DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS

Rich Buckland and Bill Mesnik
  • 4.8 (18)
  • MUSIC
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

My Fellow Americans, Life is actually just a microscopic, deluded moment in time, so let's cut to the freakin' chase. One look at our impending election debacle can solidify my case. It has been my contention since birth, that the answer to every difficulty we encounter on this sacred yet demented Stone, can be revealed with ultimate clarity through the ultra neurotic engagements of Music, Art, Literature, Film, Poetry and a good Pastrami sandwich. Why would any sane human spend so must time on a film set (Do you know how long you gotta wait until your 8 second deliverance of an edited beyond repair line gets a chance to become a professional embarrassment etched in time forever? ) or expend so much energy in a recording studio, piecing together another ode to a man or woman who could not care less how much love existed within your digestive tract? It's all about hymns and prayers and a quest for mercy and forgiveness and silence and faith. We were blessed with Charles Bukowski,  Gene Chandler, Lenny Bruce, Mitch Ryder and a legion of creative explorers whose influences provided the air we breathe.  So Let's Dance! This site shall explore the reaper, find a way to disarm the stench of injustice, discover some true loves and talk it all over before it's all over. So what's the worst that our desires could produce? Failure? So sue me. I'm going to require your assistance in making as much trouble for the grown-ups as possible. Let the record show that my childish heart yearns to disrupt the madness. Join me Ladies and Germs! With Gratitude For Gena Rowlands, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Quarry, Leo Gorcey, Arthur Alexander and Joey Heatherton, Your Splendid Bohemian, Rich Buckland.

  1. IN HONOR OF THE LOVING MEMORY OF CLARENCE CARTER- FROM THE SPLENDID BOHEMIAN ARCHIVES- A "DIG THIS" CLASSIC EPISODE CELEBRATING THE SOUTHERN SOUL GENIUS OF CLARENCE CARTER, DON COVAY, AND ARTHUR ALEXANDER.

    2D AGO

    IN HONOR OF THE LOVING MEMORY OF CLARENCE CARTER- FROM THE SPLENDID BOHEMIAN ARCHIVES- A "DIG THIS" CLASSIC EPISODE CELEBRATING THE SOUTHERN SOUL GENIUS OF CLARENCE CARTER, DON COVAY, AND ARTHUR ALEXANDER.

    "CLARENCE CARTER SLIPS AWAY ON THE MYSTERY TRAIN" When we speak of the deep soul drenched days when certain performers inhabited a heart full of soul so captivating and special that they were ordained as high priests of mournful and lustful magic, we will always recall Soul legend Clarence Carter. Clarence boarded The Mystery Train today, May 14, following struggles with prostate cancer and a battle with pneumonia and sepsis. He was 90. This  blind Southern star from Alabama scored two Top 10 hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s with “Slip Away” and “Patches,”  After having hits on the R&B charts (including 1965’s “Step By Step” and 1967’s “Tell Daddy”), Carter landed on the pop charts – as well as, concurrently, the R&B lists – with 1968’s “Slip Away,” a song that highlighted Carter’s powerful and emotional baritone voice with a lyric in which the singer implores his married lover for a secret rendezvous  Two years later Carter released his biggest pop hit, the Grammy-winning (for Best R&B song) “Patches,” which rose to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Mr. Carter also recorded a number of raunchy novelty songs eschewed by mainstream radio but finding success in later years: The 1968 “Back Door Santa” was sampled by Run-D.M.C. for the 1987 single “Christmas in Hollis,” and the even more explicit “Strokin'” from 1986 was featured on the soundtrack for Eddie Murphy’s 1996 remake of The Nutty Professor as well as in William Friedkin’s 2011 film Killer Joe. Sleep Well Clarence.  The first of the six covers that appear on Please Please Me is a mid-tempo ballad called “Anna (Go to Him),” which was written and first recorded by Arthur Alexander. Chances are that most people who hear the version sung by John Lennon have no idea who Arthur Alexander is—but the Beatles certainly knew, and so did the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan: Alexander is reportedly the only songwriter whose tunes have appeared on studio albums by those three hallowed acts. Elvis Presley recorded one of his songs as well—albeit one that Alexander co-wrote—and so did Otis Redding and Tina Turner and Jerry Lee Lewis and Percy Sledge. Don Covay  recorded for several labels, including Blaze, Sue, Big Top, Fire, Arnold, Fleetwood, Columbia, Epic and Scepter, releasing 'Popeye Waddle' b/w 'One Little Boy Had Money' in 1962 for Cameo Parkway, which became a hit.Don was, by now, recording solo material, and material under the name of Don Covay and the Goodtimers.He penned the U.S. number 1 single 'Pony Time' for Chubby Checker, wrote a hit song called 'I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You', for the Soul singer Solomon Burke, and wrote for Gladys Knight & The Pips, penning 'Letter Full of Tears', which made the top 20.Don formed partnerships with several associates including Horace Ott and Ronnie Miller.In 1964, when he signed to the Rosemart label.His debut single there with the Goodtimers, 'Mercy Mercy' featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar.The following year, Jimi Hendrix played again on the follow up single 'Take This Hurt Off Me' b/w 'Please Don't Let Me Know'. Clarence Carter didn’t have it easy while growing up in Alabama; and being Black and blind was an extra burden, but he has overcome many other obstacles in so many ways. “I feel incredibly good about what I’ve been able to accomplish, but it was not easy. Our world presents challenges and barriers to success for people with disabilities, but I always wanted more in life and believe that the ADA helped me get to where I am today.” I would like to say that Carter now has three “B’s” behind his name, Black, Blind and Blessed. Carter is known for serious Blues music, which includes a string of R&B hits. The songs “Back Door Santa,” “Slip Away,” “Patches,” “Too Weak to Fight” and the dance hall hit “Strokin” are part of his Blues legacy.

    49 min
  2. THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS, LIVE FROM THE STARLIGHT LOUNGE IN THE HOTEL BOHEMIA PRESENT AN 84TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO BOB DYLAN: SOME OF HIS ALL-TIME BEST COVERS. ENJOY!!

    MAY 10

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS, LIVE FROM THE STARLIGHT LOUNGE IN THE HOTEL BOHEMIA PRESENT AN 84TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO BOB DYLAN: SOME OF HIS ALL-TIME BEST COVERS. ENJOY!!

    How do you come up with a list of best covers of our greatest living songwriter? Splendid Bohemian, and Bob Dylan Maven Rich Buckland states his case as his partner, Bill Mesnik endeavors to keep up. BOB DYLAN COVERS It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue : 13th Floor ElevatorsBaby, I’d Do it All Over You: Dave Van RonkFoot of Pride : Lou ReedTomorrow is a Long Time: Elvis PresleyBaby, You’ve been on my Mind: DionSooner or Later : Emma SwiftWho killed Davy Moore? : Gary ShearsonChanging of the Guards: Gaslight AnthemDesolation Row: My Chemical RomanceRestless Farewell: Joan BaezI’ll Keep it with Mine: NicoBlowing in the Wind: Sam CookeI’m Not There: Sonic YouthOne More Cup of Coffee: White StripesPlease Crawl Out Your Window: Wilko Johnson with Roger DaltreyPositively 4th Street: Johnny Rivers

    1h 13m
  3. THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT A "DIG THIS" REWIND FROM 10 YEARS AGO: LEGACIES IN DANGER! THE BOYS REASSESS THE CAREERS OF TOM JONES AND CHARLES AZNAVOUR AND DEBATE THE IDEA OF ROMANTICISM IN THE AGE OF "ME TOO."

    APR 17

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT A "DIG THIS" REWIND FROM 10 YEARS AGO: LEGACIES IN DANGER! THE BOYS REASSESS THE CAREERS OF TOM JONES AND CHARLES AZNAVOUR AND DEBATE THE IDEA OF ROMANTICISM IN THE AGE OF "ME TOO."

    Romanticism or misogyny? During the tectonic time of “Me Too” The Splendid Bohemians tackled the subjects of two artists inextricably linked to their romantic images: Sir Tom Jones and Charles Aznavour - both hugely popular and successful in their own times, but, like many with complicated artistic careers, coming under reexamination. Spurred by a demand made to my wife to “shut off that stuff”  by two disgruntled women while she was enjoying a Tom Jones CD, Bill and Rich set out to dissect the difference between romance and chauvinism when considering these cherished icons during this retributive age of Epstein, Trump, Cosby, Weinstein, et al.  Seems like a good time to replay this nugget from 2016. The list of predators is long and keeps growing, as evidenced by the recent resignation of democratic Gubernatorial hopeful, Eric Swallwell. So, we batted around the evergreen question of “can you hate the artist, but still love the art?” We ended up with no answers, just more questions.

    59 min
  4. THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "COVER ART: THE SPLENDOR OF THE COVER SONG," EP. # 4. TODAY'S HONOREE: THE SINGULARLY AMERICAN VOICE OF PAUL SIMON.

    APR 14

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "COVER ART: THE SPLENDOR OF THE COVER SONG," EP. # 4. TODAY'S HONOREE: THE SINGULARLY AMERICAN VOICE OF PAUL SIMON.

    Paul Simon set the standard for a New American Songbook. Reviewing these selections one is struck by the elegance of his melodies - on a par with that other Paul from Liverpool, but with a lyrical sophistication to rival America’s Nobel Laureate poet, Bob Dylan. “America”, as performed here by David Bowie, presents a barren landscape, - mirroring the mundane with the spiritual - to rival the literary prowess of a Hemingway; and the classically inspired “American Tune,” as interpreted by the wizard of New Orleans, Allen Toussaint, quietly goes to the heart of our nation’s ambivalence. I can’t contain my tears whenever I hear it.  Simon and Garfunkel were known as a unified entity. It took awhile for Paul to extricate himself from his childhood performing partner, Artie. Garfunkel, with his singular, choir-boy voice, needed Simon to provide the words for his divine instrument.  But Simon didn’t need Garfunkel, and if Artie’s acting ambitions hadn’t interfered with Paul’s musical ones, Simon might never have had the confidence to go it alone. Lucky for us it turned out the way it did. Because, since going solo, Simon has amassed a body of work that defines America’s last half century.  Ray Charles: Still Crazy After All These YearsDavid Bowie: AmericaJustin Townes Earle: GracelandThem: Richard CoryWailin’ Jennys: Loves me Like a RockEverything but the Girl: The Only Living Boy in New YorkAnnie Lennox: Something So RightThe Blue Airplanes: The Boy in the BubbleBlossom Dearie: 59th St. Bridge Song Allen Toussaint: American Tune

    45 min

  5. MAR 27

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS RETURN FOR “YAMMER-FEST- PART TWO" - LIVE FROM THE HOTEL BOHEMIA- RICH BUCKLAND & BILL MESNIK WELCOME NEW ARRIVALS AT THE HOTEL BOHEMIA: COUNTRY JOE MCDONALD, AUGIE MEYERS, AND JOHN HAMMOND, JR. - TALK, TALK BABY!

    The “talk talk” continues wherein Rich and Bill “rage against the dying of the light,” to honor our past and opine on the socio-political conditions of the present.

    1h 5m

  6. MAR 21

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT: "YAMMER-FEST- PART ONE - LIVE FROM THE HOTEL BOHEMIA" -LIVING LEGEND RICH BUCKLAND HOLDS COURT ON SID CAESAR, SOUPY SALES, DON RICKLES, RODNEY DANGERFIELD, BEING AT WOODSTOCK, AND THE CARE AND FEEDING OF CATS- TALK, TALK

    It was a great reunion at the Hotel Bohemia. Bill and Rich got so engrossed in a variety of topics that we left the recorder running - and, as a result we'll be offering these conversational riches in two parts: Part one balances the outrages of today against the comic geniuses of yesteryear, along with ruminations about pet relationships, being at Woodstock, and the formative influences of our lives. Part two will focus on recent additions to the population of the Hotel, namely Country Joe McDonald and John Hammond, Jr.

    1 hr
  7. THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "COVER ART: THE SPLENDOR OF THE COVER SONG" - EPISODE #3 - THE ENIGMATIC NEIL YOUNG.

    MAR 14

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "COVER ART: THE SPLENDOR OF THE COVER SONG" - EPISODE #3 - THE ENIGMATIC NEIL YOUNG.

    Neil Young’s otherworldly ability to morph between raging metalhead to the most sentimental of romantics never fails to astound. Always uncompromising, this cranky Canadian has been inflexible in his stance to be unencumbered - and, prolific - recording over 45 solo albums, not to mention those classics created with Buffalo Springfield and CSN&Y. Surviving polio as a child, and a brain aneurysm in middle age, he kept coming back stronger than ever.   I’ve seen him live twice: at the Greek Theater during the Greendale tour, then again a couple of years back when my son and I flew to Tucson to celebrate the slower, less blazing, but still mesmerizing octogenarian troubadour. His music has been a touchstone throughout my life, starting with the iconic Reprise album “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” which contained Down by the River - a dorm room sing along.  His vast catalogue makes it difficult to pick only ten covers, but the range here is evident, swinging from Pearl Jam’s live version of Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World to Emmylou Harris’s wistful floatation on Daniel Lanois’s diaphanous Wrecking Ball. Neil’s own vocal style is so distinctive that it’s tempting to disregard how beautiful some of his melodies are. I think you’ll find that this line up does them justice. HEART OF GOLD (JOHNNY CASH) MR. SOUL (THE EVERLY BROTHERS) ON THE BEACH (BOZ SCAGGS) KEEP ON ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD (PEARL JAM) A MAN NEEDS A MAID (DALA) BIRDS (THE METERS) LOTTA LOVE (NICOLETTE LARSON) WRECKING BALL (EMMYLOU HARRIS) BROKEN ARROW (WILCO) HELPLESS (NICK CAVE)

    53 min
  8. THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - THE WRITER'S VOICE WITH HARLAND HOWARD AND GUY CLARK. DOUBLE DOWN!!

    MAR 10

    THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT "DOUBLE TROUBLE" - THE WRITER'S VOICE WITH HARLAND HOWARD AND GUY CLARK. DOUBLE DOWN!!

    Back in the Tin Pan Alley (and Brill Building) days there were song-pluggers, and there were vocalists, and never the twain met, but this symbiotic relationship formed the successful division of labor for the great American capitalist record business. Whether they be based in NY, LA, or Nashville successful songwriters rarely had hits recording their own material. Hard to believe that it took Willie Nelson so many years to be recognized as his own best interpreter. Of course, that now seems ludicrous, given Willie’s status as “national treasure”.  Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and the like had their go-to writers and arrangers, Phil Spector, Don Kirschner and others kept their stable of regular creatives like Carole King and Gerry Goffin in little cubicles laboring to churn out dozens of standards weekly for their employer’s contracted recording artists.  But, just like any actor worth his salt in Hollywood will tell you: “without good writing, you ain’t got shit” Two of Country Music’s most covered songwriters are being honored here today, singing for you in their own voices: Guy Clark, doing “That Old Time Feeling”, and Harlan Howard performing “Heartaches by the Number.” These are craftsmen, whose practical, raw boned approach to their art yielded glittering treasures.  HARLAND HOWARD (1927-2002) Harland Howard wrote over 4000 songs, 100 of which made the top ten Country charts. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters and Country Music Halls of Fame. There are tribute albums of his songs by Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings and Wille Nelson. He wrote I Fall to Pieces for Patsy Cline, Busted, made famous by Ray Charles, and the monster hit - I got a Tiger by the Tail for Buck Owens.  Here he is singing Heartaches by the Number, which a cursory dip into YouTube reveals covers by Ray Price, Dwight Yoakam, Guy Mitchell, Leon Russell, Paul Carrack and Kitty Wells, among others. There are no frills here, but I contend that hearing the voice of the man who created the song is a more personal experience, like someone reading you their diary. GUY CLARK (1941-2016) The ultimate example of an unsung (pun intended) man of influence is “Old No. 1,” the luthier’s luthier, Guy Clark. His Texas home-workshop was the Austin epicenter of the Outlaw Country Movement that transformed Country Music. Watch the scene from the documentary Heartworn HIghway with Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell sitting around Guy’s kitchen table, trading songs. Townes Van Zandt may have been the most elusive doomed romantic poet of that group, but it was Guy they studied with and trusted - the one they could depend on, the Zen Master of song. And, what songs! They are like short stories, full of vivid characters, evocative dialogue, and carefully observed detail. Songs like Desperadoes Waiting for a Train, L.A. Freeway, My Favorite Picture of You (for his late wife Susanna - the magnetic beauty patiently putting up with the Outlaw’s shenanigans). Today, he favors us with That Old Time Feeling, a tune that insinuates itself into your consciousness through a stream of unforgettable images.

    12 min
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About

My Fellow Americans, Life is actually just a microscopic, deluded moment in time, so let's cut to the freakin' chase. One look at our impending election debacle can solidify my case. It has been my contention since birth, that the answer to every difficulty we encounter on this sacred yet demented Stone, can be revealed with ultimate clarity through the ultra neurotic engagements of Music, Art, Literature, Film, Poetry and a good Pastrami sandwich. Why would any sane human spend so must time on a film set (Do you know how long you gotta wait until your 8 second deliverance of an edited beyond repair line gets a chance to become a professional embarrassment etched in time forever? ) or expend so much energy in a recording studio, piecing together another ode to a man or woman who could not care less how much love existed within your digestive tract? It's all about hymns and prayers and a quest for mercy and forgiveness and silence and faith. We were blessed with Charles Bukowski,  Gene Chandler, Lenny Bruce, Mitch Ryder and a legion of creative explorers whose influences provided the air we breathe.  So Let's Dance! This site shall explore the reaper, find a way to disarm the stench of injustice, discover some true loves and talk it all over before it's all over. So what's the worst that our desires could produce? Failure? So sue me. I'm going to require your assistance in making as much trouble for the grown-ups as possible. Let the record show that my childish heart yearns to disrupt the madness. Join me Ladies and Germs! With Gratitude For Gena Rowlands, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Quarry, Leo Gorcey, Arthur Alexander and Joey Heatherton, Your Splendid Bohemian, Rich Buckland.

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