Damn, but I love Larry Groce

Subtitle: Does anyone else besides me actually remember "Sweet Betsy from Pike"?

Another subtitle: I like Strother Martin too

Yet another subtitle: God Bless Doctor Demento

And another: There may be some food blogging involved here, but maybe not

So I was on my bike ride today, after starting the soup we're having for dinner tonight. I had originally planned to make some pumpkin soup, but the can of pumpkin ("Ingredient: Pumpkin") had apparently been in the pantry too long. It was unusable (several years in the pantry will do that) but I had already put some chicken broth on the stove so shunning soup was not an option. I decided to just make my Sainted Shrimp and Corn Chowder. I got some ingredients simmering and went for a ride, with this book in the earphones. I'm one away from finishing the series.

Anyway, on arriving home, I sautéed and added onion to the soup, then sat down at the computer. For some reason, Larry Groce's song "Junkfood Junkie" had popped into my head so I went a-youtubin' for it. Found it. Unfortunately, I didn't find some other songs on the sole Larry Groce album I own, so I can't embed them. Some great songs as:

Bob Dylan's "You Ain't A-Goin' Nowhere" (N.B.: Someone really needs to cut Bob's vocal chords out and limit him to songwriting, he should not be allowed to sing)

"Like the Trout Dart About" (Can't find a Youtube version at all, great song but apparently not well known)

"Little Old Ldy in Cowboy Boots" – Again, no Youtube version. Perhaps someday when I get my turntable that turns vinyl into mp3, I will post it. Along with "Like the Trout Dart About".

But I did find a couple of versions of Larry's signature tune, "Junkfood Junkie". I was originally planning to embed one and link the other, but both are far to great to just link, so herewith, embedded, in only the order in which I first saw them, are two excellent versions:



And this one:



Haha! Larry, you are great!

Oh, and the "Betsy from Pike" reference? Larry did a cover for Disney that I stumbled across while researching this post. I love the song, and early remembrance from elementary school. Strother Martin? What a great character actor. Who, oddly enough, sang "Betsy" in the great flick "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

And the circle is complete.