Because you’re never too old to rock and roll…
It’s time for The Nest to kick your week into high gear with another treat for your Monday ears. This is the day we rifle through that messy desk full of misfiled music we like to call the Dusty Vinyl Archive! DJ Scratchy’s dug up another great oldie with a little help from her friends, while the Sponkies….. are, um, listening to whatever’s playing on their phones right now. Annoying kids…
I’ve been following Barb’s (ghostmmnc) blog for a few years now, and I always enjoy the posts where she’s participating in a music challenge because the songs she often includes are the kind of eclectic mix that is bound to occasionally tickle the joy buzzer inside of the musical part of my brain. She already directly inspired a DVA song earlier this year, and one of Barb’s recent posts gave me an idea for another great song that isn’t played near enough anymore…
Ooh wee ooh, you look just like Buddy Holly…
Barb brought up the 1970 song “The Rapper” by the one hit wonder group The Jaggerz, and noted that it was written by Donnie Iris. While I’m very familiar with the song (despite it also being a kinda lost hit), I had no idea Iris wrote it, or that he was a member of The Mickz. The one and only thing I knew the name Donnie Iris for was his #29 1980 song “Ah! Leah!” And trust me, that’s not a bad song to have as your best known hit…
I discovered in my research that Donnie Iris actually had another minor hit that I’ve heard before that is also pretty cool, “Love Is Like A Rock“… not to be confused with the Paul Simon song of a similar sounding name…
I really need to ditch this guy with the bad hair. Simon and Iris… I like the sound of that.
The video is in crappy quality and really lame, but I love that song! And hopefully you do as well…
As for next Monday…. well, I planned on beginning my next idea for a Top 30 music countdown, though life may intervene this week and keep me from getting the list completed by then. So, there may be a another DVA next Monday, or there may be something else entirely…. but it will be music! Because music and Mondays have gone together on this blog even longer than Snuggle and Big Scrat have….
Don’t remind meeeee!!!!!!
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
When you mentioned the name of this song it didn’t ring a bell but the music sure did when I listened……..I loved this song back then, but hardly EVER heard it on the radio. Didn’t even remember who it was by! Duh………thanks for reminding me.
Pam
There are a lot of songs rattling around in the corners of my brain that I like, but couldn’t even guess at their artist. I’d bet this is one of those songs for a lot of people… just enough exposure for people to know, but the artist is kinda forgettable.
oh YES!!!! the first tune and I was in!!!
Yes, this song doesn’t wait one second to start rocking!
oh, I forgot about that one –
Can’t believe it wasn’t a bigger hit than #29.
Just like everyone else here I couldn’t remember this one but after hearing it, it all came back to me. Great long lost tune, much credit to DJ Scratchy and the Nest for digging this one up!
I was surprised I hadn’t used this one yet since it fits the lost hit definition so well and I love it. I remember seeing this video on VH1 Classic a while back and thinking…. THAT is the guy who sings this song? What a dweeb!
Right? I thought so too, lol.
Donnie Iris was HUGE in Cleveland! I recognized this song immediately. We still hear this song and Ah Leah quite a bit around here. Good choice!
Nice! Every once in a while I’ll hear it on the radio here, and I even heard it at work not too long ago which was a pleasant surprise!
For years I thought he was singing “The Army” and I had no idea it was “Oh Leah” until about a year ago. I thought it was just another weird song but I admit, I’m a lazy listener. I found out the real name because Sirius radio in my car shows the song titles.
Wow, the Donnie Iris version of Love is Like a Rock is so much better (in my view) than that version by those two guys (the tall one and the short one) Thanks for the heads up on that.
The tall one didn’t have any input on the short one’s song since Paul had already kicked him to the side of the road by then. I kinda like some of Simon’s solo work, but all I can say about him and the guy with the funny name is that together, they made some great material for later artists to cover the hell out of…
They were brilliant. We all know every single song and can sing along. Last Halloween my husband and I dressed up as Simon and Garfunkel. We looked like that famous black and white photo of them. I was Simon. Best Halloween costumes ever.
The title meant nothing to me, but I remember this song. Not much about it or why I remember it. Just that I remember it.
Well, that alone is considered an accomplishment by the DVA staff. We strive to dig those lost songs out of the cobwebbed corners of people’s brains… good, bad, or neutral.
Thanks so much for the mention about those songs I’d posted before. Glad they resulted in your entertaining DVA posts!
I’d never heard of Donnie Iris, or these two songs before, but they are good ones. 🙂
Yay for Snuggle and Big Scrat being around for so long! Now, I’m wondering about next Monday!
This is one I really needed to include, so I’m happy you brought it to my attention! And I’ve had this song on the brain for about a week now!
Quite rocky-poppy. I’ve never heard of the chap, though.
He didn’t even completely conquer America, so I doubt he got much exposure in other countries. Heck, even the copyright police didn’t bother with him since you were able to watch it…
Yes! I remember that song (had no idea that was the name). Always enjoyed it. A great way to start out day (even if it is nearly 1 pm, Mountain time).
No problem! You can enjoy the DVA any time of day, since it’s always morning (and Monday) somewhere…