@MIZZOU ASKS YOU

Music and Movies

@Mizzou readers share the songs and films that best define their Mizzou experience…

It would probably be “Joking” by the Indigo Girls. I was a part of the Midwest Renaissance Theatre Company, and we ended our first production, Much Ado About Nothing, with that song. It will always be synonymous with good times with my theatre friends.

— Allyson Jacob, BA, BA ’95

When I hear songs like “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Vehicle,” and “The Letter,” I am reminded of the great times we had on Friday afternoons at the Black and Gold in the late ’60s and early ’70s listening to one of the greatest college bands of all time, The Palace Guard. Thanks for the memories. How about a reunion?

— Mickey Kuhn

I first saw the film The Graduate during my first semester at Mizzou. It was shown on campus, and my friend told me it was a classic. My husband and I recently caught it on cable and relived the awe in cinematography.

— Sara Maybrier Shields, BS Ed ’89

“The Letter” by the Box Tops is the song I most remember from my Mizzou experience. Almost every time I entered The Shack, “Give me a ticket for an airplane,” the lyrics from this song, were playing on the jukebox. I always assumed this song was played frequently by guys who were missing their sweethearts back home and wishing they could get a ticket for an airplane to go home and keep the “fires” burning in their romance.

— Leo Downey, BS Ed ’93, M Ed ’95

The Heidelberg restaurant on Ninth St., a favorite post-game destination for Mizzou football fans, has a jukebox that plays a mix of music, including the “Missouri Fanfare/March.” Photo by Evan Wilder/VOX magazine

If any song characterizes my years at Mizzou, it would be “Ling Ting Tong.”

It was on the jukebox in the Memorial Union for most of my stay at Mizzou (1953-56). It stayed on, for some reason, long after it vanished from the popular song charts; in fact, for several years, much longer than any other song I remember!

I used to settle in a booth in the Union during the day and do my assignments. If I could get to the jukebox in time, I always played “Ling Ting Tong” since it amused me greatly! These days it would probably be considered an ethnic slur, but times have changed.

— William H. Pittman, BS ’56

The song that characterized Mizzou when I was there was “Louie, Louie.” Why? If you have to ask, you must not have been there.

— Doug McReynolds, BA ’67, MA ’69

The song that I remember most during college days at Mizzou was “That’s What I Like About You” by the Romantics. Loved it!! It was played a lot at fraternity parties.

— Shelley D. Wallace, BS BA ’89

After a tough week at the J-School, the advertising majors would head down to the Vu for dancing. During the Cardinals’ run with Ozzie we would get out on the floor in a big group and have a blast. Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration,” the Cards’ theme song, was the song I remember most. “Celebrate good times! Come on!”

— Rick Willis, BJ ’84

The song that best defines my Mizzou experience happened late one night in Hudson Hall, a guy’s dorm on the east side of campus. Some idiot pulled the fire alarm in the middle of the night, waking everyone up and causing a general building evacuation. Once the all-clear was given and everyone returned to the building, one of our stereo fanatics put his 5-megawatt speakers in the hallway and played The Doors’ “Light My Fire” as loud as it would go. Hearing “Light My Fire” at full volume echoing down the concrete corridors and across the campus is a memory unlike any other. Stephen’s College may have heard the music that night. To this day when I hear “Light My Fire,” I think of that incident in the dorm.

— Ray Williams, BS ChE ’73, MS ’76

Well, unfortunately, I didn’t learn soon enough that “fat, drunk and stupid” is no way to go through life. I had way too much FUN at Mizzou and didn’t apply myself enough in the study realm of things. Thank the Lord for keeping me safe and from harm until I “came to” and realized that I couldn’t drink my way to a happy life.

So Animal House would be the movie that most symbolizes my college years (1980-84) at Mizzou.

— Al Kremer, BA ’84

Believe it or not, my two-year Mizzou experience working for a master’s degree at the School of Journalism (1975-97) is defined by the singer Olivia Newton-John, rather than by a song or a film.

Olivia Newton-John, who had a string of gold albums in the U.S. throughout the 1970s, played at the Hearnes Center in 1976. Photo courtesy of The Savitar and University Archives

I was doing a feature story for the Missourian on “The Lonely Lives of Police Wives,” in 1976. One of the families had a mentally handicapped daughter who adored Olivia Newton-John. Newton-John had a forthcoming concert booked at the Hearnes Center, and the girl’s parents asked me if there was any way in the world that I could arrange a meeting between the singer and their daughter. (They were going to the show no matter what.) I had no idea where to begin, but I liked the challenge and told them I’d see what I could do.

After a flurry of phone calls, I found myself at the band’s hotel. I introduced myself to Newton-John’s opening act Paul Williams. He pointed me toward some of Newton-John’s band members, who turned out to be very friendly. They introduced me to the road manager who said he’d talk to Newton-John about meeting the girl. Later that day, I got a call saying Newton-John had agreed to meet the girl. I was given instructions on how to proceed. (For some reason her parents weren’t allowed backstage. I was to escort her after Paul Williams finished his set.)

Well, it actually happened. The girl, who was 13, but probably would never advance beyond the mentality of a 10-year-old, got to meet her favorite star. I got a great feature for the Missourian, many kudos from my professors, and the confidence that maybe I could do this thing called journalism. The only glitch was it was so dark backstage that the photographer’s photos of the two of them together didn’t come out, and we had to run separate photos of them with the story.

In 1982, I became the pop/rock music columnist for the Ft. Lauderdale News/Sun Sentinel. I reprised that role for the Palm Beach Post from 1987 through 1995. This summer my first book is being published: Stars of David: Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Jewish Stories (Brandeis University Press).

I have to trace it all back, at least in part, to a mother and father’s request to a fledgling, uncertain Mizzou journalism student to do a kind deed for their daughter.
Thank you Mizzou, and thank you Olivia Newton-John.

— Scott Benarde, MA ’77

The lyrics of “Porch Song” by Widespread Panic encompass the wonderful carefree days of my collegiate experience. The tune paints a picture of leaving class on a sunny Friday afternoon and slowly walking up Ninth St. to grab a beer with my friends. The pace of this tune represents something that I never knew was so good, until I was gone; that being, of course, the worry-free college life.

Since the days at MU, fellow alumni have gathered all across the country to see Widespread Panic play. I am always amazed by the size of the Mizzou crew that gathers for their shows. Regardless of if you are in New York, New Orleans, San Diego or San Francisco, you can always count on seeing some old friends and fellow alumni at a Panic show.

Lyrics to “Porch Song”
I opened up my eyes to see
A land of sunny rocks and funny trees
I guess (Yes,) I’m on the moon again
A heavy earth exchange a lighter breeze
Got no coat and got no money
A pair of tennis shoes to last through May
A crater for an outdoor pool
A few good cats to help me pass the day

Havin’ a good time, here today
Watching the sun shine, matinee
Never the wrong time, time we stay
Living the moontime, time we play

From here I watch the world go by
Working in the moontime bar and grill
The word from Earth – my time is up
But here upon the moon time stands still
Got no telecommunications
Cables haven't gotten out this way
The man in the moon is a musician
That’s the way we pass the lunar day

Havin’ a good time, here today
Watching the sun shine, matinee
Never the wrong time, time we stay
Living the moontime, time we play
Living the moontime, time to live it up!

— Phil Barkett, BA ’97

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Last Update: March 12, 2007