The Faculty Lounge

Setting a Record

On this date in 1949, vinyl records were introduced by RCA (45 rpm) and Columbia (33.3 rpm). Can you name the first film that included the release of a soundtrack?

For Your Listening Pleasure ...

For readers looking for some wonderful holiday music, I'll pass along these two suggestions:

O HOLY NIGHT (Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, joined by The King's Singers):  click here.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (the a cappella group Straight No Chaser):  click here.

Other suggestions?

AT&T Advertising for Merger Clearance

Is anyone else bothered by all the advertising AT&T is doing about how much better AT&T service will be after anti-trust clearance of its acquisition of T-Mobile?  AT&T has a "Focus: Houston" web-page that advertises all the upgrades AT&T has made to cell-service in the Houston area. On the right-had side is a link to an interactive map of 4G/LTE service in Texas with, and without T-Mobile.

All that advertising makes two things clear:

• the relative quality of AT&T's existing service; and
• anti-trust law & policy is less about law & policy, and more about politics and lobbying!

It's not your father's anti-trust--or even the anti-trust I studied in law school. As The Byrds, interpreting Bob Dylan's My Back Pages sang:

Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now

I suppose it was always about putting your own spin on it.  The Road Not Taken (Frost), and all that.

Twitter Libel

TMZ reports that New Edition member Johnny Gill is facing a lawsuit (presumably for libel) based on what he said in a tweet. Being sued for what you say on Twitter is nothing new.  As we've covered at TortsProfs, Twitter libel suits are fairly common these days.  Kim Kardashian, for example, was sued based on a tweet. But Johnny Gill appears to think that 140 characters or less provides a license to say anything.  He reportedly told TMZ that people shouldn't be allowed to sue based on a tweet because "the courtrooms would be filled with a bunch of Twitter people complaining about things people say every day."

His remark caused me to think about electronic communication generally.   What is it about electronic communciation (tweets, emails, texts) that causes us to say things we otherwise would not say orally or in a non-electronic writing?  It could be the mere speed of the communication.  Maybe we just speak too soon without any reflection time.  But is it something more than just speed?

Fortieth Anniversary of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?"

I understand that today is the fortieth anniversary of the release of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" album.  That was one of the first cds I bought when I first got a cd player way back when -- I think it was inspired more by an advertisement for some hi-fi system than by an understanding of the social significance of the record.  But whatever.  That was a long time ago -- so long ago, in fact, that I've since lost the cd.  Probably a victim of one of my many moves -- or maybe I loaned it to someone.  Who knows.

Be that as it may, this reminds me of a post I put up at propertyprof about five years ago on Marvin Gaye's rendition of the National Anthem at the NBA all star game in 1983.  (Here's an NPR story from 2003 about it.)  It's a great, great story, which has taken on mythic proportions.  There was fear Mr. Gaye wouldn't show up, then that the rendition wouldn't go well and, afterwards, about how he held the audience. It was his last appearance on national television.  There was also fear when the tape began to play that they'd put in the wrong tape, because the first few seconds didn't sound like the National Anthem.

One aside here: Mr. Gaye was running late and the officials at the game asked an usher to stand in, which she was happy to do.  That vignette reminds me of one of my heroes, Ralph Ellison.  Mr. Ellison was working away in mostly anonymity until his 1952 novel Invisible Man appeared.  There are many, many talented people out there whose talents we may never know.  We were fortunate to learn of Ellison's talents--but that usher, who might have filled in for Mr. Gaye, remains anonymous.  The most recent example of suddenly (though belatedly) recognized talent that comes to mind is James Carter's rendition of Po Lazarus, which Alan Lomax recorded in Mississippi in 1959.  Lo those many years later, it was used as part of the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou?  And, after some searching, Mr. Carter was located in Chicago, given a big check, and a Grammy.

Here's a link to a video of Mr. Gaye singing the "Star Spangled Banner" on youtube.  And here’s a nice article about it, too.

Obama: Model of a Modern U.S. President

With thanks to one of my Aussie colleagues for sending this to me, I thought some of our readers might enjoy this Gilbert & Sullivan parody for a Christmas chuckle...

 

Wise Man Needs Ride

Alternate title:  The Camel, The Church, and The Torts Exam

Story here.

Perhaps I should pass this news along to the music minister at the local mega-church where I worship.  I'm attending our Christmas extravaganza this afternoon, and I'm told that an elephant will walk the aisle.  Guess I better check the location of my seats.

 

Final Broadway/Sci-Fi Question (for now)

As the two Jeffs are just too good for me, here's my final attempt at a broadway/sci-fi trivia question for the month...

"Which two actors from a broadway musical briefly worked  together again about 20 years later when one of them guest starred on a popular sci-fi TV series starring the other?"

(I have to admit there's a little bit of a trick to this one, but it should be researchable...)

More Broadway/Sci-Fi Trivia

So let's see if Jeff and his team of experts can get this one.  The gauntlet has been thrown down!

"Which original cast member from a well known Sondheim musical went on to become a popular Starfleet officer?"

More Broadway Trivia

So I've been lax for a while on trivia questions.

What about this one...

"What broadway role has been played by both a mutant from the X-Men movies and a demon from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"

Too easy?

1920s Musical Trivia

Here's a quick and easy one...

"Name a stage musical about Hollywood in the 1920s in which the role of Mack Sennett was never played by Robert Preston."

Musical Trivia - One More Try ...

As all my musical trivia questions seem to be too easy or too hard, I'm going to have one last try to see if I can get it just right.  How about this one...

What musical film's cast includes three actors who later went on to star in sci-fi/fantasy TV series?

Name the film, the actors, and the TV series.

Sunday Night Broadway Trivia

Today's broadway trivia question has been contributed by Terry Martin (Harvard), currently visiting at U Texas.

Here it is...

"Name three Broadway musicals (excluding Kismet and Rent) that use tunes derived from notable classical tunes."

Have fun ...

Decanal Broadway Trivia...

Today's broadway trivia question comes from Roger Dennis, Dean of Drexel Law School.  He will be moderating the answers and I hope the readers find this one more challenging than my recent questions.

Here it is...

"What broadway musical was co-written by a law student and has interesting intellectual property issues imbedded in the show?"

Take it away, Roger!

More Musical Trivia

Despite the fact that my broadway trivia is no match for the readers of this blog, I'm going to try again.  So here it is ....

What broadway musical from the 1950s was based on the music of a famous 19th century composer?  Name the musical and the composer.

Silver Screen Musical Trivia

Today's question involves broadway musicals on the silver screen.  Here goes...

What popular over-dubbing artist made a rare appearance herself as a singing nun in the movie version of The Sound of Music?

Broadway Musical Trivia

In an attempt to counteract some of the sports trivia over the summer (no offense, Tim!), I've decided to add some broadway musical trivia for those of us who couldn't answer a sports question to save our lives.  So here's my first question....

What 1957 broadway musical included lyrics (but not score) by Stephen Sondheim?

Hey, Sir

 
Today is the 13^th anniversary of the day when James Paul McCartney became Sir James Paul McCartney. Can lawyers also be knighted? Although there are strict rules of eligibility, it seems that someone on this side of the pond has found a way to bestow this designation on barristers of the American variety. So, my question of the day is, which law professors should be nominated for knighthood?

We Are Still The World

The new megastar charity song and video debuted yesterday.

Still a decent tune after all these years. Still a good reason to give to the cause.

I just wish I knew who the hell about two-thirds of these people are. I suppose I'll ask my daughters.

The video sent me searching for the original. Here it is:

(OK, OK. Say what you want about Kim Carnes and Steve Perry. At least they didn't need Auto-tune.)

And then of course there was the British version:

How many can you name without cheating? Is that the Spandau Ballet dude after the pairing of Sting and Simon Le Bon? And what a boys' club Britpop was! Bananarama couldn't even edge their way to a microphone.

The Debut of "Amazing Grace"

Amazing Grace is one of the most beloved hymns of the Christian faith.  John Newton, slave trader turned abolitionist, penned the powerful words -- which were sung for the first time on this date in history in connection with a sermon Newton delivered in Olney, England, on New Year's Day in 1773. 

The song has been recorded by a diverse group of artists, including Aretha Franklin, Destiny's Child, Il Divo, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart, Randy Travis, and the Vienna Boys Choir.  It's also one of the selections on Susan Boyle's bestselling CD.

For more on the connection between this date in history and Newton's immortal classic, see here (NPR) and here (reflections by Chuck Colson).  

Pictured:  Amazing Grace:  The Story of America's Most Beloved Song, by Steve Turner (with a foreward by Judy Collins).