R.I.P. PAUL WINCHELL

Most of the news I've read or heard on Paul Winchell's death have stressed that he was the voice of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. But I remember him best for his ventriloquism -- specifically his dummies Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff. I loved watching them on T.V. I have far more memories of Jerry and Knucklehead than I have of Howdy Doody (who wasn't technically a "dummy," but sure looked like one). Thanks mainly to Winchell, dummies seem to me like a strange and magical race of human-like beings.

One sad anecdote in Winchell's obit is how at the age of 12 he wanted to buy buy a book on ventriloquism, but his mother refused to give him a dime to buy it. Luckily, his sister's boyfriend coughed up the money for the book.

Moral of that story: Parents, if your kids show interest in something artistic, give them the Goddamn dime!

I wasn't aware until now that Winchell had a patent on an early version of an artificial heart.

Was this creation really meant for humans? Or was it a byproduct of a weird experiment to try to bring life to a new generation of Mahoneys and Smiffs?

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, June 26, 2005
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Lap Dancer by Big Ugly Guys
My Doorbell by The White Stripes
Loud Cloud Crowd by Stephen Malkmus
Killer on the Radio by The Flaming Lips
Unmade Bed by Sonic Youth
Drown Me Slowly by Audioslave
Pink Turns to Blue by Husker Du
Woody Woodpecker by Mel Blanc & The Sportsmen

Love/Building on Fire by Talking Heads
No Regrets by The Von Bondies
Robin Hood by The Mekons
Haunt by Roky Erickson
Baby Stardust by Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Buttered Beauties by Devo
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing by Frank Zappa
Money by The Kingsmen
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Paul Anka
Rape Me by Richard Cheese

Sweet Little Girl by Stevie Wonder
Keep Mediocrity at Bay by Van Morrison
Everything's OK by The Rev. Al Green
Dial 1-900-GETSOME by Denise LaSalle
Ignant Stick by Mem Shannon
Joyful Sounds by The Lee Boys

Cabin Essence by Brian Wilson
It's My Life by The Animals
Kerouac by Morphine
Take Me to the Other Side by Spacemen 3
Home by Stuurbaard Baakkebaard
In the Factory by Marianne Faithful
Lost in the Supermarket by The Afghan Whigs
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

My story in today's Santa Fe New Mexican about how Gov. Bill Richardson's new jet stacks up against planes ued by governors in other western states can be found HERE.

Anmong the things I learned while researching this story was the fact that the Republican governor of Alaska has been going through a similar controversy.

Feel free to join in on the discussion on The New Mexican site and/or post your comments on this blog.

BEAUTIFUL DREAMER

I just watched the documentary Beautiful Dreamer, which is about Brian Wilson and Smile. And considering I'm pretty well acquainted with the story behind the original Smile sessions, it's a surprisingly moving film.

What struck me is how back in '66 and early '67 young Brian, Van Dyke Parks and all these studio musicians were having a great time making this fantastic, boundary-busting music.

But the whole dynamic changed when The Beach Boys, who had been touring in England, returned. It's a story that's been told lots of times: how Mike Love interrogated Van Dyke about each line in "Surf's Up" and "Cabin Essence," etc.

Basically The Beach Boys tore down what Brian had built.

Zap forward to this decade and you have Brian with a new band (actually most of these guys have been backing him since at least 2000.) Brian announces he'll be doing Smile live in London in early 2004.

And then the demons start coming back. Brian's practically paralyzed with fears and depression.

But this time, it's his band that gave him love and support, encouragement and the strength to do it -- like The Beach Boys should have done in '67. By the end of the movie you really have affection for these guys, especially the keyboardist with the Lyle Lovett hair, Darian Shanaja.

And for the record, Mike Love should be tortured by dwarves.

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, June 24, 2005
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Special Love by Rolf Cahn
The Ballad of Waterhole #3 by Roger Miller
Rest of the World by The Waco Brothers
Little Ghost by The White Stripes
Can't Make It Here by James McMurtry
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town by Walter Brennan
When the Levee Breaks by Mojo Nixon & The Toad Liquors
Cool and Dark Inside by Kell Robertson

Blind Willie McTell by The Band
Denver/O'er the Waves by Carla Bozulich
Right Now by Grey DeLisle
If They Could Only See Me Now by Robbie Fulks
Running Gun by Michael Martin Murphey
Animal Hoedown by Harry Hayward
Enchanted Forest by Mohawk & The Rednecks

Stranger in the House by George Jones & Elvis Costello
Forbidden Angel by Mel Street
I Don't Like the Mirror by Rex Hobart & The Misery Boys
Just Passin' Time by Dwight Yoakam
One More Cowboy by Dan Hicks with Willie Nelson
Everybody Wants to Be a Cat by Michelle Shocked
Electricity by Paul Burch
The Lost Soul by The Watson Family

Palm of Your Hand by Shine Cherries
Sad Mountain by Boris McCutcheon
Don't Let Her Know by Ray Charles
Warm and Tender Love by Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockerell
What You Mean To Me by NRBQ
A Kiss at the End of The Rainbow by Mitch & Mickey
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list