When the Queen Smiles At Me I Go To Rio

Following up with the last post of The Partridge Family Bootleg, I bring you another bootleg. This time it's a real band playing a live concert. It's Queen rocking like only they could in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was part of a huge rock festival that still goes on to this day called Cidade do Rock. This particular performance comes from January 18, 1985. There never was and has never been a band like Queen and they were truly amazing. Hear for yourself as you listen to "Queen - Rock In Rio". Enjoy!

Queen - Rock In Rio

Podcast 30!!!

Sorry for the long absence. I've been incredibly busy so I haven't had a lot of time for posting. But today, I am posting! And not just any old post, but the 30th Podcast! I can't believe I'm on Podcast #30. This one, if I dare say, is awesome! Starting off with one of my favorite songs sung by my good friend, Leon Dewain, followed by a wide variety of clips from Tears For Fears, Mark Pender, Flickerstick, Talking Heads, Winterpills, the Flintstones, Wild Man Fisher, Van Halen, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Flock of Seagulls and much, much more! Great listening material for home, office, car, bus, train or anywhere! Here is Podcast 30. Enjoy!

Dartman's Wacky Podcast #30

Podcast #27 - Bring on The Freakshow!

Yet another Podcast comes flying out of the gates and this time it gets weird! I spun so many odd ball moments into this that it definitely earns the title of "Wacky Podcast". With some great performances from Annette Funicello, the 5, 6, 7, 8's, Thurl Ravenscroft, Elvis Presley, Lesley Gore, Aimee Mann, Mickey Katz, The Osmonds, Leonard Nimoy, Dustin Hoffman & Warren Beatty, the Maggies, Duran Duran, the Ting Tings and much much more. All held together by one of my favorite Stan Freeburg tracks. Here is Podcast #27! Enjoy!

Dartman's Wacky Podcast #27

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello all
I've debated for the past several months about what to do with the World of Wonder. I have very little time to devote to myself let alone the blog but I didn't want to end it. I tried something new by posting an e-mail address so that people could post items to share and make it more of a public blog. A majority of e-mail that I received was spam involving me inheriting millions of dollars from foreign investors, how to land single woman over 60 and how to make my penis larger. In between those were e-mails from people asking me to repost items that are no longer available. I had one person share something but I couldn't get the link to work. So, sadly, I am abandoning that part of the blog. I enjoy working on the blog and I do welcome comments and love hearing how people enjoy it. We recently hit the 200 subscriber part. I don't want to let it go entirely but I can't commit the time to it that I once did. I toyed with shutting the blog down but the one thing that I really wanted to keep going were my podcasts. I love them and love putting them together. I feel that by continuing to do these, I can still share great pop culture audio with all of you and still manage to keep the blog running. So, from here on in, I will be posting mostly new podcasts. Occasionally I may post an album or single or a video or what have you, but the majority of new items on the blog will be new podcasts. That being said, the reason I am downsizing to just podcasts is the lack of I time that I can donate to the blog. It's easy to put a series of songs, comedy bits, commercials, etc into a "mix tape" for a podcast but it takes time to sit down and speak to you through them as well. As a result, I will pretty much not be talking through any new podcasts that I post. If I find the time and feel like telling a funny story or two, I may one day set up my microphone and add some commentary but don't be surprised if you don't hear my voice in any of the new podcasts. In addition, it also takes time for me to tell you exactly what it is that I put into the podcasts and keeping track of it is just as time consuming as going back and listening to it to find out what is in it. So, don't expect a play list on the podcasts. If there is a specific track that you are interested in knowing, send me a comment asking about it and I will do my best to let you know who and what it is. Otherwise, treat it like listening to the radio and not hearing the DJ tell you what it is. Let it be what it is meant to be; entertainment for your ears.
In regards to all of the requests to re-up any past sharities that have dead links or are no longer working - all I can say is I'm sorry. I simply do not have time to go back and re-up any of them. Once they are gone, they're gone. Odds are they are out there on-line somewhere as the "sharity blog" community is a pretty incestuous bunch and we all re-use each other's items. Again, it's nothing personal, it's just that I have no time at all to do that. I wish I could go back and re-up everything that has been taken down but it doesn't look like that will happen in the immediate future.
So, thank you for helping me keep the World of Wonder alive and hopefully we can keep it going at least a little bit longer.
That being said, here is the newest podcast. Podcast 22 delivers a lot for your money. Featuring some great songs from William Shatner, Mi Carame, Barnes and Barnes, the Police, the Monkees/Adele and a heaping portion of comedy this time around. Enjoy!



Dartman's Wacky Podcast #22

Bruce Willis Scores A Jackpot

In the 80s, there was a period of time where Bruce Willis ruled the planet. Moonlighting was a gigantic hit and Seagrams Golden Wine Coolers had their theme song on every one's tongues. This was all pre-Die Hard and adventure star Willis. This was when Bruce Willis was considered a comedic actor. In the midst of all of this, HBO aired a Spinal Tap-esque mock-u-mentary called "The Return of Bruno". It featured Willis as Bruno (the actor's actual nickname), a rock and roll icon who had gone through good times and bad. I loved it and my friends and I were quick to go out and buy the accompanying album. The one thing we really missed on the album was the "psychedelic track", "No One's Home" that they spent a lot of time on in the show. With or without that track, the album is still fun and fits nicely in the celebrity record category. And it also fits nicely here at the World of Wonder. Here is Bruce Willis and The Return of Bruno. Enjoy! Bruce Willis - The Return of Bruno

PODCAST 21!!!!

Here's the newest Podcast coming your way. Lots of fun stuff plus I actually talk in this one! A whole lot of fun. Featuring the likes of Ringo Starr, Del Shannon, Dr. Westchesterson, Juliette Lewis, Prince, Groucho Marx, Tom Jones, Henny Youngman, Juday Garland and more! Enjoy!
Dartman's Wacky Podcast #21

A New Podcast!!! A New Podcast!!!

After a long absence from them (and many requests) here is the latest podcast! In all fairness, this was done over the last few months and was actually almost complete before Christmas but I left it on the back burner. After all that time, I gave it the proper finishing touches but alas, did not have the time to add any spoken word sections aka dialogue from yours truly. So this time around, it's an all music podcast. It does feature some great songs from the likes of Blondie, Suzi Quatro, They Might Be Giants, The Muffs with CC Deville, The Beatles, the Kinks, Orson Bean and more. There's even a super cool phone message sent to me from a Sunoco station on the day of a snow storm (obviously a wrong number!) Here it is for your listening entertainment! Enjoy!

Dartman's Wacky Podcast #20

Countdown to 2012

Dartman's Advent Calendar 2011: Day 25

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Here's your present! Just pull back the tab that reads "25". Enjoy! Stay tuned for an important announcement in the coming days. Until then, have a great holiday week!

Advent Calendar 2011 Day 25

Dartman's Advent Calendar 2011: Day 24

It's Christmas Eve! Don't be a Hermit! Open the flap and find today's musical treat! Enjoy!

Advent Calendar 2011 Day 24

Dartman's Advent Calendar 2011: Day 23

After the King of Rock and Roll serenaded us yesterday, we turn to an original Rock and Roll Queen for today's treat! Open the window marked 23 to hear who we mean. Enjoy!

Advent Calendar 2011 Day 23

Dartman's Advent Calendar 2011: Day 22

Today marks the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year and the basis for all of the holidays celebrated at this time. To celebrate, we bring forth one, not three, king as we pull back the flap! Enjoy!

Advent Calendar 2011 Day 22

Cheap Trick Changes Positions

I know The Rolling Stones have been called "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World" but for my money, I think that title should go to Cheap Trick. Don't get me wrong, I love the Stones and I think they are great. But Cheap Trick just oozes Rock And Roll from their pores. No matter what they do, it rocks! I discovered Cheap Trick in the early days of MTV. The first song I ever heard by them was their hit, "She's Tight". It's still one of my all time favorites. In 1983, my Godfather sent me a Walkman as a birthday present. It was one of the originals and it was awesome. I ran out and purchased a slew of cassettes, one of which was Cheap Trick's latest (at the time), Next Position Please. This tape was constantly running in that Walkman and it served as a soundtrack to my life for the next year. To this day, I know every word to every song in their exact order. Since that time, I have purchased the album on vinyl and CD. In fact, it was the second CD I ever purchased (the first being Monkees Live 1967). As with most CD releases in the early days of the format, there wasn't a lot of remastering done. It was basically a thin sounding version of the album. Fans have waited patiently for years to see a better version. In 2006, an awesome sounding CD was released in Japan. Still, nothing here in the states. NPP was recently rereleased on a CD alongside another Cheap Trick release, "One On One". (another great album that also features, "She's Tight") However, the sound is the same as the original CD release and the bonus tracks that were once "cassette only" are missing. Luckily, I was able to snag a copy of the Japanese remaster from 2006. I recently listened to it again and just fell in love with it one more time. I present it for you today. Here is Cheap Trick with "Next Position Please". Enjoy!

Cheap Trick-Next Position Please (2006 Japanese Remaster)

Podcast 19 is Here!!!!

Here is the newest and, in my humble opinion, one of the better podcasts I have made! I really got into this one and tried to cover a lot of bases by including a lot of variety and fun mix-ups! There's some hilarious comedy, great music and a whole lot of fun stuff. The one thing that I really like about this podcast is the introduction. When I was a DJ in college, I hosted a show called "The Rich Dart Wacky Show" and used the same intro for the radio show. Also, I didn't speak in this one. As with the last time, I just couldn't find the time to put any commentary into the mix. It does flow rather well. Hope you think so. Enjoy!

Dartman's Wacky Podcast #19

Podcast 18!!!!

Here is the latest podcast. It's entitled, "The Wolfman Jack Special". This is due to the fact that I have had the musical moments of the podcast finished and in the computer for about two or three months. I just haven't found the time to put together my little "DJ" parts into the mix. I solved the problem by not having those moments at all. Instead, I threw in some clips of the late, great Wolfman Jack to give it that great radio feel. You can hear the Wolfman in between some great songs by David Brookings, Freddy & The Dreamers, Mojo Nixon, Elvis, The Maggies, Hank III, Mrs. Miller, Chuck Berry, , Naked City, Billy Squier, Micky Dolenz and so much more. There's a special "LIVE IN CONCERT" section as well. I hope you enjoy it!

Dartman's Wacky Podcast #18

PS - Special thanks to Tom who supplied me with all of my past podcasts that were taken down from Rapidshare. I'll be reposting those soon for those of you who haven't heard them. Thanks!

Rock Around Le Clock

If you grew up in the 70s then you knew the song "Rock Around The Clock" and could probably sing it verbatim and even sing the guitar solo and the drum hits at the end. Of course, not everyone could sing "See You Later Alligator" or "Happy Baby". But I can. I love Bill Haley and the Comets. Unlike everyone else in my generation, I knew about them long before I ever saw Happy Days. They are credited with starting riots with Rock Around The Clock when it first was featured in the film, "Blackboard Jungle". It's hard to imagine that. It's also hard to imagine that they were a country and western band before jumping on the early rock and roll bandwagon. In 1966, the Comets made a trip to Paris. They would make the same trip again in 1974. Both trips yielded amateur recordings of the concerts. They are compiled into a nice bootleg called "Live In Paris". As an added bonus, you also get three tunes recorded off of Alan Freed's radio show as they were performed in Brooklyn in 1956. Here is "Bill Haley and The Comets: Live In Paris". Enjoy!

Bill Haley and The Comets-Live In Paris

Bobby Wheeler RIP

In case you haven't heard, Jeff Conaway passed away last week. The last half of his life was pretty sad with his descent into drug addiction and depression. I always loved him in TAXI and I loved the fact that he played the part of a struggling actor trying to get on Broadway. Of course, in real life he had success on the great white way before he even graduated from college. He landed a gig as the understudy for several roles in the 50s rock musical, Grease (including Danny Zuko, the lead). He eventually replaced Barry Bostwick as the lead and starred in the show as Danny for 2 1/2 years while his friend John Travolta played Doody. By the time the film version came about, there was no denying Travolta the lead since he was one of the biggest stars in the world at the time but (as we all know) Conaway was given the role of Kenickie. Of course, then came TAXI and the rest is history.
In 1979, at the height of his popularity, Jeff Conaway released a self titled album. What amazes me about this album is the fact that the person singing is a well respected singer from the Broadway stage but you would never know it by listening to this. In every song, he uses a brash, throaty sound that makes him sound like he can't sing at all. It's quite sad really. But in any event, I present it for you as my special tribute to his memory. Here is "Jeff Conaway". Enjoy!

Jeff Conaway

The King Takes Over Stax

In July of 1973, Elvis and his entourage entered the famed Stax Studios in his hometown of Memphis and proceeded to record. However, it would take a while to get the recording done. It all started on a Monday night. The first thing Elvis requested was that nothing happen until the end of Monday Night Football, a Monday night tradition he shared with the Memphis Mafia. When it was discovered that there were no televisions big enough for everyone to view it on, someone was sent out to buy the biggest tv they could find to watch the game on. When the "viewing party" was over, that's when the guys entered the studio only to be paused again when Elvis declared that the lights were too bright and needed to be changed to softer, colored bulbs. When that was done, the band and Elvis realized that the colored bulbs made it too dark to read the charts so the original bulbs were replaced. Then, and only then, did the recording session convene. An interesting fact about the recordings done at Stax: while the songs were recorded at the Stax studio, the actual recording equipment was the RCA Mobile Recording unit which was in a truck parked in the parking lot of the studio. Among the great tracks recorded at Stax are "Talking About The Good Times" and the classic version of Chuck Berry's "Promised Land". Here are a bunch of out takes from those sessions. Here is "Good Times In The Promised Land". Enjoy!

Elvis Presley- Good Times In The Promised Land

Van Halen Gets Kissed

It's no secret that Gene Simmons discovered Van Halen. However, the details of when and how it happened are a bit sketchy. Different sources have different dates and different places as to when and where Gene first caught the band. The most logical one comes from Michael White. At the time, he was the vocalist for a band called "Boyz" which included future Dokken members George Lynch and Mick Brown. According to Michael, the "Boyz" were playing a Halloween show at Gazzarris on the Sunset Strip. The club was packed and most of the kids who came to the show that night were dressed up in KISS makeup. At the club were Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Gene said that their label, Casablanca, was looking to sign some new bands. He asked where they were playing next so he could bring the record company big wigs out to see them. As luck would have it, the band had a gig the following week at the Starwood, another infamous club in Hollywood. They would be sharing the bill with another band called Van Halen. Gene showed up with the record company, but "Boyz" had an off night and weren't as good as they usually were. On the other hand, Van Halen had a great set. They impressed Gene so much that he flew them to NY to record some demos. Casablanca didn't sign Van Halen, but it wasn't long afterwards that some execs from Warner Bros saw the band (supposedly at the same club that Gene had seen them) and the rest is history. And from those early beginnings until their groundbreaking release, "1984", they were, quite simply, one of the greatest rock bands in the history of music. They were an unstoppable powerhouse. It's a true American success story. (I personally don't care for any of the material they did after 1984 - but that's just my humble opinion). Here is that demo produced and backed by Gene Simmons back in 1976. Here is "Van Halen Zero". Enjoy!

Van Halen-Zero

Singles Collection Episode 61: The Frogman Cometh

Clarence "Frogman" Henry is best known for his trademark croak. If you are scratching your head wondering what that is, maybe you've never seen "The Lost Boys". There is a scene in that classic flick where Corey Haim is shampooing his hair in the bath tub and singing along to Clarence's biggest hit, "Ain't Got No Home". In the song, Clarence sings like a frog, a girl and himself (the lonely boy). In addition to this gigantic hit. Clarence is also known as The Beatles' opening act during their 1964 tour of the US and Canada. He's been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Here is that ginormous hit that gave Clarence his nick name and his career. Here is "Ain't Go No Home". Enjoy!

Clarence "Frogman" Henry - Ain't Got No Home