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David Perlmutter's avatar

His jaw-dropping cover of "Summertime" was my introduction to him...to say nothing of what he did with "Secret Love"...

"Fat Boy" was one of the few R&B singers of his time who had a jazz musician's skill at scatting.

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Dan Epstein's avatar

His "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is sublime, as well!

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Tim Rogers's avatar

Introduced to “Sitting” by NRBQ and their gorgeous version on “Ludlow Garage 1970”. Flat Foot Doozy! Thanks always dear Dan.

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Dan Epstein's avatar

Ya know, my dear Tim... you're the second person of impeccable taste who has recommended the Ludlow Garage version to me today — and I've actually never heard it before! Heading to YouTube now to dial it up!

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Hugh Jones's avatar

I know the song from NRBQ too, from their wonderful 1987 live album "God Bless Us All," sung by Big Al Anderson. The Ludlow take is great too.

Thanks for hipping me to the original Dan!

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Joe Bonomo's avatar

Nice, man

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The Girl Can't Help It's avatar

Love the fat boy! I sing this when I’m loading the dishwasher!

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Sue Bachner's avatar

Beautiful song! I have heard this before though not recently. I can see why it's so evocative of summer for you. For me the summer song is "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by Sly and the Family Stone though it's a different vibe than "Sitting in the Park". But in general that's one of the good things about music; it can put you in a different space if only briefly that's different from the real life around you at the moment. Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend!

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Dan Epstein's avatar

Awww yeah — "Hot Fun in the Summertime" is so great... though I had to start smoking pot before I really appreciated it, haha...

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Toni DelliQuadri's avatar

Even I remember "Sitting in the Park"...It was my era, after all!! And, yes, you are clearly a romantic!!!

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Chris's avatar

I had heard the song fairly often, but when it really stuck with me was walking into a deserted Red Stripe on Crosby Street in Manhattan just as Alton Ellis' sublime rock-steady cover began playing...something right out of Mean Streets!

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Dan Epstein's avatar

The song inspired some really great Jamaican takes — I'm a big fan of Dr. Alimantado's version, too!

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Garrick Rawlings's avatar

Thank you for the BS inspiration! (no BS!) Thanks also for the Buckingham Fountain post card, ever since I learned of it, anytime I'm in or around Grant Park I'm compelled to point out to whomever that the Prudential building, now dwarfed by the glass & steel super-skyscrapers, was once the tallest skyscraper in town, nice to see her when she still was.

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Dan Epstein's avatar

I'm really grateful that I got my first glimpses of Chicago in the late 70s, before they cluttered up the skyline...

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Garrick Rawlings's avatar

They should've stopped after the John Hancock building!

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