Podcasts about Moondance

Hot DateA 7-part series by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Stories. The tires hissed along the gravel drive as I pulled alongside her Jeep. I walked to the door, bouquet in hand and rang the bell. I took a deep breath, just as the door opened. A pretty girl stood there, dark hair and piercing eyes stared intently at me for a moment. In a flash of an eye a familiar crooked little smile crossed her face."Mom, your hot date is here!" She yelled over her shoulder."Well don't make him stand on the step, let him in!" Summer hollered back. I just started chuckling as Emily opened the door. Emily cracked open the outside door and opened the inside door further."Come on in." She said."Hi Emily, I'm Pete." I said holding out my hand. Already over five feet I could tell she was going to be tall like her mother."Are those for my mom?" She asked nodding at the flowers. I just shook my head."No, they're for you." I said presenting them to her. Her eyes grew wide and her expression got serious for a moment before she took them with a smile."I'll be right out." Came the call from another room. She laughed a bit after saying it. I began to think this was a calculated move.Emily set the flowers down and disappeared head first into a low cupboard coming up with a vase. She filled it with water and put the flowers into it, preening them to get them the way she wanted.Summer came out of a short hallway dressed in jeans and a blue and gray striped sweater. Her hair freshly brushed and a big smile on her face."Hi." She said giving me a quick hug, and more notably a slight push-off after. She noticed the flowers on the counter. "They're beautiful. Thank you."Emily turned and interjected with a grin. "He brought them for me.""Oh he did, did he?" She looked at me, the eyebrows lifting.I gave Summer a slight shrug and a wink. She just gave me a quick eye-roll in return. "Score one for the visiting team." She said, in a low voice."You're the fireman that saved my mom from drowning in the ocean, huh?" Emily asked."Actually we responded to a fall victim that was out on the rocks. If I hadn't braved the wild winds and pounding surf, she might not have made it." I said. "She could have been lobster chow.""Oh lord, the story gets more dramatic with the telling." Summer joined in. "I fell on the rocks, luckily I had a cell signal, and called for help. Pete here was one of the first responders and promptly hauled me back to the sand and brought me to the walk-in clinic to get X-rays. See? Not nearly as dramatic as you two make it sound.""She was laid up for a week after, and I kept an eye on her. I didn't want her to starve because she couldn't feed herself." I added, a wicked glint in my eye."Yes, you can cook, and I certainly didn't want for anything." She gave me a warning look that I should stop before more questions began. "Is your stuff in the car Em?" Emily nodded at her mother. "Grab your jacket, let's go I'm hungry." She said grinning. Emily trotted up the hallway, and Summer stepped closer and we kissed deeply. "Nice job with the flowers you clown." She ran her thumb across my lip wiping away any telltale lip gloss."I do what I can." I grinned, and stepped back a half step before Emily walked back into the kitchen.We left, Emily yelled 'Shotgun!' and her mother quickly squashed that plan, though I graciously got in the back seat and let her have the front. Summer giving me a sidelong look, knowing I was indulging Emily for my own sake."Is this your guitar in the back Emily?" I asked. She turned as far as she could in her seat to reply."Yup, my teacher is going to be there tonight and we're going to play.""That's awesome! What are you going to be playing?""You'll just have to wait and hear." She smiled, a mirror of her mother's impish grin.Summer pulled up beside the fire house and parked between a couple pickup trucks. We walked inside to the din of what sounded like a school cafeteria. The engine sitting outside had made room for folding tables and chairs to be set up in the bay. People were already seated and others milled about talking and laughing."I'm going to find Jen." Emily said, wrestling her guitar case through the crowd.Summer was saying hi to people as we passed through the crowd, but she kept moving like she was on a mission."Dale!" She called out. A large guy turned around, he must have been six and a half feet tall. She wrapped an arm part way around his waist and hugged him. "Come here I've got someone I want you to meet. This is my rescuer, remember when I took that spill a couple summers back. Pete, this is my uncle Dale.""Hi there. Thanks for making sure she didn't end up as fish bait." He said smiling, shaking my hand."Pete is applying to the fire department here, looking to get hired for the new year." She added.Dale's eye turned on me appraising openly. "Looking to move to our neck of the woods are you?"I nodded. "Yes sir." I didn't add anything so that rumors wouldn't begin. The look in his eye got shrewd, and he knew exactly why I was willing to pick up and move a thousand miles away from home. The reason was standing right next to him."Hell don't call me sir, save that for her dad." He said tilting his head towards Summer. "Call me Dale, good luck to you Pete. Now go on and get some food before the kids clean us out." He said smiling. We made our way through the crowd, Summer greeting people as she passed, stopping a few times to introduce me around. We eventually found ourselves in the chow line. Summer insisted on paying for us at the little card table. She mentioned that hurricane Emily might blow through any minute. The lady let her know that Emily had already come through the line.We found a place to sit and eat at one of the tables. People stopped to chat and moved on, the night had a familiar small town feel to it. Before long we could hear the sound of guitars, chords being strummed here and there. People started to grab seats, and there was Emily sitting on the left of another girl and a woman. They were sitting around a music stand and Emily and the other girl were watching the woman point things out on the sheet music. I felt a hand grip my thigh and looked at Summer who was beaming at Emily with a big grin on her face. A few moments later the woman began and the girls joined in playing Van Morrison's Moondance instrumental. My foot began tapping and Summer's grip tightened on my leg as I ran my arm over the back of her chair rubbing her back. She turned to me with the silliest grin. I only hoped she was reminiscing about when I played it for her at the summer festival. They gave way to the Beatles Eleanor Rigby, then played John Denver's Take Me Home, which they sang.Summer leaned in close to my ear and whispered. "Thank you." Before giving me a peck on the cheek. I just wrapped my arm around her and gave her a squeeze and smiled.As the group finished the crowd erupted with applause, the girls grinning ear to ear. The woman spoke up after the noise died down stating that she had room for one more student this year if anybody knew someone looking for lessons.Emily packed her guitar away, and put her chair back with the tables. She made her way back to where we were sitting and got caught up in a bear hug from Summer."Alright, say goodbye to your friends, we need to get going."As we left I hollered shotgun and got front seat privileges on the way back to the house. We chatted on the way back about other songs Emily had learned, and how long she'd been playing. Coincidentally it had been just over a year. Summer pointed out that she was a natural, learning very quickly."We learned Moondance this summer. I figure if mom liked it so much I wanted to learn it.""Your mom likes Van Morrison?" I prodded."She's played his greatest hits until she practically wore out the CD." Emily replied. I just grinned wider. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Summer's expression and nearly bust out laughing as she tried to look aloof, the twinkle in her eye giving her away."Well there are some other great musicians from that era you might like. Maybe I can suggest a few for you to listen to." I said."Do you play too?" She asked surprised."Not guitar. I play saxophone, clarinet, and dabble a little in piano." I said."I can teach you." She said, excited.She didn't begin to know how much I would love that. "That would be awesome.""Not tonight." Summer chimed in. "You need to get ready for your sleep over, and that room of yours looks like a tornado touched down in there." As we entered the house she told Emily that she needed to get it cleaned up. Emily went down the hallway with a few sighs and several eye rolls."Would you like something to drink?" Summer asked, with an unusual look in her eye."Yes, please." I nodded, trying decipher it. She opened the fridge and pulled a wine bottle out and began opening it. Music started playing down the hall as Emily puttered around making more noise than necessary. I turned from looking down the hall to look at Summer. She had stopped opening the wine and I noticed her shoulders trembling slightly. I stepped closer my hand circling her waist."Hey, what's the matter?" I asked softly."I don't know, it all seems to be happening so fast, I feel like I'm waiting for the train to derail. You know? I get the feeling something is going to go wrong and it's all going to blow up in my face." She looked up, her eyes burning intently.I chuckled. "How do you think I felt when I put that note in the mail box and drove back down the mountain to wait and see if you'd respond.""Those were the scariest hours of my life." I added softly, staring down at the wine bottle. "I mean I had no idea if you'd call the cops, or call and tell me it was all a mistake and I should go home, or worse, just throw it away, and me with it."She spun around in my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck kissing me fiercely. "If you think for a moment that it didn't hurt to leave you like that, then you're crazy. I only did what I thought was best.""Ahem?" Came loudly from the hallway door. I tried to release Summer from my grip but she just held tighter and gave me another quick kiss."Better let her get used to it." She whispered, before slowly letting go of me."Ready for inspection." Emily said saluting as she stood at attention.Summer let out a snort. "I bet. How much of it is stuffed under the bed?" She asked as she spun Emily around and pointed her down the hallway giving her a nudge.As I watched them retreat down the hallway I felt a warm glow deep inside me, the feeling enveloped me, eventually making the hair on the back of my neck tingle. There was no other explanation for it, this just felt right. I turned and poured the wine into the glasses, putting the bottle back into the fridge as I listened to muffled conversation and shuffling as the last of the cleaning was directed."Put the basket on the dryer, and I'll ask Pete if he wants to join us for movie night." Summer said. She walked back toward me, a grin on her face before she let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. "Still a disaster, but you can walk through it now." She smiled. "So, on Friday nights we usually pick a movie to watch. It's sort of a tradition, some mommy and me time. Care to join us?""So long as it's not an intrusion on the mommy and me time." I said grinning back at her."Like I said, she's going to have to get used to you being around. What better way to start.""Well we better find something family friendly, you know, no late night cable." I chuckled.Summer laughed. "No and I'll make sure we don't bore you with princesses and tiaras.""You don't have to change what you'd normally watch on my account." I replied."Well it is nearly Halloween, horror movies have been popular the last few weeks, but they're getting old. What's your favorite?"I shrugged, giving her a non-committal look. "I'm pretty easy going, though ax wielding, chainsaw revving, slasher flicks are a little too much for me. I've decided a while back that I like being able to sleep.""I'm sure we'll find something." She smiled wrapping her arms around my waist."So what's the verdict so far?" I asked softly kissing her ear."Hmm?" She responded, running her lips up my cheek leaving a trail of kisses."Emmy? Am I doing okay?" I prodded her.She let go of my earlobe long enough to whisper. "Oh, you're a shoe in. She asked me if you were my boyfriend, with a huge grin on her face.""Well?" I asked, wondering at her response.She pulled back laying her forehead against mine. I could see the little grin on her face, she bit her lip and said. "I think he just might be if you like him. She nodded like a bobble head doll.""Yes!" I whispered. "Easiest interview ever.""Am I going to walk into a room and find you two sucking face every time?" Emily said, clearly not as exasperated as she tried to sound."Only if I'm lucky." I replied."Go and get everything ready and I'll make the popcorn." Summer said.We sat down on the sofa, I ended up in the middle. "What are we watching?" I asked."You choose." Emily said.I took the controller and thought a moment and keyed in a title to see if it was available, and it was."Ever heard of this one?" I asked as the film poster popped up with a short synopsis.Both shook their heads. "Nope, any good?""Well the book was fantastic, but I've never seen the movie." I hit play, and the credits began. The movie was a hit, the fantasy and magic captured Emily's imagination as she let out occasional exclamations. I chuckled inwardly when I realized I had both of them tucked under each arm. I don't remember when that happened but I certainly wasn't going to complain about it."That was a good movie. I love when he went to find the falling star and found the girl." Emily said."Sort of reminds me of how I found your mom on the beach." I said."Oh please." Summer said, rolling her eyes and giving me a poke in the ribs. Emily broke into a fit of giggles. "Alright you, get ready for bed.""But it's not even ten yet!" Emily shot back."It will be by the time you're done." Her mother replied. "Now scoot, get a move on." Summer uncurled herself and began to stand too. She reached into my lap to pick up the popcorn bowl and I waved her hand away and picked it up standing up too. I set the bowl and glasses on the counter as Emily trudged up the hallway with a sigh. An equal sigh came from Summer as she wrapped her arms around me from behind. I felt her soft warm lips meet the nape of my neck."Thank you." She said."For what?""For everything. You don't think she snuggled up to you just because you had the popcorn, do you.""Well, it was really good popcorn." I smiled. I got another poke in the ribs for my comment."No. She likes you.""She's pretty terrific, like a mini you." I said turning in her arms holding her closer."Mom!"I just began chuckling as Summer buried her head in my neck. "God help us if we're out of toothpaste." She mumbled before giving me a kiss and turning to go find the source of the distress."What babe." She said as she walked down the hallway, and turned into the bath.I washed the wine glasses by hand, returning to the cupboard she'd taken them from earlier. They both came back into the kitchen a few minutes later."Goodnight Pete." Emily said."Sweet dreams pumpkin." I said, not quite sure where that came from. She launched herself at me hugging me like she was holding on for dear life."Thank you for saving my mom." She sniffled. I hugged her back just as tightly and gave her a peck on the top of the head."You're welcome, but I think it was your mom that saved me. Hopefully we'll have time to figure that out.""Take all the time you want." She smiled up at me before she turned and trotted over to her mom, gave her a big hug and kiss and disappeared down the hallway with a parting goodnight.Summer stood across the room from me leaning back against the door jamb, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked side long down the hallway. A few minutes passed before she let out a sigh. "I have got to stop overestimating how smart I think I am."I chuckled at that."Seriously! You know why she called me into the bathroom?" She asked."I'm guessing it wasn't because she was out of toothpaste.""No! She gave me the kind of interrogation I'd expect from my mother! She asked stuff I hadn't even thought of yet." She chuckled nervously. "Is he moving in? Are you two getting married? If he's moving here, what does his family think of that. Does he know you can't have more kids? That last one threw me, not because I had thought of it when you and I spoke the other day, but that she thought of it!"I walked over to Summer and leaned down and kissed her softly. "Well, I've added another piece to the puzzle, she's just trying to figure out how it's going to fit.""She wanted to know if you were staying the night." Summer said glancing down the hall. "Damn she grew up fast."I laughed at that. "Yea they have a way of doing that while you're not watching them. What did you tell her?"She sighed again. "I told her that you were going home for a couple months to finish out your year at work and that you'd be coming back after Christmas. You'd be getting your own place, and that we hadn't planned anything beyond that!" Her eyes were wide like she'd just gotten the third degree."Come here." I gathered her close and she uncrossed her arms and held on to me. "You're right on the money, everything you said was perfect. I mean hell, I'm not even sure I'm marriage material.She leaned back and looked me in the eye. "You're kidding right?""Yup, actually I'm a hell of a catch. You should be lucky to have me." I grinned."I am a lucky girl. I should pick up a lottery ticket." She smiled back at me.We sat down on the sofa, Summer leaned on me. "Sorry if all this seems a little strange, it's just that she's the most important thing in my life and I don't want to grow old knowing that I screwed her up before I turned her loose on the world.""I've only known her a few hours and I'd say that you're doing a hell of a job. She's smart, funny, warm, and just a bit sarcastic so she doesn't take life too seriously. All of which proves that you're doing a great job." I replied."How are my panties still on?" She grinned throwing a leg over my lap, straddling me while we kissed."These jeans don't want to let go of your incredible ass so they can escape." I said grasping her pulling her down onto my lap to feel the effect she was having on me. She twisted my shoulders slightly and pushed me flat on the couch."How do you do it? You make me feel loved and cared for like I've never felt before. I mean you even did it when I first met you, and you were just a, a kid.""Well since I feel pretty much the same I think it comes from the fact that I love you, no ifs, ands or buts." As I finished, I gave her ass a firm squeeze through her jeans. "Okay, maybe one ass." I added pulling her up slightly, resting her on my hip. We kissed slowly, hands roaming where ever they would. I kissed my way down from her ear to her throat and felt her melt into me. She let out a soft moan. She responded by unbuttoning my shirt and sliding her hand inside. I had her sweater pushed halfway up her back."Seriously, you two need to get a room." Emily said, from the kitchen doorway.I started giggling like a teenager, Summer tried hard not to join in. "Go to bed!" She said before burying her face into my shoulder in fits of laughter."If he gives you a hickey, you'd better wear a turtleneck when Jesse and her mom come tomorrow." She said retreating down the hallway. "I don't want to have to explain that!""It's been a while, come here." I said leaning down and nuzzling her neck."Ah! Don't you dare!" She said pulling back."I can't be held responsible for what I may do." I growled into her neck, and gave her a little kiss and lick. "If I don't get going soon I'll be making you breakfast in the morning.""Scrambled, toast, sausage and coffee regular." She said before slipping her tongue into my mouth."What? No juice?" I asked, after coming up for air."All out, need to pick some up at the store." She licked my lower lip before dipping into my mouth once again. Her thigh was rubbing between my legs, stroking my cock. It's a wonder it hadn't torn through my jeans."Any bacon?" I said sliding her sweater over her head and unclasping her bra.She let out a soft moan as I began stroking her freed breast, thumbing the nipple into a similar state as my cock."I don't think so, no." She said as she kissed down my chest pushing the t-shirt up and taking my nipple into her mouth. I was sure that the jeans didn't have much time left. In an effort to prove my point, Summer slid her hand down and stroked the bulge. I had to stop her."I think we need to take this to the bedroom before Emmy finds us sprawled here naked in the morning.""Good idea." She said gasping. She stood up her neck and chest flushed pink, eyes bright and hair wild. She grabbed her clothes and reached down to grab my hand and pull me up, hauling me off the couch with more strength than I expected nearly causing me to knock her over. "Come on." She tugged me along into her bedroom, and turned on a small bedside lamp. She turned and kissed me again, while doing her best to tear my shirt off. I assisted in getting both off. Both arms wrapped around my neck, the heat of her pressed against my chest was intense. I reached between us and fought her jeans to let her free. She brought her hands down steadying mine and the button came free, the zipper went down swiftly as I ran my hands around behind her pushing them down over her ass. She pushed away and began tearing at my belt and jeans to get them off. We finally freed ourselves of our clothing, Summer reaching for my cock, stroking it softly. It was nearly torture."Think with that head not this one before you answer. Have you had unprotected sex with anyone besides me." She looked up at me asked, her eyes wide with expectation."No, I haven't. I had a good teacher." I said. Her grip tightened and her face lit with a little smirk. She snatched a throw pillow off the bed and dropped at my feet before kneeling down and laving my cock with her tongue. She took me into her mouth and began sliding more of me into her mouth with each stroke. She began massaging my balls while her rhythm increased. "Oh God, slow down I can't hold out much longer." That seemed to spur her on as the pace increased bringing me to the edge before she pulled back with just the tip in her mouth, she reached up and began massaging me behind my balls causing my immediate orgasm. The contractions lessened as Summer took it all in, swallowing quickly. I was nearly spent and ready to collapse when she started in again. She worked my cock deep into her mouth again, her efforts to keep me hard weren't wasted, and I was ready for more.She backed off and licked her way from base to tip. "There now that we have that out of the way, we can put this where it belongs." She stood and turned to pull down the covers and I scooped her up and set her on the bed, turning her so her legs were dangling off the edge. I punted the pillow so it was right in front of her and knelt down. She let out a soft moan as she wrapped her legs around my neck pulling me down to pleasure her.She was already soaked, the heat pouring off her body was intense. I teased and licked her swollen lips, her hips began to sway trying to make me hit a certain spot. I danced around her clit, gently lifting the hood with the tip of my tongue and retreating. Soon she had handfuls of my hair in her grip, pulling my face into her harder. "Stop teasing!" She said through gritted teeth. Her wish was my command. I pushed two fingers into her easily as I pulled back the hood and began sucking and licking her clit. Her body tensed as she arched her back and let out a yelp. Before she could make any more noise she'd grabbed a pillow and covered her face with it as she climaxed. She slowly relaxed and I cleaned up the incredible mess I'd just made of her. She pulled the pillow off and began gulping air as if she had been drowning. As she caught her breath she picked her head up and looked down at me. "You look like a kitten that's just finished an entire bowl of cream." She said grinning.I smacked my lips. "Surely not the entire bowl." I replied as I stood up and lifted her, turning her gently on the bed so she was laying comfortably in the center. I slid in next to her, she scooted over slightly and rolled up onto her side to make room. She leaned over and kissed me softly, still breathing hard."You're going to be the death of me.""Yea, but what a way to go." I smiled up at her and kissed her again. She began softly stroking my still hard cock."All tuckered out?" She asked.Without warning I rolled her onto her back, parted her thighs and sank deep into her. "Not at all. I was just letting you catch your breath."She wrapped her legs around me, lifting herself to meet each deep thrust. Our tongues began a slow tango as her hands roamed up and down my body."I can't even describe how incredible this feels." She gasped.I slipped my arm around her waist and lifted her from the mattress, pushing a pillow under her ass. The slight shift in angle had my cock sliding along her upper wall."Oh, oh, oh yes!" She cried, as I deliberately slowed down and pushed harder with each thrust. Her grip on me was getting to be too much, and I wasn't going to last much longer as I pumped away. She slid her hand down between us and began stroking her clit with quick fingers. It took only a moment before she started shaking, her legs clamping down and drawing me in as much as she could. Her walls contracting to milk me of every ounce I had to give. At that point I just leaned forward and erupted. Inhuman sounds escaped from deep in my throat. A long low guttural moan escaped Summer as she arched her back rising up to me. A few deep gasps and she collapsed back to the mattress, and I followed her, our mouths met, our tongues danced lightly as we tried to catch our breath. I slid to the side, breaking free of her lips for a moment and turned off the lamp.I woke early, pulled on my jeans and t-shirt quietly and made my way to the bathroom for a little relief. I walked out of the bathroom door to find Emily standing in what I guessed was her bedroom door. She rubbed her eye and just looked at me for a moment."Hi." She said softly.I stood there unsure of just what to say. "Hi." I replied nervously. The pause began to get uncomfortable."Are you done, can I get in there now?" She nodded towards the bathroom."Oh sure." I stepped aside quickly and she plodded her way in closing the door quietly. I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. I walked back down the hall into the kitchen and noted it was about my normal wake up time. So I scouted for coffee. Emily padded into the kitchen in her sweats and socks."What are you looking for?" She asked noting that I was peeking into different cupboards in search of the coffee."Coffee first, then I was going to make breakfast, if you want." I said."Can I help?" She asked. I just smiled and nodded. She pointed at a canister on the counter and smiled back. I opened it to find the coffee."How about we make something special?" I opened the fridge and rummaged and found the eggs and sausage Summer had mentioned. I found some veggies in the drawer and pulled those out too. My real find was a box of ready pie crusts. I detailed my plans with Emily and after extensive prep work of dicing and browning we placed a sausage and pepper quiche into the oven."Corn flakes are for chumps." She said looking at the door and smiled at me."Can you set the table while I wake up your mom?" I asked.She nodded. "I'd bring coffee and lead with that. She can be grouchy in the morning."I chuckled and poured a cup, topped it with a splash of milk and spoonful of sugar. I opened the door slowly and walked to the bed. Summer was curled up, her hair a golden splash across the pillow, her expression was strained."Don't try to fool me, that grin is a dead giveaway that you're not asleep." I said as she broke into a full smile and opened her soft blue eyes."Good morning.""Good morning pretty lady." I said as I set the coffee on the nightstand and leaned down to kiss her."If you don't mind, I've had to go to the bathroom for the last twenty minutes, but I didn't want to barge in on your bonding session." She slipped out of bed and grabbed a robe from the closet door and wrapped herself up and darted out of the room, leaving me chuckling. She didn't come right back and I was wondering what might be going on in the kitchen. I reached for the coffee cup as she walked back into the room shaking her head."What?" I asked.She just grinned at me. "Oh nothing, you know that old saying 'out of the mouths of babes'? Well mine just asked why you were spending money on a motel when you could stay here." Summer just looked up and laughed and shook her head again. "She's right though. If she took this as well as it seems then why don't you check out and come up here for the rest of your stay?"I just smiled. "I wouldn't want to intrude.""Intrude my ass. All you've done since you've been here is make life better." She walked over and sat next to me on the bed and kissed me. "The invitation is sincere, from both of us. Oh and you're timer is nearly up on the stove." My eyes went wide as kissed her and trotted out of the room to save breakfast.Em started giggling as she saw me jog into the kitchen to look at the stove. The timer still had seven minutes to go. I squinted at her. "Gonna be like that is it?" She burst into a bigger fit of giggles."You were right mom, he fell for it!" She yelled.A few minutes later Summer walked in wearing her college sweats and a long sleeve t-shirt, grinning ear to ear."I'd nearly forgotten that you're a gourmet chef, besides a fireman. What have you done with breakfast?" She asked."It's in the oven. It'll just be a few more minutes. Do you have any tomato sauce?" I asked."There's some in the pantry there I think." She said as she topped her coffee off.I found it and opened it up, pouring some into a bowl to warm up in the microwave. She looked at me sidelong not sure what to make of what I was doing."Okay shortcake, let's do this restaurant style, why don't we make a little assembly line here on the counter. Plates here, we need the spinach from the fridge, the bowl of sauce here, and do you have something to set the main course on?" She dug in a drawer and found a large pot holder and set it on the counter. As if on cue the timer went off. I checked in on it, and it was done. I slid it out and set it on the counter."That smells fantastic. You found that in my fridge?" She chuckled."The only special ingredient is imagination." I said as I winked at Emily who smiled and nodded. "Okay, so here's how we do it, do you know what the flag of Italy looks like?" Emily shook her head no. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "What are they teaching you kids in school these days? We're going to make the plates look like the Italian flag, green, white and red. So spinach on the side, then we're going to put a slice of the quiche in the middle for the white, and then a little sauce on the side for the red. Got it?""Yup." She took the first plate and piled a handful of the spinach on one side while I sliced the quiche, and set a slice just on the edge of the spinach."Okay, here's where we get all fancy." I whispered. "We take a little sauce and we make a little pool on this side. Don't tell anybody about this trick, everybody will be doing it." I said winking at her. Emily just rolled her eyes at me, the grin never leaving her face. "Two more like this and we have breakfast!"Emily made the other plates herself and set them on the table."A little more caffe for a me, we'll warm up Mama's, and for the signorina, the juice of one cow." I said pouring her a glass of milk. "Finito!"Summer started clapping, and I took a bow, and caught Emily out of the corner of my eye joining me. We sat down and began eating."Italy tastes really good." Emily said around a mouthful. Everybody nodded as we ate."Oh, did you tell her?" I said leaning over asking Em. She just looked at me wide-eyed. "Well the deal usually goes, the cook doesn't do the dishes." I said winking. Emily grinned and looked at her mother who in turn gave her a gimlet eye."So that was the deal? Why wasn't I given a vote in this plan?" She said.Emily replied with a shrug. "You were asleep." It was my turn to chuckle."That'll teach you to sleep in." I said. She gave me the same gimlet eye with a smile thrown in.When she finished Emily cleaned up after herself and put away the milk and the rest of the cold food without being asked. I looked at Summer who had a smug look on her face as she popped the last bite into her mouth."I'm going to get my stuff ready to go to Jesse's." Emily said as she headed for the hallway.Summer let out a quick, authoritative, "Hey," and raised an eyebrow at her, then looked at me and back. Emily rolled her eyes just like her mother and came back."Thank you for making breakfast..." she stumbled unsure what to call me.My eyes went wide. "Just call me Pete, and I should be thanking you for your artful assistance."She beamed and turned and took off up the hallway. I just watched her grinning as I sipped the dregs of my coffee. Music floated down the hallway a few seconds later as I pondered just how things had unfolded since I'd gotten here. I must have been lost in thought for a few minutes."Penny?" Summer asked, startling me out of my reflection."Sorry, I was just thinking how scared I was that this whole trip was a bad idea, and how everything has gone so right. I'm still worried that something bad is going to happen to screw it up. You know, like waking up and finding that I'm dreaming this."She ran her instep up my leg. "Don't go looking for trouble, it'll find you all by itself in time.""So what do you have planned for me tonight?" She asked."Oh a little dinner, maybe a show after." I grinned. "You have something nice to wear? No jeans, reservations are for seven o'clock." I said with a wink."I'll see what I can manage." She rolled her eyes."I can't wait." I said, the excitement in my voice coming through, bringing a smile to Summer's face."What's next for you today?" She asked."Let's see, I need to run back to my motel, pack and check out, stop by the dry cleaners, a couple errands. Most of all I want to start with a long hot shower." I said giving her a wink."That last one sounds good." Summer's eyes wandered to the hallway and back, and her expression changed, turning apprehensive as she crossed her arms over her chest."What's the matter?" I said as I took her arms and uncrossed them putting them on my hips."I don't know, it just feels weird. I feel like I've got to sneak around to have a life of my own."I laughed at that. "If we didn't scare her last night then I think she'll be fine. You just need," I paused and corrected myself, "We just need to be straight up honest with her. Show her that she's not being cut out of your life, but I'm joining both of yours, with any luck for a long time.""You'd better be planning on a long time. I'm not a love 'em and leave 'em kind of girl."I just raised an eyebrow at her for a moment, and she turned bright red and looked down."Okay there was that one time, but..." She began but I cut her off with a kiss."Mom, when you come up for air can you help me find my blue sweater?" Emily said as she walked into the kitchen.We both busted out laughing. "Yes dear. I am ever your willing servant." Summer replied rolling her eyes up at me and gave me another quick peck."Go get your stuff and get back here safe." She added as she made her way down the hallway.I got dressed and got ready to leave and wandered up the hall rapping on the door jamb before peeking around the corner of the door."I'll see you ladies in a little while." I said smiling."Hurry back, I want you to meet my friend Jesse when she gets here. She's really cool.""I'll do my best." I replied.To be continued in part 6, by Member389 for Literotica

Lesson Two, and Two and a half.A 7-part series by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Stories. This summer job wasn't turning out the way I'd thought. So far I'd mowed the lawn, done the dishes, (thankfully there's a dishwasher) hauled trash, done laundry, dusted and vacuumed. When Summer asked if I wanted to help her out for a few weeks I sort of expected there would be fringe benefits to go with, or instead of, getting paid. Instead it was actual work. She wasn't shy, about her body or mine, she often would wrap her arm around my waist to help with her balance. She occasionally stroked my ass through my jeans. I didn't hesitate to return the favor but I always ended up with only a smile in return. I figured after that first day when I took the job I might get some more personal time with her. The other night I helped her to run a bath, and she shooed me out of the bathroom. One night we watched a late movie I slept over, and ended up on the couch. Something didn't seem right about all of this. Nearly a week had gone by, and it was as if that first day hadn't even happened, and I was too shy to say anything. I hitched the grocery bag I was carrying a little higher, tonight, I'd say something tonight.I walked up to the kitchen stoop and pulled open the screen door and I heard a gasping cry. I dropped the bags on the table and darted into the living room, she wasn't there. Another cry, and I looked to the right and saw the bedroom door was open. I walked quietly towards the door, and Summer was laying back on the bed naked except for her bandaged ankle. She was sliding a pink vibrator up and down between her thighs. She tilted it slightly and slid it into her, her other hand pulling on her nipple. I was instantly hard watching her pleasure herself. She let go of the nipple and slid her hand down and began flicking her clit, rubbing it fast. She arched her back crying out "Yes!" She pulled the vibrator out slipping her fingers in as she came. She continued rubbing her clit slowly and stroked her fingers in and out for a few before falling flat to the sheets like a deflated balloon. Her breathing was fast and shallow."How long have you been watching?" She asked, not looking up. She looked absolutely radiant, her skin flushed pink through her tan. Her hair was a tangled mess of sun streaked gold, she looked fantastic."Just a couple minutes." I said quietly looking down at the floor. I heard the old brass headboard creak and I peeked up. She had raised her head and was looking at me."What's the matter?" She asked gently. I shrugged and walked out to the kitchen, and started putting away the groceries."I picked up some local shrimp for lunch. I'll put them on ice in the fridge." I said loudly from the kitchen. I turned and Summer was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen watching me with her arms crossed in front of her, buck naked. She gave me a shrewd glance."Please tell me what's bothering you."I looked at her for a moment, then turned away and put a couple other items in the fridge."Nothing." I said, unconvincingly."It's just..." I started. I looked over at her and said."Never mind." I walked out to the yard looking around to see if I should mow the lawn again already or not. I heard the screen door bang shut behind me. I felt her hand on my shoulder as she stepped up beside me."I love it here. The salty sea air, the big sky, everything seems so much simpler." She said softly. I instinctively wrapped my arm around her waist, her skin was warm and damp."Why?" I asked softly."Why what, Pete?" She asked with surprising sincerity. "Why haven't we had sex since Monday? Is that what you want to know? Are you asking me if you were a one afternoon-stand? What Pete? Ask me." She urged.Her words inflamed me and my frustration flared. "Yes!" I turned to face her, her arm sliding down from my shoulder. "Was I just a one shot deal? Screw me, then have me cook and clean for you?" I immediately sensed I'd gone too far and full well expected a slap. I'd deserve it if she did. I opened my eyes wide.She stood there looking at me, her eyes smoldering. She coolly pointed out. "Which one of us is the one standing here naked?" I stood there a moment longer, every muscle in my body taut like a drawn bow. I snapped and took hold of her and kissing her hard as our lips parted, tongues lashing out at each other like sparring fencers. Her arms wrapped around my waist pulling us together."Damn, I thought I you'd never come around." She said between kisses. I leaned back and gave her a queer look."What?" I asked, completely confused. She grinned ear to ear."Lesson number 2, confidence is sexy. Hell it took me walking around naked to get your damned attention. What the hell is wrong with you?" She bopped me on the forehead. I shrugged, feeling completely confused. I had no idea what she was talking about."This exercise, which you nearly failed miserably I might add, was to see if you would take the lead. I personally tend to be a bit passive. Therefore, as the guy, you need to learn to take the lead, just like dancing." She held my hand up and snugged her hand around my back and gave a little sway."The other night when you fell asleep on the couch I laid awake waiting for you for nearly an hour. I finally took matters into my own hands, maybe I should have made more noise.""I knew girls were crazy. I honestly was hoping to get more insight from you, not more confused." I said smiling. "You were waiting for me?""You haven't seen crazy yet, give me a week." She winked.I groaned, then kissed her again, holding her against me, my hands stroking down her back to her ass massaging it as I pulled her to me. Holding her was like holding a flame, seductive, hypnotizing and hot, and I didn't care if I got burned."Tell me you've had the good sense to pick up some protection." Summer mumbled between kisses. Without breaking our kiss I reached back for my wallet and held it up."Please tell me you bought more than one." She growled. I felt her hands come between us resting on the waist of my jeans unbuttoning them and grabbing for the zipper. She pushed my jeans and boxers down far enough for me to escape captivity. She let out an appreciative hum as she ran her hand up and down my hardened length. She broke our kiss long enough to grab the hem of my polo shirt and drag it up pulling it over my head. She leaned down and took one of my nipples into her mouth. I gasped out loud at how the sensation shot through me. It felt as if my cock was getting even harder and I didn't think that was possible."Holy shit! Does it feel this way when I do this to you?" I gasped.She hummed an agreement as she switched to the other side, then stepped back and looked at me smiling.I stood dumb-founded for a moment. I quickly realized she was waiting for me to do something. She placed her hands on her hips and gave them a slight tilt. "I'm all yours, all you need do is tell me how you'd like me, or better yet, show me." She winked. I kicked off my shoes and pushed my pants the rest of the way off and looked at her for a moment. The sun kissed her body so exquisitely, her pink nipples hard and pointing straight at me. Her hair was blowing in the breeze surrounding angelic face like a golden halo. I stepped forward, wrapped her up in my arms again and kissed her deeply. I ran my hand up between us taking her breast in my hand cupping it twirling the nipple in my fingers. I work my mouth down her jaw, kissing her neck and I feel her shudder and gasp. I moved down the center of her chest trailing kisses to the other nipple and teased it with my tongue before taking into my mouth suckling it gently. A moan escaped her lips. Her hand was pulling me towards her, fingers running through my hair. I wanted her so badly but I didn't want this to end. I pulled away looking up at her face, her mouth hung open her eyes half closed."Your ankle has to be killing you right now." I said, noting she'd been standing for a while now. I walked over and brought one of the Adirondack chairs over and set it behind her and she smiled. I laid my clothes on it to keep her from burning her ass on the sun heated wood. She just looked at me without sitting. "Sit down." I told her, and she tilted her head in assent and sat. I knelt down in front of her and kissed her nipple again and began trailing kisses down her stomach. She took the cue and leaned back on the chair. I flicked her little belly button ring aside and licked her belly button. She let out a whoop and jumped, chuckling."Ticklish?" I chuckled. She grasped a handful of my hair and gave me a little push further down, but I was going at my own pace and I made my way down nuzzling her little blond stripe. I kissed my way around her pouting lips, my tongue darting out giving little licks. She tasted sweet, the scent of her was driving me mad, I couldn't take it any longer and slipped my tongue into her as I massaged her clit.She arched her back and moaned. "Yes!" I lapped up to her clit taking it in my lips and giving it due attention. Her cries got louder and I stepped up the assault on her. Her leg came up over my shoulder and she pulled me hard into her with her heel. I let up a bit, I didn't want this to end too soon, it seemed that I wasn't the only one enjoying it. I slipped my middle finger into her, and felt her grip it tightly. Her hips started rocking forward. I was pretty sure I could finish her off quickly if I had a mind to, but I didn't. I continued bathing her clit, varying the pressure on it. She let out a few short gasps. "Please?!" She begged. I knew then I had to finish her and slipped another finger in to join the first and intensified my tongue lashing. Her hips lifted off the chair as she climaxed. She held on to me, still moaning, finally collapsing back into the chair panting."You sir, are a natural." She gasped. I returned her smile and licked my fingers."Am I mistaken, or is there a very hard cock in my immediate future?" I grinned even wider and nodded. "How would you like me?""Over hard." I said smiling. Her eyes lit up like a fire had been kindled."Well then, dig that little party hat out and show me how easy it is to put on."I chuckled and dove for my wallet lying on the grass a few feet away. I dug out the foil wrapper and crawled back. I tore open the packet holding the ring carefully and reaching down, putting in place and unrolled it carefully."Very good." She said her eyes flashing. She stood up and knelt down on the grass facing the chair. "Over like this? I'm sure you'll supply the 'hard' part." She added with a wink."Yes." I said, my breath shallow. I had to have her and scooted up behind her and lined up pushing the head in. I took her hips and pushed forward in a single motion burying myself in her.We both gasped loudly. In moments she started moving her hips back and forth and I pulled out and began taking slow strokes at first, but I knew I wasn't going to last. She leaned back pushing hard against me and I responded in kind driving forward, the sound of our bodies coming together pushed me into a frenzy. Her gasps were coming in short cries of, "Yes!" She began shaking in my hands, her moans coming from deep in her throat as she arched back into me and climaxed again pushing me over the edge. I drove her forward nearly knocking her and the chair over as I stiffened arching my back. I froze in place for what seemed an eternity, and not long enough both at the same time as I came deep in her.She leaned back against my chest, the heat of her skin against me was incredible, she reached behind us grasping my ass pulling our hips tight together. "I love how you feel inside me." She whispered. I leaned down and began kissing her shoulder, working my way up to her neck and nibbled on her ear."I love how you feel too." I said, my voice a little weak.She breathed a deep contented sigh. "What now?" A small smirk spread across her lips."I don't know about you but I worked up an appetite." I said. "Those shrimp sound good about now.""All this and you cook too. You're not going to be single long." She chuckled and reached up behind her and stroked my cheek. "I think we may need to move for that though." She said lightly, reminding me that I still had her pinned against the chair. I leaned back, pulling free of her. I stood stepping back, I gathered up my clothing. Summer put her good foot down and stood, steadying herself on the arms of the chair. "Let's go clean up and have lunch." She smiled slipping an arm around my waist and we went into the house.I started a pan for the shrimp, a little olive oil, some garlic and some red pepper flakes tossed on top of fresh spinach. My killer homemade vinaigrette to top and she would be mine. Well she already seemed to be. I stopped and stared out the little window above the sink out over the water. That thought caught me by surprise. What exactly was going on here? An hour ago I was pissed off for being shunned, now I was making her lunch with a silly, satisfied grin on my face.Summer hobbled into the kitchen wearing a pale blue tank top and panties with little pink hearts on them."Don't you own pants?" I asked smiling."Sure, would you rather I be fully dressed, or comfortable?" She asked."Oh I don't mind your outfit, as long as you don't mind your lunch burnt to a crisp." I laughed."What are you making?" She replied chuckling."I'm going to woo you with my culinary skills. My own special shrimp and spinach salad with homemade vinaigrette." I said."Wow, sounds awesome. You're a man of many talents. I think you're a little late in the wooing department though." She said smiling.My chest tightened at that. Nobody ever thought of me as a man before. Everybody has always treated me as a kid until now. The shock of it must have been evident in my expression."What?" She asked, her eyes widening. I didn't answer her, I just leaned forward and kissed her softly, she responded in turn."Nothing." I said, my grin returning."Need a hand?" I handed her two lemons with directions to squeeze the hell out of them then juice them for me into a bowl. I diced up the shallot, and garlic tossing them into the big bowl, salt and pepper followed. In went a huge dollop of spicy mustard, I looked at how much juice Summer had squeezed out of the lemons and eyeballed it pouring it into the bowl, straining out the seeds. I dug a whisk out of the drawer and started whisking in olive oil."Most vinaigrette recipes ask for vinegar, obviously. I like mine with lemon juice, especially with seafood." I said. I stopped whisking dribbling a little onto my finger to try it. "That's the ticket." I said offering a taste to Summer who agreed with a little sound. I set the big bowl aside and had her start splitting the cherry tomatoes. The shrimp were rinsed and patted dry on a towel, and I threw some garlic into the pan starting it with some of the olive oil. I salted and peppered the shrimp and in they went tossing them around to coat them all with the hot oil. They were ready in a couple minutes and the kitchen smelled terrific. I stacked the plates with spinach and started building the salads with the tomatoes, red onions, shrimp and as a topper sliced almonds."If this tastes like it looks, you're staying on as cook after this heals." She said lifting her foot behind her."Prepare to have your mind blown." I said handing her a plate and a fork. I had brought a small baguette with me which I'd sliced up and we ate."A girl could get used to this." She smiled popping a shrimp into her mouth. Cooking for a girl is a sure way into her panties."I laughed. "Even if she wasn't wearing any?""Well she's wearing some now." Her eyes flashed."But for how long?" I said playing along."You have your driver's license don't you?" She asked, changing the subject."Yea, I just don't have a car of my own yet." I said, wondering why she asked."Do you know of anybody that would loan you one, like your folks?""Yea I'm sure I can get one. Why, do you want to do it in the backseat?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her."Hell yea, but I'd also like to get a ride to go get my Jeep. It's been down at the clinic for a week now. They told me it would be safe but I'm getting a little stir crazy stuck here in the house." She replied.I looked out the window. "I can ride down and bring it back, it's only about four or five miles." I said."Ride?" She asked."I have a bike, I can put it in the back and haul it back if you don't mind.""Not at all." She smiled.I did the dishes and cleaned up after lunch, and Summer kicked back on the sofa folding a load of laundry I'd done earlier. I took a look at the grass, yea the lawn could wait a couple more days. "What else needs to be done?" I asked from the kitchen. I got no answer. I walked into the living room and she was bobbing her head as I walked around the edge of the couch I noticed she'd put in earbuds and was listening to her mp3 player. She was lip syncing some unknown song. She looked up at me and grinned, pulling one of the buds loose."I couldn't live without my music." She threw a towel at me to fold."Listening to anything good?" She mentioned a band I'd never heard of, and moved the folded stuff from beside her and patted the seat beside her. I sat and she handed me the ear bud."Check it out, you might like it." I put it in my ear and listened for a song or two, folding another towel. A hard rock song started and she turned it up a bit and started singing along. She got to the chorus and really joined in full blast. The lyrics were pretty explicit. I was thinking you wouldn't hear music like that on the radio around here. There was a pause, then a soft intro began. The ballad was soft and low, and Summer stopped and closed her eyes, her lips barely moving with the lyrics. When I noticed I stopped and listened intently to the lyrics, it was about intense, heart-felt, you are my world, kind of love. The kind of love that lasts longer than a lifetime. When it ended she reached down and stopped the playback. She looked straight out the window for a moment and turned to me, a shy sweet smile on her lips."Do you believe in love Pete?" She asked me. I stared at her in wide-eyed amazement for a minute, and began slowly nodding."I do now." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but something in her eyes made me hesitate. There was sadness there, and they welled up as if she were doing her best to hold back tears. A wash of emotion swept over me like a storm driven wave, and I leaned forward lifted her chin and kissed her softly. Our lips brushed, our tongues sought out one another, delicately probing. Something wet touched my cheek making me break the kiss long before I wanted to. I pulled back and a tear streamed down Summer's cheek. I reached for one of the towels and daubed it. I took a deep breath and was about to ask why she was crying when a curt little head shake waved off the question."Please don't ask, not yet anyway." She said, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry." She said wiping the remaining tear with the heel of her hand."You don't have anything to be sorry about." I replied softly.She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. She turned to me with a smile on her mouth but sadness in her eyes."I saw there's a free concert in the park tonight. Want to go? A rock blues cover band is playing. Sounds like they might be good."I knew they were good, my friends brother was in the band, and I'd heard them before. I smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun, and they are good, I've heard them before.""I should ride down and get the Jeep. There's no way you're walking that far." I said sternly."Yes dear." Summer rolled her eyes at me. She giggled, and got up hobbling off to the bedroom and came back with a set of keys handing them to me."It's black, and I'm guessing the only one with West Virginia plates. It's at the walk-in clinic on Route 12."I nodded. "I know exactly where you mean. I'll go get it. You relax, take a nap if you want. I should be back in an hour or so." I smiled. I kissed her again, the underlying want in our embrace was nearly too much. She placed her hand on my chest, with the barest hint of pressure. She was right, if I kept it up we weren't going anywhere. I reluctantly stepped back, picked up the folded towels and put them away. I walked back out and she had laid down on the couch with her foot up on a pillow. I smiled that she'd taken my suggestion."Can I get you anything before I go?" I said softly leaning over the arm of the couch. She just smiled and gave her head a little shake. She reached up pulling me down closer for a quick upside-down kiss. I headed for the kitchen door, pausing as I closed it quietly, looking back into the house. I turned and started walking home.I walked, lost in thought. This week had been a week of firsts for me. I grinned at the thought of the first day when I lost my virginity to an amazing woman. The aggravation of the following days of not knowing exactly what was happening. If I had just opened my eyes I would have noticed she was waiting for me. Then today when she all but pushed me into making love to her again. I wondered why, well why me anyway. I knew so little about her. What was going on here. We'd known each other about a week, what was that question about believing in love. I could easily fall in love with her, I had to admit. Was I doing just that? So many questions came to mind as I walked up my driveway, I grabbed my bike out of the garage and hopped on. I made my way down to the coast road and started pedaling in earnest up the first rise. The traffic drifted past me as I sought answers to my questions. I pedaled harder nearly coasting up the next rise. Why was I over analyzing this? I was living out a fantasy any red-blooded male would die for. A beautiful, sexy woman wanted to have sex with me, repeatedly. Isn't that enough for me? I laughed out loud at that thought because I realized, it isn't.I rolled down the long slope of the hill seeing the clinic up ahead. I pulled into the parking lot and rode around looking for the Jeep and found it near the side of the building. I checked the plate and got off my bike, took out the keys and opened up the driver's side door. The heat billowed out of it from being parked in the sun so long. The smell of a roasted sweet smelling air freshener poured out and nearly gagged me. I walked to the back and looked at how I was going to get my bike in there and noticed there was a folding bike rack on the spare tire mount. I figured it out in a few minutes and had my bike on it and strapped it into place. I got in and got myself familiar with everything. Started it up and turned up the air conditioning. Once I felt comfortable with everything I pulled on my seat belt and headed out of the parking lot. I got back to town and figured I'd go drop off my bike first. I pulled up in front of the house, and killed the engine. I hopped out and took my bike off the back, then ran inside for some clothes to wear tonight since I was kind of sweaty from the ride. I picked through some stuff and grabbed a bag and tossed it in. I was glad mom wasn't home, I didn't want to have to explain what I was doing, and who owned the Jeep out front. She knew I was working for a tourist that needed help, and unless Paula at the store said anything, Mom had no idea who it was. I made my way back to the house."Thank you for getting my Jeep.""It's no problem. I haven't had much practice with a stick.""Ouch! Do I still have a clutch?" She teased.I just rolled my eyes in imitation of her."The concert is in a few hours and I want to take a bath, you could probably use one too." She scrunched up her nose at me sniffing and making a face."It's your fault I got all sweaty earlier." I said smiling and gave her a quick peck. I got up and went into the bathroom and started the water running."Actually you smell pretty good, like good clean sweat. Let's wash it off."I turned to face her. She looked at me for a moment and raised her arms in silent admonition to undress her. I took the hem of her tank top and lifted it up baring her chest. She never broke my gaze as I knelt and slid her panties over her taut thighs. I took her ankle and she rested her hand on my shoulder for balance as I unwound the bandage and set it up on the counter. She didn't wait for me to get undressed, she reached for my tee and lifted it and I raised my arms in time for her to sweep it off. I kicked off my shoes as she undid the button of my jeans pushing them down. She leaned her head towards the bath and motioned me to get in first. She got in sitting gently between my upraised knees and leaned back against me. She sighed and just closed her eyes and relaxed for a minute. I kissed her on the temple softly and a little smile spread across her lips."We don't need to go to the concert, you know." I whispered in her ear giving it a little nibble."I know, but anticipation will make it better. Trust me. Call it lesson two and a half." She chuckled. She turned and picked up the little scrubby puff sitting in the corner and the bottle of body wash and handed them to me and sat back. I lathered up and began soaping down her chest, working my way down one arm, then the other. I worked down her stomach, making sure not to tangle her little belly button ring in the puff. Her thighs glistened as she raised first one to be washed, then the other. For a moment she liberated the puff and did her calves and feet, being better able to reach them. While there, she did mine as well, working her way back up my thighs. She turned and knelt facing me, lathering up the puff once more. She began washing my chest, and down my stomach eventually making her way down to my now hard cock. She washed it well but didn't linger as she worked her way back up to my arms. She washed my face gently. Her hand rested gently on the back of my neck and drew me to her as she ran the soapy puff over my shoulders and down my back. I wrapped my arms around her hips and pulled her to me. I kissed her navel flicking her little heart dangle. She immediately jumped, and I smiled."Hey I warned you." She said. Before I could respond the soaked puff smacked me on the head, soap suds ran down my face. Summer laughed. "Don't open your eyes." She said, massaging it through my short hair. I heard the water turn on again and she fiddled with the knobs and turned on the hand held sprayer. After a moment I felt her holding it over my head rinsing me off. I stood letting her finish the job, and took the sprayer and began rinsing her off as well. I watched the suds give up their hold on her curves, and I could imagine their sadness from letting her go as they pooled at her feet. She reached down and rinsed the suds down the drain and turned off the water. I stepped out and helped her so she needn't put undue weight on her ankle. I dried Summer off before getting around to me. She headed into the bedroom as I rummaged through the clothes I'd brought. I put on my good jeans and pulled on a polo shirt. Summer passed me in jeans and a little black bra, a shirt slung over her arm. She eyed me up and down as she sauntered past. I followed her into the bath to see what she was up to. She shooed me out claiming she needed to 'put on her face'. Despite my protests that her face was beautiful as is. I got the boot anyway.She came out a few minutes later wearing her long sleeve top with the buttons undone, nearly showing her bra. A little silver pendant hung down her chest of a little sea turtle. I looked at her face and it glowed. Her hair brushed but slightly curly. Her eyes somehow seemed larger and deeper color, and her lips pinker and more inviting. I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until I exhaled sharply.Her smile disappeared. "What?" She looked at me."Nothing!" I said quickly. "It's just that you're so... you're beautiful."She softened at the compliment, the glow returning to her face. "Thank you. You're too sweet." She gave me a quick kiss. "I have a cooler, let's pack something for dinner." We headed into the kitchen and put together a little picnic in the cooler of cheese, veggies and the rest of the baguette from lunch."Damn, I need to make some more tea. Oh well we can swing by the market before they close and see what they have." She said.We gathered up our little cooler and she grabbed a sweatshirt for when it cooled off later, and we headed out. I helped her up into the Jeep and went around and got in the driver's seat."Does it feel odd being chauffeured around?" I asked smiling."No it's kind of nice actually." She smiled back and gave my thigh a squeeze. We stopped in at the store and she hobbled down the aisles and picked up some grapes, and she found a bottle of sparkling cider."If you want they have wine and beer too. I'm driving so you're safe." I smiled."I'm not much of a drinker, this will be fine, and we can share it." She smiled slyly back at me. I took the grapes behind the counter and gave them a good rinse and set them on some paper towels to drain."Do you always walk around like you own the place?" Summer asked."Don't knock it. If it weren't for that, I would never have been so lucky to deliver your groceries last Monday." I wiggled my eyebrows at her making her giggle. "Hey Paula, do you have any cups I can snag for our champagne?""What?" Paula said, shocked."It's just cider!" Summer added quickly holding up the bottle."You know where that stuff is Pete, take what you need." Paula waved me off."Ooh!" I heard behind me as I gathered up the grapes and bagged them up. I looked over my shoulder to see Summer going over a small display of locally made chocolates. She picked up a small back of chocolates to add to the pile.We got up to the counter and Paula was keying everything in."Did you want to settle your bill while you're here Miss Lynne?" Paula asked."Sure it's Friday, no better time." She smiled. "Let's put this on it too." She waved at the pile on the counter. She handed over her card, signed the pad and got her receipt, stuffing it into her wallet. "Oh we don't need a bag, we're going to toss it into the cooler.""Where are you kids off to?" Paula asked innocently. I knew Paula and she was digging for dirt. Luckily I cut in before Summer did."I'm taking Mrs. Lynne down to the concert in the park. She still can't drive her standard with her foot." I said doing my best to sound as innocent as I could. We made our way out and put the rest of the food in the cooler."I'm guessing she's a bit of a gossip?" Summer whispered. "Gotta love small towns. It's the same back home.""Yea well she has an ear for dirt, and she's centrally located to redistribute anything she thinks is juicy enough to share. Let's just put it this way, if she thought I was doing anything besides your lawn you wouldn't live it down with the locals."We both had a good laugh at that as I pulled the Jeep around and headed into town. The street down to the park was going slow, traffic was moving though and people were walking down the sidewalks with blankets and coolers. I pulled up right at the entrance and got a nasty look from a cop."I'm just dropping off the handicapped!" I yelled out the window. Summer gave me an offended look and gave me a punch on the shoulder. "Play it up a bit, maybe I'll get to park closer." I said under my voice. "Go towards the center if you can, maybe about twenty or thirty yards from the stage for the best sound. I'll bring the cooler.""Okay, grab the blanket from behind the back seat while you're at it." She added, and hopped down onto her good foot and hobbled off dramatically. Sure enough, the officer called out and told me to park at the end lot where the police and ambulance were. I made my way back with the cooler and blanket.As I made my way to where I hoped to find Summer I bumped into a few people I knew, swapping quick hello's as I moved through the gathering crowd. I noted at least two admiring stares and noticed they were aimed right where I was headed. I wasn't sure if that made me happy or not. Yes I was here with the lovely lady, and just the thought of that made me grin."What are you smiling at?" She asked seeing me. I shrugged setting down the cooler and spreading out the blanket, and Summer scooted onto it. Recorded Fifties music was playing softly over the sound system from the stage.I leaned in close and said in her ear. "I just noticed that you're drawing attention and I'm wondering how many guys are wishing they were me right now." Her cheeks went pink as she looked up and around looking to see who looking at her."Don't get many women-folk in these parts, do you?" She asked softly. I laughed."Beautiful women don't usually go out on their own. This town is known for eligible bachelors swooping down on unsuspecting fair maidens and making off with them." I said softly, playing along. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." She giggled."Good, I'd hate to be made off with by some 'other' handsome guy, oh the horror!" She said rolling her eyes at me. She leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Thank you." She smiled. I blushed furiously realizing we were in public and that kiss was a blatant admission that she was without a doubt, with me.The lights facing the crowd began to flash slowly signaling that the show would start in a moment. They went down and the lights on the stage came up slowly in blue. The Fifties music got a little louder and there were couples dancing on the stage.All of a sudden a spot came on in the center of the stage and two guys stood there. John, my buddy Jeff's older brother was one of them. The other guy must have been one of his music school buddies."I can't play like this?" He said holding up a red rag wrapped around his hand. "You did this, now you gotta play for me."John stared at him for a moment and reached for the guitar on the stand and walked to the front of the stage. "This is an oldie, well where I come from it is." He turned to the band. "Watch me for the changes and try to keep up." He started playing Chuck Berry's, Johnny B. Good. He really got into it, dancing around the stage, ending with a huge jump and dropped to his knees with the final note.John stood, to loud applause, and introduced himself and the band, and said they'd be taking a walk down a musical memory lane with us tonight, and he hoped we enjoyed the show. The show was choreographed like a play, as actors appeared on stage to join in the songs and period costumes of the Fifties and Sixties. Everything they played was some sort of blues rock, everything from Ray Charles and Ben E. King, to Marvin Gaye. He stopped to tell us that despite the invasion of British music, American music was still a very powerful influence, and the Sixties weren't only about the Beatles and the Stones."That brings us to the mid-Sixties. We're going to take a quick break, and we'll be right back, don't go anywhere. We're watching you." He pointed at people in the crowd, then laughed. The crowd joined him. "This concert is sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, but I'd also like to direct you down to our tent over here where we're selling CD's and gear, because we artists need beer and pizza like the rest of the world.""Wow they're good!" Summer said cracking the cooler open and digging out some snacks. "Here, open that would you please?" The plastic cork popped sounding like a champagne bottle. Causing a few people to turn and smile and one to clap. I poured the cider into the cups and we nibbled on the snacks in the cooler. She popped a cherry tomato in my mouth then took one herself."You build a heck of a picnic." I said, causing her to laugh."I slaved over a hot stove all day."The lights on the crowd began to flash again, announcing the end of the intermission. A lone guitar started in on something bluesy.The lights came back up and there were summer of love trappings on stage. The backup singers were dressed in bell bottoms and headbands and long flowing sleeves. John took center stage again and the spot came up on him."Now you may have construed that my earlier remarks about the Sixties not being about the British invasion as a criticism. It wasn't in the least. A lot of bands came out of Britain then, and most of them were excellent to say the least. A good many of these performers sited their love of American jazz and blues as their influence. One such performer was a gentleman named Van Morrison." Quite a few people gave in to a round of applause. "I'd like your help in convincing one of our audience members to give us a hand with the next couple songs. You see my little brother Jeff works the sound board." He pointed down at the front to where Jeff waved. "A good buddy of his from school is one of the best sax players I've ever heard, which is saying a lot when you consider my fellow musicians.""Pete! I know you're out there, Jeff spotted you with a lovely young lady earlier. Maybe we can convince you to break away from her for a few songs."Summer turned to me her eyes wide. "Does he mean you." I was still staring at the stage."Folks let's hear some support to get him up here and get on with the show!" He yelled.Applause erupted through the crowd. I looked at Summer who was clapping furiously and reached over and gave me a push. I stood up and made my way to the sound board through the crowd, people encouraged me as I walked by.I got up to Jeff and said, "Thanks buddy, I owe you one." I'm sure the sarcastic edges wasn't lost on him."I figure if this doesn't impress her panties off, nothing will." He replied.If he only knew, I thought to myself. I stepped up to the edge of the stage and climbed the steps. John was center stage clapping over his guitar. I walked up and shook his hand. I whispered something into his ear, then walked back to where the horns were and picked up a sax, and a mouthpiece. I wet the reed down and mounted it up as the bass player started the riff for Tupelo Honey. The audience started clapping."Pete made a request of me, which is only fair since I dragged him away from his lovely lady friend, so we're dedicating this to her. Summer this is for you." He pointed out to the crowd. The song began and I joined in like I'd been playing every day since school got out. I walked up beside John and played the sax solo like a pro. When we were done serenading Summer we moved on to Days Like This, and segued right into Moondance, my favorite by far. I found myself singing alongside John when I didn't have a solo. The flute player a tall, pretty girl was really getting into it. John improvised the lyric to 'Underneath the cover of June, Rockport skies'. The flutist and I stepped forward next to John and took a bow as the song ended, as he yelled our names into the mic. I was feeling pretty awesome at that point taking off the sax and placing it back on the stand and shaking the hand of its owner thanking him for the use. I made for the steps and waved once more as John started in on the turn of the decade and started on Clapton's Bell Bottom Blues next.I found Summer sitting next to Jeff at the sound board with the biggest grin she could muster without hurting herself."Thanks for the seat." She said to Jeff and stood up and wrapped her arms around my neck giving me a long hard kiss. As we broke our lip lock I saw Jeff give me a thumbs up sign without even looking over at me. I just smiled and turned Summer back to our blanket."Oh my God! That was awesome. Why didn't you tell me you were a musician?" She said as people around us thanked me. I just shrugged."I don't know, I've been playing for six or seven years. I've always loved jazz and blues. It's like a hobby to me." I said. "My grandfather and his brother were trombone players in the Maine state band."John went on to laud bands from the Seventies and picked out Steely Dan as the set went a smoky blue color as they played on. Summer curled into me leaning on my chest as we listened. I was about ready to explode with happiness. They moved on and a girl stepped forward from the backup singers with a microphone and John introduced her and mentioned the influences of the west coast moving up to the Seventies bringing us groups like Heart and they started playing Barracuda. They played a few others ending up with a Billy Joel mash up as their last song. They did Rockport State of Mind to the music of New York State of Mind. People were standing up applauding. I had to admit, John and the band did a hell of a job. They got such a long ovation that they played a two song encore, to another long round of applause."That was awesome!" Summer shouted over the applause. "I wish they did things like this back home!""Welcome to Maine." I said smiling.We packed up the cooler with the remains of our picnic and Summer folded the blanket tossing it over her arm. As we made our way back to the Jeep. I looked over to see her grinning ear to ear again."What?" I asked."I feel like a groupie who's going home with one of the band." She said, causing both of us to laugh.To be continued in part 3, by Member389 for Literotica

Summer Arrives on the Atlantic Coast of Maine, in time for his first time.A 7-part series by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Stories. I was finally glad to be out of school. My buddy Jeff got out last year. He went off and joined the military and left our little town. I figured I'd work the summer here and see what was what after the tourists left. It was still early yet, they hadn't started arriving yet, clogging the roads with their luxury cars, acting as if they owned the place. Truth be told, they did. If it weren't for them, the rest of us wouldn't have a living. Fishing wasn't cutting it anymore, and the old quarries down coast were barely running now. Luckily we had the tourists.I walked down into the village near the docks, and popped into the little corner store."Hey Peter." I heard as I walked in. Paula nodded at me and smiled. She and her husband ran this little place, and did well by the locals and tourists alike. I waved and smiled at her as I headed to the back and grabbed a soda from the cooler."You headed over to see Davy about work?" She asked."Yea, I figure I gotta do something before mom tosses me out of the house." I chuckled."Would you do me a favor? Chip is out on a delivery and we're short-handed. Is there any chance you could make a delivery for me, it's on your way. The lady has an account so you don't need to collect any money. It's just, I heard she twisted her ankle on the beach and I told her that if she needed anything to call us and I'd get it over to her.""Sure, where is it going?" I said.She handed me two canvas sacks from the cooler, and gave me the address. It was just a couple blocks over from where I was headed. Paula refused to let me pay for my soda before leaving. I walked the few blocks turning up onto the driveway that led to a house facing the water. I walked around the house looking for the kitchen door. As I turned the corner I saw a woman lying on a towel on the lawn. She lay there basking in the morning sun completely naked. A small pile of fabric beside her looked like a swimsuit she may have been wearing. I stopped and looked around, the spot was well sheltered on the curve in the road. Her long blonde hair trailed out above her on her towel, her arms down at her sides, her deep pink nipples pointing up to the sun. Her stomach was flat and a little glint of something shiny hinted at a belly button ring. From this distance I couldn't be sure. A small strip of hair dipped down between her thighs. Her legs were long toned and pale, but getting red. She had just started tanning by the color she'd turned already. She was going to look like a freshly boiled lobster in a very short time.I realized she hadn't heard or seen me, so I turned and cleared my throat loudly. I looked over my shoulder, and she hadn't moved. I decided I'd just put the groceries in the house for her. I set the bags on the kitchen table and peeked to make sure nothing needed to be put in the icebox. Thankfully I did or the cold stuff would have spoiled. I put them away and left the rest. I walked towards the back door again and looked out the screen at her. She was beautiful, like she'd just stepped out of a magazine centerfold. She still hadn't moved, and it wouldn't be long before she burned badly. So I took it upon myself to rescue her, that's just the kind of guy I am. I opened the back door and pushed it open as far as possible and let it swing shut. The loud rap of the wood on the frame did the trick. She jumped, then the realization that somebody was near and she was naked came on her and she rolled onto the grass pulling the towel over her covering up. I saw why she hadn't heard me as an earbud fell out onto the grass.She peeked over the top of her big sunglasses, and in an accent I hadn't heard around here, she asked. "Can I help you?" The scolding tone of her voice saying that she didn't appreciate being peeked at while she was sunbathing.I scrunched up my face. "Where are you from?" I asked, curious about her accent."Right here buster, I'm renting this place. Where in hell did you come from?" She replied."Oh! Paula down at the market asked me to deliver your groceries. They were shorthanded and I was headed this way."She just stared at me for a moment, and I returned the stare taking in the scene with a dumb-founded look."Would you be a gentleman and please turn around?" She said a little testily. I did as she asked. Unfortunately for her I'd turned and was looking directly at her reflection in the kitchen window. She stood up cursing quietly, putting her weight on one foot, and wrapped the towel around her and tucked it in above her breasts. She was tall, and though her breasts weren't large they were nicely shaped, and red. The little stripe of hair ended neatly where I thought. The towel was just long enough to cover her modestly. She hobbled over to the little pile of cloth and swept up her bikini and started hobbling towards the house like a wounded animal. She passed me and got to the step and hobbled up the half step, and opened the door using it for stability and hopped up the step into the kitchen.She hobbled back to the screen door and said. "Well come on in."I walked over and stepped into the kitchen. She was sitting down on one of the chairs one leg splayed out in front of her the other tucked under the chair. The smooth skin was kissed with a flush of pink. I knew she was going to regret falling asleep out there later, but I'm glad I happened to wake her up so she didn't get severely burned. She was fumbling with her towel to keep it up, and digging through a big pocket book."Paula said that you have an account." I held up my hand. "I'm not going back to the store anyhow."She peeked up at me from her purse through a tangle of long blonde hair. "Thank you, but I was going to give you something for the trouble. She mentioned that you wouldn't be here until afternoon because it was busy today." A pink nipple peaked over the top of the polka dot beach towel. She caught me staring. "Though it could be surmised that you already got your tip." She said an eyebrow going up, and a small grin turning the corners of her mouth up. She shook her head as she pulled the towel back into place and tossed the purse onto the table. She held her arm out straight with a folded bill in it. I just shook my head once and waved it off."Thanks, but you don't need to do that." I said."Don't make me get up, my ankle hurts like hell, and I'm in no shape to use it to kick your ass for being a peeping tom." She replied grinning. She waved the money again. I shrugged and took it slipped into my jeans pocket. I was hoping she hadn't noticed they were tighter in front than a moment before."Thanks." I nodded."No, thank you Chip, I would have come into town to get them later but she insisted on having you deliver them."I smiled. "I'm not Chip. He was doing another delivery. I'm Pete.""Nice to meet you." She said holding out a hand. "I'm Summer."I shook her hand. She had a firm grip and didn't let up until I did. I just stood there for a moment looking at her. She had mesmerizing blue eyes and a crooked little smile. I realized I was staring when her brow went up. I felt myself blush."Are you thirsty? I could use something cold." Summer asked. I nodded."If you don't mind, there's a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge. I'm going to go put something on besides a towel.""Not on my account I hope?" Why not, I figured, she seemed to have a sense of humor about getting caught. I smiled over my shoulder at her as I reached for the cupboard door. She laughed aloud at that.She stood again, wobbling, and took her bikini in hand and walked towards the living room and gasped grabbing for the door jamb. In the process the towel let go and she stood there grasping the towel in one hand the door in the other. Her long smooth back tapered to a narrow waist and flared back out to beautifully curved hips. On her back was a pretty sunflower tattoo with vines around it. There looked to be a figure in the center of it."Oh to hell with it. I don't think I've got anything left to hide at this point." She muttered and hobbled out of the room. I opened up the freezer and got a tray of ice out, and filled the glasses. I heard her fumbling around a bit and she started to hobble back out. She'd pulled a light blue flowered sundress on, and taken a minute to brush out her hair. She hobbled over to an easy chair in the living room and sat down. "Would you be a doll and bring that in here?"I walked into the living room and she was gingerly setting her foot on the coffee table. I handed her a glass and set the other down. I took the towel she'd tossed on the sofa and folded it up into a little bundle and went to take her leg. I stopped myself and looked up at her, from under fallen bangs."May I?" I asked. She held her glass with both hands, licking tea from her upper lip, and nodded. I lifted her calf, the skin smooth and warm in my hand, and slipped the folded towel under her ankle to pad it from the table. I set it down carefully and she let out a sigh. I sat down on the sofa and took up my glass. I was looking into the glass at the ice cubes floating around. I set it back down and went to the kitchen, found a plastic bag and filled it with the rest of the ice. I looked down at her, she sat there wide eyed as I reached to carefully set it on her ankle."Thank you," She said softly, with a smile "again.""You slammed the door on purpose didn't you?" She asked."Well you were beginning to look like a lobster out there, fresh from the pot. I wasn't sure if you were asleep and I didn't want you to burn, or worse." I said.She smiled. "Thank you." She said, and after a moment she added, "West Virginia.""Rockport here, welcome to Maine." I toasted her with my tea, and we clinked glasses. Neither of us said anything we just sat there enjoying our tea."You said this was on your way? Where were you going?" Summer asked."I was headed down to Davy's marina down the road." I said. Then pointed. "If you go down Sea Road and bear right. He runs a couple of boats for fishing, sightseeing and whale watching. I was going to see if he needed any help this summer."She nodded, and looked down at her ankle. Water running down her leg from the condensation on the bag."If he doesn't give you a job on a boat, you might want to consider going to medical school." She chuckled. "You're a quick thinker and have a gentle touch. I don't mean to keep you from where you were headed but since this is really feeling like hell." She pointed at her foot. "I was wondering if you could do me another favor before you leave.""Sure, what else do you need, lunch?" I asked.She laughed. "Well that would be nice, but I was just going to ask you to go into the bathroom and grab the ace bandage that's rolled up on the counter and the bottle of pain killers for me. I want to get this wrapped again, now that I'm not worried I'll look like a cat with one white paw."I set my glass down, and went to the bath and found the items. I found a bottle of sunburn lotion on the counter and brought that too."I see you came prepared to burn." I looked at the bottle."Well when you're as white as I am, it happens often, especially this early in the season." Summer said as she reached up for the items. She reached down and took the ice off, and dried her foot off on the towel. She crossed her legs, her dress riding up high as she reached to start unrolling the bandage.I laughed. "That looks more awkward than a lobster trying to climb a tree." I reached out for the bandage and took it from her. "Let me show you how it's done." I sat on the edge of the coffee table and laid her leg across mine. I wrapped her ankle neatly slipping the clips on at the end with a flourish. I looked at her toes peeking up, the nails a sparkly pink color. A small throat clear broke me out of my reverie, only to notice that I'd been absently stroking her shin and calf. I snatched my hand away, and felt my face turn bright red again. I looked down at the rug and apologized."For what? Doing a better job than I would wrapping my ankle? Or maybe the lame lobster jokes." She flipped a hand at me and took the bottle and popped it open. She poured out her dose and knocked them back with a swallow of her tea."I should take these with food." She took her foot off my lap and set it gingerly on the floor, grabbing the arms of the chair preparing to get up."Whoa! Where are you going?" I asked."I was going to go see what was in those bags to eat." She said."Sit down. I'll get you something." I answered quickly.She rolled her eyes at me. "You've done far more than you should have for a tired, broken down old lady." She rolled forward again, and I put my hand on her shoulder to keep her balance back."I'll get it." I said firmly. "What would you like?""You are too sweet." She said, relaxing back into the chair. "What did you bring?"I went into the kitchen to rummage through the bags. Given a little creativity and a few minutes time I whipped up a sandwich and chips. I peeked around the door jamb to ask if she wanted mustard or mayo on her turkey. The sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks. Summer had sat forward on the chair, and slipped the straps off the sundress pushing it down to her waist. She sat there slowly rubbing in the sunburn cream into her skin. She finished her arms and began working on her chest rubbing slowly giving each nipple a pinch and tug. My jeans felt about ready to explode at the sight of her. I popped my head back around the door and called out asking my question. She replied, mustard. I responded that it was ready then, to give her time to cover up.I walked into the room with the plate in front of me and the bag of chips dangling beneath to try and hide my arousal. I sat quickly as I handed her the plate, hoping I'd covered myself well enough."Ooh thanks!" She said setting the plate down and reaching for half the sandwich. She just stopped and looked at me. "You didn't make one for yourself?" I shook my head. "Here," she handed me the other half, "I hate eating alone."I shrugged and took the other half, and we ate quietly. I asked her how she twisted her ankle. Exploring wet rocks on the outbound tide, she'd slipped and thought she'd broken it. She had gotten an X-ray and it was only a bad sprain."Ironic. I ended up having to postpone starting work at the very hospital that I was going to be starting at next week." She said."Oh? You a doctor?" I asked."RN, and I was serious earlier, you have a gentle touch, and you wrap a mean ankle." She followed with a smile."Sports." I said by way of explanation. She nodded.She opened her mouth laying a chip on her tongue and took it in whole giving it a crunch. I didn't know why, but she fascinated me on an entirely new level. I'd seen naked girls before, well in magazines and movies, anyway. Here sat a woman who, unlike those from around here, wasn't scandalized by having her body admired. This isn't the end of the world, but not far from it."How old are you Pete." She asked. I told her the truth, that I was nineteen, and I'd just graduated last month. She offered me the chips, and I took a few."What are your plans from here?" She asked."I honestly don't know. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up." I said chuckling.She set the chips aside and wiped her hands on the towel. She took up the bottle of cream and popped the cap up. She nonchalantly pulled up the hem on her dress to a nearly indecent level and leaned forward and began rubbing the cream into her leg. She continued to ask me about the area, what there was to do after school got out. She worked her hand further up her thigh, the warm pink flesh supple under her fingers. She pulled back again, the hem of the dress slid up, and a peek of pink lace appeared. She asked if I had a girlfriend. Which made me pause. She started on the other leg working from the ankle up to the knee. She stopped and looked at me when I didn't reply."No?" She asked, no doubt noticing that I'd been watching every movement she made.I just shook my head looking down at the floor. "No. I've gone out a few times, but never really had a girlfriend."She looked down her leg again, massaging her up her thigh slowly. Watching her was not helping the situation in my jeans one bit."That's too bad. Seems an awful waste of resources if you ask me." She smirked."Huh?" I said looking up at her with a quizzical look.She bit her lower lip and looked me in the eye for a moment, then down at my lap, and nodded.I must have turned deep red, she looked up at me and smiled, then busted out laughing."Oh my God! You're as innocent as the day you were born, aren't you?" She asked grinning ear to ear.I stammered."Oh hell." She waved her hand. "Don't be embarrassed hon. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you a hard time." She reached over and gave my wrist a quick squeeze. The feel of her warm hand sent a shock up my arm. She leaned back in the chair, not bothering to adjust her dress. The little pink lace peeking out kept drawing my eye. I could feel her eyes studying me as I tried not to look.She started softly. "Am I the first woman you've ever seen naked?" She followed with, "in person?"I cleared my throat. "Well, that close, yea." I said softly. "Last summer, my friend and I found a cove where some girls go to tan in the summer, but we stay well back. They mostly only took their tops off. Jeff had binoculars." I felt my ears turn red.Summer smiled again biting her lip. "So, the peeping tom thing isn't new." She giggled. She was enjoying teasing me. A moment of silence passed while I looked anywhere but at her. "Stand up Pete, and come here." I looked at her and did as she asked. She slowly reached up, and tugged the straps of her dress to the side, and looped her arms up through, pushing it down her torso. Her breasts popped free, the cherry red nipples stiff in the cool breeze coming through the house. She looked up at me from under a lock of hair, still biting her lip. Time seemed to stop, and I wasn't sure what to do next, but instinct pushed me to reach out and cup her breast. It was warm and soft in my hand, and I stroked it gently. I reached up with my thumb and rubbed the nipple. A sigh as she inhaled deeply, her eyes were closed while I explored. I rolled it between my thumb and finger it was as hard as a pencil eraser."That feels nice." She said softly. I stroked the curve up to her chest, and back down between them following it around.Time started again when I jumped back startled. I hadn't expected it when her hand reached up and pressed against the front of my jeans."Oh!" She giggled. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought you might enjoy a little rub too." She nodded at my jeans. "Let me see it."I went wide eyed like a deer in caught in headlights."Come on. It's only fair, you saw mine." She urged. Her hand slid down raising the hem of her dress showing off the pink lace panties with black lace trim. She circled the front with her finger, pressing as she did. She reached over and took the last swallow of her tea and caught an ice cube from the glass. Swirling it around her mouth. She opened her mouth showing me that she was rolling the cube around with her tongue.Without conscious thought my hands reached for my zipper to release the pressure built up behind it. I pulled it down as she watched intently. I unbuttoned the fly of my boxers and the pressure was gone as my hard cock pushed its way out seeking relief.Summer made an approving sound deep in her throat at the sight of it. "Ooh that's nice." The ice cube clicked on her teeth and she crushed it quickly, chewing the bits of ice. She looked up at me and made a come hither motion with her free hand, the other still working on the pink lace. I stepped forward as if she were drawing me towards her with an invisible tether. She reached up slowly this time and took me gently into her hand. Stroking the shaft and rubbing the tip with her thumb. I gasped, my breath coming in short panting breaths. "That's it, easy now." She said in a soothing voice, as if calming a frantic animal. "You aren't going to last very long."My body was humming like a taut wire as she gently stroked me. In a move that surprised me, she leaned forward and took me into her mouth. The cold sensation from her chewing the ice nearly pushed me over the top. I gasped. She licked my cock like a kid with an ice cream cone, her icy tongue dragging away at me. I knew I was about to cum, and she did too. She stepped up the pace of her licking, and took me into her mouth once more sliding down further until I lost it. I felt my hips jerk forward and she put her hand on my thigh to keep me from choking her. I grabbed for the first thing at hand, and it happened to be the back of her head, and I erupted. My body stiffened as I gasped for air. I felt as if she was drawing me inside out. I exploded in her mouth, her tongue cleaning up the mess I'd made."Is that the first time a girl has done that to you?" She asked softly, lapping my still hard cock. I nodded between gasping breaths."You poor thing. Have you ever thought of what it would be like to lick a girl down there?" She asked innocently. I looked down to find her fingers had slipped into the panties and were making deep circular motions. I had to think, because if I hadn't before now, I certainly was beginning to. She kept darting her tongue out, giving me soft licks and quick flicks with her tongue and thought I could do that.She stood up awkwardly not putting her weight on her bad ankle, and reached up beneath her sundress tugging at the fabric. Soon her panties were around her knees. She turned and tossed the towel onto the chair and spread it out."Oh screw it." She said pushed down the fabric of her sundress as it slid over her hips. She sat down pushing her dress and panties off and tossed them on the couch. She leaned back on the chair as I watched her chest rise and fall with her slow deep breathing. My eyes followed down her taut stomach, a small silver heart dangled from her belly button on a chain. My eyes scanned further down and found the top of her little narrow strip, the soft tuft of dark blonde hair leading to deep pink lips. I stood there with my mouth hanging open as she set her leg back up on the coffee table, opening up a little more for me. I licked my dry lips, which must have been a sign."That's what I like to see. A willing student." She smiled and winked at me. "Grab a pillow and kneel down. I'll give you a quick lesson on the special anatomy of a girl." She chuckled. I did as she asked and knelt before her. She proceeded to point out the highlights softly, in an encouraging voice. Explaining how best to please a woman down there.I leaned forward, my nose filling with the scent of her. I reached forward licking upward between her spread fingers. She let out a deep sigh and I began licking and nibbling. I tilted my head up and began swirling her clit with my tongue like she'd done to my cock. She threw her head back and her jaw dropped as a low moan escaped her lips.She panted quickly. "Slip your finger inside me, and make a come here motion." She mimed it with one finger.I did as she asked, slipping my middle finger into her as far as I could. It was wet, and warm and I could feel her tighten down on me. I started off slowly stroking in and out of her, then remembered how she'd shown me and I rubbed up and forward and back again. I had forgotten what I was doing and noticed she'd reached down to start stroking her clit with incredible speed. I leaned down putting my tongue to it again, and began flicking it with my tongue as fast as I could. Summer arched up off the chair and began yelling, 'Oh my God.' She stayed that way for nearly a minute before collapsing back into the chair gasping for air. My hand was soaked with her juices. I wasn't sure, but I figured I'd done well. I used the corner of the towel to wipe my hand. I looked at her swollen, wet and deep pink lips and just leaned forward and began lapping up the mess she'd made, slowly with the tip of my tongue. She inhaled sharply and her legs came together quickly."Easy there." She said pushing my head away gently. "It's very sensitive after." She released the grip she had of my hair and ran her fingers through it. She was just looking at me smiling while I licked my lips."So how did I do teach?" I asked.She chuckled. "I'd say you did pretty damn well for a first-timer. I'll give you an A plus for effort and an A for technique." She smiled. I was hard as a rock, and wondered if I was going to be allowed to follow through with the next thing that came to my mind."Are you a typical young guy with a raincoat in your wallet?" She asked, reading my mind. I looked at her with my quizzical look again. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head. I sighed looking down, and shook my head slowly. I got a slightly scolding look in reply. I wasn't sure if it was because I didn't have one, or that she was unhappy about it as well."Get up." She said giving a slight push to my forehead. I leaned back and stood in a single motion. I nearly fell over backwards when I realized I still had both legs caught with my jeans around my knees. Summer leaned forward to grab my arm and help me balance. She nodded down at them and without saying a word let me know that I should get them off. She gripped my hand solidly and pulled herself carefully out of the chair and hobbled a step aside. She reached down taking the rumpled beach towel off the chair and flipped it in half and lay it on the center cushion of the sofa. She turned me back to and gave me a push so I fell back onto it."Don't move." She said leveling a serious gaze at me. She hobbled back off to the bedroom. A little rustling later she came back with something closed in her fist. She pulled the coffee table up close and sat gently on the edge of it facing me."First things first. It's never her responsibility to make sure you're prepared." She said holding up a little foil packet. "If you aren't prepared, then keep it in your pants, or her hand if you're lucky enough." She smiled. "The only time it'll be up to her to help is now. If she'd like to." She reached forward and began slowly stroking me, her fingers firm and soft at the same time. "You see, you can't wrap the rascal unless he's primed and ready." She smiled. "I'll show you how best to use this so you don't end up a daddy too soon, or worse."I smiled and rolled my eyes."Hey, we can stop right now if you like." She said levelly at me. The shock on my face must have been plain as day. "That's what I thought." She smiled and looked down at my hard cock. "I'd hate to stop now myself." She peeled the wrapper down the side pulling out the little ring. She held it close for me to see. "See how it's rolled up? Place it with the rolled side up over the tip like this." She reached holding my cock in one hand and setting the condom on the tip. "Unroll gently down the shaft like this." She said sliding her fingers down my shaft unrolling it fully. "All the way down. That's important since she's not going to want to fish the thing out of her if it comes off in the middle of your good time. It also makes it pretty useless if that happens." She gave the base of my cock a little squeeze. She pulled my knees together, and stood up kneeling on the sofa straddling me."This is a good position for us to start with. It gives a woman the ability to control the depth and speed with which you entering her. Missionary isn't bad, but if you get a little over zealous it can end up hurting her. If you want to her to ever want you back in her again then it's best to make sure she has a good time too." She said reaching down between us she ran her finger up and down her swollen lips."Remember to open her gently beforehand, the more care you take with her, the more likely she'll be calling you for more." She sat up, and lined herself up over my cock and took my shoulders as I took her by the hips. She looked down at me for a moment, one eyebrow going up."Oh." I said reaching between us and stroking her still wet lips placing fingers on either side and gently opening her up. As I did she lowered herself on me. The sigh that escaped my lips was loud. I nearly passed out from the feeling of the warmth and tightness, as she slowly rode the entire way down my length. A soft purr came from her throat.She sat there for a moment and proceeded to just tighten herself around me and relax. I started pushing urgently with my hips."Easy does it." She whispered into my ear then licked her way down nibbling the lobe and kissing my neck. "A woman's nipples are very sensitive, and shouldn't be neglected." She took my hand and ran it up to her small breast. Lifting it away slightly and rubbing her nipple with my fingers. She bit her lower lip as I took the hint and stroked her breasts and rolled the nipples between my fingers. I leaned forward taking it in my mouth rolling it around, lashing it with my tongue. Summer sighed deeply and rolled her hips forward and started rising up and lowering herself on me. My other hand found its way behind her gripping her ass and pulling her down onto me with each stroke. She started a long deep stroking rhythm that I thought was going to drive me over the top again. She must have noticed my urgency as my hips rose to meet her down stroke hard. She stopped on an upstroke and let me slip out of her and I thought I was going to die when my eyes popped open pleading with her. She smiled at me."What's your hurry? Aren't you enjoying yourself?" She said sweetly.I nodded furiously. "Yes I am." I gasped."Good. The journey can be as much fun as the destination, so take your time." She got off the couch. I looked at her pleading with her not to stop now. "Let's see how well you improvise." She said.She turned around and knelt down on the pillow that was on the floor, and leaned forward setting her elbows on the chair she was sitting in before. Her beautiful ass, up in the air her lips open and pouting in invitation. I scrambled off the couch and knelt behind her, nearly ready to drive my cock into her when I paused and opened her up slipping back into herShe whipped her hair over one shoulder and looked at me over the other. "You're in the drivers' seat now. It's going to be up to you to be aware of the clues a girl is giving you. If she's pulling away from you, you're fucking her to hard. If she's pushing against you, well she wants you to put the pedal to the metal, so to speak." I pushed forward feeling myself fall into her and never wanting to leave. I began pushing and she met me stroke for stroke as I sped up. I couldn't take it any longer. Summer let out several long high pitched moans followed by a gasping, 'Harder!' and I went into overdrive. Plunging her depths with abandon I finally drove her forward hard, pushing her hips against the chair as I exploded. I stiffened as I felt every ounce of strength drain from my body. Summer shuddered hard in my hands bringing me out of my daze."Are you okay?" I gasped between breaths.She rose up slightly, hair a complete mess covering her face. She started to laugh, gasping for air. "I was just thinking, this vacation started off lousy, but it's improving nicely."I chuckled. "Welcome to Maine, Vacationland." She busted out laughing at that. I backed away falling free of her, the cool breeze came in from the screen, cooling the sweat on my skin."Let's get cleaned up." She stood shakily, with the help of the arms of the chair. I stood as well. She turned and slipped an arm around my shoulders. "Help me to the bathroom, would you please?" I looked at her, and turned slightly and reached down picking her up off the floor. She let out a whoop of surprise. "I only needed a shoulder to lean on honestly." She said smiling."So lean on it." I said smiling. I negotiated the narrow path to the bathroom and brought her in careful not to bang her against the doorjamb. I set her on a little stool next to a big claw foot bathtub."Let me get that." Summer reached over and popped up a tissue and reached up sliding the condom off of me and wrapping it and tossing it in the trash. She looked up at me, her hair still a mess. I reached down pushing it off her forehead. She smiled. "Grab a washcloth for me, would you please?" She nodded at a small shelf, and I took one down and handed it to her. She reached over to the bath running water onto it and a little squirt of her bath gel. She frothed it up and began washing herself off. She rinsed and repeated. She dried herself with another towel hanging from the bar. She looked up at me from under her bangs, scanning down. "Really?" She said in a resigned voice as she saw that I was once again ready.I shrugged. "The benefit of youth?"She laughed. "I guess!"She rinsed the cloth again and began gently washing me with it. The cool water and warm hands were soothing but not doing a thing for the fact that it was loaded and ready to go yet again."Would you hand me that light blue bottle there." She asked. She poured a small amount into her palm and set the bottle aside. She rubbed the oil between her hands and rubbed it between her legs oiling herself up. The sight of this was not doing me any good either. A crooked smirk spread across her face as she watched me watching her in fascination.She reached up with her oily hand and began stroking my shaft. The hardness slipping through her firm grip with little friction. The other hand began fondling my balls. They were already tight, and ready to go again. She slid her hand further under and began massaging me underneath in a tight circle. The feeling blew my mind as I couldn't contain myself and came hard, with a loud splatter, on Summer's chest."Not sure if it's good for burns, but I've heard it does wonders for the skin." She said, leaning forward cleaning the last few drops off with her tongue. She then used her cloth to wipe up the cum I'd splashed on her chest.. I just watched her, her movements so graceful and efficient.She looked up at me with a smirk. "Pete, how would you like to give me a hand for a couple weeks while this ankle heals?"My eyebrows went up. "How?" I asked."The usual mow the lawn, grocery runs, cleaning, maybe even an occasional turkey sandwich. It'll allow me to keep off this as much as possible and not feel like I'm an invalid. I'll warn you now though it's not only doctors that make lousy patients."It was my turn to smirk. "What's it pay?" I asked wiggling my eyebrows.Her mouth dropped open. "You little shit! I'm not hiring you to be a gigolo!" She laughed. "But there's always the possibility of a bonus. I could continue your lessons. Practice makes perfect they say." She smiled at that."I don't know." I said, my spent cock hanging inches from her lips. Oh I knew alright, but I played along. "I'll have to see what Davy has to offer this year. Those rich folks that come in to fill up can be pretty good tippers too."She raised an eyebrow at me again. "Okay if you'd rather work for him I'll understand." She said in mock resignation. She stood on her good foot, testing the floor with her bad. I instinctively wrapped my arm around her waist."You drive a hard bargain." I said pulling her to my side so she could put her arm over my shoulder.She looked me up and down me and smiled. "This vacation isn't turning out bad at all."To be continued in part 2, by Member389 for LiteroticaSummer In Maine: Part 2Lesson Two, and Two and a half.A 7-part series by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Stories.This summer job wasn't turning out the way I'd thought. So far I'd mowed the lawn, done the dishes, (thankfully there's a dishwasher) hauled trash, done laundry, dusted and vacuumed. When Summer asked if I wanted to help her out for a few weeks I sort of expected there would be fringe benefits to go with, or instead of, getting paid. Instead it was actual work. She wasn't shy, about her body or mine, she often would wrap her arm around my waist to help with her balance. She occasionally stroked my ass through my jeans. I didn't hesitate to return the favor but I always ended up with only a smile in return. I figured after that first day when I took the job I might get some more personal time with her. The other night I helped her to run a bath, and she shooed me out of the bathroom. One night we watched a late movie I slept over, and ended up on the couch. Something didn't seem right about all of this. Nearly a week had gone by, and it was as if that first day hadn't even happened, and I was too shy to say anything. I hitched the grocery bag I was carrying a little higher, tonight, I'd say something tonight.I walked up to the kitchen stoop and pulled open the screen door and I heard a gasping cry. I dropped the bags on the table and darted into the living room, she wasn't there. Another cry, and I looked to the right and saw the bedroom door was open. I walked quietly towards the door, and Summer was laying back on the bed naked except for her bandaged ankle. She was sliding a pink vibrator up and down between her thighs. She tilted it slightly and slid it into her, her other hand pulling on her nipple. I was instantly hard watching her pleasure herself. She let go of the nipple and slid her hand down and began flicking her clit, rubbing it fast. She arched her back crying out "Yes!" She pulled the vibrator out slipping her fingers in as she came. She continued rubbing her clit slowly and stroked her fingers in and out for a few before falling flat to the sheets like a deflated balloon. Her breathing was fast and shallow."How long have you been watching?" She asked, not looking up. She looked absolutely radiant, her skin flushed pink through her tan. Her hair was a tangled mess of sun streaked gold, she looked fantastic."Just a couple minutes." I said quietly looking down at the floor. I heard the old brass headboard creak and I peeked up. She had raised her head and was looking at me."What's the matter?" She asked gently. I shrugged and walked out to the kitchen, and started putting away the groceries."I picked up some local shrimp for lunch. I'll put them on ice in the fridge." I said loudly from the kitchen. I turned and Summer was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen watching me with her arms crossed in front of her, buck naked. She gave me a shrewd glance."Please tell me what's bothering you."I looked at her for a moment, then turned away and put a couple other items in the fridge."Nothing." I said, unconvincingly."It's just..." I started. I looked over at her and said."Never mind." I walked out to the yard looking around to see if I should mow the lawn again already or not. I heard the screen door bang shut behind me. I felt her hand on my shoulder as she stepped up beside me."I love it here. The salty sea air, the big sky, everything seems so much simpler." She said softly. I instinctively wrapped my arm around her waist, her skin was warm and damp."Why?" I asked softly."Why what, Pete?" She asked with surprising sincerity. "Why haven't we had sex since Monday? Is that what you want to know? Are you asking me if you were a one afternoon-stand? What Pete? Ask me." She urged.Her words inflamed me and my frustration flared. "Yes!" I turned to face her, her arm sliding down from my shoulder. "Was I just a one shot deal? Screw me, then have me cook and clean for you?" I immediately sensed I'd gone too far and full well expected a slap. I'd deserve it if she did. I opened my eyes wide.She stood there looking at me, her eyes smoldering. She coolly pointed out. "Which one of us is the one standing here naked?" I stood there a moment longer, every muscle in my body taut like a drawn bow. I snapped and took hold of her and kissing her hard as our lips parted, tongues lashing out at each other like sparring fencers. Her arms wrapped around my waist pulling us together."Damn, I thought I you'd never come around." She said between kisses. I leaned back and gave her a queer look."What?" I asked, completely confused. She grinned ear to ear."Lesson number 2, confidence is sexy. Hell it took me walking around naked to get your damned attention. What the hell is wrong with you?" She bopped me on the forehead. I shrugged, feeling completely confused. I had no idea what she was talking about."This exercise, which you nearly failed miserably I might add, was to see if you would take the lead. I personally tend to be a bit passive. Therefore, as the guy, you need to learn to take the lead, just like dancing." She held my hand up and snugged her hand around my back and gave a little sway."The other night when you fell asleep on the couch I laid awake waiting for you for nearly an hour. I finally took matters into my own hands, maybe I should have made more noise.""I knew girls were crazy. I honestly was hoping to get more insight from you, not more confused." I said smiling. "You were waiting for me?""You haven't seen crazy yet, give me a week." She winked.I groaned, then kissed her again, holding her against me, my hands stroking down her back to her ass massaging it as I pulled her to me. Holding her was like holding a flame, seductive, hypnotizing and hot, and I didn't care if I got burned."Tell me you've had the good sense to pick up some protection." Summer mumbled between kisses. Without breaking our kiss I reached back for my wallet and held it up."Please tell me you bought more than one." She growled. I felt her hands come between us resting on the waist of my jeans unbuttoning them and grabbing for the zipper. She pushed my jeans and boxers down far enough for me to escape captivity. She let out an appreciative hum as she ran her hand up and down my hardened length. She broke our kiss long enough to grab the hem of my polo shirt and drag it up pulling it over my head. She leaned down and took one of my nipples into her mouth. I gasped out loud at how the sensation shot through me. It felt as if my cock was getting even harder and I didn't think that was possible."Holy shit! Does it feel this way when I do this to you?" I gasped.She hummed an agreement as she switched to the other side, then stepped back and looked at me smiling.I stood dumb-founded for a moment. I quickly realized she was waiting for me to do something. She placed her hands on her hips and gave them a slight tilt. "I'm all yours, all you need do is tell me how you'd like me, or better yet, show me." She winked. I kicked off my shoes and pushed my pants the rest of the way off and looked at her for a moment. The sun kissed her body so exquisitely, her pink nipples hard and pointing straight at me. Her hair was blowing in the breeze surrounding angelic face like a golden halo. I stepped forward, wrapped her up in my arms again and kissed her deeply. I ran my hand up between us taking her breast in my hand cupping it twirling the nipple in my fingers. I work my mouth down her jaw, kissing her neck and I feel her shudder and gasp. I moved down the center of her chest trailing kisses to the other nipple and teased it with my tongue before taking into my mouth suckling it gently. A moan escaped her lips. Her hand was pulling me towards her, fingers running through my hair. I wanted her so badly but I didn't want this to end. I pulled away looking up at her face, her mouth hung open her eyes half closed."Your ankle has to be killing you right now." I said, noting she'd been standing for a while now. I walked over and brought one of the Adirondack chairs over and set it behind her and she smiled. I laid my clothes on it to keep her from burning her ass on the sun heated wood. She just looked at me without sitting. "Sit down." I told her, and she tilted her head in assent and sat. I knelt down in front of her and kissed her nipple again and began trailing kisses down her stomach. She took the cue and leaned back on the chair. I flicked her little belly button ring aside and licked her belly button. She let out a whoop and jumped, chuckling."Ticklish?" I chuckled. She grasped a handful of my hair and gave me a little push further down, but I was going at my own pace and I made my way down nuzzling her little blond stripe. I kissed my way around her pouting lips, my tongue darting out giving little licks. She tasted sweet, the scent of her was driving me mad, I couldn't take it any longer and slipped my tongue into her as I massaged her clit.She arched her back and moaned. "Yes!" I lapped up to her clit taking it in my lips and giving it due attention. Her cries got louder and I stepped up the assault on her. Her leg came up over my shoulder and she pulled me hard into her with her heel. I let up a bit, I didn't want this to end too soon, it seemed that I wasn't the only one enjoying it. I slipped my middle finger into her, and felt her grip it tightly. Her hips started rocking forward. I was pretty sure I could finish her off quickly if I had a mind to, but I didn't. I continued bathing her clit, varying the pressure on it. She let out a few short gasps. "Please?!" She begged. I knew then I had to finish her and slipped another finger in to join the first and intensified my tongue lashing. Her hips lifted off the chair as she climaxed. She held on to me, still moaning, finally collapsing back into the chair panting."You sir, are a natural." She gasped. I returned her smile and licked my fingers."Am I mistaken, or is there a very hard cock in my immediate future?" I grinned even wider and nodded. "How would you like me?""Over hard." I said smiling. Her eyes lit up like a fire had been kindled."Well then, dig that little party hat out and show me how easy it is to put on."I chuckled and dove for my wallet lying on the grass a few feet away. I dug out the foil wrapper and crawled back. I tore open the packet holding the ring carefully and reaching down, putting in place and unrolled it carefully."Very good." She said her eyes flashing. She stood up and knelt down on the grass facing the chair. "Over like this? I'm sure you'll supply the 'hard' part." She added with a wink."Yes." I said, my breath shallow. I had to have her and scooted up behind her and lined up pushing the head in. I took her hips and pushed forward in a single motion burying myself in her.We both gasped loudly. In moments she started moving her hips back and forth and I pulled out and began taking slow strokes at first, but I knew I wasn't going to last. She leaned back pushing hard against me and I responded in kind driving forward, the sound of our bodies coming together pushed me into a frenzy. Her gasps were coming in short cries of, "Yes!" She began shaking in my hands, her moans coming from deep in her throat as she arched back into me and climaxed again pushing me over the edge. I drove her forward nearly knocking her and the chair over as I stiffened arching my back. I froze in place for what seemed an eternity, and not long enough both at the same time as I came deep in her.She leaned back against my chest, the heat of her skin against me was incredible, she reached behind us grasping my ass pulling our hips tight together. "I love how you feel inside me." She whispered. I leaned down and began kissing her shoulder, working my way up to her neck and nibbled on her ear."I love how you feel too." I said, my voice a little weak.She breathed a deep contented sigh. "What now?" A small smirk spread across her lips."I don't know about you but I worked up an appetite." I said. "Those shrimp sound good about now.""All this and you cook too. You're not going to be single long." She chuckled and reached up behind her and stroked my cheek. "I think we may need to move for that though." She said lightly, reminding me that I still had her pinned against the chair. I leaned back, pulling free of her. I stood stepping back, I gathered up my clothing. Summer put her good foot down and stood, steadying herself on the arms of the chair. "Let's go clean up and have lunch." She smiled slipping an arm around my waist and we went into the house.I started a pan for the shrimp, a little olive oil, some garlic and some red pepper flakes tossed on top of fresh spinach. My killer homemade vinaigrette to top and she would be mine. Well she already seemed to be. I stopped and stared out the little window above the sink out over the water. That thought caught me by surprise. What exactly was going on here? An hour ago I was pissed off for being shunned, now I was making her lunch with a silly, satisfied grin on my face.Summer hobbled into the kitchen wearing a pale blue tank top and panties with little pink hearts on them."Don't you own pants?" I asked smiling."Sure, would you rather I be fully dressed, or comfortable?" She asked."Oh I don't mind your outfit, as long as you don't mind your lunch burnt to a crisp." I laughed."What are you making?" She replied chuckling."I'm going to woo you with my culinary skills. My own special shrimp and spinach salad with homemade vinaigrette." I said."Wow, sounds awesome. You're a man of many talents. I think you're a little late in the wooing department though." She said smiling.My chest tightened at that. Nobody ever thought of me as a man before. Everybody has always treated me as a kid until now. The shock of it must have been evident in my expression."What?" She asked, her eyes widening. I didn't answer her, I just leaned forward and kissed her softly, she responded in turn."Nothing." I said, my grin returning."Need a hand?" I handed her two lemons with directions to squeeze the hell out of them then juice them for me into a bowl. I diced up the shallot, and garlic tossing them into the big bowl, salt and pepper followed. In went a huge dollop of spicy mustard, I looked at how much juice Summer had squeezed out of the lemons and eyeballed it pouring it into the bowl, straining out the seeds. I dug a whisk out of the drawer and started whisking in olive oil."Most vinaigrette recipes ask for vinegar, obviously. I like mine with lemon juice, especially with seafood." I said. I stopped whisking dribbling a little onto my finger to try it. "That's the ticket." I said offering a taste to Summer who agreed with a little sound. I set the big bowl aside and had her start splitting the cherry tomatoes. The shrimp were rinsed and patted dry on a towel, and I threw some garlic into the pan starting it with some of the olive oil. I salted and peppered the shrimp and in they went tossing them around to coat them all with the hot oil. They were ready in a couple minutes and the kitchen smelled terrific. I stacked the plates with spinach and started building the salads with the tomatoes, red onions, shrimp and as a topper sliced almonds."If this tastes like it looks, you're staying on as cook after this heals." She said lifting her foot behind her."Prepare to have your mind blown." I said handing her a plate and a fork. I had brought a small baguette with me which I'd sliced up and we ate."A girl could get used to this." She smiled popping a shrimp into her mouth. Cooking for a girl is a sure way into her panties."I laughed. "Even if she wasn't wearing any?""Well she's wearing some now." Her eyes flashed."But for how long?" I said playing along."You have your driver's license don't you?" She asked, changing the subject."Yea, I just don't have a car of my own yet." I said, wondering why she asked."Do you know of anybody that would loan you one, like your folks?""Yea I'm sure I can get one. Why, do you want to do it in the backseat?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her."Hell yea, but I'd also like to get a ride to go get my Jeep. It's been down at the clinic for a week now. They told me it would be safe but I'm getting a little stir crazy stuck here in the house." She replied.I looked out the window. "I can ride down and bring it back, it's only about four or five miles." I said."Ride?" She asked."I have a bike, I can put it in the back and haul it back if you don't mind.""Not at all." She smiled.I did the dishes and cleaned up after lunch, and Summer kicked back on the sofa folding a load of laundry I'd done earlier. I took a look at the grass, yea the lawn could wait a couple more days. "What else needs to be done?" I asked from the kitchen. I got no answer. I walked into the living room and she was bobbing her head as I walked around the edge of the couch I noticed she'd put in earbuds and was listening to her mp3 player. She was lip syncing some unknown song. She looked up at me and grinned, pulling one of the buds loose."I couldn't live without my music." She threw a towel at me to fold."Listening to anything good?" She mentioned a band I'd never heard of, and moved the folded stuff from beside her and patted the seat beside her. I sat and she handed me the ear bud."Check it out, you might like it." I put it in my ear and listened for a song or two, folding another towel. A hard rock song started and she turned it up a bit and started singing along. She got to the chorus and really joined in full blast. The lyrics were pretty explicit. I was thinking you wouldn't hear music like that on the radio around here. There was a pause, then a soft intro began. The ballad was soft and low, and Summer stopped and closed her eyes, her lips barely moving with the lyrics. When I noticed I stopped and listened intently to the lyrics, it was about intense, heart-felt, you are my world, kind of love. The kind of love that lasts longer than a lifetime. When it ended she reached down and stopped the playback. She looked straight out the window for a moment and turned to me, a shy sweet smile on her lips."Do you believe in love Pete?" She asked me. I stared at her in wide-eyed amazement for a minute, and began slowly nodding."I do now." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but something in her eyes made me hesitate. There was sadness there, and they welled up as if she were doing her best to hold back tears. A wash of emotion swept over me like a storm driven wave, and I leaned forward lifted her chin and kissed her softly. Our lips brushed, our tongues sought out one another, delicately probing. Something wet touched my cheek making me break the kiss long before I wanted to. I pulled back and a tear streamed down Summer's cheek. I reached for one of the towels and daubed it. I took a deep breath and was about to ask why she was crying when a curt little head shake waved off the question."Please don't ask, not yet anyway." She said, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry." She said wiping the remaining tear with the heel of her hand."You don't have anything to be sorry about." I replied softly.She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. She turned to me with a smile on her mouth but sadness in her eyes."I saw there's a free concert in the park tonight. Want to go? A rock blues cover band is playing. Sounds like they might be good."I knew they were good, my friends brother was in the band, and I'd heard them before. I smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun, and they are good, I've heard them before.""I should ride down and get the Jeep. There's no way you're walking that far." I said sternly."Yes dear." Summer rolled her eyes at me. She giggled, and got up hobbling off to the bedroom and came back with a set of keys handing them to me."It's black, and I'm guessing the only one with West Virginia plates. It's at the walk-in clinic on Route 12."I nodded. "I know exactly where you mean. I'll go get it. You relax, take a nap if you want. I should be back in an hour or so." I smiled. I kissed her again, the underlying want in our embrace was nearly too much. She placed her hand on my chest, with the barest hint of pressure. She was right, if I kept it up we weren't going anywhere. I reluctantly stepped back, picked up the folded towels and put them away. I walked back out and she had laid down on the couch with her foot up on a pillow. I smiled that she'd taken my suggestion."Can I get you anything before I go?" I said softly leaning over the arm of the couch. She just smiled and gave her head a little shake. She reached up pulling me down closer for a quick upside-down kiss. I headed for the kitchen door, pausing as I closed it quietly, looking back into the house. I turned and started walking home.I walked, lost in thought. This week had been a week of firsts for me. I grinned at the thought of the first day when I lost my virginity to an amazing woman. The aggravation of the following days of not knowing exactly what was happening. If I had just opened my eyes I would have noticed she was waiting for me. Then today when she all but pushed me into making love to her again. I wondered why, well why me anyway. I knew so little about her. What was going on here. We'd known each other about a week, what was that question about believing in love. I could easily fall in love with her, I had to admit. Was I doing just that? So many questions came to mind as I walked up my driveway, I grabbed my bike out of the garage and hopped on. I made my way down to the coast road and started pedaling in earnest up the first rise. The traffic drifted past me as I sought answers to my questions. I pedaled harder nearly coasting up the next rise. Why was I over analyzing this? I was living out a fantasy any red-blooded male would die for. A beautiful, sexy woman wanted to have sex with me, repeatedly. Isn't that enough for me? I laughed out loud at that thought because I realized, it isn't.I rolled down the long slope of the hill seeing the clinic up ahead. I pulled into the parking lot and rode around looking for the Jeep and found it near the side of the building. I checked the plate and got off my bike, took out the keys and opened up the driver's side door. The heat billowed out of it from being parked in the sun so long. The smell of a roasted sweet smelling air freshener poured out and nearly gagged me. I walked to the back and looked at how I was going to get my bike in there and noticed there was a folding bike rack on the spare tire mount. I figured it out in a few minutes an

Evan and Amanda discuss the (brief) history behind Van Morrison's "Moondance." Listen now to discover how his second solo album created what we now know as "soft rock." Find us on Instagram and Threads @worstpodonmarsFind us on Facebook @ The Worst Podcast on MarsSend us an email: worstpodonmars@gmail.com

It's a marvelous night for a podcast, and this week we're heading Into The Mystic with Van Morrison's 1970 record Moondance! After an accidental first record, a hit single in Brown Eyed Girl, and a commercial flop in Astral Weeks, Moondance was Morrison's last-ditch comeback effort to avoid starvation. It ended up becoming a classic soft rock album and a hit with hippies, featuring classic-caliber songs like Crazy Love and a full horn section! We'll explore little Ivan's Irish upbringing, learn about Them, and figure out why he uses so many syllables. The Mixtaper is on a mission to bully* Van Moron... remember to always read your contracts and pay your parking meters.Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro3:22 About Van Morrison10:05 About Moondance14:18 Awards & Accolades15:17 Fact Or Spin16:44 He Abandoned A Concert Mid-Show For A Parking Meter21:12 His Biggest Fan Is A Border Collie24:23 His Manager Nicknamed Him Van Moron28:00 Van Morrison Has Some Strange Songwriting Habits33:01 Album Art38:18 And It Stoned Me41:25 Moondance43:40 Crazy Love46:00 Caravan48:13 Into The Mystic51:28 Come Running52:53 These Dreams Of You54:31 Brand New Day55:53 Everyone58:13 Reading The Fine Print*1:00:59 Glad Tidings1:02:36 Final Spin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

durée : 00:59:25 - Moondance - par : Nathalie Piolé -

This is an Encore Presentation of my July 2024 ROCK PHOTOGRAPHER SUMMIT. It features five of the greatest rock n' roll photographers of the era and the subjects they are known for: Ebet Roberts - Downtown NYC punk and New Wave scene. Television, Talking Heads, Blondie, Miles Davis.Bob Gruen - John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, NY Dolls, The Clash, The Ramones.Jay Blakesberg - The Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, U2, Santana.Elliott Landy - Album covers: Bob Dylan's “Nashville Skyline”, The Band's “Music From Big Pink”, Van Morrison's “Moondance”. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton.Gered Mankowitz - Album Covers by The Rolling Stones: “Out Of Our Heads”, “Between The Buttons”, “Got Live If You Want It”. Elton John, Traffic, Yardbirds.                                      ---------------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!For more information and other episodes of the podcast click here. To subscribe to the podcast click here.To subscribe to our weekly Follow Your Dream Podcast email click here.To Rate and Review the podcast click here.“Dream With Robert”. Click here.—----------------------------------------Ebet Robertswww.ebetroberts.comBob Gruenwww.bobgruen.comElliott Landywww.elliottlandy.comJay Blakesbergwww.rockoutbooks.comGered Mankowitzwww.mankowitz.com—---------------------------------------ROBERT'S RECENT SINGLES:“MOON SHOT” is Robert's latest single, reflecting his Jazz Rock Fusion roots. The track features Special Guest Mark Lettieri, 5x Grammy winning guitarist who plays with Snarky Puppy and The Fearless Flyers. The track has been called “Firey, Passionate and Smokin!”CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL VIDEOCLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS____________________“ROUGH RIDER” has got a Cool, ‘60s, “Spaghetti Western”, Guitar-driven, Tremolo sounding, Ventures/Link Wray kind of vibe!CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL VIDEOCLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS—--------------------------------“LOVELY GIRLIE” is a fun, Old School, rock/pop tune with 3-part harmony. It's been called “Supremely excellent!”, “Another Homerun for Robert!”, and “Love that Lovely Girlie!”Click HERE for All Links—----------------------------------“THE RICH ONES ALL STARS” is Robert's single featuring the following 8 World Class musicians: Billy Cobham (Drums), Randy Brecker (Flugelhorn), John Helliwell (Sax), Pat Coil (Piano), Peter Tiehuis (Guitar), Antonio Farao (Keys), Elliott Randall (Guitar) and David Amram (Pennywhistle).Click HERE for the Official VideoClick HERE for All Links—----------------------------------------“SOSTICE” is Robert's single with a rockin' Old School vibe. Called “Stunning!”, “A Gem!”, “Magnificent!” and “5 Stars!”.Click HERE for all links.—---------------------------------“THE GIFT” is Robert's ballad arranged by Grammy winning arranger Michael Abene and turned into a horn-driven Samba. Praised by David Amram, John Helliwell, Joe La Barbera, Tony Carey, Fay Claassen, Antonio Farao, Danny Gottlieb and Leslie Mandoki.Click HERE for all links.—-------------------------------------“LOU'S BLUES”. Robert's Jazz Fusion “Tone Poem”. Called “Fantastic! Great playing and production!” (Mark Egan - Pat Metheny Group/Elements) and “Digging it!” (Peter Erskine - Weather Report)!Click HERE for all links.—----------------------------------------Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com  

Ah, the Moon. Distant. Mysterious. Probably not made of cheese (or that's what they WANT you to believe). Its light is great for dancing . . . in.  That's what we call a “Moondance,” and what a marvelous night it is for one! Sometimes it's a “Blue Moon”, sometimes we have to beg it to … Continue reading "Episode 331 – Moon (2009)"

BMG recording artist/singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Croce's new 11-track album, "Heart of the Eternal," will be released on March 7. Produced by Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker), "Heart of the Eternal" will feature a selection of songs that journey from psychedelia to Philadelphia soul to Latin-infused jazz-pop. Croce, son of legendary singer/songwriter Jim Croce, has toured with/collaborated with such legends and luminaries as B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Leon Russell, Allen Toussaint, Neville Brothers, Bela Fleck and Ry Cooder, to name a few, all while building up an acclaimed catalog that blurs the boundaries between blues, soul, rock & roll, Americana, and much more. In conjunction with "Heart of the Eternal," Croce's upcoming yearlong "Heart of The Eternal Tour" will kick off nationwide on February 20 at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, through April 6 at the Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky (check A.J.'s website and local listings for additional performances to be announced in 2025). Tickets can be purchased for the "Heart of The Eternal Tour" at www.ajcrocemusic.com  "Heart of the Eternal" is the latest collection of Croce's songwriting and heart-on-sleeve emotion -- the follow up to his critically lauded cover album "By Request" -his first original body of work since 2017's "Just Like Medicine," which was hailed as "brilliant" by No Depression and a "fluid expression of sorrow and gratitude" by Pop Matters. Says Croce: "I've always felt that music is the heart of our humanity. It's the purest way to connect to one another. Every songwriter I've ever met has told me that they don't know where their greatest songs have come from. Maybe it's our dreams or subconscious that allow us to draw from that eternal well of creativity. I don't know the answer but I'm always looking for it. While stylistically diverse, this album is my search for the heart of the eternal." Recorded at the Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California, Croce's 11th studio album features bassist David Barard (a Grammy-winner who performed with Dr. John for nearly four decades), drummer Gary Mallaber (whose credits include Van Morrison's Moondance and Tupelo Honey), and guitarist James Pennebaker (Delbert McClinton, Jimmie Dale Gilmore). The album was completed during Croce's downtime from his ongoing "Croce Plays Croce" tour-a widely celebrated run in which he performs classic songs from his late father Jim, along with his own material and a number of specially curated covers.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

BMG recording artist/singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Croce's new 11-track album, "Heart of the Eternal," will be released on March 7. Produced by Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker), "Heart of the Eternal" will feature a selection of songs that journey from psychedelia to Philadelphia soul to Latin-infused jazz-pop. Croce, son of legendary singer/songwriter Jim Croce, has toured with/collaborated with such legends and luminaries as B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Leon Russell, Allen Toussaint, Neville Brothers, Bela Fleck and Ry Cooder, to name a few, all while building up an acclaimed catalog that blurs the boundaries between blues, soul, rock & roll, Americana, and much more. In conjunction with "Heart of the Eternal," Croce's upcoming yearlong "Heart of The Eternal Tour" will kick off nationwide on February 20 at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, through April 6 at the Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky (check A.J.'s website and local listings for additional performances to be announced in 2025). Tickets can be purchased for the "Heart of The Eternal Tour" at www.ajcrocemusic.com  "Heart of the Eternal" is the latest collection of Croce's songwriting and heart-on-sleeve emotion -- the follow up to his critically lauded cover album "By Request" -his first original body of work since 2017's "Just Like Medicine," which was hailed as "brilliant" by No Depression and a "fluid expression of sorrow and gratitude" by Pop Matters. Says Croce: "I've always felt that music is the heart of our humanity. It's the purest way to connect to one another. Every songwriter I've ever met has told me that they don't know where their greatest songs have come from. Maybe it's our dreams or subconscious that allow us to draw from that eternal well of creativity. I don't know the answer but I'm always looking for it. While stylistically diverse, this album is my search for the heart of the eternal." Recorded at the Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California, Croce's 11th studio album features bassist David Barard (a Grammy-winner who performed with Dr. John for nearly four decades), drummer Gary Mallaber (whose credits include Van Morrison's Moondance and Tupelo Honey), and guitarist James Pennebaker (Delbert McClinton, Jimmie Dale Gilmore). The album was completed during Croce's downtime from his ongoing "Croce Plays Croce" tour-a widely celebrated run in which he performs classic songs from his late father Jim, along with his own material and a number of specially curated covers.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

In today's episode, Hayes Hitchens talks with us about his journey starting and building Moondance Adventures.Moondance is a teen adventure travel program that sends over 2000 teenagers each summer on trips across five continents and over twenty countries with a commitment to foster personal growth, leadership skills, problem solving, decision making and a love for the outdoors.For some backstory, Hayes was the dean of students and director of summer programs at my school and I remember him talking about starting Moondance Adventures when I was in the 7th grade.So, this is a super meaningful reconnection and WOW - to see what he has accomplished is just so inspiring and heart-warming.Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.Let's connect!Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and BeyondWebsite: https://www.annemcginty.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcgintyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost

BraveMaker Podcast with special guest Shia Smith! Welcome our special guest, Shia Shabazz Smith, a filmmaker, screenwriter, poet, and educator whose work celebrates and authentically represents diverse communities. Shia is a powerhouse storyteller with accolades from the Moondance and Tribeca All-Access competitions and is a three-time Sundance Screenwriters' Lab Stage Two finalist. Her short films, like the poignant Dawn and the humor-filled Curdled, showcase her ability to weave powerful narratives. A Cave Canem Fellow, award-winning poet, and educator, Shia's passion for storytelling extends to empowering young minds. Tune in to hear Shia's journey, creative insights, and passion for impactful storytelling. Let's celebrate the art of authentic narratives together! Watch the weekly LIVE stream on ⁠⁠BraveMaker ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow BraveMaker on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠ #BraveMaker #Podcast #LIVE #Stream #Fundraising

Label: WB 7383 djYear: 1970Condition: M-Last Price: $18.00. Not currently available for sale.This was Van Morrison's first single for Warner Brothers featuring two classic tracks from his breakthrough Moondance LP--including, in "Crazy Love", the most transcendent beauty he ever coaxed from those incredible pipes of his. Nothing else in Morrison's catalog sounds quite like this. You Van fans already know this... but in case you're just checking the guy's catalog out, be sure to make time for this gem. Note: This beautiful copy grades close to Mint across the board (Labels, Vinyl, Audio).

"Moondance" ist das dritte Soloalbum des nordirischen Musikers Van Morrison. Die Platte wurde 1999 sogar in die Grammy Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Nachdem das Vorgängeralbum komplett gefloppt war, brauchte Van Morrison bei "Moondance" eine echte Veränderung – und die hat es gegeben. Bei "Moondance" stand Van Morrison nicht nur hinter dem Mikrofon, sondern er hat auch die gegenüberliegende Position eingenommen. Er saß auch als Produzent auf der anderen Seite der Scheibe hinter den Reglern. Für ihn war das eine echte Premiere. Ein Produzentendebüt, das sich wirklich gelohnt hat. "Moondance" hat es in mehrere Charts geschafft und auch in den Bestenlisten vom Rolling Stone oder dem Time-Magazine ist die Platte seit Jahren mit dabei. Für "Moondance" hatte Van Morrison vieles anders gemacht als bei der Vorgängerplatte "Astral Weeks". Das Album war zu verkopft und kam mit dem Mix aus Folk und Jazz nicht wirklich gut bei den Fans an. Ganz im Gegenteil zu "Moondance". Die Platte ist vollgepackt mit einem dynamischen, aber verständlichen Mix aus Soul, Jazz, Pop und Folk. Das dritte Studioalbum "Moondance" von Van Morrison ist vor unglaublichen 55 Jahren herausgekommen und es zeigt einen Musiker, der unterschiedliche Genres sehr harmonisch miteinander verbindet. Für SWR1 Musikredakteurin Katharina Heinius ist das Vermächtnis der Platte ganz klar: "Es ist dieser Schmelztiegel aus Folk, Blues, Soul und R'n'B, den Van Morrison mit diesem Album etabliert hat und der immer noch weitergetragen wird [...] und das diese Art Musik zu machen auch weiterlebt, auch in einer jüngeren Generation von Musikern." __________ Über diese Songs vom Album "Moondance" wird im Podcast gesprochen: (12:37) – "And It Stoned Me"(24:35) – "Moondance"(36:02) – "Crazy Love"(50:06) – "Caravan"(01:02:16) – "Into The Mystic" __________ Alle Shownotes und weiterführenden Links zur Folge "Moondance" findet ihr hier: https://1.ard.de/van-morrison-moondance?podcast __________ Ihr wollt mehr Podcasts wie diesen? Abonniert die SWR1 Meilensteine! Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Meldet euch gerne per WhatsApp-Sprachnachricht an die (06131) 92 93 94 95 oder schreibt uns an meilensteine@swr.de

Se cumplen 55 años del disco Moondance de Van Morrison (salía a la venta el 27 de enero de 1970), y hoy lo recordamos en La Gran Travesía. Sin duda un disco que consiguió aunar el pop, la música folk irlandesa, el soul y el jazz, todo en uno. También recordaros que ya podéis comprar La gran travesía del rock, un libro interactivo que además contará con 15 programas de radio complementarios, a modo de ficción sonora... con muchas sorpresas y voces conocidas... https://www.ivoox.com/gran-travesia-del-rock-capitulos-del-libro_bk_list_10998115_1.html Jimi y Janis, dos periodistas musicales, vienen de 2027, un mundo distópico y delirante donde el reguetón tiene (casi) todo el poder... pero ellos dos, deciden alistarse al GLP para viajar en el tiempo, salvar el rock, rescatar sus archivos ocultos y combatir la dictadura troyana del FPR. ✨ El libro ya está en diversas webs https://npqeditores.com/producto/la-gran-travesia-del-rock/ ▶️ Y ya sabéis, si os gusta el programa y os apetece, podéis apoyarnos y colaborar con nosotros por el simple precio de una cerveza al mes, desde el botón azul de iVoox, y así, además podéis acceder a todo el archivo histórico exclusivo. Muchas gracias también a todos los mecenas y patrocinadores por vuestro apoyo: Gezkurra, Tete García, Jose Angel Tremiño, Marco Landeta Vacas, Oscar García Muñoz, Raquel Parrondo, Javier Gonzar, Eva Arenas, Poncho C, Nacho, Javito, Alberto, Tei, Pilar Escudero, Utxi 73, Blas, Moy, Juan Antonio, Dani Pérez, Santi Oliva, Vicente DC,, Leticia, JBSabe, Huini Juarez, Flor, Melomanic, Noni, Arturo Soriano, Gemma Codina, Raquel Jiménez, Francisco Quintana, Pedro, SGD, Raul Andres, Tomás Pérez, Pablo Pineda, Quim Goday, Enfermerator, María Arán, Joaquín, Horns Up, Victor Bravo, Fonune, Eulogiko, Francisco González, Marcos Paris, Vlado 74, Daniel A, Redneckman, Elliott SF, Guillermo Gutierrez, Sementalex, Jesús Miguel, Miguel Angel Torres, Suibne, Javifer, Matías Ruiz Molina, Noyatan, Estefanía, Iván Menéndez, Niksisley y a los mecenas anónimos.

Schlaflos oder fasziniert vom großen runden Ball am Himmel – wir begleiten dich durch die Nacht. Philipp hat die passende Musik für dich, um zurück in den Schlaf zu finden. Diese Musikstücke hörst Du in dieser Folge: Fernando Olaya – "Stereophonik" // Ludwig van Beethoven – "Mondscheinsonate" // Aurora – "A Little Piece Called The Moon" // Emma Abbate & Julian Perkins – "Moon Pictures" // Abdreas Vollenweider – "Moon Dance" // Den Podcast "Bleib Mensch!" von NDR 1 Niedersachsen findest Du hier: https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/bleib-mensch/73822110/ Wenn Du eine Idee oder einen Wunsch zu einem musikalischen Thema hast, dann schreib mir eine Mail: playlist@ndr.de

Len and Beave examine the music of the mercurial and prolific Van Morrison, who continues to churn out records even in the 2020s. We discuss our first memories of his music, rank our favorite albums, compose our signature 45-minute playlists, and discuss his work with Them. Tune in!

Hello and welcome to The Stress Factor Drum and Bass Podcast episode 315, featuring the highly anticipated return of DJ B-12. This episode presents an extraordinary 100 Track super mix that encapsulates the essence of contemporary drum and bass, showcasing the genre's most exhilarating and cutting edge tracks. Listeners can expect a rich tapestry of sound, characterized by stunning vocals, emotive breakdowns, and a blend of darker, edgier elements that add depth to the mix. The infusion of trancey and electro influences further elevates the listening experience, making this episode a must listen for enthusiasts of high energy music. We invite you to immerse yourself in this remarkable auditory journey and share the excitement with fellow music lovers. This episode includes tunes and remixes from the following artists and labels DC Breaks, Viper Recordings, Metrik, Insomniac Music Group, Houndeye, Delta Heavy, Grafix, Hospital Records, Lexurus, Polygon, Liquicity, ShockOne, Dark Machine Recs, SiLi, Lauren Laimant, Dualistic, Koven, A.M.C, UKF, Aktive, Maduk, Crooked Bangs, Fred V, 1991, Alex Hosking, Chaos, Madface, Dawn Wall, Anni, Bungle, Scientific, Itro, Slippy, Josh Rubin, NCS, Sola, Pyxis, Dirtbox Recordings, Zero T, The North Quarter, Hazey, Ponz, Hiraeth, Prospex, Audio Overload Jungle Records, Fourward, Elevate Record, High Contrast, Highly Contrasting, Seba, Phil Tangent, Secret Operations, Wyld Dogz, Sharlene Hector, Nero, Create Music Group, Andy C, Becky Hill, Polydor Records, Andromedik, Nu-La, Malaky, Galacy Records, DJ Phantasy, Nicky Blackmarket, Lords Of Rave, Sweet Female Attitude, Lords of Moondance, L-Side, NUFORM, Low Steppa, Kelli-Leigh, Shapes, Armada Music, Polaris, Innerground Records, Bastion, Fade Black, Leo Law, Pilot., Skepsis, Brodie, FFRR, Critical Music, Jon Void, Kastuvas, Gas Pedal, Leony, Sigma, Kontor Records, Voicians, Krakota, Lee Mvtthews, Sleepless Music Ltd., Minos, Fokuz Recordings, Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Technique Recordings, Neuron, Celsius Recordings, 3Beat, Sub Focus, Pola & Bryson, EMI, McLean, Camo & Krooked, Asylum Records, Disciples, Delilah, MONSS, Ministry of Sound Recordings, Georgie Riot, Spaven, Riot Record, Hiraeth, Grum, Natalie Shay, Grafix, Anjunabeats, Eviya, Sonny Fodera, blythe, SOLOTOKO, Dogzone Records, Outerbass, Fokuz Recordings, ZeroZero, Riya, Flexout Audio, Virtue, xJAK Audio, Brookes Brothers, Mia Kirkland, The Prototypes, Lowes, Danny Byrd, S.P.Y., CmdCtrl, DnB Allstars, Jazmine Johnson, James Hiraeth, Insanity Records, Iklektix, Beta Recordings, Cauzer, Matrix, Futurebound, Blaine Stranger, Tom Cane, Rex Hooligan, Chrissie Huntley, Camelphat, Sony Music Entertainment UK, Artificial Intelligence, Artino, Flux Pavilion, Matthew Koma, Circus, Oliver Tree, Atlantic Records, Arielle Free, GHSTGHSTGHST, Flava D, Telomic, Dimension, Alison Wonderland, SOLR, GEST, Shogun Audio, Moore Kismet, Rameses B, Monstercat, Rhode, Chicane, Bryan Adams, Monika, Spearhead Records, AR CO, ARTY, Etherwood, Jay Sorrow, Aluna, Picard Brothers, Kaleena Zanders, DRIIA, Mad Decent, SACHI, Kanine, Casablanca Records, Republic Records. Tracklist 01. DC Breaks - Exoplanet [Viper Recordings] 02. Metrik - Immortal [Insomniac Music Group] 03. Houndeye - Falling Awake [Viper Recordings] 04. Delta Heavy - Midnight Forever [Delta Heavy] 05. Grafix - Skyline (ft. Metrik) [Hospital Records] 06. Lexurus and Polygon - Waveline [Liquicity] 07. Polygon - Feel This Good [Liquicity] 08. ShockOne - Follow Me [Dark Machine Recs] 09. SiLi - TRONCE [Liquicity] 10. Delta Heavy - Sanctuary (ft. Lauren Laimant) [Delta Heavy] 11. Dualistic - Cluster Patrol [Liquicity] 12. Koven and A.M.C - Hooked [UKF] 13. Aktive - Loko [UKF] 14. Maduk and Lexurus - Follow My Heart (ft. Crooked Bangs) [UKF] 15. Fred V - Luminous [Hospital Records] 16. 1991 - Jungle (ft. Alex Hosking) [Chaos] 17. Madface - Paralyzed [Viper Recordings] 18. Dawn Wall - Sinner (ft. Anni)[UKF] 19. Bungle - Arise [Scientific] 20. Itro - Promises [Liquicity] 21. Slippy and Josh Rubin - Crash (Extended) [NCS] 22. Sola and Pyxis - Time Lost [Dirtbox Recordings] 23. Zero T - Don't Know [The North Quarter] 24. Hazey and Ponz - Go Under [Liquicity] 25. Hiraeth - Deep Blue [Liquicity] 26. Prospex - Without You [Audio Overload Jungle Records] 27. Fourward - Show Me Love [Elevate Records] 28. High Contrast - Remember Me [Highly Contrasting] 29. Seba - Eztli (Phil Tangent remix) [Secret Operations] 30. Wyld Dogz - Lola's Theme (feat. Sharlene Hector) (Extended Mix) [Dogzone Records] 31. Nero - The Unknown [Create Music Group] 32. Andy C x Becky Hill - Indestructible (Extended Mix) [Polydor Records] 33. Andromedik and Lexurus - Adrenaline (feat. Nu-La) [Liquicity] 34. Malaky and pyxis - Nimbus [Galacy Records] 35. Delta Heavy - No Gravity [Delta Heavy] 36. DJ Phantasy x Nicky Blackmarket x Lords Of Rave - Say Yes (feat. Sweet Female Attitude)[Lords of Moondance] 37. L-Side - Regret [NUFORM] 38. Low Steppa - Runnin' feat. Kelli-Leigh (Shapes Extended Remix) [Armada Music] 39. Polaris - One More Time [Innerground Records] 40. Bastion and Fade Black - Blood and Gold (ft. Leo Law) [Pilot.] 41. Skepsis and Brodie - Double Vision (Extended) [FFRR] 42. Fade Black - Elysium [Critical Music] 43. Jon Void - LFG [Liquicity] 44. Kastuvas - Tell Me Why [Gas Pedal] 45. Leony - Remedy (Sigma Extended Remix) [Kontor Records] 46. Voicians - Lost At Sea [Liquicity Records] 47. Krakota and Lee Mvtthews - Feel Good [Sleepless Music Ltd.] 48. Minos - Mystic Vibez [Fokuz Recordings] 49. 1991 Ft. Mugatu - Cyclone [Chaos] 50. Drumsound and Bassline Smith - One More Time [Technique Recordings] 51. Neuron - Always Together [Celsius Recordings] 52. Sigma - That Feeling [3Beat] 53. Sub Focus and Pola and Bryson - Waiting VIP (ft. Kelli Leigh) [EMI] 54. McLean - Finally In Love (Camo and Krooked Remix) [Asylum Records] 55. Lexurus - Take Me Away [Liquicity] 56. Disciples x Delilah - If I Stay (MONSS Remix) [Ministry of Sound Recordings] 57. Georgie Riot and Spaven - Out Of My Mind [Riot Records] 58. Hiraeth - Origins (SiLi Remix) [Liquicity] 59. Grum ft. Natalie Shay - Don't Look Down (Grafix Remix) [Anjunabeats] 60. Lexurus and Itro - Letting Go (feat. Eviya) [Liquicity] 61. Sonny Fodera - Mind Still (feat. blythe) (1991 Remix) [SOLOTOKO] 62. Wyld Dogz - Spaceman [Dogzone Records] 63. Outerbass - Radical [Fokuz Recordings] 64. ZeroZero and Riya - Thinking Over It [Flexout Audio] 65. Virtue - Second Guessing [xJAK Audio] 66. Brookes Brothers, Mia Kirkland - Enemies [UKF] 67. The Prototypes - Reason (feat. Lowes) (Danny Byrd Extended Remix) [The Prototypes] 68. Danny Byrd, S.P.Y. and Cmd Ctrl - Pink Champagne [DnB Allstars] 69. Delta Heavy - Chasing Gold (ft. Jazmine Johnson) [Delta Heavy] 70. James Hiraeth - Chasing Highs (Slow Motion) (Extended) [Insanity Records] 71. Iklektix - How I Like It [Beta Recordings] 72. Fade Black - Condemned (Cauzer Remix) [Critical Music] 73. Matrix and Futurebound and Blaine Stranger - New Energy (ft. Tom Cane) [Viper Recordings] 74. Rex Hooligan - Save Me (feat. Chrissie Huntley) [Liquicity] 75. Camelphat - Easier ft. LOWES (Sub Focus Remix) [Sony Music Entertainment UK] 76. Voicians - Keep Me Under [Liquicity] 77. Artificial Intelligence - Even Though [Liquicity] 78. Neuron - No More [Celsius Recordings] 79. Artino - What I Want [Liquicity] 80. Flux Pavilion x Matthew Koma - Emotional (James Hiraeth Remix) [Circus] 81. Outer Bass - Stardrop [Fokuz Recordings] 82. Oliver Tree - Miss You (Georgie Riot Remix) [Atlantic Records] 83. Arielle Free and GHSTGHSTGHST - Blow My Mind (Flava D Extended Remix) [Armada Music] 84. Voicians and Telomic - Eternalize [Liquicity] 85. Dimension and Alison Wonderland - Satellite [Dimension] 86. Neuron - Searching [Celsius Recordings] 87. Fade Black - Far Gone [Critical Music] 88. SOLR - Your Love [Celsius Recordings] 89. Delta Heavy - High On You [Delta Heavy] 90. GEST - Brutalis [Shogun Audio] 91. Moore Kismet - Overthinking Out Loud [UKF] 92. Rameses B - Children [Monstercat] 93. Voicians and Rhode - Never Go Back [Liquicity] 94. Fade Black - Sane feat. Leo Law [Critical Music] 95. Chicane - Don't Give Up feat. Bryan Adams (Grafix Extended Remix) [Armada Music] 96. Monika - Death Blinding [Spearhead Records] 97. Sub Focus - Vibration (One More Time) (Visualiser) ft. AR/CO [EMI] 98. ARTY and Etherwood - In My Head feat. Jay Sorrow (Extended Mix) [Armada Music] 99. Aluna, Picard Brothers and Kaleena Zanders - Supernova (DRIIA Remix) [Mad Decent] 100.SACHI - Take Me Back (Kanine Remix) [Casablanca Records (Republic Records)]

We're often reminded of the splendors of the night sky—lunar eclipses, blood moons, meteors, stars—but what of the nighttime splendors of the earth? In her Autumn 2024 cover story for The American Scholar, nature writer Leigh Ann Henion keeps her eyes closer to the ground, on the night-blooming tobacco at a North Carolina farm. As these white flowers slowly unfurl, their blossoms attract nocturnal hawk moths so large that they are often mistaken for hummingbirds. But jasmine tobacco isn't the only attraction of the dark: in her new book, Night Magic, Henion witnesses the electric squirming of glowworms, the dance of fireflies, and the phosphorescence of foxfire. Henion, who begins her exploration just outside her front door in Boone, North Carolina, soon devotes her evenings to Appalachian adventures further afield—bats in Alabama, a moth festival in Ohio, lightning bugs in Tennessee—but returns to the wonders lurking in her back yard.Go beyond the episode: Read Leigh Ann Henion's cover story for us, “Moondance,” adapted from her new book, Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the DarkExplore Foxfire Books, a series of anthologies about Appalachian culture (and cookery!)DarkSky International works to protect the night around the worldKeep an eye out for these annual nighttime events: Mothapalooza, Grandfather Glows, Glowworms in the DismalitesTune in every (other) week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Subscribe: iTunes/Apple • Amazon • Google • Acast • Pandora • RSS FeedHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jam Notes: One of our best performances. Lisa Timberlake guested for a rendition of Feelin' Good. Justin did a number on the set list and made it feel and flow completely different. There were quite a few people in from the surrounding area for the first two sets but then it tapered out by the last set and we went home. This set/jam is sourced from the room microphone Ben setup and is not based off of house sound.

Jam Notes: One of our best performances. Lisa Timberlake guested for a rendition of Feelin' Good. Justin did a number on the set list and made it feel and flow completely different. There were quite a few people in from the surrounding area for the first two sets but then it tapered out by the last set and we went home. Also we wanna thank Rainbow for running house sound on this one; it sounds very very nice and everyone is quite crisp and solid.

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This is a Special Episode of the podcast that I call a Rock Photographers Summit. It features five of the best rock n' roll photographers of the era: Ebet Roberts - Downtown NYC punk and New Wave scene. Television, Talking Heads, Blondie, Miles Davis.Bob Gruen - John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, NY Dolls, The Clash, The Ramones.Jay Blakesberg - The Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, U2, Santana.Elliott Landy - Album covers: Bob Dylan's “Nashville Skyline”, The Band's “Music From Big Pink”, Van Morrison's “Moondance”. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton.Gered Mankowitz - Album Covers by The Rolling Stones: “Out Of Our Heads”, “Between The Buttons”, “Got Live If You Want It”. Elton John, Traffic, Yardbirds.                                      ---------------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!For more information and other episodes of the podcast click here. To subscribe to the podcast click here.To subscribe to our weekly Follow Your Dream Podcast email click here.To Rate and Review the podcast click here.“Dream With Robert”. Click here.—----------------------------------------“LOU'S BLUES” is Robert's new single. Called “Fantastic! Great playing and production!” (Mark Egan - Pat Metheny Group/Elements) and “Digging it!” (Peter Erskine - Weather Report)!Click HERE for all links.—----------------------------------------“THE RICH ONES”. Robert's recent single. With guest artist Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears) on flugelhorn. Click HERE for all links.—---------------------------------------“MILES BEHIND”, Robert's debut album, recorded in 1994, was “lost” for the last 30 years. It's now been released for streaming. Featuring Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears), Anton Fig (The David Letterman Show), Al Foster (Miles Davis), Tim Ries (The Rolling Stones), Jon Lucien and many more. Called “Hip, Tight and Edgy!” Click here for all links.—--------------------------------------“IT'S ALIVE!” is Robert's latest Project Grand Slam album. Featuring 13 of the band's Greatest Hits performed “live” at festivals in Pennsylvania and Serbia.Reviews:"An instant classic!" (Melody Maker)"Amazing record...Another win for the one and only Robert Miller!" (Hollywood Digest)"Close to perfect!" (Pop Icon)"A Masterpiece!" (Big Celebrity Buzz)"Sterling effort!" (Indie Pulse)"Another fusion wonder for Project Grand Slam!" (MobYorkCity)Click here for all links.Click here for song videos—-----------------------------------------Intro/Outro Voiceovers courtesy of:Jodi Krangle - Professional Voiceover Artisthttps://voiceoversandvocals.com Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Ebet Robertswww.ebetroberts.comBob Gruenwww.bobgruen.comElliott Landywww.elliottlandy.comJay Blakesbergwww.rockoutbooks.comGered Mankowitzwww.mankowitz.com Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com

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Chad opens the hour with retired Hennepin County judge Kevin Burke two segments on the Supreme Court's immunity decision yesterday. Later, we put a bow on the subject with a conversation about the idea of expanding the Supreme Court before we talk about the drama with Moondance Jam canceling all of their national acts.

Moondance Jam in Walker, MN has pulled the plug on all of the national acts that were scheduled to appear later this month. How can ticketholders NOT get a refund?

The Jay Thomas Show from Tuesday July 2nd, 2024.  Guests include Lt. Luke Sweery of the Becker County Sheriff's Dept. and your calls and emails.

Twins talk, Kenny met some of our local candidates, is Biden a nowhere man, Tom from Port Wing, beaver brown, Brad had a fireworks incident with a beautiful outcome, no Foghat at Moondance, J-Serv, the stranded astronauts, some Wild draft talk, and more...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Disponible mi primer libro "Crónicas Vampíricas de Vera", en amazon, con ilustraciones de Coquín Artero, y una edición en formato bolsilibro gracias a mi editora Erebyel. Muy pronto disponible también en formato kindle. Gracias a todos los oyentes que han adquirido el libro. Si quieres un ejemplar puedes hacerlo desde la página de Amazon, y si tienes problemas para adquirirlo en tu país no dudes en ponerte en contacto conmigo a través de mi correo historiasparaserleidas@gmail.com https://amzn.eu/d/8htGfFt Olga Paraíso "Omi despertó, recordando al instante en que había sido capturada, e instantáneamente atrajo sus tentáculos. Cuando estuvo segura de que nada la tenía agarrada, hizo un inventario. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete tentáculos. Todos intactos. Y entonces Omi se acomodó un poco, mirando alrededor". Hay algo vivo aquí. Luke Skywalker NNEDI OKORAFOR nació en Estados Unidos de padres inmigrantes nigerianos igbo. Tiene un doctorado en inglés y es profesora de escritura creativa en la Universidad Estatal de Chicago. Ha sido la ganadora de muchos premios por sus cuentos cortos y libros para adultos jóvenes. Ganó el World Fantasy Award por su obra Who Fears Death. Los libros de Okorafor están inspirados en su origen y sus muchos viajes a África. Vive en Chicago con su hija Anyaugo y su familia. Las historias cortas de Okorafor se han publicado en antologías y revistas, incluyendo Dark Matter: Reading The Bones, Enkare Review, Strange Horizons, la revista Moondance y en el volumen XVIII de Writers of the Future. Prime Books publicó en 2013 una colección de sus historias llamada Kabu Kabu. Incluye el relato homónimo, coescrita con Alan Dean Foster, y otras seis historias cortas inéditas, así como catorce relatos que se habían publicado en otros espacios desde 2001, así como un prólogo de Whoopi Goldberg.10​ En 2009, Okorafor donó su archivo a la colección del departamento de libros raros y especiales de la Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) de la biblioteca de la Universidad del Norte de Illinois. Premio Wole Soyinka de Literatura en África (2008) Premio Mundial de Fantasía a la mejor novela (2011) Premio Nébula a la mejor novela corta (2015) Premio Hugo a la mejor novela corta (2016) y a la mejor historia gráfica (2020) OkayAfrica 100 Mujeres (2017 y 2018) Premio Locus al mejor libro juvenil (2018) Voz y sonido Olga Paraíso, una producción de Historias para ser Leídas. BIO Olga Paraíso: https://instabio.cc/Hleidas Nuevo canal oficial en Instagram ⭕️https://www.instagram.com/historiasparaserleidas/ ▶️Canal de YouTube Historias para ser Leídas con nuevo contenido: https://www.youtube.com/c/OlgaParaiso 📢Telegram: https://t.me/historiasparaserleidas Canal WhatsApp Historias para ser leídas: ✅ https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCmoVmLtOjEBDYgYc00 Si esta historia te ha cautivado y deseas unirte a nuestro grupo de taberneros galácticos, tienes la oportunidad de contribuir y apoyar mi trabajo desde tan solo 1,49 euros al mes. Al hacerlo, tendrás acceso exclusivo a todos las historias para nuestros mecenas y podrás disfrutar de todas las historias sin interrupciones publicitarias. ¡Agradezco enormemente tu apoyo y tu fidelidad!. 🚀 🖤Aquí te dejo la página directa para apoyarme: 🍻 https://www.ivoox.com/support/552842 🚀 Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

On this episode of the Bama Means Business podcast, we sit down with James Kelly, a recent graduate from the MBA program here at the Manderson Graduate School of Business. During the conversation, James talks about leading adventures for Moon Dance Adventures worldwide and some of the coolest places he has been. During his experiences, James also shares some of the best life lessons he brought into the MBA program as a student.For more information about the Culverhouse College of Business visit our website https://culverhouse.ua.edu.Stay up to date with the collegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/culverhouseuaTwitter: https://twitter.com/culverhouseuaInstagram: https://instagram.com/culverhouseuaLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/school/culverhouse-college-of-business

Strike a pose! The quickest way to boost your brand overnight is through professional photography. Learn from the best, Mary Camu (MoonDance) how YOU can make the most of a fitness shoot. Mary and Ellen get specific about why you should book a photoshoot, and how to prepare for it so you get the biggest bang for your buck. Connect with and follow MoonDance

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! Well, not really but we have your soundtrack to the apocalypse covered! As the 2024 solar eclipse casts its shadow on Monday, April 8th, whispers of the world's end grow louder. In this episode of Song Swap Showdown, Chris and Amanda delve into eclipse-inspired songs.  Songs featured: Stare at the Sun by Thrice, No Sunlight - Death Can for Cutie, Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden, Send the Sun by Nikki Lane, Moondance by Van Morrison, I See a Darkness by Johnny Cash Will these eclipse anthems herald the end or simply mark another celestial spectacle? Tune in to find out which songs will light up our world in darkness and which will fade into the eclipse's shadow.

Welcome to Sterales, and welcome to GALEW! Pay your respects to the theater ghost, prepare for the Moon Dance, and grab a drink at with our scholarly scallywags. Content warnings: strong language See video episodes of And Back Again on our Patreon! Follow us on... Twitter: @unprepcasters Instagram: @unpreparedcasters Wanderhome is copyright of Possum Creek Games Inc. And Back Again is an independent production by Unprepared Casters and is not affiliated with Possum Creek Games Inc. It is published under the Wanderhome Third Party License. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love thy self.x --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anj-saby/message

Episode 170 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at "Astral Weeks", the early solo career of Van Morrison, and the death of Bert Berns.  Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a forty-minute bonus episode available, on "Stoned Soul Picnic" by Laura Nyro. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Errata At one point I, ridiculously, misspeak the name of Charles Mingus' classic album. Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is not about dinner ladies. Also, I say Warren Smith Jr is on "Slim Slow Slider" when I meant to say Richard Davis (Smith is credited in some sources, but I only hear acoustic guitar, bass, and soprano sax on the finished track). Resources As usual, I've created Mixcloud playlists, with full versions of all the songs excerpted in this episode. As there are so many Van Morrison songs in this episode, the Mixcloud is split into three parts, one, two, and three. The information about Bert Berns comes from Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues by Joel Selvin. I've used several biographies of Van Morrison. Van Morrison: Into the Music by Ritchie Yorke is so sycophantic towards Morrison that the word “hagiography” would be, if anything, an understatement. Van Morrison: No Surrender by Johnny Rogan, on the other hand, is the kind of book that talks in the introduction about how the author has had to avoid discussing certain topics because of legal threats from the subject. Howard deWitt's Van Morrison: Astral Weeks to Stardom is over-thorough in the way some self-published books are, while Clinton Heylin's Can You Feel the Silence? is probably the best single volume on the artist. Information on Woodstock comes from Small Town Talk by Barney Hoskyns. Ryan Walsh's Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968 is about more than Astral Weeks, but does cover Morrison's period in and around Boston in more detail than anything else. The album Astral Weeks is worth hearing in its entirety. Not all of the music on The Authorized Bang Collection is as listenable, but it's the most complete collection available of everything Morrison recorded for Bang. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Before we start, a quick warning -- this episode contains discussion of organised crime activity, and of sudden death. It also contains excerpts of songs which hint at attraction to underage girls and discuss terminal illness. If those subjects might upset you, you might want to read the transcript rather than listen to the episode. Anyway, on with the show. Van Morrison could have been the co-writer of "Piece of My Heart". Bert Berns was one of the great collaborators in the music business, and almost every hit he ever had was co-written, and he was always on the lookout for new collaborators, and in 1967 he was once again working with Van Morrison, who he'd worked with a couple of years earlier when Morrison was still the lead singer of Them. Towards the beginning of 1967 he had come up with a chorus, but no verse. He had the hook, "Take another little piece of my heart" -- Berns was writing a lot of songs with "heart" in the title at the time -- and wanted Morrison to come up with a verse to go with it. Van Morrison declined. He wasn't interested in writing pop songs, or in collaborating with other writers, and so Berns turned to one of his regular collaborators, Jerry Ragavoy, and it was Ragavoy who added the verses to one of the biggest successes of Berns' career: [Excerpt: Erma Franklin, "Piece of My Heart"] The story of how Van Morrison came to make the album that's often considered his masterpiece is intimately tied up with the story we've been telling in the background for several episodes now, the story of Atlantic Records' sale to Warners, and the story of Bert Berns' departure from Atlantic. For that reason, some parts of the story I'm about to tell will be familiar to those of you who've been paying close attention to the earlier episodes, but as always I'm going to take you from there to somewhere we've never been before. In 1962, Bert Berns was a moderately successful songwriter, who had written or co-written songs for many artists, especially for artists on Atlantic Records. He'd written songs for Atlantic artists like LaVern Baker, and when Atlantic's top pop producers Leiber and Stoller started to distance themselves from the label in the early sixties, he had moved into production as well, writing and producing Solomon Burke's big hit "Cry to Me": [Excerpt: Solomon Burke, "Cry to Me"] He was the producer and writer or co-writer of most of Burke's hits from that point forward, but at first he was still a freelance producer, and also produced records for Scepter Records, like the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout", another song he'd co-written, that one with Phil Medley. And as a jobbing songwriter, of course his songs were picked up by other producers, so Leiber and Stoller produced a version of his song "Tell Him" for the Exciters on United Artists: [Excerpt: The Exciters, "Tell Him"] Berns did freelance work for Leiber and Stoller as well as the other people he was working for. For example, when their former protege Phil Spector released his hit version of "Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah", they got Berns to come up with a knockoff arrangement of "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?", released as by Baby Jane and the Rockabyes, with a production credit "Produced by Leiber and Stoller, directed by Bert Berns": [Excerpt: Baby Jane and the Rockabyes, "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?"] And when Leiber and Stoller stopped producing work for United Artists, Berns took over some of the artists they'd been producing for the label, like Marv Johnson, as well as producing his own new artists, like Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters, who had been discovered by Berns' friend Jerry Ragovoy, with whom he co-wrote their "Cry Baby": [Excerpt: Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters, "Cry Baby"] Berns was an inveterate collaborator. He was one of the few people to get co-writing credits with Leiber and Stoller, and he would collaborate seemingly with everyone who spoke to him for five minutes. He would also routinely reuse material, cutting the same songs time and again with different artists, knowing that a song must be a hit for *someone*. One of his closest collaborators was Jerry Wexler, who also became one of his best friends, even though one of their earliest interactions had been when Wexler had supervised Phil Spector's production of Berns' "Twist and Shout" for the Top Notes, a record that Berns had thought had butchered the song. Berns was, in his deepest bones, a record man. Listening to the records that Berns made, there's a strong continuity in everything he does. There's a love there of simplicity -- almost none of his records have more than three chords. He loved Latin sounds and rhythms -- a love he shared with other people working in Brill Building R&B at the time, like Leiber and Stoller and Spector -- and great voices in emotional distress. There's a reason that the records he produced for Solomon Burke were the first R&B records to be labelled "soul". Berns was one of those people for whom feel and commercial success are inextricable. He was an artist -- the records he made were powerfully expressive -- but he was an artist for whom the biggest validation was *getting a hit*. Only a small proportion of the records he made became hits, but enough did that in the early sixties he was a name that could be spoken of in the same breath as Leiber and Stoller, Spector, and Bacharach and David. And Atlantic needed a record man. The only people producing hits for the label at this point were Leiber and Stoller, and they were in the process of stopping doing freelance work and setting up their own label, Red Bird, as we talked about in the episode on the Shangri-Las. And anyway, they wanted more money than they were getting, and Jerry Wexler was never very keen on producers wanting money that could have gone to the record label. Wexler decided to sign Bert Berns up as a staff producer for Atlantic towards the end of 1963, and by May 1964 it was paying off. Atlantic hadn't been having hits, and now Berns had four tracks he wrote and produced for Atlantic on the Hot One Hundred, of which the highest charting was "My Girl Sloopy" by the Vibrations: [Excerpt: The Vibrations, "My Girl Sloopy"] Even higher on the charts though was the Beatles' version of "Twist and Shout". That record, indeed, had been successful enough in the UK that Berns had already made exploratory trips to the UK and produced records for Dick Rowe at Decca, a partnership we heard about in the episode on "Here Comes the Night". Berns had made partnerships there which would have vast repercussions for the music industry in both countries, and one of them was with the arranger Mike Leander, who was the uncredited arranger for the Drifters session for "Under the Boardwalk", a song written by Artie Resnick and Kenny Young and produced by Berns, recorded the day after the group's lead singer Rudy Lewis died of an overdose: [Excerpt: The Drifters, "Under the Boardwalk"] Berns was making hits on a regular basis by mid-1964, and the income from the label's new success allowed Jerry Wexler and the Ertegun brothers to buy out their other partners -- Ahmet Ertegun's old dentist, who had put up some of the initial money, and Miriam Bienstock, the ex-wife of their initial partner Herb Abramson, who'd got Abramson's share in the company after the divorce, and who was now married to Freddie Bienstock of Hill and Range publishing. Wexler and the Erteguns now owned the whole label. Berns also made regular trips to the UK to keep up his work with British musicians, and in one of those trips, as we heard in the episode on "Here Comes the Night", he produced several tracks for the group Them, including that track, written by Berns: [Excerpt: Them, "Here Comes the Night"] And a song written by the group's lead singer Van Morrison, "Gloria": [Excerpt: Them, "Gloria"] But Berns hadn't done much other work with them, because he had a new project. Part of the reason that Wexler and the Erteguns had gained total control of Atlantic was because, in a move pushed primarily by Wexler, they were looking at selling it. They'd already tried to merge with Leiber and Stoller's Red Bird Records, but lost the opportunity after a disastrous meeting, but they were in negotiations with several other labels, negotiations which would take another couple of years to bear fruit. But they weren't planning on getting out of the record business altogether. Whatever deal they made, they'd remain with Atlantic, but they were also planning on starting another label. Bert Berns had seen how successful Leiber and Stoller were with Red Bird, and wanted something similar. Wexler and the Erteguns didn't want to lose their one hit-maker, so they came up with an offer that would benefit all of them. Berns' publishing contract had just ended, so they would set up a new publishing company, WEB IV, named after the initials Wexler, Ertegun, and Berns, and the fact that there were four of them. Berns would own fifty percent of that, and the other three would own the other half. And they were going to start up a new label, with seventeen thousand dollars of the Atlantic partners' money. That label would be called Bang -- for Bert, Ahmet, Neshui, and Gerald -- and would be a separate company from Atlantic, so not affected by any sale. Berns would continue as a staff producer for Atlantic for now, but he'd have "his own" label, which he'd have a proper share in, and whether he was making hits for Atlantic or Bang, his partners would have a share of the profits. The first two records on Bang were "Shake and Jerk" by Billy Lamont, a track that they licensed from elsewhere and which didn't do much, and a more interesting track co-written by Berns. Bob Feldman, Richard Gottehrer, and Jerry Goldstein were Brill Building songwriters who had become known for writing "My Boyfriend's Back", a hit for the Angels, a couple of years earlier: [Excerpt: The Angels, "My Boyfriend's Back"] With the British invasion, the three of them had decided to create their own foreign beat group. As they couldn't do British accents, they pretended to be Australian, and as the Strangeloves -- named after the Stanley Kubrick film Dr  Strangelove -- they released one flop single. They cut another single, a version of "Bo Diddley", but the label they released their initial record through didn't want it. They then took the record to Atlantic, where Jerry Wexler said that they weren't interested in releasing some white men singing "Bo Diddley". But Ahmet Ertegun suggested they bring the track to Bert Berns to see what he thought. Berns pointed out that if they changed the lyrics and melody, but kept the same backing track, they could claim the copyright in the resulting song themselves. He worked with them on a new lyric, inspired by the novel Candy, a satirical pornographic novel co-written by Terry Southern, who had also co-written the screenplay to Dr Strangelove. Berns supervised some guitar overdubs, and the result went to number eleven: [Excerpt: The Strangeloves, "I Want Candy"] Berns had two other songs on the hot one hundred when that charted, too -- Them's version of "Here Comes the Night", and the version of Van McCoy's song "Baby I'm Yours" he'd produced for Barbara Lewis. Three records on the charts on three different labels. But despite the sheer number of charting records he'd had, he'd never had a number one, until the Strangeloves went on tour. Before the tour they'd cut a version of "My Girl Sloopy" for their album -- Berns always liked to reuse material -- and they started performing the song on the tour. The Dave Clark Five, who they were supporting, told them it sounded like a hit and they were going to do their own version when they got home. Feldman, Gottehrer, and Goldstein decided *they* might as well have the hit with it as anyone else. Rather than put it out as a Strangeloves record -- their own record was still rising up the charts, and there's no reason to be your own competition -- they decided to get a group of teenage musicians who supported them on the last date of the tour to sing new vocals to the backing track from the Strangeloves album. The group had been called Rick and the Raiders, but they argued so much that the Strangeloves nicknamed them the Hatfields and the McCoys, and when their version of "My Girl Sloopy", retitled "Hang on Sloopy", came out, it was under the band name The McCoys: [Excerpt: The McCoys, "Hang on Sloopy"] Berns was becoming a major success, and with major success in the New York music industry in the 1960s came Mafia involvement. We've talked a fair bit about Morris Levy's connection with the mob in many previous episodes, but mob influence was utterly pervasive throughout the New York part of the industry, and so for example Richard Gottehrer of the Strangeloves used to call Sonny Franzese of the Colombo crime family "Uncle John", they were so close. Franzese was big in the record business too, even after his conviction for bank robbery. Berns, unlike many of the other people in the industry, had no scruples at all about hanging out with Mafiosi. indeed his best friend in the mid sixties was Tommy Eboli, a member of the Genovese crime family who had been in the mob since the twenties, starting out working for "Lucky" Luciano. Berns was not himself a violent man, as far as anyone can tell, but he liked the glamour of hanging out with organised crime figures, and they liked hanging out with someone who was making so many hit records. And so while Leiber and Stoller, for example, ended up selling Red Bird Records to George Goldner for a single dollar in order to get away from the Mafiosi who were slowly muscling in on the label, Berns had no problems at all in keeping his own label going. Indeed, he would soon be doing so without the involvement of Atlantic Records. Berns' final work for Atlantic was in June 1966, when he cut a song he had co-written with Jeff Barry for the Drifters, inspired by the woman who would soon become Atlantic's biggest star: [Excerpt: The Drifters, "Aretha"] The way Berns told the story in public, there was no real bad blood between him, Wexler, and the Erteguns -- he'd just decided to go his own way, and he said “I will always be grateful to them for the help they've given me in getting Bang started,” The way Berns' wife would later tell the story, Jerry Wexler had suggested that rather than Berns owning fifty percent of Web IV, they should start to split everything four ways, and she had been horrified by this suggestion, kicked up a stink about it, and Wexler had then said that either Berns needed to buy the other three out, or quit and give them everything, and demanded Berns pay them three hundred thousand dollars. According to other people, Berns decided he wanted one hundred percent control of Web IV, and raised a breach of contract lawsuit against Atlantic, over the usual royalty non-payments that were endemic in the industry at that point. When Atlantic decided to fight the lawsuit rather than settle, Berns' mob friends got involved and threatened to break the legs of Wexler's fourteen-year-old daughter, and the mob ended up with full control of Bang records, while Berns had full control of his publishing company. Given later events, and in particular given the way Wexler talked about Berns until the day he died, with a vitriol that he never used about any of the other people he had business disputes with, it seems likely to me that the latter story is closer to the truth than the former. But most people involved weren't talking about the details of what went on, and so Berns still retained his relationships with many of the people in the business, not least of them Jeff Barry, so when Barry and Ellie Greenwich had a new potential star, it was Berns they thought to bring him to, even though the artist was white and Berns had recently given an interview saying that he wanted to work with more Black artists, because white artists simply didn't have soul. Barry and Greenwich's marriage was breaking up at the time, but they were still working together professionally, as we discussed in the episode on "River Deep, Mountain High", and they had been the main production team at Red Bird. But with Red Bird in terminal decline, they turned elsewhere when they found a potential major star after Greenwich was asked to sing backing vocals on one of his songwriting demos. They'd signed the new songwriter, Neil Diamond, to Leiber and Stoller's company Trio Music at first, but they soon started up their own company, Tallyrand Music, and signed Diamond to that, giving Diamond fifty percent of the company and keeping twenty-five percent each for themselves, and placed one of his songs with Jay and the Americans in 1965: [Excerpt: Jay and the Americans, "Sunday and Me"] That record made the top twenty, and had established Diamond as a songwriter, but he was still not a major performer -- he'd released one flop single on Columbia Records before meeting Barry and Greenwich. But they thought he had something, and Bert Berns agreed. Diamond was signed to Bang records, and Berns had a series of pre-production meetings with Barry and Greenwich before they took Diamond into the studio -- Barry and Greenwich were going to produce Diamond for Bang, as they had previously produced tracks for Red Bird, but they were going to shape the records according to Berns' aesthetic. The first single released from Diamond's first session, "Solitary Man", only made number fifty-five, but it was the first thing Diamond had recorded to make the Hot One Hundred at all: [Excerpt: Neil Diamond, "Solitary Man"] The second single, though, was much more Bert Berns' sort of thing -- a three-chord song that sounded like it could have been written by Berns himself, especially after Barry and Greenwich had added the Latin-style horns that Berns loved so much. Indeed according to some sources, Berns did make a songwriting suggestion -- Diamond's song had apparently been called "Money Money", and Berns had thought that was a ridiculous title, and suggested calling it "Cherry Cherry" instead: [Excerpt: Neil Diamond, "Cherry Cherry"] That became Diamond's first top ten hit. While Greenwich had been the one who had discovered Diamond, and Barry and Greenwich were the credited producers on all Diamond's records  as a result, Diamond soon found himself collaborating far more with Barry than with Greenwich, so for example the first number one he wrote, for the Monkees rather than himself, ended up having its production just credited to Barry. That record used a backing track recorded in New York by the same set of musicians used on most Bang records, like Al Gorgoni on lead guitar and Russ Savakus on bass: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "I'm a Believer"] Neil Diamond was becoming a solid hit-maker, but he started rubbing up badly against Berns. Berns wanted hits and only hits, and Diamond thought of himself as a serious artist. The crisis came when two songs were under contention for Diamond's next single in late 1967, after he'd had a whole run of hits for the label. The song Diamond wanted to release, "Shilo", was deeply personal to him: [Excerpt: Neil Diamond, "Shilo"] But Bert Berns had other ideas. "Shilo" didn't sound like a hit, and he knew a hit when he heard one. No, the clear next single, the only choice, was "Kentucky Woman": [Excerpt: Neil Diamond, "Kentucky Woman"] But Berns tried to compromise as best he could. Diamond's contract was up for renewal, and you don't want to lose someone who has had, as Diamond had at that point, five top twenty hits in a row, and who was also writing songs like "I'm a Believer" and "Red Red Wine". He told Diamond that he'd let "Shilo" come out as a single if Diamond signed an extension to his contract. Diamond said that not only was he not going to do that, he'd taken legal advice and discovered that there were problems with his contract which let him record for other labels -- the word "exclusive" had been missed out of the text, among other things. He wasn't going to be recording for Bang at all any more. The lawsuits over this would stretch out for a decade, and Diamond would eventually win, but the first few months were very, very difficult for Diamond. When he played the Bitter End, a club in New York, stink bombs were thrown into the audience. The Bitter End's manager was assaulted and severely beaten. Diamond moved his wife and child out of Manhattan, borrowed a gun, and after his last business meeting with Berns was heard talking about how he needed to contact the District Attorney and hire a bodyguard. Of the many threats that were issued against Diamond, though, the least disturbing was probably the threat Berns made to Diamond's career. Berns pointed out to Diamond in no uncertain terms that he didn't need Diamond anyway -- he already had someone he could replace Diamond with, another white male solo singer with a guitar who could churn out guaranteed hits. He had Van Morrison: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Brown-Eyed Girl"] When we left Van Morrison, Them had just split up due to the problems they had been having with their management team. Indeed, the problems Morrison was having with his managers seem curiously similar to the issues that Diamond was having with Bert Berns -- something that could possibly have been a warning sign to everyone involved, if any of them had known the full details of everyone else's situation. Sadly for all of them, none of them did. Them had had some early singles success, notably with the tracks Berns had produced for them, but Morrison's opinion of their second album, Them Again, was less than complimentary, and in general that album is mostly only remembered for the version of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", which is one of those cover versions that inspires subsequent covers more than the original ever did: [Excerpt: Them, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"] Them had toured the US around the time of the release of that album, but that tour had been a disaster. The group had gained a reputation for incredible live shows, including performances at the Whisky A-Go-Go with the Doors and Captain Beefheart as their support acts, but during the tour Van Morrison had decided that Phil Solomon, the group's manager, was getting too much money -- Morrison had agreed to do the tour on a salary, rather than a percentage, but the tour had been more successful than he'd expected, and Solomon was making a great deal of money off the tour, money that Morrison believed rightfully belonged to him. The group started collecting the money directly from promoters, and got into legal trouble with Solomon as a result. The tour ended with the group having ten thousand dollars that Solomon believed -- quite possibly correctly -- that he was owed. Various gangsters whose acquaintance the group had made offered to have the problem taken care of, but they decided instead to come to a legal agreement -- they would keep the money, and in return Solomon, whose production company the group were signed to, would get to keep all future royalties from the Them tracks. This probably seemed a good idea at the time, when the idea of records earning royalties for sixty or more years into the future seemed ridiculous, but Morrison in particular came to regret the decision bitterly. The group played one final gig when they got back to Belfast, but then split up, though a version of the group led by the bass player Alan Henderson continued performing for a few years to no success. Morrison put together a band that played a handful of gigs under the name Them Again, with little success, but he already had his eyes set on a return to the US. In Morrison's eyes, Bert Berns had been the only person in the music industry who had really understood him, and the two worked well together. He had also fallen in love with an American woman, Janet Planet, and wanted to find some way to be with her. As Morrison said later “I had a couple of other offers but I thought this was the best one, seeing as I wanted to come to America anyway. I can't remember the exact details of the deal. It wasn't really that spectacular, money-wise, I don't think. But it was pretty hard to refuse from the point of view that I really respected Bert as a producer. I'd rather have worked with Bert than some other guy with a bigger record company. From that angle, it was spectacular because Bert was somebody that I wanted to work with.” There's little evidence that Morrison did have other offers -- he was already getting a reputation as someone who it was difficult to work with -- but he and Berns had a mutual respect, and on January the ninth, 1967, he signed a contract with Bang records. That contract has come in for a lot of criticism over the years, but it was actually, *by the standards in operation in the music business in 1967*, a reasonably fair one. The contract provided that, for a $2,500 a year advance, Bang would record twelve sides in the first year, with an option for up to fifty more that year, and options for up to four more years on the same terms. Bang had the full ownership of the masters and the right to do what they wanted with them. According to at least one biographer, Morrison added clauses requiring Bang to actually record the twelve sides a year, and to put out at least three singles and one album per year while the contract was in operation. He also added one other clause which seems telling -- "Company agrees that Company will not make any reference to the name THEM on phonograph records, or in advertising copy in connection with the recording of Artist." Morrison was, at first, extremely happy with Berns. The problems started with their first session: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Brown-Eyed Girl (takes 1-6)"] When Morrison had played the songs he was working on for Berns, Berns had remarked that they sounded great with just Morrison and his guitar, so Morrison was surprised when he got into the studio to find the whole standard New York session crew there -- the same group of session players who were playing for everyone from the Monkees to Laura Nyro, from Neil Diamond to the Shangri-Las -- along with the Sweet Inspirations to provide backing vocals. As he described it later "This fellow Bert, he made it the way he wanted to, and I accepted that he was producing it... I'd write a song and bring it into the group and we'd sit there and bash it around and that's all it was -- they weren't playing the songs, they were just playing whatever it was. They'd say 'OK, we got drums so let's put drums on it,' and they weren't thinking about the song, all they were thinking about was putting drums on it... But it was my song, and I had to watch it go down." The first song they cut was "Brown-Eyed Girl", a song which Morrison has said was originally a calypso, and was originally titled "Brown-skinned Girl", though he's differed in interviews as to whether Berns changed the lyric or if he just decided to sing it differently without thinking about it in the session. Berns turned "Brown-Eyed Girl" into a hit single, because that was what he tended to do with songs, and the result sounds a lot like the kind of record that Bang were releasing for Neil Diamond: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Brown-Eyed Girl"] Morrison has, in later years, expressed his distaste for what was done to the song, and in particular he's said that the backing vocal part by the Sweet Inspirations was added by Berns and he disliked it: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Brown-Eyed Girl"] Morrison has been very dismissive of "Brown-Eyed Girl" over the years, but he seems not to have disliked it at the time, and the song itself is one that has stood the test of time, and is often pointed to by other songwriters as a great example of the writer's craft. I remember reading one interview with Randy Newman -- sadly, while I thought it was in Paul Zollo's "Songwriters on Songwriting" I just checked that and it's not, so I can't quote it precisely -- in which he says that he often points to the line "behind the stadium with you" as a perfect piece of writing, because it's such a strangely specific detail that it convinces you that it actually happened, and that means you implicitly believe the rest of the song. Though it should be made very clear here that Morrison has always said, over and over again, that nothing in his songs is based directly on his own experiences, and that they're all products of his imagination and composites of people he's known. This is very important to note before we go any further, because "Brown-Eyed Girl" is one of many songs from this period in Morrison's career which imply that their narrator has an attraction to underage girls -- in this case he remembers "making love in the green grass" in the distant past, while he also says "saw you just the other day, my how you have grown", and that particular combination is not perhaps one that should be dwelt on too closely. But there is of course a very big difference between a songwriter treating a subject as something that is worth thinking about in the course of a song and writing about their own lives, and that can be seen on one of the other songs that Morrison recorded in these sessions, "T.B. Sheets": [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "T.B. Sheets"] It seems very unlikely indeed that Van Morrison actually had a lover die of tuberculosis, as the lover in the song does, and while a lot of people seem convinced that it's autobiographical, simply because of the intensity of the performance (Morrison apparently broke down in tears after recording it), nobody has ever found anyone in Morrison's life who fits the story in the song, and he's always ridiculed such suggestions. What is true though is that "T.B. Sheets" is evidence against another claim that Morrison has made in the past - that on these initial sessions the eight songs recorded were meant to be the A and B sides of four singles and there was no plan of making an album. It is simply not plausible at all to suggest that "T.B. Sheets" -- a slow blues about terminal illness, that lasts nearly ten minutes -- was ever intended as a single. It wouldn't have even come close to fitting on one side of a forty-five. It was also presumably at this time that Berns brought up the topic of "Piece of My Heart". When Berns signed Erma Franklin, it was as a way of getting at Jerry Wexler, who had gone from being his closest friend to someone he wasn't on speaking terms with, by signing the sister of his new signing Aretha. Morrison, of course, didn't co-write it -- he'd already decided that he didn't play well with others -- but it's tempting to think about how the song might have been different had Morrison written it. The song in some ways seems a message to Wexler -- haven't you had enough from me already? -- but it's also notable how many songs Berns was writing with the word "heart" in the chorus, given that Berns knew he was on borrowed time from his own heart condition. As an example, around the same time he and Jerry Ragavoy co-wrote "Piece of My Heart", they also co-wrote another song, "Heart Be Still", a flagrant lift from "Peace Be Still" by Aretha Franklin's old mentor Rev. James Cleveland, which they cut with Lorraine Ellison: [Excerpt: Lorraine Ellison, "Heart Be Still"] Berns' heart condition had got much worse as a result of the stress from splitting with Atlantic, and he had started talking about maybe getting open-heart surgery, though that was still very new and experimental. One wonders how he must have felt listening to Morrison singing about watching someone slowly dying. Morrison has since had nothing but negative things to say about the sessions in March 1967, but at the time he seemed happy. He returned to Belfast almost straight away after the sessions, on the understanding that he'd be back in the US if "Brown-Eyed Girl" was a success. He wrote to Janet Planet in San Francisco telling her to listen to the radio -- she'd know if she heard "Brown-Eyed Girl" that he would be back on his way to see her. She soon did hear the song, and he was soon back in the US: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Brown-Eyed Girl"] By August, "Brown-Eyed Girl" had become a substantial hit, making the top ten, and Morrison was back in the States. He was starting to get less happy with Berns though. Bang had put out the eight tracks he'd recorded in March as an album, titled Blowin' Your Mind, and Morrison thought that the crass pseudo-psychedelia of the title, liner notes, and cover was very inappropriate -- Morrison has never been a heavy user of any drugs other than alcohol, and didn't particularly want to be associated with them. He also seems to have not realised that every track he recorded in those initial sessions would be on the album, which many people have called one of the great one-sided albums of all time -- side A, with "Brown-Eyed Girl", "He Ain't Give You None" and the extended "T.B. Sheets" tends to get far more love than side B, with five much lesser songs on it. Berns held a party for Morrison on a cruise around Manhattan, but it didn't go well -- when the performer Tiny Tim tried to get on board, Carmine "Wassel" DeNoia, a mobster friend of Berns' who was Berns' partner in a studio they'd managed to get from Atlantic as part of the settlement when Berns left, was so offended by Tim's long hair and effeminate voice and mannerisms that he threw him overboard into the harbour. DeNoia was meant to be Morrison's manager in the US, working with Berns, but he and Morrison didn't get on at all -- at one point DeNoia smashed Morrison's acoustic guitar over his head, and only later regretted the damage he'd done to a nice guitar. And Morrison and Berns weren't getting on either. Morrison went back into the studio to record four more songs for a follow-up to "Brown-Eyed Girl", but there was again a misunderstanding. Morrison thought he'd been promised that this time he could do his songs the way he wanted, but Berns was just frustrated that he wasn't coming up with another "Brown-Eyed Girl", but was instead coming up with slow songs about trans women. Berns overdubbed party noises and soul backing vocals onto "Madame George", possibly in an attempt to copy the Beach Boys' Party! album with its similar feel, but it was never going to be a "Barbara Ann": [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Madame George (Bang version)"] In the end, Berns released one of the filler tracks from Blowin' Your Mind, "Ro Ro Rosey", as the next single, and it flopped. On December the twenty-ninth, Berns had a meeting with Neil Diamond, the meeting after which Diamond decided he needed to get a bodyguard. After that, he had a screaming row over the phone with Van Morrison, which made Berns ill with stress. The next day, he died of a heart attack. Berns' widow Ilene, who had only just given birth to a baby a couple of weeks earlier, would always blame Morrison for pushing her husband over the edge. Neither Van Morrison nor Jerry Wexler went to the funeral, but Neil Diamond did -- he went to try to persuade Ilene to let him out of his contract now Berns was dead. According to Janet Planet later, "We were at the hotel when we learned that Bert had died. We were just mortified, because things had been going really badly, and Van felt really bad, because I guess they'd parted having had some big fight or something... Even though he did love Bert, it was a strange relationship that lived and died in the studio... I remember we didn't go to the funeral, which probably was a mistake... I think [Van] had a really bad feeling about what was going to happen." But Morrison has later mostly talked about the more practical concerns that came up, which were largely the same as the ones Neil Diamond had, saying in 1997 "I'd signed a contract with Bert Berns for management, production, agency and record company,  publishing, the whole lot -- which was professional suicide as any lawyer will tell you now... Then the whole thing blew up. Bert Berns died and I was left broke." This was the same mistake, essentially, that he'd made with Phil Solomon, and in order to get out of it, it turned out he was going to have to do much the same for a third time.  But it was the experience with Berns specifically that traumatised Morrison enough that twenty-five years later he would still be writing songs about it, like "Big Time Operators": [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Big Time Operators"] The option to renew Morrison's contracts with Berns' companies came on the ninth of January 1968, less than two weeks after Berns' death. After his death, Berns' share of ownership in his companies had passed to his widow, who was in a quandary. She had two young children, one of whom was only a few weeks old, and she needed an income after their father had died. She was also not well disposed at all towards Morrison, who she blamed for causing her husband's death. By all accounts the amazing thing is that Berns lived as long as he did given his heart condition and the state of medical science at the time, but it's easy to understand her thinking. She wanted nothing to do with Morrison, and wanted to punish him. On the other hand, her late husband's silent partners didn't want to let their cash cow go. And so Morrison came under a huge amount of pressure in very different directions. From one side, Carmine DiNoia was determined to make more money off Morrison, and Morrison has since talked about signing further contracts at this point with a gun literally to his head, and his hotel room being shot up. But on the other side, Ilene Berns wanted to destroy Morrison's career altogether. She found out that Bert Berns hadn't got Morrison the proper work permits and reported him to the immigration authorities. Morrison came very close to being deported, but in the end he managed to escape deportation by marrying Janet Planet. The newly-married couple moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to get away from New York and the mobsters, and to try to figure out the next steps in Morrison's career. Morrison started putting together a band, which he called The Van Morrison Controversy, and working on new songs. One of his earliest connections in Massachusetts was the lead singer of a band called the Hallucinations, who he met in a bar where he was trying to get a gig: [Excerpt: The Hallucinations, "Messin' With the Kid"] The Hallucinations' lead singer was called Peter Wolf, and would much later go on to become well-known as the singer with the J. Geils Band. He and Morrison became acquaintances, and later became closer friends when they realised they had another connection -- Wolf had a late-night radio show under the name Woofa Goofa, and he'd been receiving anonymous requests for obscure blues records from a fan of the show. Morrison had been the one sending in the requests, not realising his acquaintance was the DJ. Before he got his own band together, Morrison actually guested with the Hallucinations at one show they did in May 1968, supporting John Lee Hooker. The Hallucinations had been performing "Gloria" since Them's single had come out, and they invited Morrison to join them to perform it on stage. According to Wolf, Morrison was very drunk and ranted in cod-Japanese for thirty-five minutes, and tried to sing a different song while the band played "Gloria". The audience were apparently unimpressed, even though Wolf shouted at them “Don't you know who this man is? He wrote the song!” But in truth, Morrison was sick of "Gloria" and his earlier work, and was trying to push his music in a new direction. He would later talk about having had an epiphany after hearing one particular track on the radio: [Excerpt: The Band, "I Shall Be Released"] Like almost every musician in 1968, Morrison was hit like a lightning bolt by Music From Big Pink, and he decided that he needed to turn his music in the same direction. He started writing the song "Brand New Day", which would later appear on his album Moondance, inspired by the music on the album. The Van Morrison Controversy started out as a fairly straightforward rock band, with guitarist John Sheldon, bass player Tom Kielbania, and drummer Joey Bebo. Sheldon was a novice, though his first guitar teacher was the singer James Taylor, but the other two were students at Berklee, and very serious musicians. Morrison seems to have had various managers involved in rapid succession in 1968, including one who was himself a mobster, and another who was only known as Frank, but one of these managers advanced enough money that the musicians got paid every gig. These musicians were all interested in kinds of music other than just straight rock music, and as well as rehearsing up Morrison's hits and his new songs, they would also jam with him on songs from all sorts of other genres, particularly jazz and blues. The band worked up the song that would become "Domino" based on Sheldon jamming on a Bo Diddley riff, and another time the group were rehearsing a Grant Green jazz piece, "Lazy Afternoon": [Excerpt: Grant Green, "Lazy Afternoon"] Morrison started messing with the melody, and that became his classic song "Moondance": [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Moondance"] No recordings of this electric lineup of the group are known to exist, though the backing musicians remember going to a recording studio called Ace recordings at one point and cutting some demos, which don't seem to circulate. Ace was a small studio which, according to all the published sources I've read, was best known for creating song poems, though it was a minor studio even in the song-poem world. For those who don't know, song poems were essentially a con aimed at wannabe songwriters who knew nothing about the business -- companies would advertise you too could become a successful, rich, songwriter if you sent in your "song poems", because anyone who knew the term "lyric" could be presumed to know too much about the music business to be useful. When people sent in their lyrics, they'd then be charged a fee to have them put out on their very own record -- with tracks made more or less on a conveyor belt with quick head arrangements, sung by session singers who were just handed a lyric sheet and told to get on with it. And thus were created such classics prized by collectors as "I Like Yellow Things", "Jimmy Carter Says 'Yes'", and "Listen Mister Hat". Obviously, for the most part these song poems did not lead to the customers becoming the next Ira Gershwin, but oddly even though Ace recordings is not one of the better-known song poem studios, it seems to have produced an actual hit song poem -- one that I don't think has ever before been identified as such until I made a connection, hence me going on this little tangent. Because in researching this episode I noticed something about its co-owner, Milton Yakus', main claim to fame. He co-wrote the song "Old Cape Cod", and to quote that song's Wikipedia page "The nucleus of the song was a poem written by Boston-area housewife Claire Rothrock, for whom Cape Cod was a favorite vacation spot. "Old Cape Cod" and its derivatives would be Rothrock's sole evident songwriting credit. She brought her poem to Ace Studios, a Boston recording studio owned by Milton Yakus, who adapted the poem into the song's lyrics." And while Yakus had written other songs, including songs for Patti Page who had the hit with "Old Cape Cod", apparently Page recorded that song after Rothrock brought her the demo after a gig, rather than getting it through any formal channels. It sounds to me like the massive hit and classic of the American songbook "Old Cape Cod" started life as a song-poem -- and if you're familiar with the form, it fits the genre perfectly: [Excerpt: Patti Page, "Old Cape Cod"] The studio was not the classiest of places, even if you discount the song-poems. Its main source of income was from cutting private records with mobsters' wives and mistresses singing (and dealing with the problems that came along when those records weren't successful) and it also had a sideline in bugging people's cars to see if their spouses were cheating, though Milton Yakus' son Shelly, who got his start at his dad's studio, later became one of the most respected recording engineers in the industry -- and indeed had already worked as assistant engineer on Music From Big Pink. And there was actually another distant connection to Morrison's new favourite band on these sessions. For some reason -- reports differ -- Bebo wasn't considered suitable for the session, and in his place was the one-handed drummer Victor "Moulty" Moulton, who had played with the Barbarians, who'd had a minor hit with "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?" a couple of years earlier: [Excerpt: The Barbarians, "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?"] A later Barbarians single, in early 1966, had featured Moulty telling his life story, punctuated by the kind of three-chord chorus that would have been at home on a Bert Berns single: [Excerpt: The Barbarians, "Moulty"] But while that record was credited to the Barbarians, Moulton was the only Barbarian on the track, with the instruments and backing vocals instead being provided by Levon and the Hawks. Shortly after the Ace sessions, the Van Morrison Controversy fell apart, though nobody seems to know why. Depending on which musician's story you listen to, either Morrison had a dream that he should get rid of all electric instruments and only use acoustic players, or there was talk of a record deal but the musicians weren't good enough, or the money from the mysterious manager (who may or may not have been the one who was a mobster) ran out. Bebo went back to university, and Sheldon left soon after, though Sheldon would remain in the music business in one form or another. His most prominent credit has been writing a couple of songs for his old friend James Taylor, including the song "Bittersweet" on Taylor's platinum-selling best-of, on which Sheldon also played guitar: [Excerpt: James Taylor, "Bittersweet"] Morrison and Kielbania continued for a while as a duo, with Morrison on acoustic guitar and Kielbania on double bass, but they were making very different music. Morrison's biggest influence at this point, other than The Band, was King Pleasure, a jazz singer who sang in the vocalese style we've talked about before -- the style where singers would sing lyrics to melodies that had previously been improvised by jazz musicians: [Excerpt: King Pleasure, "Moody's Mood for Love"] Morrison and Kielbania soon decided that to make the more improvisatory music they were interested in playing, they wanted another musician who could play solos. They ended up with John Payne, a jazz flute and saxophone player whose biggest inspiration was Charles Lloyd. This new lineup of the Van Morrison Controversy -- acoustic guitar, double bass, and jazz flute -- kept gigging around Boston, though the sound they were creating was hardly what the audiences coming to see the man who'd had that "Brown-Eyed Girl" hit the year before would have expected -- even when they did "Brown-Eyed Girl", as the one live recording of that line-up, made by Peter Wolf, shows: [Excerpt: The Van Morrison Controversy, "Brown-Eyed Girl (live in Boston 1968)"] That new style, with melodic bass underpinning freely extemporising jazz flute and soulful vocals, would become the basis of the album that to this day is usually considered Morrison's best. But before that could happen, there was the matter of the contracts to be sorted out. Warner-Reprise Records were definitely interested. Warners had spent the last few years buying up smaller companies like Atlantic, Autumn Records, and Reprise, and the label was building a reputation as the major label that would give artists the space and funding they needed to make the music they wanted to make. Idiosyncratic artists with difficult reputations (deserved or otherwise), like Neil Young, Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, the Grateful Dead, and Joni Mitchell, had all found homes on the label, which was soon also to start distributing Frank Zappa, the Beach Boys, and Captain Beefheart. A surly artist who wants to make mystical acoustic songs with jazz flute accompaniment was nothing unusual for them, and once Joe Smith, the man who had signed the Grateful Dead, was pointed in Morrison's direction by Andy Wickham, an A&R man working for the label, everyone knew that Morrison would be a perfect fit. But Morrison was still under contract to Bang records and Web IV, and those contracts said, among other things, that any other label that negotiated with Morrison would be held liable for breach of contract. Warners didn't want to show their interest in Morrison, because a major label wanting to sign him would cause Bang to raise the price of buying him out of his contract. Instead they got an independent production company to sign him, with a nod-and-wink understanding that they would then license the records to Warners. The company they chose was Inherit Productions, the production arm of Schwaid-Merenstein, a management company set up by Bob Schwaid, who had previously worked in Warners' publishing department, and record producer Lewis Merenstein. Merenstein came to another demo session at Ace Recordings, where he fell in love with the new music that Morrison was playing, and determined he would do everything in his power to make the record into the masterpiece it deserved to be. He and Morrison were, at least at this point, on exactly the same page, and bonded over their mutual love of King Pleasure. Morrison signed to Schwaid-Merenstein, just as he had with Bert Berns and before him Phil Solomon, for management, record production, and publishing. Schwaid-Merenstein were funded by Warners, and would license any recordings they made to Warners, once the contractual situation had been sorted out. The first thing to do was to negotiate the release from Web IV, the publishing company owned by Ilene Berns. Schwaid negotiated that, and Morrison got released on four conditions -- he had to make a substantial payment to Web IV, if he released a single within a year he had to give Web IV the publishing, any album he released in the next year had to contain at least two songs published by Web IV, and he had to give Web IV at least thirty-six new songs to publish within the next year. The first two conditions were no problem at all -- Warners had the money to buy the contract out, and Merenstein's plans for the first album didn't involve a single anyway. It wouldn't be too much of a hardship to include a couple of Web IV-published tracks on the album -- Morrison had written two songs, "Beside You" and "Madame George", that had already been published and that he was regularly including in his live sets. As for the thirty-six new songs... well, that all depended on what you called a song, didn't it? [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Ring Worm"] Morrison went into a recording studio and recorded thirty-one ostensible songs, most of them lasting one minute to within a few seconds either way, in which he strummed one or two chords and spoke-sang whatever words came into his head -- for example one song, "Here Comes Dumb George", just consists of the words "Here Comes Dumb George" repeated over and over. Some of the 'songs', like "Twist and Shake" and "Hang on Groovy", are parodying Bert Berns' songwriting style; others, like "Waiting for My Royalty Check", "Blowin' Your Nose", and "Nose in Your Blow", are attacks on Bang's business practices. Several of the songs, like "Hold on George", "Here Comes Dumb George", "Dum Dum George", and "Goodbye George" are about a man called George who seems to have come to Boston to try and fail to make a record with Morrison. And “Want a Danish” is about wanting a Danish pastry. But in truth, this description is still making these "songs" sound more coherent than they are. The whole recording is of no musical merit whatsoever, and has absolutely nothing in it which could be considered to have any commercial potential at all. Which is of course the point -- just to show utter contempt to Ilene Berns and her company. The other problem that needed to be solved was Bang Records itself, which was now largely under the control of the mob. That was solved by Joe Smith. As Smith told the story "A friend of mine who knew some people said I could buy the contract for $20,000. I had to meet somebody in a warehouse on the third floor on Ninth Avenue in New York. I walked up there with twenty thousand-dollar bills -- and I was terrified. I was terrified I was going to give them the money, get a belt on the head and still not wind up with the contract. And there were two guys in the room. They looked out of central casting -- a big wide guy and  a tall, thin guy. They were wearing suits and hats and stuff. I said 'I'm here with the money. You got the contract?' I remember I took that contract and ran out the door and jumped from the third floor to the second floor, and almost broke my leg to get on the street, where I could get a cab and put the contract in a safe place back at Warner Brothers." But the problem was solved, and Lewis Merenstein could get to work translating the music he'd heard Morrison playing into a record. He decided that Kielbania and Payne were not suitable for the kind of recording he wanted -- though they were welcome to attend the sessions in case the musicians had any questions about the songs, and thus they would get session pay. Kielbania was, at first, upset by this, but he soon changed his mind when he realised who Merenstein was bringing in to replace him on bass for the session. Richard Davis, the bass player -- who sadly died two months ago as I write this -- would later go on to play on many classic rock records by people like Bruce Springsteen and Laura Nyro, largely as a result of his work for Morrison, but at the time he was known as one of the great jazz bass players, most notably having played on Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch: [Excerpt: Eric Dolphy, "Hat and Beard"] Kielbania could see the wisdom of getting in one of the truly great players for the album, and he was happy to show Davis the parts he'd been playing on the songs live, which Davis could then embellish -- Davis later always denied this, but it's obvious when listening to the live recordings that Kielbania played on before these sessions that Davis is playing very similar lines. Warren Smith Jr, the vibraphone player, had played with great jazz musicians like Charles Mingus and Herbie Mann, as well as backing Lloyd Price, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. Connie Kay, the drummer, was the drummer for the Modern Jazz Quartet and had also played sessions with everyone from Ruth Brown to Miles Davis. And Jay Berliner, the guitarist, had played on records like Charles Mingus' classic The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady: [Excerpt: Charles Mingus: "Mode D - Trio and Group Dancers, Mode F - Single Solos & Group Dance"] There was also a flute player whose name nobody now remembers. Although all of these musicians were jobbing session musicians -- Berliner came to the first session for the album that became Astral Weeks straight from a session recording a jingle for Pringles potato chips -- they were all very capable of taking a simple song and using it as an opportunity for jazz improvisation. And that was what Merenstein asked them to do. The songs that Morrison was writing were lyrically oblique, but structurally they were very simple -- surprisingly so when one is used to listening to the finished album. Most of the songs were, harmonically, variants of the standard blues and R&B changes that Morrison was used to playing. "Cyprus Avenue" and "The Way Young Lovers Do", for example, are both basically twelve-bar blueses -- neither is *exactly* a standard twelve-bar blues, but both are close enough that they can be considered to fit the form. Other than what Kielbania and Payne showed the musicians, they received no guidance from Morrison, who came in, ran through the songs once for them, and then headed to the vocal booth. None of the musicians had much memory of Morrison at all -- Jay Berliner said “This little guy walks in, past everybody, disappears into the vocal booth, and almost never comes out, even on the playbacks, he stayed in there." While Richard Davis later said “Well, I was with three of my favorite fellas to play with, so that's what made it beautiful. We were not concerned with Van at all, he never spoke to us.” The sound of the basic tracks on Astral Weeks is not the sound of a single auteur, as one might expect given its reputation, it's the sound of extremely good jazz musicians improvising based on the instructions given by Lewis Merenstein, who was trying to capture the feeling he'd got from listening to Morrison's live performances and demos. And because these were extremely good musicians, the album was recorded extremely quickly. In the first session, they cut four songs. Two of those were songs that Morrison was contractually obliged to record because of his agreement with Web IV -- "Beside You" and "Madame George", two songs that Bert Berns had produced, now in radically different versions: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Madame George"] The third song, "Cyprus Avenue", is the song that has caused most controversy over the years, as it's another of the songs that Morrison wrote around this time that relate to a sexual or romantic interest in underage girls. In this case, the reasoning might have been as simple as that the song is a blues, and Morrison may have been thinking about a tradition of lyrics like this in blues songs like "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl". Whatever the cause though, the lyrics have, to put it mildly, not aged well at all: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Cyprus Avenue"] That song would be his standard set-closer for live performances for much of the seventies. For the fourth and final song, though, they chose to record what would become the title track for the album, "Astral Weeks", a song that was a lot more elliptical, and which seems in part to be about Morrison's longing for Janet Planet from afar, but also about memories of childhood, and also one of the first songs to bring in Morrison's fascination with the occult and spirituality,  something that would be a recurring theme throughout his work, as the song was partly inspired by paintings by a friend of Morrison's which suggested to him the concept of astral travel: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Astral Weeks"] Morrison had a fascination with the idea of astral travel, as he had apparently had several out-of-body experiences as a child, and wanted to find some kind of explanation for them. Most of the songs on the album came, by Morrison's own account, as a kind of automatic writing, coming through him rather than being consciously written, and there's a fascination throughout with, to use the phrase from "Madame George", "childhood visions". The song is also one of the first songs in Morrison's repertoire to deliberately namecheck one of his idols, something else he would do often in future, when he talks about "talking to Huddie Leadbelly". "Astral Weeks" was a song that Morrison had been performing live for some time, and Payne had always enjoyed doing it. Unlike Kielbania he had no compunction about insisting that he was good enough to play on the record, and he eventually persuaded the session flute player to let him borrow his instrument, and Payne was allowed to play on the track: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Astral Weeks"] Or at least that's how the story is usually told -- Payne is usually credited for playing on "Madame George" too, even though everyone agrees that "Astral Weeks" was the last song of the night, but people's memories can fade over time. Either way, Payne's interplay with Jay Berliner on the guitar became such a strong point of the track that there was no question of bringing the unknown session player back -- Payne was going to be the woodwind player for the rest of the album: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Astral Weeks"] There was then a six-day break between sessions, during which time Payne and Kielbania went to get initiated into Scientology -- a religion with which Morrison himself would experiment a little over a decade later -- though they soon decided that it wasn't worth the cost of the courses they'd have to take, and gave up on the idea the same week. The next session didn't go so well. Jay Berliner was unavailable, and so Barry Kornfeld, a folkie who played with people like Dave Van Ronk, was brought in to replace him. Kornfeld was perfectly decent in the role, but they'd also brought in a string section, with the idea of recording some of the songs which needed string parts live. But the string players they brought in were incapable of improvising, coming from a classical rather than jazz tradition, and the only track that got used on the finished album was "The Way Young Lovers Do", by far the most conventional song on the album, a three-minute soul ballad structured as a waltz twelve-bar blues, where the strings are essentially playing the same parts that a horn section would play on a record by someone like Solomon Burke: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "The Way Young Lovers Do"] It was decided that any string or horn parts on the rest of the album would just be done as overdubs. It was two weeks before the next and final session for the album, and that featured the return of Jay Berliner on guitar. The session started with "Sweet Thing" and "Ballerina", two songs that Morrison had been playing live for some time, and which were cut in relatively quick order.  They then made attempts at two more songs that didn't get very far, "Royalty", and "Going Around With Jesse James", before Morrison, stuck for something to record, pulled out a new lyric he'd never performed live, "Slim Slow Slider". The whole band ran through the song once, but then Merenstein decided to pare the arrangement down to just Morrison, Payne (on soprano sax rather than on flute), and Warren Smith Jr: [Excerpt: Van Morrison, "Slim Slow Slider"] That track was the only one where, after the recording, Merenstein didn't compliment the performance, remaining silent instead – Payne said “Maybe everyone was just tired, or maybe they were moved by it.” It seems likely it was the latter. The track eventually got chosen as the final track of the album, because Merenstein felt that it didn't fit conceptually with anything else -- and it's definitely a more negative track than the oth

Amy covers “Moondance” by Van Morrison and Beth covers “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest.  Listen to the songs first before Beth & Amy ruin them for you.Email us at amyandbetharesorry@gmail.comVisit us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/sorryiruinedthatsong?igshid=1cqqhy050qg8qListen to our Spotify Playlist here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TWLMgrKwCQzh24umxIB5R?si=zUmNWqQfRwCBVzvExGLSvACheck us out on TikTok: https://vm.TikTok.com/TTPdMmQJS8/Logo artwork by: http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MollyPukes

How does a young songwriter come back from releasing a mega hit that EVERYBODY knows? For Van Morrison, he followed the success of "Brown Eyed Girl" with two different approaches. First came "Astral Weeks," an album built on and around Morrison's jazz upbringing. Next came "Moondance," which bridged the gap (eventually) between his love of various genres of music with a nod to a more pop-friendly format. It worked. Like "Brown Eyed Girl," the title track has since become a standard, but the album is so much more than that. "And It Stoned Me" tells the nostalgiac story of a trip when he was younger -- in a way that only Van could tell it. "Crazy Love" is a blueprint for how a love song should be written. "Caravan" fused Morrison's love of blues and soul to create a timeless tune. And "Into the Mystic" is among Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time. And that's just side 1 of the album. With  "Moondance," Morrison further established himself as one of his generations' great troubadours.

In the excerpt from Live From My Drum Room With Gary Mallaber from June 2020, legendary drummer Gary Mallaber discusses his iconic drumming on Van Morrison's "Moondance" album. In this segment Gary explains how he came to record the iconic album and the tracks "Moondance" "Crazy Love" and "Into The Mystic."  Watch the entire episode https://youtu.be/1dDvx6-AoP8 Please subscribe, like it and leave a comment!  https://linktr.ee/live_from_my_drum_roomwww.youtube.com/c/JohnDeChristopherLiveFromMyDrumRoom

Music journalist, author and publisher, Alan Light joins the show to wax elagaic about the stone classic album, Moondance. Van took the wheel, aka producer's chair, and released an album that both saved, and in many ways defined his career. Alan has interviewed the Man and lived to tell the tale. He has a deep and insightful relationship with Van's music and is one of the mot articulate guests one could hope for. Enjoy!

Moondance is the album that established Van Morrison as a solo artist.  However, he was an accomplished musician before this, first as a multi-instrumentalist in Irish show bands of the late 50's, then as the lead singer of the band Them.  Moondance is either Morrison's second or third solo album…depending upon how you count it.  The first album entitled “Blowin' Your Mind!” was put out without Morrison's permission — or even knowledge, and he does not consider it to be a proper album.  However, he had signed a contract with Bang! Records without paying much attention to the details, and gave up much of his rights.  Nevertheless, this first album did contain Morrison's first solo pop single, “Brown-Eyed Girl,” which is one of this most popular today.After considerable wrangling and the death of producer Bert Berns, Morrison was able to put out an album on his own terms for Warner Brothers entitled “Astral Weeks.”  While this album would be praised in the future, it was considered a failure at the time, producing no singles and not receiving much promotion.Moondance is where it all comes together for Morrison.  It was more deliberately designed to have more accessible songs than the previous album, and it benefitted from the rising popularity of FM radio.  Morrison's growing confidence in his own abilities and his sense of independence from the producers also were beneficial on this album.  The result is an iconic album with a number of standards of 70's music.Bruce brings us this inspired album for this week's podcast. And It Stoned MeThis track leads off the album.  The song reminisces about days being a kid, going fishing, drinking stream water from a jar, and just being high on life.  The lyric about Jelly Roll may refer to jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton, an artist whom Morrison listened to with his father as a child.  Van Morrison's dad had one of the biggest record collections in the area.Into the MysticThis track is about a spiritual quest.  According to Wikipedia, Morrison says the song “is just about being part of the universe.”  While it was not released as a single when the album was released it has become one of Morrison's most popular song, the second most streamed song on Spotify behind “Brown Eyed Girl.”Glad TidingsA deeper cut, this track is the final song on the album and the final song recorded for the album.  The inspiration for the title was a letter Morrison received from a friend in London who had written on the envelope, “Glad Tidings from London.”  When Morrison wrote back he also included “Glad Tidings from New York” on the envelope.  The lyrics appear to address some of the issues Morrison had with Bert Berns and Bang! Records.MoondanceAs iconic as this song has become, it was not released as a single until September of 1977, seven-and-a-half years after the album.  Morrison developed it while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He considers it a sophisticated song, one that Frank Sinatra could be seen singing.  ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:The Love Theme (from the motion picture "Airport" )This film was one of the first disaster movies that would form its own genre in the 1970's. STAFF PICKS:Friends by FeatherWayne gets the staff picks started with a pop group from Los Angeles.  Feather had a commercially oriented prog rock sound, with close harmonies and a bit of a country flavor.  “Friends” was on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, with its highest position at number 79.  However, they did get a chance to showcase their song on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.Reflections of My Life by MarmaladeRob brings us a Scottish band that started in 1961 as the Gaylords.  This is their biggest hit making it to number 10 in the U.S.  The epic feel employs acoustic guitars and horns, and a guitar solo which employs studio effects that play the solo guitar riff backwards.Kentucky Rain by Elvis Presley Lynch's staff pick was recorded during Presley's landmark two-week sessions at American Sound Studio in Memphis.  These sessions produced two hit albums in 1969, but this song didn't make the cut for either album.  The single was on the charts during this month, rising as high as number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and features Ronnie Milsap on piano.Mississippi Queen by MountainBruce brings us a rocker to wrap up the staff picks.  This hard rock group was active primarily from 1969 through 1972, and this single went to number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The opening cowbell originated when drummer Corky Laing got tired of the numerous retakes and just started using the cowbell to count off the song.  Bassist Felix Pappalardi liked the sound and kept it in the completed track.  INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Viva Tirado (part 1) by El ChicanoThis Latin-jazz instrumental number was based on an original song about a bullfighter by Gerald Wilson.

This episode is arriving somewhat behind schedule and on the date of July's Blessing Moon.  Only a matter of days after we recorded, Tamara's dear husband BJ passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at home.  Tamara shared with us that during the week leading up to his death, he was referring to the transition as "when I go on ahead".  Deep breath.Not only have we taken a pause to honor this devastating loss and blessed life turning, Virginia and Susan "saved" this recording to play for our guests on retreat held on the Elk River June 22-25.  Normally, our third Crone, Tamara, nourishes us with her cooking and with her wisdom on retreat, so she was sorely missed.  Hearing her voice while resting in a deep psoas release was a way for the women to dive deeper into the Moon's mysterious realm of darkness and also death.  We know that you too will feel into Tamara's sharing of this ancient and feminine wisdom way that offers us all a path through movement, connection, challenge and moonbeams to heal our relationships, our tender hearts and our lives.Please contact us via instagram if you have any questions or request for links and information shared in this episode.All blessings.Support the showPlease rate, review and share our podcast! We love our listeners so! For the podcast instagram page and to contact us:http:/instagram.com/3cronespodcastFor Virginia, Tamara & Susan on insta:http:/instagram.com/virginiamckinniehttp:/instagram.com/sheentamarahttp:/instagram.com/susanleemaddenFor Susan's sanctuary in Chester County, PA:http:/oceanearthwindfire.comEditing by Tessa Hall.Cover art by Siobhan Bedford. We're three Crones, sharing our real-life experiences and insights to encourage all women to step into their truth and agency...no easy feat in a chaotic world; but essential nonetheless. Join our virtual circle for inspiration, en-COURAGE-ment and some much needed laughter.

Tom Adams is an Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor and Thought Partner. Today we get off the business track and move to the bright side of the road as we discuss his love of the music of Van Morrison. Tom grew up in a household filled with gospel music and in the music Van Morrison he found a connection between the music of his youth and his love of Rock n Roll. You can find more about Tom here - https://tomadams.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, David sits down with Billy Perkins and Rodney Willis to discuss the breakout classic album for Van Morrison, 1970's "Moondance". This is Part Two of that conversation.

Tom Adams is an Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor and Thought Partner. Today we get off the business track and move to the bright side of the road as we discuss his love of the music of Van Morrison. Tom grew up in a household filled with gospel music and in the music Van Morrison he found a connection between the music of his youth and his love of Rock n Roll. You can find more about Tom here - https://tomadams.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, David sits down with Billy Perkins and Rodney Willis to discuss the breakout classic album for Van Morrison, 1970's "Moondance". This is Part One of that conversation.

Welcome to The Inspired Women Podcast. On this episode your host Megan Hall interviews Vie. Vie Pleiades MoonDance Hands is an 18 year old alien who loves cats. Vie is currently studying to become a certified tantric guide. She has... Read moreHealing Through Tantra Featuring View Pleiades MoonDance Hands

Elliott Landy is a renowned rock photographer particularly covering the classic rock period of the 1960s. He's responsible for a number of iconic album cover photos including Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline", The Band's "Music From Big Pink", Janis Joplin's "Cheap Thrills", and Van Morrison's "Moondance". Plus he shot Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Joan Baez, Eric Clapton and many more. And then there are his iconic photographs of Woodstock. He's authored a number of books and won many awards.My featured song is “Annie And Leni” from my new album, Bobby M and the Paisley Parade. Spotify link.—--------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!For more information and other episodes of the podcast click here. To subscribe to the podcast click here.To subscribe to our weekly Follow Your Dream Podcast email click here.To Rate and Review the podcast click here.“Dream With Robert”. Click here.—----------------------------------------Elliott and I discuss the following:His start in photographySeeing Country Joe and the FishPhotographing Janis JoplinThe BandBob DylanVan MorrisonHis Kickstarter campaign. Click here “BOBBY M AND THE PAISLEY PARADE” is Robert's new album. Featuring 10 songs and guest appearances by John Helliwell (Supertramp), Tony Carey (Rainbow) and international sitar sensation Deobrat Mishra. Produced by Tony Carey. Called "ALBUM OF THE YEAR!" by Indie Shark and “One of the great rock sets of the year!” by Big Celebrity Buzz. "Catchy and engaging with great tunes!" - Steve Hackett (Genesis)"This album has life and soul!" - John Helliwell (Supertramp)"Bobby M rocks!" - Gary Puckett (Union Gap)"Nice cool bluesy album!" - Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds)"Robert really really really rocks!" - Peter Yarrow (Peter Paul & Mary)"Great songs. Great performances. It's a smash!" - David Libert (The Happenings)Click here for all streaming links. Download here.LIVE AT STEELSTACKS is the 5-song EP by Robert and his band, Project Grand Slam. The release captures the band at the top of their game and shows off the breadth, scope and sound of the band. The EP has been highly praised by musicians and reviewers alike. “Captivating!” Elliott Randall (Steely Dan) “PGS burns down the house!” Tony Carey (Rainbow)“Full of life!” Alan Hewitt (The Moody Blues) “Virtuoso musicians!” (Melody Maker) “Such a great band!” (Hollywood Digest) The album can be streamed on Spotify, Amazon, Apple and all the other streaming platforms, and can be downloaded at The PGS Store.ALL OF THE TIME is Robert's recent single by his band Project Grand Slam. It's a playful, whimsical love song that's light and airy and exudes the happiness and joy of being in love. “Pure bliss…An intimate sound with abundant melodic riches!” Melody Maker/5 Stars) “Ecstasy…One of the best all-around bands working today!” (Pop Icon/5 Stars) “Excellence…A band in full command of their powers!” (Mob York City)Watch the video here. You can stream “All Of The Time” on Spotify, Apple or any of the other streaming platforms. And you can download it here.THE SHAKESPEARE CONCERT is the album by Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, recorded "live" in the studio. It's been praised by Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Jim Peterik (Ides Of March), Joey Dee (Peppermint Twist), Elliott Randall (Steely Dan) and Sarah Class (British composer). Reviews: “Perfection!”, “5 Stars!”, “Thrilling!”, and “A Masterpiece!”. The album can be streamed on Spotify, Apple and all the other streaming services. You can watch the Highlight Reel HERE. And you can purchase a digital download or autographed CD of the album HERE. THE FALL OF WINTER is Robert's single in collaboration with legendary rocker Jim Peterik of the Ides Of March and formerly with Survivor. Also featuring renowned guitarist Elliott Randall (Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers) and keyboard ace Tony Carey (Joe Cocker/Eric Burden). “A triumph!” (The Indie Source). “Flexes Real Rock Muscle!” (Celebrity Zone). Stream it on Spotify or Apple. Watch the lyric video here. Download it here.FOLLOW YOUR DREAM HANDBOOK is Robert's Amazon #1 Bestseller. It's a combination memoir of his unique musical journey and a step by step how-to follow and succeed at your dream. Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.  Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with Elliott at:www.elliottlandy.comwww.landyvision.comHttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thebandbook2/elliott-landys-the-band-photographs-book-volume-2?ref=project_link Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comFacebook - www.facebook.com/followyourdreampodcastEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Listen to the Follow Your Dream Podcast on these podcast platforms:CastBoxSpotifyApple Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comInstagramPGS Store - www.thePGSstore.comYouTubeFacebook - www.facebook.com/projectgrandslamSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com

With cameras and photos everywhere ready at hand, what gives iconic photography the staying power to influence new generations?  This week on How to Tickle Yourself we explore this question with Elliott Landy, one of the first music photographers to be recognized as an artist. His celebrated works include portraits of Bob Dylan (the cover of Nashville Skyline), The Band (Music from Big Pink and the Band), Janis Joplin, Van Morrison (he took the photos on the cover of Moondance), Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.

In this episode of Rock is Lit, Richard Fulco, author of the new novel ‘We Are All Together', is here to take us on a rockin' jaunt through the late 1960s, where we'll encounter several iconic players on the music and literature scene from that era. If you're a fan of the Summer of Love and all the trimmings that go with it, you'll love his novel and this episode. Later, Elliott Landy drops by to talk even more about the 1960s music scene, a period he should know a lot about since he's been photographing rock stars since the mid-60s. Best known for his classic rock photographs, Elliott Landy was one of the first music photographers to be recognized as an “artist.” His celebrated works include album cover photographs for Bob Dylan's ‘Nashville Skyline', The Band's ‘Music From Big Pink' and ‘The Band' album, and Van Morrison's ‘Moondance'. He's also taken portraits of such rock icons as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, etc. He was the official photographer of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. And . . . Elliott has a new book out, entitled ‘Photographs of Janis Joplin On the Road & On Stage', featuring 129 photos, including 100 unpublished, accompanied by Janis's own words from recorded interviews by David Dalton of ‘Rolling Stone' magazine. HIGHLIGHTS:Richard Fulco and I talk about Syd Barrett's descent into mental illness and his exit from Pink Floyd1967: The Summer of Love—music, culture, vibe—but for African Americans, 1967 was known as The Long Hot SummerRichard's music career when he was in his twentiesThe story and characters in ‘We Are All Together'—Syd Barrett as inspiration behind the character DylanThe Beatles' performance on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show' in 1964The quest for fame and having “IT”The American Dream and racism and toxic ChristianityCharles MansonThe Merry PrankstersThe significance of the title of the novel and its connection to The BeatlesAndy Warhol, The Factory, The Velvet Underground with Nico, Lou Reed and their role in the novelThe depiction of the Monterey Pop Festival in the story, especially the performance of Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding CompanySome of the other icons who make cameos in the novel: Pete Townshend, Eric Burdon, Jann Wenner, Neal Cassady, William S. BurroughsWhat the Jack Kerouac classic novel ‘On the Road' means to Richard and meThe Monkees as a gateway drug to The BeatlesElliott Landy and I talk about How Elliott's concern about the Vietnam War brought him from a job as a photographer on a Danish film set back to America in the mid- to late 1960s to photograph peace demonstrationsHow a Country Joe and the Fish light show at The Anderson Theater in NYC's East Village started Elliott on a new career path photographing musiciansSeeing Janis Joplin, Tim Buckley, and Albert King perform the very first show at the Fillmore East on March 8, 1968Hanging out with Janis Joplin after a NYC gigElliott's style as a “fly on the wall” photographerShooting the album covers of The Band's ‘Music From Big Pink' and ‘The Band', Bob Dylan's ‘Nashville Skyline', and hanging out with guys in the town WoodstockHis experience as the official photographer at Woodstock in 1969 and the spirit of Woodstock and the 1960s MUSIC AND MEDIA IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:(Royalty Free Music) “Summer of Love” by Roy Edwin Williams“The King is Half-Undressed” by Jellyfish“Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding“See Emily Play” by Pink FloydRoger Waters talks about Syd Barrett on the Joe Rogan Experience“Four” by Sonny RollinsClip of Muhammad Ali explaining his anti-draft, anti-Vietnam War stance“I Am the Walrus” by The Beatles“Ball and Chain” performed by Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company at Monterey Pop Festival“Heroin” by The Velvet Underground with Nico‘The Monkees' Theme Song“Itchykoo Park” by The Small Faces“I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag” by Country Joe and the Fish“Morning Glory” by Tim BuckleyCountry Joe and the Fish chant at Woodstock 1969“To Be Alone With You” by Bob DylanWavy Gravy at Woodstock“Woodstock” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young“Down on Me” Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company LINKS: Richard's website, www.richardfulco.comRichard on Twitter and Instagram, @RichardFulco Link to clip of Roger Waters talking about Syd Barrett on the Joe Rogan Experience, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BcKrk5tFnE&t=66s Elliott's website, www.elliottlandycomElliott on Instagram, @elliott_landy_photography Christy Alexander Hallberg's website: https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/Christy Alexander Hallberg Twitter, @ChristyHallbergChristy Alexander Hallberg Instagram, @christyhallbergChristy Alexander Hallberg YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSnRmlL5moSQYi6EjSvqagLink to Christy Alexander Hallberg's short story on Janis Joplin, “Third Party,” published by ‘Eclectica', https://www.eclectica.org/v20n4/hallberg.html

Hayden just returned from Europe as a Moondance leader. Moondance is an incredible program that offers kids the chance to see breathtaking locations all across the world while connecting with nature. Hayden's trip took him across Switzerland, Spain, France and the Chamonix region. To prepare, Hayden also took part in several intensive outdoor rescue training courses and has since become certified to handle certain emergencies in the wilderness.  This podcast is presented by Black Rifle Coffee  Use code BLASTOFF25 for 25% off Salt Strong Insiders Club: https://bit.ly/RowlandMembership LMNT Electrolytes Special Offer: http://DrinkLMNT.com/TomRowland If you have questions or suggestions for the show you can text Tom at 1 305-930-7346 This episode has been brought to you by Waypoint TV. Waypoint is the ultimate outdoor network featuring streaming of full-length fishing and hunting television shows, short films and instructional content, a social media network, Podcast Network. Waypoint is available on Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, IoS devices, Android Devices and at www.waypointtv.com all for FREE! Join the Waypoint Army by following them on Instagram at the following accounts @waypointtv @waypointfish @waypointsalt @waypointboating @waypointhunt @waypointoutdoorcollective Find over 150 full episodes of Saltwater Experience on Waypoint You can follow Tom Rowland on Instagram @tom_rowland and find all episodes and show notes at Tomrowlandpodcast.com Learn more about Tom's Television shows by visiting their websites:  Saltwater Experience Into the Blue Sweetwater Contact Tom through email: Podcast@saltwaterexperience.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices