Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 20th – 26th March 2023 – De-Cluttering, New Releases Promotion, Big Band Era, Stevie Wonder, Podcast, Health, Reviews, Bloggers and Funnies

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed on Smorgasbord this week.

I hope you are not caught up in some of the dreadful weather this week including tornadoes and more heavy snowfall. This winter seems to be dragging on and we do thank our lucky stars our weather is moderate without the extremes. We might moan about the rain, but we do appreciate how lucky we are.

I am in the process of clearing out all the cabinets in the kitchen, decluttering and packing most of it in to boxes. Some of the utensils have not been out of the cupboards for seven years so I guess we don’t need them.There are some items that hold sentimental value, such as the crockpot we bought when we got married 43 years ago. We were pretty broke so I would make a big stew with lots of vegetables and meat and it would last four days from Monday to Thursday and then we would treat ourselves to fish and chips and a pint of beer at the pub on Fridays. Saturday and Sunday we would a roast chicken. Simple days but happy ones and I will hang on to the crockpot always as a reminder.

Also once the new kitchen is finished and we do the last round of touch ups I will be stripping out the rooms to minimum decoration and clutter. It also means that we can store the boxes and there will be less to do when we sell the house making that less stressful. My next major job is to tidy and refill some of the 30 pots in the front and back of the house once the last predicted freeze is in the next couple of weeks so that the garden is looking its best by May.  At the very least it should keep me out of mischief (perhaps not entirely!)

I know that some of you have new books on the horizon and it would be great if you could email me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com once you have a firm date either for the book to be on pre-order or available to buy on Amazon.  I am scheduling a couple of weeks ahead so it would be good to have the dates as soon as possible.

If you have featured here before I only need the date, but if you are new to the promotions then please include Amazon link, Goodreads,Blog or website, and two or three social media links.

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Count Basie, Bunny Berrigan and The Boogie Woogie dance. On Friday he the series on the music giant Stevie Wonder….You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ joined me in the funnies posts this week and will be here tomorrow with a post on Writer’s Block. More good news is that she returned to Toronto yesterday from Mexico and will be back with a new post in April.  I am sure she will also be sharing some adventures from her vacation on her own blog in coming days. Follow the link to Debby’s blog to browse her archives …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor will be here on Wednesday with her A-Z of food and the letter ‘T’. On her own blog you can find Monday Musings with some interesting innovations such as
how single-celled yeasts are doing the work of 1,500-pound cows! How to preserve food during a power outage and some music from Ed Sheeran…If you are planning a trip to Europe, including a stop in Germany then you will find this post from Carol  very useful as she explores the cuisine of the country.. Beerfests and Sausages are not the only treats in store. Thursday thoughts with the bravery of a pigeon that saved hundreds of lives, the benefits of cider vinegar and some wonderful music to catch up on this and all of Carol’s posts this week Carol Taylor’s Weekly Posts

..Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1930s – Count Basie, Bunny Berigan, The Boogie Woogie

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz #Soul #Stevie Wonder – The 1970s

Podcast #Poetry #Flash Fiction – Seasons and Murmuration by Sally Cronin

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Digestive System Part Three – The Liver by Sally Cronin

#Review – #Africa #Wildlife #Poetry – Lion Scream: Syllabic Poetry About Southern African Wildlife by Robbie Cheadle

#Historical #Family #Romance – Three Years of Her Life by C. E. Robinson

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Contemporary #Romance – Maggie’s Way by Linda Bradley

Meet the Authors 2023 – #Thriller #Supernatural Dan Antion, #Romance Ritu Bhathal, #FamilyDrama Lisette Brodey

#writing #StoryEmpire – Characters and Diversity. Part 2 – Wealth by Gwen Plano

– #Joy #Cats #Inspiration by Abbie Taylor

#Teaching – My Preschooler, Then and Now by Jennie Fitzkee

#SpiritualGuides, #Poetry – Animal visits and their meaning—plus a poem by D.L. Finn

#Writing Plotting and Planning by Rebecca Douglass

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Voodoo dolls and marriage one liners

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Dogs and Therapy

 

Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week.. Sally ♥

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – March 13th – 19th 2023- Spring, Big Band Era, Stevie Wonder, A-Z Food, Short story, Podcast, Bloggers, Books Reviews, Digestion and Funnies

Welcome to the round up of posts that you might have missed on Smorgasbord this week.

I hope you are all doing well and have enjoyed your week…

A red letter day this week. The sun came out yesterday afternoon, the wind dropped and I was able to sit out in the back garden for nearly an hour. It looks like I will be able to do the same this morning in the front garden. It is amazing how just sitting quietly with the sun on your face next to the bird feeder and bright yellow daffodils makes everything right with the world. Well your small part of it anyway.  I know just how these cows feel after being shut up for the winter months lol.

I was out and about during the week included in a lovely post by Jane Sturgeon along with Harmony Kent, Alex Craigie, D.G. Kaye and Lauren Scott. Jane shares her reviews for her books and celebrates twelve years of blogging. If you are looking for your next read, or your TBR is looking a little skinny!!! head over to check the reviews out.

Jane Sturgeon – Feel a Writer’s Love

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman and The Lindy Hop . On Friday he began a new series on the music giant Stevie Wonder….You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ was here on Monday with a short story… and she also joined me in the funnies posts this week. Despite being on her winter break in Mexico she is still visiting posts and commenting, not just here but around the writing community. She will be back with us again the first week in April. Follow the link to Debby’s blog to browse her archives …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor was here on Wednesday with her A-Z of food and the letter ‘S’. On her own blog you can find Pavarotti, Mermaids on her Monday Musings, some dugongs and manatees, Riverdance and a bit about septic tanks…on Thursday Thoughts.. to catch up with all of Carol’s posts this week Carol Taylor’s Weekly Round Up – March 12th – 18th 2023

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1930s – Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, The Lindy Hop

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz #Soul #Stevie Wonder – The Early Years

#Shortstory – When Hell Froze Over by D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor’s – Culinary A – Z Rewind – ‘S’ for Satay, Salsa, Salmagundi, Sage, Squid and Salt Hoss

Podcast #Poetry #Flash Fiction – Kinship and The Close Match

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Digestive System Part Two – The Oesophagus and Stomach by Sally Cronin

Book Review – #Crimethrillers Shallow Waters, Made to be Broken, Fighting Monsters by Rebecca Bradley

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Psychological #Thriller – Scam!: : An Electric Eclectic Book by Stevie Turner

Meet the Authors 2023 – #Familysagas Judith Barrow, #familyhistory S. Bavey, #Fantasy C.S. Boyack

– #WWI – A Family At War by Geoff Le Pard

Patty Fletcher’s Grapevine Blog – Guest Post – Odd Encounter by author and proofreader Jo Elizabeth Pinto

#Mystery, #Magic and mayhem #BookReview FITZ AND THE FOOL #2 & #3 by Robin Hobb by Deborah Jay

Jemima Pett #reviews The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Texting Seniors and even more one liners

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Retro Texting and even more one liners

 

Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1977 – Part Two – Stevie Wonder, Manhattan Transfer, Elton John, Barbra Streisand

Each week William and I select two top hits from the charts in the US and UK starting with 1960 for two weeks followed by 1961 etc..through to 1985. We will also include some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time. We are now in the 1970s.

William is now on a family break but will be back with us again in September, wishing him a wonderful summer.

Welcome to our show and we are excited to share decades of music with you in 2021. Here is my second selection of top 1977 hits which I hope you will enjoy and I will catch up with your comments on my return. William.

News Event:  May 21st Stevie Wonder’s single “Sir Duke”, a tribute to Duke Ellington and other musical influences of Wonder’s, begins a 3-week run at #1

Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke

“Sir Duke” is from the “Songs in the Key of Life” album. It topped the charts in the US and around the world. “Sir Duke” was written as a tribute to Duke Ellington, and refers to Jazz greats Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald.

News Event: June 26th Elvis Presley sings in Indianapolis, the last performance of his career

Manhattan Transfer – Chanson d’Amour

“Chanson d’Amour” (French for Love Song), written by Wayne Shanklin, was an international hit, reaching #1 in the UK and other European countries as well as in Australia. This was the Manhattan Transfer’s most widespread international success, despite being only moderately successful in the US, where the song peaked at #16 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart.

News Event: October 1st Elton John honored by Madison Square Garden’s MSG Hall of Fame

Now time for my second picks from 1977 and I hope you will enjoy my selection from this interesting year in my life.

Queen – We Are The Champions

“We Are the Champions” is a song by the British rock band Queen, first released on their 1977 album News of the World. Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it is considered one of rock’s most recognisable anthems. The song was a worldwide success, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, number three in Canada and the top ten in many other countries. In 2009 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

New Event: October 3rd “Comedy with Music (Victor Borge)” opens at Imperial NYC for 66 performances

Barbra Streisand – Evergreen

“Evergreen” (also called “Love Theme from A Star Is Born”) is the theme song from the 1976 film A Star Is Born. It was composed and performed by Barbra Streisand with lyrics by Paul Williams, and arranged by Ian Freebairn-Smith. The song was released on the soundtrack album to A Star Is Born.

In the US, the single became Streisand’s second number 1 single and spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and six weeks atop the easy listening chart.  In its year-end chart for 1977, Billboard ranked the platinum-certified single, which sold more than 2 million copies, the fourth-biggest single of the year. In the UK Singles Chart, the song peaked at #3 in 1977 – Barbra Streisand

Additional sources: On This Day – Music – Hits of the 70s: Playback FM – Wikipedia

Your Hosts for The Breakfast Show

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Next week 1978 Part One. We hope you will tune in.. as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1969 – Part Two

Each week William and I will select two top hits from the charts starting with 1960 for two weeks followed by 1961 etc..through to 1985. We will also include some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time.

Welcome to our show and we are excited to share decades of music with you in 2021. Here is my second selection of  top 1969 hits which I hope you will enjoy.  William.

News Event: July 11th David Bowie releases the single “Space Oddity” 9 days before Apollo 11 lands on the moon

Stevie Wonder – My Cherie Amour

The song peaked at #4 on both the Billboard Pop and R&B singles charts as well as in the UK. It was originally entitled “Oh, My Marsha,” as it was composed about Wonder’s girlfriend while he was at the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing. Wonder also released Spanish and Italian-language versions entitled “Mi Querido Amor” and “My Cherie Amor.”

News Event: August 15th Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in New York State on Max Yasgur’s Dairy Farm

The Edward Hawkins Singers – Oh Happy Day

Based on Acts 8:35 from the New Testament, this was originally a hymn from the mid-18th century (“O happy day, that fixed my choice”) by English clergyman Philip Doddridge. This rearranged gospel version became a worldwide hit, reaching #4 on the US Singles chart, and #2 in Canada and the UK. It has been included in the RIAA Songs of the Century list and won a Grammy Award for Best Soul, Gospel Performance in 1970.

News Event: October 10th “Jesus Christ Superstar” soundtrack album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is recorded

Now time for my first top chart picks from 1969 and it seems like only yesterday that I was dancing at my local club to the music including one of my all time favourites.

Creedence Clearwater Revival – John Fogerty – Bad Moon Rising

“Bad Moon Rising” is a song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was the lead single from their album Green River and was released in April 1969, four months before the album. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 on 28 June 1969 and reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969 (see 1969 in music). It was CCR’s second gold single.

News Event: December 14th “Leaving on a Jet Plane” single sung by Peter, Paul and Mary, written by John Denver is No. 1 on US Billboard’s Hot Top 100

Peter Sarstedt ~ Where Do You Go To My Lovely  

“Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?” is a song by the British singer-songwriter Peter Sarstedt. Its recording was produced by Ray Singer, engineered by John Mackswith at Lansdowne Recording Studios and released in 1969. The music has been described as “a faux European waltz tune,” and the arrangement is a very simple one of strummed acoustic guitar and bass guitar, with brief bursts of French-style accordion at the start and the end. The arranger and conductor was Ian Green

Additional sources: On This Day – Music – Hits of the 60s: Sixties City – Wikipedia

Your Hosts for The Breakfast Show

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Next week 1970 Part One. We hope you will tune in.. as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.

 

Previous Breakfast Shows can be found The Breakfast Show Archive

Smorgasbord Summer Music Festival – Summer songs to get you in the mood

Over the next nine weeks I am going to be sharing a range of music for jazz, pop, rock, country and classical fans.Unlike most music festivals, the sun will always shine, there is not camping or glamping…

On centre stage this week……

Katrina and the Waves with a live performance in 1985… you can buy the music Amazon

And now something to bring back memories of 1978….Summer Nights from Grease buy the movie Amazon

Another classic You Are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder from 1971 …. buy the Difinitive Stevie Wonder Amazon

And to finish this set…Percy Faith – Theme From a Summer Place 1959… available from Music Amazon

 

I hope that you have enjoyed this musical interlude thanks for tuning in… Sally.

 

Please feel free to chime in with your favourite songs and as always I will including your links with your request… you can leave the song name and the artist in the comments and I will do my best to include.