Music and Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the cast album for Look Ma, I'm Dancin' and Arms and the Girl. These are flop vehicles for popular female stage comedians of the time, which is pretty much all they have in common. Look Ma was a modern-set dance-heavy spoof for Nancy Walker as a brewery heiress who takes over a ballet company. Arms and the Girl is a musical version of the play The Pursuit of Happiness. Nanette Fabray is an ardent soldier in the American Revolution. Pearl Bailey is a runaway slave who takes the name of whatever state she happens to be in. 

Frankly, neither show is especially top-drawer, although Look Ma was said to have outstanding choreography by Jerome Robbins. Pearl Bailey gets the best songs in Arms, "Nothin' for Nothin'" and "There Must Be Something Better Than Love." Walker dances off with Dancin' belting "I'm the First Girl In the Back Row." Dancer Harold Lang also does well by the opener "Gotta Dance."

The Cotton Club had a lot of problems on release, but its fine collection of Duke Ellington standards on the soundtrack wasn't one of them. The moody "Copper Colored Gal" and lovely "Ill Wind" are my favorites. There's also a passable Cab Calloway imitation with "Minnie the Moocher." 

Switched to working on the cast album inventory after I ate. In addition to Look Ma and Arms and the Girl, I added Milk and Honey, Miss Liberty, the semi-operatic The Most Happy Fella, Mr. President, and the original Broadway cast of The Music Man. These were all record and thrift shop finds. I think The Music Man was too, but I'm otherwise not sure about that one. 

WDAS-FM Black Rock remains a staple R&B and soul station in Philadelphia to this day. In 1975, they put out a collection of what was likely the big hits on the station at the time. Some of these I've never even heard of, like "Choice of Colors" by Curtis Mayfield and "Peace at Least" by Rotary Connection. My favorites were the dance-y "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba and "I Think About Loving You" by Earth Wind & Fire.

Hurried off to work after a very quick lunch. Work was mobbed when I came in, with lines across the aisles. I suspect it has less to do with Labor Day Weekend and more with it being the beginning of the month and kids going back to school. I dodged a lot of grouchy or ignorant people, including at least three who complained because only one electric cart out of three was charged and ready when I first came in. Sorry, I can't help it if one is broken and the other was used until it died by a customer. I stayed outside for the first half, but had to sweep too when the morning bagger finished. Otherwise, no trouble whatsoever.

As soon as I got home, I changed, took the laundry downstairs, and finished with tonight's Match Game Classics marathon. Wacky plaid sport coats were apparently the style in the 1970's, especially early in the decade. The most infamous of Gene's plaid coats was by far that awful green plaid suit he wore in an early '73 episode that was so ugly, no one in the panel would even look at when he came in. Thankfully, after that episode Gene limited himself to the coat or the pants, but not together. Richard had two plaid coats of his own, one in tan and brown and one in purple and white. There was also Gene's almost as awful gray checked suit that made him look like half of a vaudeville team, and Richard's more subdued navy and white checked coat. 

It's the attack of the wild Me Decade prints in this eclectic and creative marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Attack of the Plaids! 

Oh, and I bought train tickets for my vacation tonight! I'll be in Pittsfield this year from the 22nd through the 30th. The musical blog will be on hiatus at that time, but I'll continue to post updates here.