The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

The Old Mixer · Apr 8, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
"El Condor Yesterday." I've never given much thought to Beatles covers, but this is certainly a good fit for Smokey.

I have to say, that rendition really makes me feel what the song's about, in a way that the original doesn't.

I guess that since I've been greatly broadening my palette for period artists in the last few years, I'm more open to hearing what some of them bring to Beatles songs. Been listening to Otis Redding's Live in Europe (1967). He did an enjoyably funked-up "Day Tripper":

He also brought something extra to Stones material:

Interesting indeed. I'd love to see more of the readings and poetry that were on the show.

I'm reminded of an SNL skit with Phil Hartman as Heston recording passages from Madonna's Sex book.

Oops. The pitfalls of being topical.

And something that would be completely missed just watching in syndication, without the 50th anniversary immersive retro thing informing one's viewing.

I don't remember that one at all. Pleasant, but doesn't hold up to their other stuff of the period.

Yeah, I'm not at all familiar with their album work. It's interesting how Laugh-In sometimes goes obscure in the songs that they make videos of.

Your capsule descriptions make it sound pretty good.

It's a good, solid show, but the murder mystery of the week thing is a bit out of my wheelhouse. I like it best when they depart from that formula.

I wonder if the censors just didn't get it.

My own lifetime tells me that back then, people would have been quicker to assume the more innocent meaning of the term; but the popularity of Goldfinger tells me that general audiences weren't oblivious to the double entendre. I think it's one of those odd cases where more innocent times actually let them get away with something that would just be viewed as blatantly obscene today.

I don't remember this one. Kind of ordinary.

Yeah, it's decent but hasn't popped for me. Joe Simon has a good, distinctive voice and a handful of Top 20 singles in the years ahead, continuing into the next decade.

I don't remember this one either, but it's toe-tappin.'

Now this is one that I can see catching on in the weekly playlist listening. And it's an interesting contrast to the two sub-Top 20 singles that became his signature songs, "In the Midnight Hour" and "Mustang Sally". Here we have a single that charted better in its time, that I'd never heard in my life before I got it.

Ah, now this is a stone-cold time-travel classic for me. I'm in Dorchester, sitting on the piazza, eating a spucky and drinking a can of tonic....

Thank goodness for Google--You just went full Bostonese there! And yeah, this is the abrupt transition from the ones you've never heard of to the ones you've heard all your life.

Another classic.

It sounds like Marvin and Tammi are still going strong...but Wiki tells me that by the time this was recorded, she was already being treated for the tumor that took her life in 1970 at the tragically early age of 24.

Another favorite, happy 60s classic.

Yep...the sort of music that you only find in this era, which makes it my favorite era of music. And note that the Rascals have dropped the "Young" from their name at this point.

And I love this, too, as I love most Who songs.

I like and have this song (which makes my having overlooked it so far into the debate a bit embarrassing)...just trying to put it in its proper historical context.

_______

51st Anniversary Viewing

_______

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week that the episodes aired:

1. "Happy Together," The Turtles
2. "Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
3. "Somethin' Stupid," Frank & Nancy Sinatra
4. "Bernadette," Four Tops
5. "This Is My Song," Petula Clark
6. "Penny Lane," The Beatles
7. "Western Union," The Five Americans
8. "I Think We're Alone Now," Tommy James & The Shondells
9. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," The Monkees
10. "There's a Kind of Hush," Herman's Hermits
11. "Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
12. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," Aretha Franklin
13. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," Harpers Bizarre
14. "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)," Buffalo Springfield
15. "Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
16. "Beggin'," The Four Seasons
17. "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," Johnny Rivers
18. "Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley
19. "Sock It to Me, Baby!," Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
20. "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
21. "Dry Your Eyes," Brenda & The Tabulations
22. "I've Been Lonely Too Long," The Young Rascals

24. "The Return of the Red Baron," The Royal Guardsmen
25. "California Nights," Lesley Gore
26. "With This Ring," The Platters
27. "At the Zoo," Simon & Garfunkel
28. "Don't You Care," The Buckinghams
29. "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone," The Supremes

33. "I'm a Man," The Spencer Davis Group
34. "Ups and Downs," Paul Revere & The Raiders

39. "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got," Jimmy Ruffin

42. "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," The Casinos

46. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," The Monkees
47. "Ruby Tuesday," The Rolling Stones
48. "You Got What It Takes," The Dave Clark Five

50. "On a Carousel," The Hollies
51. "Close Your Eyes," Peaches & Herb

53. "I'll Try Anything," Dusty Springfield

55. "Get Me to the World on Time," The Electric Prunes
56. "Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats
57. "The Happening," The Supremes
58. "Sit Down, I Think I Love You," The Mojo Men

62. "My Back Pages," The Byrds

65. "Dead End Street Monologue/Dead End Street," Lou Rawls

68. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

71. "Yellow Balloon," The Yellow Balloon

73. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings

76. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane
77. "When I Was Young," Eric Burdon & The Animals

80. "Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

84. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes

95. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick
96. "No Time Like the Right Time," The Blues Project

99. "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck

126. "Break on Through (To the Other Side)," The Doors

Leaving the chart:

"Darling Be Home Soon," The Lovin' Spoonful

"The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," The Marvelettes

"Let's Fall in Love," Peaches & Herb

"Niki Hoeky," P.J. Proby

I've actually got the next week's playlist on as I'm posting this, and must proclaim with exaltation:
"The Oogum Boogum Song" is back!
:beer:

_______

The Monkees
"Monkees Get Out More Dirt"
Originally aired April 3, 1967

Wiki said:
The Monkees' friendship is threatened when they all fall for the same girl, luscious local laundromat proprietress April Conquest (Julie Newmar).

Note: Wally Cox makes a cameo appearance in the teaser.

I assume that the bit with Wally Cox was a spoof of a specific detergent commercial back in the day. They really play up the height difference between Newmar and Davy.

April: I'm working on my doctor's thesis.
Mike: Why can't your doctor work on his own thesis?

Mike uses a boot phone...now that's a Get Smart reference.

Davy makes a reference to the recent Roger Miller song "England Swings" (Charted Nov. 6, 1965; #8 US; #1 AC; #3 Country; #13 UK). They also referenced it on a Season 1 Laugh-In that I watched. Miller is an example of the type of artist that I'm avoiding in this era, so...no video for you!

"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"
(B-side of "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"; charted separately Mar. 25, 1967; #39 US)

_______

The Rat Patrol
"The Hour Glass Raid"
Originally aired April 3, 1967

H&I said:
The Rat Patrol frees an Allied doctor seemingly abducted by Dietrich, unaware that he is actually a German agent.

Way to give away the twist that doesn't happen until over halfway in. An injured Dietrich is the one who outs the doctor, when the doctor tries to give him a lethal shot.

In the climax we get a relatively unusual situation in which the entire Patrol goes into action crammed into one Jeep, as the doctor stole their other one. The doctor is killed by a German patrol in his escape attempt.

_______

"The Mating Game"
Originally aired April 6, 1967

Wiki said:
While working on an expose on the inner workings of a game show called The Mating Game, Donald sends Ann out to go undercover as a bacholerette.

The subject of the episode gives me half an excuse to pull this out:

(Charted Mar. 19, 1966; #27 US; #4 AC; #3 UK)

Alas, we didn't even get a spoof of it in the episode. The whole sequence with Ann being on the show doesn't last very long for that matter. Half the episode is the aftermath.

Ann's surprisingly reluctant to go along considering that Donald and Jerry appeal to her to do it as an acting gig. Don has to go and complicate the scheme by becoming one of the bachelors without letting Ann know. Bessell doesn't do a very good job of disguising his voice, either, though Ann falls for it in-story. A jealous Donald tags along in his role as a reporter for Ann's date with Eduardo, the suave winning bachelor (Alejandro Rey), and goes out of his way to sabotage the night. In the climax, Ann pranks Donald by delivering a tape from after Donald left in which Eduardo conspires with her to make it sound like she fell to his charms.

Ann has a fill-in guest neighbor named Ruby this episode. And we learn that Ann's a Scorpio--That doesn't quite add up with a birthday episode that aired in February.

Well, that's the end of Season 1, catching me up with the "present" of the show. I look forward to being able to just go through one season at a time from here on.

"Oh, Donald" count: 1
"Oh, Eduardo" count: 4

_______

TREK_GOD_1 · Apr 9, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
No, that was just Folk, or maybe "Folk Pop" if one is subgenrizing to that extent. Folk Rock was a distinct new phase when people performing folk music "plugged in," using electric/rock instrumentation rather than the traditional acoustic arrangements. The Byrds are credited for having gotten this going by fusing the styles of the two most influential acts of the era, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

It matters not what the Byrds were doing, but the point stands that they did not invent the marriage of pop (rock) and folk.

No, I'm just trying to put them in their proper historical context. There's no shame in their having emerged as an influential group in a later period of the decade than the Beatles and the Stones did. I'm not an aficionado of the UK-specific music scene of the period, so I can't speak to that. If the Who were creating some sort of stirring in the British music scene as early as '64, I'll take your word for it. But that's a different thing from having been an integral part of the British Invasion in America.

The British Invasion also refers to its genesis--that initial explosion of then-radically different kinds of music in the UK; and not limited to Skiffle or the influence of Buddy Holly, but the British blues revolution of artists such as Alexis Korner (and Blues Incorporated),or artists of even more radical music fusion interests that would either splinter into rock groups, or acts taking their own unique path (The who being one of those acts).
Collectively, that was the engine / inspiration of creativity that UK acts lived on, allowing many to quickly grow into the kind of performers that could so dramatically shift North Americans' taste (teens in particualr), but it all has that formative period to thank for its success.

RJDiogenes · Apr 9, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Been listening to Otis Redding's Live in Europe (1967). He did an enjoyably funked-up "Day Tripper":

Not bad.

He also brought something extra to Stones material:

Not quite as good.

I'm reminded of an SNL skit with Phil Hartman as Heston recording passages from Madonna's Sex book.

A couple of readings have slipped into the "Best Of" episodes, but I can't remember specifics at the moment. But the best reading on TV back in the day was Vincent Price doing a reading of "The Raven" on some Halloween special. Good stuff.

Yeah, I'm not at all familiar with their album work. It's interesting how Laugh-In sometimes goes obscure in the songs that they make videos of.

They were hoping for non-obscurity. :rommie:

Thank goodness for Google--You just went full Bostonese there!

I also used to sit on the divan in the parlor while watching telly. :rommie:

It sounds like Marvin and Tammi are still going strong...but Wiki tells me that by the time this was recorded, she was already being treated for the tumor that took her life in 1970 at the tragically early age of 24.

Ugh. That's just horrific. 24 sounds like childhood to me now.

Yep...the sort of music that you only find in this era, which makes it my favorite era of music.

It was a strange and wonderful time.

The Monkees' friendship is threatened when they all fall for the same girl, luscious local laundromat proprietress April Conquest (Julie Newmar).

Join the rest of the universe, boys.

Miller is an example of the type of artist that I'm avoiding in this era, so...no video for you!

I'll live. :rommie:

"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"

This is good, and sounds Monkee-ish, but something in there is reminding me of Blondie somehow. I dunno....

The subject of the episode gives me half an excuse to pull this out:

Nice. I remember it well.

Ann's surprisingly reluctant to go along considering that Donald and Jerry appeal to her to do it as an acting gig.

It doesn't sound like Donald to set Ann up in a situation where she'd be with other men.

A jealous Donald tags along in his role as a reporter for Ann's date with Eduardo

That sounds more like Donald. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Apr 9, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
It matters not what the Byrds were doing, but the point stands that they did not invent the marriage of pop (rock) and folk.

Pop in those days included music that was not considered rock & roll, including the stuff that the older generation was listening to. The Byrds did invent the marriage of folk music with rock instrumentation...did you read any of the links that I posted? Here are some more:

https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-rock
http://www.richieunterberger.com/turnover.html
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Folk_rock
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/dylan-baez-newport-beatles-guitar/2880549.html

And what else was going on in music very much matters, especially musical developments that shaped the evolution of major, influential acts like the Beatles and Dylan. The Who were great, they made a substantial contribution to the musical landscape of the era, but they were not the end-all and be-all of '60s music.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
The British Invasion also refers to its genesis--that initial explosion of then-radically different kinds of music in the UK

That's a really odd thing that I've never heard before in my life...using the effect to retroactively describe the cause.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Invasion

Wiki said:
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture, became popular in the United States and significant to rising "counterculture" on both sides of the Atlantic.

RJDiogenes said:
This is good, and sounds Monkee-ish, but something in there is reminding me of Blondie somehow. I dunno....

There is a bit in there that sounds like "Dreaming," now that you mention it.

TREK_GOD_1 · Apr 10, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
The Monkees "Monkees Get Out More Dirt"
Originally aired April 3, 1967
I assume that the bit with Wally Cox was a spoof of a specific detergent commercial back in the day. .

Wally Cox was spoofing his own appearances in the long-defunct Salvo detergent commercials--

Mike uses a boot phone...now that's a Get Smart reference.

...along with several in "Monkee Chow Mein".

"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"
(B-side of "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"; charted separately Mar. 25, 1967; #39 US)

The Nesmith standout featuring Peter Tork's memorable harpsichord work.

NOTE: About Julie Newmar...by the time this episode aired, Newmar's association with her most famous role (Catwoman) was already in the rear-view mirror, with her final Batman arc, "Catwoman Goes to College" / "Batman Displays His Knowledge" airing in late February that year. Although she still had her Star Trek guest spot ahead of her ("Friday's Child" from 12/1/67), Newmar's star appeal--at least as a TV personality--sort of faded at a pace one would not expect for such a well-known actress. She had a steady flow of work in the 70s (1971 & 1976 probably her busiest years of that decade), but whatever her appeal was, it did not translate into her becoming a bigger actress in the following decade.

RJDiogenes · Apr 10, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
There is a bit in there that sounds like "Dreaming," now that you mention it.

Yes, that's exactly it! :rommie:

TREK_GOD_1 said:
NOTE: About Julie Newmar...by the time this episode aired, Newmar's association with her most famous role (Catwoman) was already in the rear-view mirror, with her final Batman arc, "Catwoman Goes to College" / "Batman Displays His Knowledge" airing in late February that year. Although she still had her Star Trek guest spot ahead of her ("Friday's Child" from 12/1/67), Newmar's star appeal--at least as a TV personality--sort of faded at a pace one would not expect for such a well-known actress. She had a steady flow of work in the 70s (1971 & 1976 probably her busiest years of that decade), but whatever her appeal was, it did not translate into her becoming a bigger actress in the following decade.

Interesting. I wonder why that was. Maybe she was not popular with producers for some reason?

The Old Mixer · Apr 10, 2018

Maybe the Johnson administration couldn't keep their Catwomen straight.

_______

51st Anniversary Viewing

_______

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

1. "Somethin' Stupid," Frank & Nancy Sinatra
2. "Happy Together," The Turtles
3. "This Is My Song," Petula Clark
4. "Bernadette," Four Tops
5. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," The Monkees
6. "Western Union," The Five Americans
7. "I Think We're Alone Now," Tommy James & The Shondells
8. "Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
9. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," Aretha Franklin
10. "Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
11. "Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley
12. "Penny Lane," The Beatles
13. "There's a Kind of Hush," Herman's Hermits
14. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," Harpers Bizarre
15. "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)," Buffalo Springfield
16. "Beggin'," The Four Seasons
17. "At the Zoo," Simon & Garfunkel
18. "With This Ring," The Platters
19. "The Happening," The Supremes
20. "Dry Your Eyes," Brenda & The Tabulations
21. "Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
22. "I'm a Man," The Spencer Davis Group
23. "Don't You Care," The Buckinghams
24. "I've Been Lonely Too Long," The Young Rascals
25. "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
26. "Sock It to Me, Baby!," Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
27. "California Nights," Lesley Gore

30. "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got," Jimmy Ruffin

33. "Close Your Eyes," Peaches & Herb

36. "On a Carousel," The Hollies

38. "You Got What It Takes," The Dave Clark Five
39. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," The Monkees

45. "Get Me to the World on Time," The Electric Prunes
46. "Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats

48. "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," Johnny Rivers

50. "I'll Try Anything," Dusty Springfield

52. "My Back Pages," The Byrds
53. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

55. "Dead End Street Monologue/Dead End Street," Lou Rawls

57. "Yellow Balloon," The Yellow Balloon
58. "Sit Down, I Think I Love You," The Mojo Men
59. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings

61. "When I Was Young," Eric Burdon & The Animals

65. "Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

68. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane

71. "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck
72. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes

82. "Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify

84. "Sunshine Girl," The Parade

88. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick

98. "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood
99. "Happy Jack," The Who

Leaving the chart:

"Break on Through (To the Other Side)," The Doors

"Love Is Here and Now You're Gone," The Supremes

"No Time Like the Right Time," The Blues Project

"The Return of the Red Baron," The Royal Guardsmen

"Ruby Tuesday," The Rolling Stones

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," The Casinos

"Ups and Downs," Paul Revere & The Raiders

_______

The Monkees
"Monkees in Manhattan"
Originally aired April 10, 1967

Wiki said:
In New York City, the Monkees fend off an irate hotel manager (Philip Ober) as they help a producer (Richard Anders) get backing for a Broadway musical.

It's a rock 'n' roll musical that the Monkees are supposed to be starring in, to clarify the premise. The episode opens with Davy singing lines from the old "New York, New York" song from the 1944 musical On the Town ("the Bronx is up but the Battery's down").

It's supposed to be 10-ish in the morning but Mike is conning room service into delivering cold cuts, potato salad, artichokes, and liverwurst.

"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"
I couldn't find an episode-specific clip. The song sequence featured some especially A Hard Day's Night-ish bits.

They were really pushing "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)" for a non-single. Again, I couldn't find an episode-specific clip. You can find the full episode on YouTube.

Making an early appearance in the unconnected end sequence of this song-heavy episode:

"Words"
Wiki says that this was the "original version"; the single version, as a reminder, was the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday," charted separately on July 22, 1967, and reached #11 US.

Other than the plot revolving around a potential Broadway production that we don't see a bit of, this episode didn't feel very New York-centric. Most of it takes place in the hotel set.

TOS guest: Susan Howard (Mara, "Day of the Dove") as a bride in another room, the running gag seemingly being that the couple's wedding night keeps getting interrupted...but again, it's supposed to be 10-ish in the morning...?

_______

The Rat Patrol
"Mask-a-Raid"
Originally aired April 10, 1967

H&I said:
Moffitt infiltrates a German hospital, posing as an injured Luftwaffe pilot, to spread false information about Allied troop movements leading up to the invasion of Sicily.

Meanwhile Troy passes himself off as a German ambulance driver who just sort of hangs around the hospital for a while not speaking until he tries to do something and gets caught. And Moffitt, disguised by bandages covering his face, is sniffed out by a ruse involving a woman pretending to be his visiting wife. Somehow the false information that Moffitt gave still gets through the pipeline even after Moffitt is exposed and the Patrol shoots their way out of the hospital. Not exactly Mission: Impossible subtlety.

_______

RJDiogenes · Apr 11, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Maybe the Johnson administration couldn't keep their Catwomen straight.

Maybe it was just costumes in general. Adam West and Burt Ward didn't really go very far either.

"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"

It's Deja Harry all over again.

"Words"

Not bad. I like the wind chimes and other exotic stuff.

Other than the plot revolving around a potential Broadway production that we don't see a bit of, this episode didn't feel very New York-centric. Most of it takes place in the hotel set.

Just a little too early to be homaging Hair, I suppose.

the running gag seemingly being that the couple's wedding night keeps getting interrupted...but again, it's supposed to be 10-ish in the morning...?

You know those honeymooners, they completely lose track of time.

Somehow the false information that Moffitt gave still gets through the pipeline even after Moffitt is exposed and the Patrol shoots their way out of the hospital. Not exactly Mission: Impossible subtlety.

I'll bet the secretary disavowed all knowledge of that hospital shooting.

The Old Mixer · Apr 12, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
You know those honeymooners, they completely lose track of time.

The bride and groom were still in their gown and tux...it was being played like they hadn't gotten to bed yet.

I'll bet the secretary disavowed all knowledge of that hospital shooting.

It was bigger than that...Jeeps machine-gunning their way out of town in TRP's violent live-action cartoon style.

_______

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

1. "He's So Fine," The Chiffons

3. "South Street," The Orlons
4. "The End of the World," Skeeter Davis
5. "Baby Workout," Jackie Wilson
6. "Our Day Will Come," Ruby & The Romantics
7. "I Will Follow Him," Little Peggy March
8. "Puff (The Magic Dragon)," Peter, Paul & Mary

10. "Do the Bird," Dee Dee Sharp
11. "In Dreams," Roy Orbison
12. "Pipeline," The Chantays
13. "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)," The Cookies
14. "Rhythm of the Rain," The Cascades

16. "Mr. Bass Man," Johnny Cymbal
17. "Twenty Miles," Chubby Checker

19. "You're the Reason I'm Living," Bobby Darin

22. "On Broadway," The Drifters
23. "I Wanna Be Around," Tony Bennett

27. "Sandy," Dion

29. "I Got What I Wanted," Brook Benton

31. "Watermelon Man," Mongo Santamaria Band
32. "Laughing Boy," Mary Wells
33. "Surfin' U.S.A.," The Beach Boys

36. "Let's Limbo Some More," Chubby Checker
37. "Wild Weekend," The Rebels

40. "Walk Like a Man," The Four Seasons
41. "Linda," Jan & Dean

43. "Foolish Little Girl," The Shirelles
44. "Tom Cat," The Rooftop Singers

48. "One Broken Heart for Sale," Elvis Presley
49. "Ruby Baby," Dion
50. "If You Wanna Be Happy," Jimmy Soul

52. "Don't Set Me Free," Ray Charles

56. "Losing You," Brenda Lee

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

70. "Take These Chains from My Heart," Ray Charles
71. "Two Faces Have I," Lou Christie
72. "Killer Joe," The Rocky Fellers

80. "Hot Pastrami," The Dartells

97. "Come and Get These Memories," Martha & The Vandellas

Leaving the chart:

"Alice In Wonderland," Neil Sedaka

"Boss Guitar," Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes

"Greenback Dollar," The Kingston Trio

"Let's Turkey Trot," Little Eva

"Mama Didn't Lie," Jan Bradley

_______

12 O'Clock High
"The Survivor"
Originally aired February 21, 1966

Xfinity said:
Gallagher discovers the reason behind a pilot's (Don Gordon) cold, belligerent attitude; guests Don Quine, Jill Ireland.

Gordon's character, Capt. Bradovich, is tied down to Sara (Jill Ireland), the mother of an unseen child of a buddy who died saving the captain. In Act III she seriously injures another officer with her handbag when he comes on to her, and Bradovich takes the blame. They get to the bottom of things pretty quickly, but it's Komansky who gets involved and does the detective work. Bradovich had been suffering from a particularly bad rap after he was the only survivor when his bomber was shot down earlier in the episode, and Sandy had a good moment enforcing discipline and respect among the enlisted crew of the captain's next bomber.

Overall, the premise kind of reminded me of Gallagher's second appearance as a Season 1 guest character, though the circumstances were somewhat different. In this case, Bradovich (after winning the respect of his crew by bringing 'em back alive) hints in the end at taking his relationship with Sara to a more personal level.

Stovall says that he's a lawyer in private life...not sure if that's come up before.

_______

GNDN18 · Apr 12, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Stovall says that he's a lawyer in private life...not sure if that's come up before.

In the movie, Stovall’s profession plays a key part in his relationship with Savage (and
Dean Jagger is just terrific). I’m surprised that angle hasn’t figured in the show.

The Old Mixer · Apr 12, 2018

It might've and I just didn't notice...but not prominently enough to make me notice.

GNDN18 · Apr 12, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
It might've and I just didn't notice...but not prominently enough to make me notice.

I’ve been following your recaps pretty closely and the lawyer thing hasn’t come up. The film is one of my favorites and I don’t have cable so your comments are an interesting window into the show.

Have you seen the movie?

The Old Mixer · Apr 12, 2018

No, but I'll have to someday...maybe when the series has played out on H&I.

There are full-episode videos on YouTube, but I can't vouch for the source. When I went looking for something in the Shatner episode as follow-up after I'd deleted my recording, I found that the first scene of Act III had been edited out and an Act III title card that didn't match the usual ones had been inserted. They seem to be mostly intact, though.

I wasn't doing every-episode reviews here until well into Season 1. If Stovall's civilian profession had been mentioned in an early episode, it might have escaped my notice while I was still getting the lay of the show in general. A conspicuous detail that I did notice coming up in the first episode (I think) is that Stovall was a grandfather. This didn't jibe with a more recently watched Season 2 episode in which Stovall learns that his son has gone MIA, and no family of the son comes up.

RJDiogenes · Apr 12, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
The bride and groom were still in their gown and tux...it was being played like they hadn't gotten to bed yet.

Okay, I guess the writers just weren't paying attention to their own story then. Either that or there was a subplot about time portals that got left on the cutting room floor. :rommie:

It was bigger than that...Jeeps machine-gunning their way out of town in TRP's violent live-action cartoon style.

Geez. Watch out for those civilians, guys.

In Act III she seriously injures another officer with her handbag when he comes on to her, and Bradovich takes the blame.

Who does she think she is, Tara King?

GNDN18 said:
Have you seen the movie?

I didn't even know there was a movie. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Apr 14, 2018

_______

50th Anniversary Viewing

_______

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Season 1, episode 11
Originally aired April 8, 1968

The Wiki list of guest appearances said:
John Byner, Hugh Downs, James Garner, Flip Wilson, Paul Winchell, Pamela Austin, David Lipp

John Wayne, too. "You're kidding" at the mention of Flip Wilson being on the show is overselling it...he's been in several episodes already.

This week they seem to have had enough lead time to make sure that there were no jokes about LBJ being in the election, but they don't have any new ones about his dropping out, either.

Eileen Brennan said:
I just found out that Adam and Eve were never married. Do you know what that makes all of us?

Byner does his Sullivan a few times, as well as Bobby Kennedy, John Wayne, and King George III in the style of LBJ.

One joke involves Flip Wilson making a reference to King Reagan.

News from 1988 has a reference to Nelson Rockefeller as the newly elected president but not being a candidate...?

Mod, Mod World looks at the spirit of adventure.

_______

The Avengers
"Split!"
Originally aired April 10, 1968 (US); October 23, 1968 (UK)

Wiki said:
When agents in Lord Barnes’s department at the Ministry of Top Secret Information are murdered, all the evidence points to an enemy agent named Kartovski. The snag is that Kartovski was killed by Steed five years earlier.

Mmmkay...this episode has a still different title sequence:
Must owe to differences in UK and US season organization / airing order. I like the one with the suits of armor better.

And Steed's got his old roadster in this one. The plum-colored sports car seems to be Tara's.

Kartovski turns out to be not dead but bedridden...well, ice-filled box ridden. His thoughts are being transferred into ministry agents, with the possessed agents' tell being that their left hands become arthritic claws. Julian Glover turns out to be one of the transfer recipients, though they fooled me into thinking they'd wasted him as a regular good guy in this one. I was disappointed that the transfer into Tara didn't go through.

At one point, Steed does a bit of Oddjob-style bowler-throwing.

Talk about maybe-coincidental Trek touches...the hospital room where Kartovski and the mind-transferring device are kept has a group of six ceiling lights that bears more than little resemblance to the classic transporter pad ceiling, though they're not arranged in a circle.

_______

"The Beard"
Originally aired April 11, 1968

Wiki said:
After a hunting trip, Donald decides to grow a beard, which doesn't necessarily turn Ann on.

For the record, Donald grew the beard during the hunting trip.

Mr. Marie said:
Are you trying to be a beatnik from Hippiesville?

Donald gets a little pretentious in his facial hirsuteness, which includes taking up pipe-smoking. In the climax, Ann makes a point by pretending to have cut her hair short--she's actually hiding it under a wig of a Yvonne Craig-style haircut, which Donald describes as a crew-cut! Then it turns out that Donald has since shaved and is wearing a false beard. (I assume that Bessell was wearing the same false beard for the entire episode.)

This episode is the last appearance of Ruth Buzzi as Pete Peterson.

"Oh, Donald" count: 4
"Oh, Daddy" count: 2

_______

The Saint
"The House on Dragon's Rock"
Originally aired April 13, 1968 (US); November 24, 1968 (UK)

Xfinity said:
Templar and the niece (Annette Andre) of a research scientist search through a labyrinth of tunnels underneath a mountain in Wales.

This is one of nine episodes directed by Moore. Simon introduces himself, but to a man holding a rifle, so there's a little something going on with it.

A decade before Fonzie jumped his shark, Simon Templar fought a giant ant. No, it's not a hoax being perpetrated on the Welsh villagers as one might have expected in this series...the villagers frightened out of their wits and unusual feats of strength like tractors being overturned are actually the work of a giant ant, which the scientist has been controlling via sonic waves. The real danger is that the ant is a she and has laid eggs. There only seems to be one giant ant around, so what exactly does she breed with...?

In the end, the scientist predictably gets killed by his pet; and Simon lights up the eggs with some gaso...er, petrol, and fires a shotgun at Mama GiAnt, which conveniently causes a cave-in.

That's the last of the newer Saint episodes that aired in this US season that I'll be covering. The show will be back for our purposes in a year with the next US season.

_______

RJDiogenes said:
Who does she think she is, Tara King?

Yeah, I couldn't help but picture that brick being in there. She did quite a number on that guy.

The Supremes episode of Tarzan is on H&I as I type this.

The Old Mixer · Apr 14, 2018

_______

50 Years Ago This Week

April 18 – John Rennie's 1831 New London Bridge is sold to Arizona entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch and is rebuilt in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, reopening on October 5, 1971.
April 20

Pierre Elliott Trudeau becomes the 15th Prime Minister of Canada.

English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial Rivers of Blood speech.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
April 20: Apple Music publishes an advertisement soliciting tapes from unknown artists that it might turn into millionaires. Apple is promptly besieged.

In Beatles lore, I think this could be considered a sign of the End of Days. The series that the video below is the first part of glosses over the legendary office chaos and focuses on the history of the Apple recording branch:

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Honey," Bobby Goldsboro
2. "Young Girl," The Union Gap feat. Gary Puckett
3. "Cry Like a Baby," The Box Tops
4. "Lady Madonna," The Beatles
5. "Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You've Been Gone)," Aretha Franklin
6. "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay," Otis Redding
7. "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," Georgie Fame
8. "Dance to the Music," Sly & The Family Stone
9. "I Got the Feelin'," James Brown & The Famous Flames
10. "Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)," Manfred Mann
11. "Scarborough Fair / Canticle," Simon & Garfunkel
12. "La-La Means I Love You," The Delfonics
13. "Valleri," The Monkees
14. "If You Can Want," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
15. "Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)," Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra
16. "Summertime Blues," Blue Cheer
17. "Playboy," Gene & Debbe
18. "Cowboys to Girls," The Intruders
19. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra & Chorus
20. "The Unicorn," The Irish Rovers
21. "Ain't No Way," Aretha Franklin
22. "Love Is All Around," The Troggs
23. "Sweet Inspiration," The Sweet Inspirations
24. "Kiss Me Goodbye," Petula Clark
25. "Tighten Up," Archie Bell & The Drells
26. "Jennifer Juniper," Donovan

28. "Take Time to Know Her," Percy Sledge
29. "Forever Came Today," Diana Ross & The Supremes
30. "Funky Street," Arthur Conley
31. "A Beautiful Morning," The Rascals
32. "U.S. Male," Elvis Presley

34. "Delilah," Tom Jones

36. "Simon Says," 1910 Fruitgum Co.

38. "Soul Serenade," Willie Mitchell

41. "I Thank You," Sam & Dave

45. "She's Lookin' Good," Wilson Pickett

47. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day," Stevie Wonder
48. "The Unknown Soldier," The Doors
49. "Call Me Lightning," The Who
50. "Mony Mony," Tommy James & The Shondells

56. "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

61. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," Dionne Warwick

71. "Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang

76. "Master Jack," Four Jacks and a Jill

85. "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On," Joe Simon

87. "I Love You," People

97. "Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers

Leaving the chart:

"The End of Our Road," Gladys Knight & The Pips
"I Wish It Would Rain," The Temptations
"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," The First Edition
"Sunshine of Your Love," Cream (for now)
"(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls," Dionne Warwick
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow," The Four Seasons

New on the chart:

"Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
(#29 US; #5 R&B)

"Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang
(#17 US; #24 AC)

Also, something that doesn't meet my criteria for inclusion in the list, but I couldn't help noticing it on the chart. On the subject of the in-the-moment popularity of a certain TV series:

"Impossible Mission (Mission Impossible)," Soul Survivors
(#68 US; entering the chart this week at #72)

There's no resemblance to the show or its theme music to speak of, but the name clearly isn't just a coincidence at this point in the show's fame.

And new on the boob tube:

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Season 1, episode 12
That Girl, "The Drunkard"

_______

TREK_GOD_1 · Apr 14, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Pop in those days included music that was not considered rock & roll, including the stuff that the older generation was listening to. The Byrds did invent the marriage of folk music with rock instrumentation...did you read any of the links that I posted? Here are some more:

I read them, but one cannot cherry-pick and/or leap over history's important details. Rock's marriage to folk occurred long before the Byrds were a thought. One cannot ignore the genesis which laid the foundation for not only the Byrds, but Dylan's approach, and that undeniably dates back to the creative movement pushed by Kingston Trio, The Weavers (with and without Pete Seeger), Phil Ochs and others. Few things in music happen in a spark or creative bottle free of clear influences. To suggest otherwise would be as historically incorrect as saying McCartney and Lennon just created what would be The Quarrymen through early Beatles music with no clear, undeniably influential foundation from the likes of Little Richard and Buddy Holly. The former does not exist without the latter, and that is most certainly true in how folk's champions moved the genre toward other styles of music (despite the naysaying of some), including rock.

The Who were great, they made a substantial contribution to the musical landscape of the era, but they were not the end-all and be-all of '60s music.

At no part of this exchange will anyone find the suggestion that The Who were the "end-all and be-all of 60's music". Instead, you will find the accurate account of their importance from one stage of their career to another.

The Monkees
"Monkees in Manhattan" / Originally aired April 10, 1967

"Words"
Wiki says that this was the "original version"; the single version, as a reminder, was the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday," charted separately on July 22, 1967, and reached #11 US.

...and would remain unreleased until the 1990 compilation disc, Missing Links: Volume Two. That disc also marked the official release of the original version of "Valleri" and their version of the Christian Nativity song, "Riu Riu Chiu", once only available at the end of "The Monkees' Christmas Show" in 1967.

TOS guest: Susan Howard (Mara, "Day of the Dove") as a bride in another room, the running gag seemingly being that the couple's wedding night keeps getting interrupted..

...along with the sexually suggestive joke of the groom finally opening the streaming champagne bottle--to the bride's overjoyed reaction. Rather on the nose for 60s TV.

"Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
(#29 US; #5 R&B)

Underrated act known more for mentoring the early Jackson 5 than their own career, and great, soulful tracks like the one listed here.

"Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang
(#17 US; #24 AC)

Love the mood and string arrangements of this song.

The Old Mixer · Apr 14, 2018

Sigh. This whole tangent was old a week ago, but...

TREK_GOD_1 said:
I read them, but one cannot cherry-pick and/or leap over history's important details. Rock's marriage to folk occurred long before the Byrds were a thought.

You're not just arguing with me, you're arguing with scholars and historians on the subject; and with the actual history of the term "folk rock," which was coined in an article in 1965 specifically to describe the Byrds' music.

The video said:
Not to be confused with pop folk.

A Google Books result that gets into the history of the term.

This page has what appears to be the content of the Billboard article that first used the phrase.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Few things in music happen in a spark or creative bottle free of clear influences.

The Old Mixer said:
The Byrds are credited for having gotten this going by fusing the styles of the two most influential acts of the era, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

RJDiogenes · Apr 15, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
One joke involves Flip Wilson making a reference to King Reagan.

One of their more prophetic items. :rommie:

Must owe to differences in UK and US season organization / airing order. I like the one with the suits of armor better.

Agreed, although I like the bit with Tara's finger through the bullet hole. It seems like they're trying to make it more Emma Peel-ish, but the armor and the surreal doorway are better.

Kartovski turns out to be not dead but bedridden...well, ice-filled box ridden. His thoughts are being transferred into ministry agents, with the possessed agents' tell being that their left hands become arthritic claws.

Cool. I don't remember that at all. Inspired by Lovecraft, maybe.

A decade before Fonzie jumped his shark, Simon Templar fought a giant ant.

Wow.

I didn't know The Saint ever got into the fantastic like that-- or is it the only time? I take it you do not approve.

There only seems to be one giant ant around, so what exactly does she breed with...?

A normal-sized ant with a massive inferiority complex.

The Old Mixer said:
"Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers

I'm not familiar with this one. Kind of okay.

"Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang

This, however, is wonderful, and strongly nostalgic.

"Impossible Mission (Mission Impossible)," Soul Survivors

Weird, but not bad.

The Old Mixer · Apr 16, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
It seems like they're trying to make it more Emma Peel-ish, but the armor and the surreal doorway are better.

Plus the armor opening is shot outdoors.

Cool. I don't remember that at all. Inspired by Lovecraft, maybe.

Not literally turning into claws, just taking on a claw-like shape.

Wow. I didn't know The Saint ever got into the fantastic like that-- or is it the only time? I take it you do not approve.

The only time that I know of offhand...I was surprised, at least. But sometimes I find the show to be a bit of a snoozer, so it turned out to be attention-grabbing at least. It was like Roger Moore was starring in a '50s B-movie.

A normal-sized ant with a massive inferiority complex.

I think the size problem would only be compounded in that situation.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
great, soulful tracks like the one listed here

RJDiogenes said:
I'm not familiar with this one. Kind of okay.

It's pleasant enough sounding but doesn't really pop for me. Very much background music. But this...

TREK_GOD_1 said:
known more for mentoring the early Jackson 5 than their own career

Is a fun fact! And Diana Ross got the credit in Motown's PR.

Alas, "Does Your Mama Know About Me" proved to be Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers' only Top 40 hit.

RJDiogenes said:
This, however, is wonderful, and strongly nostalgic.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Love the mood and string arrangements of this song.

And this was the last of Spanky & Our Gang's string of five consecutive Top 40 hits, so we shan't be hearing more from them in these parts.

Weird, but not bad.

It's OK, but it's easy to hear why it languished in the lower reaches of the Hot 100.

_______

51st Anniversary Viewing

_______

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

1. "Somethin' Stupid," Frank & Nancy Sinatra
2. "Happy Together," The Turtles
3. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," The Monkees
4. "I Think We're Alone Now," Tommy James & The Shondells
5. "Western Union," The Five Americans
6. "This Is My Song," Petula Clark
7. "Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley
8. "Bernadette," Four Tops
9. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," Aretha Franklin
10. "Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
11. "The Happening," The Supremes
12. "Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
13. "I'm a Man," The Spencer Davis Group
14. "With This Ring," The Platters

16. "At the Zoo," Simon & Garfunkel
17. "Don't You Care," The Buckinghams
18. "You Got What It Takes," The Dave Clark Five
19. "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)," Buffalo Springfield
20. "Dry Your Eyes," Brenda & The Tabulations
21. "Penny Lane," The Beatles
22. "There's a Kind of Hush," Herman's Hermits
23. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," Harpers Bizarre
24. "On a Carousel," The Hollies
25. "Beggin'," The Four Seasons
26. "Close Your Eyes," Peaches & Herb

28. "Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
29. "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got," Jimmy Ruffin
30. "Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats

33. "California Nights," Lesley Gore
34. "Get Me to the World on Time," The Electric Prunes

36. "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

38. "When I Was Young," Eric Burdon & The Animals
39. "I've Been Lonely Too Long," The Young Rascals
40. "I'll Try Anything," Dusty Springfield

42. "My Back Pages," The Byrds
43. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

46. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings
47. "Yellow Balloon," The Yellow Balloon
48. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," The Monkees

50. "Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

52. "Dead End Street Monologue/Dead End Street," Lou Rawls
53. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes
54. "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck

58. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane

65. "Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify

69. "Sunshine Girl," The Parade

77. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick

79. "Groovin'," The Young Rascals

83. "Happy Jack," The Who

86. "When You're Young and in Love," The Marvelettes

94. "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood

Leaving the chart:

"Baby I Need Your Lovin'," Johnny Rivers

"Sit Down, I Think I Love You," The Mojo Men

"Sock It to Me, Baby!," Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

_______

The Monkees
"Monkees at the Movies"
Originally aired April 17, 1967

Wiki said:
The Monkees have a run-in with a snobbish movie idol (Bobby Sherman) on the set as extras in a beach movie.

Note: Davy's pre-Monkees album on Colpix Records is used as a prop.

Or is the title "Monkees in the Movies" as my onscreen cable info says, which makes more sense?

The Monkees are being described as teenagers again; as is Sherman's Frankie Catalina, though Sherman was 23 at the time. This episode spoofs on Frankie Avalon-style teen idols and their beach party movies.

"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"

The second song sequence revisits a blast from the season's past but barely even has a role in a the story:

"Last Train to Clarksville"

Possibly unintentional comic book reference: At one point Peter suggests a teen idol named Freddy Freeman as a replacement for Catalina. After some PR work by the boys, Davy temporarily replaces Catalina, but the situation instantly transforms him into the same type of personality as Catalina, and he ultimately refuses to do the picture, turning down a million dollars. I don't wanna hear any more sob stories about them needing money!

Unconnected closing song:

"Valleri" (original version)

Doing a bit of research, it seems that at this point Sherman had been best known as a regular cast member / house singer on Shindig! in '64-'66. He already had a recording career, but it didn't take off until 1969, after he was cast in the series Here Come the Brides (1968-1970). His eventual string of hit records should be coming up as 50th anniversary business in due course, so I'll refrain from getting ahead of things and forego the customary music career tribute.

_______

The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Vice Admiral

Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Vice Admiral

Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

270

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

270

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Vice Admiral

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion

Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim.

We value your privacy