WA2K Radio is now on the air

Letty, best wishes on your checkup. bird's birthday has to be an auspicious day. ;-)

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross sang it too.
I like Manhattan Transfer- good sound, good arrangements.

Has anyone heard Singers Unlimited? Classy.

haven't heard Singers Unlimited in ages, McTag, but agree with your description. they overdubbed their voices to get their sound, BTW. were they from the UK perhaps?

EDIT-turns out they're from Chicago, but recorded in Germany. at least they had a European connection. :wink:

I think they were a spinoff or descended from The Hi-Los

They got a German producer after having won the "German Grammy", if I remember correctly (were very popular here in those days).

Great discussion, staff and listeners. I just got back from the cardiologist who is from Venezuela, and immediately established a rapport with this young Dr. Grazi who plays drums. Up to that point he was a little condescending because I asked too many questions, I think, but by the time we left, we were whistling and humming "Girl from Ipenema."

Back in the early part of my vocalizing days, one had to know every group, and every vocalist that was "in" in order to earn our money properly. The jazz boys like to play what they liked to play too much, so I was the great equalizer.

I think only Panz knows the Four Freshmen, and the thing that is so great about them is that they do most of their stuff acapella and play their own instruments.

i "know" the 4 frosh did this one:

Day by day I'm falling more in love with you
And day by day my love seems to grow
There isn't any end to my devotion
It's deeper dear by far than any ocean

I find that day by day you're making all my dreams come true
So come what may I want you to know
I'm yours alone, and I'm in love to stay
As we go through the years day by day

incidentally, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was apparently influenced either by the Hi-Lo's, the 4 Freshmen, or both. in any event, the Freshmen & Hi-Lo's actually were before my time, but not by that much. :-)

Right, Yit. We have a cd of the Beach Boys doing acapella Christmas carols and it's difficult for me to tell the difference.

I love "Day by Day", yit. Thanks for playing that one for our listeners.

How about this one:


There's a story told of a very gentle boy
And the girl who wore his ring
Through the wintry snow
The world they knew was one
For their hearts were full of spring

As the days grew old
And the nights passed into time
And the weeks and years took wing (was, "wind")
Gentle boy, tender girl
Their love remained still young
For their hearts were full of spring

Then one day they died
And their graves were side by side
On a hill where robins sing
And they say violets
Grow there the whole year round
For their hearts were full of spring

The Beach Boys did that version, but one must hear it to appreciate it.

Before your time, Yit? You're not going to believe this, but Charlie Bird Parker was before my time as well. So was Mozart for that matter.

Have we any news updates on Katrina?

Good to know you have a light heart, Miss Letty!

The Girl From Ipanema
Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto

(Writer(s): Jobim/Gimbel/DeMoraes)

Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah

When she walks, she's like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ooh

(Ooh) But I watch her so sadly
How can I tell her I love her
Yes I would give my heart gladly
But each day, when she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at me

Tall, (and) tan, (and) young, (and) lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, I smile - but she doesn't see (doesn't see)
(She just doesn't see, she never sees me,...)

Letty, that's a wonderfully melancholy song i have not heard in any version, but i hope to remedy that soon. thank you.

Ah, Francis, isn't that a beautiful song? I have also heard it in Portuguese which is one of the most inspiring languages (next to French, of course) and is so wonderful to the ear. Thank you, dear.

Folks, to me, that is what is fantastic about Diana Krall and others. They recognize beauty and sound no matter what the age.

And as Yit rushes out to buy The Beach Boys' version of the song we discussed, Letty is going to our studio fridge and have a long, cool, drink of water.

yes, but Bird & Amadeus, like so many of the greats, were well ahead of their own time, so it's hardly surprising they're before ours as well. :wink:

You know, listeners. Our Yit just made a wonderful observation. It's not what we bring into this world, but what we leave in it that is important.

Thanks, Yit. Big hugs.

Philosopher too?....Is there no end to your gifts woman?

Hurricane sends runaway oil rig crashing into Alabama suspension bridge


MOBILE, United States (AFP) - An oil rig tore free of its moorings as Hurricane Katrina lashed the Alabama coast, before surging downriver and smashing into a suspension bridge, witnesses said.


The platform broke free from the Bender shipbuilding and repair yard in Mobile during the morning as the then Category Four Hurricane walloped the southern US coast.

The runaway rig then drifted through the choppy waters of the Mobile River before hitting the Cochrane/Africatown USA road bridge.

"It is fully under the bridge, it barely fits," eye witness Robert Rishel told AFP.

"It looks like one of the arms from one of the cranes nailed the concrete."

Authorities could not immediately identify the company which owned the rig, which was in dock for repairs. Engineers were being sent to the scene to assess damage to the structure before deciding whether it was safe for traffic.

The hurricane meanwhile ravaged oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, which accounts for a quarter of total US oil output. In all, 92 percent of crude and 83 percent of natural gas production were shut down, as rigs were evacuated, according to government data.

Alabama was one of the states worst hit by Katrina, which also sowed devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

State Governor Bob Riley declared a state of emergency as the storm tore ashore, whipping up huge waves, ripping down trees and causing widespread devastation.

Floodwaters coursed through downtown Mobile and police declared a curfew in a bid to keep people off the streets and deter looters.


___

Monster Hurricane Katrina pounds New Orleans, Gulf coast

2 hours, 2 minutes ago

NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) - Hurricane Katrina pounded a swath of the US Gulf coast with rare fury, causing widespread damage in New Orleans but failing to deliver a feared catastrophic blow to the low-lying port city.


The hurricane claimed the lives of at least three people in New Orleans, and sent crude oil prices surging to record highs following the evacuation of offshore rigs in the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico and the closure of refineries.

Packing winds of 240 kilometers (150 miles) per hour, the storm, which may be among the most costly in US history, made landfall in Louisiana early Monday before losing strength after hitting the mainland east of New Orleans.

While the flood-prone city of 1.4 million took a severe pounding, it was spared an even more punishing direct hit.

The neighboring states of Mississippi and Alabama also took a heavy beating, and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said there were reports of people trapped in buildings awaiting rescue.

"It came in on Mississippi like a ton of bricks, it is a terrible storm," said Barbour. He said his worst fear would be "that there are a lot of dead people," but was unable to provide details of any confirmed casualties.

Three elderly people died, apparently from dehydration, as they were being evacuated Sunday from a nursing home in New Orleans. Seven people were killed by Katrina in Florida last week.

The US Coast Guard reported receiving pleas for help from residents stranded on rooftops.

Emergency teams waited for the storm to pass to launch rescue operations.

Hurricane Katrina shattered the glass facade of a luxury 27-storey New Orleans hotel, leaving soaked and torn curtains blowing crazily out of smashed windows.

In scenes reminiscent of a car bombing, bits of paper and debris blew around the Hyatt Regency hotel, but management said no one was injured. "We are happy to report that everyone here is safe," general manager Michael Smith said.

Over a million people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama lost electricity.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled New Orleans and other low-lying areas ahead of the hurricane.

Residents and tourists who stayed behind in New Orleans' famed French Quarter Monday found a neighborhood ravaged, but not wrecked.

Historic houses with their trademark ironwork balconies, appeared to have suffered structural damage.

Police stepped up patrols in order to prevent looting of deserted bars and shops in the neighborhood famed for its annual Mardi Gras revelry.

One building partially collapsed, crushing a car, while pools of water, shattered glass and colorful Mardi Gras beads littered the ground.

At the massive Superdome stadium that sheltered 10,000 people, winds tore off parts of the roof, letting water pour into the building.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu said that despite the damage to the dome's outer shell, the people packed inside had been in no danger. "It is orderly and safe, the building is very sound," Landrieu told CNN.

In the east side of the city, streets were under several feet (one-meter) of water, witnesses said.

Radio reports said police had arrested seven looters in the city of Kenner, on the western edge of the New Orleans municipal area close to the Louis Armstrong International airport.

Kenner was also reported to be under several feet of water.

The storm lost a little of its monstrous power overnight as it swirled over the Gulf of Mexico, but still slammed ashore at category four, the second-highest level on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale. It gradually weakened to category one as it moved slowly inland but continued dumping water on the US Gulf coast.

Officials warned that Katrina remained extremely dangerous, and US President George W. Bush urged residents to hunker down as long as the "devastating storm" rages. "In the meantime, America will pray, pray for the health and safety of all our citizens," he said.

Oil markets also kept a close watch on the hurricane.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in October, rose 2.57 dollars a barrel to 68.70 dollars in early trade amid concern over damages wrought in the major US oil hub.

In overnight electronic trade the price had breached the psychological barrier of 70 dollars a barrel, blazing a new record high of 70.80 dollars.

Bush declared a state of emergency for Louisiana and Mississippi, clearing the way for federal aid to affected areas. "I want the folks there on the Gulf coast to know that the federal government is prepared to help you when the storm passes," Bush said.

The storm's insurance damages could be among the most severe in US history, according to Robert Hartwig, chief economist for the Insurance Information Institute. "There are estimates out there ranging from 12 to 25 billion," he told AFP.

Ah, Boo, you're just saying that 'cause it's true. <smile>

Bob, thanks for that update on our very fickle Katrina. I have a theory. Katrina was created in order to drive up oil prices.

Well, folks. That makes as much sense as the war in Iraq, right?

A huge thunder storm in my little part of the world, and while it lasted it was ferocious.

Here's some interesting background on our tall and tan girl:


The Girl from Ipanema


Wikipedia

The Girl from Ipanema
"The Girl from Ipanema" ("A Garota de Ipanema") is considered the best-known bossa nova song ever written, and was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s. It was written in 1962, with music by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes; English lyrics were later written by Norman Gimbel.

It is often claimed to be the second-most recorded popular song in history, topped only by The Beatles' Yesterday. The best-known version is that performed by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, from the 1963 album Getz/Gilberto. The first commercial recording was in 1962, by Pery Ribeiro. Numerous recordings have been used in movies, often as an elevator music cliché. In 2003 Gilberto unsuccessfully sued to block use of the song for advertising Doritos snack chips.


Background
The song was inspired by Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto (or simply, Helô Pinheiro), an 18-year-old girl who lived on Montenegro street in the fashionable Ipanema district of Rio de Janeiro. Every day, she would stroll past the popular "Veloso" bar-cafe on the way to the beach, attracting the attention of regulars Jobim and Moraes.

The song was originally composed for a musical comedy entitled Dirigível (Blimp), which was a work in progress of Vinícius de Moraes. The original title was Menina que Passa (The Girl Who Passes By), and the famous first verse was completely different.

In Revelação: a verdadeira Garota de Ipanema (Revealed: The Real Girl from Ipanema) Moraes wrote that she was:

"o paradigma do bruto carioca; a moça dourada, misto de flor e sereia, cheia de luz e de graça mas cuja a visão é também triste, pois carrega consigo, a caminho do mar, o sentimento da que passa, da beleza que não é só nossa - é um dom da vida em seu lindo e melancólico fluir e refluir constante."
which roughly translates to:

'"the exemplar of the rude Carioca: a golden-tanned girl, a mixture of flower and mermaid, full of brightness and grace, but with a touch of sadness, in that she carries with her, on her route to the sea, the feeling of that which passes by, of the beauty that is not ours alone -- it is a gift of life in its constant, beautiful and sad ebb and flow."
Today, Montenegro Street is called Vinícius de Moraes Street, and the Veloso Bar is named A Garota de Ipanema. There is also a Garota de Ipanema Park in the nearby Arpoador neighborhood.

Bob gave me permission to use his favorite site. <smile>

With the evacuations, and runs for cover, perhaps the deaths from this storm can be prevented......Which leaves me to ponder....What a cultural and artistic loss if New Orleans is completely destroyed. Picture the "Big Easy", all modern and pristine, the slick and polished "French Quarter" (eewww!). Thank God I got to see it. I pity those who only promised to. Most of all though, my prayers are for the humans.

Well, Boo, It battered New Orleans but wasn't as horrible as predicted. Yes, I, too, feel the sense of loss, honey. You must tell us about your adventures in the Big Easy.