We Are The World... The Remake

So I'm sitting here at the Crain Ford dealership waiting on the family wagon to get some recall work done and on the tv I hear a story that catches my all-things-80s ear.  It appears that, in an effort to raise funds for Haiti relief, a group of musicians and actors/actresses have gathered to record a new version of "We Are The World."

I only recognize a few of the names in this new cast, and frankly, of the names I do recognize, I couldn't tell you a single song they sing.  Perhaps as my children grow older I'll end up with some 'Lil Wayne or Jonas Brothers on my iPod.  But I doubt it.  Here's what I do know about the remake.

1. The lyrics remain the same.
2. The music, for the most part, remains the same (some 21st century liberties are taken, I'm sure).
3. Not ONE of the original 1985 singers were invited back for this remake.  None.
4. Many of those who did participate in the remake weren't even BORN when the original was recorded!  That'll make you feel old.
5. The honor  of singing of the opening line was given to the pop-star... Justin Bieber from Canada.  Huh?  He's fifteen years old.
6. The song was recorded in the same studio, with the same producer (Quincy Jones) and co-writer Lionel Richie - exactly 25 years later (well, give or take 3 days).

There are no public videos of the recording yet, but my guess is that they'll be popping up soon.  For now, here's rapper 'Lil Wayne commenting on the news that he would be singing Bob Dylan's line.  [SIGH]

MTV Shows

Where Are They Now? 70's Stars

Have you ever wondered what might've happened to Laverne & Shirley... or Chachi... or the Partridge family?  Ok - maybe not the Partridge family.  Fox News has a fun slide show featuring over 20 then & now photos of some of our favorite stars from the 70's.

The Memories Ad Up

I found these simple ads from our high school newspaper that easily brought back lots of memories.

Many of the guys would order their prom tuxes here or flowers for their sweetheart. Toward the end of our high school years - or perhaps it was after our graduation - this florist was owned by Brand & Neal Moon's mother.

Owned by Kelley Erstine, the science teacher's husband (and now my cousin-in-law) and then owned & operated by Mandy Jester's family.

The Midget Market. What can you say?

Elementary Textbooks

On Wednesday morning, August 16th, 1978 I walked into the 2nd door on the third row of buildings on the Sheridan Elementary School campus to begin my third grade year.  Most of us had our moms in tow, to not only meet our new teacher (mine would be Mrs. Pyle), but to sign the card above legally binding them to pay for any damage their careless 8 year old kid might cause to the stack of books he/she was about to receive.
I have since begun a very small collection of some of our grade school books - mostly readers.  So now I'm really wishing we would've taken better care of them.  It's hard to find a 40 year old school book in decent shape.
By the way - I'd like to have a set of the old spelling books we had in grade school.  Remember those?  Each year's cover was a different color, but all of them had a pattern of letters on them something like this:

If you happen to find any of these - lemme know.

So anyways... I'm not sure what the process is now-a-days - if they even have to sign for textbooks at all.  I do know that in some high schools, they're moving from textbooks to MacBooks!  I doubt they even have a damage waiver like we did - because if you damage these hi-tech toys, you can just buy them at the end of the year - for a dollar.

A-Team

Just saw the trailer for the new A-Team movie coming out in June.



You can watch some of the original episodes here and here.

Just Hear those Sleigh Bells Ringing

Over the next few days leading up to Christmas, I'd like to try to re-post some fun stuff that I originally posted last year in a series called "12 Days of Christmas."

Here are four songs from the 1983 Junior (middle school) Band Christmas Concert. We were in the 8th grade, so this would be our last year in junior band. If you listen to the first song, you'll hear just a bit of Mr. Ed Grissom introducing the songs.

What Child is This?
Of course, there are no lyrics sung to any of these band performances - you'll have to find some archived choir recordings for that - but did you know that there are two "missing" verses to "What Child is This?" that you've probably never sung in church - or anywhere else for that matter? If you can endure these four songs, I'll show you the two missing verses at the end of the post.


RIGHT CLICK to Download

Title Unknown
That first song wasn't too bad, was it? This next song is fun to listen to, but I don't know the title. A special prize goes to any former Jr Band member who can tell me!

**UPDATE: I was just listening to this again & it hit me - the title is something like, "Santa's Toyshop".


RIGHT CLICK to Download

All I Want For Christmas
(Is My Two Front Teeth)
This song is dedicated to those awkward tooth-losing years.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, just look at our 2nd grade yearbook!


RIGHT CLICK to Download

Holiday Sleigh Ride
If you were ever in concert band, then you'll no doubt remember how much fun this song was to play. Just think of how enjoyable it is to listen to (well, maybe not when a bunch of 13 year olds try to belch it outta their horns...) and you can imagine why it's so fun to play. One fortunate percussionist each year would get the honors of doing the whip crack SFX by using a couple of 2x4's hinged together. When the music called for it, you'd slap the two boards together to make a loud "crack". You were really cool if you could split the 2x4's by slapping them too hard.


RIGHT CLICK to Download

Missing Lyrics:
Below are all three verses to "What Child is This", one of my favorite Christmas carols. Traditionally, we sing the last half of the first verse "This, this is Christ the King..." as the "chorus" to all three verses. However, there's really not a chorus to this carol at all, just three verses. I've highlighted the two "missing" portions of verses 2 & 3.
A quick bit about the song itself - notice in verse one that the first half is a question, "Who is this Child?", and the answer in the last half "This is Christ the King..." Verse two asks another question - "Why is He here in such a humble place?", answer: He now pleads silently from the crib, but will soon scream from the cross. And the last verse is an explanatory imperative (i.e., because of what's just been said about Him, do this for Him...), and it calls & commands all to worship the Christ child.

What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Words: Will­iam C. Dix, The Man­ger Throne, 1865.

In Memory of Scott Pumphrey

Today marks the anniversary of the death of one of our classmates. Scott Pumphrey died December 14, 2000. Though he wasn't a graduate of Sheridan, he walked our halls, attended our classes, and was a part of our basketball team for a short time - long enough though, to consider him a classmate & certainly a friend.

Please visit his memorial page on the 88 site to read his obituary, see photos and leave your thoughts. If you are still in touch with the family, perhaps an encouraging card or phone call might be appropriate just to let them know you were thinking about them. His father still resides in Prattsville.

My desire is to remember our deceased classmates throughout the year on the date of each of their deaths to keep their memory fresh in our minds & give us all a reminder to number our days.

One Sidewalk. Many Memories.

I've posted most of the pictures you'll find on this blog over on Facebook for others to enjoy. One of my favorite features of Facebook is the way you can easily comment & interact on any photo. That's what happened on the photo below. For some reason it received an unusually long comment thread that I thought you'd find amusing, so I copied it here. What's so amazing, as Steve Warmack comments, is the amount of conversation created by one simple photo - and the range of topics covered (from the sidewalk we jumped to the city pool and then to the slaughterhouse and then to Jimmy Wimberly!)  If you're on Facebook, you can add your own comment here. If not, enjoy the conversation below & add your own comment on this blog post.

The Sidewalk (taken in '08):

The Sidewalk (taken in the mid-60's):

The Memories:

Courtney Sligh Moss at 4:28pm September 11, 2008
Oh the memories!!! Thanks Aaron - this is great! I used to ride my bike up and down the sidewalks everyday.

Scott Warmack at 9:02pm September 11, 2008
And that would be the awning I was jumping up to touch.

Trina 'Smurl' Williams at 9:07pm September 11, 2008
You can just see the gym off in the back. I remember it being built. I also remember getting the cool job of going to get the milk before naps. Yes, back when you went all day everyday. :-)

Heather Young Malone at 9:14pm September 11, 2008
I loved!!!!! going to get the milk!!!! What a long sidewalk!

Scott - the higher you could jump... the further down the sidewalk you could reach... the cooler you were. That's it.

Stacy Cunningham Gilbert at 9:31pm September 11, 2008
Milk and moonpies!

Trina 'Smurl' Williams at 9:41pm September 11, 2008
Huh, Scott some of us were never really tall enough to touch the awning... let's not rub it in.... Ok? K.

Scott Warmack at 9:47pm September 11, 2008
Another thing about that sidewalk...it was the absolute greatest place to ride your bicycle during the summer.

Melody Gartman Lucas at 10:10pm September 11, 2008
The Gym....blood,sweat and tears!! The new smell. They made us run like crazy in that gym. I think Coach Cooper was there...not sure. Help me out Stacy. I think this is where we got our yearly shots. Even as a nurse I hate needles.

Stacy Cunningham Gilbert at 10:28pm September 11, 2008
I remember practicing there too! Ugh...Coach Cooper and Coach Honnell, her sister, before that! They LOVED to make us run....8,6, 4, 2's were their favorite! I remember rug burns from the carpet!!!!!!

Stacy Cunningham Gilbert at 10:30pm September 11, 2008
Scott...I cannot tell you how many summers I spent riding on those sidewalks..great fun!

Darrin Theiss at 10:12pm September 12, 2008
Milk trips that was the best thing - to get picked to get the milk

Pam Hill Arpin at 10:25am September 21, 2008
We lived two blocks away from the school. I spent everyday riding my bike around the school. I don't remember seeing any of you! lol

Brian and Carrie Gartman at 9:59pm October 23, 2008
How about dusting the chalkboard erasers on the big tree between the school and the lunch room? The 500 ft tall slide that was the cause of at least one broken arm a year? And the tragedy of all tragedies,,,when they closed the city pool across the street from the school?

Aaron Wilson at 10:03pm October 23, 2008
Now you're talking Brian. That a boy! Keep the memories coming!

Our DADS used to go swimming in that pool!

Andrew Welch at 1:51am October 24, 2008
I remember when my brother, Robert, fell off that slide. I think that was when they took it out. Oddly enough he wasn't hurt, but I think the fall explains some of his more unusual quirks today...LOL

I still miss the pool whenever I go past that parking lot. Its not the same swimming at the rec center...probably why I don't go.

Stacy Cunningham Gilbert at 9:19am October 24, 2008
The City Pool! There is not one summer that goes by that I don't think about that pool! It seems like the deep end where the

guys played "swim tag" was 50 feet deep! I was there every day in the summer! I walked from my house barefoot! What was my mom thinking letting me do that...well, now that I think about it, she probably didn't know!

Aaron Wilson at 9:25am October 24, 2008
Chris Paty taught me how to dive in the city pool.
My first swim lessons were in the city pool.
Kristy Evans was also in my swim class... and kept flirting with the instructor (why is that not hard to believe!) in the city pool.
Scott Holt got his arm stuck in the drain & almost drowned in the city pool.
Back in the day, it cost a quarter to swim... in the city pool.

CHALLENGE:
First one to find & post a picture of the city pool wins.

Brian and Carrie Gartman at 9:58am October 24, 2008
The first time that I watched The Sandlot (the best kids movie ever !!) the pool scene really got me...and when they were walking around town getting bottles to buy a baseball...I remember doing the same thing and going to Graves to buy whatever it was we wanted that day! BTW, Aaron, one of the instructors back in the day is my stepmom!

Trina 'Smurl' Williams at 11:08am October 24, 2008
I loved swimming there. I also think about that pool whenever I drive by. I remember being scared to death to jump off the diving board too. I remember our parents would just drop us off too. I wouldn't do that now with my kids!

Mandy Jester Martindale at 12:28pm October 24, 2008
I've loved swimming at the pool!! When it was time to leave mom would yell our names to get out, and we would go under real fast and pretend like we didn't hear her. haha I remember all the older guys with their cut offs on, making huge splashes!

Steve Warmack at 2:34pm October 24, 2008
What I find interesting and a little touching if I can set aside my usual smart-@$$ ness... is how many responses have been generated by this simple picture.

It was the best for riding bikes.. but I will go old skool on you and say that I remember riding "Big Wheels" and "Green Machines" there...

As for the city pool......Great memories... the guys driving up in their trans ams with Bostons first album jamming.... cut off shorts.

BUT... does anyone remember the slaughterhouse that was just a short distance away? Does anyone other than me remember the squealing of pigs from this very sidewalk?

probably not.

Stacy Cunningham Gilbert at 2:43pm October 24, 2008
I absolutely do, Steve! In fact, I remember walking by there to go to the Grant County Museum from my house on Vine Street and putting my fingers in my ears and going "la, la, la!" until I got further away. I would never let myself look in the
back pen to see the pig when driving by. I think I was afraid they would plead to me with their eyes and I would be forced to do a jail break!

Steve Warmack at 2:53pm October 24, 2008
Yeah... weird place for a slaughterhouse... smack in the middle o' town.

BTW - I think I was at the pool the day someone almost drowned because their arm was in the drain. I remember someone diving in to save him.

Aaron Wilson at 3:22pm October 24, 2008
I could only dream of a Big Wheel. And a Green Machine?! Why, my daddy would have to take a second job!
Flaunting your childhood life of luxury and on top of that scaring the children with "this little piggee" stories cannot be tolerated. :o)

I like your old skool Steve... keep bringing it.

On a very similar yet unrelated note - Eric Hanson recently gave me a cool vintage t-shirt that says "Old School" across the front... with a picture of a Big Wheel on it! Classic.

Aaron Wilson at 3:42pm October 24, 2008
Ahhh haaa! Now I remember the Avant's store that Stacy mentioned on another post! Was it right there on the corner of Vine & Hwy 35? The city pool dialogue stirred up my memory a bit... seems that my mom forgot to come get me at the pool one afternoon so I started walking home (at an age too young to walk home - even in Sheridan). I vaguely remember sitting on the curb or maybe the platform where the gas pumps once were, waiting on mom to come get me. Wow. That's weird. This is fun.

I've been trying to get this much action at my blogs for years! Who'd a thunk some pictures of old buildings would create so much buzz.

Seriously - I'm enjoying this and appreciate everyone's comments. Now, go listen to Kenny Rogers sing "20 Years Ago" and have a good nostalgic cry....

Eric Hanson at 4:01pm October 24, 2008
City pool- I learned to swim there, too. That pool was a babysitter during the summer. But the level of stink in those bathrooms could make a sewer inspector blush.

It was Scott Holt that got his arm stuck in the drain. Was feeding it leaves or something when it sucked him in. The guy that saved him was an older guy that played tag in the deep end. Forgot his name but it was something like Wimbo.

Kathy Flynt James at 10:35pm October 24, 2008
This is so funny. When I was in elementary school I used to have real dreams about riding something like a big wheels or other type of vehicle at the elementary school! I had no idea kids actually did that! And when I was taking pictures of the
school yesterday I remembered that old swimming pool nearby. I only went there a few times because I lived in Ico. And I also remember the slaughter house because my parents used to get a bunch of meat there to put in the freezer every year.

I hated going in there. As my nearly four-year-old nephew would say, "it was piscusting"....

Brian and Carrie Gartman at 1:17pm October 25, 2008
Jimmy Wimberly

Aaron Wilson at 3:54pm October 25, 2008
This marvelous pit of memories has no bottom.

Aaron Wilson at 3:57pm October 25, 2008
Wimbo pulled up next to me at the red light in Sheridan once, rolled down his window and with a jaw full of chaw, in a Grant County neighborly way asked, "Gotta pool chain?"

Brian and Carrie Gartman at 6:27pm October 25, 2008
How many people were there the day of the near drowning?! I was among the 10,ooo.

Bruce Dobbins at September 8 at 8:50am
Aaron, I really appreciate the work you have put into this site. You have made me remember many things of my childhood I simply forgot. Thank you.

Stand Out in a Crowd

I've posted similar pics like these before and do so again because there's just something about a candid crowd shot.

I like how you can spend much more time pouring over group photos like these... looking for as many people as you can... finding yourself... seeing who you were standing beside... who were you talking to... who was screaming the battle cry behind you in your ear. I also think it's neat how you're seeing most people (except for the front row and/or anyone who sees the cameraman before the pic is snapped) in their natural element, unaware that countless people will one day be staring at them, frozen in this photographic image for years to come. Kinda creepy, huh?

Click any of these to enlarge, grab your magnifying glass and start searching.

Pep Rally crowd, circa 1987

Homecoming Crowd, circa 1986

Hey Now You're An All Star!

I had forgotten just how much more memorabilia I have yet to post on the blog! The images below were scanned from the cover of the 1988 All Star Game roster featuring our own seniors, Steve Coleman and David Damron. There was also an All Star cheer squad, of which Mandy Jester and Michelle Stoops were members.  Thanks to Mandy Jester for loaning me this little piece of history.

Incidentally, Scott & Michelle's daughter was also a SHS cheerleader and went on to cheer for the Arkansas Razorbacks. And Mandy Jester's (Martindale) daughter is a high school cheerleader and active in cheer competitions.

Arkansas Democrat Top 10

This is a poor scan, but you should be able to click & enlarge this Top 10 list to see Sheridan at number 10. Could someone tell me how these rankings are determined? There are only three undefeated teams in this list (including Sheridan), but they're not in the top three spots (except for Arkadelphia). Are there other stats that factor in?

10. SHERIDAN (11-0, 5AAA-South) - In two years, Don Campbell has turned the Yellowjackets from a team known for a long losing streak to a team contending for a state championship. Halfbacks Gary Brown and David Damron each went over the 100-yard rushing mark in a playoff win against Trumann. Campbell and the Yellowjackets meet top-ranked Arkadelphia this week.

80's had Sole

Here's a few more ads from my small collection of Rolling Stone mags. These images will pay brief homage to 80's footwear. And that's all.

Looks like the velcro strap wasn't just invented for kids' shoes.

"a shoe biomechanically designed to help players play there best..."

Eric Hanson & I proudly owned several white pairs of these high-tops.
They looked great with our tight-rolled, stone washed jeans.