The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[Christopher]

Why does Barney dramatically cut the phone cord when it rings? He could just unplug the cord from either the wall or the phone. Or were phones in that era hard-wired at both ends?

Often, yes. Sometimes they had 4-pronged plugs that went into wall jacks, but often they were permanently wired in. The modern modular connector wasn't introduced until the mid-1970s.

On the Laugh-In "If X married Y" jokes, I remember an issue of Games Magazine that had a puzzle game based on that theme. I think it gave descriptions rather than the actual names, and you had to guess the names and the punch line. The one I remember was a double, with an extra pun on top: If Diana Prince married the builder of the Spruce Goose, divorced him, and got remarried to Nixon's Secretary of State, she'd be

Spoiler

Wonder Hughes Kissinger now.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Solid, brother!

Right on.

How do you identify The Monkees' sound? Nesmith's songs were there from the start--on albums, radio airplay and all throughout the series.

I don't know, it's hard for me to describe what I hear in music. Basically, the Monkees sound would be when I hear a song and say to myself, "That sounds like the Monkees."

"The End of Our Road" / "(I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over" / "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"

The last time, the Pips looked like Merry Men and now they look like Catholic priests.

This is another scheme that relies on playing into a bad guy's superstitions / belief in the paranormal...not an uncommon trope for this show, it seems.

Criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot.

He also looks vaguely Trek pilot-ish in his mustard yellow, knife-proof, fake blood-spurting turtleneck sweater.

Peter Graves is another contemporaneous actor who would have been nice to see on Star Trek. Although I could say that about most cast members of Mission: Impossible (especially that guy who played Paris).

Phelps does drunk better than he does accents.

Well, you can get drunk.

Jim's disembodied, mist-enshrouded head as an avatar.

Ooh, there's his Trek character.

The Temptations, "Get Ready"

A mini-classic, and another nice proto-video. I like the cameo by Arte Johnson's German soldier. I can't remember if any other cast members made an appearance in any of these early videos.

With Ironside's investigative help, she learns who she is and how she came to be found, but never regains her memory and is reluctant to resume her old life because of it.

That's a nice touch.

Jai Chang Caine

Tarzan's behind the wheel again in this one. Do you need a driver's license to drive a Jeep in the African wilderness, because I'm sure he's not carrying one.

You hope he's not carrying one. I'm pretty sure the law of the jungle says that Tarzan can drive wherever the hell Tarzan wants.

If you're ever curious about a Rat Patrol episode, they all seem to be on YouTube.

Hmm, interesting.....

"Jennifer Juniper," Donovan

Ah, I absolutely love Donovan and this is one of his very best, up there with "Sunshine Superman."

"Valleri," The Monkees

It's deja vu all over again.

Sirius did a Satellite Survey today covering last week's chart in 1968, and I learned something about the Sweet Inspirations: Their leader, Cissy Houston, was the mother of Whitney Houston.

That's an interesting tidbit. Whitney Houston was amazingly talented, but mostly had very bad material.

 

[Christopher]

For me, Mike Nesmith's songs are the foundation of the "Monkees sound." They tended to be more creative, more musically and lyrically interesting, and more sincere than the more prepackaged stuff that was written for the band by others. Besides, logically, the songs actually written by one or more Monkees would fit that description better than songs written by other people.

Although I'm now looking over a list of Monkees songs on Wikipedia, and I realize that some of the songs I like are by other songwriters -- e.g. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. In fact, they had far more songwriters than I realized. My most hated song, "Cuddly Toy," was by Harry Nilsson. I always thought it was Neil Diamond for some reason, but Diamond actually did songs I liked, such as "I'm a Believer" and "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)." And "Valleri," which I've always considered one of the standouts for its guitar riffs and solo, is by Boyce & Hart.

 

[GNDN18]

For another take on "Pleasant Valley Sunday," here is Carole King's demo:

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The definite article, you might say. The end of the bridge is subtly different, but heightens the quiet desperation of the prisoner of suburbia.

 

[Christopher]

For another take on "Pleasant Valley Sunday," here is Carole King's demo:

Thanks, that was nice. I think the changes to the melody in the Monkees version were improvements, but King's voice and those of the backup singers were rather pleasant (no pun intended).

 

[The Old Mixer]

If Diana Prince married the builder of the Spruce Goose, divorced him, and got remarried to Nixon's Secretary of State, she'd be

Spoiler

Wonder Hughes Kissinger now.

The last time, the Pips looked like Merry Men and now they look like Catholic priests.

"Last time"? Would you be thinking of one that you caught that would be from a later date (which I'll likely be covering eventually)?

Criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot.

Because I just bought it this morning...

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(Charted Feb. 12, 1966; #35 US; #12 AC)

Peter Graves is another contemporaneous actor who would have been nice to see on Star Trek.

Ooh, there's his Trek character.

That shot would've totally worked on the viewscreen! That head shot may be my next giant clam...I'll be waiting to pounce on the opportunity to get a screencap, even if Decades doesn't get around to playing that episode again for three years....

A mini-classic, and another nice proto-video. I like the cameo by Arte Johnson's German soldier. I can't remember if any other cast members made an appearance in any of these early videos.

Cameo? He was in the whole video. I think all of these Laugh-In music videos have used regular cast members alongside the band members.

"Get Ready" is one of those stone-cold oldies radio classics that I'm surprised to find didn't chart very strongly on the Hot 100 back in the day. In this case, the song's profile may have been retrospectively raised by the Rare Earth cover that reached #4 in 1970.

Jai Chang even had a "flashback face" close-up that they'd use to cue his trips down memory lane.

You hope he's not carrying one.

"Can I see your license, Tarzan?"
"Sure, Constable. Let me see if I can find it...." [Puts hand down the front of his loincloth.]
"Urm...never mind, I'll take your word for it."

I'm pretty sure the law of the jungle says that Tarzan can drive wherever the hell Tarzan wants.

There ya go!

Hmm, interesting.....

For that matter, all of the episodes of 12OCH seem to be on YouTube as well, though the source of those versions of the episodes seems to have made edits that the H&I airings haven't. In once case where I went to check something again on YouTube, an act-opening scene was cut and the act card was replaced with one that looked nothing like the usual act cards.

Ah, I absolutely love Donovan and this is one of his very best, up there with "Sunshine Superman."

Always happy to see a Donovan classic come up.

It's deja vu all over again.

Monkee deja, Monkee vu. This single version sounds perfectly well like the Monkees to me. It's also, alas, their final Top 10 single. They'll have another Top 20 coming later this year...their last of this era (though they'll score a reunion Top 20 in the '80s).

Whitney Houston was amazingly talented, but mostly had very bad material.

Couldn't stand her myself. Mid-to-late-'80s music is the reason I got into '60s music.

Besides, logically, the songs actually written by one or more Monkees would fit that description better than songs written by other people.

There are plenty of classic artists who primarily did material written for them by others, and made it their own, recording the definitive versions of those songs. In the case of the Monkees, to the more casual listener, the major singles written by others are the songs that are most easily identifiable.

_______

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

1. "Walk Like a Man," The Four Seasons
2. "Ruby Baby," Dion

4. "Rhythm of the Rain," The Cascades
5. "Walk Right In," The Rooftop Singers
6. "You're the Reason I'm Living," Bobby Darin

9. "Wild Weekend," The Rebels

11. "Our Day Will Come," Ruby & The Romantics
12. "The End of the World," Skeeter Davis
13. "Send Me Some Lovin'," Sam Cooke
14. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," The Miracles
15. "Mama Didn't Lie," Jan Bradley

17. "He's Sure the Boy I Love," The Crystals
18. "Little Town Flirt," Del Shannon
19. "One Broken Heart for Sale," Elvis Presley
20. "In Dreams," Roy Orbison
21. "Alice In Wonderland," Neil Sedaka

23. "Up on the Roof," The Drifters
24. "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," Bobby Vee

26. "Greenback Dollar," The Kingston Trio

28. "Call on Me," Bobby Bland

30. "Let's Limbo Some More," Chubby Checker
31. "Let's Turkey Trot," Little Eva
32. "I Wanna Be Around," Tony Bennett
33. "Hitch Hike," Marvin Gaye

35. "South Street," The Orlons

40. "Loop De Loop," Johnny Thunder
41. "He's So Fine," The Chiffons

43. "It's Up to You," Rick Nelson

51. "Laughing Boy," Mary Wells

58. "Twenty Miles," Chubby Checker

64. "Don't Set Me Free," Ray Charles
65. "Do the Bird," Dee Dee Sharp

89. "Sandy," Dion

93. "Pipeline," The Chantays

96. "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)," The Cookies


Leaving the chart:

• "Don't Make Me Over," Dionne Warwick
• "Tell Him," The Exciters
• "Two Lovers," Mary Wells

_______

12 O'Clock High
"The Slaughter Pen"
Originally aired January 10, 1966

Gallagher leads an air, land and sea assault on a German radar station; guests Harry Guardino, Michael Rennie, Juliet Mills.

The 918th needs to knock out an unbombable German radar installation, so they team up with Rennie's character, a British general who's running a commando school. Joe has to work with a captain with whom he shares some mutual animosity because Gallagher was involved in his expulsion from West Point, in addition to a later, contrived-sounding family-related incident. Most of the drama centers around Captain Deal, an undisciplined womanizer with a chip on his shoulder who carelessly leaks confidential information and then gets a pseudo-redemptive beat in Act IV with a foolish, unnecessary death during the commando operation. Overall, we're not given much if any reason to like or care about him.

We see some P-38's in action, though only in stock footage. They also find an excuse to get Gallagher back in his mission-observation P-51.

Andrew Duggan's been conspicuously absent lately, with other actors filling in as Gallagher's superior officers.

_______

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Batman
"The Joker's Flying Saucer" Originally aired February 29, 1968

Only worth a mention as its Romero's final appearance as the Joker.

Barbara screaming at a guy painted green wasn't her finest moment. I'd like to think it was an act, but it wasn't played that way.

It was not meant to be an act on her part. She was supposed to be a stereotypically frightened woman when faced with something as strange as a so-called alien....or a guy overdosing on Max Factor grease paint.

And now Batgirl's getting caught by henchmen so casually that it happens offscreen!

Well, this is the William Dozier Batman TV series, not the comics of the same period, where Batgirl would... you know...kick ass more often than not.

Batman quoting a Gotham penal code about meeting a man from Mars in a public park was a cute bit.

At this point in series history, that's like setting a brick on the top of the coffin after the producers already Crazy Glued and nailed the lid shut.

Joker must have gotten his idea for this week's scheme from something he read about happening in the Green Hornet's city around this time last year.

The difference there is that TGH's Dr. Eric Mabouse had a logical plan of stealing, then using an H-bomb warhead against various nations. That's right out of the Cold War terrorism playbook, while the Joker....just no. Being set in the east coast of the U.S. (1968) any random guy on a rooftop would have taken shots at that junkyard saucer just because, and down goes the Joker...

There's really bad continuity with last weak's teaser...the Joker's saucer isn't even built yet.

Somewhere in the afterlife, Dozier is laughing at you for even mentioning continuity about this point in the series.

You'd think Batgirl would notice Alfred talking into his handkerchief before Emerald would...she was sitting right next to him in the direction that he was talking.

She did not apply her registered Woman's Crimefighting Tools of Intuition and Tea Leaves, otherwise, Alfred would have been SOOO exposed!

Star Trek
"The Omega Glory"
Originally aired March 1, 1968

Morgan Woodward delivering one of the most intense, villainous performances in Star Trek franchise history, and almost being more than a match for Kirk.

Great, creepy teaser and 1st act aboard the Exeter.

But if they know where the Monkees actually live to storm in and return their rings, then they should know that the boys don't actually live like that.

The (undeserved) power of the press at work to influence anyone into believing the guys were phonies behind closed doors.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

"Different Drum," The Stone Poneys feat. Linda Ronstadt

Mike Nesmith essentially placing Linda Ronstadt on the national scene.

"Itchycoo Park," Small Faces

Always a favorite.

"Valleri," The Monkees
(#3 US; #12 UK)

The public must have loved this song to a great degree, since (as noted in another post) U.S. DJs recorded the first version of the song right from TV's to play on air, but when comparing the then-unreleased and album cut's distinctive sound, it did not turn off listeners at all.

I don't know, it's hard for me to describe what I hear in music. Basically, the Monkees sound would be when I hear a song and say to myself, "That sounds like the Monkees."

Ah.

Personally, The Monkees' sound is every period of the group, from the early tracks like "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day", flat out classics such as "She" and the album versions of "Words", "Cuddly Toy" and "Goin' Down" to some of their last years (in this original period) with "You and I" or "While I Cry." Its all The Monkees' sound, despite the creative and production changes that occurred throughout their '65 - '70 run, much like to me, The Beatles sound is as much "Golden Slumbers" as it is "Things We Said Today".

 

[Christopher]

There are plenty of classic artists who primarily did material written for them by others, and made it their own, recording the definitive versions of those songs. In the case of the Monkees, to the more casual listener, the major singles written by others are the songs that are most easily identifiable.

Yeah, that's the dichotomy. To the casual listener, the Monkees' sound is most associated with the songs written by others during the time of the TV series. To the dedicated aficionado, their sound didn't really mature until after the show, when they split from Kirshner and took creative control for themselves. So their "sound" is not a single, easily definable thing. It's more of a process over time.

It's weird to watch myself having this kind of conversation about pop music. It's something I'm really only capable of with the Monkees, and maybe sort of the Beatles, since I never got similarly invested in any other rock music.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Well, this is the William Dozier Batman TV series, not the comics of the same period, where Batgirl would... you know...kick ass more often than not.

It would be nice if they'd let her put up more a fight before being overwhelmed, rather than just falling back on the same old "two henchmen grab her arms and it's over before it started" bit. OTOH, they were probably skirting a fine line...they likely didn't want to show big, burly guys beating up on her, which is what it would have amounted to if they'd let her do solo fights with them. Hence her being more useful in the Terrific Trio Batfights, where the Dynamic Duo could take the punches for her.

She did not apply her registered Woman's Crimefighting Tools of Intuition and Tea Leaves, otherwise, Alfred would have been SOOO exposed!

Once in a while the Batgirl bashing hits the funny bone.

 

[The Old Mixer]

It's weird to watch myself having this kind of conversation about pop music. It's something I'm really only capable of with the Monkees, and maybe sort of the Beatles, since I never got similarly invested in any other rock music.

There's no lack of great stuff from the same period if you want to explore some more. And it's very diverse. If you're into the Monkees and Beatles, surely there's other stuff to be delved into that would suit your tastes.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

To the dedicated aficionado, their sound didn't really mature until after the show, when they split from Kirshner and took creative control for themselves.

The Monkees' split from Kirshner, and subsequent control and artistic changes occurred in early 1967, while TV series was only at the midpoint of its first season, roughly two months after the January release of album #2, More of the Monkees. Post Kirshner, the band--with new producer Douglas Farthing Hatlelid (Chip Douglas), began recording Headquarters, which had new--but still Monkees-flavored--sounds on the LP. That artistic maturation continued well into sessions that would produce tracks that were on LP #4, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.--released less than two months after the series started its second season. Songs that were added to the fifth LP--The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees, (released one month after the last first run TV episode aired on NBC) had already been previewed on the show, such as "Daydream Believer","Zor and Zam", and the re-recorded "Valleri". So, the period most historians cite as the maturation period for the group happened early into their rapidly moving careers as Monkees.

It would be nice if they'd let her put up more a fight before being overwhelmed, rather than just falling back on the same old "two henchmen grab her arms and it's over before it started" bit. OTOH, they were probably skirting a fine line...they likely didn't want to show big, burly guys beating up on her, which is what it would have amounted to if they'd let her do solo fights with them. Hence her being more useful in the Terrific Trio Batfights, where the Dynamic Duo could take the punches for her.

Well, that's why the model set by groundbreaking characters like Honey West, Cathy Gale and Emma Peel should have been followed. Ah, but Dozier & Horwitz--despite having meetings with DC's Infantino & Schwartz in the creation of the second Batgirl, with the comic version getting into the thick of fights--still made the TV version a dainty flower in need of rescue / easily apprehended.

Once in a while the Batgirl bashing hits the funny bone.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

This probably seems like the appropriate thread to post this in since music is being discussed. I posted this on Facebook a few years ago in honor of Eric Clapton's 70th birthday. Some of the information has changed slightly as new information has come to light but most of its correct.
Six Degrees of Eric Clapton

In February of 1965 Eric Clapton decides to leave The Yardbirds after recording the group’s single ‘For Your Love’ as it is too commercial for his blues tastes and instead accepts an offer from John Mayall to join his group the Bluesbreakers whose line up at that time consists of John Mayall (vocals, organ, harmonica), John McVie (bass) and Hughie Flint (drums). After Clapton’s departure, The Yardbirds replace him with the guitarist Jeff Beck; so, their line-up now consists of Keith Relf (vocals, harmonica), Jeff Beck (lead guitar), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass), and Jim McCarty (drums). Incidentally, the song ‘For Your Love’ is written by a young Graham Gouldman, who would go on to have further success with the band 10CC. Someday I might do a thread about his connections to the British music scene.

Shortly after joining the Bluesbreakers, Clapton receives an invitation to travel around the continent playing unannounced gigs in an ad-hoc group called The Glands. John Mayall replaces Clapton with succession of guitarists before finally settling on a young guitarist by the name of Peter Greenbaum, who has just shortened his name to Peter Green. At the same time Peter Green is joining the Bluesbreakers, bassist John McVie is fired by John Mayall for his excessive drinking. To replace him Mayall recruits Jack Bruce formally of the Graham Bond Band. Bruce has quit the Graham Bond Band after coming to blows with the drummer Ginger Baker. So now the lineup consists of John Mayall (vocals, organ, harmonica), Peter Green (guitar), Jack Bruce (bass) and Hughie Flint (drums). This line-up lasts approximately 1-2 weeks before Eric Clapton returns from Europe asking for his old job back, to which Mayall readily agrees. Peter Green subsequently joins an instrumental combo by the name of Peter B’s Looners lead by Peter Barden’s and includes a drummer by the name of Mick Fleetwood. Shortly thereafter they shorten their name to The Peter B’s before deciding to add a vocalist by the name of Rod Stewart and changing their name to Shotgun Express.

Back in the Bluesbreakers, Jack Bruce has accepted an invitation to join Manfred Mann who needs a bassist after their current bassist was injured in an automobile accident. Jack Bruce will subsequently play bass on the upcoming recording of the Bob Dylan song ‘The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)’.

To replace the departed Jack Bruce, John Mayall calls upon John McVie who agrees to return. With John McVie back in the line-up the band records the album ‘Blues Breakers John Mayall with Eric Clapton’. Shortly after the album is recorded Ginger Baker approaches Eric Clapton with the prospect of forming a power trio like the one by an up-and-coming guitarist by the name of Jimi Hendrix. Clapton agrees and suggests Jack Bruce on bass, after his short stint working with him in the Bluesbreakers. Bruce and Baker agree to keep their tempers in check for the time being and thus Eric Clapton leaves the Bluesbreakers and Jack Bruce leaves Manfred Mann to form The Cream.

To replace Eric Clapton, John Mayall once again calls upon Peter Green to join. Peter agrees so long as he brings along Mick Fleetwood to replace the fired drummer Hughie Flint. So now the line-up of the Bluesbreakers is John Mayall, Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood.

Over in the Yardbirds, Paul Samwell-Smith has left the group to become a producer. Chris Dreja switches from rhythm to bass guitar and to replace him the band hires well-known session guitarist Jimmy Page. So now the line-up looks like this Keith Relf (vocals, harmonica), Jeff Beck (lead guitar), Jimmy Page (lead guitar) Chris Dreja (bass), and Jim McCarty (drums). Unfortunately, this line-up would not to last very long as Jeff Beck quits 4 months later shortly after the start of a North American tour. Beck flies back to England where he recruits the newly-unemployed Rod Stewart from Shotgun Express and Ron Wood from The Birds to form the first itineration of The Jeff Beck Group.

Over in the Bluesbreakers, Mick Fleetwood has been fired because, according to him, ‘Mayall had room for only one drinker in the Bluesbreakers and it might as well have been John McVie’. Replacing Fleetwood on drums is a gentleman by the name of Aynsley Dunbar. Fleetwood will subsequently work as a day-laborer until getting the call-up to join a new group that Peter Green is forming.

Back in The Yardbirds, the quartet has finally run its course after eighteen months with ever diminishing returns, so Keith Relf and Jim McCarty announce they are leaving The Yardbirds to form a folk-rock/classical combination called Renaissance, leaving Chris Dreja as the only original member along with Jimmy Page. Contractually obligated to finish some remaining Scandinavian concert dates, Page and Dreja begin looking for members to replace the departed Relf and McCarty. They initially approach singer-songwriter Terry Reid and drummer Barry ‘B.J.’ Wilson. Terry turns them down opting instead to focus on his solo career as does B.J. Wilson who has committed himself to joining Gary Brooker in Procol Harum who have just scored a hit with ‘A White Shade Of Pale’. Terry however points Page and Dreja in the direction of a group called Band Of Joy whose lead singer is Robert Plant. Suitably impressed by Robert Plant’s singing, Page and Dreja invite Plant to join The New Yardbirds. Plant agrees and recommends Band Of Joy’s drummer John Bonham to fill the vacated drummer’s position. It’s somewhere around this time that Dreja decides that he no longer wants to be a part of The New Yardbirds and leaves to become a photographer. As his replacement Page recruits’ fellow studio bassist John Paul Jones. At this point the quartet decide there’s no use in keeping the name The New Yardbirds as there are no original Yardbirds left, so seizing upon a quote by Keith Moon the group changes its name to Led Zeppelin and the rest is history.

Around this time after recording the album ‘A Hard Road’, Peter Green has decided that his time with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers has run its course and gives notice that he’s going to form a blues power trio like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and The Cream. He leaves the Bluesbreakers taking with him bassist John McVie and recruiting drummer Mick Fleetwood. However, Peter Green quickly realizes that a trio is too limiting so mere days after forming the group, on the recommendation of producer Mike Vernon, Green adds 5’4” hellion Jeremy Spencer to the line-up and thusly being billed as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Featuring Jeremy Spencer. After the addition guitarist Danny Kirwin (ex-Boilerhouse) and John McVie’s wife Christine McVie (ex-Chickenshack) on keyboards, Fleetwood Mac enjoys a string of British top ten hits before imploding with the departures of Green, Spencer and Kirwin and going through several line-up changes before settling on the classic line-up of Fleetwood, McVie, Buckingham, Nicks, McVie.

Back in the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall decides it’s time for a complete overhaul of the group’s sound by dispensing with the drums and adding a horn section, as well as two lead guitarists’ one of whom is 17-year-old Mick Taylor. This move will result in the most stable line-up of the Bluesbreakers; lasting nearly 2 years, before Mick Taylor receives a call from Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones inviting him to replace the recently dismissed co-founder Brian Jones. Mick’s tenure with the Stones will last five years and it’s his guitar work you hear on the albums ‘Sticky Fingers’, ‘Exile On Main Street’, ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ and ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll’.

At the same time Peter Green is forming Fleetwood Mac and Mick Taylor is joining the Bluesbreakers, The Cream has finally imploded due to the constant infighting between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker and a particularly scathing review in Rolling Stone magazine that questions Eric Clapton’s guitar playing and his nickname ‘God’. After completing a final album and farewell tour, The Cream breaks up and Eric Clapton starts hanging around and jamming with Steve Winwood whose own band, Traffic, has recently broken up. Ginger Baker, with whom Clapton is still on friendly terms, is invited to join the duo which quickly leads to speculation in the press of The Cream Mark II. Eager to dispense with notion that this is a The Cream reunion, Ginger Baker invites bassist Ric Grech to join and while initially announced in the press as Clapton-Baker-Winwood, they eventually decide on the name Blind Faith. After finishing one album and completing one volatile tour, Blind Faith breaks up, its members going its separate ways. Ginger Baker vacations in Hawaii, Ric Grech goes back to session work and Steve Winwood begins work on a solo album tentatively entitled ‘Mad Shadows’. Inviting former bandmates Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood to join in the sessions it quickly becomes a Traffic reunion and the resulting album is called ‘John Barleycorn Must Die’.

Meanwhile Eric Clapton has begun hanging out with Blind Faith’s opening act Delany and Bonnie and Friends, a southern rock soul group featuring Delany and Bonnie Bramlett as well as keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. Impressed by their no-nonsense style of playing, Clapton invites them to tour England and Europe. While on tour in England, George Harrison having been sitting around doing nothing since work on ‘Abby Road’ was completed in August of ’69, is invited by Eric to join the tour; marking George’s first return to the live stage and touring since The Beatles stopped touring in ’66. The resulting tour is recorded and released as a live album called ‘Delany and Bonnie and Friends featuring Eric Clapton’. After the tour is completed Eric asks Delany to produce his first solo album with Friends as his backing band. During the recording of his solo album Clapton mulls over forming a group and going on tour with Whitlock, Radle and Gordon, but before he can do so, he is invited by George Harrison to be the bandleader for the recording of George’s first solo album; Paul having announced he was leaving The Beatles in April of ’70 with the debut of his solo album ‘McCartney’.

The recording sessions for George’s solo album ‘All Things Must Pass’ stretch from May-September 1970 eventually featuring a who’s who of British musicians two of whom must be noted; a guitarist by the name of Peter Frampton who, after the sessions are over, joins Steve Marriott of The Small Faces in forming the group Humble Pie. Now after Steve Marriott has left The Small Faces, the remaining members invite Rod Stewart and Ron Wood of the recently disbanded Jeff Beck Group to join and, with their name shortened to The Faces, launch a highly successful recording/touring career, their most famous stateside single being a cover of The Temptations ‘I’m Losing You’. It should be worth noting that Rod Stewart’s first three solo albums are Faces albums in all but name, featuring its members on several of its tracks, the most famous being ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ and ‘Maggie Mae’. After Mick Taylor leaves The Rolling Stones in 1975, Ron Wood is invited to be his replacement, while Rod Stewart goes on to a successful solo career.

Also, one of the drummer’s/percussionists playing on the ‘All Things Must Pass’ sessions is a young man by the name of Phil Collins. After the sessions are over Phil joins Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and Steve Hackett in the band Genesis.

Back at the ‘All Things Must Pass’ sessions, George gives Eric some time during the recording to work up a couple of songs Eric and Bobby Whitlock have written. The two songs are ‘Tell The Truth’ and ‘Roll It Over’ (about the joys of anal sex) both of which are recorded but will remain unreleased until the ‘Crossroads’ box set 19 years later. However, it is the impetus for Eric to ask Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle to form a band with him after the ‘All Things Must Pass’ sessions. Dave Mason, ex-Traffic, is asked to join as second guitarist, but he declines on the eve of the group leaving for Florida to record their debut album. While in Florida Eric settles on the name Derek And The Dominos and asks Duane Allman, of the Allman Brothers Band, to join the recordings. The resulting double album ‘Layla And Other Love Songs’ is released in December of 1970, the same month as George Harrison’s triple album ‘All Things Must Pass’.

And to think all of this happened in a span of 5 years.

 

[The Old Mixer]

This probably seems like the appropriate thread to post this in since music is being discussed.

I'm sure RJ will think so! Also, I'd like to get his opinion on "The Cream".

As for me, why not? One-stop shopping for '60s retro.

The head swims trying to keep all those band connections straight!

I just got Over Under Sideways Down / Roger the Engineer as part of my current album immersion side-project. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more songs that sounded like the Yardbirds' singles from that era, e.g. "Over Under Sideways Down" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago".

Fresh Cream is coming up soon. (The Fresh Cream? Fresh The Cream?)

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I'm sure RJ will think so! Also, I'd like to get his opinion on "The Cream".

As for me, why not? One-stop shopping for '60s retro.

The head swims trying to keep all those band connections straight!

I just got Over Under Sideways Down / Roger the Engineer as part of my current album immersion side-project. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more songs that sounded like the Yardbirds' singles from that era, e.g. "Over Under Sideways Down" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago".

Fresh Cream is coming up soon. (The Fresh Cream? Fresh The Cream?)

Yeah, the Yardbirds discography is a really ill-served mishmash of albums. I would suggest, if you can find it, The Yardbirds Ultimate by Rhino.
It's a two CD set that covers their entire career along with a few solo singles. It's really all you need.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Back in the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall decides it’s time for a complete overhaul of the group’s sound by dispensing with the drums and adding a horn section, as well as two lead guitarists’ one of whom is 17-year-old Mick Taylor. This move will result in the most stable line-up of the Bluesbreakers; lasting nearly 2 years, before Mick Taylor receives a call from Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones inviting him to replace the recently dismissed co-founder Brian Jones. Mick’s tenure with the Stones will last five years and it’s his guitar work you hear on the albums ‘Sticky Fingers’, ‘Exile On Main Street’, ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ and ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll’.

Speaking of the Bluesbreakers, Brian Jones had been an acquaintance with several early members of the group over the years (meeting through venues such as the Ealing Jazz Club), while having a musical association with Alexis Korner's legendary Blues Incorporated group. Certain ties continued to cross over; as you note, Taylor was going to join the Rolling Stones (in truth, he had been sitting in on their sessions as early as May of 1969--while Brian was still in the group). while Jones had Korner (and his family) stay at his home for sometime that Spring, with Korner & Jones rehearsing songs with the possibility of having Jones join his group New Church, but of course, that was not to be.

 

[RJDiogenes]

For another take on "Pleasant Valley Sunday," here is Carole King's demo:

Wow, that's pretty sweet.

"Last time"? Would you be thinking of one that you caught that would be from a later date (which I'll likely be covering eventually)?

Now that you mention it, I think that's true.

That shot would've totally worked on the viewscreen! That head shot may be my next giant clam...I'll be waiting to pounce on the opportunity to get a screencap, even if Decades doesn't get around to playing that episode again for three years....

I wonder if I can get it. I think some somebody told me that MI is available on Amazon Prime.

Cameo? He was in the whole video. I think all of these Laugh-In music videos have used regular cast members alongside the band members.

Cameo, guest appearance, whatever. I don't remember any Laugh-In people in the others, but a lot of times I read ahead while the video is playing.

"Can I see your license, Tarzan?"
"Sure, Constable. Let me see if I can find it...." [Puts hand down the front of his loincloth.]
"Urm...never mind, I'll take your word for it."

That's the best-case scenario.

Couldn't stand her myself. Mid-to-late-'80s music is the reason I got into '60s music.

Yes, things got pretty bad after being re-energized for a while in the early 80s. As for Whitney, she really had horrible material. The only song of hers that I liked at all was "I'm Your Baby Tonight."

Personally, The Monkees' sound is every period of the group, from the early tracks like "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day", flat out classics such as "She" and the album versions of "Words", "Cuddly Toy" and "Goin' Down" to some of their last years (in this original period) with "You and I" or "While I Cry." Its all The Monkees' sound, despite the creative and production changes that occurred throughout their '65 - '70 run, much like to me, The Beatles sound is as much "Golden Slumbers" as it is "Things We Said Today".

I'm mostly familiar with their charted singles, though I own several of their compilations. The sound that I recognize is certain nuances to the guitars and drums in songs like "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Last Train To Clarkesville." That's the best I can describe it.

a particularly scathing review in Rolling Stone magazine that questions Eric Clapton’s guitar playing and his nickname ‘God’.

What th--?!

And to think all of this happened in a span of 5 years.

It was an incredibly creative and dynamic time in music (and culture generally), that's for sure. And did any of them think that their ideas and decisions and chance meetings and squabbles would become such fascinating history? There's also a lot of strange alternate universes spinning out of all those events.

I'm sure RJ will think so! Also, I'd like to get his opinion on "The Cream".

This thread is the first I heard of that, but it makes sense. There have been other bands that started out using "The" and dropped it, though of course I can't think of examples at the moment.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Cameo, guest appearance, whatever. I don't remember any Laugh-In people in the others, but a lot of times I read ahead while the video is playing.

You should watch the videos. Example: Isn't that Pamela Austin and Roddy Maude-Roxby as the dining couple in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band video?

(I just now caught that Dick was doing a Lawrence Welk impersonation in the intro.)

This thread is the first I heard of that, but it makes sense. There have been other bands that started out using "The" and dropped it, though of course I can't think of examples at the moment.

The Pink Floyd, for one. There are also group names that we naturally put a definite article in front of when using them in a sentence, but the groups in question didn't tend to use one on their record labels. E.g., Bee Gees, Four Tops.

So my latest album purchase is Aretha's breakout album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (a.k.a., The One with "Respect" on It; released Mar. 10, 1967). One of the album tracks, "Save Me" (apparently an Aretha original--writing credit is Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin, King Curtis), put a smile on my face when I heard the contemporaneous genre TV reference at 1:44+:

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Call in the Caped Crusader,
Green Hornet, Kato, too
I'm in so much trouble
I don't know what to do

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Wow, that's pretty sweet.


Now that you mention it, I think that's true.


I wonder if I can get it. I think some somebody told me that MI is available on Amazon Prime.


Cameo, guest appearance, whatever. I don't remember any Laugh-In people in the others, but a lot of times I read ahead while the video is playing.


That's the best-case scenario.


Yes, things got pretty bad after being re-energized for a while in the early 80s. As for Whitney, she really had horrible material. The only song of hers that I liked at all was "I'm Your Baby Tonight."


I'm mostly familiar with their charted singles, though I own several of their compilations. The sound that I recognize is certain nuances to the guitars and drums in songs like "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Last Train To Clarkesville." That's the best I can describe it.


What th--?!


It was an incredibly creative and dynamic time in music (and culture generally), that's for sure. And did any of them think that their ideas and decisions and chance meetings and squabbles would become such fascinating history? There's also a lot of strange alternate universes spinning out of all those events.


This thread is the first I heard of that, but it makes sense. There have been other bands that started out using "The" and dropped it, though of course I can't think of examples at the moment.

The Rolling Stone issue in question is Number 10, dated Saturday 11, March 68.
It's a couple of paragraphs long so I won't reprint it in full, but basically the reviewer in question, Jon Landau says the Clapton plays every blues cliche there is and shows no sign of originality.
There was also a thread in the Steve Hoffman Music Forum about which bands that should or shouldo not have 'The' in front of their name.
I can't find it at the moment, but I was surprised by the number of bands that I've been getting wrong all these years.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Lew Parker (who usually plays Ann's father) pops up in the dream as Moses, who puts Ann in the dilemma of having to choose which of her husbands to take on the Ark.

"Oh, Moses" count: 0

It's Noah, Stupid!!!

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ Eh, I don't know either of those guys from Adam.

You should watch the videos.

I know. Sometimes I'm in a hurry.

Example: Isn't that Pamela Austin and Roddy Maude-Roxby as the dining couple in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band video?

Looks like Number 12 to me.

(I just now caught that Dick was doing a Lawrence Welk impersonation in the intro.)

Hard for me to miss that-- my Grandmother was a big Lawrence Welk fan.

The Pink Floyd, for one. There are also group names that we naturally put a definite article in front of when using them in a sentence, but the groups in question didn't tend to use one on their record labels. E.g., Bee Gees, Four Tops.

The The Who.

So my latest album purchase is Aretha's breakout album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (a.k.a., The One with "Respect" on It; released Mar. 10, 1967). One of the album tracks, "Save Me" (apparently an Aretha original--writing credit is Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin, King Curtis), put a smile on my face when I heard the contemporaneous genre TV reference at 1:44+:

I guess Aretha and Donovan were both DC fans.

By the way:

"Uhura, put the alien transmission on the main screen."

The Rolling Stone issue in question is Number 10, dated Saturday 11, March 68.
It's a couple of paragraphs long so I won't reprint it in full, but basically the reviewer in question, Jon Landau says the Clapton plays every blues cliche there is and shows no sign of originality.

And he is now on the nominating committee for the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. I wonder if he ever changed his mind.