Motown at 50: An American Musical Institution

Today, 50 years ago, one of the greatest musical labels ever was born. In so many ways, Motown has no peer. It's story is fascinating, and it is ongoing. And the tale continues far beyond the race and heritage perspective. The legends endure, and the artists and musicians associated with it have a right to be justifiably proud of their acheivements.

Instead of rehashing the story, go here to the source: Motown's official site. As for this blog, I'll let the numbers prove my point.

The Supremes: Twelve Number One Songs
Classics Hits include You Can't Hurry Love; Someday We'll Be Together; Where Did Our Love Go; Stop! In the Name of Love

Diana Ross: Six Number One Songs

Classic Hits include Ain't No Mountain High Enough; Love Hangover; Theme from "Mahogany"

Odds and Ends: "The Bodyguard" movie was originally planned for Diana Ross and Ryan O'Neil.

The Temptations: Four Number One Songs

Classic Hits include My Girl; Just My Imagination; Papa Was a Rolling Stone; The Way You Do the Things You Do

Odds and Ends: The classic Frank Sinatra hit "Night and Day" is one of the Temptations best love songs. Much better than the original.

Stevie Wonder: Nine Number One Hits

Classic Hits include Superstition; Sir Duke;You are the Sunshine of My Life; I Wish; My Cherie Amour; Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Odds and Ends: Prime album cuts- "Knocks Me Off My Feet". Best remake of his song: Peter Frampton, covering "Signed Sealed Delivered"

The Miracles (and Smokey Robinson): Two Number One Hits

Classic Hits include Shop Around; Tracks of My Tears; I Second That Emotion; Tears of a Clown; Ooo Baby Baby
Odds and Ends: Best Overlooked album- "Smoke Signals"; prolific songwriter

Four Tops: Two Number One Hits
Classic Hits include I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch);Bernadette; Reach Out (I'll BeThere); It's the Same Old Song; Standing in the Shadows of Love

Gladys Knight and the Pips: One Number One Hit
Classic Hits include Neither One of Us; I Heard It Through the Grapevine; If I Were Your Woman; If Loving You is Wrong

Commodores: Two Number One Hits
Classic Hits include Brick House; Three Times a Lady; Still

Lionel Ritchie: Five Number One Hits
Classic Hits include Truly; All Night Long; Hello

Jackson5: Four Number One Hits
Classic Hits include Never Can Say Goodbye; I'll Be There; ABC; I Want You Back
Marvin Gaye: Three Number One Hits
Classic Hits include I Heard It Through the Grapevine; Let's Get It On; How Sweet It Is to be Loved By You; What's Going On; Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

Various Artists and Songs You Know By Heart: Mary Wells (My Guy); Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (Dancing in the Streets, Jimmy Mack, Heatwave); Rare Earth (I Just Want to Celebrate); Contours (Do You Love Me?); Marvelettes (Please Mr. Postman, Beechwood 4-5789); Boyz II Men (The End of the Road); Rick James (Superfreak), Edwin Starr (War); Jimmy Ruffin (What Becomes of the Broken Hearted); etc. etc. etc.

Thank you, Berry Gordy, for creating an American institution! Case closed.

"Princess and Frog" Ramps Up

Just released- from the upcoming Disney Animation feature, "The Princess and the Frog". Let the promotional fun begin. This is sounding- and looking good, real good!

Grey's Final Low Moment

Anyone looking for more evidence that Grey's Anatomy has lost its way? Just watch Thursday night's show. Creator Shonda Rhimes has let this once excellent drama fall apart, devolving into prime time soft porn.

Through poor choices of his own doing, Grey's strongest actor, Isaiah Washington left the show- and the downward spiral began. Story lines took a dip, characters became caricatures, and strong writing all but disappeared. We wondered if greatness would ever return. It wasn't to be.

For this writer, the final blow took place last night. Count one viewer lost.

Recycling in the Disney Kingdoms

Beyond recycling old America Sings characters for Splash Mountain or old parades for Festival of the Lion King, going green has additional meanings for Disney Imagineers and executives.

This unbuilt Adventureland attraction for Hong Kong, (seen above in rare concept art), could very well find a place in the new Disney park in Shanghai. As we all know, concepts are never really dead until pieces of them are ripped apart and reassembled in some fashion, appearing somewhere else. It's the Disney version of recycling and going green.

Disney park history proves this is so: pieces from the infamous Discovery Bay wound up in Disneyland Paris' gorgeous Discoveryland. The mega-attraction Thunder Mesa, once on the boards for Frontierland in Florida, found major scenes from its river attraction in Epcot's World of Motion many years later- and so it goes.

So... if this Carnataur from Countdown to Extinction meets Roller Coaster hybrid ends up one day in the newest Chinese park, Don't be too surprised. It's not only efficient- it is Disney being green- and the real motivation-saving them money, that is!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Behind the Magic

This new addition is one great read- and one great look! The text is rich and interesting, but it is the abundance of concept art which makes this volume worth purchasing.

This image is a new one of the proposed Liberty Street for California. On the same page alone is an additional piece rarely seen about Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln as well as a photo of Blaine Gibson sculpting the 16th President.

Authors Karal Marling and Donna R. Braden create the perfect companion piece to the show of the same name, the exhibition placed together with loving care by the Walt Disney Company and The Henry Ford foundation.

As far as I can tell, this is a purchase only available at Disneyland or at the exhibit itself. Snatch it up! You'll be glad you did.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Who Cares?

That's my two word response to the whole "Who did who wrong?" thing. It's time for everyone- including the American public- to move on. Don't you agree?

The World in Reverse

Just had this sent to me. Worth a look and listen! Click here.

New Technology for Car's Radiator Racers!

Great news for theme park fans wanting Disney to use some groundbreaking technology! A highlighted excerpt from Bob Iger's interview with Fortune magazine is below. The entire article can be found here.

"Cars" may be exhibit A of Disney's franchise machinery at work. Three years after the movie came out, sales of licensed merchandise are running at more than $2 billion annually. A "Cars" sequel is in production. Disney will soon launch an elaborate Cars virtual world. But the biggest bet on "Cars" is Cars Land, a 12-acre stretch of Disney's California Adventure theme park set to open in 2012.

On a Monday afternoon not long after Iger's trip to London, he was at Disney's famed (and so hush-hush there's no sign outside) Imagineering offices in Glendale, Calif. He was joined by John Lasseter, who was enjoying the early buzz on "Bolt," the first decent Disney animated film in years, and one on which the Pixar folks had made major modifications.

Lasseter and Iger were eyeballing wood and foam scale models of Cars Land. The biggest draw in the mini-park will be a ride featuring animatronic characters from the movie and "cars" that go 40 miles an hour but seem much faster in places, thanks to new projection technology. Lasseter crouched as he made his way through the 1/8 scale mockup, adding his own sound effects for each twist and turn. "Look at this! Have you seen this, Bob? Lean down and take a look. It's like the movie, except you're there."

Upstairs, designers were doing what's called "pre-viz" work, wearing headgear that allowed them to explore a virtual 3-D rendering of the ride and stroll around (or fly above) Cars Land."

After visiting the Blue Sky Cellar last week, I cannot wait for this attraction! My trip report with photos is coming soon...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

High Hopes for Music in 2009

OK, Sting, you and the rest of the Police made your millions and proved you could still really rock the world. Time for you to step back into the pop world again as a soloist. You've had your fun, now let's get going. (Please...)

What else do I hope for? How about a Whitney Houston album as strong as My Love is Your Love? Can't wait to find out if she still has it. Her last two- including a very ordinary Christmas album- have been mediocre at best. Hope her private life has calmed down enough so she can focus- and stay sober.

Calling Mr. Yamin, Mr. Elliott Yamin. Time for some blue-eyed soul again. I hear this one's to have a bit more of a pop flair. How about a remake or two to give us some old school? House is Not a Home? Some Stevie Wonder cover? A great duet with someone more worthy than that Katharine girl? Anxiously awaiting another outing.

Of course, I'd love something to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Karen and Richard Carpenter's first disc, but who am I kidding?
More to add to my list: Norah Jones, Daughtry, Queen Latifah, Michael Buble, Gloria Estefan, Paul McCartney, etc.

I'd even settle for some great new artists- if they could make me stand up and take notice. Requirement number 1: Must be able to sing it live, no studio tricks. Requirement number 2: Gotta be able to understand the lyrics.
High Hopes, yes, High Hopes.

Sci-Fi City for Tokyo?

With the new Monsters Inc. attraction ready to go in Tokyo, it seems the attention has been turned on the rest of the Japanese Tomorrowland as well. The image above is one of very few of a new Tomorrowland that was proposed a few years back. Looks to be a blend of what was actually built in Florida and what transpired in California. Hmmm- come to think of it, isn't most of Tokyo Disneyland that kind of mix? Should be interesting to see what happens next. Stay tuned!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

What Comes Next?

What will this New Year bring? The best laid plans of mice and men get tossed aside at times, but I’ll take a shot at it.

As far as this blog goes, I see quite a few things happening.
There will be a few trips and trip reports; some to the Disney worlds on each coast; one to a resort that is new to me, but one with a somewhat different flavor.

Expect the next installments of “Disney’s Animal Kingdom- A Real True Life Adventure” to show up; a look at the 20th anniversary of the Disney-MGM/Disney’s Hollywood Studios; celebrating the original park's 55th anniversary; more rarely seen concept art from all over.

Lots of album and movie reviews. Family tidbits, too. Of course, I’ll always throw in about what I am learning with regards to life, faith, and fun!

Thanks for making 2008 a wonderful year at this blog! Your encouragement, visits, and feedback are most appreciated. It is an honor I don’t take lightly.

Mark

A Warm and Fuzzy Christmas

This time of year it would be customary (or at least pleasant) to read about those warm fuzzy moments surrounding the celebration of the birth of Jesus. To paraphrase a common saying, “This ain’t one of those moments.”

You see, everyone responds differently to the Good News.

Around the time of Jesus’ birth, the people who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding area knew that firsthand.

King Herod was fuming mad that the wise men had returned to their own country without returning to tell him the whereabouts of Jesus. Under the guise of wanting to worship him, Herod was relying on their information so he could kill the Christ Child. Herod was threatened and wanted no one else in control. When his original plan failed, every boy aged two and under was killed at the king’s command. What a huge price many paid because of one man’s ego, anger, and fear!

As Jesus grew up, and especially during his ministry, people responded with curiosity or disinterest or disdain in their own thoughts about him. Though time changes, human nature does not.

Today, people still respond the same way as Herod: the thought of giving up control of one’s own life to Someone Else will just not be done. So, Jesus is again responded to with curiosity, disinterest, or distain.

Maybe even worse, He can be put “in his place”, especially by us folks who are religious or may have a faint interest in being spiritual. This could be because of religious tradition or because we have become too familiar with Him. Either way, when this happens, Jesus risks becoming an icon for us, removed from personal relationship with the very people he died for! Jesus died for an intimate relationship with each one of us- not so that He could become a corporate figurehead.

To me, the baby Jesus I place in that crèche on the mantle is only a reminder of the man who died to give me eternal life and a living relationship with Him. This Christmas, I invite you to reconsider the Jesus who willingly gave up his life for you. All He asks in turn is that you give him your heart and control of your life. What a small price to pay!

Another American Hero Returns

The picture says it all. Welcome home- and Thank you for your service!

It's Greek to Me

Yes, Virginia, you are looking at a model of the proposed Greek Resort for Walt Disney World. Looking closely, it is easy to see the influence the islands played on the design. There is much speculation on why this was never built. The suits, of course, never tell the real story. My hunch is that the Vacation Club took on a life of its own and the economy took a fall- and with it, all the best laid plans fell by the wayside. Very similar to what is going on down in Florida as we speak.

My Dear Nona...

It happened again. I dreamt of you, but this time I was older, and you were, too. Boy, I miss you. You were a sweet friend as well as an amazing, caring Grandma. It's nice to know you're with Jesus now; It's nice to know I'll see you again one day. Thanks- and rest in peace.