President Biden has hit the road and he’s a rollin’.
Let’s keep the steam pumpin with not one, not two but three wonderful versions of a Fearsome favorite, Proud Mary.
Broken Peach – Proud Mary – 2017
Tina Turner – Proud Mary – 2009 (49 years after she first charted a tune in 1960 and 38 years after she & Ike made their cover of this tune famous, she is 70 years old in this performance.)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary – 1969
Keep on rollin’ Joe. You are doing a good man’s work and we support you.
I awake this morning filled with hope. A hope that has me shedding tears of joy. A joy that comes as a weight that has been hard to bear is being lifted. I’m finding it hard to express the depth of this hope.
The hope that I feel comes from my belief that inherently humankind is actually kind at it’s heart. While I recognize the faults, folly and imperfections of us, I see that kindness, love and understanding prevail over time.
I believe in sharing, promoting and focusing on the good. I believe this because I value that you get what you focus on the most.
There is a lightness to my shoulders this morning. There is an easier feeling than what I’ve felt in the past 4 years. My angst is receding. A feeling of relief, calm and serenity is coming over me.
There’s a kind of Hush – Herman’s Hermits – 1967
This tune is one I enjoyed as a child. It’s a tune that takes me to a simpler place. It brings me joy today.
This is a monumental week for me as a liberal left leaning democrat. I must remember to be careful, careful of my expectations. Utopia cannot happen at once but must be built. Patience and an open mind will benefit me as we move forward.
I am ready to lay this burden of angst down and lift my wings and fly. However I will remember that I do reap what I sow.
Well it’s 2021. We are still here.
There is a light at the end of this here tunnel and on this here blog thingy we hope to inspire in the coming year. It is time we got back to our roots, took stock of what we have and commenced to grow into what we wish to become.
Fearsome is still growing, I desire to follow his lead.
John Lennon has always been a leader who inspires me, so I’m handing it to him to kick us off on this very New Year’s Day 2021.
John Lennon / The Plastic Ono Band – Instant Karma! ( We All Shine On ) – 1970
Ella is simply perfection.
Therefore I’m going to let her serenade in my 2021. Relaxing at home with my better half and my pups, that’s what I’m doing this New Years Eve.
Fearsome and I wish all of you happiness, health, joy, prosperity, love and magic in the year 2021.
Ella Fitzgerald – What Are You Doing New Years Eve – 1960
Keeping with our friends Stephen & Rab, The Kilted Coaches, Fearsome and I have some attitude adjustment to do in order to keep us on track. Today we are reminded that in order to achieve our goals, we need to aim beyond them.
Now that Fearsome is at belly button, his next goal is belt buckle. Therefore he’s aiming for mid fly.
My next fitness goal is to regain the strength and muscle I’ve lost in the isolation and closed gym of the pandemic, so I am in my garage setting up my new home gym and am going to aim for 10lbs beyond my last lifting best, but will safely start lifting far below that and aim to gain slowly to 10 lbs beyond. My next financial goal is to pay 70% of the cost of my new Cybertruck in cash January of 2022, so I’m going to aim for paying 100% cash!
We here at Fearsome Beard love our Drag Queens, and Manila Luzon never lets us down. She simply outdoes herself with her sickening version of Slay Bells!
It’s a beautiful winter solstice evening here in San Diego California. We’ve just returned from a 4.7 mile walk as the sun set over the Pacific ocean to our west for its final time before our earth begins its tilt northward marking the beginning of winter. Today was a stunningly beautiful 75 degree F day here with crystal blue skies, warm but with a refreshing nip in the air. Simply the optimum Southern California winters’s day, kind of a cordial welcome to longer days that are on the horizon as we march toward spring.
Moments after arriving home we found this a cappella recording of Veni Veni Emmanuel. It’s simple yet refreshingly stunning. We found it an appropriate to welcome winter.
Enjoy!
Long time Fearsome Beard readers pretty much expect this one to pop up somewhere in the Fearsome holiday play list. It’s a tradition as well as a favorite!
Take it away Gayla!
Gayla Peevey – I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas – 1953
I was introduced to Mahalia Jackson by a previous lover. He adored her. I found her very talented, yet very campy. Her voice is amazing, her timing perfection and her style classic high church drama.
Even though I prefer more contemporary mid century holiday classics and am not too keen on the christiany carols, I can listen to her every year and her CD is a staple in my Xmas playlist.
So we present to you our favorite of her repertoire, Sweet Little Jesus Boy.
Mahalia Jackson – Sweet Little Jesus Boy – 1962
Get a load of that organ accompaniment, pure perfection.
My YouTube feed has pestered me with suggestions of a clown covering songs for at least the past two years. Some clown called Puddles Pity Party. I hate clowns. They just simply freak me out. So I have avoided clicking on any of those suggestions and a couple times thought about clicking the button to remove any suggestions of his channel to me period.
It was contempt without investigation. All because clowns just give me the heeby jeebies.
Then recently one day the suggestion was Ozzy Osborne’s Crazy Train, which I love, but by this Puddles clown guy. I finally gave in and was pleasantly surprised. This clown was good. Really good. I subscribed after just that one video,
So what did my YouTube feed suggest this week? Puddles singing Silent Night.
“Oh shit” I said to myself. Not only do clowns give me the heeby jeebies but Silent Night is like almost my least cared for Christmas tune ever…period. I just don’t like that tune. We sang it and sang it when I was a kid and I’ve never liked it at all.
I almost ignored it and then remembered that this guy is good, really good. So I clicked play and wow, just wow. I can listen to this version of Silent Night over and over.
Did I say this clown is good? Oh I did and I meant it. Enjoy.
Almost nothing says mid to late 1970s better than the Salsoul Orchestra. Since it’s a Saturday evening we’ve decided to move our tush around with a toe tapping Salsoul holiday tune. Enjoy!
Salsoul Orchestra – Merry Christmas All – 1976
Christmastime is here,
It’s a jolly good time of the year
People somehow know
The Christmas spirit they show
Sleigh bells in the snow
Everywhere you go,
People having fun
Cause it’s a merry time of the year,
A jolly good time of the year
Cause we’re all just like children
With our own Christmas tree
Singing yuletide carols
Now, That’s Christmas to me
Another year gone by,
New Year’s almost here
Merry Christmas all,
And Happy Happy New Year
Jolly good time of the year
Sleigh bells in the snow
Everywhere you go,
People having fun
Cause it’s a merry time of the year,
A jolly good time of the year
We’re all just like children
Come that one special day
Giving gifts just like children
Ain’t that the Christmas way?
Another year gone by,
New Year’s almost here
Merry Christmas all,
And a Happy Happy New Year
Jolly good time of the year
It’s the only time of the year
Happy, Jolly, Only time of the year,
Happy, Jolly, Only time of the year,
Happy, Jolly, Only time of the year,
Happy, Jolly, Only time of the year,
This islander tune has been covered by many however, in our humbly bearded opinion, no one has ever come close to the original Bing Crosby & Andrews Sisters classic. Yes that is the Andrews Sisters singing with Bing on this one.
We don’t have an in depth memory or attachment to the tune, but just like it’s easy going islander feel. Seeing that we are starting a weekend at the moment, we felt it a good way to keep the holiday feeling while relaxing into a weekend. May yours be an enjoyable one.
Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters – Mele Kalikimaka – 1950
