The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

RJDiogenes · Aug 4, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
If it's of any help, my reviews of the series started here.

Big help, thanks. Using that in my query gives four pages of results, which is manageable. I'm sure I can find Nichelle Nichols and the Giant Clam in time.

"Surfer Girl," The Beach Boys

Another classic.

"(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave," Martha & The Vandellas

Not a classic in the same sense as "Surfer Girl," but definitely a memorable song that's evocative of the time.

"Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)," Allan Sherman

I feel like this has come up before. Anyway, I love this song. I remember singing it endlessly as a kid. The funniest line is probably the one about "Ulysses," although I didn't get that one until years later.

The TV Western that Davy briefly watches is identified on IMDb as being Iron Horse, which aired in the same timeslot on ABC. Guess that was preferable to reminding the audience that they were missing Gilligan's Island on CBS.

That's really weird. You'd think they'd blur that out. :rommie:

Alas, we get the blurred-out version of the bathing suit in this video. I'm not sure I can explain it, but this is the first time I've felt insulted by the prudishness of the times.

Like I've said before, it's frequently baffling what will trigger the censors. It may have been because they thought the show was for kids, but there must have been bikini girls on The Monkees before. And this was the same time period that had Orion Slave Girls and Theiss costumes on Trek. Also I remember some pretty revealing bikinis on shows like Petticoat Junction and Love, American Style.

In the end, the head nun seems awfully cheery about her monastery having gotten bombed.

"Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, free at last!" Actually, wouldn't that be a convent?

Lloyd Haynes actually gets to say the title of the series! Oddly, the credits give Haynes's character a very distinctive name (Chase Mayhew) that's never used in the episode...he's only referred to as "Toro Leader".

Maybe it's in the uncut version. Anyway, Lloyd Haynes was great. He was the star of Room 222 around that time, which was a fantastic show that is sadly largely forgotten now. It would be great to see that show up on one of the retro channels-- I've got the first season on DVD, but it would be nice to remind the world that it existed.

Flying Spaghetti Monster · Aug 4, 2018

Miss the 70s Wonder Woman show

The Old Mixer · Aug 4, 2018

_______

50 Years Ago This Week

August 5–August 8 – The Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida nominates Richard Nixon for U.S. President and Spiro Agnew for Vice President.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
August 7: Paul enters the closed-down Apple Boutique on Baker Street and writes 'Hey Jude' and 'Revolution' on the whitewashed windows.

(File under Fab Foreshadowing!)

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week, with a Bubbling Under bonus:

1. "Hello, I Love You," The Doors
2. "Classical Gas," Mason Williams
3. "Stoned Soul Picnic," The 5th Dimension
4. "Grazing in the Grass," Hugh Masekela
5. "People Got to Be Free," The Rascals
6. "Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan
7. "Lady Willpower," Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
8. "Turn Around, Look at Me," The Vogues
9. "Sunshine of Your Love," Cream
10. "Jumpin' Jack Flash," The Rolling Stones
11. "Born to Be Wild," Steppenwolf
12. "The Horse," Cliff Nobles & Co.
13. "Stay in My Corner," The Dells
14. "Pictures of Matchstick Men," The Status Quo
15. "You Keep Me Hangin' On," The Vanilla Fudge
16. "This Guy's in Love with You," Herb Alpert
17. "Journey to the Center of the Mind," The Amboy Dukes
18. "Dream a Little Dream of Me," Mama Cass w/ The Mamas & The Papas
19. "Autumn of My Life," Bobby Goldsboro
20. "Light My Fire," Jose Feliciano
21. "Soul-Limbo," Booker T. & The MG's
22. "Sky Pilot," Eric Burdon & The Animals
23. "I Can't Stop Dancing," Archie Bell & The Drells
24. "Sealed with a Kiss," Gary Lewis & The Playboys
25. "Indian Lake," The Cowsills
26. "Reach Out of the Darkness," Friend & Lover

28. "Angel of the Morning," Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts
29. "The Look of Love," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
30. "(Love Is Like a) Baseball Game," The Intruders

33. "Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders
34. "Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)," Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart

36. "You're All I Need to Get By," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
37. "Love Makes a Woman," Barbara Acklin
38. "Face It Girl, It's Over," Nancy Wilson
39. "1, 2, 3, Red Light," 1910 Fruitgum Co.
40. "The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas

43. "Here Comes the Judge," Shorty Long
44. "Please Return Your Love to Me," The Temptations

46. "Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash

48. "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)," The Moody Blues

50. "Do It Again," The Beach Boys
51. "Slip Away," Clarence Carter

61. "The Fool on the Hill," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66

83. "Magic Bus," The Who

95. "Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers

99. "On the Road Again," Canned Heat

113. "Everybody's Talkin'," Nilsson

Leaving the chart:

"Here Comes the Judge," Pigmeat Markham
"I Love You," People
"I'm a Midnight Mover," Wilson Pickett
"MacArthur Park," Richard Harris
"Never Give You Up," Jerry Butler
"She's a Heartbreaker," Gene Pitney
"Yummy, Yummy, Yummy," Ohio Express

New on the chart:

"Magic Bus," The Who
(#25 US; #26 UK)

"On the Road Again," Canned Heat
(#16 US; #8 UK)

"Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers
(#11 US)

"The Fool on the Hill," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
(#6 US; #1 AC; written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, originally recorded by the Beatles in 1967)

Bubbling under:

"Everybody's Talkin'," Nilsson
(#113 US; re-enters in Aug. 1969, reaching #6 US, #2 AC, #23 UK)

And new on the boob tube...sort of:

The Ed Sullivan Show, repeat of Season 20, episode 13 (originally broadcast Dec. 3, 1967), featuring an added performance by the Blue Comets

_______

This week's scheduled catch-up viewing:

12 O'Clock High, "A Long Time Dead" (Jan. 6, 1967)
The Monkees, "The Case of the Missing Monkee" (Jan. 9, 1967)
12 O'Clock High, "The Hunters and the Killers" (Jan. 13, 1967; series finale)

_______

RJDiogenes said:
Big help, thanks. Using that in my query gives four pages of results, which is manageable. I'm sure I can find Nichelle Nichols and the Giant Clam in time.

Ah, I can help with those (though by the time you read this, the point is probably moot). Proceeding on the assumption that Decades' online schedule is not a dream, hoax, or imaginary story:*

"The Deadly Silence," Parts I and II (08/18, 8 & 9 p.m.; as I recall, Nichelle more or less disappears in Part II; this two-parter was later released theatrically)
"Village of Fire" (08/18, 11 p.m.)
"The Day of the Golden Lion" (08/19, 12 a.m.; a generally enjoyable "tribal Olympics" episode, as I recall)

I'd also highly recommend catching a couple of the earlier episodes that had the regular setting and additional recurring characters, as the show generally seemed a little more impressively budgeted at that early point. The ones that pop out at me are:

"Eyes of the Lion" (08/18, 1 p.m.; series premiere, and pretty much the only episode with a Jungle Queen-ish heroine)
"A Life for a Life" (08/18, 4 p.m.; the one that I strongly suspect of being the first in production order, given its bits of exposition on Tarzan and Jai; also a generally good "Tarzan in a race against time" episode, IIRC)

Some later highlights that pop out at me from browsing the schedule:

"Voice of the Elephant" (08/19, 6 a.m.; if you happen to be into pachyderms and believe that they're deserving of a fair trial)
"Mountains of the Moon," Parts I and II (08/19, 3 & 4 p.m.; if you happen to be into Ethel Merman...probably the show's most colorful and highest-profile guest star)
"A Gun for Jai" (08/19, 10 p.m.; for the disturbing aspects discussed upthread)
"Trina" (08/20, 6 a.m.; I found it a mediocre episode, but you'd expressed an interest in it based on my description of the colorful but underutilized group of young female guests)

* ETA: My cable guide now supports the online schedule.

Not a classic in the same sense as "Surfer Girl," but definitely a memorable song that's evocative of the time.

I could argue that it's at least as much of a classic in its own way. "Surfer Girl" is prettier, but "Heat Wave" is the kind of song that makes you want to get up and dance...or sit down and not dance, if that's your thing.

I feel like this has come up before.

Not in this thread...a search result for "mudduh" supports my memory on that. I never went to camp myself, but I'm sure that the song evokes all sorts of seasonal association for those who did. And it's a period novelty song that's genuinely cute and funny rather than annoying.

That's really weird. You'd think they'd blur that out.

The IMDb trivia post about this suggests that it was there because despite the network rivalry, both were Screen Gems shows.

Actually, wouldn't that be a convent?

They consistently referred to it in the episode as a retreat...I probably should have as well. There were civilians seeking refuge there, so it wasn't a closed community.

Flying Spaghetti Monster said:
Miss the 70s Wonder Woman show

That's been a staple of MeTV's Saturday night lineup for years, if you get that channel.

GNDN18 · Aug 5, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
And it's a period novelty song that's genuinely cute and funny rather than annoying.

Alan Sherman performed with the Boston Pops once. His “Peter and the Wolf” was pretty good. It’s been years since I’ve heard the album, but I think it’s worth looking for.

The Old Mixer · Aug 5, 2018

One quick YouTube search later....

ETA: Ringo name-drop at 21:00+. (The album was released in '64.)

RJDiogenes · Aug 5, 2018

^^ Gotta love the Internet.

The Old Mixer said:
"Magic Bus," The Who

Oh, yeah, classic Who. :mallory:

"On the Road Again," Canned Heat

This was never one of my favorites, but it's pleasant to listen to.

"Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers

This is a pretty good song.

"The Fool on the Hill," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66

Not a bad cover. Also pleasant to listen to.

"Everybody's Talkin'," Nilsson

I love this one.

Ah, I can help with those (though by the time you read this, the point is probably moot).

Not moot at all, thank you. I went through one of the results pages yesterday, so I got three of the ones you listed, but you pretty much did the rest of my work for me and then some. The only other one of particular interest that I remember was the Michael Dunn episode, which I was just able to find in about two seconds.

"The Deadly Silence," Parts I and II (08/18, 8 & 9 p.m.; as I recall, Nichelle more or less disappears in Part II; this two-parter was later released theatrically)

I've seen fragments of this in other marathons, so it will be nice to see it all straight through.

I'd also highly recommend catching a couple of the earlier episodes that had the regular setting and additional recurring characters, as the show generally seemed a little more impressively budgeted at that early point. The ones that pop out at me are:

Great suggestions. I had picked out the Jungle Queen episode, but I didn't realize it was the premiere-- and it will be interesting to see the first first episode, because that's always fun. [/quote]

"Voice of the Elephant" (08/19, 6 a.m.; if you happen to be into pachyderms and believe that they're deserving of a fair trial)

Have you seen my webcomic? :rommie:

"Mountains of the Moon," Parts I and II (08/19, 3 & 4 p.m.; if you happen to be into Ethel Merman...probably the show's most colorful and highest-profile guest star)

I wouldn't have thought of these, but it's a good suggestion.

"A Gun for Jai" (08/19, 10 p.m.; for the disturbing aspects discussed upthread)

Indeed, a very good suggestion.

"Trina" (08/20, 6 a.m.; I found it a mediocre episode, but you'd expressed an interest in it based on my description of the colorful but underutilized group of young female guests)

Well, that's always part of the appeal of jungle adventures. :rommie:

The only other one that I had picked out was "Pearls of Tanga," the one with the submarine. I think that's a pretty good list.

I could argue that it's at least as much of a classic in its own way. "Surfer Girl" is prettier, but "Heat Wave" is the kind of song that makes you want to get up and dance...or sit down and not dance, if that's your thing.

Definitely the sit down one. The song is certainly a classic in its own way and I love it. Maybe we just need different types of classics, the same way the IAU has different types of planets: "Surfer Girl" is a Regular Classic and "Heat Wave" is a Dwarf Classic (and I suppose "Jumpin' Jack Flash" would be a Gas-Gas-Gas Giant Classic).

Not in this thread...a search result for "mudduh" supports my memory on that. I never went to camp myself, but I'm sure that the song evokes all sorts of seasonal association for those who did. And it's a period novelty song that's genuinely cute and funny rather than annoying.

Weird, maybe it was the old MeTV thread. Anyway, for me it's the cute and funny rather than camp associations-- they sent me to camp for two weeks in the 60s and I was miserable. :rommie:

Also, there was a board game based on the song that we had that I remember enjoying.

The IMDb trivia post about this suggests that it was there because despite the network rivalry, both were Screen Gems shows.

Ah, that explains it.

The Old Mixer · Aug 5, 2018

I think that all of this week's 50th anniversary debuts were stone-cold rock/pop classics, except the Sergio Mendes cover, which is easy listening and a cover but a pleasant enough listen.

RJDiogenes said:
This was never one of my favorites, but it's pleasant to listen to.

That surprises me a bit...I'd have thought Canned Heat was right up your alley.

This is a pretty good song.

Alas, it's the Chambers Brothers' sole Top 30 hit.

I love this one.

One of those classic period songs that we probably never would have heard of if not for special circumstances. In this case, it'll be back in a bigger way next year following its use in Midnight Cowboy.

Not moot at all, thank you. I went through one of the results pages yesterday, so I got three of the ones you listed, but you pretty much did the rest of my work for me and then some. The only other one of particular interest that I remember was the Michael Dunn episode, which I was just able to find in about two seconds.

Happy to be of help! :mallory:

IIRC, the Dunn episode would be the one airing just before "Trina"...there was some confusion in online sources as to which order those last two episodes of the series originally aired in.

Have you seen my webcomic?

I could see why those elephants might be in need of legal representation, if they're, say, trying to drive home between strips.

I wouldn't have thought of these, but it's a good suggestion.

I'm not sure if they were particularly strong episodes, but Tarzan and Ethel Merman definitely make for an odd couple. There's something about the image of Tarzan driving her Jeep that stuck with me.

The only other one that I had picked out was "Pearls of Tanga," the one with the submarine.

Ah, that would be the one with the little hatch in a little pool pretending to be a submarine in a dock? Perhaps worth it after having watched those two early episodes to see just how far into cheesy and low-budget the show could swing. Though IIRC, that episode had some pretty shoreline shooting to contrast the cave set-bound attempt at knocking off Bond films.

_______

50th Anniversary Album Spotlight

_______

Wheels of Fire
Cream
Released July 1968
Chart debut: July 13, 1968
Chart peak: #1, August 10 through August 31, 1968
#203 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Cream's third LP was a double album that was also sold as two individual discs, In the Studio and Live at the Fillmore.

Opening the album...Holy Sneak Preview! Classic rock powerhouse "White Room" (#367 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time) wasn't due to come up as a charting single until October! You heard it here first, album listeners! :techman:

Next the band goes squarely back to their Blues Rock roots with their hard, steamy rendition of "Sitting on Top of the World". Following this, for contrast, is "Passing the Time," which I would consider an example of psychedelic-era experimentalism that doesn't work for me, with its awkward alternation between slow, carnivalesque music and garage band-style rock. In contrast to this, "As You Said" has a distinctly Grunge-ish sound to my ear. Everything old is ~~new~~ a few decades less old again...?

Side Two's first offering is the spoken-word "Pressed Rat and Warthog," which perhaps should have been buried a bit deeper. It reminds me of some of the stuff that the Who are doing on their albums in this period. It sounds...very British, and whatever appeal it may hold on that side of the pond is lost in translation for me.

"Politician" is a driving original Blues Rock number with a bit of social commentary going on. I'd consider it somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of the first disc's studio material.

"Those Were the Days" seems to be emulating "Tales of Brave Ulysses" subject-wise, but it pales before its predecessor music-wise. As psychedelic-era songs about the Lost Continent of Atlantis go...I'll be over here waiting for Donovan's.

"Born Under a Bad Sign" is a Blues number of then-recent vintage, recorded by Albert King the previous year...and, as covered here, perhaps the weakest / least distinctive of the Blues Rock numbers on this disc, to my ear.

The studio-recorded disc closes with an original number, "Deserted Cities of the Heart," which is a decent little rocker, but nothing particularly distinguished by Cream's standards.

The version of the album that I bought on iTunes includes "Anyone for Tennis" at this point, apparently as a bonus track, as it wasn't on the original vinyl release. I put "[Bonus Tracks]" after the album name for such added material, so that it organizes on iTunes as a separate album, not altering the listening experience of the original release's track sequence. In this case, that resulted in an awkward little sub-album consisting of one song. This one didn't grow on me much during its relatively short time on my 50 Years Ago This Week playlist.

Overall, I'd say that this disc of studio material isn't as strong as Cream's previous release, Disraeli Gears.

Side Three opens with another future charting single, "Crossroads" (#409 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time), a catchy rocker of a Blues cover (originally titled "Cross Road Blues"; written and originally recorded by Robert Johnson) that, as with the next track, was recorded at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, on March 10, 1968. Clapton performs the lead vocal for this number.

Next up is "Spoonful," a Willie Dixon-penned Blues number that I became familiar with via the Howlin' Wolf version, which is #219 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This and Howlin' Wolf's other entry on that list, "Smokestack Lightning," got me to buy a compilation of his songs, as I took a liking to his distinctive style. As for the Cream cover...it has its enjoyable stretches, but if you'd dropped me in the middle of the instrumental jam that fills the bulk of its nearly 17 minutes, I couldn't have told you what song it was.

Side Four opens with the 7-minute Cream original "Traintime," recorded on March 8, 1968, at Winterland. It's an instrumental featuring Jack Bruce on harmonica, which lends the song some distinctive character.

The album closes with another instrumental, "Toad," which was composed by Ginger Baker as an extended drum solo, and was originally recorded as a 5-minute studio track for the band's 1966-67 debut album, Fresh Cream. The 16-plus-minute Wheels of Fire performance was recorded on March 7, 1968, at The Fillmore in San Francisco. If the goal was to get me to completely zone out and forget that the album was on, it was a masterful success.

The second disc was different from the typical live album and from the first disc in featuring only two numbers per side...but I can't say that it improves this double album for me. It mostly seems rather indulgent.

As the albums from this period that I've been delving into go, this is one that I can't see myself putting on much. For the type of itch that I'd want somebody like Cream to scratch, I'd be much more likely to go for Disraeli Gears or either of the two albums that Jimi Hendrix had released at this point. Wheels of Fire is ahead of its time in its frontloaded nature...my iPod looping back to the beginning underscores that there's nothing else on its four sides that touches "White Room".

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The Old Mixer · Aug 6, 2018

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50th Anniversary Viewing

_______

The Ed Sullivan Show
Repeat of Season 20, episode 13
Originally aired Dec. 3, 1967; rerun on August 4, 1968
As represented in The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show

Added to the Summer rerun of the original episode most notable for the Ray Charles / Billy Preston team-up that wasn't included in a Best of installment, we have Japanese Ryūkōka group The Blue Comets performing a song called "Blue Chateau":
That was pretty interesting...the differences from and similarities to what was going on in American/British pop at the time. I don't know if they had much of a chance in America, but they could have worked in that time, when the genre was busting wide open with psychedlic-era experimentation. The Blue Comets don't appear to have had any chart success in the States...and this in spite of the fact that Sullivan gave them such prominent exposure, buried in a Summer rerun!

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RJDiogenes · Aug 6, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
That surprises me a bit...I'd have thought Canned Heat was right up your alley.

I know what you mean, but for whatever reason it just doesn't grab me as much as you'd expect.

Happy to be of help! IIRC, the Dunn episode would be the one airing just before "Trina"...there was some confusion in online sources as to which order those last two episodes of the series originally aired in.

It wasn't on the schedule yet, because it only went through part of the weekend. I'll get it next Saturday, hopefully. I got everything up through the Ethel Merman episodes, so that leaves only three on my list.

I could see why those elephants might be in need of legal representation, if they're, say, trying to drive home between strips.

I don't think they ever go home. :rommie:

Ah, that would be the one with the little hatch in a little pool pretending to be a submarine in a dock? Perhaps worth it after having watched those two early episodes to see just how far into cheesy and low-budget the show could swing. Though IIRC, that episode had some pretty shoreline shooting to contrast the cave set-bound attempt at knocking off Bond films.

It's the Bondian elements that I'm curious to see.

Opening the album...Holy Sneak Preview! Classic rock powerhouse "White Room" (#367 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time) wasn't due to come up as a charting single until October! You heard it here first, album listeners!

Talk about a stone-cold classic. It's a great song, the epitome of the Cream sound, and has strong nostalgia power for me.

Side Three opens with another future charting single, "Crossroads" (#409 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time), a catchy rocker of a Blues cover (originally titled "Cross Road Blues"; written and originally recorded by Robert Johnson) that, as with the next track, was recorded at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, on March 10, 1968. Clapton performs the lead vocal for this number.

Indeed he does, and I'm always surprised anew when someone mentions that it's a Cream song. Very good, though, and a classic in its own right.

As for the Cream cover...it has its enjoyable stretches, but if you'd dropped me in the middle of the instrumental jam that fills the bulk of its nearly 17 minutes, I couldn't have told you what song it was.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby! :rommie:

The Old Mixer said:
we have Japanese Ryūkōka group The Blue Comets performing a song called "Blue Chateau":

I remember seeing these guys on an episode that I recorded. Pretty nice stuff. A Japanese band doing an Art Rock song with a semi-French title in English. It's kind of a shame that they didn't catch on, because they would have fit right in and made a nice addition to the 60s scene.

The Old Mixer · Aug 6, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
It's the Bondian elements that I'm curious to see.

Not terribly well-executed Bondian elements, but you could tell that was what they were going for.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby!

Coming Soon.™

A Japanese band doing an Art Rock song with a semi-French title in English. It's kind of a shame that they didn't catch on, because they would have fit right in and made a nice addition to the 60s scene.

An interesting thought about the genre, but I don't know that I'd classify them as anything "Rock"...perhaps more akin to Baroque Pop. From what I skimmed of the Japanese genre they were a part of, it was going out of style there right around this time, so the deck may have been stacked against them.

What, no thoughts on "Pressed Rat and Warthog"?

TREK_GOD_1 · Aug 6, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
New on the chart:
"Magic Bus," The Who
(#25 US; #26 UK)

Still one of the tightest acts in the business with this classic's sort of jaunty start, then shift to an increasingly urgent second half, and their best is still yet to come.

"Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers
(#11 US)

Not many hits, but they carved out a permanent place of well-remembered songs with this one.

"The Fool on the Hill," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
(#6 US; #1 AC; written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, originally recorded by the Beatles in 1967)

I've always preferred this version to the original. Their version of "The Look of Love" runs a close second to the Dusty Springfield "strings" version.

Bubbling under:
"Everybody's Talkin'," Nilsson
(#113 US; re-enters in Aug. 1969, reaching #6 US, #2 AC, #23 UK)

Quite unforgettable. What a time for popular music.

The Old Mixer · Aug 7, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Not many hits, but they carved out a permanent place of well-remembered songs with this one.

The thing that strikes me looking at a list of their charting singles is that apparently they were considered too Rock for the Soul chart at the time.

I've always preferred this version to the original.

Everyone's entitled to their preferences...even The Boy Who Hated the Beatles.

But we'll let the listeners at home decide for themselves:

BTW, I'd be interested in your thoughts on "Pressed Rat and Warthog" as well.

RJDiogenes · Aug 7, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Not terribly well-executed Bondian elements, but you could tell that was what they were going for.

Don't worry, I'm not expecting it to be good. :rommie:

An interesting thought about the genre, but I don't know that I'd classify them as anything "Rock"...perhaps more akin to Baroque Pop. From what I skimmed of the Japanese genre they were a part of, it was going out of style there right around this time, so the deck may have been stacked against them.

Yeah, Pop Music would have been a more accurate term, except that I hate it. :rommie:

What, no thoughts on "Pressed Rat and Warthog"?

Sorry, I didn't have time to listen to every link-- especially yesterday, as I had to head off to jury duty. I just listened right now, and I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've heard it. I liked it, because it sounds good and I like spoken word performances, and on the surface it's a nice melancholy fable-- either about anthropomorphic animals or Dickensian characters being victimized by a villainous character. I'm trying to decipher the meaning, of course, because I assume there's more to it than that (although that would be enough, as far as I'm concerned). I haven't been successful yet, but I have this strange feeling that they're mocking the Beatles.

The Old Mixer · Aug 7, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
Don't worry, I'm not expecting it to be good.

Mission Accomplished!

Yeah, Pop Music would have been a more accurate term, except that I hate it.

I was never a rock purist, but as I've delved into the music of this and other eras more broadly and deeply, I've come to better appreciate the need to have a line where it stops being "Rock".

I just listened right now, and I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've heard it. I liked it, because it sounds good and I like spoken word performances, and on the surface it's a nice melancholy fable-- either about anthropomorphic animals or Dickensian characters being victimized by a villainous character. I'm trying to decipher the meaning, of course, because I assume there's more to it than that (although that would be enough, as far as I'm concerned). I haven't been successful yet, but I have this strange feeling that they're mocking the Beatles.

Well, it's enlightening to get another perspective on it. Still seems a bit grotesque to me, what with selling "dog legs and feet". In what way do you think they might be mocking the Beatles--in the style or content of the track?

TREK_GOD_1 · Aug 8, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
The thing that strikes me looking at a list of their charting singles is that apparently they were considered too Rock for the Soul chart at the time.

Sort of ridiculous for anyone in that time to think that, since those who leaned more toward soul listened to rock as well. Then again, the 60s was the hardening of chart categories by perceived racial tastes, which is why 1970s radio was so divisive, despite endless numbers of people of all backgrounds listening to music from artists far and wide in terms of creativity, interest and genre. *raises hands*

Everyone's entitled to their preferences...even The Boy Who Hated the Beatles. But we'll let the listeners at home decide for themselves:

I don't hate Paul and the Three Layabouts...er--I mean the Beatles. I just know where to draw the line before getting to some (not you) fans' "everything they did was the most innovative / influential, the greatest of all t-time!!!", which was not the case at all.

BTW, I'd be interested in your thoughts on "Pressed Rat and Warthog" as well.

Aside from its literal meaning as the vulgar physical act, Taylor & Baker's song at first seems to be in the bizarre storytelling vein of John Entwistle, though not nearly as melodic or clever. In fact, "Pressed Rat and Warthog" tried to paint a sort of Victorian tale of struggle, but mixed with deliberately altered meanings for various slang terms. I think the problem is that when a song is so off in substituted meanings to get around just laying it out there, it can just come off as strange.

RJDiogenes · Aug 8, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Well, it's enlightening to get another perspective on it. Still seems a bit grotesque to me, what with selling "dog legs and feet". In what way do you think they might be mocking the Beatles--in the style or content of the track?

It was the lyrics, which I'm looking at now in another tab. The grotesqueries are kind of a given in that kind of anthropomorphic or Dickensian fable, but I guess certain of the specific terms resonated at first impression. "Warthog" as a parody of walrus, for example, so Pressed Rat and Walrus would be Paul and John. "Atonal Apples" referring to Apple Records. "Between them they carried a three-legged sack" perhaps an unflattering reference to George and Ringo. "Bad captain madman," I don't know, something to do with "Sgt. Pepper" or "Yellow Submarine?" Or maybe I'm fulla crap and it's just an homage to that style of storytelling. But that was just my gut reaction on first listen.

The Old Mixer · Aug 8, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
I don't hate Paul and the Three Layabouts...er--I mean the Beatles.

I'm more of a Paul man myself, but I'd never describe John as a "Layabout"! :lol:

Aside from its literal meaning as the vulgar physical act,

There we go, did not know that! (And I just Googled it to clarify what vulgar physical act...apparently it's slang for a form of mooning.)

Taylor & Baker's song at first seems to be in the bizarre storytelling vein of John Entwistle, though not nearly as melodic or clever.

So I wasn't off-base in the Who comparison.

In fact, "Pressed Rat and Warthog" tried to paint a sort of Victorian tale of struggle, but mixed with deliberately altered meanings for various slang terms. I think the problem is that when a song is so off in substituted meanings to get around just laying it out there, it can just come off as strange.

Interesting. What other slang terms are in the song?

RJDiogenes said:
It was the lyrics, which I'm looking at now in another tab. The grotesqueries are kind of a given in that kind of anthropomorphic or Dickensian fable, but I guess certain of the specific terms resonated at first impression. "Warthog" as a parody of walrus, for example, so Pressed Rat and Walrus would be Paul and John. "Atonal Apples" referring to Apple Records. "Between them they carried a three-legged sack" perhaps an unflattering reference to George and Ringo. "Bad captain madman," I don't know, something to do with "Sgt. Pepper" or "Yellow Submarine?" Or maybe I'm fulla crap and it's just an homage to that style of storytelling. But that was just my gut reaction on first listen.

Two counterpoints I'd throw in there:

I don't think Apple Records had really gotten off the ground yet at this point (and the song would have been recorded months earlier still). I believe the first records to sport the Apple label will be issued late this month. Now the talk of selling atonal apples and closing their shop could more likely have had something to do with the Apple Boutiques, but again they'd just started being closed...and those stores were hardly "all [the Beatles] had got"!

George and Eric Clapton were good buddies by this point...I doubt Eric would have gone for such an unflattering reference to George.

RJDiogenes · Aug 9, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Two counterpoints I'd throw in there:

I don't think Apple Records had really gotten off the ground yet at this point (and the song would have been recorded months earlier still). I believe the first records to sport the Apple label will be issued late this month. Now the talk of selling atonal apples and closing their shop could more likely have had something to do with the Apple Boutiques, but again they'd just started being closed...and those stores were hardly "all [the Beatles] had got"!

George and Eric Clapton were good buddies by this point...I doubt Eric would have gone for such an unflattering reference to George.

Well, I also wasn't sure whether it might be a hostile satire or friendly roasting. But in any case, I'm sure you're right. This was just what popped into my head as I listened to it and I'm probably way off base.

The Old Mixer · Aug 10, 2018

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

1. "Fingertips, Pt. 2," Little Stevie Wonder
2. "Wipe Out," The Surfaris
3. "(You're the) Devil in Disguise," Elvis Presley
4. "Blowin' in the Wind," Peter, Paul & Mary
5. "So Much in Love," The Tymes
6. "Judy's Turn to Cry," Lesley Gore
7. "Surf City," Jan & Dean
8. "Candy Girl," The Four Seasons
9. "Easier Said Than Done," The Essex
10. "More," Kai Winding & Orchestra

12. "Just One Look," Doris Troy

14. "Memphis," Lonnie Mack

16. "Green, Green," The New Christy Minstrels
17. "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)," Allan Sherman
18. "Pride and Joy," Marvin Gaye
19. "Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

21. "Denise," Randy & The Rainbows
22. "Mockingbird," Inez & Charlie Foxx

26. "Not Me," The Orlons
27. "Till Then," The Classics

29. "If I Had A Hammer," Trini Lopez
30. "Twist It Up," Chubby Checker
31. "My Boyfriend's Back," The Angels
32. "The Monkey Time," Major Lance

35. "I (Who Have Nothing)," Ben E. King

37. "Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto

40. "Hey Girl," Freddie Scott
41. "My True Confession," Brook Benton

43. "Frankie and Johnny," Sam Cooke

49. "Surfer Girl," The Beach Boys

51. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave," Martha & The Vandellas

54. "Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home," Darlene Love

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

79. "Hey There Lonely Boy," Ruby & The Romantics
80. "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget," The Raindrops
81. "Martian Hop," The Ran-Dells

Leaving the chart:

"Hello Stranger," Barbara Lewis

"It's My Party," Lesley Gore

"One Fine Day," The Chiffons

"Without Love (There Is Nothing)," Ray Charles

55 Years Ago Spotlight

One #1 on its way down the chart:

"Easier Said Than Done," The Essex
(Charted June 8, 1963; #1 US the weeks of July 6 and 13, 1963; #1 R&B)

Another on its way up:

"My Boyfriend's Back," The Angels
(Charted Aug. 3, 1963; #1 US the weeks of Aug. 31 through Sept. 14, 1963; #2 R&B)

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Catch-Up Viewing

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12 O'Clock High
"A Long Time Dead"
Originally aired January 6, 1967

IMDb said:
A pilot captain suspected of bailing out of plane and leaving his crew to die in a previous mission, may have had an uncontrollable reason for doing so.

Good morning, Mr. Phelps.

The man you're looking at is Colonel Joseph Gallagher:

Colonel Gallagher is an exceptional B-17 pilot and group leader, and the contribution of his 918th Bomber Group is invaluable to the war effort. However, lately Gallagher has let his status as a series lead go to his head, flying solo missions in his souped-up P-51 Mustang that could be performed by other pilots, while leaving recurring guests to command vital bombing raids in his place. Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it, is to put an end to Gallagher's joyrides, even if it means removing him from command and canceling his series so that a more reliable commander can take his place. As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This recording will self-destruct in twenty-two years and five seconds. Good luck, Jim.

The Old Mixer said:
12 O'Clock High
"A Long Time Dead"
Originally aired January 6, 1967

In this episode, Graves plays Captain Dula, a bomber pilot with only a couple of combat missions under his belt. His mission with the 918th, should they choose to accept it, is to prove that his days as a pilot aren't over after losing his previous crew and being branded a jinx. I guess we should wish him good luck.

The bomber loses no time getting shot up on his first mission with the squadron, so he takes oveur as pilot...fortunately, he didn't have the fish. In the heat of battle, he charges the insubordinate Sgt. Komansky with mutiny. Surely he can't be serious! Sargeant, have you ever been in a military prison...? But Komansky has an eyewitness that Dula deserted his previous crew before giving a bailout order, causing Dula's log page of the mutiny charge to self-destruct in five seconds. But when their plane gets shot up again on their next mission, Dula pushes the injured Komansky out of the plane with a parachute, which leads to an investigation of Dula.

The episode description gives away an Act IV revelation regarding the true nature of Dula's behavior. Being a regular character, Komansky is found alive of course...even though there's only one episode left, so they could have killed him off if they'd wanted to. When the gang flies over to pick him up, Gallagher starts suffering from a concussion that he received in the episode's first mission, so Dula has to fly them back home. There's mention of Dula potentially getting treatment, but also of that flight possibly being his last one, so the character's fate is left very much unresolved.

As for the fate of the actor...his striking leading-man presence suggests to me that perhaps there's a regular starring role in his near future...though some might say that's impossible.

Gallagher and Stovall get injured in the initial bombing mission (yes, they had to ruin my joke and have Gallagher actually doing his job in this one), and Dula threatens to charge Komansky with mutiny in part for trying to tend to Stovall's wounds instead of manning his turrent.

Doc Kaiser's in this one! Don't think we've seen much of him lately. It's also a General Britt episode. Both are also in the finale.

And it's Sandy's birthday! His Girlfriend of the Week (Anne Helm) is throwing him a party in Archbury. And Drama Alert, her ex-husband or -boyfriend was killed on one of Dula's previous missions. She's the one who gives Sandy the dirt that he uses against Dula.

Sandy's Buddy of the Week (Tom Skerritt) accuses Dula of murdering Komansky by throwing him out of the bomber. GotW backs that assertion and shows Gallagher Sandy's dirt on Dula, which puts it only a scene-switch away from Britt, who convenes a hearing that he tries to keep Gallagher from attending. Gallagher does, and his grilling of Dula, aided by Kaiser's presence, brings out the issue of Dula's blackouts. It's during the hearing that news arrives of Sandy's survival.

Kaiser comes along for the rescue mission...that makes a little sense. The episode bends the usual act structure by having the climactic beat of Dula flying them home occur in the Epilog rather than Act IV...and the episode ends with Dula taking off, while back in the waist compartment, Rollin removes his Kaiser mask.

_______

The Monkees
"The Case of the Missing Monkee"
Originally aired January 9, 1967

Wiki said:
Peter becomes involved with the disappearance of the respected Professor Milo Schnitzler (Norbert Schiller) and then disappears himself.

I opted for this Summer rerun version because the audio quality of the alternative video was horrible.

As advertised...

Micky said:
The Bathook!

Bruno: He knows too much!
Peter: Thank you!

Peter said:
Shazam!
[mirror breaks]
Well, another seven years of bad luck for Captain Marvel!

Instead of "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (which is alluded to elsewhere in the episode's music), Summer viewers get "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (20:49+).

_______

12 O'Clock High
"The Hunters and the Killers"
Originally aired January 13, 1967

IMDb said:
A bitter commodore given a sea command, orders that the 918th fly without bombs and only spot German u-boats so that his ships can destroy them.

The Old Mixer said:
12 O'Clock High
"The Hunters and the Killers"
Originally aired January 13, 1967

Here the backstory of Gallagher's father being a general comes into play, as the commodore he has to work with is nursing a grudge against the senior Gallagher. Said commodore is suffering a TV budget-friendly career setback, as he starts the episode with only one destroyer under his command, though some stock footage of other ships joins up with him along the way.

Maybe I'm Navy-biased, but the commodore's "minimum load, maximum range" plan made sense to me in this situation. The B-17's are there to spot the subs, and they've got carrier wing stock footage to do the sinking. But as story circumstances had it, the subs did manage to submerge before the other planes could get on the scene...and things got further effed up when the commodore wouldn't let the Navy fighters protect the bombers from the Luftwaffe.

There's a subplot about Sgt. Komansky in a romantic rivalry with a sailor. When that duo attempts to break up an inter-service bar fight, Gallagher and the commodore learn a lesson in cooperation. Ultimately Gallagher gets his bombs and he and the commodore learn to work together out of necessity, as plot contrivances again render the carrier wing footage useless.

This episode serves as the finale for the series, and ends appropriately enough with Gallagher going on leave back to the States (but oddly off-screen for the closing scene that establishes that). I've been letting my DVR continue to record the early episodes of the series with the intent of watching more, though I don't know if I'll review each episode. I'm particularly interested in the first episode, which introduces Gallagher as a recurring guest character a year before he takes the lead.

And so we come full circle...back to the end of the series. As was usually the case in these days, there's no finale hoopla, it's just another episode.

There's a really awkward bit of business in the teaser where Gallagher sees Commodore Crompton (Ralph Bellamy) in Britt's office and tries to call Britt from the outer office to warn him of the family issues. Britt won't have any of it and orders Gallagher in.

In the shots of the submerged U-boats, we get the usual TV bit of business of the subs pinging away with active sonar.

In case you thought I was exaggerating with the GotW label in the last episode, Sandy's got a new one this week (Ahna Capri), to serve as the source of his rivalry with Seaman Sorenson (Michael Witney).

Stovall's flying left seat in his own bomber this time around.

One last, distant Sal sighting:

And in Act IV, Gallagher has to order his crew to bail out...so I'll take that as one last Piccadilly Lily biting the dust! Gallagher's previously mentioned absence in the Epilog is really conspicuous, as we're seeing the aftermath of his crew having been rescued. I think they were trying to tease us into thinking that he didn't make it. So Andrew Duggan gets the last shot in the series, watching a B-17 fly overhead.

And so ends 12 O'Clock High...again.

Next week we have a bit more early-'67 Monkee business, after which we skip ahead a year for some Monkees / Rat Patrol tag-teaming that catches us up on the remainder of those shows' second and final seasons in the Winter/Spring of '68.

_______

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

1. "Light My Fire," The Doors
2. "All You Need Is Love," The Beatles
3. "I Was Made to Love Her," Stevie Wonder
4. "Pleasant Valley Sunday," The Monkees
5. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," The Buckinghams
6. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Frankie Valli
7. "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Procol Harum
8. "Windy," The Association
9. "Carrie-Anne," The Hollies
10. "A Girl Like You," The Young Rascals
11. "Baby, I Love You," Aretha Franklin
12. "Silence Is Golden," The Tremeloes
13. "My Mammy," The Happenings

15. "White Rabbit," Jefferson Airplane
16. "Little Bit o' Soul," The Music Explosion
17. "Soul Finger," The Bar-Kays
18. "I Take It Back," Sandy Posey
19. "Thank the Lord for the Night Time," Neil Diamond
20. "Cold Sweat, Part 1," James Brown
21. "Ode to Billie Joe," Bobbie Gentry
22. "To Love Somebody," Bee Gees
23. "Hypnotized," Linda Jones
24. "Words," The Monkees

26. "Up, Up and Away," The 5th Dimension
27. "Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good," Bunny Sigler
28. "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)," Scott McKenzie
29. "More Love," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
30. "Make Me Yours," Bettye Swann
31. "Come on Down to My Boat," Every Mother's Son
32. "I Like the Way," Tommy James & The Shondells
33. "Heroes and Villains," The Beach Boys
34. "Baby You're a Rich Man," The Beatles
35. "You're My Everything," The Temptations
36. "Come Back When You Grow Up," Bobby Vee & The Strangers
37. "(I Wanna) Testify," The Parliaments
38. "Fakin' It," Simon & Garfunkel

41. "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)," Janis Ian

45. "C'mon Marianne," The Four Seasons

47. "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie," Jay & The Techniques
48. "San Franciscan Nights," Eric Burdon & The Animals
49. "For Your Love," Peaches & Herb

53. "You Only Live Twice," Nancy Sinatra

55. "Brown Eyed Girl," Van Morrison

59. "You Know What I Mean," The Turtles
60. "Glory of Love," Otis Redding
61. "Reflections," Diana Ross & The Supremes

63. "Bluebird," Buffalo Springfield

71. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," Jackie Wilson

73. "Groovin'," Booker T. & The M.G.'s

77. "Funky Broadway," Wilson Pickett

79. "Run, Run, Run," The Third Rail
80. "Things I Should Have Said," The Grass Roots
81. "The Letter," The Box Tops

83. "Gimme Little Sign," Brenton Wood
84. "There Is a Mountain," Donovan

92. "Knock on Wood," Otis & Carla

Leaving the chart:

"Don't Go Out into the Rain (You're Going to Melt)," Herman's Hermits

"Don't Sleep in the Subway," Petula Clark

"Here We Go Again," Ray Charles

"The Look of Love," Dusty Springfield

"Pictures of Lily," The Who

"You Keep Me Hangin' On," The Vanilla Fudge

_______

RJDiogenes · Aug 10, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
"Easier Said Than Done," The Essex

I like this one, and it's another with that leftover 50s sound.

"My Boyfriend's Back," The Angels

Ditto for this one on the 50s sound. Also, a nice, cheerful paean to violent revenge. "He's gonna knock out all your teeth and dislocate your spi-ine..." :rommie:

As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This recording will self-destruct in twenty-two years and five seconds. Good luck, Jim.

Must have been Phelps Sr. Which would actually be kind of cool. Did they ever specify when the IMF was started?

And it's Sandy's birthday! His Girlfriend of the Week...
Sandy's Buddy of the Week....

Sandy's a bit fickle.

And so we come full circle...back to the end of the series. As was usually the case in these days, there's no finale hoopla, it's just another episode.

There's something to be said for that.

Gallagher's previously mentioned absence in the Epilog is really conspicuous, as we're seeing the aftermath of his crew having been rescued. I think they were trying to tease us into thinking that he didn't make it.

The one time they try to do a cliffhanger and they get shot down-- so to speak.

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