It’s Mardi Gras Time. Let the Music Wash Your Soul.

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Oh, take me on a journey to a place where I can "lay my burden down, legalize my lows, and let the music wash my soul." In other words, "Take Me to the Mardi Gras." That's the name of a song written and recorded by Paul Simon for his 1973 "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" LP. Paul may not possess one drop of Cajun/Creole blood, but his love song to The Big Easy is as soulful as that of any N'awlins native. It's one of those songs that makes my heart ache with dreams of escaping to a place of primordial pleasure, a place where a swampy voodoo vibe percolates just beneath the surface of even the most festive of ceremonies. Bawdy ol' New Orleans is such a land -- perhaps the most culturally-unique city in America.

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Farewell, Joe Franklin: My Wizard of Was

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"Boy, if we ever hit number one, we'd love to be on the Joe Franklin Show!" That's what J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf quipped to the host of TV's longest running talk show, on the night he and his bandmates hijacked Franklin's late-night program. Was the jive-talking rocker being straight, or was he merely mocking the institution that was Joe Franklin? There was no doubt in my mind that Peter "Woofa Goofa" Wolf was dead-on serious. I mean, who wouldn't want to join the ranks of the top-tier celebrities who once graced Joe Franklin's couch? From 1950 through his last show on August 6, 1993, he hosted 21,425th episodes, interviewing legends like Cary Grant, John Wayne, Muhammad Ali, Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby, Elvis, John and Yoko, Andy Warhol, and five U.S presidents. Joe was one of the people who helped fuel my knowledge and love of performers - big or small, A-list or D-list - who hailed from an entertainment era that's long gone. Here's my tribute to the talk show king, who died on January 24, 2015, at age 88.

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The Capitol Records Tower of Power

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On this date in 1949, RCA Records issued the first ever 45 rpm single. So, why am I featuring their rival, Capitol Records, in this post? Because, as we celebrate this anniversary, it gives me the perfect opportunity to show how the little vinyl disc influenced the design of one of the world's most famous buildings - the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood. This landmark, built to resemble a stack of records, has been featured in countless movies and TV shows filmed in and around Tinseltown, so you're bound to have seen it.

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Who’s the Vainest of Them All?

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When it comes to the mating habits of female rock singers, today's divas ain't got nothin' on Carly Simon. Taylor Swift may date and dump a dime-a-dozen variety of pop-boys simply to fuel her songwriting, but it's mere kid stuff compared to Carly's affairs. By the time she released her second album, "No Secrets," in late 1972, she had liaised with Cat Stevens, Mick Jagger, Kris Kristofferson and future husband James Taylor - all bona fide artists. Many were hot for the sexy Simon, but the burning question of her career remains unanswered: just who IS she referring to in her career-defining song, "You're So Vain," which topped the charts 42 years ago this month?

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I’m a Believer…in Pop Power!

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The year is 1967 and you're just out of high school. You're burning your draft card, experimenting with various herbs, and licking acid from blotter papers while listening to "Eight Miles High" and "Light My Fire." And psychedelia-loving hipster that you are, you're ready to pull your long hair out every time the opening organ chords of "I'm a Believer" came piping from the nearest radio. Forty-eight years ago this week, The Monkees' single "I'm a Believer" was getting more airplay than any other song in the country. Thanks to 1,051,280 advance orders, it went gold within two days of its November 1966 release and spent seven weeks at the top of the charts, making it the biggest selling record of 1967. You couldn't escape the sound. Free-form FM was still in its infancy, and most of the nation's gargantuan cars came equipped with only an AM dial. So, even the most musically savvy flower children couldn't escape the pop hits of the day - many of which they considered bubblegum music. But I was a mere child of 7, and I absolutely loved both bubblegum and pop hits!

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