Ugh, I get allergies in March and April, but Claritin-D handles it. I think I’m allergic to tree pollen. I’ve never been tested, but it’s always right on schedule! It was real fun when COVID hit - I wanted a t-shirt that said “It’s allergies, not COVID.”
I love this song and will randomly belt out the one line “ALL I NEED IS THE AIR THAT I BREATHE and to looooove you...” -- mostly because it’s the only line I know, but also because I like to be dramatic in the direction of Bryan. 😂
Haha! That should be a topic for a future earworm and song loops; the songs we sing to our partners! Claritin-D is my savior. In spray form. I spritz it every morning before my coffee. I walk dogs in the hills and through meadows and I'm convinced this has in fact reduced my allergies. My body has acclimated over the years. Although this year, with the rains we had down here, spring was the worst for me in about 5 years.
Here's a teaser, just for you: Beth and I have a co-written piece coming in the next couple days -- you heard it here first!
My allergies seemed to peak in junior high (as if I wasn't awkward enough), and then sort of became a seasonal slow burn. When I left Oregon, they seemed to go away for awhile, but are now back in a (still) mild form.
As for Al Hammond Sr. , the whole "It Never Rains..." record is nice enough. I like the title track and "Down By The River."
I fell way behind in my 'Stack reading/supporting, etc, and I wanted, this Saturday morning, to save the best for last...and, here you are. So good....I love how you use "call-backs" in your articles (a tried'n'true stand-up's go-to!), and your personal stories, of course, tied to a song! I had no idea there were so many covers to "The Air"....holy "Inside Tracks," Batman!
I'm glad you "went deep" on Albert! His version must've been very similar to the demo The Hollies heard, and with their vocal abilities and "standards," they must've been drooling to hear (in their heads) the multiple harmonies that could exist in that key, etc. As for Olivia, a perfect cover for her, as the title alone lends itself to her naturally breathy delivery, despite her lone background harmony singer. But, you're right about the great song lives to be interpreted, by many artists and in many styles!
I'm delighted, too, you picked up the "Creep"/"Breathe" kerfuffle! A fascinating (likely) unwitting "cop," as I find it hard to believe anybody in that band would want to come close to tipping their hats to such a decidedly pop-forward band....after the settlement, they must've cringed at the thought of their fans re-coiling in horror i.e. "What?! You're gonna be owing money, now, to THEM, for our alt/misfit anthem?!? How will I be able to fervently self-loathe NOW?!?"
As for allergies, I thank Mummy and Daddy for not passing along any to me! Living in Austin, now, for 3 decades, has given me more than a chance to pick up some (cedar pollen/cedar fever most prevalent), but still, nope. Then, I hear of people allergic to shellfish and/or chocolate, and I drop to my knees and pray those maladies never befall me!
Speaking of those ocean delights, I used to hog all the shrimp, as a kid, when we'd go to buffets. I'd even stoop to sneaking shrimp off my brother's plate when he wasn't looking! Can you imagine, he had the nerve to call me shellfish! I used to love walking by the fish tanks at restaurants, taunting them by placing a jar of tartar sauce next to the tank. I only got yelled at when I insisted on placing a little cup of drawn butter next to Red Lobster's lobster tank!😈
Thanks for "funnin'-up" my Saturday, Steve! Keep up the fabulous work!🥰
I was wondering when I was going to hear from the earworm source! I grew up hearing "It Never Rains in Southern California" on the AM radio riding in the back of my parents' station wagon. Didn't follow that side branch for this piece, but I do want to explore Mr. Hammond Sr.'s catalog. Have you written about him?
The "Creep"/"Breathe" kerfuffle I had read about but only added it in after Beetmoon commented on it and made me realize it was important to mention. And then I found that YT video of the Moon Loungers combining the two songs and it all felt properly complete. Well as complete as a part 1 of 2 can be.
I think your inexperience with allergies is a big bonus toward your corporeal longevity. Also, the lack of drugs and alcohol but allergies above those. I wonder if Keith Richards ever had allergies. I'm gonna guess no.
Reading your words "ocean delights" made me think of the great song by XTC, "Garden of Earthly Delights," the opening track of Oranges and Lemons (and maybe my favorite on the album). Can't believe I haven't written about them yet.
And, I can't believe I've never written about Scritti Politti (a song or two on a passing Playlist is all), after telling someone on Notes today that Green (Gartside, writer/singer) is my spirit animal! And, your finding that Moon Loungers vid....I experience a similar serendipitous moment in almost all my articles!! The beauty of research, I'm discovering!
I meant to mention the label link between Albert, Sr. and The Hollies....perhaps precipitating their publishing connection: Albert was on Mums Records, an Epic Records affiliate, which makes both Columbia/CBS affiliates (he later was on Epic proper, Mums having folded, perhaps). He recorded his song in '72. The Hollies were on Epic, having recorded their cover in late '73.
Interestingly, Phil Everly (the Everly Bros.) and Cilla Black covered "The Air" even before The Hollies (which blows my CBS Publishing connection, which would make it easier for a label mate to find a song to cover....but, with two covers before The Hollies......).
Even more interestingly (perhaps), Albert, Sr. recorded it a SECOND time in 1986, as part of duo, Hammond & (Albert) West!
I have not written about Albert, Sr. (oops, except for what's above!), but he's an interesting songwriting figure, in general. His famous list of collaborators is article-worthy in its own right, as is his genre-stretching list of artists who've recorded his songs!
One of my fave songs by him and Hazlewood is "I'm a Train" (1974), which was even used under a video of various trains on "Captain Kangaroo" (as well as his show, I'm guessing)! That's here....All aboard!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvJpgn7fVGY
Actually, I have my pop favorites too (ABBA being an obvious one), but I just found the vocals on this song extremely whiny. It's one of those things, once it hits you a certain way, there's no going back--for good or bad!
I hate being waterboarded but it does help for a little while. Seriously, the camphor thing helps too, or peppermint oil (camphor is the active in Vicks). Ok, now we are like those people I swore I'd never become, comparing notes on our ailments. Geez.
Omigod. You could have been describing my childhood. So, there was Biomydrin, a nasal spray which sorta worked but was recalled by the FDA after I had used it for years, because it causes cancer. Nice. I tried netti-potting (that's basically self-inflicted water-boarding), camphor nose plugs, not going out for days at a time, Drano, steel wool... As for Little league? Out of the question, that's the height of pollen season. And the pollen KNEW--it was waiting for me, and when I stepped out the front door, I could see the clouds of it rise up from the bushes and head right for me, like the swarms of nanites in the new remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Ironically, really spicy food actually helps--I think it shocks the system into temporary surrender. I grew up with spicy food--so spicy we considered Tabasco fake, more like thin ketchup. Wasabi also helps, if you can handle the initial feeling that your head is going to vaporize.
Gotta dissent on the Hollies. That's one godawful song. Bad Bad Bad. But I still love you.
I know -- you're not really a fan of the pop-bordering on yacht rock sound. But thanks for the love nonetheless!:)
I actually currently neti-pot and the jury is still out as to whether it does anything. I do it before bed in hopes that I can make it through the night breathing through my nose. Many nights it seems to work. Other nights it doesn't do shit.
I kept tissues in my baseball uniform in little league. I loved baseball way too much to let my allergies stop me from being a benchwarmer!:)
And yes to spicy as a clear the passages source. At sushi restaurants I love to fill my soy sauce tray with huge globs of wasabi. When I get that heat rush in my head and I come close to passing out -- it's like heaven.
Allergies suck. Yes I get ‘em and I feel like 3/4 of us living in our house suffer in varying degrees. My nose is shut for like 2-3 months of the year and they are so memorable that I inflate that number in my mind to 6-7 months. Laying off dairy (- known to be an inflammatory agent) and acupuncture, for the brief period I did it was transformative but the good effects lasted only a day. I remember walking out of the DC acupuncturist office and thinking, “wow this is how people experience the world.” My face was open and I didn’t shutter from light and sound which was extraordinary. Made me cognizant of the overdrive my senses were likely experiencing just to deal with the immune response my body naturally has
Oh, you are prone to exaggeration too?😎 It’s a great tool for writing I find. This year in California with all the rain we’ve had my allergies are particularly bad. More in my eyes than my nose lately.
Exaggeration is a sign of a healthy imagination. And “pressure is a privilege” according to Billy Jean King which you can take to be literal (nose pressure) or figurative.
Yeah I was reading about that and how Radiohead had to credit Hammond and Hazlewood as songwriters. I personally don’t hear enough of a similarity -- both great songs.
I feel your struggle with allergies. In my case it's hayfever (some years are really bad, like last year; this year, touch wood, seems more manageable). I sometimes get allergy attacks after swimming if I'm not careful with how I breathe, but that seems to be getting better (touching more wood). The absolute best remedy I ever got was a steroids injection (of course this was in Argentina in the late nineties, I assume things may have changed so not that easy to get nowadays). Slept like a baby and woke up like new!
I feel like because my childhood allergies and hay fever were so bad that they’ve become less severe in middle age. Knocking on wood...😏Thanks for reading!
Ugh, I get allergies in March and April, but Claritin-D handles it. I think I’m allergic to tree pollen. I’ve never been tested, but it’s always right on schedule! It was real fun when COVID hit - I wanted a t-shirt that said “It’s allergies, not COVID.”
I love this song and will randomly belt out the one line “ALL I NEED IS THE AIR THAT I BREATHE and to looooove you...” -- mostly because it’s the only line I know, but also because I like to be dramatic in the direction of Bryan. 😂
Haha! That should be a topic for a future earworm and song loops; the songs we sing to our partners! Claritin-D is my savior. In spray form. I spritz it every morning before my coffee. I walk dogs in the hills and through meadows and I'm convinced this has in fact reduced my allergies. My body has acclimated over the years. Although this year, with the rains we had down here, spring was the worst for me in about 5 years.
Here's a teaser, just for you: Beth and I have a co-written piece coming in the next couple days -- you heard it here first!
My allergies seemed to peak in junior high (as if I wasn't awkward enough), and then sort of became a seasonal slow burn. When I left Oregon, they seemed to go away for awhile, but are now back in a (still) mild form.
As for Al Hammond Sr. , the whole "It Never Rains..." record is nice enough. I like the title track and "Down By The River."
I fell way behind in my 'Stack reading/supporting, etc, and I wanted, this Saturday morning, to save the best for last...and, here you are. So good....I love how you use "call-backs" in your articles (a tried'n'true stand-up's go-to!), and your personal stories, of course, tied to a song! I had no idea there were so many covers to "The Air"....holy "Inside Tracks," Batman!
I'm glad you "went deep" on Albert! His version must've been very similar to the demo The Hollies heard, and with their vocal abilities and "standards," they must've been drooling to hear (in their heads) the multiple harmonies that could exist in that key, etc. As for Olivia, a perfect cover for her, as the title alone lends itself to her naturally breathy delivery, despite her lone background harmony singer. But, you're right about the great song lives to be interpreted, by many artists and in many styles!
I'm delighted, too, you picked up the "Creep"/"Breathe" kerfuffle! A fascinating (likely) unwitting "cop," as I find it hard to believe anybody in that band would want to come close to tipping their hats to such a decidedly pop-forward band....after the settlement, they must've cringed at the thought of their fans re-coiling in horror i.e. "What?! You're gonna be owing money, now, to THEM, for our alt/misfit anthem?!? How will I be able to fervently self-loathe NOW?!?"
As for allergies, I thank Mummy and Daddy for not passing along any to me! Living in Austin, now, for 3 decades, has given me more than a chance to pick up some (cedar pollen/cedar fever most prevalent), but still, nope. Then, I hear of people allergic to shellfish and/or chocolate, and I drop to my knees and pray those maladies never befall me!
Speaking of those ocean delights, I used to hog all the shrimp, as a kid, when we'd go to buffets. I'd even stoop to sneaking shrimp off my brother's plate when he wasn't looking! Can you imagine, he had the nerve to call me shellfish! I used to love walking by the fish tanks at restaurants, taunting them by placing a jar of tartar sauce next to the tank. I only got yelled at when I insisted on placing a little cup of drawn butter next to Red Lobster's lobster tank!😈
Thanks for "funnin'-up" my Saturday, Steve! Keep up the fabulous work!🥰
I was wondering when I was going to hear from the earworm source! I grew up hearing "It Never Rains in Southern California" on the AM radio riding in the back of my parents' station wagon. Didn't follow that side branch for this piece, but I do want to explore Mr. Hammond Sr.'s catalog. Have you written about him?
The "Creep"/"Breathe" kerfuffle I had read about but only added it in after Beetmoon commented on it and made me realize it was important to mention. And then I found that YT video of the Moon Loungers combining the two songs and it all felt properly complete. Well as complete as a part 1 of 2 can be.
I think your inexperience with allergies is a big bonus toward your corporeal longevity. Also, the lack of drugs and alcohol but allergies above those. I wonder if Keith Richards ever had allergies. I'm gonna guess no.
Reading your words "ocean delights" made me think of the great song by XTC, "Garden of Earthly Delights," the opening track of Oranges and Lemons (and maybe my favorite on the album). Can't believe I haven't written about them yet.
And, I can't believe I've never written about Scritti Politti (a song or two on a passing Playlist is all), after telling someone on Notes today that Green (Gartside, writer/singer) is my spirit animal! And, your finding that Moon Loungers vid....I experience a similar serendipitous moment in almost all my articles!! The beauty of research, I'm discovering!
I meant to mention the label link between Albert, Sr. and The Hollies....perhaps precipitating their publishing connection: Albert was on Mums Records, an Epic Records affiliate, which makes both Columbia/CBS affiliates (he later was on Epic proper, Mums having folded, perhaps). He recorded his song in '72. The Hollies were on Epic, having recorded their cover in late '73.
Interestingly, Phil Everly (the Everly Bros.) and Cilla Black covered "The Air" even before The Hollies (which blows my CBS Publishing connection, which would make it easier for a label mate to find a song to cover....but, with two covers before The Hollies......).
Even more interestingly (perhaps), Albert, Sr. recorded it a SECOND time in 1986, as part of duo, Hammond & (Albert) West!
I have not written about Albert, Sr. (oops, except for what's above!), but he's an interesting songwriting figure, in general. His famous list of collaborators is article-worthy in its own right, as is his genre-stretching list of artists who've recorded his songs!
One of my fave songs by him and Hazlewood is "I'm a Train" (1974), which was even used under a video of various trains on "Captain Kangaroo" (as well as his show, I'm guessing)! That's here....All aboard!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvJpgn7fVGY
Actually, I have my pop favorites too (ABBA being an obvious one), but I just found the vocals on this song extremely whiny. It's one of those things, once it hits you a certain way, there's no going back--for good or bad!
I hate being waterboarded but it does help for a little while. Seriously, the camphor thing helps too, or peppermint oil (camphor is the active in Vicks). Ok, now we are like those people I swore I'd never become, comparing notes on our ailments. Geez.
Oh I’ve been that person for decades my friend....welcome to the team!
Omigod. You could have been describing my childhood. So, there was Biomydrin, a nasal spray which sorta worked but was recalled by the FDA after I had used it for years, because it causes cancer. Nice. I tried netti-potting (that's basically self-inflicted water-boarding), camphor nose plugs, not going out for days at a time, Drano, steel wool... As for Little league? Out of the question, that's the height of pollen season. And the pollen KNEW--it was waiting for me, and when I stepped out the front door, I could see the clouds of it rise up from the bushes and head right for me, like the swarms of nanites in the new remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Ironically, really spicy food actually helps--I think it shocks the system into temporary surrender. I grew up with spicy food--so spicy we considered Tabasco fake, more like thin ketchup. Wasabi also helps, if you can handle the initial feeling that your head is going to vaporize.
Gotta dissent on the Hollies. That's one godawful song. Bad Bad Bad. But I still love you.
I know -- you're not really a fan of the pop-bordering on yacht rock sound. But thanks for the love nonetheless!:)
I actually currently neti-pot and the jury is still out as to whether it does anything. I do it before bed in hopes that I can make it through the night breathing through my nose. Many nights it seems to work. Other nights it doesn't do shit.
I kept tissues in my baseball uniform in little league. I loved baseball way too much to let my allergies stop me from being a benchwarmer!:)
And yes to spicy as a clear the passages source. At sushi restaurants I love to fill my soy sauce tray with huge globs of wasabi. When I get that heat rush in my head and I come close to passing out -- it's like heaven.
Allergies suck. Yes I get ‘em and I feel like 3/4 of us living in our house suffer in varying degrees. My nose is shut for like 2-3 months of the year and they are so memorable that I inflate that number in my mind to 6-7 months. Laying off dairy (- known to be an inflammatory agent) and acupuncture, for the brief period I did it was transformative but the good effects lasted only a day. I remember walking out of the DC acupuncturist office and thinking, “wow this is how people experience the world.” My face was open and I didn’t shutter from light and sound which was extraordinary. Made me cognizant of the overdrive my senses were likely experiencing just to deal with the immune response my body naturally has
Oh, you are prone to exaggeration too?😎 It’s a great tool for writing I find. This year in California with all the rain we’ve had my allergies are particularly bad. More in my eyes than my nose lately.
Exaggeration is a sign of a healthy imagination. And “pressure is a privilege” according to Billy Jean King which you can take to be literal (nose pressure) or figurative.
I like how you quote Billie Jean King. Great tie in to my current obsession with the French Open.
Radiohead’s Creep borrows from The Air That I Breathe and is now credited as being also co-written by Hammond & Hazlewood.
I was playing around on YT and found this cool video combining the two. Yeah, they sound the same but the feeling from each is so different!
https://youtu.be/0XbogWA-riU
Yeah I was reading about that and how Radiohead had to credit Hammond and Hazlewood as songwriters. I personally don’t hear enough of a similarity -- both great songs.
Very interesting , as Arte Johnson once said.
I feel your struggle with allergies. In my case it's hayfever (some years are really bad, like last year; this year, touch wood, seems more manageable). I sometimes get allergy attacks after swimming if I'm not careful with how I breathe, but that seems to be getting better (touching more wood). The absolute best remedy I ever got was a steroids injection (of course this was in Argentina in the late nineties, I assume things may have changed so not that easy to get nowadays). Slept like a baby and woke up like new!
I feel like because my childhood allergies and hay fever were so bad that they’ve become less severe in middle age. Knocking on wood...😏Thanks for reading!
Yes, that’s one thing age seems to help with. My late grandmother was sneezing like a motherf until her last days though, so I’m bracing myself! 😅
Always a pleasure to read your work!
Ugh! And allergies are the worst now after all the rain we had here in the Bay!
I plan to talk about current state of allergies in part 2! Stay tuned!😎