The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 81-90

I can't think "Miss Patsy Cline" without hearing 

Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn say it in my head. 

Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come
This album soundtrack has been on so many best of lists, I can't believe this is my first time listening. It's been said this is where reggae was born. I don't know of this is true, but that seems pretty historic.

Patsy Cline - I Fall to Pieces
I can't argue with this, I mean you are talking about a grand slam of a song. It crosses genres, it's a signature piece, 60 years later.

The Clovers - Love Potion No. 9
I mean, who doesn't know this song? Is it wrong to consider this a novelty song? It's a very strong tune, and very visual. It's a popular choice in adult skating for comedy/character programs.

The Coasters - Yakety Yak
Another one of those era-defining songs. Meh.

Eddie Cochran - C'mon Everybody, Summertime Blues
Early garage and rockabilly. His spirit lives on in Brian Setzer and kids that can't quite nail an Elvis impression.

Joe Cocker - With a Little Help from My Friends
Joe had a long and glorious career, with his own songs, so I'm surprised to see a remake on the list. He brought pathos to the song that Ringo didn't, so there's that. Still, the man won an Academy award and Grammy for Up Where We Belong. He continued to perform well into late 2013, and passed in 2014 from lung cancer. Work horse.

The Contours - Do You Love Me
Another song that dates it to the 60s, and another song focusing on dancing. Fun fact: member Dennis Edwards was also in the Temptations.

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come
What's better, Sam or the song? A sublime perfect storm. Still relevant today. What's it gonna take people?

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 71-80

I love how this exercise has exposed me to remarkable people like Jimmy Cliff. 

Ray Charles - Hallelujah I Love Her So, I Got a Woman, What'd I Say
Three choices above reproach.

Chubby Check - The Twist
This is one of those songs that could suck you down a rabbit hole trying to find other dance classics. Was used by the rap group The Fat Boys in the 80s. He turned this into a dance franchise.

Chic - Le Freak
I remember this was a hit when I was about 10. It contributes to my memory of 1979 being particularly sunny. I remember dancing to it, a lot.

Charlie Christian and the Benny Goodman Orchestra - Solo Flight
I love big band and blues guitar - but together?! Good on them! So glad to see this entry here. First time hearing this, I can't imagine what the cool cats and kittens thought of it back then.

Eric Clapton - After Midnight
I'm sure this isn't the first time we will see Clapton appear here, I already added him to the list back when I discussed the Beatles and inserted While My Guitar Gently Weeps. After Midnight has been played to death, and I prefer The Core.

Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over
Pardon me for thinking of them as the American take on the Beatles. They go in a different direction, it's a little harder, a little more sonically shouty. Not my favorite band by any means, but I get it.

The Clash - London Calling
I'm surprised there's not more Clash on this list. Let us exalt the lone entry.

Jimmy Cliff - Many Rivers to Cross
Holy shit. My heart is broken and I don't know why.

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 61-70

Seriously, is the greatest hits album just remixes of this song?

Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
I know this song from the Blue Brothers soundtrack. It's one of those moments when you wish they had included him in a cameo in the movie. His delivery is powerful, soul that went to church on Sunday.

Johnny Burnette Trio - The Train Kept a-Rollin'
I know this from the Aerosmith version from the 70s. It's from 1956, and pure rockabilly. Plus, the video on youtube has Bettie Page.

The Byrds - Eight Miles High, Hickory Wind, and Mr Tambourine Man
First off, I hate Mr. Tambourine Man. That's based on a movie I stayed up to watch, one of those CBS Sunday Night movies, a thriller that used this song on the soundtrack. Shudder.

Hickory Wind, first time listening. This is beautiful. This falls into that not quite country, but definitely not rock. Oh, that slide guitar.

Eight Miles High is one of those songs so synonymous with the 60s, that it just feels dated.

Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line
Pretty much anything Johnny Cash should be on the list and fit perfectly. Since this list dates from the mid-90s, it misses his remake of Hurt.

The Champs - Tequila
Party anthem. Totally belongs. I caused a sensation at my friend's wedding flirting with his brother and doing the big shoe dance on top of a wall at the reception at Jackson Community College. People whooped and hollered, but alas, he was unimpressed.

Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl
Another song that while dated, is particularly awesome. Some of those falsettos I can't even hit. The youtube video has backup singers/dancers in Keds and pedal pushers. Those bouffants!

The Chantays - Pipeline
Surf music, I think Little Steven uses this as his intro music for the Underground Garage. I don't know if it is particularly groundbreaking, as the youtube video has people talking more about surfing than the music.

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 51-60

Ruth was a stunner. 

Took a little vacation! And I'm back to spin my opinion.

David Bowie - Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust
I can't argue with any Bowie inclusion, I just can't. If I did, it would be to include The Man Who Sold the World or Jean Genie.

The Box Tops - The Letter
Dated. Meh.

Charles Brown - Driftin' Blues
Listening for the first time. This is a recording from 1945. I can see this as a blues building block.

James Brown - I Got You (I Feel Good); Please, Please, Please; and Say It Loud, I'm Black and Proud
Knowing what I know about the civil rights movement and knowing Say it Loud was James' response to it, it really is astonishing. My first thought is of the naysayers who argue in the social and political arena that artists and celebrities should keep their mouths shut. This is exhibit A of why they shouldn't. I cannot imagine the bravery and the balls it took to release this song when he did.

Ruth Brown - Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
My exposure to Ruth Brown was her portrayal as Motormouth Maybelle in the first (and best) version of John Waters' Hairspray. These small roles in movies are an education and homage to artists people wouldn't otherwise get. I need to hear more Ruth Brown, teach the white children how to dance.

Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky
I have a fun exchange with my coworker Nick, where I defend what I consider the trifecta of 70s singer/songwriters: John Denver, Jim Croce, and Gordon Lightfoot. The sphere of influence needs to expand to include Jackson Browne. Honestly, this is the first time I've heard this particular song. I'm unfamiliar with this one and I like it, but I'm surprised The Pretender isn't here instead.

Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
A protest song from 1966 about police brutality. It's 54 years later. *sigh*

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 41-50

Big Star - September Gurls
Precursor to indie bands that chicks like me fall in love with. Big Star features prominently in Rob Sheffield's memoir dedicated to his deceased wife, as this was her favorite band. As a Northern Girl, I may take a backseat to the girls from California, but I'm preferred here for my birth month.

Black Sabbath - Iron Man, Paranoid
It's amusing to see these two songs on the list a day after watching Ozzy and Jack tour South Dakota tourist attractions. Ozzy is an intuitive, intelligent man, who understands the importance of a McCartneyesque melody, but also the necessity of a hard, dark jam. For someone who operates under a guise of sweetness and light, I understand the need for darkness.

Bobby Blue Bland - Turn on Your Love Light
That opening blast - did the Blues Brothers pay him a little homage in the song Everybody Needs Someone to Love? Just when I think I'm up on my musical history, I get a sax blast of education. Dude, this rules. And to think I thought this would be some soft rock Neil Diamond thing.

Blondie - Heart of Glass
One of my proudest, most surreal moments in life was front row at a Blondie show, and Debbie Harry points to me and sings "oh you know her, would you look at that hair," the opening line to Rip Her to Shreds. My heart shrieks just a little. But this song...? Give me Rapture or Call Me.

Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
Being a middle of the country small town suburban girl, I missed most of the cultural revolution of rap, only hearing songs like this as background soundtrack tunes for edgy teenage dramas that never played first-run at our one of two movie theaters, but on repeat once it made it to HBO.

Gary US Bonds - Quarter to Three
Gary US Bonds was one of those rare performers who had a late in life top 40 hit in the 80s with This Little Girl is mine. My parents probably thought I was charmingly clueless raving about Bonds like I discovered something new. You can hear what Springsteen took away in inspiration.

Booker T. & The MGs - Green Onions
The cultural significance of this song is fascinating to contemplate. It was a hit back in its day, used on the period soundtrack, but has also found life with sampling and rappers and Lord knows where else.

Boston - More Than a Feeling
Such a staple of classic rock, I feel myself resisting it in favor of personal favorites like Can't Ya Say, but this is one grandiose debut from a group of fussy session musicians.

David Bowie - Fame
One of the most iconic personalities in music. You can't fight it.

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 31-40

The Beau Brummels - Laugh Laugh
Meh? I need an argument from someone on this one. It sounds terribly dated to me. It's the bridge between the folk musicians and the rockers.

Beck - Loser
Ok, so maybe I was a little judgmental on the sounds of the Big Chill above, this song is an anthem for Gen X. Sorry, boomer.

Jeff Beck Group - Plynth
What the awesome hell is this? Rod Stewart man! Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

The Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
Disco classic becomes life-saving CPR anthem. One scene in an episode of The Office is hilariously iconic for how quickly it goes down hill. Worthy.

Archie Bell and the Drells - Tighten Up
I've been trying to figure out how to incorporate this song into a skating routine for at least 10 years. "Tighten up on those drums now, oh yeah." Super fun, I highly recommend.

Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode, Maybelline, Rock n' Roll Music
The Beatles did every single one of these songs in the early years of being the bar band at a strip club in Germany. To their credit, they always ALWAYS gave props to Chuck. As we are becoming more aware of cultural appropriation, I do find it reassuring that due to my parents' penchant for greatest hits compilations on 8-tracks, I was exposed to Chuck's versions right alongside the Fabs.

The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace
The big man was the unfortunate passenger in a plane alongside Richie Valens and Buddy Holly. Doesn't mean this song deserves a place on this list. It's songs that shaped rock and roll, don't see it. His fate, however...

Big Brother and the Holding Company - Piece of My Heart
Skipping ahead, what the hell, no Janis and Bobby McGee? I love this song, but I'd argue for Bobby to be included.

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 21-30

The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations and Surfin' USA
I think Surfin' USA is garbage, but Good Vibrations is art.

The Beastie Boys - You Gotta Fight for Your Right
That the Beasties grew as a band and as men, this entry is almost embarrassing. Throw Sabotage and Intergalactic on this list instead, cus I like my sugar with coffee and cream.

The Beatles - A Day in the Life, Help!, Hey Jude, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Norwegian Wood, Strawberry Fields Forever, and Yesterday
Oh LORD, what does a Beatles girl do with this? There's seven songs on this list, and I can make a valid argument for seven others. My blog, my rules. I'm typing drafts currently, confident that the seven songs I pick today will be altered by time this post is actually posted.

What songs to I agree with and why?

A Day in the Life - because it's EPIC. Classic Lennon and McCartney songwriting with a blast of George Martin symphony at the end.

I Want to Hold Your Hand - because that's what broke them worldwide. It's more than just classic pop at its finest moment, it's music history.

Norwegian Wood - how a boy band breaks the mold.

So I need four more.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - first song I ever played for my son when he was about a week old and I held him for the first time.

Here, There, and Everywhere - if I could I would put the entire Revolver album here. This is classic romantic McCartney, a staple of his live shows to this day.

I Am the Walrus/Helter Skelter - cheating? Don't care. I find these two together as interesting as Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever. In '67/'68, The Beatles were so huge, they were looking for places to go, and ultimately, fuck with people. I Am the Walrus came from the challenge of making something out of nothing, messing with a middle school teacher who derided rock music lyrics. Helter Skelter was Macca's response to criticism that the Beatles weren't as loud as The Who. Fine, we'll just invent metal, no big deal. "I got blistas on my fingahs!"

Side two Medley, Abbey Road - is this cheating? Again, don't care. It's got eight song snippets that blend together, a guitar jam, a drum solo, and a career coda in The End, the perfect way for the Fabs to draw the curtain on the band, Her Majesty be damned.

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 11-20

Louis Armstrong - West End Blues
Listening for the first time. Found out this was recorded June 28, 1928 so 92 years ago. I feel like I should be drinking something sweet and ice cold on a veranda, in the shade. What a Wonderful World is more popular, but this speaks to me. I'm glad this is on the list. One youtube poster: Lou's as cool as the other side of the pillow. True dat.

Arrested Development - Tennessee
This was a jam when I was in college. I remember them winning all the Grammys, and they were going to be the next big thing. Then... nothing. IIRC, they were hip-hop activists. The lyrics to this song were devastating then, devastating 30 years later. It's a great song, and my God, haven't we as a society learned anything YET?! Absolutely deserves to be here.

B-52s - Rock Lobster
I do love me some B-52s. I have seen them twice, once in Las Vegas where they got pissed at the lame crowd and in Muskegon where we partied our asses off. I could argue with the fact there's only one B's record on this list. But if there's only one, why this one? I guess I understand this is the song that created an indie college party band genre, but they have so many fun songs. I guess you go with what started it all.

LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy
WHY am I only hearing this song for the first time in 2020? This was a hit in 1956! I need to learn more about LaVern Baker. Wiki glance, aw she's pretty. She worked in the music industry right up to 1995, and passed away in 1997. She toured with the USO, worked on soundtrack albums. She's cool.

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - Work with me Annie
You had me at doo-wop. It's a fun song. Generationally, maybe I miss the ground-breaking part of it. I can't imagine what it would have sounded like in 1954. Fun fact: Hank's cousin is Florence Ballard, of the Supremes. Lots of musical star power here.

The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and The Weight
The Last Waltz is one of the ultimate "must see" rock documentaries out there. And the performance of Evangeline with Emmylou Harris is just beyond. The Weight? Yes. Dixie? Meh.

The Beach Boys - California Girls, Don't Worry Baby, and God Only Knows
You have to understand, by time I was aware of The Beach Boys, they were a nostalgia band doing the county fair circuit who happened upon a hit 20 years past their relevance by including a song about a sleepy town in Indiana that sounded like a beach resort on a shitty movie soundtrack.

That said, California Girls drips with sunshine, and we Northern girls wept just a little that while we kept the boys warm at night, we still weren't from the West coast. The harmonies in Don't Worry Baby are lush. And God Only Knows is a masterpiece.

The next post continues with the brilliance of Brian Wilson, and brings on the Fabs.

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 1-10

rockhall.com

This is the first post in the series reviewing the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame's list of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. Let it be known this list is dated, as this list starts in the early days of popular music, but stops in the mid-90s. Maybe a follow up, 50 posts later, will be to scour my middle-aged brain for new music to shape the future. I'm already thinking of Lizzo and Billie Ellish.

I am a life-long enthusiastic consumer of rock music, stories, and history. My disclaimer is I'm not a historian, and a very bad guitarist: my music teacher, a session musician from the Detroit area who played on a couple of Bluë Oyster Cült albums, can attest to the mind-numbing patience of teaching me how to play Wipeout and Love Me Tender.

I'm trying to figure out how to shape this, so my posts may evolve as I go. I will post my reactions to what was selected, share a memory, or perhaps discover something for the first time.

AC/DC - Back in Black and Highway to Hell
Saw AC/DC in Toronto at the SARstock benefit show in 2003. Both of these numbers were get off your butt rockers. It was a great opportunity to see an all-star lineup for $16 US. If I had to pick though, I'd choose for my greatest song She's Got the Jack over Highway to Hell.

Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys - Wabash Cannonball
My popular music education is woefully underrepresented in the country/bluegrass category. I have a significant love for the Country documentary on PBS, and am interested in learning more. I'm also waiting with bated breath for the continuation of the podcast Cocaine and Rhinestones. Listening to this for the first time, I can see where the framework for country and folk comes into play here.

Aerosmith - Dream On and Toys in the Attic
Dream On is a hell of a way to make your national debut. It's amazing, simply put. Toys, though not so much. I prefer the bass-driven Draw the Line.

Afrika Bambaata - Planet Rock
You can hear this in so much music today: dance, pop, rock, rap, industrial. Essential track. Melly Mel!

The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man and Whipping Post
Greg Allman's bio was a fascinating read. Whipping Post belongs on this list, but I think classic rock stations have worn Ramblin' Man out, to the point I look past it to Melissa or Jessica.

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun and We Gotta Get Out of This Place
House of the Rising Sun has been shaped and personified by its inclusion on numerous period movie soundtracks, such as Casino, that its imagery has been forever altered. Given the fact it's about a whorehouse in the French Quarter, it's pretty fatalistic in its execution. It's a cool bop. I don't care for We Gotta Get Out of this Place, but as for a replacement song, I don't know enough of the Animals catalog to suggest an alternative.

100? Let’s shoot for 500!

I will use this as an excuse to post more John Deacon pictures. 

My runthrough of B&H’s 100 Greatest Bars circa 1979 was truly fun for me. It helped me get back on track with posting here again, and doing little research exercises.

So what’s next?

While setting up my COVID work-from-home station and doing yoga via Zoom meeting, I found a pamphlet from the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame listing the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. My next exercise will be to look at these songs, see if I agree/disagree and why. So as not to take 500 days, I’ll do 10 at a time. Exceptions of course will be made if I think closer examination is worth it.

100 Bars Later

open ~ closed ~ evolved

This was a heck of a way to spend the COVID crisis! During this exercise, I did dig around the liquor cabinet and frankly, I'm just not much of a drinker anymore. Also, the sugary liqueurs brought their own troubles, as we ended up battling an ant problem while having a couple of fifths on the kitchen counter.

Being a stats and numbers girl, here's what I found:

OPEN! These are places that are still operating under the original establishment's name. Relocations, re-openings, and new owners are permitted. Of the 100 greatest bars, 29 are still open for business.

CLOSED. This is pretty easy, no longer in business. RIP to 53 former hot spots.

EVOLVED. Kind of a sticky, murky category. Operating under a new name or after a remodel of the business to keep up with changing times. Kept the name but is doing a different kind of business, like a rehab center. Merged their business with another business. I considered 18 to be evolved, and lots of hotel bars found new life in this category.

east ~ midwest ~ pacific

Whoever put the book together did a credible job of making sure they spread around. Of the 100, 40 were on the East Coast, 34 in the Midwest, and 29 on the Pacific coast. All told, 23 states and the District of Columbia were represented.

Two cities, however, account for a startling number of entries: 12 entries were places in New York City and 10 were from San Francisco.

Cultural shifts. 

What was the catalyst for many establishments to open? There’s a handful of places that opened in the 30s, a direct response to prohibition lifting. And closings? The anti-drunk driving campaigns of the 80s and neighborhoods going bad were cited on numerous occasions and patrons stayed away.

Drink stats!
How did I select the drinks to feature in the blog? Each location had one, two, or even three recipes to choose from. I selected the recipe based on personal taste or nostalgia: the primary criterion was if I remembered my dad making it. Like I said at the beginning, lots of dessert drinks.

There is a total of 16 drinks featuring either vanilla ice cream or sherbet as an ingredient. I feel like this may also be under-representing things, as there were so many more that featured whipping cream or half and half, ice, and a blender, a recipe for making your own alcoholic ice cream.

As for the alcohol, liqueurs dominated the book - shout out creme de menthe and blue curacao! Rum followed, then brandy, then vodka.

As for the extras? I learned how to spell maraschino cherry due to extensive practice.

This n' That
Oldest bar still open: Landmark Tavern, since 1868, followed by Pfister Hotel, since 1893.

#1 Hotel bar by USA Today: Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel.

Dubious Distinction: Downey's voted Worst Irish Pub in America, and featured in season one of Bar Rescue.

A glimpse of the 70s: all the pirate, tiki, or disco-themed places that are RIP.

Signature dishes: I managed to find recipes for Pimlico Cake from the Pimlico Hotel and Cavalier Lounge and the Jimmy's Milan salad, dressing for sale!

Legend: Ol' Blue Eyes features prominently in the legend of a number of restaurants in both LA and NYC, namely the Scandia in LA, where he had his own office. Didn't know Frankie was such a fan of the Swedish meatball.

Suck on this, COVID: visiting so many of the websites for these places, I was heartened to see how some establishments adapted, including take-out, and at Clyde's, opportunities to shop for ingredients as well as sharing the recipes online for home cooks to assemble favorite dishes themselves. Special props to Silky's for selling event door passes to benefit area struggling musicians.

Cool characters, cool stories: the colorful owners like Bob Sikora of Bobby McGee's, Buck and Cindy Scott of Colorado Mine Company, Butch Weaver of Charley Magruder's, and John Donovan of Donovan's Copper Bar, to name just a few.

Then there's the novel about The Mutiny, the Food Network favorite Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista, and a 2013 movie centered around the Fool's Gold Sandwich from the Colorado Mine Company. Can’t forget the famous Harvey Wallbangers at Butch McGuire's!

The saddest, without a doubt, was the story behind the destruction of Windows on the World, 9/11/01.

So, how many establishments have I been a patron of? Two for sure - TGI Fridays and Houlihan's. Five, possibly: Archibald's in Detroit, and Butch McGuire's and Arnie's in Chicago.

On my list: truly, any of the 47 that are open/evolved are fair game. I'd love to see some live music at The Blind Lemon. And I could eat and drink my way through San Francisco.

Want a copy of this recipe book for your own? They're listed on eBay for a low of $4, up to $19.94. Don't go on Amazon, the lone copy for sale there is $923.01.

And for one final stat: of all the drinks in the book, only one was a virgin. So help yourself to Rosie O Grady's kiddie cocktail:

Red Baron

• 3 oz. 7-Up
• 2 1/2 oz. half and half
• 2 oz. pina colada mix
• 1 oz. grenadine
• 1 maraschino cherry

Pour all but the cherry over crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Pour into a double old-fashioned glass, and garnish with the cherry.

Zack’s – closed

Patch from an old t-shirt.

From Sausalito Historical Society:

Zack's By The Bay was a restaurant located at Bridgeway and Turney streets ca. 1970-72. It was started at Sam Zakessian ca. 1959.

Sausalito Art Festival '74, '77 - listed as donor for prizes

CAAB Agenda March 26, 1981; New Business: a/ Zack's -- 1750 Bridgeway, change of exterior material.

1979 ad in Marin Scope (1980.53.7)

A blogger mentions turtle racing in the 60s and great food. Indeed, Zack’s logo is a turtle. Also mentioned is the smallest stage one piano player has ever encountered in his career.

Apparently you could dock right up to the place, as groupies ascended on Wilt Chamberlain as he was coming off his boat.

“A great place for dancing,” someone remarked.

Ah, the last entry. Make it sweet.

Jessie Chocolate Chip

• ¾ oz. chocolate mint liqueur
• ¾ oz. white crème de cacao
• Hot black coffee
• Whipped cream

Pour liqueurs into large coffee mug. Fill with coffee. Top with whipped cream.

Yesterday’s – closed

According to the LA Times, Yesterday's has been gone since at least 1993, mentioned in a story about the exodus of crowds from the Westwood Village:

Though many hesitate to bring it up, the symbolic beginning of Westwood’s downturn can be traced back five years to the shooting death by gang members of bystander Karen Toshima. It was a crime that sullied the village’s image as a haven and gave would-be shoppers pause when they considered visiting Westwood.

The vandalism and looting that followed the premiere of the movie “New Jack City” in March, 1991, further confirmed the fears of many that Westwood was the weekend gathering spot for troublemakers and gangs. Despite the fact that from June, 1992, to June, 1993, the village reported fewer assaults, burglaries and auto break-ins than the business area of Beverly Hills, the perception has been hard to shake.

“Even a single incident is enough to send a message that, ‘maybe I had better think of somewhere else to go,’ ” said Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Assn. “It could be enough to keep people from coming for years.”

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents the area, agrees. “Reputation has done more damage than anything,” he said.

UCLA paper laments as late as 2016 the loss of this college town scene.

Slushy Margarita

• 1 ½ oz. tequila
• ¾ oz. triple sec
• 3 oz sweet and sour mix
• 1 lime wedge

Pour all but lime wedge in blender with crushed ice. Blend until thick. Pour in margarita glass with salted rim. Garnish with lime wedge.

The Vineyards – closed

DetroitYES forums say it’s gone now, and describes how the stone walls and arched ceilings amplified the sound. The restaurant's heyday was in the 60s, but quality declined by the 80s.

Aerial view on Google Maps of what was The Vineyards shows the location is now an office complex, no stone turrets or vineyards to see.

This drink was a standard offering at restaurants in my youth.

Lambrusco Sour

• 2 oz. Lambrusco wine
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 tsp. superfine sugar
• 1 orange slice
• 1 maraschino cherry

Place all but the fruit in a blender. Blend slightly. Pour over ice in old fashioned glass. Garnish with fruit.

Windows on the World – closed

This one hurts my heart. From wiki:

Windows on the World was a complex of venues on the top floors (106th and 107th) of the North Tower (Building One) of the original World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. It included a restaurant called Windows on the World... destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Windows on the World was destroyed when the North Tower collapsed during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. That morning, the restaurant was hosting regular breakfast patrons and the Risk Waters Financial Technology Congress. World Trade Center lessor Larry Silverstein was regularly holding breakfast meetings in Windows on the World with tenants as part of his recent acquisition of the Twin Towers from the Port Authority and was scheduled to be in the restaurant on the morning of the attacks. However, his wife insisted he go to a dermatologist's appointment that morning, whereby he avoided death. Everyone present in the restaurant when American Airlines Flight 11 penetrated the North Tower perished that day, as all means of escape and evacuation (including the stairwells and elevators leading to below the impact zone) were instantly cut off. Victims trapped in Windows on the World died either from smoke inhalation from the fire, jumping or falling from the building to their deaths, or the eventual collapse of the North Tower 102 minutes later.

There were 72 restaurant staff present in the restaurant, including acting manager Christine Anne Olender, whose desperate calls to Port Authority police represented the restaurant's final communications... After about 9:40 AM, no further distress calls from the restaurant were made. 

In the time since then, there’s been a Windows of Hope Family Relief fund established for surviving families of the restaurant employees who perished, founded by the executive chef and owner/operator.

I’m really struck numb with this one. It is currently the summer of 2020. The country is currently being torn apart by politics, racism, and COVID-19. We haven’t learned a thing since the 9/11 tragedy. We as a society are nastier than ever.

If it pleases the reader, a toast then to the 72 staff members, and to gentler times.

White Lady

• 1 ½ oz. gin
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 1 ½ oz. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. superfine sugar
• 1 lime slice

Place all but the lime slice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass with a sugared rim. Garnish with a lime slice.

Washington Square Bar & Grill – evolved

A historical place, archived and preserved. From SFGate, 2011:

Let's raise a glass and drink a September toast to the Washington Square Bar & Grill, which was once so cool it was the hottest place in San Francisco. And now it's history, like ancient Rome.

The artifacts from the place - menus, photographs, drawings, newsletters, jerseys from the house softball team called Les Lapins Sauvages, newspaper columnist Stanton Delaplane's typewriter, martini glasses, memories - have all been shipped to the San Francisco Public Library History Center. The trademark wooden WSB&G sign that graced the outside of the restaurant for more than 30 years is headed to the library.

My friends and I did plenty of research at the Washington Square in the 1970s and '80s. We'd fight our way through the crowds, three deep at the bar. We wore coats and ties, we drank white wine spritzers, we smoked, we listened to music, we told amusing stories to pretty women. But mostly we looked around.

But it was also a place for San Franciscans, where people knew each other, people who liked San Francisco, liked to drink and talk - drawn by "the magnetism of a small place," Ed Moose might say.

Here's the history: The Washington Square Bar & Grill opened in 1973, replacing a bar run by Rose Evangelisti - they called her Rose Pistola because she always kept a pistol under the bar. The Washington Square Bar & Grill had a New York feel, with San Francisco touches, old pictures and such.

Moose and Deitsch sold the place in 1990, and Moose ended up at a new restaurant on the other side of Washington Square. The Washbag kept going for another 10 years, but Peter Osborne, a later owner, sold it and opened MoMo's, a new place South of Market, across from the ballpark. The Washbag turned into a blue-themed establishment called Cobalt, but when that didn't fly, it became the Washington Square Bar & Grill again. It folded a second time, then reopened in 2009.

The Washington Square Bar & Grill closed for good in August 2010, on the same day Ed Moose died.

The restaurant is now called Bottle Cap.

Wow, I feel like this is evolved times five or six.

Square Picon Punch

• 3 oz. chilled champagne
• 1 oz. Amer Picon
• ½ oz. brandy
• 1 lemon peel strip

Pour champagne and Amer Picon over ice in 6 oz. wineglass. Stir slowly. Float brandy on drink. Twist lemon peel and drop in glass.

The 21 Club – open!

21club.com

This place has been around forever and God willing, will last forevermore. From their site:

When the doors first opened on January 1, 1930, few could imagine that '21' would become one of the most famous speakeasies of the Prohibition Era. Over 80 years, we’ve charmed celebrities and captains of industry alike.

Our wrought-iron gate is an icon. It dates back to 1926, when founders Jack and Charlie moved their Club Fronton from 88 Washington Place to open the Puncheon Grotto at 42 West 49th Street. No sooner had the doors opened when they received notice that the Rockefeller Center was to be built on the site.

On January 1, 1930, they unhinged the gate from the doorway of No. 42 and installed it three blocks north at 21 West 52nd Street. '21' was officially opened.

Everyone who's anyone has to make an entrance at the iconic '21'. From the 35 multi-colored jockeys lining the steps to the five stories of restaurants, events spaces and bars within, a visit here is about more than dining—it's an adventure into the imagination. And, most of all, it's about sheer entertainment and sophisticated fun.

From toys to art to lawn jockeys to an extensive wine cellar, The 21 Club collects things and patrons with great success.

South Side

• 2 oz. gin or vodka, your choice
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. superfine sugar
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves

Place everything in a cocktail shaker. Shake well to break up mint leaves. Pour into chilled cocktail glass.

T.S. Station – closed

More ice cream drinks. 

Few mentions on local eatery message boards. Ancient diner reviews. A touching obituary blog post about Stuart Shannon, who was a floor manager there, always ready to work hard, play hard, and get the prime rib going in the middle of the night.

I did find this tidbit about the owners:

The original Steak and Ale was a venture involving Shreveport businessmen John Turner and Gene Scott and the Dallas-based restaurant chain. After five years, the partnership with S&A Restaurant Group ended and Turner and Scott renamed the eatery T.S. Steak and Lobster Inn.

Also in 1973, the two opened the trend-setting restaurant T.S. Station at 750 Shreveport-Barksdale Highway. In 1978, Turner and Scott brought in a third partner, Roy Cage, and a few years later expanded T.S. Steak and Lobster Inn with a larger lounge and a second banquet and meeting room.

Original T.S. Station is now the El Jimador Supremo, a Mexican cuisine establishment co-owned by a pair of siblings.

Caramel Nut

• 1 oz. crème de cacao
• 1 oz. caramel liqueur
• 5 oz. vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Chopped nuts

Place all but cream and nuts in blender, blend until smooth. Pour into 10 oz. wineglass. Top with whipped cream and nuts.

Top of the Park - closed

And the matchbook remains.

The internet has been helpful in finding everything else but information on the restaurant. Well, in a city with 8.5 million people, it's easy to fathom that in the last 40 years, 8.5 million establishments have shuttered. 

I did find a matchbook, another one to add to the collection, proving that is once existed. 

Peruvian Cherry Blossom

• 1 1/2 oz. pisco brandy
• 1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. superfine sugar

Place everything over ice in cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into whiskey sour glass. 

Todd's - closed

Sangria

What was Todd's looks like a salvage yard. Aerial view reveals where the building was, including parking and the circle drive where you could drop off your date, or even better, valet in order to make your reservation on time.  

Sigh. I wish there were more, so I will tell you about the first time I drank sangria. It was on a date with my then-boyfriend-now-husband, whose father decided to come along. I didn't mind, as they were running an errand in the city, and it was an opportunity to see him, as I had already graduated and he was still in school over an hour north. 

The place? The Beltline Bar, for Tex-Mex. You could get sangria by the glass, but it was better by the pitcher. 

At that point in our relationship, I was extremely well behaved and polite with his parents, on the cusp of over presenting myself as the prim and proper, suitable for marrying type. Until the man kept feeding me the fruit at the bottom of the pitcher. 

We whooped. We hollered. We ordered pitcher after pitcher. I was poured out of the car at my apartment complex, certain I tarnished my reputation forever. 

Ney sez he to my love: you may marry the vibrant lass. 

And that's the story of day drinking that became night drinking with my future father in law. God love ya, Phil. 

Sangria

• 3 oz. red burgundy
• 1/2 oz. dry sherry
• 1/2 oz. grenadine
• 1/2 oz. sweet and sour mix
• 1/2 oz. OJ
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 orange slice
• 1 maraschino cherry

Pour all but the fruit in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain over ice cubes into 14 oz. glass. Twist lemon wedge and drop in glass. Garnish with the rest of the fruit.