JonMichael is Neither Jon nor Michael

I'm Walkin' by Fats Domino (#5 in 1957)

What a song!  Fats Domino has many moods be they sad, loving or partying.  But when Fats sings a song it stays sung.  “I’m Walkin’” is just another jewel in his crown.  Fats’ piano takes a back seat to a great rhythm section and a saxophone that remind us of the beat of the city.  Fats sings about being lonely but its that kind of not really alone that all city dwellers experience.  He wants his Miss back and so presumably he’s walking to do so.  But it doesn’t really matter.

Atlantic Puzzler Reviews 1989

Dec 1989 -- Decorations** A-
Nov 1989 -- Cryptic Menu* A
Oct 1989 -- Waste Recycling* A-
Sep 1989 -- Jigsaw* A-
Aug 1989 -- Cryptic Golf** A
Jul 1989 -- Stars And Stripes** A
Jun 1989 -- Alphanagrams** A
May 1989 -- Cross Checking** A
Apr 1989 -- Mosaic* B
Mar 1989 -- Egg Hunt* A-
Feb 1989 -- Sounding Off B
Jan 1989 -- Cryptic Slalom** B+

*Available in "The Random House Guide to Cryptic Crosswords" 2nd Ed.
**Available in "The Atlantic Monthly Cryptic Crosswords"

Party Doll by Buddy Knox (#1 in 1957)

Buddy Knox has been lauded as the first artist to write his own number one single.  (There’s some problems given that Elvis is sometime credited as a writer even though he never wrote a song.)  So, Buddy predates Stevie, John & Paul, Bruce, & Nelly, to name a few.  Are singer-songwriters better than just singers?  Hard to say; this song offers no hints.  While it is great straight-up rock and roll, it doesn’t really send you rushing away from Elvis records either.  This song is a pure dance song with a little country style and maybe that's more significant.

Atlantic Puzzler Reviews 1988

Dec 1988 -- The Four Seasons* B+
Nov 1988 -- Five And Ten A-
Oct 1988 -- Commoners* A
Sep 1988 -- Left, Right & Center* A-
Aug 1988 -- Forty-Niners* B
Jul 1988 -- Split Decision** B+
Jun 1988 -- Traffic Jam** A
May 1988 -- Window Boxes** A-
Apr 1988 -- Magic A-
Mar 1988 -- Word Square* A-
Feb 1988 -- All Heart** B+
Jan 1988 -- At The Races** A

*Available in "The Random House Guide to Cryptic Crosswords" 2nd Ed.
**Available in "The Atlantic Monthly Cryptic Crosswords"

Round And Round by Perry Como (#1 in 1957)

It keeps getting later and later into the rock era and Perry still holds strong outlasting (at least on the front end) Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher and many more.  “Round and Round” is the kind of song you have to like.  There’s maybe two or three verses and oddly compelling sort of bridge. The lyrics are about the circle of relationship set against the circle of a circle. And this song’s crescendo is all production effect that totally pays off in the end.  Dig this one up and put it on; Perry got one last number one for a reason.

Butterfly by Andy Williams (#4 in 1957)

Just as Charlie Gracie represented the rock aspects of “Butterfly”, so to does Andy Williams represent the mid-50s non-rock aspects of it.  Everything in this song is too polished and too distinct for rock and roll.  Whistles, snaps, vocals… you name it.  And Andy Williams sounds like a member of the patriarchy rather than just a lovesick teen trying to win the affection of a girl.  Of course, Charlie Gracie only had one more top ten while Andy Williams’ career extended into the 1970’s, so it shows what I know.

Butterfly by Charlie Gracie (#3 in 1957)

Boom… the first top ten Cameo-Parkway single.  Charlie Gracie may not be a household name, but this version of “Butterfly” is critical to your understanding of the time. Compared to Andy Williams’ “smooth around the edges” version, Charlie sounds like a rocker and that’s exactly why he won the war of “Butterfly.”  Sure his whistling is less melodic and his snaps are less crisp… but he’s singing it like he means not like someone just plopped the music down in front of him.  It was just another small change that made rock and roll inevitable and here to stay.

Atlantic Puzzler Reviews 1987

Dec 1987 -- Segments B+
Nov 1987 -- Connect the Dots* B+
Oct 1987 -- Best Sellers A-
Sep 1987 -- Subtraction* A-
Aug 1987 -- Coordination* A
Jul 1987 -- The Music Goes Round and Round** A-
Jun 1987 -- Hex* B
May 1987 -- Phases B
Apr 1987 -- Code Pairs** B+
Mar 1987 -- Talk Show B+
Feb 1987 -- The Name of the Game** A-
Jan 1987 -- Patchwork A-

*Available in "The Random House Guide to Cryptic Crosswords" 2nd Ed.
**Available in "The Atlantic Monthly Cryptic Crosswords"

Teenage Crush by Tommy Sands (#2 in 1957)

They just don’t understand us and our love. The theme of 1957. Tommy Sands was an actor not a singer (see also: Tab Hunter) and got cast in a role as a teen idol which required him to sing this song which is why he became a teen idol. Got that? Of course, Tommy also sounds vaguely similar to a Muppet (what was that all about anyway?). But the piano and guitar make this a rock track and not some proximate mid-50s Pat Boone-type number. Even rock was now producing touchy-feely boys. Thank God for Ricky Nelson.

Marianne by Terry Gilkyson & The Easy Riders (#6 in 1957)

My 100th 100 words piece is about a light-hearted (if not altogether coherent) song.  Terry Gilkyson & The Easy Riders crafted this pop-Caribbean track out of whole cloth.  The Jamaican influence of Harry Belafonte coupled with the simplicity of the lyrics (about a girl who he loves and so do little children??) make this song both strange and joyous.  The vocalists sound the people at the high school talent show who loved to entertain but didn’t have the best voice.  The faux-ethnic guitar and such are not convincing, but this songs not trying to change the world.  Don’t rush me.