Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Music Monday – Vocalese – Moody's Mood for Love

Dance Couple with LyricsI dug back into the archives of my music collection for my first post of the New Year.  I’ve always loved this song, not only because of the fine vocal stylings of King Pleasure and Blossom Dearie, but also for the history behind the song itself.  Moody’s Mood for Love is a swoon-worthy slow dance song, full of references to magic, stars, enduring love and all the stuff that romance is made of.  If you want to get starry-eyed, this is one of the best songs to listen to.

That being said, here’s the story of the song.

The “original” song was “I’m in the Mood for Love” written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields.  It may be famliar to many because of the line “I’m in the mood for love/Simply because you’re near me…”.  Here is Sarah Vaughn’s cover of the song.

 

While playing in Sweden, saxophonist James Moody improvised a solo while in concert in Sweden.

 

Eddie Jefferson penned words to Moody’s saxophone solo as well as , which then was made famous by King Pleasure and Blossom Dearie.  And we have…

 

Amy WInehouse did a version of the song, and while I do love Amy, I don’t feel she captured the true contours of Moody’s sax solo.  She simply put the words and melody over a reggae beat.  Which is okay, I suppose, but she just made it another song, rather than a call back to the vocalese tradition.

Queen Latifah also does a version.  It’s…okay, but again, is simply another interpretation of the words and melody.

 

EDDIE JEFFERSON MOODY´S MOOD FOR LOVE LYRICS

As sung by King Pleasure and Blossom Dearie

There I go, there I go, there I go, there I go
Pretty baby you are the soul, who snaps my control
Such a funny thing but every time you’re near me
I never can behave
You give me a smile and  then I’m wrapped up in your magic
There’s music all around me
Crazy music, music that keeps calling me so
Very close to you, turns me your slave
Come on and do with me any little thing that you want to
Anything, baby just let me get next to you

Am I insane or do I really see heaven in your eyes?
Bright as stars that shine up above you
In the clear blue skies, how I worry ’bout you
Just can’t live my life without you
Baby come here, and don’t have no fear
Oh, is there wonder why
I’m really feeling in the mood for love

So tell me why, stop to think about this weather, my dear
This little dream might fade away
There I go talking out of my head again

Oh baby won’t you
come and put our two hearts together
That would make me strong and brave
Oooo, when we are one, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid
If there’s a cloud up above us
Go on and let it rain
I’m sure our love together will endure a hurricane
Oh my baby won’t you please let me love you
and give me relief from this awful misery.What is all this talk about loving me, my sweet
I am not afraid, not anymore, not like before
Don’t you understand me, now baby please
Pull yourself together, do it soon
My soul’s on fire, come on and take me
I’ll be what you make me, my darling, my dearOh baby, you make me feel so good
Let me take you by the hand
Come let us visit out there
In that new promised landMaybe there we can find
A good place to use a lovin’ state of mind
I’m so tired of being without
And never knew what love’s about
James Moody you can come over man
you can blow now if you want to, we’re through

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moody%27s_Mood_for_Love

Movie Review – Flashback – Stir of Echoes

Title: Stir of Echoes
Genre: Thriller/Supernatural Horror
Director: Davis Koepp
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164181

Hey there lovelies!

I’m taking a little vacation for the month of the December, which means I’m cleaning house (literally and figuratively) and sussing out my goals for 2016. Which in turns means movies and music galore! It’s a relief sometimes to take a step away from the pen and paper….but that doesn’t stop the ideas from bubbling over.

0509008_BRWrapv4Back to the movies. I took a little step back in time to screen Stir of Echoes. I remember watching this back in the day when it first came out on DVD. It’s based on a novel by Richard Matheson, who, as you must well know, wrote Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, I Am Legend and a few other horror/thriller stories. (I use the word “few” as being funny. Matheson was pretty prolific.)

I must say, for a film from the 90s, it holds up pretty well. I enjoyed Kevin Bacon’s younger incarnation – he’s got the loveliest clear blue eyes. I could have done without the “magical negro” trope and the only non-white people in the film were located in a crappy part of town, but other than that, the narrative surrounding Kevin Bacon’s hypnosis by his sister in law (played by a cool Ileana Douglas) and the resulting plot madness is pretty good.

I’ve read the original Matheson story, and because of the dated plot, the screenwriter took some liberty in changing the plot that I don’t really think affected the overall tension and theme.

Also, a slightly tattooed (on his back)  Kevin Bacon, sweaty and shirtless. He’s kind of thin in this movie, but it’s still kinda hot in a trailer park kind of way.

stir-of-echoes-kevin-bacon-digging-yard-shirtless

Watch or not to watch?:

If you like supernatural thrillers and messages from the other side visited upon a common group of folks, I’d recommend this movie. Screen it for the story and remember it takes place in the 90s when cell phones were NOT commonplace. If you put yourself back in time and watch the movie for what it is, you’ll enjoy it. I know I did.

Grade: A minus

Blogtoberfest – Weird New Jersey

It’s only fair, since I’m writing about scary stuff this month, is to highlight some spooky places in New Jersey.  Despite being the Garden State, there’s a ton of mysteries surrounding some of the horse pastures and lovely farms.

 

So light the lantern and let’s take a closer look behind the cobwebs.

The Jersey Devil

Picture Courtesy of WeirdNJ.com
Picture Courtesy of WeirdNJ.com

From Wikipedia: 

 

The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flyingbiped with hooves, but there are many different variations. The common description is that of a kangaroo-like creature with the head of a goat, leathery bat-like wings,horns, small arms with clawed hands, cloven hooves and a forked tail. It has been reported to move quickly and often is described as emitting a “blood-curdling scream.”[1][2]

 

From Me:

I’ve seen some pictures of the Jersey Devil that looks my dog trying to dress up for Halloween.  There is even reported “video” of the Jersey Devil.  Obviously, is a legend and a kinda corny one at that, but still, it makes me laugh to see the claims.  If you happen to see the Jersey Devil while you’re wandering around in the Pine Barrens, give him (or her) a carrot and a cube of sugar.clinton-road-nj

Clinton Road

Snippets from the New York Daily News:

“It’s like a dark highway into people’s innermost fears.” That’s how Mark Moran, publisher and co-creator of the Weird NJ magazine and website, sums up Clinton Road, a quiet and twisty stretch of road roughly 55 miles northwest of New York City.

“People definitely play on the legend [of Clinton Road],” said Mark Moran. He mentions the menacing black truck that lurks on the road.  Appearing out of nowhere, the truck gets extremely close to your rear bumper, flashes its lights, and then suddenly disappears into the night.

From WeirdNJ.com

This rugged ten mile stretch of deserted road is so rich in lore that it has been attracting late night visitors for generations.  The stories that these sightseeing sojourners have brought back with them of their adventures are sometimes harrowing, often terrifying, and almost always intriguing.  Many of these tales of midnight joyrides may seem unbelievable, while others leave one wondering just where truth ends, and an overactive imagination begins.

If you ever decide to travel down Clinton Road at midnight, stop at the bridge by dead man’s curve.  As the story goes if you sit on that bridge and throw pennies into the river, the ghost of a young boy will throw them back to you.  –Anonymous

My friends and I decided to find out for ourselves what is true and what is not.  We went to the bridge and threw a quarter off.  Not but a minute later you hear the bloop, as if you dropped the quarter in again. The water filled with ripples and a child’s reflection appeared.  I flew back to the car.  That scared all of us.  –Dina, West Milford

 

The Devil’s Tree

From Wikipedia:

Local legend suggests the tree is cursed: those who damage or disrespect the tree (usually by urinating on it, or making disparaging remarks about it while nearby) will soon thereafter come to some sort of harm, often in the form of a car accident or major breakdown as

Picture courtesy of Weird NJ

they leave.[1] The tree’s history is surrounded by superstition, and common theories claim that Bernards Township was one of the central headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey and that the tree had been used to lynch African Americans and rebellious slaves since Colonial times.[2][3][4] Another theory claims that a farmer hanged himself from the tree after killing his family and that anyone trying to cut the tree down will “come to an untimely end”.[5] Other urban legends surrounding the tree allege that visitors who get too close to the tree will get chased by a black Ford pick-up truck that will then disappear at a certain point, or that anyone who touches the tree will find that their hands have turned black if they try to eat at a restaurant.[4][6]

In winter, the ground beneath the tree is allegedly free from snow, no matter how much has fallen or how recently.[1] A nearby boulder called “Heat Rock”, and sometimes the tree itself, are said to be warm to the touch regardless of the season or time of day,[7] and is believed to be a portal to Hell.[1]

The township’s plans to develop the land might have required the tree’s removal, but it decided to protect the tree and keep it intact. In 2007, a sign was posted at the site stating when it is open to the public. The Devil’s Tree is currently surrounded by a chain-link fence due to vandalism.[4]

 

There are so many other scary/haunted places in New Jersey!  Check out WeirdNJ.com if you want to read more.

 

Blogtoberfest – Recipe: Fudge Skeletons

fudge-skeletons-1500

I love an easy recipe and this one you can make in the microwave!

Ingredients
8 oz (about 3 cups) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white candy coating or white chocolate chips, to decorate
Gingerbread man cookie cutter
Yield: 12-15 Fudge Skeletons

 

Preparation

 

1. Prepare a 9 x 13 by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Spray the lining with non-stick cooking spray. Make the paper/foil overhang the pan to use as handles later.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk, and salt.

3. Microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute, then stir with a spatula. If the chocolate chips are not completely melted, return the bowl to the microwave and heat for another 15-30 seconds, then stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. It is very important not to burn the chips.  Stir, stir, stir, stir!

4. Add the vanilla extract, and stir to mix it in. Scrape the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth it into a thin, even layer.

5. Let the fudge set at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour, until it is firm.

6. Lift it from the pan using the foil as handles, and then use the gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out body shapes from the fudge. Depending on the size of the cutter, you will probably get about 12-15 men from one batch. You can save the scraps to munch on, or chop them up to use them in cookie or brownie recipes.

7. Melt the white chocolate candy coating or white chocolate chips. Make a paper cone and pour the candy coating into the cone, or alternately, pour it into a zip-top plastic bag and cut off a small corner of the bag to use as a makeshift piping bag. *I use Wilton Royal Icing for this.*

8. Use the melted candy coating (or candy frosting) to decorate your fudge men with bones and skulls so that they look like skeletons.

9. Let the coating set completely, then the Fudge Skeletons are ready to serve.

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

 

Recipe courtesy of about.com