Sunday Morning Gospel: The Pilgrim Jubilees

From 1964 - "Testify."

Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Jackson 5ive

No commentary this week, because I cut my two fingers pretty severely, and I'm typing one-handed for a while. So watch and enjoy.

There's a Choice We're Making - We're Saving Our Own Wives

Fellow reporter Edna Gundersen just sent me this YouTube video of Japanese celebrity lookalikes singing "We Are the World." I can't even imagine the context for this performance. Wait for Cyndi Lauper.

Sunday Morning Gospel: Rance Allen

I've had the distinct pleasure of seeing Rance Allen perform twice in the past year - first, at the 50th anniversary celebration for Stax Records in Memphis, then in Nashville at a luncheon honoring the Mighty Clouds of Joy. He's always a showstopper. In fact, when I asked Steve Cropper about his favorite moment of the Stax show - which also included Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd and a Booker T & the MGs reunion, he said, "Any night I get to see Rance Allen is a good night." This video of Allen performing "Something About That Name" with Kirk Franklin will give you an idea of what he can do, but there's nothing like seeing him do those vocal runs in person.

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cool McCool

Cool McCool, a secret-agent spoof (think animated Get Smart) from Batman creator Bob Kane, aired on NBC Saturday mornings during the 1966-67 and 1967-68 seasons. But I remember it airing on the local Bozo show. Danger is his business.

Sunday Morning Gospel: Inez Andrews and the Andrewettes

Ex-Caravan Inez Andrews sings a slowed-down version of "Mary Don't You Weep." Hold on for the end, when Inez goes for the big notes. Definitely worth the wait.

Saturday Cartoon - The Mighty Heroes

The Mighty Heroes, which first aired on CBS during the 1966-67 season, was the first cartoon series I ever remember watching. The hero team featured Strong Man, Rope Man, Tornado Man, Cuckoo Man and - my favorite at the time, since I was about 3 years old - Diaper Man.

The series originally aired as part of the Mighty Mouse Playhouse and was created by Ralph Bakshi, who would later helm Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures (and do a lot of other stuff, too). The guy who did the voices of Strong Man, Diaper Man and Tornado Man apparently was also the voice of the Jolly Green Giant and Charlie the Tuna.




If this just whets your appetite, you also should check out the 1993 song "The Mighty Heroes" by Indianapolis punk band Sloppy Seconds.

Sunday Morning Gospel - The Swan Silvertones

That's the great Claude Jeter singing lead, y'all. "Only Believe."

Favorite New Band: Beat Union

Didn't post a new Sunday Morning Gospel video yesterday, maybe because I spent too much of the weekend listening to an advance of Beat Union's Disconnected. I'm a sucker for a band with an obvious Jam influence, which this U.K. four-piece acknowledges in the first line of the album's first song. The band starts a tour of the USA in a few days - of course, they're not coming to Nashville and I'm not going to SXSW, so I'm out of luck. For now, I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with the album (out April 22 on Science Records) and a couple of videos.

Here's "Can't Stop the Radio":



"She Is the Gun":