The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

The Old Mixer · Aug 18, 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. "Blowin' in the Wind," Peter, Paul & Mary
3. "(You're the) Devil in Disguise," Elvis Presley
4. "Wipe Out," The Surfaris
5. "Judy's Turn to Cry," Lesley Gore
6. "Candy Girl," The Four Seasons
7. "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)," Allan Sherman
8. "So Much in Love," The Tymes
9. "More," Kai Winding & Orchestra
10. "My Boyfriend's Back," The Angels
11. "Surf City," Jan & Dean
12. "Easier Said Than Done," The Essex
13. "Mockingbird," Inez & Charlie Foxx
14. "Green, Green," The New Christy Minstrels
15. "Denise," Randy & The Rainbows

17. "If I Had A Hammer," Trini Lopez

19. "Just One Look," Doris Troy
20. "Memphis," Lonnie Mack
21. "Hey Girl," Freddie Scott

26. "The Monkey Time," Major Lance
27. "Twist It Up," Chubby Checker
28. "Surfer Girl," The Beach Boys

30. "Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

33. "Frankie and Johnny," Sam Cooke
34. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave," Martha & The Vandellas
35. "I (Who Have Nothing)," Ben E. King

38. "Till Then," The Classics
39. "Pride and Joy," Marvin Gaye
40. "Not Me," The Orlons

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

55. "Hey There Lonely Boy," Ruby & The Romantics

62. "Martian Hop," The Ran-Dells

64. "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget," The Raindrops

71. "Then He Kissed Me," The Crystals

80. "Little Deuce Coupe," The Beach Boys

87. "Only in America," Jay & The Americans
88. "Mickey's Monkey," The Miracles
89. "Wonderful! Wonderful!," The Tymes

100. "Cry Baby," Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters

Leaving the chart:

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

"My True Confession," Brook Benton

"Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto

55 Years Ago Spotlight

Among this week's new chart entries:

Little Deuce Coupe," The Beach Boys
(B-side of "Surfer Girl"; #15 US; #28 R&B)

"Then He Kissed Me," The Crystals
(#6 US; #8 R&B; #2 UK; #493 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

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Catch-Up Viewing

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The Monkees

"I Was a Teenage Monster"
Originally aired January 16, 1967

Wiki said:
A mad scientist (John Hoyt) hires the Monkees to teach his monster (Richard Kiel) music—and then transplants their musical talent into the monster.

The monster sings (mimes) a snippet of the theme song at 12:37+. They did a pretty good job overall of creeping up Kiel's voice...including when it came out of Mike. The newly monickered Swinging Android performs a snippet of "Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day" at 14:42+.

Davy: Hey, he's become a hippie.
Mike: That's great--Now we've got a super-hippie on our hands.

After some Monkeeing around with the equipment, the monster takes on the personality of an interior decorator.

The episode climaxes with "Your Auntie Grizelda" at 21:00+.

This episode is cerealized.

"Find the Monkees"
Originally aired January 23, 1967

Wiki said:
When television producer Hubbell Bensen (Carl Ballantine) hears a tape of the Monkees, he frantically stages auditions in the hope of finding them for his new television show, unaware they are desperately trying to audition for him.

Note: As many episodes have featured minute-long interview segments after the epilogue hosted by producer Robert Rafelson, this episode's tag is nearly three minutes long.

This video was one of a few actually available on the Monkees YouTube account.

This episode gives us a few colorful rival groups: the Four Martians, the Foreign Agents, and the Jolly Green Giants.

Peter said:
Boy, it's not fair. We're as bad as any other group in town.

There are lots of bits of location shooting in this one, including a shot of the Monkees standing outside the NBC building.

We get snippets of "Mary, Mary" on the Monkees' lost audition tape at 4:50+ and elsewhere in the episode.

The Monkees initially go to Bensen's office to try to audition with no instruments; they do bring them to a phone booth, however, where they try to play "Sweet Young Thing" a couple of times (11:54+), with Davy holding the receiver in his mouth while shaking his maracas. The next guy in line to use the booth changes to Superman.

"Papa Gene’s Blues" plays in a montage of the Monkees trying to play for Bensen pretending to be a variety of other groups (15:18+), not knowing that it's them he's looking for. When he finally tracks them down with the help of the actual other bands that we met before, the Monkees play a bit more of "Sweet Young Thing" for Bensen (19:15+), but still incomplete. In the end Bensen proves to be fickle and becomes interested in his overworked, underappreciated secretary's sound instead.

The interview segment begins at 21:46, and features the boys talking about youth demonstrations against an LA curfew.

"Monkees in the Ring"
Originally aired January 30, 1967

Wiki said:
A crooked fight promoter (Ned Glass) prepares to cash in on a big bet by making Davy a stooge in a bout with the champ.

The montage of Davy training and winning his early, rigged fights features "Laugh" (8:12+), and gives them an excuse to get Davy out of his shirt again.

The crooked promoter and his "duh, yeah boss" henchman would have fit right in on Adventures of Superman. "The Champ" is a not-particularly-clever spoof of Ali.

Climactic fight sequence: "I’ll Be Back Up on My Feet" (21:16+).

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

1. "All You Need Is Love," The Beatles
2. "Light My Fire," The Doors
3. "Pleasant Valley Sunday," The Monkees
4. "I Was Made to Love Her," Stevie Wonder
5. "Baby, I Love You," Aretha Franklin
6. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," The Buckinghams
7. "Ode to Billie Joe," Bobbie Gentry
8. "Cold Sweat, Part 1," James Brown
9. "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Procol Harum
10. "A Girl Like You," The Young Rascals
11. "Silence Is Golden," The Tremeloes
12. "Carrie-Anne," The Hollies
13. "My Mammy," The Happenings
14. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Frankie Valli
15. "Words," The Monkees
16. "Windy," The Association
17. "Heroes and Villains," The Beach Boys
18. "To Love Somebody," Bee Gees
19. "Thank the Lord for the Night Time," Neil Diamond
20. "Reflections," Diana Ross & The Supremes
21. "You're My Everything," The Temptations
22. "Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good," Bunny Sigler
23. "Hypnotized," Linda Jones
24. "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie," Jay & The Techniques
25. "White Rabbit," Jefferson Airplane
26. "Little Bit o' Soul," The Music Explosion
27. "Come Back When You Grow Up," Bobby Vee & The Strangers
28. "Fakin' It," Simon & Garfunkel
29. "More Love," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
30. "(I Wanna) Testify," The Parliaments
31. "San Franciscan Nights," Eric Burdon & The Animals

33. "Soul Finger," The Bar-Kays
34. "Brown Eyed Girl," Van Morrison
35. "Up, Up and Away," The 5th Dimension

37. "I Take It Back," Sandy Posey
38. "Baby You're a Rich Man," The Beatles

46. "Funky Broadway," Wilson Pickett
47. "Make Me Yours," Bettye Swann
48. "You Know What I Mean," The Turtles

53. "You Only Live Twice," Nancy Sinatra
54. "There Is a Mountain," Donovan
55. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," Jackie Wilson
56. "Groovin'," Booker T. & The M.G.'s

58. "The Letter," The Box Tops
59. "Things I Should Have Said," The Grass Roots

62. "Bluebird," Buffalo Springfield

66. "Gimme Little Sign," Brenton Wood

70. "Glory of Love," Otis Redding

72. "Run, Run, Run," The Third Rail

76. "I Dig Rock and Roll Music," Peter, Paul & Mary

80. "I Had a Dream," Paul Revere & The Raiders feat. Mark Lindsay

82. "Lady Friend," The Byrds

88. "Knock on Wood," Otis & Carla

92. "Get on Up," The Esquires

94. "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone," Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Leaving the chart:

"C'mon Marianne," The Four Seasons

"Come on Down to My Boat," Every Mother's Son

"For Your Love," Peaches & Herb

"I Like the Way," Tommy James & The Shondells

"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)," Scott McKenzie

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

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RJDiogenes said:
They were certainly very different talents, both in terms of temperament and style. Paul was a performance artist and John was a poet, so I personally like them for very different reasons. And, really, as far as the spark of creativity goes, both of them faded fairly quickly after the Beatles ended.

I could challenge that last bit, but no argument that they did their best work in the group. In addition to serving as each other's most immediate competition, John and Paul also served as each other's "bullshit filters," as some Beatle author or another put it. Each kept the other's worst excesses in check. Once they were out of the group, we heard those excesses in their solo work.

They were covering the shit out of Aretha's passing on CNN last night. I can't remember when I last saw a celebrity death get so much attention.

RJDiogenes · Aug 18, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Little Deuce Coupe," The Beach Boys

Cool song (and car) and another one that sounds like the 50s to me.

"Then He Kissed Me," The Crystals

A classic. And the 50s just won't surrender. :rommie:

This episode gives us a few colorful rival groups: the Four Martians, the Foreign Agents, and the Jolly Green Giants.

It would have been cool if they could have gotten some real groups to cameo as the competition.

The interview segment begins at 21:46, and features the boys talking about youth demonstrations against an LA curfew.

There's a sign o' the times.

and gives them an excuse to get Davy out of his shirt again.

Who needs an excuse?

I could challenge that last bit, but no argument that they did their best work in the group. In addition to serving as each other's most immediate competition, John and Paul also served as each other's "bullshit filters," as some Beatle author or another put it. Each kept the other's worst excesses in check. Once they were out of the group, we heard those excesses in their solo work.

Less than a decade in both cases, I'd say. Not an entirely fair comparison, since John had a bit of a retirement and his comeback wasn't his best work. There's no telling if he would have gotten his groove back if he had lived.

They were covering the shit out of Aretha's passing on CNN last night. I can't remember when I last saw a celebrity death get so much attention.

She was indeed the Queen. :mallory:

The Old Mixer · Aug 18, 2018

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50 Years Ago This Week

August 18 – Two charter buses are pushed into the Hida River on National Highway Route 41 in Japan, in an accident caused by heavy rain; 104 are killed.
August 20–August 21 – The Prague Spring of political liberalization ends, as 750,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 6,500 tanks with 800 planes invade Czechoslovakia. It is dated as the biggest operation in Europe since WWII ended.
August 21 – The Medal of Honor is posthumously awarded to James Anderson Jr.–he was the first black U.S. Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
August 24 – France explodes its first hydrogen bomb.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
August 22 – Cynthia sues John for divorce on the ground of his adultery with Yoko Ono. John does not contest the order.
August 23 – Ringo quits the Beatles, temporarily, after a disagreement over the recording sessions.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "People Got to Be Free," The Rascals
2. "Born to Be Wild," Steppenwolf
3. "Hello, I Love You," The Doors
4. "Light My Fire," Jose Feliciano
5. "Classical Gas," Mason Williams
6. "Sunshine of Your Love," Cream
7. "Turn Around, Look at Me," The Vogues
8. "Stoned Soul Picnic," The 5th Dimension
9. "I Can't Stop Dancing," Archie Bell & The Drells
10. "Stay in My Corner," The Dells
11. "You Keep Me Hangin' On," The Vanilla Fudge
12. "Dream a Little Dream of Me," Mama Cass w/ The Mamas & The Papas
13. "Lady Willpower," Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
14. "Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan
15. "You're All I Need to Get By," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
16. "Journey to the Center of the Mind," The Amboy Dukes
17. "Love Makes a Woman," Barbara Acklin
18. "Soul-Limbo," Booker T. & The MG's
19. "Sealed with a Kiss," Gary Lewis & The Playboys
20. "Grazing in the Grass," Hugh Masekela
21. "The House That Jack Built," Aretha Franklin
22. "1, 2, 3, Red Light," 1910 Fruitgum Co.

24. "Slip Away," Clarence Carter
25. "Pictures of Matchstick Men," The Status Quo
26. "(Love Is Like a) Baseball Game," The Intruders
27. "Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)," Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
28. "Please Return Your Love to Me," The Temptations
29. "Sky Pilot," Eric Burdon & The Animals
30. "Jumpin' Jack Flash," The Rolling Stones
31. "Do It Again," The Beach Boys
32. "The Fool on the Hill," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
33. "The Horse," Cliff Nobles & Co.
34. "The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas

36. "Autumn of My Life," Bobby Goldsboro

38. "Hush," Deep Purple
39. "I Say a Little Prayer," Aretha Franklin
40. "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)," The Moody Blues

47. "Indian Lake," The Cowsills

57. "Magic Bus," The Who

59. "Special Occasion," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

68. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You," Bee Gees

71. "Girl Watcher," The O'Kaysions
72. "On the Road Again," Canned Heat

78. "Little Green Apples," O.C. Smith

80. "The Snake," Al Wilson
81. "Harper Valley P.T.A.," Jeannie C. Riley

91. "Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers
92. "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida," Iron Butterfly

Leaving the chart:

"Angel of the Morning," Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts
"Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders
"Reach Out of the Darkness," Friend & Lover
"This Guy's in Love with You," Herb Alpert

New on the chart:

"In-a-Gadda-da-Vida," Iron Butterfly
(#30 US)
Full-length album version:

"Harper Valley P.T.A.," Jeannie C. Riley
(#1 US the week of Sept. 21, 1968; #4 AC; #1 Country; #12 UK)

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This week's scheduled catch-up viewing:

The Monkees, "The Monstrous Monkee Mash" (Jan. 22, 1968)
The Rat Patrol, "The Decoy Raid" (Jan. 22, 1968)
The Monkees, "The Monkee's Paw" (Jan. 29, 1968)
The Monkees, "The Devil and Peter Tork" (Feb. 5, 1968)
The Rat Patrol, "The Touch and Go Raid" (Feb. 5, 1968)

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RJDiogenes said:
Cool song (and car) and another one that sounds like the 50s to me.

A classic. And the 50s just won't surrender.

I'm starting to wonder how much actual '50s music you've listened to.

Surf Rock and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound--both pure early-to-mid-'60s.

It would have been cool if they could have gotten some real groups to cameo as the competition.

If the show had been on a year longer, they could have done an Archies crossover...!

RJDiogenes · Aug 19, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
"In-a-Gadda-da-Vida," Iron Butterfly

The Reader's Digest version....

Full-length album version:

There we go. Heavy Metal? Art Rock? Anyway, it's a classic. And it sounds just like the 50s. Just kidding.

"Harper Valley P.T.A.," Jeannie C. Riley

Classic Women's Lib anthem. :mallory:

I'm starting to wonder how much actual '50s music you've listened to. Surf Rock and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound--both pure early-to-mid-'60s.

Yeah, but... ah, well, I guess it's just me. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Aug 19, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
The Reader's Digest version....

The Simpsons version:

Evidently their only Top 40 single...and it'll be recharting, sub-Top 40, in 1969.

There we go. Heavy Metal? Art Rock? Anyway, it's a classic.

I understand that the full-length version was a major selling point of the album. iTunes doesn't sell tracks of that length individually, so I'd have to get the whole album to have the full version. Maybe someday, but I can always listen to it on YouTube.

Classic Women's Lib anthem.

Hearing this in chronological context, the only thing I can think is "Daughter of 'Ode to Billie Joe'"...but as Bobbie Gentry didn't manage to capitalize on her own success, I suppose it was fair game for somebody else to come along and do so. As with Gentry, though, it'll be Riley's only hit on the pop charts.

If you want some actual '50s music...yesterday I watched The Girl Can't Help It (1956), a movie of considerable significance to the genesis of the Beatles....

Wiki said:
The film reached Liverpool, England, in the early summer of 1957. The cameo performances of early rock 'n' roll stars such as Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, and Gene Vincent and His Bluecaps fascinated a 16-year-old John Lennon by showing him, for the first time, his "worshipped" American rock 'n' roll stars as living humans and thus further inspiring him to pursue his own rock and roll dream. On July 6, 1957, 15-year-old Paul McCartney was introduced to Lennon after the latter had performed at a village church garden party with his skiffle group The Quarrymen. McCartney demonstrated his musical prowess to Lennon by performing "Twenty Flight Rock" in a manner similar to how he had seen it played by Eddie Cochran in The Girl Can't Help It. This led to Lennon inviting McCartney to join the group. McCartney talks about the movie in the documentary series The Beatles Anthology.

On Wednesday September 18, 1968 The Beatles interrupted recording "Birthday" at Abbey Road Studios so they could go back to Paul McCartney's house to watch the British TV premiere of the film.

I learned when working on my chronological playlists that the single version of "Twenty Flight Rock" didn't come out until late 1957, and was produced in a manner that caused it to sound quite distinct from the version in the film...so it would have been the film version (which I did manage to find on iTunes, in an Eddie Cochran EP collection) that Paul was emulating that day:

Furthermore, it was that version that he was still emulating when he recorded it professionally three decades later:

RJDiogenes · Aug 20, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
The Simpsons version:

Definitely Rock and/or Roll.

Evidently their only Top 40 single...and it'll be recharting, sub-Top 40, in 1969.

They're a one-hit wonder, but their one hit is worth about five other one-hit wonders.

I understand that the full-length version was a major selling point of the album. iTunes doesn't sell tracks of that length individually, so I'd have to get the whole album to have the full version. Maybe someday, but I can always listen to it on YouTube.

iTunes has a limit on the length of individual tracks? Jim Steinman must be bummed.

Hearing this in chronological context, the only thing I can think is "Daughter of 'Ode to Billie Joe'"

Yeah, it's definitely evocative of that.

If you want some actual '50s music...yesterday I watched The Girl Can't Help It (1956), a movie of considerable significance to the genesis of the Beatles....

I've seen that, but probably not since the 70s. I can't remember a bit of it, of course, but it does go to show you that the Butterfly Effect is real. You never know how things are connected.

TREK_GOD_1 · Aug 21, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
John and Paul were always competitors as well as partners, and it's well-documented in Beatles lore that John's ego and motivation were at a low point in 1967, and that Paul had assumed de facto leadership of the band. That was a temporary dynamic and doesn't serve as a representative snapshot of John's role throughout the lifetime of the group. Pepper was Paul's baby, and John was the first to tell anyone that. And he still managed to give us "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "A Day in the Life," "All You Need Is Love," and "I Am the Walrus" in that year.

Yet John was still documented as having those feelings--really bubbling toward resentment during the Magical Mystery Tour project, and certainly during the Let it Be / Abbey Road sessions--which was not strictly about Paul's (and George's) alleged treatment of Ono.

RJDiogenes said:
They were certainly very different talents, both in terms of temperament and style. Paul was a performance artist and John was a poet, so I personally like them for very different reasons. And, really, as far as the spark of creativity goes, both of them faded fairly quickly after the Beatles ended.

I would say Paul had a far longer shelf-life, as he was able to still write songs that as one writer once put it, "sounded like standards" because they had a creative core that felt like a classic you heard forever. That, and between writing what I consider one of the top 3 Bond title songs of all time, and launching one of the greatest tours (and subsequent live albums) of the 1970s (Wings Over America), Paul's creative power far outlasted John's by any measure in the 1970s.

Death has a way of doing that to most people. When it comes to Elvis, I think his later years are more forgiven than celebrated, as one would a brother or uncle. For whatever perfect storm of reasons, Elvis is pure Americana.

I consider him media manufactured Americana--like pre-1970s Disney productions, where some wanted to crown a certain kind of image as being "cherished by America," (a false image of what America was) when reality painted a different picture.

The Old Mixer said:
Little Deuce Coupe," The Beach Boys
(B-side of "Surfer Girl"; #15 US; #28 R&B)

Not a fan.

"Then He Kissed Me," The Crystals

It was ok, but I always need long stretched of time between hearing it in order to tolerate it.

The Monkees
"I Was a Teenage Monster"
Originally aired January 16, 1967

Ah..the first of their direct monster parodies. Pretty solid episode.

The monster sings (mimes) a snippet of the theme song at 12:37+. They did a pretty good job overall of creeping up Kiel's voice...including when it came out of Mike. The newly monickered Swinging Android performs a snippet of "Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day" at 14:42+.

Note how the actually sizable Gretsch guitar looks like a kid's toy in Kiel's hands...

"Find the Monkees"
Originally aired January 23, 1967
This episode gives us a few colorful rival groups: the Four Martians, the Foreign Agents, and the Jolly Green Giants.

I found the insistence that every act is a quartet another nod to the number being popularized by The Beatles, while the gimmicks were inspired by their many imitators trying to gain an edge.

There are lots of bits of location shooting in this one, including a shot of the Monkees standing outside the NBC building.

Yes! The original Burbank NBC station's exterior and lobby. I've visited it a few times decades ago, when it still looked the same. Entirely different design philosophy at that time.

The next guy in line to use the booth changes to Superman.

Take note of the Superman costume--specifically, the design of the "S" shield and off gray costume color which appear to be one of the early George Reeves costumes from the black and white seasons of the Adventures of Superman (Syndication, 1951-58). I've read that some of the early Reeves costumes ended up in Hollywood rental houses, so its possible one was used here.

In the end Bensen proves to be fickle and becomes interested in his overworked, underappreciated secretary's sound instead.

Allegedly, actress Bobo Lewis was singing a real tune--but its unidentified.

The interview segment begins at 21:46, and features the boys talking about youth demonstrations against an LA curfew.

Interesting, as it shows they were not just sitting around a studio, waiting for more pancake make-up. I believe Micky's biography goes into the incident discussed in this interview segment.

"Monkees in the Ring"
Originally aired January 30, 1967
The montage of Davy training and winning his early, rigged fights features "Laugh" (8:12+), and gives them an excuse to get Davy out of his shirt again.

I guess it paid the bills....

"The Champ" is a not-particularly-clever spoof of Ali.

Perhaps not, but "The Champ"--actor D'Urville Martin--would move beyond bit parts in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Columbia Pictures, 1967) and Rosemary's Baby (Paramount, 1968) and on to greater success in a number of popular Blaxploitation films, among them: Hammer (United Artists, 1972), Black Caesar (AIP, 1973) and directing the first of the Rudy Ray Moore vehicles, Dolemite (Dimension Pictures, 1975).

Unfortunately, his growing profile as a actor/director was cut short by a fatal heart attack in 1984.

They were covering the shit out of Aretha's passing on CNN last night. I can't remember when I last saw a celebrity death get so much attention.

Well, she's a true music legend, so that's not a surprise...but I also recall the media going overboard trying to turn Amy Winehouse into some "lost genius" (yeah....sure...) for days after she died. A full on sales pitch for a woman with highly questionable "talent", so the deserving (obviously Aretha) and undeserving (Winehouse) received widespread coverage.

The Old Mixer · Aug 21, 2018

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50th Anniversary Album Spotlight

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Waiting for the Sun
The Doors
Released July 3, 1968
Chart debut: August 10, 1968
Chart peak: #1, September 7 through September 21 and October 5, 1968

In the liner notes for the 2006 CD re-release, journalist Paul Williams wrote, "Waiting for the Sun has...served well as a device for true Doors fans to prove to themselves that they loved the band without reservation, by enjoying and appreciating and finding evidence of the quartet's genius in the song-performances on this record." Wow, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it? :lol:

I have always enjoyed this album for what it was, while recognizing that it was a step down from...and perhaps a diluted version of...the two albums that preceded it.

The album opens with the catchy, poppy #1 single that reportedtly had some accusing the group of going bubblegum:

"Hello, I Love You"
(Charted July 6, 1968; #1 US the weeks of Aug. 3 and 10, 1968; #15 UK)

Love the fuzzy whatever-it-is in that track. And the Wiki page for the song claims that this, along with the Rascals' "A Beautiful Morning," was one of the first rock 45s to be released in stereo, and that the channel-switching musical flourish in the middle of the song was a deliberate touch to show that off.

"Love Street" always seemed like a good companion to that song...it was also the single's B-side. The style of the song is vaguely reminiscent of Donovan's playful trippiness. The line "There's the store where the creatures meet" always reminded me of the friendly neighborhood comic shop....

"Not to Touch the Earth" is the only recorded remnant of the original plan for the album, which was to feature Jim's extended poem "The Celebration of the Lizard". Full performances of "Celebration" can be found both on one of the band's live releases and as a bonus track on the 2006 CD.
The end of this song gives us the line "I am the Lizard King, I can do anything"...which has come to be iconically associated with Morrison, its context in the longer poem easily missed in this release, despite the words of the full poem appearing as part of the original album package.

The bittersweet "Summer's Almost Gone" certainly rings true this time of year, simply taking it at face value. Of course, seasonal imagery always lends itself to more symbolic interpretations as well. Overall, the song has a good, evocative atmosphere. In a nice little concept pairing that couldn't have been an accident, the next song is "Wintertime Love," one of three tracks on the album known to have been written by guitarist Robby Krieger. (The band was sharing credit for all compositions at this point.) This mood-shifting, harpsichord-featuring waltz is a good example of the anything-goes eclecticism that was permeating rock in this era...and more pleasing to my tastes than "Pressed Rat and Warthog".

Side One closes with the first single to come from the album sessions:

"The Unknown Soldier"
(Charted Mar. 30, 1968; #39 US)

I'd describe this very-sign-o-the-times Vietnam War commentary as "uncompromising," but it goes and gives us that too-optimistic bit at the end about the war being over. Not for some time, I'm afraid....

The second Krieger Komposition on the album, "Spanish Caravan," gives Robby the opportunity to show off his flamenco guitar chops. This is followed by another particularly eclectic number, the chanted "My Wild Love".

"We Could Be So Good Together" was a leftover from the Strange Days sessions, and served as the B-side of the "Unknown Soldier" single. It's decent, but filler-ish by Doors standards...probably the least inspired song on the album.

Ah, but "Yes, the River Knows" always sounded gorgeous to my ear, especially Ray's gentle piano. This is the third of the Krieger Komps.

The album closes with "Five to One," another very sign-o-the-times number. It's the song that the band was performing in Miami on March 1, 1969, when Jim started engaging in the behavior that would have the police accusing him of attempting to incite a riot.

Jim said:
Five to one, baby
One in five
No one here gets out alive
Now
You get yours, baby
I'll get mine
Gonna make it, baby
If we try

The old get old and the young get stronger
May take a week and it may take longer
They got the guns but we got the numbers
Gonna win
Yeah, we're takin' over
Come on

Oddly, the song that shares the album's title, while recorded during these sessions, wasn't released until two albums later in 1970.

Whatever the artistic merits of the LP, 50 years ago this week the Doors must have been enjoying something of a commercial peak. Their second of two #1 singles was gently descending the charts, still in the Top 5 and meeting Feliciano's cover of "Light My Fire" on its way up to #3; and Waiting for the Sun would soon be reaching the top of the album chart for multiple weeks. As for those merits...I certainly find this album to be truer to form than its successor, 1969's The Soft Parade....

_______

Our next album spotlight should be Anthem of the Sun by the Grateful Dead.

_______

RJDiogenes said:
They're a one-hit wonder, but their one hit is worth about five other one-hit wonders.

And the album version is at least as long!

iTunes has a limit on the length of individual tracks? Jim Steinman must be bummed.

No, uber-long tracks like that are available, but they're "Album Only"...you have to buy the whole album to get them, you can't buy them individually like most tracks.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
I found the insistence that every act is a quartet another nod to the number being popularized by The Beatles, while the gimmicks were inspired by their many imitators trying to gain an edge.

And one of those gimmicks might have been partially inspired by this hit single:

"Jolly Green Giant," The Kingsmen
(Charted Jan. 9, 1965; #4 US; #25 R&B)

Take note of the Superman costume--specifically, the design of the "S" shield and off gray costume color which appear to be one of the early George Reeves costumes from the black and white seasons of the Adventures of Superman (Syndication, 1951-58). I've read that some of the early Reeves costumes ended up in Hollywood rental houses, so its possible one was used here.

Interesting! I did notice the color, and associated it with George Reeves, but it hadn't occurred to me that they might actually be using one of his original costumes....

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Columbia Pictures, 1967)

I'm planning to go back and visit this when its 51st anniversary comes up.

RJDiogenes · Aug 21, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
I would say Paul had a far longer shelf-life, as he was able to still write songs that as one writer once put it, "sounded like standards" because they had a creative core that felt like a classic you heard forever. That, and between writing what I consider one of the top 3 Bond title songs of all time, and launching one of the greatest tours (and subsequent live albums) of the 1970s (Wings Over America), Paul's creative power far outlasted John's by any measure in the 1970s.

Well, Paul was certainly more prolific and commercial, but they both produced inspired work through the first half of the decade. I think John went into retirement in 1975 and Paul's inspiration seems to have dried up after 1976, so perhaps Paul does have a slight edge-- but given their differing temperaments and styles, I don't think it makes much of a difference.

I consider him media manufactured Americana--like pre-1970s Disney productions, where some wanted to crown a certain kind of image as being "cherished by America," (a false image of what America was) when reality painted a different picture.

Interesting. I would never consider Elvis to be a media-manufactured celebrity. Certainly he was media exploited in his later years, but I would say that he became a phenomenon despite the media to a large degree in his formative years.

The Old Mixer said:
Wow, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?

I worship the doors. :angel:

The album opens with the catchy, poppy #1 single that reportedtly had some accusing the group of going bubblegum:

I do like that one. Not sure if it's a tribute to love at first sight, a satire of flirtation, or just an anthem of sexual liberation, but it does capture the joie de vivre of the 60s.

...and more pleasing to my tastes than "Pressed Rat and Warthog".

Sadly they left, telling no one good-bye....

And the album version is at least as long!

Right, with most singles of the day topping off at three minutes that's a lot of radio time.

No, uber-long tracks like that are available, but they're "Album Only"...you have to buy the whole album to get them, you can't buy them individually like most tracks.

Do you know what their cut off is? "Bohemian Rhapsody?" "I Would Do Anything For Love?"

TREK_GOD_1 · Aug 21, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Waiting for the Sun
The Doors
Released July 3, 1968

...and would turn one year old on the same day Brian Jones died in 1969.

The album opens with the catchy, poppy #1 single that reportedtly had some accusing the group of going bubblegum:
"Hello, I Love You"

...whoever said that was a Class A Idiot. Where's the "bubblegum" in the song's construction? Lyrics? What were they expecting--more Morrison flights into self-exploration (or whatever) on every single song?

The line "There's the store where the creatures meet" always reminded me of the friendly neighborhood comic shop....

That's an interesting take on that line....

This mood-shifting, harpsichord-featuring waltz is a good example of the anything-goes eclecticism that was permeating rock in this era...and more pleasing to my tastes than "Pressed Rat and Warthog".

Screeching cars at rush hour would be more pleasing than "Pressed Rat and Warthog".

Interesting! I did notice the color, and associated it with George Reeves, but it hadn't occurred to me that they might actually be using one of his original costumes....

It certainly looks like one of the Reeves costumes. I wonder if that dawned on anyone while shooting the episode, or was it just thought to be "random Superman suit" from the rental houses?

RJDiogenes said:
Well, Paul was certainly more prolific and commercial, but they both produced inspired work through the first half of the decade. I think John went into retirement in 1975 and Paul's inspiration seems to have dried up after 1976, so perhaps Paul does have a slight edge-- but given their differing temperaments and styles, I don't think it makes much of a difference.

I would say 1978's London Town had much inspiration t be found. By no means a perfect album, but Paul was still on a creative/commercial roll at the time, which would pretty much give him the decade's edge.

Interesting. I would never consider Elvis to be a media-manufactured celebrity. Certainly he was media exploited in his later years, but I would say that he became a phenomenon despite the media to a large degree in his formative years.

Aside from "the Colonel's" manipulation, by the early 60s, Elvis was already seen as the preferred rock/pop image to sell by Hollywood, hence that rolling pile of...films he shot in the decade, where he's Everybody's Everything, sans any of the "threatening" imagery or character associated with other music acts (outside of The Beatles and their clones, like Gerry and the Pacemakers or Herman's Hermits). Elvis was quickly turned into a carefully constructed, American fixture on the level of a Kentucky Fried Chicken house, or a Chevrolet dealership--omnipresent and safe to be "yours"..

The Old Mixer · Aug 21, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
Interesting. I would never consider Elvis to be a media-manufactured celebrity. Certainly he was media exploited in his later years, but I would say that he became a phenomenon despite the media to a large degree in his formative years.

Liked for this! Pretty much exactly what I would have said, but didn't wanna get into at this point. Yeah, post-Army Elvis's image was softened and diluted considerably over the years, but that was part of a larger general industry trend to make rock and/or roll into safe, tame pop...which is why the Beatles coming along and lighting the fire again was such a big deal. But nobody can take away that Elvis's rise to stardom was not manufactured, and that he was seen as downright threatening in those early, pelvis-gyrating, "devil's music" days.

I worship the doors.

Sis must be visiting.

I do like that one. Not sure if it's a tribute to love at first sight, a satire of flirtation, or just an anthem of sexual liberation, but it does capture the joie de vivre of the 60s.

Supposedly a poem that Jim wrote while watching a girl walking on the beach.

Do you know what their cut off is? "Bohemian Rhapsody?" "I Would Do Anything For Love?"

Not sure exactly, but I'm under the impression that it's around 10 minutes. I was able to purchase "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" by Chic (8:21) as an individual track...but had to skip Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" (11:19), which is on the Rolling Stone list...though I plan to rectify that by purchasing the Highway 61 Revisited album when it comes up as 55th anniversary business.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
...whoever said that was a Class A Idiot. Where's the "bubblegum" in the song's construction? Lyrics? What were they expecting--more Morrison flights into self-exploration (or whatever) on every single song?

The "reportedly" is that the assertion was being used as the basis of defending the song in the CD liner notes, but the claim did have a ring of authenticity to it. On my shelf I have a book that I read once over 20 years ago full of pretentious rock press coverage of the Doors from magazines like Crawdaddy (which Paul Williams wrote for)...somebody somewhere in the articles therein probably said it.

That's an interesting take on that line....

In actuality...

Wiki said:
The song was originally a poem written by singer Jim Morrison about the street in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, California where he lived with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. Their address was 8021 Rothdell Trail. Morrison and Courson referred to Rothdell Trail as "Love Street" because they would sit on the balcony and watch countless hippies walk by.
[...]
The store in question was the Canyon Country Store across the street from his house.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Screeching cars at rush hour would be more pleasing than "Pressed Rat and Warthog".

I would say 1978's London Town had much inspiration t be found. By no means a perfect album, but Paul was still on a creative/commercial roll at the time, which would pretty much give him the decade's edge.

I used to like it back in the day when I'd listen to Paul's solo stuff as a regular part of my diet...but in long-term perspective, there is much better stuff out there to listen to than London Town.

Nerys Myk · Aug 22, 2018

London Town was the first new Macca album I bought.

The Old Mixer · Aug 22, 2018

In the late '80s, I knew a girl whose used car had an 8-track player, and London Town was the only 8-track tape she owned.

RJDiogenes · Aug 22, 2018

^^ Man, that sounds like the basis for a Stephen King story.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
I would say 1978's London Town had much inspiration t be found. By no means a perfect album, but Paul was still on a creative/commercial roll at the time, which would pretty much give him the decade's edge.

When "With A Little Luck" came on the air, I remember wondering what the hell happened to Paul McCartney. Looking over his Discography, "Maybe I'm Amazed" is the last single of his that I really liked.

Aside from "the Colonel's" manipulation, by the early 60s, Elvis was already seen as the preferred rock/pop image to sell by Hollywood, hence that rolling pile of...films he shot in the decade, where he's Everybody's Everything, sans any of the "threatening" imagery or character associated with other music acts (outside of The Beatles and their clones, like Gerry and the Pacemakers or Herman's Hermits). Elvis was quickly turned into a carefully constructed, American fixture on the level of a Kentucky Fried Chicken house, or a Chevrolet dealership--omnipresent and safe to be "yours"..

Yeah, but that was later. When he first caught the attention of kids, he was every parent's nightmare. He was banned on some stations (including in Boston) and mocked elsewhere. His original success was really achieved without corporate support and in spite of media backlash (except to the extent that the negative coverage made kids like him all the more).

The Old Mixer said:
Liked for this! Pretty much exactly what I would have said, but didn't wanna get into at this point. Yeah, post-Army Elvis's image was softened and diluted considerably over the years, but that was part of a larger general industry trend to make rock and/or roll into safe, tame pop...which is why the Beatles coming along and lighting the fire again was such a big deal. But nobody can take away that Elvis's rise to stardom was not manufactured, and that he was seen as downright threatening in those early, pelvis-gyrating, "devil's music" days.

Yeah, that's about the size of it.

Sis must be visiting.

Supposedly a poem that Jim wrote while watching a girl walking on the beach.

So an in-the-moment snapshot of a feeling. Good enough.

Not sure exactly, but I'm under the impression that it's around 10 minutes. I was able to purchase "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" by Chic (8:21) as an individual track...but had to skip Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" (11:19), which is on the Rolling Stone list...though I plan to rectify that by purchasing the Highway 61 Revisited album when it comes up as 55th anniversary business.

Interesting. I wonder what they do with classical music. Not that I know a thing about classical music, but it seems to me that the "tracks" are as long as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," at least.

TREK_GOD_1 · Aug 22, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
When "With A Little Luck" came on the air, I remember wondering what the hell happened to Paul McCartney. Looking over his Discography, "Maybe I'm Amazed" is the last single of his that I really liked.

Wow. Every artist will change to the degree that their work somewhat softens. Look at the Rolling Stones over a period of ten years (1971-81)--the Stones who were motivated to record "Rip This Joint" did not have the same drive or interests when producing "Start Me Up", but its still the same group generating some quality work. That's how I see the McCartney of the London Town period.

Yeah, but that was later

The 60s is the period I was always talking about--not looking back to his early years. Post Army in the 60s, Elvis became KFC/Chevrolet--safe and packaged to all as the off-the-shelf, perfectly produced, manufactured, Americana image. Its no mystery why his leather-clad "Singer Presents...Elvis" persona (the '68 NBC comeback special) was so successful as a total contrast to that shrink-wrapped, factory-produced image that neutered him for nearly a decade. But, Elvis being Elvis, and the Colonel being the dollar-eyed puppeteer, returned Presley back to that packaged image not long into the 70s.

The Old Mixer · Aug 22, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
Interesting. I wonder what they do with classical music. Not that I know a thing about classical music, but it seems to me that the "tracks" are as long as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," at least.

Good question. All of the classical music that I haven't listened to actively for years is on CD, I've never purchased any on iTunes. But I think that typically, longer works would be divided into movements, which effectively serve as individual tracks that would usually fit the length limit.

ETA: Looked this up. From what I spot-checked, compilations of mixed pieces are doing the same thing...tracks over 10 minutes in length are Album Only. However, for symphony collections they're doing what I wish they'd do with pop music...sell the longer tracks individually but at a higher price point (in this case, $1.99 for tracks over 10 minutes, compared to $1.29 for tracks under 10 minutes). Furthermore, for collections with multiple symphonies, you have the option to buy per symphony for one price. And yeah, there are plenty of pieces with individual movements of well over 10 minutes.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
The 60s is the period I was always talking about--not looking back to his early years.

Well, when you make a sweeping statement like this...

TREK_GOD_1 said:
I consider him media manufactured Americana

...without specifying the period, it implies that you're referring to his origins.

RJDiogenes · Aug 23, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Wow. Every artist will change to the degree that their work somewhat softens. Look at the Rolling Stones over a period of ten years (1971-81)--the Stones who were motivated to record "Rip This Joint" did not have the same drive or interests when producing "Start Me Up", but its still the same group generating some quality work. That's how I see the McCartney of the London Town period.

Yes, most artists lose their edge over the years, some slowly and some abruptly. McCartney's decline was rather abrupt for my taste. He did a handful of entertaining songs over the late 70s and 80s, but nothing comparable to his early work.

The 60s is the period I was always talking about--not looking back to his early years.

Well, his early years would have been when he was manufactured if he had been manufactured. But he could only have been rebranded in the 60s if he had been an anti-establishment success in the 50s.

The Old Mixer said:
ETA: Looked this up. From what I spot-checked, compilations of mixed pieces are doing the same thing...tracks over 10 minutes in length are Album Only. However, for symphony collections they're doing what I wish they'd do with pop music...sell the longer tracks individually but at a higher price point (in this case, $1.99 for tracks over 10 minutes, compared to $1.29 for tracks under 10 minutes). Furthermore, for collections with multiple symphonies, you have the option to buy per symphony for one price. And yeah, there are plenty of pieces with individual movements of well over 10 minutes.

Yeah, the model that they use for the symphony collections is certainly much better. There's nothing wrong with charging more for longer songs. There must be some business or contractual reason that they don't do it with contemporary music, but I can't imagine what it is.

The Old Mixer · Aug 24, 2018

_______

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

1. "Fingertips, Pt. 2," Little Stevie Wonder
2. "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)," Allan Sherman
3. "Candy Girl," The Four Seasons
4. "My Boyfriend's Back," The Angels
5. "Judy's Turn to Cry," Lesley Gore
6. "Blowin' in the Wind," Peter, Paul & Mary
7. "Wipe Out," The Surfaris
8. "More," Kai Winding & Orchestra
9. "(You're the) Devil in Disguise," Elvis Presley
10. "Denise," Randy & The Rainbows
11. "If I Had A Hammer," Trini Lopez
12. "Mockingbird," Inez & Charlie Foxx

14. "So Much in Love," The Tymes
15. "Surf City," Jan & Dean
16. "Hey Girl," Freddie Scott
17. "Green, Green," The New Christy Minstrels
18. "Surfer Girl," The Beach Boys
19. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave," Martha & The Vandellas
20. "The Monkey Time," Major Lance

22. "Frankie and Johnny," Sam Cooke

24. "Memphis," Lonnie Mack
25. "Twist It Up," Chubby Checker

27. "Easier Said Than Done," The Essex

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

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

36. "Just One Look," Doris Troy

39. "Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

41. "Then He Kissed Me," The Crystals

43. "Martian Hop," The Ran-Dells
44. "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget," The Raindrops

50. "Hey There Lonely Boy," Ruby & The Romantics
51. "Wonderful! Wonderful!," The Tymes

59. "Mickey's Monkey," The Miracles

63. "Little Deuce Coupe," The Beach Boys

71. "Only in America," Jay & The Americans

79. "Cry Baby," Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters

90. "A Walkin' Miracle," The Essex feat. Anita Humes

95. "Wham!," Lonnie Mack

Leaving the chart:

"Not Me," The Orlons

"Pride and Joy," Marvin Gaye

"Till Then," The Classics

55 Years Ago Spotlight: Stuff that I'll readily agree sounds like leftover '50s business.

Exhibit A--I was surprised to discover how much doo-wop actually came from the early '60s, as it's a sound generally associated with the '50s. The genre seems to have experienced a peak period on the charts back in '61. At this point, somebody needs to check the date on the carton:

"So Much in Love," The Tymes
(Charted June 1, 1963; #1 US the week of Aug. 3, 1963; #4 R&B; #21 UK)

Exhibit B--If somebody had asked me to guess when this novelty number was from, I might have said 1956:

"Martian Hop," The Ran-Dells
(Charted Aug. 3, 1963; #16 US; #27 R&B)

_______

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

1. "Ode to Billie Joe," Bobbie Gentry
2. "All You Need Is Love," The Beatles
3. "Pleasant Valley Sunday," The Monkees
4. "Light My Fire," The Doors
5. "Baby, I Love You," Aretha Franklin
6. "I Was Made to Love Her," Stevie Wonder
7. "Cold Sweat, Part 1," James Brown
8. "Reflections," Diana Ross & The Supremes
9. "You're My Everything," The Temptations
10. "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Procol Harum
11. "A Girl Like You," The Young Rascals
12. "Heroes and Villains," The Beach Boys
13. "Thank the Lord for the Night Time," Neil Diamond
14. "Come Back When You Grow Up," Bobby Vee & The Strangers
15. "Words," The Monkees
16. "Silence Is Golden," The Tremeloes
17. "To Love Somebody," Bee Gees
18. "Carrie-Anne," The Hollies
19. "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie," Jay & The Techniques
20. "My Mammy," The Happenings
21. "Hypnotized," Linda Jones
22. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," The Buckinghams
23. "Fakin' It," Simon & Garfunkel
24. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Frankie Valli
25. "The Letter," The Box Tops
26. "San Franciscan Nights," Eric Burdon & The Animals
27. "Brown Eyed Girl," Van Morrison
28. "(I Wanna) Testify," The Parliaments
29. "Funky Broadway," Wilson Pickett
30. "Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good," Bunny Sigler

34. "Windy," The Association
35. "More Love," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
36. "There Is a Mountain," Donovan
37. "You Know What I Mean," The Turtles
38. "Soul Finger," The Bar-Kays

40. "White Rabbit," Jefferson Airplane
41. "Baby You're a Rich Man," The Beatles
42. "I Take It Back," Sandy Posey
43. "Groovin'," Booker T. & The M.G.'s

45. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," Jackie Wilson
46. "Little Bit o' Soul," The Music Explosion
47. "Things I Should Have Said," The Grass Roots
48. "I Dig Rock and Roll Music," Peter, Paul & Mary

54. "I Had a Dream," Paul Revere & The Raiders feat. Mark Lindsay

56. "Gimme Little Sign," Brenton Wood

61. "Bluebird," Buffalo Springfield

66. "Run, Run, Run," The Third Rail

72. "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)," The Mamas & The Papas
73. "Knock on Wood," Otis & Carla

75. "Gettin' Together," Tommy James & The Shondells

79. "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone," Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
80. "Get on Up," The Esquires

82. "Lady Friend," The Byrds
83. "Never My Love," The Association

93. "I Make A Fool Of Myself," Frankie Valli
94. "Purple Haze," The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Leaving the chart:

"Glory of Love," Otis Redding

"Make Me Yours," Bettye Swann

"Up, Up and Away," The 5th Dimension

"You Only Live Twice," Nancy Sinatra

_______

50th Anniversary Catch-Up Viewing

_______

The Monkees
"The Monstrous Monkee Mash"
Originally aired January 22, 1968

Wiki said:
The Monkees attempt to rescue Davy from his girlfriend Lorelei (Arlene Martel), Count Batula (Ron Masak), a Wolfman (David Pearl), Mummyman, and a Frankenstein-looking monster in a creepy castle.

Note: No laugh track

This seems like one too many monsters/haunted house episodes...and not even seasonable in January.

The Monkees sleeping downstairs? They've got a bedroom up that spiral staircase, we've seen it.

The almost-subliminal quick-cuts used in this one were a novel touch. And there was generally a good amount of fourth wall breaking, including showing the cameraman and cutting the wires holding up a floating book.

Climactic song sequence: "Goin' Down" (20:22+)

I was struck by the end credits song, "In This Generation," which I wouldn't have been hearing on Antenna.

_______

I'd been planning to catch these on YouTube, but This got to the episodes that I needed in the nick of time.

"The Decoy Raid"
Originally aired January 22, 1968

H&I said:
Dietrich questions an SS captain's methods after he confiscates a village's typhus serum, planning to keep it until the villagers are able to capture the Rat Patrol.

Unclear pronoun referent clarification: "He" in this case refers to the SS officer, Captain Wansee (Richard Davalos).

Dietrich has a lot to do in this one, such that I was briefly teased with the notion that it might be an episode focusing on him...but once he comes to realize that Wansee is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, he manipulates the Patrol into helping him off the scenery-chewing captain. It's Dietrich who shoots Wansee from offscreen in the climactic firefight, with the Patrol putting together the obvious whodunnit in the coda.

Hey, Tully, is that a bazooka on your shoulder, or are you just happy to see me?

_______

The Monkees
"The Monkee's Paw"
Originally aired January 29, 1968

Wiki said:
A broken-down magician's (Hans Conried) magical monkey's paw starts to bring the equally broken Monkees luck...unfortunately, all bad.

Note: No laugh track

The episode opens with the band performing a bit of "Goin' Down". There's also a brief instrumental of "Goin' Down" at 8:40+ when an errant wish causes Micky to lose his ability to speak.

Unsuspectingly prescient line...

Mendrek said:
People don't want to see magicians anymore. They want to see "reality" as it's shown to them on television.

Micky and Mike play Mendrek and a lama in a flashback.

Easy-to-miss gag: Mike takes an implied call from the President, inviting Mendrek to a barbecue.

Severn Darden as the psychiatrist repeatedly insisting that the blot on the card is "A bunny and a chicken!" got a good LOL from me.

Davy: You know, I can't find it anywhere.
Daughter: I think you spell "monkey" with a Y.
Davy: Oh really? I always thought you spelled it with two E's.

Magical climactic song sequence: "Words" (19:14+). Peter looks good with some soul fuzz, but that Astonishing Pietro bit was from Season 1's "Too Many Girls," which I just watched.

This episode features an unusual mixed closing...first having the Monkees do a fourth wall-breaking sign-off to the audience; then showing a blooper with a bleeped-out word that I've read was the F-bomb...I have to wonder if that was part of the original broadcast, given that NBC held back the next episode for months over repeated bleeped-out use of the word "hell"; finally, there's an interview segment about hippies and how they've become commercialized.

Cerealization contemplation: Whatever happened to Kellogg's Puffa Puffa Rice? [Googles.] A short-lived product that came out in '67 and was discontinued in 1975.

_______

The Monkees
"The Devil and Peter Tork"
Originally aired February 5, 1968

Wiki said:
At an eerie pawn shop, Peter unwittingly sells his soul to devilish character Mr. Zero (Monte Landis) in order to purchase a golden harp.

Note: Final episode in which Mike Nesmith wears his wool hat; he rarely wears it during the second season. (In fact, this episode was filmed very early on in the second season.)

Apparently the harp instrumental at 5:11+ is "Pleasant Valley Sunday," though I wouldn't have recognized it.

This time the excuse for getting Davy's shirt off is Zero snapping it away as a demonstration of his power.

Hellish montage song: "Salesman" (7:35+), featuring Mike on lead vocals.

Second harp instrumental: "I Wanna Be Free" (20:00+)

Unconnected end sequence: "No Time" (22:04+)

_______

The Rat Patrol
"The Touch and Go Raid"
Originally aired February 5, 1968

H&I said:
Dietrich and his men gain access to an Allied munitions dump by capturing the Rat Patrol and assuming their identities.

This time Dietrich and his men don't even take the Patrol's distinctive hats to sell the masquerade. Dietrich doesn't do a very good job of impersonating Troy, as Gudegast seems incapable of suppressing his distinct accent.

Troy and the Allied commander trick Dietrich into leaving with what he thinks are top secret plans, which actually concern intercompany baseball games. Then, after Dietrich realizes that he's been fooled, his superior insists that the papers are actually coded. I guess they're trying to make Dietrich look like less of a tool by shifting the ineptitude.

World War II-vintage TV Fu Knockout Chop:

_______

Nerys Myk · Aug 24, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
I was struck by the end credits song, "In This Generation," which I wouldn't have been hearing on Antenna.

I've always loved that song. Disappointed when it was cut. I guess it actual name is "For Pete's Sake"

The Old Mixer · Aug 24, 2018

OMFG...I think I'm losing Decades! I was checking the cable schedule and saw a bunch of different shows starting on Sept. 3. Googling around, I found that the line-up matches this:

http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2018/07/new-multicast-network-start-tv-launches.html

https://www.starttv.com/

:wah:

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