Sunday Morning Musical Magic Celebrating the 2022 Birthdays of Jimmy Darren, Les Paul, Deep Purple, and Mister Excitement, Jackie Wilson!

by Robert Wilkinson

Continuing our musical smorgasbord for the weekend, more illustrious birthdays from this past week. We have short sets of more than a few great tunes by some legends!

We’ll begin the show with Jimmy Darren (June 8, 1936), an actor-singer teen idol between 1959 and 1962! From wiki, “He notably played Moondoggie in Gidget in 1959, and recorded a string of pop hits... the biggest of which was "Goodbye Cruel World" (#3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961). Another sizeable hit was "Her Royal Majesty" (#6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962)... Twice, in 1959 and 1961, Darren played teen idols on episodes of The Donna Reed Show ... Darren's role in the World War II film The Guns of Navarone (1961) was an attempt to break out of his teen image... In 1998, he achieved renewed popularity as a singer through his appearances on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

So during a very short time he had 2 Top Ten hits but went on to much better things on television for a very long and successful career! For your remembrance, the somewhat pre-bubblegum sound of Jimmy Darren. His acting skills were far better than the choice of songs his producer gave him, despite the pedigree of a couple.

From 1959, he began his pop career with the title tune of the movie he starred in! “Gidget”

Two years later, he hit big on the pop charts with this one, which went to #3 Billboard, #2 Cashbox! “Goodbye Cruel World” Here’s a gag piece he did on the Donna Reed Show a month before the hit version. I suppose the Army was happy with the product placement (/snark). “Goodbye Cruel World” (Army Version)

A very strange Goffin-King tune which somehow made it to #6! With this one and the next one, it’s clear that in early 1962 they still hadn’t quite hit their stride yet. “Her Royal Majesty”

Speaking of the Brill Building, here’s the Mann-Weil contribution to the mix that he took to #11 just after “Royal Majesty.” “Conscience”

We’ll close with his 1999 album, which is some serious lounge jazz! James Darren – This One’s From the Heart

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We now move into the music of Mister Les Paul! Tuesday would have been the 106th birthday of one of the world's greatest innovators, Les Paul (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009). He took primitive electric guitars, invented the modern form we all know and love today, and changed the world of music forever.

Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen and Slash are just some of the players who have raised and praised the guitar during their careers. Richards, of the Rolling Stones, said Thursday that "all of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent," while Joe Satriani, whose searing solos sound like cosmic noise compared with Paul's vinyl hits, put the nonagenarian's passing in terms that even the youngest music fan could understand: "He was the original guitar hero."

So here are a few great performances of this amazing talent and inventor who inspired countless musicians and guitar pickers, the Master of the Electric Guitar, Mister Les Paul!

From the 1954 Colgate Comedy Hour, Les Paul and Mary Ford live on video giving us a medley of "I Really Don't Want to Know", "There's no Place Like Home", and "Tiger Rag"

From 1951, Les and Mary live cranking out “How High the Moon”

From 1958, Les and Mary live offering up “Big Eyed Girl” and “Sitting on Top of the World”

Also from their show, “In The Good Old Summertime” and “Steel Guitar Rag”

From 1966, live on The Merv Griffin Show, here’s Les whipping out an amazing set of lead lines! Les Paul Solo performance and interview

From 1978, Chet Atkins and Les Paul on The Today Show! It’s a great performance of ”It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing),” “Limehouse Blues” and “Chet’s Folding Guitar”

From the late 70s, 10 minutes of Les Paul live and brilliant! Les Paul – Live and Magnificent (the last minute is astonishing! He was faster than Richie Blackmore or Jimmy Page!)

From 1991, Les Paul live cranking out “Caravan”

2 years ago I had his performance of this tune from his 90th birthday live in NY, but it’s gone. So instead, we have two others! Here’s a 1994 video of Les Paul with Lou Pallo and Gary Mazzaroppi giving us the classic “Sleepwalk.”

Here’s a close up of the Master doing “Sleepwalk.”

For our closer, here's a brief documentary on this remarkable man who gave us rock and roll! "Chasing Sound - Les Paul" which autoloads two more documentaries on this innovator.

Les Paul and Leo Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991) were the two innovators that created the modern electric guitar. So if you've ever picked up an electric guitar, or ever listened to one of your favorite bands, you owe a debt of gratitude to the amazing Les Paul.

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Sharing a birthday with Les, we now move into a birthday tribute to one of the godfathers of Metal music, Jon Lord. We have some Deep Purple video clips that really rock!

John Douglas "Jon" Lord (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012) was an English composer and keyboard player who fused rock with classical music and then founded Deep Purple, one of the first truly heavy metal bands. As I gave you in his RIP tribute after he checked out, Deep Purple was founded in 1968. One of the first "proto-metal" bands, besides being one of the first bands to really crank it up on stage, they rocked, and rocked VERY hard!

I first saw Deep Purple open for Rod Stewart in 1970, and Jon literally rocked his organ the length of the stage and back, never missing a note, while Richie Blackmore’s screaming guitar wailed at 11 on a scale of 10! After a full 30 minute standing ovation by the crowd, Rod Stewart finally took the stage, looked chagrined, and said "well, I'll try....." And yes, Rod and the Faces also rocked, and rocked hard! It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

Here are a few great clips of his more memorable songs and performances:

From Playboy After Dark in 1968, their first hit! "Hush."

From that first album, Shades of Deep Purple, here’s an excellent early live video of the first line up of the band in 1968 performing the Beatles’ smash hit “Help!”

Here's the studio version of their second hit. From The Book of Taliesyn, their rocking version of the Neil Diamond song, "Kentucky Woman."

From 1969 at the Beat Club, a haunting b/w live performance of the first song Ian Gillan did with the band when they went from their early style to metal! This was a single not on an album. The clip begins with an explanation about why they changed styles. “Hallelujah”

From the BBC in 1970, one of Jon's most memorable riffs and compositions from the Deep Purple In Rock album, the amazing and haunting "Child In Time." From that same show, “Speed King,” which we'll follow with another early one, this one from the tv show Doing Their Thing, “Wring That Neck.” For the fourth number in this brief set, we have the kicking “Mandrake Root” and we'll finish with another hit single that never made it to an album, “Black Night” (When I saw them in 1970, they were spectacular!)

Live on German TV in 1972 with some strange camera effects, here’s a great performance of “Highway Star”

Here's another great live performance from 1972 of "Child In Time."

I found it again! Here’s the entire 22 minute set of their 1973 NYC concert! Deep Purple Live in New York

DP live in CA! Welcome to an hour and 26 of Deep Purple 1974 Live at the California Jam.

We'll close this brief tribute to Jon Lord with a full hour and 37 minute live concert from their Machine Head tour in 1972! For your enjoyment, at their best, here's the Deep Purple Machine Head Concert Live in Copenhagen 1972

Thanks for all the amazing tunes over the years, Jon. You turned me on to the fact that a rock organist could do classical riffs to electric guitar and a pounding rock beat and create a totally original and exciting sound! RIP, and thanks for the memories.

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Also sharing that birthday, we celebrate the sweet soul music of Mister Excitement, the legendary Jackie Wilson (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984). With his FOUR octave vocal range, he was known as one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in R&B and rock 'n' roll history. Known as the “Black Elvis,” he recorded over 50 hit singles, including 16 R&B Top 10 hits, including 6 R&B # 1's. On the Billboard Hot 100, he scored 14 Top 20 Pop hits, 6 of which made it into the Pop Top 10.

For your enjoyment, Mister Excitement!

From 1958, his signature tune which went to # 7 on the pop charts, # 1 on the R&B charts! Here he’s on Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beechnut Show in March 1959 performing “Lonely Teardrops” That same show featured Jackie cranking out his following hit from early 1959 which went to #13 pop, #2 R&B! “That Is Why (I Love You So)”

Here’s the studio version of his second hit in 1959 which went to #20 pop, #6 R&B, “I’ll Be Satisfied”

From the 1959 film Go Johnny Go, Jackie doing his third 1959 hit (#37 pop, #1 R&B), “You Better Know It”

From the ever-patronizing Ed Sullivan on what he said was Jackie’s first television appearance (Dec 1960, so I guess he didn’t think that Dick Clark mattered!), “To Be Loved,” followed by his biggest hit, ”Lonely Teardrops,” and we’ll close his first Ed Sullivan appearance with “Alone At Last”

Live on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1962, “That Is Why (I Love You So)”

From May 1962 on The Ed Sullivan Show, a very impassioned delivery of “Lonely Teardrops”

From March 1963 on The Ed Sullivan Show, “Baby Workout”

This was an early hit in the 50s! Here he is on Shivaree in the mid-60s performing “Danny Boy”

From The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1963, the #4 pop, #3 R&B 1960 hit “Night.” Here’s the original studio version of “Night”

Live on tv in 1965, the 1963 #5 pop, #1 R&B hit “Baby Workout”

One of my favorite songs, here's Jackie’s studio version of the Rodgers-Hart classic from Manhattan Melodrama. "Blue Moon" (Yes, I'll always prefer the Marcels' classic arrangement of "Blue Moon," - here's another from back in the day of the original group doing "Blue Moon" - but Jackie Wilson’s version was the standard before doo-wop took the nation by storm!)

Here’s classic live footage of Jackie with the legendary Sam Cooke clowning around to the studio version of Sam’s smash hit “Cha Cha Cha”

Also from the 60s. the #8 “Alone At Last” and the studio version of his #9 hit “My Empty Arms”

Live at the Copa in 1962, a 9 minute short set! Jackie Wilson at the Copa - 1962

I found them again! Here are a great pair of clips of his appearances on Shindig which are extraordinarily powerful with some breathtaking moves. From 1965, “Baby Workout” and from 1966 with Billy Preston on organ, “I’m So Lonely” (Yes, the title is mislabeled.)

We’ll close with a live performance from the Jerry Lee Lewis Show. This was his last smash hit from 1967 that went to #6, along with his signature hit that began his career! “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Love Higher and Higher)” and "Lonely Teardrops."

For our first encore, a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, who both died in 1984. From the Commodores, live and very soulful, the beautiful “Night Shift”

For our second encore, the one that brought us to the dance! Dancing to a classic big band sound, here's a performance from Jackie’s last tour. It was at the end of that tour on 29 September 1975 that he had a heart attack, and though revived, went into a coma and never sang again. So this is one of the last performances of the amazing Jackie Wilson, Jackie Wilson’s Last Performance – Final Curtain

Thanks for the excitement, Jackie. Sorry you checked out so young.

© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson

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