Never been to Spain – FIRST CONCEPT

This week’s theme song is used ironically. I’ve been to Spain, but not to Oklahoma, which comes with heaven in Never been to Spain. I visited Spain in the early 80s, before it was overrun by tourists. It was before foodies were raving about Spanish cuisine, so I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. It made me feel like I had discovered a special secret, but the news is out in the 21st century.

It’s been a long year of plodding along in my recovery. I’m feeling OK, but I still need two more iron infusions before I’m back to normal. I still get tired easily, but a good sign was how I came up with my Vote Against The Crook, It’s Important: Queens Kourabiedes Edition post. It’s been a long time since I sat down with no idea what to write about, followed by a journey of discovery. It felt good, all of it.

Hoyt Axton wrote this week’s theme song in 1971, hoping to score a solo hit. That didn’t happen, so Three Dog Night had a monster hit with this catchy tune with ironic, even sly lyrics. Another day, another Three Dog Night hit. They’ve been chasing me.

We have three versions of Never been to Spain for your listening pleasure: the songwriter’s original, Three Dog Night and Ike & Tina Turner.

Speaking of Oklahoma, here’s a song by one of the state’s finest musicians:

Like another Adrastos favorite, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton has been on my shitlist since the pandemic. Let’s do some Tulsa Time for his rehabilitation.

We begin our second act with a book review.

What I read: I’ve had positive feedback on previous book chat segments in this space, so let’s go back Jack and do it again. This time I’ll have something old and something new to write about.

We start with a 2024 book by an old favorite, Doris Kearns Goodwin.

I posted a snippet of An unfinished love story in this space in April. The segment title still works: Dick & Doris-Historians In Love.

The book came to life because Goodwin’s late husband, Dick, decided it was time to finally go through some boxes he’d been carrying around for half a century. And they weren’t just any boxes. They contained documents about Dick Goodwin’s life as a speechwriter and close associate of Jack Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and Eugene McCarthy. Dick Goodwin was the Zelig of 1960s liberalism.

Doris and Dick didn’t meet until Dick’s glory days were over, but they had LBJ in common. Doris worked for LBJ in the White House and helped with his memoirs. Presidential memoirs are always boring, and Lyndon’s was no exception. LBJ insisted on being treated with dignity in the book rather than himself. That’s what happens when you don’t write your own book. Presidential memoirs are usually good doorstops.

An unfinished love story is a hybrid of biography, memoir, and history. My favorite parts are when Dick and Doris discuss the past and bicker about their primary presidential loyalties: Dick to JFK; Doris to LBJ.

I was already a fan of Dick and Doris, but this book made me feel like I knew them in real life. They are lovely people who led extremely interesting lives. This book is an excellent chronicle of their lives and times. I am glad Dick insisted that Doris finish the book after his death.

Repeat after me: Dick Goodwin was the Zelig of liberalism in the 1960s.

Evaluation time: I give An unfinished love story 4 stars and an Adrastos grade of A-. It’s another winner from one of our best historians.

I’ll let The Byrds sing us through this part:

Let’s move on to our next book. Are you ready to twist?

Peppermint Twist was published in 2012. Normally books with three co-authors don’t work. This one does.

It tells the remarkable story of Dick Cami and his father-in-law Johnny Biello. They opened one of the first nightclubs dedicated to rock and roll and helped start the Twist craze. It was so successful that they opened a branch of The Peppermint Lounge in Miami. One more thing: Johnny Biello was a made man associated with the Genovese family. Biello’s mob nickname was Johnny Futto. That’s right, Johnny Foot.

The best summary of the book comes from Ronnie Spector’s blurb on the book cover: “The Sopranos Meets American Bandstand.” She’s not making this up.

I bought this book because the great music author Joel Selvin is one of the co-authors. He does the musical side. Selvin’s old buddy John Johnson does the mafia material and Dick Cami provides the raw material for the book. The collaboration was a success.

I really enjoyed it Peppermint Twist. Dick Cami was never a gangster, but he learned about the life of Johnny Futto. Johnny was a protégé of Frank Costello and like his mentor, he did not like violence. Unfortunately, Johnny Futto was murdered by his criminal accomplices in 1967. Dick Cami died in 2020 of natural causes after a long and interesting life as a club owner and restaurateur.

The book even has its own theme song: This recording is by the Peppermint Lounge house band.

Evaluation time: I give Peppermint Twist 3 1/2 stars and an Adrastos grade of B+. It is like nothing else I have ever read.

The last word of our second act goes to Chubby Checker:

We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature film.

Separated at birth: I’ve been thinking about pairing Federico Castellucio and Brent Spiner for a while now. Furio meets Mr. Data:

I wonder if Carmela Soprano had a soft spot for Brent Spiner as Data? It would have been weird since he’s an android, but he was a handsome android.

Your weekly Oscar: OP plays Richard Rodgers. Say no more.

The best of Penn & Teller: Here’s the dynamic duo of modern magic, with Conan O’Brien taking on the serious role for a change.

Saturday GIF Horse: I still have Sunset Boulevard on my mind since I wrote Let Him Talk. Let’s have a chat with Norma Desmond and her strange cigarette holder.

Tweet of the week: This tweet just appeared on my timeline out of nowhere. That’s not always a good thing, but in this case it was. It shows a young lady (Lucy Rohden?) on the sidelines of a Texas A&M football game making a face at Ted Cruz. Who among us hasn’t wanted to look at the junior senator from Texas?

photo.twitter.com/uD01JTF8qz

— Lucy Rohden (@lucy_rohden) September 2, 2024

Let’s close out this virtual pub with some jazz.

Saturday Closer: I don’t know how long this album will stay online, but it’s a message.

That’s it for this week. The last word goes to two great Spanish artists, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro.

Yes, I know: Joan Miro was Catalan, but he had a Spanish passport.