For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 29, 2022

Any songs that you hear on the radio that make you feel old when it was first released?

Ouch, that does hurt, thank you Mr. Radio!

“It’s a Lovely Day Today” is a popular song written by Irving Berlin and was published in 1950. It is from the successful musical Call Me Madam, which was later adapted as a movie. Perry Como and Doris Day had single records of the song that made pop charts of the day, and Ethel Merman recorded it as well. A recording by Perry Como and The Fontaine Sisters with Mitchell Ayres and his orchestra was made in New York City on July 26, 1950.

Elly may be old, but she’s not that old.

Arnold Roth was a cartoonist not a vocalist. He received the National Cartoonists Society Advertising and Illustration Award (1982, 1984, 1985); Illustration Award (1976, 1979, 1981); Magazine and Book Illustration Award (1986, 1987, 1988); Special Feature Award (1979); Sports Cartoon Award (1976, 1977); Reuben Award (1983); and their Gold Key Award (their Hall of Fame) in 2000. He served as the organization’s president from 1983 to 1985.

The Clamdip Trio – I can’t find anything about them.

For me it was old enought to forget the words.

Reminds me of listening to FM radio at work in the late 1980s.

“And now here ’s a hit from a quarter-of-a-century ago.” (DJ starts playing Led Zeppelin). :-0

Now it’s over a half-century ago. Don’t blink or you might miss life. It goes fast!

I don’t remember it. How nice that something’s older than I am!

i remember them when they were just the clamdips.

I remember it!

I don’t know this song. —-I knew I was old, though, when someone told me that we were going to hear “oldies” and then played music of the 80s. To me, 80s were a few years ago. LOL.

Couldn’t find an Arnold Roth — here’s a Donald O’Conner version:

https://youtu.be/z4Fl2hiBK3Q?t=75

Snarky DJ!!

BTW, I’ve never heard of that group or that song!! Was it made up just for this strip??

Who in the name of Butter Tarts is Arnold Roth and the Clamdip Trio???

This reminded me of the time I heard the radio playing 16 Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford. After the big finally of owing my soul, the DJ came on and said “Caught ya singing along, didn’t I”? I still laugh about it.

I remember watching The Hit Parade on tv in my single digit years.

I resemble that remark.

Lynn’s Comments:

Arnold Roth is a well-known cartoonist who is often featured in the New Yorker magazine. He plays the clarinet and has been known to play with a group called “Codpiece.” I thought he’d have fun seeing his name in the paper. He did!

The Clamdip Trio is a great name for a band!

Happens pretty much every day now…

Every weekend there’s a list of stations that play digitally remastered episodes of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem, one from each decade. (One this weekend is from Saturday, 1 May 1976. This afternoon, I’ll find out which one from the 1980’s.) There’s also 57 Chevy for us who’d rather hear the 1950-60’s. Of course, I have hundreds of 45’s and albums otherwise. None of them, even records almost as old as I from juke boxes makes me feel old. I just try to keep up with the current songs, also on American Top 40 on the internet.

100MPH songs – when driving and listening to music, there are some songs that just accidentally make you drive faster. One of my favorite 100MPH songs when driving my 240z is “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne.

You should live long enough to see your kids so affected.

I remember when growing up in the 50s hearing my mother say about an entertainer appearing on TV (The Ed Sullivan Show? Steve Allen Show?), “He’s gotten old.” Now I look at those of my generation, including my friends, and I say the same thing.

Cars still have radios?

I’m pretty sure I haven’t learned the words to a song since the 80’s and then if was just over exposure. “Don’t worry. Be happy.” …if you remember, you’re welcome. ..evil snicker.

Honestly, I sing that all the time, along with “I’m looking over a four leaf clover”, “L O V E” and old show tunes. I have a tendency to be disgustingly cheerful when I’m working. Mayhap why I live alone.

Once my wife and i started to sing along with a song that my kids favorite group was doing on the radio. Shocked they asked how do you know the song. We said it’s not a new song. At least 20 years old.

In 7th grade my son came home from school saying he was studying music history. I was thinking Brahms, Beethoven or Bach…he said Beatles.

Signs you have grown up:

*You sell your Rubik’s cube at a yard sale, and the neighborhood kids have no clue what it is.

*The girl in your class who used to be a flaming liberal calls you up in order to see about you investing in tax-free municipal bonds.

*Your compatriots stop regarding Hugh Hefner as a swinger, and start seeing him as a creepy man with serious issues.

*You recognize a cop who pulled you over as a classmate from elementary school.

*Your childhood baseball hero gets elected to the Hall of Fame.

*Telephone solicitors give you their sales pitch instead of asking to talk to their parents.

*The rock group you worshipped as a kid is heard as Muzak in the elevator of a medical building.

One of us! One of us! (Especially since this was decades ago.)

It is sobering that ‘60s music is as old now as early 1900s music was when we were young. Too sobering – I guess I’d better have another drink!

You know, it’s okay to get older, and to have a HUGE song catalog.

If you can’t be with the one you love; love the one you’re with.

Fire the DJ!

Yeah and why are the oldies station playing 80’s music now???

“… We were singing oldies, but they were newies thenAnd today when I play my old 45’s, I remember when ..”

:… Now we’ve turned into oldies, but we were newies then … "

If you are listening to an oldies station, you are listening to the songs you enjoyed which is why you recall the lyrics

I thought I’d be prepared for the 60’s and 70’s music I loved became “oldies”. I’d been brought up on everything from classical to Dixieland to just about everything.

Nope! First time I heard a favorite on a Muzak thing in a store I almost cried :(

Well if they didn’t care for old songs, they’d hardly be listening to your station right now, genius!

The only music I had back when I was young was me beating on a hollow log with a couple of sticks.

Hey, who you calling old? I listen to a lot of songs from 20 years before I was born.

“Clamdrip Trio”. Gotta love those Canadian bands.

Well, that’s Elly’s day ruined……

“Nothing to Say”,Jethro Tull,1971.

I mostly hear my favorites in the grocery store and elevators these days.

The local Oldies station changed to “best of 70s 80s 90s”.

The radio jockey has stepped on the ladies weak nerves.

I am old enough to remember Bill Wither’s “Lovely Day”.

The only way chronology factors into the timeless art of music is if someone lets the mainstream media (like radio) dictate their taste for them. Pretty much everything from Al Jolson and the Ink Spots to Dean Martin, Dua Lipa and the Clash is available on social media for anyone to discover, hear and enjoy any time they want. A 19 year old hearing the Mills Brothers on YouTube for the first time does not remember 1940 or whatever. They weren’t there! As Rick Nelson said, “If memories are all I sang, I’d rather drive a truck”. And he was right. Just enjoy the performance.

I’m in my early 20s and I know that song. Radio announcers in comics can be SO offending nowadays.

There is nothing you can take

to relieve that pleasant ache

You’re not sick you’re just in love!