Wizardry!
April 30, 2022 2:22 AM Subscribe
The greatest cabaret duo who ever graced a stage, Ronnie Dukes (1931-1981) and Ricki Lee (1933-1986) perform a spectazmatically swingin'-daddy, spellbinding rendition of The Who's classic rock classic, "Pinball Wizard." (h/t @rhodri)
Good holy hell what was that, and furthermore, why did I like it so much? Fantastic drum solo.
posted by whatevernot at 4:27 AM on April 30, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by whatevernot at 4:27 AM on April 30, 2022 [4 favorites]
[Adopts John Oliver voice, stares stonily at camera.]
"Cool."
posted by Paul Slade at 5:31 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
"Cool."
posted by Paul Slade at 5:31 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
Oh my goodness.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 5:42 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Big Al 8000 at 5:42 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
If Lawrence Welk did coke.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 6:53 AM on April 30, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 6:53 AM on April 30, 2022 [5 favorites]
My brain is bruised. My world expanded.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:00 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:00 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
That was amazing and terrible and even more amazing for being so self aware. The dancers! I wish this had been from the Muppet Show. I had to look at their Wikipedia bio. They both died so young (49 and 52).
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 7:27 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 7:27 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
Delightful!
He's a swingin' daddy....
And what a ham.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:21 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
He's a swingin' daddy....
And what a ham.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:21 AM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
The dancers (two shots, completely different costumes and maybe sets?) were added in editing, right?
posted by stevil at 8:49 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by stevil at 8:49 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
The 1970s were a different country. They did things differently there.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 9:09 AM on April 30, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 9:09 AM on April 30, 2022 [7 favorites]
This was truly awful AND amazing AND great ... somehow. It also sent me down a couple of rabbit holes. Ronnie died onstage at 49, which is too young, but "doing what he loved" and all that.
I also wanted to know more about the amazing drum solo. I believe this is Dean Duke(s), their oldest son. He is currently playing with Paul Carrack, so I was like, who's that again? Turns out Paul Carrack is one of those "famous-adjacent" people who's been part of a ton of acts and actually, even here in the US you *do* know who that is.
* He was the singer for Ace, who did How Long in 1974. How long ... has this been goin' on?
* He was in Squeeze for a while and sang their biggest hit, Tempted. Great vocal.
* He was in Mike + the Mechanics and sang Silent Running (can ya heeeear me? can ya hear me callin'?) and Living Years.
* Sang "Hey You" on the 1990 Roger Waters Berlin Wall thing.
* Played with a ton of other household names.
And I am pretty positive this is Dean Duke on a more recent (and balder) version of How Long. The hi-hat work on that is awesome - he's still got it!
posted by freecellwizard at 9:29 AM on April 30, 2022 [4 favorites]
I also wanted to know more about the amazing drum solo. I believe this is Dean Duke(s), their oldest son. He is currently playing with Paul Carrack, so I was like, who's that again? Turns out Paul Carrack is one of those "famous-adjacent" people who's been part of a ton of acts and actually, even here in the US you *do* know who that is.
* He was the singer for Ace, who did How Long in 1974. How long ... has this been goin' on?
* He was in Squeeze for a while and sang their biggest hit, Tempted. Great vocal.
* He was in Mike + the Mechanics and sang Silent Running (can ya heeeear me? can ya hear me callin'?) and Living Years.
* Sang "Hey You" on the 1990 Roger Waters Berlin Wall thing.
* Played with a ton of other household names.
And I am pretty positive this is Dean Duke on a more recent (and balder) version of How Long. The hi-hat work on that is awesome - he's still got it!
posted by freecellwizard at 9:29 AM on April 30, 2022 [4 favorites]
Actually on full listen that 2010 version of How Long is way groovier and better than it has a right to be.
posted by freecellwizard at 9:30 AM on April 30, 2022
posted by freecellwizard at 9:30 AM on April 30, 2022
As some who grew up in Granadaland in the 70s, I can confirm that this is what we had for entertainment. There's a non-zero chance I watched this when it was first broadcast. I know it all looks like fun and games now, but it felt grim at the time.
posted by YoungStencil at 10:42 AM on April 30, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by YoungStencil at 10:42 AM on April 30, 2022 [3 favorites]
The dancers (two shots, completely different costumes and maybe sets?) were added in editing, right?
And what’s with the person in a white pinstriped suit and maroon fez sitting at the piano at 1:52 and again at 4:17? There’s a somewhat matronly looking pianist in a brown dress there the rest of the time.
He was the singer for Ace, who did How Long in 1974. How long ... has this been goin' on?
Hah; I’m listening to American Top 40 as I type this (it takes me back to my youth when I actually listened to it on the radio. At least until I discovered Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.) and How Long just finished playing. It was apparently the 19th most popular song in the US the week of 4/26/75. Killer Queen was #18, then Barry Manilow at #17, and The Bertha Butt Boogie at #16. The 70s were a wondrous time indeed.
posted by TedW at 10:53 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
And what’s with the person in a white pinstriped suit and maroon fez sitting at the piano at 1:52 and again at 4:17? There’s a somewhat matronly looking pianist in a brown dress there the rest of the time.
He was the singer for Ace, who did How Long in 1974. How long ... has this been goin' on?
Hah; I’m listening to American Top 40 as I type this (it takes me back to my youth when I actually listened to it on the radio. At least until I discovered Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.) and How Long just finished playing. It was apparently the 19th most popular song in the US the week of 4/26/75. Killer Queen was #18, then Barry Manilow at #17, and The Bertha Butt Boogie at #16. The 70s were a wondrous time indeed.
posted by TedW at 10:53 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
If Lawrence Welk did coke.
I’m pretty sure he was more of a pothead.
posted by TedW at 10:59 AM on April 30, 2022
I’m pretty sure he was more of a pothead.
posted by TedW at 10:59 AM on April 30, 2022
That did not go the way I expected. And I couldn't look away.
posted by johnxlibris at 1:42 PM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by johnxlibris at 1:42 PM on April 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
And what’s with the person in a white pinstriped suit and maroon fez sitting at the piano at 1:52 and again at 4:17? There’s a somewhat matronly looking pianist in a brown dress there the rest of the time.
At a guess, given the other musicians in black tie behind him, the fez pianist is with - or is the leader of - the studio band, who'd be there to provide backing for any solo singers or dancers. The MU was strong enough then to ensure that nobody was singing to a pre-recorded track.
posted by YoungStencil at 6:27 AM on May 1, 2022
At a guess, given the other musicians in black tie behind him, the fez pianist is with - or is the leader of - the studio band, who'd be there to provide backing for any solo singers or dancers. The MU was strong enough then to ensure that nobody was singing to a pre-recorded track.
posted by YoungStencil at 6:27 AM on May 1, 2022
I had no idea Paul Daniels had an existence outside of being a TV Magician (though he is also the random reason I got into computers, as he shilled the Atari 800 in a two-page spreads in Buster comic, and I settled in with a ZX81 that Christmas instead, so I guess he had a wide-ranging career)
posted by davemee at 10:46 AM on May 1, 2022
posted by davemee at 10:46 AM on May 1, 2022
I can't say I actually liked it, but the tap dancing amazed me.
posted by MtDewd at 3:09 PM on May 1, 2022
posted by MtDewd at 3:09 PM on May 1, 2022
I liked that they teleported in the 2020s Elton John.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:18 AM on May 2, 2022
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:18 AM on May 2, 2022
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posted by Thella at 3:25 AM on April 30, 2022 [2 favorites]