The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[The Old Mixer]

50 Years Ago This Week


August 3

• A0620-00, the first x-ray nova to also be visible on an optical telescope (designated V616 Mon), was seen and detected to flare. After eight months, the flare diminished, and the object is considered likely to be a black hole that was created around the time of the 10th century BCE, based on its distance from earth of an estimated 3,000 light years.
• The Louisiana Superdome opened in New Orleans.

August 4

• Members of the Japanese Red Army terrorist group fought their way into the American consulate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then took 52 hostages, only five of whom were American. The group demanded the release of 7 jailed Red Army members. Five of the JRA prisoners accepted the offer of safe passage and were flown to Libya.

August 5

• U.S. President Ford signed into law a U.S. Senate resolution posthumously restoring the American citizenship of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee. Lee had died in 1870, but had signed an oath of allegiance in 1865 as part of being granted amnesty.

August 6

• One day before it was to expire, the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965 was extended for another ten years. The Act of 1975 had passed the U.S. House of Representatives 341-70 on June 4, 1975, and the U.S. Senate 77-12 on July 24.

August 7

• Typhoon Nina produced the heaviest one-day rainfall ever recorded from a Pacific Ocean typhoon, with 97 centimeters (38 inches) at Linzhang County in the Hebei Province. The typhoon itself had killed 12 people up to that point, in Taiwan, but the downpour continued for 26 hours, leading to a dam burst in mainland China the next day.
• Alger Hiss was sworn back in as an attorney, 23 years after having been disbarred in 1952 for perjury after denying that he had given U.S. State Department documents, nicknamed the "Pumpkin Papers," to Communist spy Whittaker Chambers.

August 8

• The Banqiao Dam, in China's Henan Province, failed after a freak typhoon, drowning over 26,000 people and leading to famine and disease that killed 145,000 more....The People's Republic of China would not acknowledge the disaster until 30 years later.
• Singer Hank Williams Jr. was seriously injured in a near-fatal mountain climbing accident at Ajax Peak in Montana, when the ground beneath him gave way, and fell 500 feet down the slope. After two years of reconstructive surgeries, Williams would set about rebuilding his career and become one of the best-selling country music artists in history.

August 9

• The COS-B satellite, a project of the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. "It is difficult to overestimate the importance of COS-B in the historical evolution" of ESRO, it would be written later. Operating five years longer than expected, up until April 25, 1982, the European mission provided the first detailed view of gamma ray sources in the Milky Way.
• Mark Donohue set the world record for speed on a closed race course, averaging 221.120 miles per hour while driving a Porsche 917.30 at the Talladega Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama. The record would stand for 11 years, but Donohue would be killed in a racing accident ten days later.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Jive Talkin'," Bee Gees
2. "I'm Not in Love," 10cc
3. "Please Mr. Please," Olivia Newton-John
4. "One of These Nights," Eagles
5. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," Elton John
6. "Midnight Blue," Melissa Manchester
7. "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell
8. "Why Can't We Be Friends?," War
9. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," James Taylor
10. "The Rockford Files," Mike Post
11. "The Hustle," Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
12. "Listen to What the Man Said," Wings
13. "Dynomite, Pt. I," Tony Camillo's Bazuka
14. "Mornin' Beautiful," Tony Orlando & Dawn
15. "Fallin' in Love," Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
16. "I'm on Fire," Dwight Twilley Band
17. "Love Will Keep Us Together," Captain & Tenille
18. "Fight the Power, Pt. 1," The Isley Brothers
19. "Slippery When Wet," Commodores
20. "At Seventeen," Janis Ian
21. "Holdin' On to Yesterday," Ambrosia
22. "Get Down Tonight," KC & The Sunshine Band
23. "Just a Little Bit of You," Michael Jackson
24. "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," Freddy Fender
25. "Feel Like Makin' Love," Bad Company
26. "Could It Be Magic," Barry Manilow
27. "That's the Way of the World," Earth, Wind & Fire
28. "The Way We Were / Try to Remember," Gladys Knight & The Pips
29. "The Ballroom Blitz," Sweet
30. "Third Rate Romance," Amazing Rhythm Aces
31. "Help Me Rhonda," Johnny Rivers
32. "Rockin' Chair," Gwen McCrae

35. "Fame," David Bowie
36. "Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins
37. "Swearin' to God," Frankie Valli

41. "Tush," ZZ Top

44. "(I Believe) There's Nothing Stronger Than Our Love," Paul Anka w/ Odia Coates

46. "Daisy Jane," America
47. "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)," Charlie Rich
48. "Saturday Night Special," Lynyrd Skynyrd

53. "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)," The Pointer Sisters

55. "Feelings," Morris Albert

58. "Dance with Me," Orleans

62. "It Only Takes a Minute," Tavares

64. "Magic," Pilot
65. "Solitaire," Carpenters
66. "Sweet Maxine," The Doobie Brothers

68. "Run Joey Run," David Geddes
69. "Rocky," Austin Roberts

77. "Brazil," The Ritchie Family

82. "Games People Play," The Spinners

85. "Lady Blue," Leon Russell
86. "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady," Helen Reddy

89. "SOS," ABBA

91. "Misty," Ray Stevens

95. "Main Title (Theme from 'Jaws')," John Williams

100. "Katmandu," Bob Seger

Leaving the chart:

• "Hey You," Bachman-Turner Overdrive (12 weeks)
• "Sweet Emotion," Aerosmith (8 weeks)
• "Wildfire," Michael Murphey (19 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Katmandu," Bob Seger

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(#43 US)

"Main Title (Theme from 'Jaws')," John Williams

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(#32 US; #22 AC)

"SOS," ABBA

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(#15 US; #19 AC; #6 UK)

"Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady," Helen Reddy

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(#8 US; #1 AC)

"Games People Play," The Spinners

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(#5 US; #2 AC; #1 R&B; #52 UK)

---

I didn't think Tusk was all that great-- and I hear there were behind-the-scenes reasons for that (like, nobody wanted to be in the studio with anybody else). I do recall Mirage being a return to form, if not the same greatness, but I don't think I remember Tango in the Night at all.

Main issue with Tango that I recall reading about is that Stevie was busy at the height of her solo career, so they recorded most of the album without her. When she heard the others' tracks, she was dismayed at her lack of presence on them, so they pasted in odd vocal bits by her...and you can pretty much hear that they were added after the fact.

Fleetwood Mac - Big Love (Official Music Video)

The official music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Big Love" from the "Tango In The Night' album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWatch all t...

www.youtube.com

Fleetwood Mac - Seven Wonders (Official Music Video) [HD]

The official HD music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Seven Wonders" from the "Tango In The Night" album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWat...

www.youtube.com

Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies (Official Music Video) [HD]

The official HD music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Little Lies" from the 'Tango In The Night' album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWatch...

www.youtube.com

Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere (Official Music Video) [HD]

The official HD music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Everywhere" from the 'Tango In The Night' album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWatch ...

www.youtube.com

 

[RJDiogenes]

A0620-00, the first x-ray nova to also be visible on an optical telescope (designated V616 Mon), was seen and detected to flare. After eight months, the flare diminished, and the object is considered likely to be a black hole that was created around the time of the 10th century BCE, based on its distance from earth of an estimated 3,000 light years.

The refugees should be arriving shortly.

U.S. President Ford signed into law a U.S. Senate resolution posthumously restoring the American citizenship of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee. Lee had died in 1870, but had signed an oath of allegiance in 1865 as part of being granted amnesty.

So he spent the rest of his life as a non-citizen? I wonder if he got any retirement benefits or whatever.

The Banqiao Dam, in China's Henan Province, failed after a freak typhoon, drowning over 26,000 people and leading to famine and disease that killed 145,000 more....The People's Republic of China would not acknowledge the disaster until 30 years later.

That is one horrifying death toll. Some international aid probably would have reduced it considerably. Idiots.

Operating five years longer than expected, up until April 25, 1982, the European mission provided the first detailed view of gamma ray sources in the Milky Way.

Now we know where all the Big Green Men are.

Mark Donohue set the world record for speed on a closed race course, averaging 221.120 miles per hour

I feel like I'm flirting with death if I go over 55.

"Katmandu," Bob Seger

Good one, though not one of my favorites. This is another one that I associate more with the early 80s for some reason.

"Main Title (Theme from 'Jaws')," John Williams

Squiggy is afraid to not like this one.

"SOS," ABBA

Good one. Yes, I do like ABBA. Strong nostalgic value.

"Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady," Helen Reddy

This is one of her good ones. Strong nostalgic value.

"Games People Play," The Spinners

I really like this one. Very strong nostalgic value. Random brain association: This song always reminds me of the Weird Heroes anthologies published by Byron Preiss around this time.

Main issue with Tango that I recall reading about is that Stevie was busy at the height of her solo career, so they recorded most of the album without her. When she heard the others' tracks, she was dismayed at her lack of presence on them, so they pasted in odd vocal bits by her...and you can pretty much hear that they were added after the fact.

So much drama for one band.

Fleetwood Mac - Big Love (Official Music Video)

The official music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Big Love" from the "Tango In The Night' album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWatch all t...

www.youtube.com

Fleetwood Mac - Seven Wonders (Official Music Video) [HD]

The official HD music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Seven Wonders" from the "Tango In The Night" album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWat...

www.youtube.com

Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies (Official Music Video) [HD]

The official HD music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Little Lies" from the 'Tango In The Night' album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWatch...

www.youtube.com

Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere (Official Music Video) [HD]

The official HD music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Everywhere" from the 'Tango In The Night' album (1987).Subscribe to the channel! https://fm.lnk.to/YTSWatch ...

www.youtube.com

Okay, I actually do remember all of these now that I hear them and they're all songs that I liked-- but they're all good songs from a band that used to be great. That's a really cool video for "Everywhere," though.