The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[The Old Mixer]

^ It's a little outside my tastes for the period, but it was on a Lost Hits of the 60's collection that I completed for several other odds & ends, so I figured, what the hell, I've got it, might as well put it on the playlist.

"Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto

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(Charted May 11, 1963; #1 US the weeks of June 15 through 29, 1963; #1 AC; #18 R&B; #6 UK)

It would be a hit again for the act that had previously brought us the immortal "Boogie Oogie Oogie":

"Sukiyaki," A Taste of Honey

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(Charted Mar. 7, 1981; #3 US; #1 AC; #1 R&B)

 

[RJDiogenes]

"Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

Definitely a classic.

"One Fine Day," The Chiffons

Another classic.

Lord actually seems like he's trying to do a character here, not just being Jack Lord. A pretty cardboard character, but an attempt nonetheless.

I never liked Jack Lord. He really turned me off to Hawaii Five-O, which is a show I would have undoubtedly watched a lot more otherwise.

As for this also-noteworthy guest...I think she's trying to do a British accent:

Wow, she looks great.

Toss in Bernard (Dr. Bombay) Fox

I love that guy.

Indeed, I was reading that this particular judge will be regularly doing his routine in the coming season of Laugh-In. According to his Wiki page, he also originated the catchphrase "Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls".

That's interesting....

I got this one, but I'm not quite feeling it for the song.

It's very different, kinda folksy, but it does have that Monkees sound.

Hmm...pleasant enough and closer to what I'm used to from the show / major singles period...but I can hear why it wasn't a bigger hit.

Definitely has that Monkees sound, but more low key.

It has a nice sound, but is a bit of a snoozer for me.

The appeal is mostly nostalgic for me.

Others may have gotten us involved there, but Johnson left the situation far worse than he found it. As the Commander-in-Chief, he was ultimately responsible for America's role in the bloodshed and atrocities that occurred during his watch, and arguably after, to some extent. Hence the assertion made on the show, that he was the most violent man in the world at the time.

All of that is true, I just don't think labeling it "Johnson's War" is appropriate, since a lot of people, even Kennedy, are responsible for that atrocity. But the Vietnam War is probably something I shouldn't get started on.

"Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto

That's kind of pleasant. Too early for me to remember it, though, and it never got any airplay on Oldies stations that I recall.

It would be a hit again for the act that had previously brought us the immortal "Boogie Oogie Oogie":

Arrrgh!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Johnson was the president who went to town with Vietnam. American ground troop levels peaked under Johnson in 1968, going from less than 20,000 in the field when he assumed office to over 500,000 at its maximum. Over 96% of the positions for ground combat that the US ever had in Vietnam were allocated under Johnson.

https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/vietnam/vwatl.htm

---

In terms of US deaths in the Vietnam War, there were 36756 from 1964 to 1968 inclusive, and 58220 overall, for about 63% during Johnson's presidency, or 5 out of 8.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Vietnam_War_deaths.png

It was Johnson's war more than any other president's.

 

[The Old Mixer]

It's like person #1 lit a candle and person #2 used it to set the house on fire. Technically, person #1 started the fire.

Something I neglected to touch upon regarding the Pigmeat Markham "Here Comes the Judge" single is his use of proto-rap.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

And about the 5/8 share of US deaths, that may seem only like a nominal majority indicating more distributed responsibility for the war, especially in terms of what it took to wage it and what it became from the perspective of the home front, until you realize that casualties still had to be taken while winding the shit show back down.

And I say this as a person who thought that Nixon's handling of the war was appalling.

How it looked from the point of view of the other side is another question, that I won't get into here.

 

[scotpens]

"Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto

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(Charted May 11, 1963; #1 US the weeks of June 15 through 29, 1963; #1 AC; #18 R&B; #6 UK)

It's a very pretty song about lost love and loneliness. Of course, "Sukiyaki" was just a familiar Japanese word used for the song's American release. The actual title translates as "I Look Up As I Walk."

The singer Kyu Sakamoto was killed in the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 on August 12, 1985.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Now ya went and made me look it up....

The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears will not fall. The verses of the song describe his memories and feelings. Rokusuke Ei wrote this song while coming back from a protest against the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan and feeling dejected about the failure of the protest movement, but the lyrics were rendered purposefully generic so that they might refer to any lost love. The English-language lyrics of the version recorded by A Taste of Honey are not a translation of the original Japanese lyrics, but instead a completely different set of lyrics arranged to the same basic melody.

The title "Sukiyaki", a Japanese hot-pot dish, does not appear in the song's lyrics, nor does it have any connection to them; it was used only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to English speakers. A Newsweek Magazine columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew".

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

"Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

Nice song, but its never been at the top of my go-to playlist for Cash songs.

Guesting as Lt. Col. Preston Gallagher:
View attachment 5037
Lord actually seems like he's trying to do a character here, not just being Jack Lord. A pretty cardboard character, but an attempt nonetheless.

Jack Lord never had much range, not as Felix Leiter or Steve McGarrett.

I got this one, but I'm not quite feeling it for the song. And it has the dubious distinction of being their last Top 40 hit until their 1986 retro comeback.

Which is odd, because The Monkees had superior tracks to come in this original period, like "As We Go Along", "Circle Sky" (from the Head soundtrack), and others recorded from this period, such as "You And I" & St. Matthew"--each were memorable and have appeared on collections released during the last couple of decades, supporting their qualities in that post TV period.

Well let's give it a listen....
Hmm...pleasant enough and closer to what I'm used to from the show / major singles period...but I can hear why it wasn't a bigger hit.

On that note, I can imagine the song on the show.

But I just don't get where a "second shooter" theory has any place in RFK's assassination...he was shot in a crowded space from--what, four feet away?--while surrounded by dozens of witnesses. Not much of a demand for magic bullets there.

Shraade (again, who was shot along with RFK) was a witnesses, noting one behind RFK's ear at the same time Sirhan was firing from the front st a distance of 3 to 5 feet. Another eyewitness--John Pilger--also believed there was a second shooter. The forensics proved RFK's fatal wound was in the rear of his head, and as of 6/6 of this year--

OAS faces Call for New a Probe into Robert F. Kennedy Murder

Between the LAPD destroying evidence, contradicting Thomas Noguchi's findings, ignoring eyewitnesses not placing Sirhan anywhere behind RFK, along with other glaring issues, it's no wonder there's a demand for a new investigation.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Which is odd, because The Monkees had superior tracks to come in this original period, like "As We Go Along", "Circle Sky" (from the Head soundtrack), and others recorded from this period, such as "You And I" & St. Matthew"--each were memorable and have appeared on collections released during the last couple of decades, supporting their qualities in that post TV period.

The Best of the Monkees collection that I bought mainly for the major singles has two from the post-show period, "Porpoise Song" and "Listen to the Band". I was planning to the include them in the weekly playlist when they come up. Oddly, the collection doesn't have "D. W. Washburn"--I had to buy that from Music Box. It does have several non-singles that I'm now familiar with from the show.

 

[RJDiogenes]

And I say this as a person who thought that Nixon's handling of the war was appalling.

Exactly. Calling it "Johnson's War" is like letting everyone else off the hook.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Exactly. Calling it "Johnson's War" is like letting everyone else off the hook.

Except it doesn't imply that at all.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Another classic.

An odd note that I'd forgotten to include about "One Fine Day": the piano work is that of co-writer Carole King, retained from her demo recording.

Sign o' the times historical note: In Thor #154 (cover date July 1968), the God of the Thunder has some words for a group of hippies that he encounters....

Though thou be truly pure of heart--in thine innocence, thou art fair misguided!

The true guru thou seekest doth lie within thyselves! Heed you now these words--

'Tis not by dropping out--but by plunging in--into the maelstrom of life itself--that thou shalt find thy wisdom! There be causes to espouse!! There be battles to be won! There be glory and grandeur all about thee--if thou wilt but see!

Aye, there be time enow for thee to disavow thy heritage--Yea, thou mayest drop out fore'er--once Hela herself hath come for thee! But, so long as life endures--thou must live it to the full!

ELSE, THOU BE UNWORTHY OF THE TITLE--MAN!

Verily, they have eyes, but seeth not! When life doth seem too much to bear--'tis not the time to renounce the struggle! The ostrich hides--the jackal flees--but man--and god--do persevere!

See for yourself.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Sign o' the times historical note: In Thor #154 (cover date July 1968), the God of the Thunder has some words for a group of hippies that he encounters....

"Stay in school, kids."

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Best of the Monkees collection that I bought mainly for the major singles has two from the post-show period, "Porpoise Song" and "Listen to the Band". I was planning to the include them in the weekly playlist when they come up. Oddly, the collection doesn't have "D. W. Washburn"--I had to buy that from Music Box.

"D.W. Washburn" did not age well; its whimsical, and not in a good way, and just seems to be different for the sake of it, as if the group decided to just do something wildly different, if not experimental, but that's the reason this track fails to be one of their great "B" or "C" level songs.

 

[The Old Mixer]

"Stay in school, kids."

Actually, it could be seen as a timely if coincidental incitement to the greater activism that the counterculture engaged in starting in 1968. The issue would have gone to the stands the same month as the Columbia student occupation and the Paris riots. Marvel comics are known to have been popular in the counterculture...maybe Stan and Jack, intentionally or not, helped contribute to that general shift in some small way.

"D.W. Washburn" did not age well; its whimsical, and not in a good way, and just seems to be different for the sake of it, as if the group decided to just do something wildly different, if not experimental, but that's the reason this track fails to be one of their great "B" or "C" level songs.

Something I've noticed is that '20s/'30s nostalgia seems to have been more of a thing in this era...no doubt having to do with that being the young adult era of the then-current generation of seniors. This brings to mind something interesting that I noticed in my album listening. While Paul McCartney is generally known for a penchant for doing music hall/OTR-style numbers both with the Beatles and in his solo career, starting with "When I'm Sixty-Four" on Sgt. Pepper...the Stones actually beat him to the punch in that department (unless I'm forgetting an earlier example of Paul's):

"Something Happened to Me Yesterday"

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(From Between the Buttons, released Jan. 1967, #355 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time)

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Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 55 years ago this week:

1. "Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto
2. "It's My Party," Lesley Gore
3. "You Can't Sit Down," The Dovells
4. "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)," The Crystals

7. "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer," Nat King Cole

9. "Hello Stranger," Barbara Lewis
10. "18 Yellow Roses," Bobby Darin
11. "Two Faces Have I," Lou Christie
12. "If You Wanna Be Happy," Jimmy Soul
13. "Surfin' U.S.A.," The Beach Boys
14. "Birdland," Chubby Checker
15. "Losing You," Brenda Lee
16. "Another Saturday Night," Sam Cooke
17. "One Fine Day," The Chiffons
18. "Prisoner of Love," James Brown & The Famous Flames
19. "Hot Pastrami," The Dartells
20. "The Good Life," Tony Bennett
21. "Foolish Little Girl," The Shirelles

23. "Take These Chains from My Heart," Ray Charles
24. "The Love of My Man," Theola Kilgore

27. "I Will Follow Him," Little Peggy March
28. "String Along," Rick Nelson
29. "Pushover," Etta James
30. "Shut Down," The Beach Boys

32. "Come and Get These Memories," Martha & The Vandellas
33. "My Summer Love," Ruby & The Romantics
34. "Pipeline," The Chantays
35. "Let's Go Steady Again," Neil Sedaka

37. "Pride and Joy," Marvin Gaye
38. "Killer Joe," The Rocky Fellers

45. "Reverend Mr. Black," The Kingston Trio

47. "Puff (The Magic Dragon)," Peter, Paul & Mary
48. "Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

50. "Easier Said Than Done," The Essex

55. "So Much in Love," The Tymes

57. "Memphis," Lonnie Mack

59. "Falling," Roy Orbison

65. "Ain't That a Shame!," The Four Seasons

68. "Surf City," Jan & Dean

72. "Just One Look," Doris Troy

86. "Not Me," The Orlons

89. "Denise," Randy & The Rainbows

96. "Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye," The Shirelles

99. "My True Confession," Brook Benton


Leaving the chart:

• "These Arms of Mine," Otis Redding
• "This Little Girl," Dion

55 Years Ago Spotlight: Surf's up, dudes!

"Pipeline," The Chantays

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(Charted Mar. 2, 1963; #4 US; #11 R&B; #16 UK)

"Surfin' U.S.A.," The Beach Boys

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(Charted Mar. 23, 1963; #3 US; #20 R&B; #34 UK)

"Surf City," Jan & Dean

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(Charted June 15, 1963; #1 US the weeks of July 20 and 27, 1963; #3 R&B; #26 UK)

Toss in a little hot-roddin' for good measure....

"Shut Down," The Beach Boys

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(B-side of "Surfin' U.S.A."; charted Apr. 27, 1963; #23 US)

_______

Catch-Up Viewing

_______




"Gauntlet of Fire"
Originally aired September 9, 1966

The men of the 918th are angry when Gallagher leads them on mission after mission to drop bomb-warning leaflets over France.

Guest-starring William Windom, as well as Kwai Chang's underwhelming brother Tim McIntire.

Doc Kaiser's back, after seeming to disappear from the show sometime in Season 2 (sometimes being filled in for by other base doctor characters).

Gallagher's up for a promotion to a desk job at Wing HQ, which has his overworked men thinking that he's just pushing them for the promotion, not knowing that he really doesn't want it. Joe lets the men stay mad at him rather than explain himself to keep them motivated. It could be worse...at least he didn't open the season by getting killed off-camera.

Stovall turns the Toby jug--IN COLOR!


Somewhere along the way, Britt grounds Gallagher to get him to man his desk because of requisitions issues. But when the colonel's short of men to fly the last mission because of widespread exhaustion, Joe disobey's the general's orders, Stovall comes along to co-pilot, and various other men find the motivation to volunteer.

Another Piccadilly Lily bites the dust--IN COLOR!


Gallagher, Stovall, and Komansky wind up bailing out in France, holing up in the cellar of a bombed-out farmhouse and taking some patrolling German soldiers prisoner. Then a Very Special Stock Footage Sequence clues in the audience that there was a D-Darn good reason for the 918th being pushed so hard this episode....

Our three series regulars welcome an American paratrooper unit to Normandy--IN COLOR!



"Massacre"
Originally aired September 16, 1966

A Russian major aboard a 918th bomber recklessly shoots down a friendly plane from his own country, which causes problems for Gallagher when his force lands at a Russian airbase.

This week's story centers around a shuttle raid to Russia. It's all about the shuttle raids now! And every time they do a shuttle raid, somebody on the refueling end seems to be holding out with the gas.

I wish I could say that Kevin McCarthy's doing a Boris Badenov accent here, but he's not even trying that hard. (Small Retro World Department: IMDb says that he was a cousin of Eugene McCarthy.) Anyway, he makes Michael Constantine look good.

Stovall goes along on this one as well...I wonder if he'll just be going on missions regularly this season? And so does...Doc Kaiser!?! What the hell is he doing going on missions, never mind all the way to Russia...?

Gallagher takes his first hot bath in two years--IN COLOR!



It may be too soon to tell for Season 3 in particular, but overall the series seems to have crossed the fuzzy line into becoming more of an action/adventure show with leanings toward drama, rather than an aspiring semi-anthology. Take the season premiere...the top-billed guest star wasn't central to the story, and his character could have been played by just about anyone...a waste of an actor who easily could have carried a meaty semi-anthology story.

_______

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 51 years ago this week:

1. "Groovin'," The Young Rascals
2. "Respect," Aretha Franklin
3. "She'd Rather Be with Me," The Turtles
4. "Release Me (and Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck
5. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane
6. "Little Bit o' Soul," The Music Explosion
7. "Windy," The Association
8. "All I Need," The Temptations
9. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings
10. "Mirage," Tommy James & The Shondells
11. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Frankie Valli
12. "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," Spanky & Our Gang
13. "Come on Down to My Boat," Every Mother's Son
14. "7-Rooms of Gloom," Four Tops
15. "Let's Live for Today," The Grass Roots
16. "Him or Me, What's It Gonna Be?," Paul Revere & The Raiders
17. "Ding, Dong! The Witch Is Dead," The Fifth Estate
18. "New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)," Bee Gees
19. "Do It Again a Little Bit Slower," Jon & Robin & The In Crowd
20. "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)," Scott McKenzie
21. "Creeque Alley," The Mamas & The Papas
22. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick
23. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes
24. "The Tracks of My Tears," Johnny Rivers
25. "Six O'Clock," The Lovin' Spoonful
26. "Don't Sleep in the Subway," Petula Clark
27. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
28. "Here We Go Again," Ray Charles
29. "Tramp," Otis & Carla
30. "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)," Janis Ian
31. "Up, Up and Away," The 5th Dimension
32. "When You're Young and in Love," The Marvelettes
33. "C'mon Marianne," The Four Seasons
34. "For Your Precious Love," Oscar Toney, Jr.
35. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

40. "The Happening," The Supremes
41. "On a Carousel," The Hollies
42. "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood
43. "I Was Made to Love Her," Stevie Wonder
44. "Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley
45. "Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats
46. "Pay You Back with Interest," The Hollies
47. "Shake," Otis Redding

50. "Light My Fire," The Doors

53. "Make Me Yours," Bettye Swann
54. "Soul Finger," The Bar-Kays

62. "I Take It Back," Sandy Posey

71. "Step Out of Your Mind," The American Breed

73. "Carrie-Anne," The Hollies

76. "More Love," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

81. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," The Buckinghams

91. "Silence Is Golden," The Tremeloes

96. "Have You Seen Her Face," The Byrds


Leaving the chart:

• "Close Your Eyes," Peaches & Herb
• "Don't You Care," The Buckinghams
• "Happy Jack," The Who
• "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman," Whistling Jack Smith
• "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," Bob Dylan
• "Release Me," Esther Phillips
• "Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify
• "Somethin' Stupid," Frank & Nancy Sinatra

_______

 

[RJDiogenes]

Actually, it could be seen as a timely if coincidental incitement to the greater activism that the counterculture engaged in starting in 1968. The issue would have gone to the stands the same month as the Columbia student occupation and the Paris riots. Marvel comics are known to have been popular in the counterculture...maybe Stan and Jack, intentionally or not, helped contribute to that general shift in some small way.

Perhaps a call to activism disguised as a stay-in-school message?

Something I've noticed is that '20s/'30s nostalgia seems to have been more of a thing in this era...no doubt having to do with that being the young adult era of the then-current generation of seniors.

The 20s/30s era is quite an interesting analog to the 60s/70s era. There was a strong counterculture and a lot of activism for women's and minority's rights (although women made out better in those days). My fascination with the 20s comes from noticing the strong parallels between the 20s and the 60s. Even the word "groovy" originated in that era.

"Something Happened to Me Yesterday"

Interesting. I never heard that one before. Not bad.

"Pipeline," The Chantays

Oh, yeah, I remember that. I'm not much into instrumentals, but that has a nostalgic sound to it.

"Surfin' U.S.A.," The Beach Boys

A classic among classics.

"Surf City," Jan & Dean

Another classic.

"Shut Down," The Beach Boys

Today is the day for classics.

Stovall turns the Toby jug--IN COLOR!

Another Piccadilly Lily bites the dust--IN COLOR!

Our three series regulars welcome an American paratrooper unit to Normandy--IN COLOR!

Gallagher takes his first hot bath in two years--IN COLOR!

Something seems different.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Perhaps a call to activism disguised as a stay-in-school message?

You have to stay in school to occupy the campus.

I'm not much into instrumentals, but that has a nostalgic sound to it.

We have another, very famous surf instrumental entering the chart next week...one I hope you'll agree wouldn't be improved by more than the few words it has. It was a toss-up whether to do the surf theme this week or next, as "Pipeline" will be dropping off the chart.

A classic among classics.

Well, "Sweet Little Sixteen" had already been a classic before Brian Wilson..."homaged" it. Chuck Berry belatedly got a writing credit.

Something seems different.

So you've noticed the lack of meaty, dramatic semi-anthology stories, too.

 

[RJDiogenes]

You have to stay in school to occupy the campus.

That sounds like it could be a line from a 60s sitcom. "Drop out?! But then how can you engage in student protests?!"

So you've noticed the lack of meaty, dramatic semi-anthology stories, too.

Indeed. It used to be like the Route 66 of the airways. Now it's more more and less colorful.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Indeed. It used to be like the Route 66 of the airways. Now it's more more and less colorful.

They could have had their cake and eaten it, too...meaty, dramatic semi-anthology stories...IN COLOR!

Actually, as we're on the last half-season, I suspect that any move away from the aspiring semi-anthology format would have been a deliberate choice in desperation to improve ratings. True semi-anthology format was becoming a thing of the past by this point, to my knowledge. New shows in the '66-'67 season that have been covered in this thread include Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, Tarzan, The Green Hornet...all action/adventure shows that focus more on putting their regular characters in situations of the week, rather than on the dramatic stories of guest characters.

 

[RJDiogenes]

True. I don't recall any other Route 66-type shows around that time. Of course, it can be a subtle distinction, since episodic series usually revolve around guest stars to some degree. Was Kung Fu a semi anthology? Emergency or Adam-12?