KGB Report by Kevin G. Barkes

The moon, intelligent life, International Dance Day
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Published Thursday, April 29, 2021 @ 2:12 AM EDT

Apr 29 2021

Remembering Michael Collins (October 31, 1930 – April 28, 2021), who flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969 while his crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, made the first crewed landing on the surface. Armstrong died in 1982 from complications of bypass surgery. Aldrin, the sole surviving crewmember, is 91 .

Taken while orbiting the moon in 1969, Collins is
the only human, living or dead who is not in this photo.

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Quote of the day: "He was old and wise, which meant tired and disappointed."
-T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia).

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If it Ducks like a Quack:

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Lifehack: Avoid frozen TV dinners that feature stuffing. TV dinner stuffing is treated by the digestive system in a manner similar to corn, the major difference being that corn is not cube-shaped with sharp corners.

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Yeah, I know how that feels:

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Among other things, today is National Peace Rose Day, National Shrimp Scampi Day, Poem in your Pocket Day, Viral Video Day, We Jump the World Day, World Wish Day, and National Zipper Day.

It's also International Dance Day

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Remembering Rod McKuen (b. Rodney Marvin McKuen-April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015), one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks and classical music. He earned two Academy Award nominations and one Pulitzer nomination for his music compositions. McKuen's translations and adaptations of the songs of Jacques Brel were instrumental in bringing the Belgian songwriter to prominence in the English-speaking world. His poetry deals with themes of love, the natural world and spirituality. McKuen's songs sold over 100 million recordings worldwide, and 60 million books of his poetry were sold as well. (Click here for quotes by Rod McKuen)

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Willie Nelson (b. Willie Hugh Nelson on April 29, 1933) is 88 today.

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Remembering Tammi Terrell (b. Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970), a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye.

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Tommy James (b Thomas Gregory Jackson on April 29, 1947) is 74 today.

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Jerry Seinfeld (b. Jerome Allen Seinfeld on April 29, 1954) is 67 today.

"You're a comedian with the President going nowhere.
Back it up."

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Kate Mulgrew (b. Katherine Kiernan Maria Mulgrew on April 29, 1955) is 66 today.

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Uma Thurman (b. Uma Karuna Thurman on April 29, 1970) is 51 today.

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On this date in 1992, riots erupted in Los Angeles following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.

Categories: Apollo 11, Marvin Gaye, Michael Collins, Motown, Rod McKuen, Rodney King, Tammi Terrell, Tommy James, Uma Thurman, Willie Nelson

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Remembering "The best bass player ever"
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Published Thursday, August 02, 2012 @ 2:24 AM EDT

Aug 02 2012

James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 - August 2, 1983) was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s. He is now regarded, along with fellow Motown bassist and Pittsburgh native Bob Babbitt, as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Starting in 1959, Jameson found steady work at Berry Gordy's Hitsville U.S.A. studio, home of the Motown record label. There he became a member of a core of studio musicians who informally called themselves The Funk Brothers. The small, close-knit group performed on most Motown recordings during the 1960s. Jamerson's earliest Motown sessions were performed on double bass, but in the early 1960s he switched to a Fender Precision electric bass

Jamerson, like most of the other Funk Brothers, were jazz musicians who had been recruited by Gordy. For many years, they maintained a typical schedule of recording during the day at Motown's small garage "Studio A" (which they nicknamed "the Snakepit"), then playing gigs in the jazz clubs at night. They also occasionally toured the U.S. with Motown artists. For most of their career, the members of the Funk Brothers went uncredited on Motown singles and albums, and their share of record sales was considerably less than the artists or the label received. Eventually, Motown placed Jamerson on a $1,000 per week retainer.

Jamerson's discography at Motown is a catalog of the major soul hits of the 1960s and 1970s, including "Shotgun" by Junior Walker & the All Stars; "For Once in My Life", "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder; "Going to a Go-Go" by The Miracles; "My Girl" by The Temptations, "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas; "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and later by Marvin Gaye; "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "Bernadette" by the Four Tops; and "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes. According to fellow Funk Brothers in the 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Gaye was desperate to have Jamerson play on "What's Going On", and went to several bars to find the bassist. When he did, he brought Jamerson to the studio, who then played the classic line while lying flat on his back, a feat prospective Motown bassists had to duplicate if they wanted to join the Funk Brothers.

Some sources claim Jamerson played on roughly 95 per cent of Motown recordings between 1962 and 1968. He eventually performed on nearly 30 number one pop hits— surpassing the record commonly attributed to The Beatles. On the R&B charts, nearly 70 of his performances went to the top. (via Wikipedia).

This YouTube video consists of just the vocal and bass track of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The complex bass line was improvised by Jamerson during the recording session, and is one of the best examples of the bass countermelodies that helped to give Motown its distinctive sound. The recording isn't the best, but it reveals Jamerson's talent and personality.