763.) Fri Jan. 4, 2019

RIP Daryl “Captain” Dragon (1942-2019)

The Song of the Day is:

Captain & Tennille – “Love Will Keep Us Together”

From the album Love Will Keep Us Together (1975)

Young and beautiful, but someday your looks’ll be gone
When the others turn you off, who’ll be turnin’ you on
I will, I will, I will, I will be there to share forever
Love will keep us together

Howard Greenfield – Neil Sedaka

2019 is already shaping up to be a c-list star killer.  We’ve had to say goodbye to wrestling’s Mean Gene Okerlund, Super Dave Osborne/Bob Einstein, Neil Young’s ex-wife, singer-songwriter and philanthropist Pegi Young, and Daryl Dragon.  Back in the 1970’s, when married couples ruled the pop charts (Sonny & Cher, Starland Vocal Band, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac), Captain Daryl Dragon & wife Toni Tennille possibly took the top spot in terms of public affection.  Dragon (odd that he needed a nickname) began his musical career as a keyboard player for the Beach Boys.  It was the Beach Boys’ Mike Love who gave him his nautical nickname.  He can be heard throughout the group’s catalog, and still performed their songs on his own releases.  Dragon is known to be highly skilled at the keyboards, and was known for playing multiple instruments at a time.  Tennille entered the picture when Dragon recommended her to join the Beach Boys as an additional keyboardist.  The couple married in 1975, which is after this debut album was released.  The song “Love Will Keep Us Together” was a Neil Sedaka cover, and it turned out to be the duo’s signature song.  They caught the ire of many rock fans who detested their saccharine love songs.  This was displayed many-a-times on the show Full House, when Uncle Jesse would cringe at the thought of their “Muskrat Love”.  You know how much of a hardcore rocker Uncle Jesse was…he mustn’t have released the duo’s connection to his beloved Beach Boys (now I’ve outted myself as a one-time fan of TGIF).  The Captain & Tennille released albums for over thirty years, and remained married for 39 years, however they split in 2014.  Touchingly, Toni Tennille was at Daryl Dragon’s bedside until the end.