Last week’s edition of “Theme Time Radio Hour,” Bob Dylan’s show on XM Satellite Radio was a double-barreled, two-hour affair. Double the pleasure, double the fun, without a doubt.

At one point during this show, Bob makes a remark about Al Gore having had the presidency “taken away” from him, which might be expected to irritate RWB, but, since it’s part of the flow of a gag about beards, I give ol’ Bob a pass on it (you’re welcome, Bob!). And the more so because it is shortly followed by Bob’s bland assertion of something else that he must know is a bunch of blarney: that all U.S. presidents other than Jimmy Carter have been freemasons. Of-course, this show also provided ample opportunities for Bob to indulge in one of his pet “Theme Time Radio Hour” preoccupations, i.e., references to Richard Milhaus Nixon.

Playlist and some quotes below:

( “I still think of it as Washington’s birthday, because I can’t think of Harrison, Polk, Fillmore and Nixon in the same breath as Washington and Lincoln. But for the sake of today’s show, we’re going to celebrate all the presidents. And you know what happens every Presidents’ Day. Stores have big sales. They’ve got to clear their shelves. And we’re going to do the same thing. We’re going to go through the “Theme Time Radio Hour” supply closet, pull out some of the old stock, and songs we didn’t have time for in other shows … Remember, with great power comes great responsibility, and we’ll see how a small group of men handled it. And one thing I can promise you: there won’t be an 18 minute gap in the tape.” )
Charlie Poole — White House Blues
( Jack White talks about the first president of the United States. )
Johnnie Taylor — How Do You Do, Sundown
Ruth Brown — Hello Little Boy
( “That was Ruth Brown … singing with a whole lot of enthusiasm. Nowadays, you hear all these singers that are too cool for school. No such problem with Miss Rhythm. She was a fellow disc-jockey, hosting Public Radio’s Harlem Hit Parade. I always enjoy playing a fellow disc-jockey.” )
They Might Be Giants — James K. Polk
Tony Joe White — Polk Salad Annie ( “Doesn’t have anything to do with James K. Polk, but it was a good excuse to play it.” )
(Bob tells us a great deal about President McKinley’s life and career, and then about President James Garfield’s assassination.)
Kelly Harrell — Charles Guiteau
Percy Mayfield — I Don’t Want To Be President
Wynonie Harris — I Feel That Old Age Coming On ( “He was the king of the jump blues singers, and is almost totally forgotten today.” )
Lincoln and Liberty Too — Pete Seeger
( Bob dishes this Lincoln quote: “All men can handle adversity, but if you really want to test someone, give them power.” Bob then talks about Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd, and his odd late arrival to the scene of the assassinations of three presidents. )
J. B. Lenoir — Living in the White House
( Clip of Jackie Kennedy doing a televised tour of the White House. )
( Bob talks about the famous 1960 Nixon/Kennedy debate, and how Nixon won the radio audience, and JFK the TV viewers. “Imagine if American Idol were on the radio instead of the television: we’d have a very different set of winners.” )
Nina Simone — Don’t Smoke In Bed
( A phone call from “Harry Linden in Lincoln, Nebraska,” who asks, “How come presidents don’t have beards anymore?” [Hey, RWB once mused on presidents and mustaches.] Bob says, “That’s a good question. I know Al Gore tried to grow one, but that was after he got elected president. But it was taken away from him. I don’t mean the beard. Beards don’t seem to be as popular nowadays as they were back in the 1800s, but even in their heyday, it seems like only Republicans wore beards. All five of our presidents who had beards were members of the Republican party. Appreciate your call, Harry, and keep listening.” Harry then asks another question, as to how many presidents have been freemasons. Bob replies, “Believe it or not, all of our presidents were freemasons, except for Jimmy Carter. Strange but true.” )
Atilla — Roosevelt’s In Trinidad
The Soul Stirrers — Why I Like Roosevelt
( clip of Melody In A-Major, written by Coolidge’s VP, Charles Dawes)
Tommy Edwards — It’s All In The Game ( “The only hit I know written by a vice-president — although I hear Dick Cheney’s working on a folk-rock record.” )
( We hear a brief clip of Pete Seeger singing “We want Willkie in the White House.” Willkie ran as a Republican against Roosevelt in the 1940 election. )
Joe Liggins and the Honeydrippers — Walkin’
Jackie DeShannon — When You Walk In The Room
( Comedian Richard Lewis shares his thoughts about presidents. )
( Bob introduces Frank Sinatra’s re-recording of High Hopes in aid of JFK’s campaign in 1960. )
Frank Sinatra — High Hopes (the Jack version)
( Bob shares some well-worn Sinatra/JFK/mafia/broads legends. )
Clover — Mister Moon
( Email from “L. King in Los Angeles”, requesting the next record. )
Country Joe and the Fish — Superbird ( Bob explains the origin of the group’s name, and then says, “Here’s a group who took their name from Mao Tse Tung and Joseph Stalin. I wonder why they never had a hit?” )
( Clip of Pete Seeger singing cheerfully about Cleveland going out and Harrison coming in. Harrison was a Republican who lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College in 1888. )
James Brown — Funky President
( Bob mentions Watergate, then talks about other presidential scandals, including Grant’s and Warren Harding’s. )
( Bob talks about the next song, supposedly a tune often played by suicides. )
Billie Holiday — Gloomy Sunday
Phil Ochs — That Was The President
Buddy and Ella Johnson — Upside Your Head
( Bob talks about dead presidents, i.e. those on the currency. )
Little Walter — Dead Presidents
( Clip of LBJ announcing he would not run in 1968. )
Roy C. and the Honeydrippers — Impeach The President (from 1973)
( Bob quotes the constitution on how impeachment may take place, and also says he himself likes to refer to it as “early retirement. Where’s the punishment?” )
Hank Penny — Politics
( Bob talks about the practice of “song sharking.” Then Penn Jillette talks about the resulting recordings. Then Bob plays a couple of examples. )
Rod and the MSR Singers — Richard Nixon
Gene Marshall — Jimmy Carter Says Yes
( Bob suggests that if the preceding records had just gotten into the right hands, they could have been very successful. “And now it’s too late.” )
Randy Newman — Mr. President Have Pity On The Working Man
( Bob suggests everyone should “get out and vote. Go make a difference, before they change the rules, and just appoint the president for us. It’s getting pretty close.” )
Elvis Presley — If I Can Dream ( “dedicated to every person who ever dreams of becoming president … I’ll see you at the inauguration ceremony.” )

Next week’s theme: DOCTORS

( Yes, I realize that I have yet to write up the previous week’s edition, MAIL. This one just seemed more timely, today. )

...................
Share this!

Posts which might be related to this one based on a mysterious algorithm:

• PARTY
• Preaching the gospel
• HEAD TO TOE