The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

The Old Mixer · Nov 21, 2018

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50th Anniversary Album Spotlight

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Electric Ladyland
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Released October 16, 1968
Chart debut: October 19, 1968
Chart peak: #1, November 16 and 23, 1968
#54 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Wiki said:
Electric Ladyland is the third and final studio album by English-American rock band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released by Reprise Records in North America and Track Records in the UK in October 1968, the double album was the only record from the band produced by Jimi Hendrix. By mid-November, it had charted at number one in the United States, where it spent two weeks at the top spot. Electric Ladyland was the Experience's most commercially successful release and their only number one album. It peaked at number six in the UK, where it spent 12 weeks on the chart.

Electric Ladyland included a cover of the Bob Dylan song, "All Along the Watchtower", which became the Experience's highest-selling single and their only top 40 hit in the US, peaking at number 20; the single reached number five in the UK. Although the album confounded critics in 1968, it has since been viewed as Hendrix's best work and one of the greatest rock records of all time. Electric Ladyland has been featured on many greatest-album lists, including Q magazine's 2003 list of the 100 greatest albums and Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, on which it was ranked 55th.

Alas, due to the limited availability of Jimi material on YouTube, I'll only be able to post what I could find, which leaves out some of the album's stronger tracks. At least some of them were available through what appears to be a secondary source.

As with the previous album, Axis: Bold as Love, Side 1 opens with a short, eclectic track. "And the Gods Made Love" features slowed down and backwards speaking and disorienting stereo effects, which is preferable to the annoying sped-up "alien" voices of its predecessor.

The first proper track, "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)," features Jimi in smooth, mellow mode. I've read that his vocal here has been likened to Curtis Mayfield, and I can hear that.

"Crosstown Traffic" is a well-known radio track and a very enjoyable classic acid rocker, but a bit lightweight by the standards of Jimi's more renowned tracks. It's most notable sonically for its "kazoo" sound, which I read was made with a comb and tissue paper.
(Charts Nov. 30; #52 US; #37 UK)

Nearly three times the length of the previous three tracks combined, the 15-minute "Voodoo Chile" takes up the remainder of the first side. Comparing and contrasting with my recent Big Brother & the Holding Company listening, I have to point to this one and say, "THIS is how you psychedelicize the blues!" I read that this was Hendrix's longest studio recording. It includes crowd noise provided by twentyish clubgoers and fellow musicians brought into the studio.
Official Behind the Scenes video:

Side 2 opens with "Little Miss Strange," written and sung by Experience bass player Noel Redding. As such, it's of less interest to me than the Jimi material, being passable, vaguely Who/Cream-ish rock/pop of the era that's mainly noteworthy, of course, for its groovy, distorted guitar work.

"Long Hot Summer Night" is back to expected form, being one of the album's tracks that's on the Ultimate Experience compilation that I've owned on CD for years. As such it's friendly and familiar to me, but my ears perk up a bit at some stereo effects that I hadn't reason to notice with casual car listening.

Next is "Come On (Part I)," an uptempo cover of a 1960 Earl King number that features a decent-sized solo exhbiting Jimi in good form.

"Gypsy Eyes" is another selection that made it onto the UE compilation, and a good psychedelic rocker with plenty of stereo variation that might have made a decent single, though Jimi didn't have much luck in that market in the US. Looks like it did chart modestly well as half of a double-A-side in the UK (#35).
Behind the Scenes video.

This album side closes with another UE selection, "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," which includes in its striking arrangement some prominent use of wah-wah, which Wiki says is his first use of it on guitar in the studio. Fun fact: The Sweet Inspirations sing backing vocals on this. Looks like this one was also a single in the UK, in addition to being the B-side of "Watchtower" in the US. Damn pity I can't find a video of it.

Side 3 only has three tracks. The first, "Rainy Day, Dream Away," is noteworthy for an extended intro featuring jazzy sax and mock dialogue; what remains of the song includes sung lyrics and some nice bits of stereo-hopping wah-wah guitar, but overall it feels like an unfinished song fragment.

The centerpiece of this album side is the 13-1/2 minute "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)," a sprawling, immersive, stereophonic, psychedelic epic with some particularly grunge-ish sounding guitar work. This to me is the relatively unsung gem of the album...a track that you can easily get lost in.

Wiki said:
The track features backwards guitar and flute parts, the sounds of seagulls produced by manipulating microphone feedback, and a flexatone that makes a ringing bell sound.

The flute comes courtesy of guest musician Chris Wood from Traffic.

Capping off this side is the 1-minute "Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away," an instrumental piece that seamlessly blends out from "1983," such that I didn't notice in casual listening that it was a separate track.

Side 4's opening track, "Still Raining, Still Dreaming," is calling back to the first track on the previous side. This one showcases some playfully mobile guitar and other groovy instrumental work.

"House Burning Down" is good and drivingly funky with a dissonant outro, but nothing remarkable compared to the surrounding material.

The album's penultimate track:
'Nuff said.

The album concludes with "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (#1 UK in 1970; #101 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time). This is one more that I've been familiar with for years from Ultimate Experience...and while I can now hear how this one derives from the longer blues piece on Side 1, it definitely becomes its own hard-driving, densely woven animal. I only wish that a clip were available on YouTube, as it deserves its spotlight.

Overall, like the previous two JHE albums, Electric Ladyland makes for a generally good listen--psychedelic music that provides the high, rewards listening with earbuds, and scratches the acid rock itch like nothing else.

Next up: The Beatles, a.k.a. "The White Album".

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Nerys Myk · Nov 21, 2018

I can't wait.

The Old Mixer · Nov 21, 2018

I should note that it doesn't come out in the US until the 25th. Worth the retro-wait.

RJDiogenes · Nov 21, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Which no doubt has security measures that are both ridiculously elaborate and easily bypassed.

But it keeps the old man happy. :rommie:

It was certainly close enough to my own time that it continued to resonate as a relatively recent national tragedy when I was growing up. My parents were in their late teens when it happened. I remember my dad saying that he was working in a grocery store when he heard the news. Think they might have announced it over the speaker.

I'm told that I was walking down the street with my Mother when she met up with one of her friends who told her.

My own lifetime missed overlapping Kennedy's by several years, but I still get a little choked up watching those videos.

Ditto. Kennedy's presence was everywhere when I was a kid. He was talked about extensively in school, I had tons of books about him, he was seen frequently in magazines, and he came up in conversation always. He was the martyr of the new Revolution and he took us to the Moon.

I was thinking the same thing. Heat waves, quicksand...the Vandellas might have considered moving to a more hospitable locale.

Early victims of global warming, apparently. :rommie:

So for me, this song has come to epitomize early '60s music, in a sense.

Interesting. I have a couple of songs that kind of fall into that same category for me, like "Girl From Ipanema."

On this week's Star Trek!

Can't get too much Michael Dunn. Over Halloween, I saw him in a movie called Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks.

The Old Mixer said:
Overall, like the previous two JHE albums, Electric Ladyland makes for a generally good listen--psychedelic music that provides the high, rewards listening with earbuds, and scratches the acid rock itch like nothing else.

I was never a big fan of Jimi, but of course I never really listened to his albums-- just what came on the radio or TV. The distorted guitar work that so impresses musicians like my Brother seemed to me to be a gimmick that got old fast. The stuff covered here certainly sounds more interesting than what I've listened to in the past.

The Old Mixer · Nov 21, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
Ditto. Kennedy's presence was everywhere when I was a kid. He was talked about extensively in school, I had tons of books about him, he was seen frequently in magazines, and he came up in conversation always. He was the martyr of the new Revolution and he took us to the Moon.

Sounds like he was a little more omnipresent in the remainder of the '60s than he was by the time I was old enough to know who he was. My parents generally held him in high regard, but a post-Watergate saying of my mom’s regarding presidents was “If they’re not crooks when they go in, they’re crooks when they come out—even Kennedy!”

Something I'd always heard/read about was the period of national mourning following Kennedy's death, how the country was in a massive funk (which the Beatles are often credited for having broken us out of). I had trouble wrapping my head around what that must have been like...until 9/11. Then I understood perfectly.

Interesting. I have a couple of songs that kind of fall into that same category for me, like "Girl From Ipanema."

Nah, that's 1964, mid-60s...the decade is in Act II by that point.

I was never a big fan of Jimi, but of course I never really listened to his albums-- just what came on the radio or TV. The distorted guitar work that so impresses musicians like my Brother seemed to me to be a gimmick that got old fast. The stuff covered here certainly sounds more interesting than what I've listened to in the past.

I could definitely recommend a collection like The Ultimate Experience, which has all the major, well-known stuff and a generous selection of strong album tracks. But nowadays you can get all three Jimi Hendrix Experience studio albums on iTunes for $30! (They don't even charge more for the double album.)

RJDiogenes · Nov 22, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Sounds like he was a little more omnipresent in the remainder of the '60s than he was by the time I was old enough to know who he was. My parents generally held him in high regard, but a post-Watergate saying of my mom’s regarding presidents was “If they’re not crooks when they go in, they’re crooks when they come out—even Kennedy!”

I've always wondered about that. In what-if and alternate-universe musings on what would have happened if Kennedy had lived, the result is usually a paradise. But the Kennedys were not really saints. We may have had an earlier exit from Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement and Women's Lib movement and the Sexual Revolution were going to happen in some form under any circumstances at that point, but if Kennedy had lived and served two terms, there would likely be a lot less luster.

Something I'd always heard/read about was the period of national mourning following Kennedy's death, how the country was in a massive funk (which the Beatles are often credited for having broken us out of). I had trouble wrapping my head around what that must have been like...until 9/11. Then I understood perfectly.

Yeah, I've thought the same thing. Except that, in the aftermath, Kennedy's death strengthened liberalism and the terrorist attacks strengthened conservatism.

Nah, that's 1964, mid-60s...the decade is in Act II by that point.

I should have quoted that differently. I meant the part about the song becoming an oldie in your own listening experience.

I could definitely recommend a collection like The Ultimate Experience, which has all the major, well-known stuff and a generous selection of strong album tracks. But nowadays you can get all three Jimi Hendrix Experience studio albums on iTunes for $30! (They don't even charge more for the double album.)

I may do that. Those cuts do sound pretty good.

The Old Mixer · Nov 22, 2018

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51st Anniversary Cinematic Special

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Cool Hand Luke
Starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J. D. Cannon, Lou Antonio, Robert Drivas, Strother Martin, and Jo Van Fleet
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
Released November 1, 1967
Winner of 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (George Kennedy); Nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Newman), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Donn Pearce, Frank Pierson), and Best Music, Original Music Score (Lalo Schifrin)

Wiki said:
Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American prison drama film....Newman stars in the title role as Luke, a prisoner in a Florida prison camp who refuses to submit to the system.

The film, set in the early 1960s, is based on Donn Pearce's 1965 novel of the same name....

Upon its release, Cool Hand Luke received favorable reviews and became a box-office success. The film cemented Newman's status as one of the era's top box-office actors, while the film was described as the "touchstone of an era."...In 2005, the United States Library of Congress selected it for the National Film Registry, considering it to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It has a 100% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The quotation used by the prison warden (Strother Martin) in the film, which begins with "What we've got here is failure to communicate," was listed at No. 11 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 most memorable movie lines.

In addition to the stuff that it was nominated for, I thought this film had some pretty striking cinematography as well, and that's something that I'm not generally prone to notice.

I saw this one years ago as a teenager, but my memory of the specifics was extremely vague, so it was nearly a new watch to me. (The girl washing the car was the thing that I had the strongest memory of.... :shifty:

)

This film has lots of recognizable faces, including Trek guests Lou Antonio (fourth-billed as Koko), and Morgan Woodward (ninth-billed as Boss Godfrey). Woodward is inexplicably billed lower than Clifton James (playing a sheriff, of course), even though his role is bigger. Also present are Robert Donner, Wayne Rogers (which almost takes me out of the film), Anthony Zerbe, and the cast list tells me Dennis Hopper and Joe Don Baker, though I didn't spot either of them myself.

At first I wasn't getting into the film, because the protagonist seemed like he was begging for trouble. Then I started to see the free spirit / nonconformist angle and recognized how well that resonated with the era. Plot-wise, I could see where things were going after his multiple failed escape attempts; escaping or just getting out would have been anticlimactic at that point. And I started to really see the bigger, symbolic picture when I first noticed the Jesus imagery after the egg-eating bet, of all things--the way he was lying sprawled out on the table in his shorts. Following that, it became much more obvious, including the reprimand to his fellow inmates regarding their belief in the fake picture he sent to them: "Stop feeding off me!" Sounds like a messiah...or a rock star.

Putting Luke in the hotbox because his mother died...now that was just sick. It was a nice gesture when everyone helped him eat the rice after being in the box. I'm not much of a Bible scholar, but that seemed vaguely Last Supperish, maybe mixed in with some other religious symbolism. Alas, the other prisoners turn against him (thrice deny him?) when it looks like he's been broken by the extra labor (which is effectively him digging, filling in, and redigging a grave).

But once Luke establishes good behavior, he enacts one last escape attempt, taking Dragline (George Kennedy) with him. Dragline plays Judas and Luke gets shot on sight despite promises made to Drag...and through a church window, no less. Following Luke's strongly implied death, he lives on as a prison legend.

They use the word "pop" a lot in these old films. That was what we called it in Indiana, but I've lived in two other regions of the country, and if you asked for a pop in Florida they'd look at you like you had two heads.

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RJDiogenes said:
We may have had an earlier exit from Vietnam

I don't think we would have gotten as deeply involved in the first place. That was Johnson's policy.

Yeah, I've thought the same thing. Except that, in the aftermath, Kennedy's death strengthened liberalism and the terrorist attacks strengthened conservatism.

Well, I wasn't even thinking of the politics...more how it affected people personally, on a national scale. That much was bipartisan.

I should have quoted that differently. I meant the part about the song becoming an oldie in your own listening experience.

There may be hope for you yet, Mr. Diogenes.

I may do that. Those cuts do sound pretty good.

See, I think that they're shooting themselves in the foot keeping Jimi's stuff off YouTube...there are still new fans to turn on! Here are some things that I was able to dig up from the previous two albums; all but "Third Stone from the Sun" were in the Ultimate Experience compilation. "Third Stone" is pretty much an instrumental, but if you liked what you were hearing in "1983," it's along the same lines.

From Are You Experienced (released May 12, 1967 (UK), Aug. 23, 1967 (US); peaked at #5, Oct. 5, 1968; #15 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time):

"Manic Depression"

"Third Stone from the Sun"

And of course, Jimi's awesome version of "Hey Joe," which I believe I posted upthread last year (#198 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time).

From Axis: Bold As Love (released Jan. 1968; peaked at #3, Mar. 9, 1968; #82 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time):

"Wait Until Tomorrow"

"Little Wing"
(#357 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

"Castles Made of Sand"

RJDiogenes · Nov 23, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
I saw this one years ago as a teenager, but my memory of the specifics was extremely vague, so it was nearly a new watch to me. (The girl washing the car was the thing that I had the strongest memory of.... )

This was interesting to read, as I realized that I had absolutely no knowledge of this movie whatsoever. Or maybe negative knowledge, since I would have guessed from the title that it was a cop or vigilante movie. :rommie:

Following Luke's strongly implied death, he lives on as a prison legend.

In later years, prisoners would invoke Luke to justify shivving each other.

They use the word "pop" a lot in these old films. That was what we called it in Indiana, but I've lived in two other regions of the country, and if you asked for a pop in Florida they'd look at you like you had two heads.

We used to call it "tonic" when I was a kid in Dorchester and anything else still sounds weird to me, even though nobody around here uses it anymore. "Pop" just sounds bizarre and "soda" just makes me think of "Hooka Tooka My Soda Cracker." :rommie:

I don't think we would have gotten as deeply involved in the first place. That was Johnson's policy.

That's true, too.

Well, I wasn't even thinking of the politics...more how it affected people personally, on a national scale. That much was bipartisan.

Indeed. Not only was he the president, but he was a beloved and respected figure both at home and all over the world.

There may be hope for you yet, Mr. Diogenes.

I'm not sure what you mean, but thank you. :rommie:

See, I think that they're shooting themselves in the foot keeping Jimi's stuff off YouTube...there are still new fans to turn on!

I have mixed feelings about that. I don't like the idea of people grabbing intellectual property and giving it away, but of course the owners of the property can do what they want.

Here are some things that I was able to dig up from the previous two albums;

I guess I'll always have mixed feelings about Jimi. I liked "Manic Depression," thanks to the lyrics; other stuff had a sameness about it, and a couple of things I just drifted off. It's not that I don't like it, it just doesn't grab me.

The Old Mixer · Nov 23, 2018

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Some Ho-Ho-Highlights from 55 Years Ago This Holiday Season

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," Andy Williams

"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," The Crystals

"Sleigh Ride," The Ronettes

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Darlene Love

"Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys

Three of these selections are from A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector, which (a) came out 55 years ago yesterday, and (b) ranks #1 on Rolling Stone's 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time. "Little Saint Nick," originally released as a standalone single in 1963, would be included on 1964's The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, which ranks #7 on the same list.

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RJDiogenes said:
This was interesting to read, as I realized that I had absolutely no knowledge of this movie whatsoever. Or maybe negative knowledge, since I would have guessed from the title that it was a cop or vigilante movie.

Ah...well this is the classic film that just about anything else about prison labor camps with hotboxes, like that one Incredible Hulk episode, has been riffing on all these years.

I should add that "what we've got here is (a) failure to communicate" is one of those sayings that's become so thoroughly ingrained in our culture that I had no idea that it specifically stemmed from this film.

We used to call it "tonic" when I was a kid in Dorchester and anything else still sounds weird to me, even though nobody around here uses it anymore.

Now in Florida, they'd probably think you were a damn furrener and tell you to go back where you came from! :lol:

Indeed. Not only was he the president, but he was a beloved and respected figure both at home and all over the world.

I was referencing my 9/11 perspective, but I'd like to think that the mourning for Kennedy was also as bipartisan.

I have mixed feelings about that. I don't like the idea of people grabbing intellectual property and giving it away, but of course the owners of the property can do what they want.

The posters of those audio-only clips that have become common on YouTube are usually the record labels. Jimi's one of the few major artists who isn't available via that means. Even the Beatles are doing it now, and they're usually pretty conservative about such things.

I guess I'll always have mixed feelings about Jimi. I liked "Manic Depression," thanks to the lyrics; other stuff had a sameness about it, and a couple of things I just drifted off. It's not that I don't like it, it just doesn't grab me.

Ah, that's too bad.

TREK_GOD_1 · Nov 23, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Cool Hand Luke

The girl washing the car was the thing that I had the strongest memory of.... )

She was actress Joy Harmon, who TV audiences will remember from Batman as the beauty contest winner The Riddler steals a kiss from in "A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away" (ABC, 2/16/66) and two episodes of The Monkees: as the bank teller in "The Picture Frame" aka "The Bank Robbery" (NBC, 9/18/67) and "The Monkees on the Wheel" (NBC, 12/11/67) as Zelda, the money-hungry girl with her hand out as Micky blows his money on slot machines.

This film has lots of recognizable faces, including Trek guests Lou Antonio (fourth-billed as Koko), and Morgan Woodward (ninth-billed as Boss Godfrey). Woodward is inexplicably billed lower than Clifton James (playing a sheriff, of course), even though his role is bigger. Also present are Robert Donner, Wayne Rogers (which almost takes me out of the film), Anthony Zerbe, and the cast list tells me Dennis Hopper and Joe Don Baker, though I didn't spot either of them myself.

007 fact: Joe Don Baker and Anthony Zerbe would go on to portray villains in Timothy Dalton's two James Bond films: Baker as Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (UA/EON, 1987) and Zerbe as Milton Krest in License to Kill (UA/EON, 1989).

Speaking of Zerbe, he and "Dynamite"--or Buck Kartarlian--both worked with Charlton Heston in the greatest of his sci-fi dramas: Zerbe as the mutated cult leader Matthias in The Omega Man (Warner Brothers, 1971) and Kartarlian as gorilla zoo jailer Julius in Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox, 1968).

Putting Luke in the hotbox because his mother died...now that was just sick. It was a nice gesture when everyone helped him eat the rice after being in the box. I'm not much of a Bible scholar, but that seemed vaguely Last Supperish, maybe mixed in with some other religious symbolism. Alas, the other prisoners turn against him (thrice deny him?) when it looks like he's been broken by the extra labor (which is effectively him digging, filling in, and redigging a grave).

One can interpret the hotbox/feeding scene in any way, but I realize some found it analogous to Jesus' experience leading to The Last Supper or his betrayal by Judas Iscariot. In truth Luke is no real leader who is changing the very nature of all around him for the sake of eternal salvation, nor does Luke's crusade truly threaten the corrupt institution that he found himself assigned (sentenced) to.
However, the film's coda--Lalo Schifrin's plaintive end track trying to pull every emotional string it could--with the widening high angle of the intersection road appearing to be a cross, then dissolving to the photo with tears that also form a cross-like pattern were as subtle as Moe hitting Curly in the head with a wrench. That the photo was of Luke posed with two women (that was Luke's life, not one of purity) seemed like a deliberately blasphemous subversion of any implied Christ reference, so it takes one out of the potential impact of story's closing.

They use the word "pop" a lot in these old films. That was what we called it in Indiana, but I've lived in two other regions of the country, and if you asked for a pop in Florida they'd look at you like you had two heads.

Well, you are strange....

....but "pop" is still used as far west as Nevada and far north as Canada in some regions. In fact, I've heard people use "pop" more than its commercial designation as a "soft drink".

See, I think that they're shooting themselves in the foot keeping Jimi's stuff off YouTube.

Some might drop their jaws over the following, but I've never been much of a Hendrix fan. I can appreciate his musicianship--but strictly as a guitarist, not songwriter, where he was limited, in my opinion.

The Old Mixer · Nov 23, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
One can interpret the hotbox/feeding scene in any way, but I realize some found it analogous to Jesus' experience leading to The Last Supper or his betrayal by Judas Iscariot. In truth Luke is no real leader who is changing the very nature of all around him for the sake of eternal salvation, nor does Luke's crusade truly threaten the corrupt institution that he found himself assigned (sentenced) to.

Something doesn't have to be an exact match to be analogous or draw upon the symbolism/iconography of something else. It's clear what they were going for here, whether or not you think it was well-realized or appropriate.

However, the film's coda--Lalo Schifrin's plaintive end track trying to pull every emotional string it could--with the widening high angle of the intersection road appearing to be a cross, then dissolving to the photo with tears that also form a cross-like pattern were as subtle as Moe hitting Curly in the head with a wrench.

Now I was giving the film the benefit of the doubt based on how highly regarded it is...but I'll grant you that! :lol:

Some might drop their jaws over the following, but I've never been much of a Hendrix fan. I can appreciate his musicianship--but strictly as a guitarist, not songwriter, where he was limited, in my opinion.

To each his own. A lot of the period album buying I've been doing (including stuff from before I started writing up reviews) has been hit or miss with me. Jimi's albums stand out from the pack in my book.

RJDiogenes · Nov 24, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Some Ho-Ho-Highlights from 55 Years Ago This Holiday Season

Oh, no-- even Old Mixer has started in with the Christmas music. :rommie:

Speaking of Christmas, MeTV has begun their Christmas programming and the Ed Sullivan Special is on tomorrow. I must remember to record it.

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," Andy Williams

I love Andy Williams. Back in the 60s, when I first started watching Star Trek, Andy Williams' show was on right before it on Saturday nights, so I'd watch all the time. He had some pretty weird stuff on there, like a giant bear and a suitcase with legs.

"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," The Crystals

An excellent version of this song.

"Sleigh Ride," The Ronettes

I love The Ronettes.

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Darlene Love

This is pretty good. I'm not sure if I've heard it before.

"Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys

Good one.

Ah...well this is the classic film that just about anything else about prison labor camps with hotboxes, like that one Incredible Hulk episode, has been riffing on all these years.

So I see. Never too old to learn, I guess. :rommie:

I should add that "what we've got here is (a) failure to communicate" is one of those sayings that's become so thoroughly ingrained in our culture that I had no idea that it specifically stemmed from this film.

I knew it was a movie quote, but I didn't know from where. My turn to be in the position you were in with Casablanca. :rommie:

Now in Florida, they'd probably think you were a damn furrener and tell you to go back where you came from!

I'm sure "tonic" would be the least of my troubles in Florida. :rommie:

I was referencing my 9/11 perspective, but I'd like to think that the mourning for Kennedy was also as bipartisan.

It was, not only because of who Kennedy was as a person, but because it was a different era.

Ah, that's too bad.

I actually feel kind of bad about it, since I love my childhood world of the 60s so much.

DarrenTR1970 · Nov 24, 2018

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Darlene Love
This is pretty good. I'm not sure if I've heard it before.

@RJDiogenes
I'm surprised you haven't heard this before. It was an annual tradition for close to 25 years to close David Letterman's Christmas show with a rendition of this. This is the final one before David Letterman retired. I know Paul Schaefer catches flack sometimes, but he leads the house band at the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and he really pulls out all the stops when it comes to recreating the classic Phil Spector 'Wall Of Sound' production.

The Old Mixer · Nov 24, 2018

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50 Years Ago This Week

November 24 – 4 men hijack Pan Am Flight 281 from JFK International Airport, New York to Havana, Cuba.
November 26 – Vietnam War: United States Air Force First Lieutenant and Bell UH-1F helicopter pilot James P. Fleming rescues an Army Special Forces unit pinned down by Viet Cong fire, earning a Medal of Honor for his bravery.
November 27–30 – First National Women's Liberation Conference in Lake Villa, Illinois.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
November 28 – In an effort to protect Yoko, whom he fears may be deported since she is not a British citizen, John pleads guilty to the charge of unauthorized possession of cannabis resin at Marylebone Magistrates Court. He is fined £150 and ordered to pay 20 guineas' costs. He and Yoko are found not guilty of obstructing the police in execution of a search warrant.
November 29 – First UK release of John and Yoko's controversial and experimental LP Two Virgins.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Love Child," Diana Ross & The Supremes
2. "Hey Jude," The Beatles
3. "Magic Carpet Ride," Steppenwolf
4. "Those Were the Days," Mary Hopkin
5. "Abraham, Martin and John," Dion
6. "Who's Making Love," Johnnie Taylor
7. "For Once In My Life," Stevie Wonder
8. "Wichita Lineman," Glen Campbell
9. "Hold Me Tight," Johnny Nash
10. "White Room," Cream
11. "Stormy," Classics IV feat. Dennis Yost
12. "I Love How You Love Me," Bobby Vinton
13. "Both Sides Now," Judy Collins
14. "Elenore," The Turtles
15. "Chewy Chewy," Ohio Express
16. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," Marvin Gaye
17. "Little Green Apples," O.C. Smith
18. "Midnight Confessions," The Grass Roots
19. "Little Arrows," Leapy Lee
20. "Promises, Promises," Dionne Warwick
21. "Bring It On Home to Me," Eddie Floyd
22. "See Saw," Aretha Franklin

24. "Bang-Shang-A-Lang," The Archies
25. "Hi-Heel Sneakers," Jose Feliciano
26. "Cloud Nine," The Temptations
27. "Over You," Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
28. "Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)," Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
29. "Always Together," The Dells
30. "Shame, Shame," Magic Lanterns

32. "Fire," The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
33. "Sweet Blindness," The 5th Dimension
34. "Cinnamon," Derek

37. "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries," Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson

39. "Too Weak to Fight," Clarence Carter

41. "Scarborough Fair," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
42. "Till," The Vogues

51. "Hang 'Em High," Booker T. & The MG's

57. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," Otis Redding
58. "Hooked on a Feeling," B.J. Thomas

61. "Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero (The More I Love You)," Rene & Rene
62. "Son of a Preacher Man," Dusty Springfield

65. "Soulful Strut," Young-Holt Unlimited

70. "Crown of Creation," Jefferson Airplane
71. "Stand by Your Man," Tammy Wynette

73. "Crosstown Traffic," The Jimi Hendrix Experience

80. "With a Little Help from My Friends," Joe Cocker

93. "Everyday People," Sly & The Family Stone

98. "This Is My Country," The Impressions
99. "Bella Linda," The Grass Roots
100. "If I Can Dream," Elvis Presley

Leaving the chart:

"Fool for You," The Impressions (12 weeks)
"Hey, Western Union Man," Jerry Butler (13 weeks)
"Keep On Lovin' Me Honey," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (7 weeks)
"Revolution," The Beatles (11 weeks)
"Shape of Things to Come," Max Frost & The Troopers (12 weeks)
"Suzie Q," Creedence Clearwater Revival (12 weeks)
"Take Me for a Little While," The Vanilla Fudge (8 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Crosstown Traffic," The Jimi Hendrix Experience
(#52 US; #37 UK)

"Bella Linda," The Grass Roots
(#28 US)

"This Is My Country," The Impressions
(#25 US; #8 R&B)

"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," Otis Redding
(#21 US; #10 R&B; #52 UK; the original version by writer James Brown was a #8 hit for him in 1965 and ranks #72 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

"If I Can Dream," Elvis Presley
(#12 US; #11 UK)

"Son of a Preacher Man," Dusty Springfield
(#10 US; #9 UK; #240 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

"Soulful Strut," Young-Holt Unlimited
(#3 US; #2 AC; #3 R&B)

"Everyday People," Sly & The Family Stone
(#1 US the weeks of Feb. 15 through Mar. 8, 1969; #1 R&B; #36 UK; #145 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

And new on the boob tube:

The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 21, episode 6, featuring Dusty Springfield, Nancy Wilson, The Kessler Twins, Burns & Schreiber, and the Muppets
Mission: Impossible, "The Elixir"
The Avengers, "False Witness"
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Season 2, episode 10
That Girl, "The Seventh Time Around"
Ironside, "The Macabre Mr. Micawber"
Star Trek, "Wink of an Eye"
Adam-12, "Log 132: Producer"
Get Smart, "The Laser Blazer"
Hogan's Heroes, "No Names Please"

_______

RJDiogenes said:
Oh, no-- even Old Mixer has started in with the Christmas music.

Just kicking things off on what's supposed to be the start of the season...and wanted to highlight the Spector Christmas album near its anniversary.

Speaking of Christmas, MeTV has begun their Christmas programming and the Ed Sullivan Special is on tomorrow. I must remember to record it.

Been seeing commercials for that and was meaning to bring it up. Looks like some of the segments were new to the '90s when they compiled the special (e.g., Della Reese).

I love Andy Williams. Back in the 60s, when I first started watching Star Trek, Andy Williams' show was on right before it on Saturday nights, so I'd watch all the time.

Would that have been early syndication? Trek was never on Saturdays first run...and it looks like Andy Williams started running on Saturdays in the '69-'70 season. Adam-12 should have been on right after it.

Anyway, here's another classic from the same album, which didn't make the cut because of space:

Good one.

I consider "Little Saint Nick" to be a positively brilliant piece of self-parody...perhaps an early indicator of the band's true talent. I wish that the Beatles had managed to do something similar, rather than leaving it to tribute bands decades after the fact.

I'm sure "tonic" would be the least of my troubles in Florida.

I survived a total of around 13 years there. I guess that you could say it was a character-building experience.

Was catching some of the CNN series about the Kennedys last night. Pretty interesting, I'll have to watch those through soonish--didn't bother recording them as they're available on demand.

DarrenTR1970 said:
I'm surprised you haven't heard this before.

I'll confess that the first the song came to my attention was the U2 cover on the original A Very Special Christmas album (1987).

DarrenTR1970 · Nov 24, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
I consider "Little Saint Nick" to be a positively brilliant piece of self-parody...perhaps an early indicator of the band's true talent. I wish that the Beatles had managed to do something similar, rather than leaving it to tribute bands decades after the fact.

I think the closest The Beatles ever came to comedy was 'You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)', which was recorded after the Sgt. Pepper sessions but before Magical Mystery Tour.

It has the feel of The Goon Show crossed with The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band; which isn't surprising since The Beatles were fans of The Goon Show and Paul produced The Bonzo's single 'I'm The Urban Spaceman' under the pseudonym 'Apollo C. Vermouth'.

The Old Mixer · Nov 24, 2018

^ I meant in terms of doing Christmas songs in their style. I'm not counting the stuff they put out on their fan club Christmas recordings, which was pretty spotty and "unfinished" at best.

J.T.B. · Nov 24, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
In truth Luke is no real leader who is changing the very nature of all around him for the sake of eternal salvation, nor does Luke's crusade truly threaten the corrupt institution that he found himself assigned (sentenced) to.

But the institution does feel threatened by Luke. I like that Luke is presented as imperfect and his motives not pure or idealistic. Yeah, the guy's kind of a screw-up, but he's an individual with rights just the same. Why does his individualism and sense of self-worth have to be so suppressed by the system? This was one of the major cultural themes of the later '60s.

RJDiogenes said:
I love Andy Williams. Back in the 60s, when I first started watching Star Trek, Andy Williams' show was on right before it on Saturday nights, so I'd watch all the time.

When I was quite young I thought it was Andy Williams playing Garth in "Whom Gods Destroy."

RJDiogenes said:
An excellent version of this song.

The Spingsteen/E Street version is an homage to the Crystals.

DarrenTR1970 said:
It was an annual tradition for close to 25 years to close David Letterman's Christmas show with a rendition of this.

I'm thinking closer to 30. I remember the first very well, at age 17 I was not familiar with Love or the song at all. Pretty impressive how much of a Wall of Sound they get with just Love and the four-piece!

BTW who remembers Late Night's other Christmas tradition: Paul's impression of Cher singing "O Holy Night"?

DarrenTR1970 said:
I know Paul Schaefer catches flack sometimes, but he leads the house band at the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and he really pulls out all the stops when it comes to recreating the classic Phil Spector 'Wall Of Sound' production.

I can't imagine why he catches any flack. He is is both musically and comically brilliant, and one of the most respected and in-demand musical collaborators of the last 40 years.

Nerys Myk · Nov 24, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
^ I meant in terms of doing Christmas songs in their style. I'm not counting the stuff they put out on their fan club Christmas recordings, which was pretty spotty and "unfinished" at best.

I used to torture co-workers with "Everywhere It's Christmas" and "Christmas Time Is Here Again".

The Old Mixer · Nov 24, 2018

_______

55 Years Ago Spotlight

November 24

Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin of John F. Kennedy, is shot dead by Jack Ruby in Dallas, an event seen on live national television.

Vietnam War: New U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson confirms that the United States intends to continue supporting South Vietnam militarily and economically.

November 25 – State funeral of John F. Kennedy: President Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Schools around the nation cancel classes that day; millions watch the funeral on live international television.

November 29 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson establishes the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
November 29 – First UK release of the 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' single.

(Think I'll sit on that last bit of business until the US catches up....)

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

3. "Washington Square," The Village Stompers
4. "Sugar Shack," Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs
5. "It's All Right," The Impressions
6. "She's a Fool," Lesley Gore
7. "Everybody," Tommy Roe
8. "Deep Purple," Nino Tempo & April Stevens
9. "(Down at) Papa Joe's," The Dixiebelles w/ Cornbread & Jerry
10. "Bossa Nova Baby," Elvis Presley
11. "Walking the Dog," Rufus Thomas
12. "Little Red Rooster," Sam Cooke
13. "Hey Little Girl," Major Lance
14. "Be True to Your School," The Beach Boys

16. "Since I Fell for You," Lenny Welch
17. "Wonderful Summer," Robin Ward

19. "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry," The Caravelles

21. "Loddy Lo," Chubby Checker
22. "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight," Barry & The Tamerlanes
23. "Louie Louie," The Kingsmen

25. "I Adore Him," The Angels
26. "Drip Drop," Dion
27. "Fools Rush In," Rick Nelson

29. "Saturday Night," The New Christy Minstrels
30. "Can I Get a Witness," Marvin Gaye

32. "Have You Heard," The Duprees feat. Joey Vann

34. "I Can't Stay Mad at You," Skeeter Davis
35. "Mean Woman Blues," Roy Orbison
36. "Cry to Me," Betty Harris

38. "In My Room," The Beach Boys
39. "Misty," Lloyd Price

45. "Quicksand," Martha & The Vandellas
46. "Midnight Mary," Joey Powers

48. "Baby Don't You Weep," Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters

51. "The Boy Next Door," The Secrets
52. "Kansas City," Trini Lopez
53. "The Nitty Gritty," Shirley Ellis

63. "Popsicles and Icicles," The Murmaids

78. "For Your Precious Love," Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters

85. "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes," The Supremes

Leaving the chart:

"Be My Baby," The Ronettes (13 weeks)
"Busted," Ray Charles (12 weeks)
"Crossfire!," The Orlons (9 weeks)
"Donna the Prima Donna," Dion (11 weeks)
"Talk to Me," Sunny & The Sunglows (12 weeks)
"You Lost the Sweetest Boy," Mary Wells (9 weeks)

Recent and new on the chart:

"Have You Heard," The Duprees feat. Joey Vann
(Nov. 9; #18 US; #8 AC; You don't even have to say it this time, RJ!)

"The Boy Next Door," The Secrets
(Nov 9; #18 US)

"When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes," The Supremes
(#23 US; #2 R&B)

While you can't tell by that single, I predict a bright future for the last group there...but hindsight is 55/20.

_______

51st Anniversary Viewing

The Wild Wild West
"The Night of the Legion of Death"
Originally aired November 24, 1967

Wiki said:
West and Gordon take on a Black Legion of troops who are terrorizing a territory out west. Their leader seems to be their territorial Governor, but there is a more sinister power behind the scenes of all the illegal activities-the final confronration of West and Gordon with the chief villain becomes a surprise twist ending.

Despite the title, the Governor's troops are referred to throughout as the Black Legion rather than the Legion of Death.

This one has more spy fi in the teaser than the entire last episode! Jim uses a collapsible rifle to fake assassinate Artie in Disguise (with Whiskers) before his character can be made to talk at the gallows, then makes his escape by using something like thermite to burn a hole in the floor.

After the credits, Jim is aided by a female accomplice of opportunity who conveniently has a secret underground passage leading to the Governor's office. There Jim is cornered by the Governor's secretary, Zeke Montgomery (Anthony Zerba) long enough to learn that Artie's Faked Corpse has been taken to the morgue. Making another escape, Jim proceeds there and shoots up Artie with something to counteract the sedative that simulated death. Then it's another escape, leading to a commercial break-straddling covered wagon chase.

Jim tries to serve a presidential warrant on Governor Brubaker (Kent Smith), who's described as the absolute dictator of Unnamed Territory and has presidential ambitions, but the warrant is torn up and he's subjected to a trial for the murder of Artie in Disguise, with Walter Brooke of The Green Hornet and The Graduate as the Prosecutor. A surprise witness on Jim's behalf is Artie Back in Disguise, who walks into the courtroom.

In light of this turn, Jim is found not guilty. I never would have recognized Bill Erwin as the Jury Foreman, as I'm familiar with him from roles he did when he was even older. Following the trial, Jim is confronted by the Legion (whose Captain is played by Donnelly Rhodes), again...and escapes, again...while Artie had already slipped away in Switched Disguise (with Fez). We learn that the woman with the passage is the Governor's mistress, Ms. Fauer (Toian Matchinga). But no matter, by that time they've found a more faithful female accomplice, Catherine Kittridge (Karen Jensen).

Jim and Artie Manage to nab the Governor to find that he's just Montgomery's puppet, which I'd suspected based on how the characters were introduced...and cast. Then they're cornered by the Governor's men, again...and make an escape, again. Montgomery outs himself at a rally, attempting to go frontstage with a story of the Governor's death, but the crowd abandons him.

I'd like to say that this is the show back in fine form, but it over-relied on repeated captures and escapes, and the villain was ultimately defeated by himself without Jim and Artie playing an active hand in the matter...other than arguably having made him desperate to play his hand, which the episode didn't clearly establish.

_______

GNDN18 · Nov 25, 2018

J.T.B. said:
Paul's impression of Cher singing "O Holy Night"?

+1

The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

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