Comic 206
Back-Up Vocal~ I must admit that in hindsight, even I’m somewhat taken aback by the amount of name drops in this here Comic. Bear with me as I break it down for you. Yes, it is true that Hal Linden, Cher and Dirk Benedict all had guest appearances on the old “Donny and Marie” show. Trudging through all those episodes (as I felt obliged to do) showed me that. In my search for celebrities to include in the above Panels, they were obvious choices. My man, Bruce Greenwood gets a nod in my work whenever possible, simply by nature of being Bruce Greenwood. I would say that no gala event is complete without him and his presence can only add credibility and class to Hollywood festivities. I’m not entirely sure how Bonnie Tyler fits into it all. But, she is an 80’s icon. She worked mighty hard for her success and she deserves an evening of Osmond family impersonators on ice. Lou Diamond Phillips has now become a permanent fixture in my work and he has more than earned his place in the Splendorland kingdom. I’d give him front row seats to this Osmonds thing if I could. I owe him that much.
For the last few years, I’ve been somewhat fascinated by The Band. Back when I was making this Comic, I had the chance to watch a few Documentaries about them and their history, as well as getting my hands on a copy of “The Last Waltz” on DVD. I was intrigued by their song writing and the caliber of musicianship and skill among them was stunning. True, they were not a Progressive rock band in the same fashion as Yes, King Crimson or ELP. They never cooked up tunes about spaceships, dragons or demented kings. Yet, I opine that their approach to song craft was completely experimental and Progressive. They would try anything to bring dimension and depth to their music. From trading instruments with each other to incorporating a clavinet with a half-time drum beat for a funk feel, to letting their studio team play brass on a song, to yodeling. They wrote about the human condition invoking visions carnivals, trains, farm life and battling the elements to provide for loved ones. They made music about life in the heartland, with all the joys and struggles housed in it. Elements of Blues, Country, Gospel and Bluegrass were all mixed together in what they created. As Soxx so accurately said, “a little of this and a little of that”. Their work is absolutely brilliant.
I suspect the Crumpet Castle© executives don’t have much in the way of scruples regarding how their jingles get generated. “Misappropriation” is a word that gets tossed around with liberal fervor these days and those guys will do it with no prompting at all, if it sells their product and lots of it. Get folks thinking “harvesty”, “breakfasty” thoughts and the hunger for apricot flavor scones will follow right behind. Regardless of the devastating ennui it may cause our favorite floppy-eared guitar hero forced to write the soundtrack for it all. It really is true. Donny and Marie Osmond appeared in fruit punch commercials back in the late 70’s, which ran during their own show. Yet, they still sold out far less than Manny has lately.
Finally, my boys don’t have much occasion to get fancy. Give them a night on the town and they clean up nice.