Tag Archives: songs

Lost Inside of You

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Did you know that Leon Russell wrote “Lost Inside of You” with the one and only Barbra Streisand? The hit song was recorded for the movie, A Star is Born, and that’s Leon on the soundtrack. He will forever be the one and only Master of Space and Time, a musical, visionary genius.

Barbra Streisand took on the lead female role of Esther Hoffman in the 1976 remake of the 1954 film A Star Is Born, opposite Kris Kristofferson as John Norman Howard, an aging singer engulfed by excesses and demons.

Howard’s road manager was portrayed by Gary Busey, a friend of and drummer for (as Teddy Jack Eddy) Leon Russell. Busey introduced Barbra to Leon, and while at her Malibu ranch, Barbra and Leon wrote “Lost Inside of You”.

It was included in the film, on the soundtrack, and as a B-side to Barbra’s single “Comin’ In And Out Of Your Life” from her 1981 hits album Memories. The soundtrack album has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and Memories did well with over 10,000,000 in sales worldwide, earning Russell loads of money in royalties as a songwriter. From Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade

I love knowing that Barbra Streisand collaborated with Leon and I love hearing him play the piano. I wish I had a photo of the two of them. One day, it would be my dream to chat with her about it.

A small anecdote about my six degrees connection to Barbra Streisand is that I once met and had lunch on set with her husband, James Brolin, when he did some filming locally. He was SUPER nice and welcoming. It was a special day and if you’re wondering, he’s even more handsome up close.

P.S. And did you know that Streisand’s co-star in A Star is Born, Kris Kristofferson, was married to Rita Coolidge, who was once upon a time Leon Russell’s girlfriend? Leon’s song, Delta Lady, was written about her. Cool info, huh?

An Embarrassment of The Subconscious

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…of what? Of a totally insane dream.

I had a dream that seemed to last forever and here are some snippets that I can actually recall.

Leon Russell

For no apparent rhyme or reason, Leon Russell (yes, I know) was showing me a ballet move called développé à la seconde, which I thought was even more remarkable because he was slightly paralyzed from a birth injury on the side that was attempting the move.

I can’t even begin to explain how or why my mind connected the Master of Space and Time to a difficult dance position, but that’s the beauty of the subconscious, I guess. It doesn’t have to make sense.

When I was involved in ballet, this particular move was a struggle for me to master. I often uttered a silent groan when Madame Kaliskis said it was time for développé because I knew she’d eventually make her way over to me at the barre and watch me until I felt my leg was going to fall off. She’d say “encore” which meant I had to do it again and again, and then she’d hold my leg up where it SHOULD be, and my task was to hold it there, but I never could.

Here’s a vid of how it ought to look; sadly, my extensions were never this perfect no matter how much I practiced.

Anyway…

As soon as Leon finished with his (quite nice, better than mine ever were) développé, the dream became all about me.

I was driving from my house to Catalina Island which is not at all possible as it’s about seventy-five nautical miles from my area and can only be reached by boat or air, but there I was, driving along a very narrow path with water on both sides of me, sometimes lapping up ever so slightly over the road, which totally freaked me out. This wasn’t a fun part of the dream as I was in a constant state of anxiety and vigilance so I wouldn’t miss the road and end up in the ocean.

(It’s only about twenty-six miles from the Los Angeles area, and the song by The Four Preps is accurate). https://youtu.be/1I7zMKptjRs?si=AwM3Vdcb5Y9iIzee

I remember taking the ferry back from Catalina Island but not sure what happened to the car that I drove along the non-existent road to get there. On Catalina, visitors can’t bring their own cars; most people use golf carts or bicycles. Only a very limited number of residents and businesses have vehicle permits and there’s a years-long waiting list for them.

Since I used to work for the (now defunct) company that used to go to Catalina Island from San Diego, it’s not too unusual to dream about it, but the more than four hour-long one way trip was often referred to as the “vomit comet” because, well, you can probably figure out WHY, haha.

I didn’t often accompany passengers over there for that reason, and because I generally get seasick. Ick.

After I was safely back on terra firma, my subconscious decided to go on another exploration of past memories and my often dreamed about kitty, Bandit, returned to snuggle with me in bed. She loved freshly washed flannel sheets as much as I do and we kept each other warm. The dream ended far too soon, along with the feeling of being safe and loved by a purring machine. That morning I had changed the sheets to soft, fragrant flannel ones, so THAT part of the dream fused with reality.

Strange dream, right? I can’t even begin to figure out what it all means, but it really wasn’t embarrassing at all because I’m fascinated with the human mind during different sleep states.

Back To The Island is playing in my head, so here’s the Leon connection, and to reiterate, this song was written and composed by Leon Russell, NOTNOTNOT Jimmy Buffet, and of course, Leon does it better.

And a live version with a couple of his children in the band…https://youtu.be/UXuPT-p3xk4?si=y0Bx361ND_jKT-wg

Day After Day

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“Day After Day” was Badfinger’s biggest hit.

George Harrison invited Leon Russell to play piano on Badfinger’s third album in the summer of 1971. The piano part complemented Pete Ham’s and Harrison’s dual slide guitars on “Day After Day.” (Church Studio)

I always loved the way the piano sounded on this tune and when I found out that it was Leon I was blown away. It’s like so many songs I’ve loved over the years only to discover that Leon’s contribution was the magic that made them so memorable.

“He just sat down, closed his eyes, and played the part in one take.”

According to sound engineer Richard Lush, Russell nailed the “Day After Day” piano line almost instinctively.

I’m repeating a comment from YouTube about this recording. “George Harrison asked Leon Russell to add the piano accompaniment. They played the tracks that had already been laid down, as Leon sat in the studio by himself. After listening to it once, he sat at the piano with his eyes closed. George thought he had fallen asleep and said Leon’s name a couple of times over the speaker. Leon held his hand up and then a moment later told them he was ready and to roll tape. He played the part in one take. Don’t know if it’s true, but a cool story.”

Russell – like so many greats – had an almost spiritual sense for when not to play, and on “Day After Day” he seems to materialize only at the emotional inflection points. He doesn’t play on the piece – he haunts it, and once done, disappears from the song again like incense in a draught. He is a spectral presence, and this plays on my imagination as a strange portent for the tragedy that would befall Badfinger the band. https://danegiraud.substack.com/

Of course it’s true. I’m not at all surprised. Leon was a visionary, a musical genius, and will always and forever be the master of space and time.

PS I know there was a tragic end to Badfinger but this isn’t an exposé, just another example of the hundreds of songs that were all the better because of Leon Russell’s magic touch.

Full Corn Moon

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Every full moon in September, this song comes to mind…

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
–Colors of The Wind from the film, Pocahontas

September’s full moon is special because it’s accompanied by a total lunar eclipse. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be able to experience the eclipse here in the States but we might observe the moon’s deep reddish hue; not blue, though.

We are reminded to connect with themes of gratitude, release, and harvest by writing down what we’re thankful for and what we want to let go of, and by creating a gratitude chart. As always, this is a great time to charge crystals under the light energy of this full moon.

Featured image by Enchanted Seashells


Earworm, Courtesy of Leon Russell

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Because both of the Angel Kids’ eyes literally roll back in their heads when I make them listen to Leon Russell music, I found a slightly obscure song called “Too Much Monkey Business”. It’s more spoken than sung, like a precursor to rap music, and was written by Chuck Berry in 1956.

I played it and the Angels started singing along, as it’s a very catchy tune. I’d call out “How much monkey business” and they’d respond, “Too much monkey business!”

This song is totally earworm-worthy because they couldn’t stop singing it to themselves. All day long, during breakfast and helping to organize their books so we could donate some, I heard them quietly repeat “too much monkey business”, or “too much for me to be involved in.”

I said, “Cool song, huh?” as I planned my final move in my neverending quest to make them love Leon as much as I do.

When we sat on the sofa together after dinner playing card games, I asked Siri to play “Too Much Monkey Business” by Leon Russell and AB said, “Wait, that was LEON? It didn’t sound like him!” I replied, “That was my little joke. You had no idea you were singing one of his songs hahahahaha!”

Too late to stop it from happening; the lyrics are firmly embedded in their brains. They changed the words to: “How much Grandma business?” and “Too much Grandma business.”

They grudgingly agreed it was GOOD but asked me to pleasepleaseplease stop dancing because I was embarrassing them. I can only imagine the many ways I’ll be an embarrassment when they’re teenagers. It’s a rite of passage. They can ask their dad for confirmation.

Those kids are uber funny but I won. They’re now listening to and appreciating the Master of Space and Time–in spite of themselves. My work here is done.

Runnin’ to and fro, hard workin’ at the mill
Never failed in the mail, yet come a rotten bill
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in

Salesman talking to me tryin’ to run me up a creek
Say, “You can buy it, go on, try it, you can pay me next week” ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in

Blonde-haired, good lookin’ tryin’ to get me hooked
Want me to marry, get a home, settle down, write a book, ha
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in

Same thing every day, gettin’ up, goin’ to school
No need to be complainin’, my objections overruled, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in

Payphone, somethin’ wrong, dime gone, will mail
I ought to sue the operator for tellin’ me a tale, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in

I been to Yokohama, been fightin’ in the war
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in

Workin’ in the fillin’ station, too many tasks
Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
I don’t want your botheration, get away, leave me be

Too much monkey business for me

“Hummingbird, don’t fly away…”

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It’s not often that a hummingbird will be able to stop moving long enough to take a picture that’s not blurry, but yesterday I got lucky. This little one darted from one monkey flower to another and my phone did a pretty good job of capturing her colorful exuberance. The nectar must have been sweet and delicious.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

“She’s little and I love her too much for words to say.” –Leon Russell

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

The lyrics to Hummingbird, another Leon Russell masterpiece, were swirling around in my head while I was snapping these pics. (This is Set 2 / Live At The Fillmore East/3/27/70 · Leon Russell Mad Dogs & Englishmen)

Book Review | Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History

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Written by Bill Janovitz, this nearly 600 page New York Times bestselling biography of Leon Russell, Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History was a gift from the original Angel Boy.

I don’t think he (or the Angel Kids) quite understand my passionate interest (read obsession) with the one and only Claude Russell Bridges (Leon Russell), but he’s supportive in his own way, although he wouldn’t play “A Song For You” on our piano because he said it had been too long since he tickled the ivories and it might have looked simple to play, but it was a very complex piece of music and he didn’t feel he could do it justice. Or at least that’s the excuse he gave me.

So…this BOOK. It’s comprehensive, it’s respectful, and it delves into areas of Leon’s life that even I didn’t know. Yes, there’s some sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but the overarching theme of Leon’s life and music is LOVE.

The life path that took a child born with cerebral palsy during the Second World War, who overcame his physical challenges to become a classically trained pianist — and was catapulted to the top of the music scene–is inspirational. He was and always will be the Master of Space and Time — a visionary.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is from his friend and fellow musician, Ann Bell:

“One night everybody had gone to bed, and it was about four o’clock in the morning. All of a sudden, I woke up; I could hear him playing. It was a classical piece; he’s in the living room, where he had a piano, and he’s playing this piece that’s forty minutes long, from memory. There was no sheet music. I sat down on the bench, and I didn’t say a word. I just thought, ‘They didn’t understand the depth of his well.’ And when he was done, I was crying. He goes, ‘Girl, what’s wrong witchoo?'”

From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:
The definitive New York Times bestselling biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell, who profoudly influenced George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and the world of music as a whole. 

Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles. He started in the Fifties as a teenager touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, going on to play piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Leon was Elton John’s idol, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Leon also gets credit for altering Willie Nelson’s career, giving us the long-haired, pot-friendly Willie we all know and love today.

In his prime, Leon filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer/performer on both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh. Leon also founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, discovering and releasing the debut albums of Tom Petty, the Gap Band, Phoebe Snow, and J.J. Cale. Leon always assembled wildly diverse bands and performances, fostering creative and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together. He brazenly challenged musical and social barriers. However, Russell also struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul and at times seemed to will himself into obscurity. Now, acclaimed author and founding member of Buffalo Tom, Bill Janovitz shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.

I give this book all the stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and tophats 🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩

In my opinion, if you don’t know who Leon Russell was, you should, and reading Janovitz’s biography is a good way to learn about him and to be amazed at his musical genius. You’ll understand why he’s referred to as the Master of Space and Time.

Leon Russell and the GAP band on The Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack:

Cry Me A River | Which Version Do You Like?

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A while back I wrote about the 1970s TV show, Emergency!, a favorite of mine to watch with my RN mom. A little research revealed that one of the stars, Julie London, was an amazing vocalist and her husband in real life, Bobby Troup (also on Emergency!), was not only an accomplished musician but he wrote the hit song, Route 66.

Since it’s no secret that I have an ongoing OBSESSION with Leon Russell that doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon, I was listening to some of the tracks on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen CD and watched the videos where LR is prominent.

I’m not a huge fan of Joe Cocker, never have been, and still think that Leon’s versions of his own songs can’t be surpassed (like Delta Lady), but then I heard JC sing “Cry Me a River” by Arthur Hamilton, and realized that it’s the same song Julie London sang a while back, but this was a completely light years different arrangement by….you guessed it, the one and only Master of Space and Time, the magical visionary himself, Leon Russell.

It’s actually not that crazy because a little more digging revealed that Leon was often a Wrecking Crew first call session pianist for some of Julie London’s recordings, so there was a connection.

Listen to Julie London (amazing for sure)…

…and now watch this video. I confess that for me, one of the best parts besides seeing Leon’s magical hands on the piano is when he counts off “1-2-3-4“. No shame in owning my obsession, is there? If only Leon had sung this himself…

Do you have a preference? Both awesome versions of the song, but the talents of Leon Russell forever blow my mind. How did he even think of arranging the song that way? Sadly, we’ll never know, but his magic lives on.

And then there’s Ella Fitzgerald’s version…OMG! They are all incredible interpretations, aren’t they?

Vintage Leon Russell: Anti-war Song

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There’s always more to learn about the musical genius of the Master of Space and Time.

Before A Song For You or Tight Rope, this song, Everybody’s Talking “Bout The Young was released in 1965 by young, twenty-three-year-old Leon Russell. Check out his short hair!

He added his socially conscious voice to the growing anti-Vietnam War movement. Brilliantly set to a strident electric country backing, Leon’s voice sounds a bit like Dylan and Sonny Bono. It wouldn’t take long before he found his own distinctive voice a few years later.

And like all of his lyrics, they’re still relevant after all these years…


Everybody’s talking ’bout the young
They forget the damage that’s been done
By middle-age adults In Southern sheeted cults
So why do they still talk about the young?
The younger generation and its plight
Ain’t half as bad as hangings in the night
We got a monkey on our back In a little Georgia shack
So why do they still talk about the young?
Congo, Cuba, it’s out of the frying pan
China’s got an atom bomb
Boy, it’s gonna hit the fan
Let’s talk about the young in Vietnam
They’re over there a-fighting for our land
Yeah, they’re young but they got guts,
Bayonets and rifle butts
Well who’s a gonna bury all our young?
Hey you talkers will you bury all our young?

OUT OF CONTROL | Los Angeles on FIRE

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As I’m writing this post, there are six major wildfires ravaging the Southern California Los Angeles area, about 100 miles north of me, burning more than 30,000 acres. As many as 10,000 structures have been burned and the death toll is reported to be ten, but will most likely rise.

**The last time there was a major fire in my area where neighbors just a few blocks away were evacuated was in January 2021. https://enchantedseashells.com/2021/01/20/fire-in-carlsbad/

Santa Ana winds were calculated at 100 miles per hour BEFORE they were supercharged by the heat of the fires themselves. We haven’t had rain in months; everything is bone dry.

Many celebrity homes in Malibu are completely destroyed, not that I think those people are any more special than anyone else who lost everything in the fires or other disasters. It’s just crazy to see those beach homes right on the Pacific Ocean burned to a crisp.

Thousands of homeowners were dropped by their insurers before the Palisades fire, leaving them with no protection. It’s been happening for the last few years to homeowners who live in regions prone to climate disasters.

The coastal Palisades Fire is now the most destructive ever to hit Los Angeles County, while the Eaton Fire has devastated communities below Angeles National Forest to the east. There’s also the Hurst Fire, Lidia Fire, Kenneth Fire, and the Westhills Fire near Calabasas.

I don’t want to even think about the cause or repeat any unsubstantiated gossip. Mostly I care about the poor animals– pets and wild creatures — who are now injured and displaced. It’s so sad.

In the midst of this tragedy, I’m sharing a heartwarming story of a heroic woman who rescued forty one pets from the wildfires.

Dr. Annie Harvilicz, a veterinarian, bravely risked her life to help rescue dogs, cats, and a rabbit from the path of the Pacific Palisades fire as their owners were forced to flee.

The animal lover has opened her home and an empty pet hospital because their owners simply don’t have the space or resources to bring the pets with them.

She also rescued 4 dogs near LAX airport and has taken them into her home.

If you’d like to help, her email is: drannieawc@gmail.com and you can donate here: www.animalwellnessfoundation.org

Here’s video from the BBC: