Who Is.....An Awesome Game Show Host and Person That We'll Miss? (SNS week of 11/8/2020)

Each evening for the last thirty-six years, many would gather around their sets, and watch as announcer Johnny Gilbert would exclaim, "This is.....Jeopardy!".    After the three contestants were introduced, the star of the show lo all these years would be announced.   Alex Trebek was truly an icon, guiding this "answer-and-question" show for three and a half decades.   

Sadly, Alex, who  had ben diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2019,  but vowed to fight it, finally lost that battle this past week.  He was 80 years old. 

While many connect Trebek to Jeopardy!, which he started hosting in 1984, his career went back way before that.  He had hosted thirteen game shows prior and even during that show.   Back in 1973, he hosted The Wizard of Odds, a show that I used to watch.  He followed that with High Rollers, and has hosted versions of Battlestars, Double Dare, Classic Concentration and To Tell The Truth, among others.   

You might be wondering why am I talking about Trebek on a music blog?    I originally thought that he had nothing to do with music, aside from perhaps pertinent categories on Jeopardy!    This week, I had posted a link to an article that featured a contestant in 2018, Jackie Fuchs, reflecting on her time on the show and thoughts about Alex.   Fuchs was a member of the all-girl teenage band The Runaways (stage name Jackie Fox), which released several albums in the late 1970's.   One song from the band's debut, "Cherry Bomb" (no relation to the John Mellencamp song of the same name a decade later), garnered airplay, and the band had also featured Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie, among others.   You can read the article here.

But as it turns out, Trebek had a direct connection with the music industry at one time.   He went to and graduated from the University of Ottawa in his native Canada with a degree in philosophy.  Looking to earn money for his tuition, he took a summer job as a broadcaster for the CBC, which would turn out to be his lifelong career.   And his first major gig in 1963, a Canadian music show called Music Hop.   

Hosting that show for its first year, he was pretty much Canada's answer to Dick Clark, as, like American Bandstand, there were performers on the show, along with the show's house band playing the Canadian hits,  with teenagers dancing similar to Clark's American show.  

After leaving Music Hop, he announced or hosted other CBC shows, including a high school quiz show, a classical music program, and a morning drive radio show.   He had also hosted a game show in Canada called Strategy, before moving to the U.S. in 1973 for The Wizard of Odds, beginning a long stretch of hosting such shows here.

Trebek was certainly one of my favorite game show hosts of all time, if not the greatest.  He had so much dignity and class.   His influence over game shows was so intense that contestants would answer questions on other game shows in the form of a question!  His interaction with the show's contestants as well as the audience is like no other.   He leaves such a void.

Oh, one more music item: The Top Debut this week.   More on that below.

THE PLAYLIST:  Miley Cyrus holds at the top spot this week with "Midnight Sky".  It's a comfortable but not insurmountable lead over the #2 song, Shannon Marsyada's resurging "A Love That Doesn't Hurt" which inches up a notch.  However, there is a logjam in the 3 through 6 positions, with Devon Gilfillan's soulful "The Good Life", Surfer Blood's neo-punkish "Karen",  and two pop-rockers in Real Estate's 'The Main Thing", and Animal Island's "Tonight".  All are candidates for the top in future weeks. 

THE DEBUTS:  In one of the strongest group of adds in sometime, many newbies debut high on my chart, topped by "Alex Trebek", by The Fleshtones.   My friend Mark Sniatkowski had posted the song in response to my Jackie Fuchs article about Alex.   Seems that this band, which rose out of the punk rock explosion in New York City in the 1970's (alongside artists such as The Ramones, Blondie and the like), has been together all this time.   Like their contemporaries, the band, formed by Keith Streng in  Whitestone, New York and still based in Queens, got their start at legendary clubs such as CBGB's and Max's Kansas City.   Their sound, however, was more of a throwback to the 1960's garage rock sound, rather than the punk and new wave of similar bands of that ilk.  In the 1980's they were signed to legendary label I.R.S. Records, which also housed R.E.M., The Go-Go's, Fine Young Cannibals, and others.   They left that label in 1985 but still kept going through the 90's, 2000's and 2010's.  Their album, Face of the Screaming Werewolf, was released early this year and this track is included.  

True to their sound, "Alex Trebek", released during his battle with cancer is in that garage rock spirit, which should be right at home with other retro sounds on my playlist.   It is infectious, and I wondered why I pretty much ignored and took this band for granted for 45 years.  A big thank you to Mark for getting me on board with this. 

The Fleshtones lead a good debut pack.  Next in line is Bakar's follow-up to his top 3 "Hell N Back", with "First Time".   Like the previous song, this has a great good-time pop/experimental soul/rock sensibility.   A winner that should be strong, if not stronger than the last single.    

Queens, NY has a second debut this week with the new David Porfirio song, "Evening At the Pier".  I had a rough time deciding which of this talented guitarist/instrumentalist's songs to add as a follow-up to his recent #1 "Driving at Dusk", as he is constantly releasing new material.   I had also wanted to add his awesome take on Bill Withers' "Lovely Day", but it wasn't available commercially.  What was available was his "Autumn In New York", "Mischievous Imaginary Friend" and "Evening..".  I ultimately went with the latter,  which is another Carlos Santana-imspired romp into listening heaven.   As with many of his songs, the mood and tempo change a bit in the middle, before returning to the original style of the song.    In short, if you liked "Driving at Dusk", you'll dig "Evening At the Pier".  

Meg Myers returns with "Any Way You Wanna Love".  Meg, who hit my top 5 with a cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", which I believe is an original from an EP to be released this week.  An emotionally charged rocker with a pulsating beat, it's another winner from me.

Next, we have "Head Up High", by FITZ.   And yes, that "Fitz" is none other than Michael Fitzpatrick from Fitz and the Tantrums, doing a solo thing.   The song is along the lines of his band's recent material, but once again, the soulfulness in his voices shines through and overcomes any of the song's beats.   The song is already on the Hot AC (Adult Top 40) chart where the band's recent single "I Just Wanna Shine" went Top 10 there early this year.

Finally, Lana Del Rey is back with her latest "Let Me Love You Like A Woman".  The song, from her forthcoming new album Chemtrails Over the Country Club, is in her usual somber style, which never seems to get old.   The album was scheduled to be released back in September, but has been delayed until 2021 due to production issues due to COVID-19 (I know you hoped I'd make it through this whole blog entry without mentioning that, right?)

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

November 8, 2020

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: MILEY CYRUS "Midnight Sky" Album: Plastic Hearts (2 weeks at #1)	9
2	3	Shannon Marsyada - A Love That Doesn't Hurt	15
3	5	Devon Gilfillan - The Good Life	9
4	7	Surfer Blood - Karen	10
5	8	Real Estate - The Main Thing	10
6	10	Animal Island - Tonight	11
7	2	David F. Porfirio - Driving at Dusk	13
8	9	Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar	12
9	4	Michael Kiwanuka - You Ain't The Problem	13
10	11	Elle King - The Let Go	10
11	6	The Mystery Lights - 21 & Counting	13
12	13	Pickwick - Never Gonna Be Enough	10
13	14	Fleet Foxes - Can I Believe You	6
14	15	Dan Croll - Away From Today	10
15	16	Iration - Right Here Right Now	11
16	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: BLACK PUMAS "Black Moon Rising" Album: Black Pumas	8
17	12	Winnetka Bowling League - Come to the Beach	14
18	20	The Backseat Lovers - Kilby Girl	17
19	22	Mabel - Mad Love	7
20	19	Screen Age - Blue Eyed Addiction●	26
21	25	Morgan Wallen - 7 Summers	8
22	23	Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors - Whatever Gets You Through	6
23	18	My Morning Jacket - Feel You	16
24	17	Guards - So It Goes	18
25	26	Pretenders - Didn't Want to Be This Lonely	8
26	30	Tennis - Superstar	5
27	32	The Blue Stones - Let It Ride	4
28	34	Bright Eyes - Mariana Trench	6
29	24	Sea Wolf - Blood Pact	14
30	36	Phoebe Ryan - Ring	7
31	27	The Jayhawks - This Forgotten Town	16
32	38	Tame Impala - Is It True	11
33	31	Eliza and the Delusionals - Pull Apart Heart	24
34	28	Elise Farnsworth - In the Morning Light	17
35	46	Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors -  Where the River Flows	3
36	50	Cage the Elephant - Skin and Bones	3
37	29	Karen Wallo - Rain Away My Sorrow	13
38	42	New Order - Be A Rebel	4
39	33	The Regrettes - What Am I Gonna Do Today	19
40	35	Bakar - Hell N Back	19
41	53	The Avalanches - Wherever You Go	3
42	45	Black Pumas - I'm Ready	4
43	48	Phoebe Ryan - Try It Sober	5
44	37	Delta Spirit - How About It	17
45	51	Django Django - Spirals	5
46	39	James Bay - Chew  On My Heart	11
47	40	Donna Missal - Let You Let Me Down	25
48	49	Bebadoobee - Care	5
49	54	Of Monsters and Men - Visitor	4
50	74	MOVER OF THE WEEK: CHRIS STAPLETON "Cold" Album: Starting Over	2
51	43	Delacey  - Chapel	29
52	44	The Beths - I'm Not Getting Excited	7
53	41	The Rolling Stones ft. Jimmy Page- Scarlet	8
54	---	TOP DEBUT: FLESHTONES "Alex Trebek" Album: Face of the Screaming Werewolf	1
55	59	Eliza and the Delusionals - Sentimental	4
56	64	Deep Sea Diver ft. Sharon Van Etten - Impossible Weight	3
57	47	The Strokes - Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus	6
58	55	All Time Low ft. Black Bear - Monsters	6
59	58	Ava Max - Kings and Queens	5
60	62	The Regrettes - I Love Us	5
61	67	The Shins - The Great Divide	2
62	65	Bon Jovi -ft. Jennifer Nettles - Do What You Can	4
63	52	Pepper - Change●	28
64	73	Caamp - Officer of Love	2
65	---	Bakar - First Time	1
66	70	Dermot Kennedy - Giants	3
67	66	Kathleen Edwards - Hard on Everyone	4
68	---	David F. Porfirio - Evening At the Pier	1
69	56	The Go-Go's - Club Zero	7
70	79	Middle Kids - R U 4 Me	2
71	---	Meg Myers - Any Way You Wanna Love	1
72	57	Nothing But Thieves - Real Love Song	8
73	----	Fitz - Head Up High	1
74	77	AJR -Bummerland	3
75	---	Lana Del Rey - Let Me Love You Like a Woman	1
76	63	Machine Gun Kelly - Bloody Valentine	8
77	60	Gary Clark Jr -Feelin' Like a Million	12
78	61	Saint Motel  - Preach	8
79	84	Kurt Vile ft John Prine - How Lucky	2
80	82	Royal Blood - Trouble's Coming	3
81	69	Tennis - How To Forgive	15
82	72	Walk Off the Earth - Further We Go	6
83	71	Donna Missal - How Does It Feel	20
84	76	Dreamers - Heat Seeker	17
85	68	Christina Alessi - So In Love With You	18
86	78	Billie Eilish - My Future	9
87	88	Fuhm - Send Out the Clown	2
88	75	Milky Chance and Jack Johnson - Don't Let Me Down	20
89	80	Chicano Batman - Blank State	13
90	81	Best Coast - Everything Has Changed	30
91	83	Colony House - Original Material	23
92	85	Ray LaMontagne - Strong Enough	22
93	86	Real Estate ft Sylvan Esso - Paper Cup	21
94	87	Foster the People - The Things We Do	9
95	91	The Outcrops - Lost Days●	33
96	90	Elise Farnsworth - Safety Net	26
97	89	AJR - Bang!	29
98	96	The Rolling Stones - Living in a Ghost Town	28
99	98	Gary Clark Jr - Pearl Cadillac●	27
100	99	Caroline Rose - Feel The Way I Want	23

 

Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.   ● Songs with 25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲   Songs with 50 or more plays.