ANTHEM is coming, chapter 8

ANTHEM, Book 3 of the Sixties Trilogy, publishes on October 1. Each of the book's 47 chapters begins with a song from the Sixties to set the tone, mood, and scene. Every day between now and October 1, come have a listen and read a snippet from each chapter.

This is Chapter 8 (day 40):

"Good Golly Miss Molly"
Written by John Marascalco and Robert "Bumps" Blackwell
Performed by Little Richard
Recorded at J&M Studio, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1956
Drummer: Earl Palmer

The arguing started early.
"We are not going to Macon! It's miles and miles out of our way!"
Norman kept driving, kept silent. Molly tried listening to Saturday's Top Forty on her transistor with her earphone, but the engine was too loud, so she gave it up. Five hours later, after they'd driven to Macon, Georgia, and found no Allman Brothers in City Park or anywhere else, they stopped at the H&H Restaurant for an early lunch.


Things are not going as Molly planned. :>

Little Richard was born and grew up in Macon, Georgia. He grew up singing in the Pentecostal Church; one of his early influences was Sister Rosetta Tharp, who is mentioned in a later chapter of ANTHEM -- we'll get to her, but in the meantime, listen to her sing "Didn't it Rain?" in 1964 in Manchester, England. It's hilarious, it's fabulous, it's amazing. 

Also in this chapter you can hear the jukebox play "Grazing in the Grass" sung by the Friends of Distinction. Norman, of course, loves the percussion. It's worth listening to South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela's jazzy instrumental version as well. Norman would have been all over that cowbell. 

If you are teaching ANTHEM in the classroom, you'll be able to use these blog entries, chapter by chapter, to help tell the story in music. Each song is chosen to highlight that particular part of the story, and to tell the story of American music, alongside Molly and Norman's journey across the country in 1969.

Tomorrow, out of Macon and into Atlanta, Georgia -- stay tuned.


[NOTE: It looks like the YouTube video with the song embedded here isn't working for some who get the blog in email (me included). Don't know why... if that's the case for you, click through to the blog at the Blogger website to hear the song. If you're subbing to the blog at Wordpress already, this shouldn't be a problem.]