Chuck Barry Died at Age Ninety

Chuck Berry, rock and roll legend is dead at ninety.  That's older than I imagined he was and sure makes him older than Elvis.  This is the headline that greeted me.  They said he had had a recent bout with pneumonia and his recovery was a little slow.  There was talk of “they tried to revive him but couldn’t”.   Nobody knows the cause of death. It has been our belief that Chuck Berry is a native of Sirius O but there has been no confirmation of that since his death.  Of course the Rolling Stones and the Beatles owe a lot of their respective musical styles to Chuck.   

This is Sunday at a quarter to two and Kentucky and Wichita State are playing on KNXT right now in a close game.  This is later and Kentucky won the game and so advances to the Sweet Sixteen.  There is still no sign of rain.  Today is March 19, 2017, the day the swallows used to return to Capistrano.   Last night I went toward Glen’s room seeking coffee and I met Glen at the back door and he said he was almost out.  This is why I’m going to buy instant coffee today.  Nancy agrees with me that Nestcafe used to be twice as strong in the same sized jar but they pump air into it.  Last night the LA Clippers easily defeated the Cleveland Cavileers at the Staples center before a disappointed audience who shouted “We want Lebran”.  Lebran James and two other Cleveland players decided to take the night off.  The lead of the Clippers grew and grew throughout the game and the final score was 108 to 78 or something like that.  The ABC sports commentators were pissed at the end of the game saying ABC didn’t get their money’s worth and the fans sure didn’t get what they paid good money to see.  This is kind of the new scandal of sports.  In the old days players would play injured and they would hardly miss a game.  But today it’s routine for big time players to skip off games.  They get paid so much they don’t care.  The medication line for Ricardo was still kind of long after seven thirty but a few people had already gotten their meds and Ricardo called me forward.  I got cough medicine and have been coughing less.  But I think to a degree my throat is healing on its own.  I didn’t expect to see Bill by the elevator but figured he’d be in the hospital at least all night.

Breakfast with the Beatles was at nine o clock and naturally they paid tribute to Chuck Berry’s death.  We at the Federation are paying our token tribute too by expanding that Valentine’s Day album out last month.  The revised version was out this morning.  They work quickly.  "Something Stupid" and "Down in Mexico" obviously aren't Chuck Berry songs.  You’ll hear more about that when we get to it.  Chris Carter played nine songs written by Chuck Berry and eight of them were by the Beatles and the ninth was “I’m So Glad to be Living in the USA”.  My personal favorite of the Beatles BBC Chuck Berry songs is “Gotta Find My Baby” with John Lennon’s little introduction.  I didn’t hear them play “Sweet Little Sixteen”, which is a BBC song.  They played “Distractions” by Paul, without saying what album it’s from.  In “Who’s Playing that Chuck Berry song” they played “Just Gotta Get a Message To you” and I successfully guessed that it was performed by the Hollies.  I went out for snacks in the courtyard and got two grape drinks and a graham cracker.

A LOVER’S QUESTION revised and released February 18th. 2017 and after Chuck Berry's death revised and released March 19th.

Disk one

Shake Rattle and Roll (Bill Haley & the Comets)
Bullweevel (Fats Domino)
So Glad You’re Mine (Elvis Presley)
See You Later, Alligator (Bill Haley & the Comets)
No Money Down (Chuck Berry)
Down in Mexico (Coasters)
Sitting in the Balcony (Eddy Cochrin) (?)
Short Shorts (Royal Teens) (?)
Let’s Go –Cha-cha-cha! (Feb 1958 artist)
Lover’s Question (Clyde Mc Phatter)
Whole Lot Of Kissing To Do (Fats Domino)
Almost Grown (Chuck Berry)
Say Man (Bo Didley)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (Cherells)
Stand By Me (Ben E King)
Let Me In (Sensations)
I Want To Know If You’ll - - (Bruce Shennel)

Disk two

Bossanoba (Elvis Presley)
When I Grow Up To Be A Man (Beach Boys)
Man, Ain't That News (Sam Cooke)
Eve of Destruction (Barry Mc Guire)
Mystic Eyes (Them)
Strangers In the Night (Frank Sinatra)
Good Thing (Paul Revere & the Raiders)
Mary Mary (Monkees)
Look What Loving You Has Done To Me (Supremes) *
Lonely Is A Man Without Love (Engelberg Humperdink)
Something Stupid (Frank and Nancy Sinatra)
Is It Him or Me? (Paul Revers & the Raiders)
I Know She’d Rather Be With Me (Turtles)
I Think We’re Alone Now (Tommy James & the Shandels)
Within You and Without You -TNK mash-up (Circ de Solee)
Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite mash-up (Circ de Solee)
Sgt Pepper inner groove