring Break. Although I have one day left of work on Monday, we are then all on hiatus - me for a week, they for two.

I stumbled upon tonight's video (literally - have you tried www.stumbleupon.com?) and was reminded that both the group and the song once reigned as my favourites. Talking Heads leader David Byrne is not only a musical genius, but maybe one of the best frontmen ever. His quirky style and jittery antics always amuse and amaze me. That, and the lyrics of this song, are well worth a listen. Hopefully you enjoy this live version "Once in a Lifetime" as much as I do.

Technology permitting, next week's episode will come to you from a far away place, where we are lucky enough to be holidaying this year. Get your dreadlocks cleaned, and we'll talk next Friday.

Writer's Block - Version 1.00

Welcome to FNHHVD. I have writer's block. It coincides perfectly with my chest and nasal congestion. As a result, I am offering some humour to get you through these depressing, rainy, cold days of March. Enough said....watch and laugh.

Tex-Mex in Northern Ontario?

Welcome back to FNHHVD. Last week's episode was pre-empted due to the Speech from the Throne. Nothing I could do....seriously. CBC pre-empted a lot of things when I was a kid. We only had CBC-TV so it wasn't as though I could just change channels. I would really like to see my kids live with one channel today. They couldn't handle it. Their gnat-like attention span wouldn't allow it.

While I am musing about the CBC, do you have any memory of the 60's TV Show "The Forest Rangers"? If so, you'll remember the show's cast of kids who lived at a northern Ontario forest outpost, and basically ran around solving the world's problems with very little adult supervision. I spent most Saturdays watching this show, and every once in a while, I find myself humming the jaunty theme song (you'd know it if you heard it.) Although I'd like to keep this blog focused on rock/pop/soul/folk videos, I may one day just slip in a TV theme song or two. I can do that because it's my blog, and I don't have any adult supervision.

Tonight's featured artist is actually in town tonight opening for Eric Clapton. I sincerely wish I was going, but I am not. Los Lobos is from East L.A. and serves up some great Latin-inspired Tex-Mex rock. Like so many bands that I listened to in the 80's, they seemed to disappear then reappear several times. They gained success by covering Richie Valens' La Bamba for the motion picture, but I think their best work was their first album "How Will the Wolf Survive". This cut is from that album and features great vocals and guitar. Plus, there are few that look as cool as these guys. Enjoy and Beunos Noches!

Stand By Dave

Welcome back to FNHHVD. Last week's episode was postponed due to plans being made to watch a certain team from Wisconsin win a small trophy. Yes, the Packers are Super Bowl XLV champs, and I am still on cloud nine.

Tonight's video comes as a suggestion from my old friend Dave, who now resides in Kelowna. Dave and I met on our first day of ski patrolling over 20 years ago and he is a true friend. Since that fateful meeting, we have lived together, shared a business dream together, played in a killer band together, and shared one or two beverages from time to time. Years ago, Dave placed a massive pile of sticks on my 1961 Valiant while I was asleep. That's the kind of thing that a true friend does - and one doesn't mind. Although we see less of each other now due to our distance apart, we still manage to chat once in a while, and we get together when we can. Life goes on. Good friends can be apart and still be friends. That's just how it works.

Dave's suggestion comes from "Playing for Change", a group of documentary filmmakers whose goal is to bring the music of the street to the masses. This video, "Stand By Me", was created by recording and then synchronizing tracks played by a huge variety of musicians across the world. What I like about it is that it's NOT the over-produced, auto-tuned, American Idol tripe that we see so much of. These people play simply because they love to play - there is no expectation on their behalf. There is no glitz or glamour, no awards. Yet, their musicianship is remarkable.

Like Dave, these people (or at least some of them) have probably piled sticks on their friend's car at one time. And power to them for that.

My "Inception" Dream

I have had R.E.M. on my mind all week. Not the band, but the sleep state. It all started on Tuesday morning as I tried to grab those last few precious moments of sleep before facing the day. I dream a lot at that time, and Tuesday was no different - except it was different. Bear with me here. In my dream I was at some business meeting on a 20-storey rooftop with my brother and when it came time to leave there was a panic with the elevator. You may or may not know that I absolutely despise elevators. After a treacherous ride down, I awoke, breathing heavily and my heart racing. After telling Leona about my nightmare, she comforted me and rubbed my back, soothing me. I was lucid and ready to arise and start the day. Then......I freaking woke up. So, as you may have guessed by the title of this post, I had a dream within a dream. If you haven't seen the movie Inception, you should, and if you have seen Inception, you know that this is indeed a seriously excellent thing that happened to me.

So for tonight's video post, I thought it pertinent to celebrate with a video from one of my favourite bands, R.E.M. Many connect their name with the sleep state (Rapid Eye Movement), however the band considered names like "Twisted Kites", "Cans of Piss", and "Negro Wives", before settling on R.E.M., which singer Michael Stipe selected at random from a dictionary. Although it's a fine name, are there any bets on how far they would have gone as "Cans of Piss"??

This song was their first single, back in 1981. The performance was R.E.M.'s first live television gig, back when David Letterman was funny, Michael Stipe had hair, and my dreams were only one level deep.

A Heap of talent

Welcome to FNHHVDWP (That's the shortcut - you figure it out). We're a bit late tonight as happy hour was shortened due to some awesome visitors we're having over.

I posted this video to Facebook a long time ago, and I just had to make it officially a part of the show. Imogen Heap, a British singer/songwriter, is simply brilliant. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't appreciate her voice and writing style. What is unique is that she marries that with a powerful understanding of technology. She makes use of a vocoder, as well as a myriad of synths and other instruments to augment her sound.

This live (yes, live) performance highlights her immense talent. Enjoy "Just For Now", and have a skookum (that's a great word) weekend.

Back to the 80's

Welcome to 2011 and "Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date" with Pete. I spent the holidays sorting through tens of thousands of videos to try and come up with a few that I feel are a "cut above" the rest. Hope you enjoy the first of the new year.

Tears for Fears was formed in the early 80's by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. The two were teenaged friends in Bath, England and quite accomplished session musicians by the time they formed TFF. Many pundits wrote the band off as another synth-based 80's duet, however it soon became clear that they had great talent as both writers and performers.

Their second album "Songs from the Big Chair" went #1 in the USA and cemented their legacy as one of the great 80's bands.

Tonight's video is a live performance (one of their last) and was shot at the County Bowl in Santa Barbara, California, in 1990.

I sincerely wish that I had written this song, because I sure sang it enough times dri...ving around in my car in 1985. How about you?

Chardonnay + Alison = Bliss

After some great west coast crab and an incredible Californian chardonnay, I am left listening to more bluegrass (go figure?). As I mentioned, if you haven't heard Alison Krauss, you need to. She has a remarkable voice, and the best backing band in the biz. Here's Alison and Union Station (featuring Dan Tyminski and Ron Block). Enjoy and relax - it's the weekend!

My Deep Dark Musical Secret

Here's the LATE edition of Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date with Pete.

I have a deep secret. I listen to a lot of Bluegrass. In fact, I listen to it every day. What I have come to love most is the outstanding musicianship of many of the players. To quote Wikipedia, "Bluegrass music has attracted a diverse and extremely loyal following worldwide. Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe characterized the genre:Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound. It's plain music that tells a good story. It's played from my heart to your heart, and it will touch you. Bluegrass is music that matters."

Oh Carol!

Welcome to the November 12th edition of "Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date with Pete". I am in the middle of enjoying four days off, and I have earned my happy hour after a busy day of house organization. Now on to the details: The dichotomy between camaraderie and competition between the Stones and The Beatles has always fascinated me. While the Fab Four were considered somewhat risqué in the early 60's, they were still a relatively shining example of youth as compared to the Stones, who were the absolute epitome of the "bad boy" image. Yet, each group respected the other for their obvious talents. I remember seeing a picture taken during the recording of Sergeant Pepper's, where Mick Jagger sits looking up at Paul McCartney, who is conducting a symphony orchestra for some backing tracks. The look in Mick's eye was one of pure adoration and amazement.

Tonight's track is from 1964 and features the original Stones lineup (including Brian Jones who died tragically in 1969). Although it's a dub (as many live performances from this era were), I love the video as it shows the youthful Jagger, the ever-solid Wyman, and a host of fans who end up hurling chairs onto the stage as the band exits behind the mains. Enjoy and post your comments please!

Heart to Heart

Happy hour has begun and that means it's time for your weekly video date. I caught this performance pretty soon after it was taped and was quite blown away. Heart is definitely one of the bands that we all grew up with. When The Knots recorded last year at Mushroom Studios, it felt kind of weird being in the same control room where Dreamboat Annie was captured so long ago. Both Ann and Nancy Wilson are still touring, and although the backing band has changed, the true essence of Heart still remains. They can be mellow, dreamy and ethereal - and then kill it with "Barracuda" or a cover of a Zeppelin song, all in one concert. Here, they play one of my favourite songs by Elton John - and their version may just rival the original. Enjoy "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters". Have a safe weekend.

Don't touch the brown acid

Happy Hallowe'en FB friends and welcome to "Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date" with Pete. Tonight's show features a track from Woodstock in 1969. If you have never seen the documentary about this festival, go rent it NOW. It's an awesome movie capturing the true essence and spirit of the 3-day event.

After a crazy evening including The Grateful Dead, Joplin, CCR, and Sly & the Family Stone, Jefferson Airplane took the stage at around 8:45 a.m. and proceeded to mellow people out with their psychedelic set. Had you been there at this time, you would likely have been asleep, high on acid, or who knows what - but most certainly you would have been blown away by Marty Balin and Grace Slick's evocative and dreamy performance. Enjoy!

Blue Friday

Hey Everybody, welcome to the October 15th edition of "Happy Hour Video Date with Pete". The requests are flying in now so tonight I'd like to play a tune from an artist that my big sister recommended. Joanne Shaw Taylor is a phenomenal UK blues guitarist discovered at the age of 16 by Eurythmic's Dave Stewart. Her style is clearly inspired by Stevie-Ray Vaughan, with a twist of B.B. King, and a dash of Joan Osborne mixed in. My sis had the chance to see Joanne play in an intimate setting recently, and was blown away by her talent. Sit back for seven minutes, crank it up, and take a listen. Cheers!

I was cool once

Welcome to Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date. I love one-hit-wonders, and this band was certainly that. Formed in 1977, they recorded an album which sat for over a year before being released. This song went to #17 in Canada and provided excellent accompaniment as I drove around Vernon looking cool. I was indeed, in the Driver's Seat. Enjoy "Sniff and the Tears" and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

'79 was fine

Another edition of Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date is on the air. Tonight, I am going to be a bit selfish and play a song from one of my favourite groups from the 70's and 80's, The Cars. Their first two albums were superb, and groundbreaking in the transition from 70's glam rock and disco to what was aptly labeled "New Wave" music. Featuring Ben Orr on vocals, this song was absolutely, positively, without question, my top song as I left high school and entered the real world ('79 was fine). Here's The Cars and "Let's Go."

Look Ma, I'm current!

Another edition of "Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date" is here. Tonight, I am going to put aside the 70's and 80's in favour of one of Jeff Huggins' favourite bands - a group that he introduced me to in the summer. "Civil Twilight" hails from South Africa and when I first heard them, I was reminded of a young U2 and to a degree, Coldplay. Lyrically, this is evocative. Musically, it's haunting. Jeff had the pleasure of seeing Civil Twilight at SquamishFest last month. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Happy weekend.

Bulldogs unite

Hey everyone - time for "Friday Night Happy Hour Video Date" with Pete. You know, I have always felt that The Beatles remain the greatest band ever, and I know I am not alone in that assessment. I found this nugget the other day and wanted to share. It's a pretty rare glimpse of the fab four at Abbey Road Studios during the recording of "Hey Bulldog". This was, according to the band's engineer, the last time they would cooperate with each other in a friendly and enthusiastic manner. Enjoy and have a safe weekend!