Carl

Last I heard, Dickie had his own band, The Dickie Betts Band, and was playing small theaters on occasion. I ran into his drummer a while ago, and he told me Dickie was doing well. I think it's unlikely that he will return to the Allman Brothers, because it seems Gregg has his mind made up. Hopefully, Dickie will get the recognition he deserves as not only a guitar player, but a talented songwriter as well. He's written some classics, including "Blue Sky" and "Jessica." It's clear The Allman Brothers are much greater than the sum of their parts, and this works against any member on his own. I hope Dickie's story ends well.

Andrew- That is a great idea. I'm confused about the XML. Can you explain the "dump" and what that's all about? Songfacts looks like it should definitely be on that site, and if you could help us out with it, that'd be a big help.

In the old days, DJs were real people who played the songs by cuing up the albums just like everyone else. Being human, they often liked to hear songs that flowed seamlessly on the record played together, and that's how listeners came to expect it. That's what happened with these Queen songs, but they are definitely 2 separate songs. Other songs that got grouped together: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band/A Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles) Eruption/You Really Got Me (Van Halen) Heartbreaker/Livin' Lovin' Maid (Led Zeppelin)

First of all, make it very clear to your DJ that he/she will not, under any circumstances, play "Paradise By The Dashboard Light," "The Chicken Dance," or anything by The Village People, especially "YMCA." Here are some songs that I feel express genuine sentiment and can make great wedding songs: "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke "At Last" by Etta James "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" by Rod Stewart "Sweetest Thing" by U2 - especially if you have brown eyes and his are blue "Two Hearts" by Bruce Springsteen "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers I applaud your effort to take control of the music at your wedding. It's amazing how many people don't and end up listening to way too many selections from Rick Springfield's Working Class Dog album.

I have 2 concerns about this, both of which I should probably get over. The first thing I'm worried about is diluting the value of the newsletter. The second is the appearance that the database is not being updated. We are constantly working on the database and adding new songs, but putting it online takes some effort and is something we want to do only once a week or 2. I'm a little worried that people will see that no songs have been added for a week and think we are one of these sites that hasn't changed since 1998. If anyone has any ideas on how we could present something like this, please let us know, it will help us out as we redesign the homepage.

Let's take it back a step and say they were all inspired by American Blues music, especially Chuck Berry. "Big 10 Inch Record," "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," "Hard To Handle" - all covers of Blues or Soul records, which is a way for them to pay tribute to their influences. All 3 bands also have preening lead singers who overacheive in a big way when it comes to the ladies. Steven Tyler took a lot of heat for being a Mick Jagger clone, but I think he's made quite a mark on his own.

That's "California" by Phantom Planet. Check out the Songfacts, it's been around for a few years and has been used in some other stuff as well.

Just a quick defense of The Rock Hall and the city of Cleveland. If you love music and are looking for a good, low cost, low maintenance trip, Cleveland is your town. The Rock Hall is great, and Cleveland has a lot to offer with wonderful people and lots to do.

Catherine is absolutely right about Eddie being able to live a normal life in Seatle. He can go wherever he wants and only the tourists bother him. This goes for every rock star who lives there. It's kind of refreshing to see a place where celebrities are treated like regular people. If the sun came out more than 3 times a year, that would be an amazing city.

Beefheart seems to be one of those bands that many musicians claim as an influence, but not many people listen to. The Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop are others in this category. I think you need a very open mind to enjoy it.

What would you guys think of an alphabetical artist browse like we have for the song titles? The browse box was a breakthrough when we put it up, but it has gotten a little unruly.

I see huge differences between Rush and Kiss, but I think they should both be in. Here's why: Kiss- They're famous. That's why they belong in the Hall of Fame. You can criticize their music all you want, but everyone knows who they are and what they do. You can look at Nolan Ryan's stats and say he wasn't the greatest pitcher, but the guy had the stuff of legends. As years go by, the legend grows because he was famous. A baseball hall of fame needs Nolan Ryan, a music hall of fame needs Kiss. Rush- This one is much more questionable than Kiss, but Rush should be in because of quality and consistency. I'm not a drumming aficionado, but every drummer I've asked lists Neil Peart in their Top 5. Geddy and Alex also have remarkable talent. Rush is more like Don Sutton, a funny looking hall of fame pitcher who won at least 15 games every year. You could count on him to deliver a strong performance, even if you might not pay money to see him. I didn't know Rolling Stone was so far up the Rock Hall's atrium. I'd like to learn the details.

You know your band name is a winner when people are still talking about it 12 years on. Pearl Jam used to be called Mookie Blaylock because they liked a basketball player with the same name - he wore number 10, the name of their first album. "Pearl" was not only Eddie's grandmother, but also the nicknames of both Janis Joplin and another basketball player - Earl Monroe (There was also an outstanding point guard at Syracuse University in the '80s called Dwayne "The Pearl" Washington). Like Meat Loaf, they often make up stories about how they got their name, so it's hard to tell for sure.

Just as many Rock songs are meaningless but fun (think AC/DC), a lot of Rap songs have a great beat and no real message. Over the years, the production value of Rap has gotten incredibly good, but the writing hasn't. There are still some clever lyrics, but there are way too many rappers with nothing to say. It's not like the '80s when Rap was, as Chuck D called it, "The Black CNN." There are surprisingly few rap songs that take aim at George Bush, who you would think could provide endless material. Rap has become more about entertainment and less about enlightenment, but I'll agree with Denmark that it is still the most anti-establishment music out there. In response to the original post, a lot of radio stations are lumping Hip-Hop and R&B together, when they are very different forms of music. R&B has been around a lot longer, and has not improved much over time. For proof, listen to Luther Vandoss' version of "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" and compare it to William Bell's original. R&B is more heartfelt, and improvements in technology have not improved the quality of the music.

I'm with you - and add .38 Special to the list. I think The Eagles have a much more distinctive sound that the others, so I can always tell them apart. Especially on songs Don Henley sings. Those bands on the list are not bad, just not particularly distinctive. Every now and then, one of them will let loose a really good song. I'm a big fan of Marshall Tucker's "Heard It In A Love Song" and The Outlaws' "Green Grass And High Tides."

I can confirm that Mr. Derringer is alive and well. Hopefully we'll talk to him soon to discuss some of the songs he's worked on. In addition to his work as a guitar player and singer, he is also a prolific producer.

Our multiple winners are: Susan from Atlanta, Georgia Emma from Palm Beach, Australia Mandee from Huntington, WV Even our tiebreaker couldn't break the tie, with Susan, Mandee and Emma all coming within 1 fish, so they will each receive a clean and comfortable Songfacts T-shirt. Here are the answers: Who has the best-selling greatest hits album of all time? - The Eagles Their album Greatest Hits 1971-1975 racked up huge sales, especially from catalogs where you got a bunch of discs for a penny when you signed up. Some of the hits on the album include "Desperado," "Already Gone" and "Tequila Sunrise." What singer launched a successful career by playing free shows at shopping malls? - Tiffany It was great exposure for her and gave DJs something to say about her. Years later, she got a different kind of exposure when she appeared in Playboy. What song did Michael J. Fox play in the movie Back To The Future? - Johnny B. Goode He goes back in time and inspires Chuck Berry - even the duck walk. A few people got their Michael J. Fox movies mixed up and guessed Light Of Day. What musician released an album that opened like a school desk and contained a pair of paper panties? - Alice Cooper This is one of the reasons we miss albums. His 1972 School's Out album was the one. What famous group had an album with a 3-legged dog on the cover? - Alice In Chains Their self-titled 1995 album is known as Tripod. Note the Alice theme of the last 2 answers. What rap duo had their own Saturday morning cartoon? - Kid 'n' Play Kid was the one who looked like he had an eraser growing out of his head. He can now be seen on Showtime At The Apollo. Their cartoon was on in 1990, a year before the MC Hammer cartoon Hammerman. Kid 'n' Play went on to star in the Houseparty movies. Our favorite wrong answer was Tom And Jerry. What pop singer released an album with a title based on the year the US National Anthem was written? - Janet Jackson We had this up before the boob incident, but claim no responsibility for the "Wardrobe Malfunction." The album was Rhythm Nation 1814. What famous band used to appear on stage wearing nothing but socks? - The Red Hot Chili Peppers They didn't wear them on their feet. What musical couple appeared naked on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1981? - John Lennon and Yoko Ono What group released a million-selling album in the '80s with a cover containing just the name of the album and symbols representing the 3 band members? - The Police Those funky symbols on Ghost In The Machine represented the band members. Tiebreaker: How many fish are in the Songfacts aquarium? - 4 (R.I.P. Clarence) Thanks to everyone who took the quiz, and be sure to take the new one here.

Oops. I should have never condemned Tim Burton. I heard "Man Of The Hour" yesterday on an Internet radio station. There's a chance it's going to get some decent airplay.

Sara and I saw this last night. We both really liked it. It's taken me a while to forgive Tim Burton for Batman And Robin (I saw it on my one trip to Mann's Chinese Theater), but the dark, lyrical style worked very well in Big Fish. The music was great, making a big difference in many important scenes. Danny Elfman knows his stuff. Of course, I waited through the credits to see the music, and there was an excellent Pearl Jam song that played over them called "Man Of The Hour." Even if you're not a Pearl Jam fan, you might like this song. It's really beautiful and I think it was written for the movie.

Chaff- Just to clear some stuff up - Cat Stevens did write the song. I checked it in a very reputable discography. I was surprised too. Patty Smyth was lead singer of the group Scandal ("The Warrior"), and did well as a solo artist singing ballads like "No Mistakes" and the duet with Don Henley "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough." Not sure about her playing sax (Candy Dulfer, maybe?), and also not sure where Patti Smith fits into this picture. We're all learning.

A deeper meaning to the Milkshake song - interesting. I think that info came from Entertainment Weekly, but it's entirely possible there is more to it. If you get a chance, send us what you got and we'll add it. Thanks

Including our pick for Record Of The Year - Hey Ya, although Clocks is also a great song. There's some great new Rush, more Fleetwood Mac, and The Milkshake Song. We'll send out the newsletter soon and list a bunch more. Thanks, Carl

Not sure I understand - you're location is posted in your profile.

That's a song called "Zoom Zoom Zoom" which was done by a Brazilian group called Centro Cultural Senzala De Capoeira in 1999. You can probably find it now that it's been in a commercial.

We added optional boxes for the album and date when you add Songfacts. This should help us out when we process the song information. Thanks for the suggestion folks. Carl