I have to say, that rendition really makes me feel what the song's about, in a way that the original doesn't. I guess that since I've been greatly broadening my palette for period artists in the last few years, I'm more open to hearing what some of them bring to Beatles songs. Been listening to Otis Redding's Live in Europe (1967). He did an enjoyably funked-up "Day Tripper": He also brought something extra to Stones material: I'm reminded of an SNL skit with Phil Hartman as Heston recording passages from Madonna's Sex book. And something that would be completely missed just watching in syndication, without the 50th anniversary immersive retro thing informing one's viewing. Yeah, I'm not at all familiar with their album work. It's interesting how Laugh-In sometimes goes obscure in the songs that they make videos of. It's a good, solid show, but the murder mystery of the week thing is a bit out of my wheelhouse. I like it best when they depart from that formula. My own lifetime tells me that back then, people would have been quicker to assume the more innocent meaning of the term; but the popularity of Goldfinger tells me that general audiences weren't oblivious to the double entendre. I think it's one of those odd cases where more innocent times actually let them get away with something that would just be viewed as blatantly obscene today. Yeah, it's decent but hasn't popped for me. Joe Simon has a good, distinctive voice and a handful of Top 20 singles in the years ahead, continuing into the next decade. Now this is one that I can see catching on in the weekly playlist listening. And it's an interesting contrast to the two sub-Top 20 singles that became his signature songs, "In the Midnight Hour" and "Mustang Sally". Here we have a single that charted better in its time, that I'd never heard in my life before I got it. Thank goodness for Google--You just went full Bostonese there! And yeah, this is the abrupt transition from the ones you've never heard of to the ones you've heard all your life. It sounds like Marvin and Tammi are still going strong...but Wiki tells me that by the time this was recorded, she was already being treated for the tumor that took her life in 1970 at the tragically early age of 24. Yep...the sort of music that you only find in this era, which makes it my favorite era of music. And note that the Rascals have dropped the "Young" from their name at this point. I like and have this song (which makes my having overlooked it so far into the debate a bit embarrassing)...just trying to put it in its proper historical context. _______ 51st Anniversary Viewing _______ Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week that the episodes aired: I've actually got the next week's playlist on as I'm posting this, and must proclaim with exaltation: "The Oogum Boogum Song" is back! _______ The Monkees "Monkees Get Out More Dirt" Originally aired April 3, 1967 I assume that the bit with Wally Cox was a spoof of a specific detergent commercial back in the day. They really play up the height difference between Newmar and Davy. Mike uses a boot phone...now that's a Get Smart reference. Davy makes a reference to the recent Roger Miller song "England Swings" (Charted Nov. 6, 1965; #8 US; #1 AC; #3 Country; #13 UK). They also referenced it on a Season 1 Laugh-In that I watched. Miller is an example of the type of artist that I'm avoiding in this era, so...no video for you! "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" (B-side of "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"; charted separately Mar. 25, 1967; #39 US) _______ The Rat Patrol "The Hour Glass Raid" Originally aired April 3, 1967 Way to give away the twist that doesn't happen until over halfway in. An injured Dietrich is the one who outs the doctor, when the doctor tries to give him a lethal shot. In the climax we get a relatively unusual situation in which the entire Patrol goes into action crammed into one Jeep, as the doctor stole their other one. The doctor is killed by a German patrol in his escape attempt. _______ "The Mating Game" Originally aired April 6, 1967 The subject of the episode gives me half an excuse to pull this out: (Charted Mar. 19, 1966; #27 US; #4 AC; #3 UK) Alas, we didn't even get a spoof of it in the episode. The whole sequence with Ann being on the show doesn't last very long for that matter. Half the episode is the aftermath. Ann's surprisingly reluctant to go along considering that Donald and Jerry appeal to her to do it as an acting gig. Don has to go and complicate the scheme by becoming one of the bachelors without letting Ann know. Bessell doesn't do a very good job of disguising his voice, either, though Ann falls for it in-story. A jealous Donald tags along in his role as a reporter for Ann's date with Eduardo, the suave winning bachelor (Alejandro Rey), and goes out of his way to sabotage the night. In the climax, Ann pranks Donald by delivering a tape from after Donald left in which Eduardo conspires with her to make it sound like she fell to his charms. Ann has a fill-in guest neighbor named Ruby this episode. And we learn that Ann's a Scorpio--That doesn't quite add up with a birthday episode that aired in February. Well, that's the end of Season 1, catching me up with the "present" of the show. I look forward to being able to just go through one season at a time from here on. "Oh, Donald" count: 1 "Oh, Eduardo" count: 4 _______
It matters not what the Byrds were doing, but the point stands that they did not invent the marriage of pop (rock) and folk. The British Invasion also refers to its genesis--that initial explosion of then-radically different kinds of music in the UK; and not limited to Skiffle or the influence of Buddy Holly, but the British blues revolution of artists such as Alexis Korner (and Blues Incorporated),or artists of even more radical music fusion interests that would either splinter into rock groups, or acts taking their own unique path (The who being one of those acts). Collectively, that was the engine / inspiration of creativity that UK acts lived on, allowing many to quickly grow into the kind of performers that could so dramatically shift North Americans' taste (teens in particualr), but it all has that formative period to thank for its success.
Not bad. Not quite as good. A couple of readings have slipped into the "Best Of" episodes, but I can't remember specifics at the moment. But the best reading on TV back in the day was Vincent Price doing a reading of "The Raven" on some Halloween special. Good stuff. They were hoping for non-obscurity. I also used to sit on the divan in the parlor while watching telly. Ugh. That's just horrific. 24 sounds like childhood to me now. It was a strange and wonderful time. Join the rest of the universe, boys. I'll live. This is good, and sounds Monkee-ish, but something in there is reminding me of Blondie somehow. I dunno.... Nice. I remember it well. It doesn't sound like Donald to set Ann up in a situation where she'd be with other men. That sounds more like Donald.
Pop in those days included music that was not considered rock & roll, including the stuff that the older generation was listening to. The Byrds did invent the marriage of folk music with rock instrumentation...did you read any of the links that I posted? Here are some more: https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-rock http://www.richieunterberger.com/turnover.html http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Folk_rock https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/dylan-baez-newport-beatles-guitar/2880549.html And what else was going on in music very much matters, especially musical developments that shaped the evolution of major, influential acts like the Beatles and Dylan. The Who were great, they made a substantial contribution to the musical landscape of the era, but they were not the end-all and be-all of '60s music. That's a really odd thing that I've never heard before in my life...using the effect to retroactively describe the cause. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Invasion There is a bit in there that sounds like "Dreaming," now that you mention it.
Wally Cox was spoofing his own appearances in the long-defunct Salvo detergent commercials-- ...along with several in "Monkee Chow Mein". The Nesmith standout featuring Peter Tork's memorable harpsichord work. NOTE: About Julie Newmar...by the time this episode aired, Newmar's association with her most famous role (Catwoman) was already in the rear-view mirror, with her final Batman arc, "Catwoman Goes to College" / "Batman Displays His Knowledge" airing in late February that year. Although she still had her Star Trek guest spot ahead of her ("Friday's Child" from 12/1/67), Newmar's star appeal--at least as a TV personality--sort of faded at a pace one would not expect for such a well-known actress. She had a steady flow of work in the 70s (1971 & 1976 probably her busiest years of that decade), but whatever her appeal was, it did not translate into her becoming a bigger actress in the following decade.
Yes, that's exactly it! Interesting. I wonder why that was. Maybe she was not popular with producers for some reason?
Maybe the Johnson administration couldn't keep their Catwomen straight. _______ 51st Anniversary Viewing _______ Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 51 years ago this week: _______ The Monkees "Monkees in Manhattan" Originally aired April 10, 1967 It's a rock 'n' roll musical that the Monkees are supposed to be starring in, to clarify the premise. The episode opens with Davy singing lines from the old "New York, New York" song from the 1944 musical On the Town ("the Bronx is up but the Battery's down"). It's supposed to be 10-ish in the morning but Mike is conning room service into delivering cold cuts, potato salad, artichokes, and liverwurst. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" I couldn't find an episode-specific clip. The song sequence featured some especially A Hard Day's Night-ish bits. They were really pushing "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)" for a non-single. Again, I couldn't find an episode-specific clip. You can find the full episode on YouTube. Making an early appearance in the unconnected end sequence of this song-heavy episode: "Words" Wiki says that this was the "original version"; the single version, as a reminder, was the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday," charted separately on July 22, 1967, and reached #11 US. Other than the plot revolving around a potential Broadway production that we don't see a bit of, this episode didn't feel very New York-centric. Most of it takes place in the hotel set. TOS guest: Susan Howard (Mara, "Day of the Dove") as a bride in another room, the running gag seemingly being that the couple's wedding night keeps getting interrupted...but again, it's supposed to be 10-ish in the morning...? _______ The Rat Patrol "Mask-a-Raid" Originally aired April 10, 1967 Meanwhile Troy passes himself off as a German ambulance driver who just sort of hangs around the hospital for a while not speaking until he tries to do something and gets caught. And Moffitt, disguised by bandages covering his face, is sniffed out by a ruse involving a woman pretending to be his visiting wife. Somehow the false information that Moffitt gave still gets through the pipeline even after Moffitt is exposed and the Patrol shoots their way out of the hospital. Not exactly Mission: Impossible subtlety. _______
Maybe it was just costumes in general. Adam West and Burt Ward didn't really go very far either. It's Deja Harry all over again. Not bad. I like the wind chimes and other exotic stuff. Just a little too early to be homaging Hair, I suppose. You know those honeymooners, they completely lose track of time. I'll bet the secretary disavowed all knowledge of that hospital shooting.
The bride and groom were still in their gown and tux...it was being played like they hadn't gotten to bed yet. It was bigger than that...Jeeps machine-gunning their way out of town in TRP's violent live-action cartoon style. _______ Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 55 years ago this week: _______ 12 O'Clock High "The Survivor" Originally aired February 21, 1966 Gordon's character, Capt. Bradovich, is tied down to Sara (Jill Ireland), the mother of an unseen child of a buddy who died saving the captain. In Act III she seriously injures another officer with her handbag when he comes on to her, and Bradovich takes the blame. They get to the bottom of things pretty quickly, but it's Komansky who gets involved and does the detective work. Bradovich had been suffering from a particularly bad rap after he was the only survivor when his bomber was shot down earlier in the episode, and Sandy had a good moment enforcing discipline and respect among the enlisted crew of the captain's next bomber. Overall, the premise kind of reminded me of Gallagher's second appearance as a Season 1 guest character, though the circumstances were somewhat different. In this case, Bradovich (after winning the respect of his crew by bringing 'em back alive) hints in the end at taking his relationship with Sara to a more personal level. Stovall says that he's a lawyer in private life...not sure if that's come up before. _______
In the movie, Stovall’s profession plays a key part in his relationship with Savage (and Dean Jagger is just terrific). I’m surprised that angle hasn’t figured in the show.
I’ve been following your recaps pretty closely and the lawyer thing hasn’t come up. The film is one of my favorites and I don’t have cable so your comments are an interesting window into the show. Have you seen the movie?
No, but I'll have to someday...maybe when the series has played out on H&I. There are full-episode videos on YouTube, but I can't vouch for the source. When I went looking for something in the Shatner episode as follow-up after I'd deleted my recording, I found that the first scene of Act III had been edited out and an Act III title card that didn't match the usual ones had been inserted. They seem to be mostly intact, though. I wasn't doing every-episode reviews here until well into Season 1. If Stovall's civilian profession had been mentioned in an early episode, it might have escaped my notice while I was still getting the lay of the show in general. A conspicuous detail that I did notice coming up in the first episode (I think) is that Stovall was a grandfather. This didn't jibe with a more recently watched Season 2 episode in which Stovall learns that his son has gone MIA, and no family of the son comes up.
Okay, I guess the writers just weren't paying attention to their own story then. Either that or there was a subplot about time portals that got left on the cutting room floor. Geez. Watch out for those civilians, guys. Who does she think she is, Tara King? I didn't even know there was a movie.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing _______ Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Season 1, episode 11 Originally aired April 8, 1968 John Wayne, too. "You're kidding" at the mention of Flip Wilson being on the show is overselling it...he's been in several episodes already. This week they seem to have had enough lead time to make sure that there were no jokes about LBJ being in the election, but they don't have any new ones about his dropping out, either. Byner does his Sullivan a few times, as well as Bobby Kennedy, John Wayne, and King George III in the style of LBJ. One joke involves Flip Wilson making a reference to King Reagan. News from 1988 has a reference to Nelson Rockefeller as the newly elected president but not being a candidate...? Mod, Mod World looks at the spirit of adventure. _______ The Avengers "Split!" Originally aired April 10, 1968 (US); October 23, 1968 (UK) Mmmkay...this episode has a still different title sequence: Must owe to differences in UK and US season organization / airing order. I like the one with the suits of armor better. And Steed's got his old roadster in this one. The plum-colored sports car seems to be Tara's. Kartovski turns out to be not dead but bedridden...well, ice-filled box ridden. His thoughts are being transferred into ministry agents, with the possessed agents' tell being that their left hands become arthritic claws. Julian Glover turns out to be one of the transfer recipients, though they fooled me into thinking they'd wasted him as a regular good guy in this one. I was disappointed that the transfer into Tara didn't go through. At one point, Steed does a bit of Oddjob-style bowler-throwing. Talk about maybe-coincidental Trek touches...the hospital room where Kartovski and the mind-transferring device are kept has a group of six ceiling lights that bears more than little resemblance to the classic transporter pad ceiling, though they're not arranged in a circle. _______ "The Beard" Originally aired April 11, 1968 For the record, Donald grew the beard during the hunting trip. Donald gets a little pretentious in his facial hirsuteness, which includes taking up pipe-smoking. In the climax, Ann makes a point by pretending to have cut her hair short--she's actually hiding it under a wig of a Yvonne Craig-style haircut, which Donald describes as a crew-cut! Then it turns out that Donald has since shaved and is wearing a false beard. (I assume that Bessell was wearing the same false beard for the entire episode.) This episode is the last appearance of Ruth Buzzi as Pete Peterson. "Oh, Donald" count: 4 "Oh, Daddy" count: 2 _______ The Saint "The House on Dragon's Rock" Originally aired April 13, 1968 (US); November 24, 1968 (UK) This is one of nine episodes directed by Moore. Simon introduces himself, but to a man holding a rifle, so there's a little something going on with it. A decade before Fonzie jumped his shark, Simon Templar fought a giant ant. No, it's not a hoax being perpetrated on the Welsh villagers as one might have expected in this series...the villagers frightened out of their wits and unusual feats of strength like tractors being overturned are actually the work of a giant ant, which the scientist has been controlling via sonic waves. The real danger is that the ant is a she and has laid eggs. There only seems to be one giant ant around, so what exactly does she breed with...? In the end, the scientist predictably gets killed by his pet; and Simon lights up the eggs with some gaso...er, petrol, and fires a shotgun at Mama GiAnt, which conveniently causes a cave-in. That's the last of the newer Saint episodes that aired in this US season that I'll be covering. The show will be back for our purposes in a year with the next US season. _______ Yeah, I couldn't help but picture that brick being in there. She did quite a number on that guy. The Supremes episode of Tarzan is on H&I as I type this.
_______ 50 Years Ago This Week In Beatles lore, I think this could be considered a sign of the End of Days. The series that the video below is the first part of glosses over the legendary office chaos and focuses on the history of the Apple recording branch: Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week: Leaving the chart: "The End of Our Road," Gladys Knight & The Pips "I Wish It Would Rain," The Temptations "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," The First Edition "Sunshine of Your Love," Cream (for now) "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls," Dionne Warwick "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," The Four Seasons New on the chart: "Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers (#29 US; #5 R&B) "Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang (#17 US; #24 AC) Also, something that doesn't meet my criteria for inclusion in the list, but I couldn't help noticing it on the chart. On the subject of the in-the-moment popularity of a certain TV series: "Impossible Mission (Mission Impossible)," Soul Survivors (#68 US; entering the chart this week at #72) There's no resemblance to the show or its theme music to speak of, but the name clearly isn't just a coincidence at this point in the show's fame. And new on the boob tube: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Season 1, episode 12 That Girl, "The Drunkard" _______
I read them, but one cannot cherry-pick and/or leap over history's important details. Rock's marriage to folk occurred long before the Byrds were a thought. One cannot ignore the genesis which laid the foundation for not only the Byrds, but Dylan's approach, and that undeniably dates back to the creative movement pushed by Kingston Trio, The Weavers (with and without Pete Seeger), Phil Ochs and others. Few things in music happen in a spark or creative bottle free of clear influences. To suggest otherwise would be as historically incorrect as saying McCartney and Lennon just created what would be The Quarrymen through early Beatles music with no clear, undeniably influential foundation from the likes of Little Richard and Buddy Holly. The former does not exist without the latter, and that is most certainly true in how folk's champions moved the genre toward other styles of music (despite the naysaying of some), including rock. At no part of this exchange will anyone find the suggestion that The Who were the "end-all and be-all of 60's music". Instead, you will find the accurate account of their importance from one stage of their career to another. ...and would remain unreleased until the 1990 compilation disc, Missing Links: Volume Two. That disc also marked the official release of the original version of "Valleri" and their version of the Christian Nativity song, "Riu Riu Chiu", once only available at the end of "The Monkees' Christmas Show" in 1967. ...along with the sexually suggestive joke of the groom finally opening the streaming champagne bottle--to the bride's overjoyed reaction. Rather on the nose for 60s TV. Underrated act known more for mentoring the early Jackson 5 than their own career, and great, soulful tracks like the one listed here. Love the mood and string arrangements of this song.
Sigh. This whole tangent was old a week ago, but... You're not just arguing with me, you're arguing with scholars and historians on the subject; and with the actual history of the term "folk rock," which was coined in an article in 1965 specifically to describe the Byrds' music. A Google Books result that gets into the history of the term. This page has what appears to be the content of the Billboard article that first used the phrase.
One of their more prophetic items. Agreed, although I like the bit with Tara's finger through the bullet hole. It seems like they're trying to make it more Emma Peel-ish, but the armor and the surreal doorway are better. Cool. I don't remember that at all. Inspired by Lovecraft, maybe. Wow. I didn't know The Saint ever got into the fantastic like that-- or is it the only time? I take it you do not approve. A normal-sized ant with a massive inferiority complex. I'm not familiar with this one. Kind of okay. This, however, is wonderful, and strongly nostalgic. Weird, but not bad.
Plus the armor opening is shot outdoors. Not literally turning into claws, just taking on a claw-like shape. The only time that I know of offhand...I was surprised, at least. But sometimes I find the show to be a bit of a snoozer, so it turned out to be attention-grabbing at least. It was like Roger Moore was starring in a '50s B-movie. I think the size problem would only be compounded in that situation. It's pleasant enough sounding but doesn't really pop for me. Very much background music. But this... Is a fun fact! And Diana Ross got the credit in Motown's PR. Alas, "Does Your Mama Know About Me" proved to be Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers' only Top 40 hit. And this was the last of Spanky & Our Gang's string of five consecutive Top 40 hits, so we shan't be hearing more from them in these parts. It's OK, but it's easy to hear why it languished in the lower reaches of the Hot 100. _______ 51st Anniversary Viewing _______ Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 51 years ago this week: _______ The Monkees "Monkees at the Movies" Originally aired April 17, 1967 Or is the title "Monkees in the Movies" as my onscreen cable info says, which makes more sense? The Monkees are being described as teenagers again; as is Sherman's Frankie Catalina, though Sherman was 23 at the time. This episode spoofs on Frankie Avalon-style teen idols and their beach party movies. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" The second song sequence revisits a blast from the season's past but barely even has a role in a the story: "Last Train to Clarksville" Possibly unintentional comic book reference: At one point Peter suggests a teen idol named Freddy Freeman as a replacement for Catalina. After some PR work by the boys, Davy temporarily replaces Catalina, but the situation instantly transforms him into the same type of personality as Catalina, and he ultimately refuses to do the picture, turning down a million dollars. I don't wanna hear any more sob stories about them needing money! Unconnected closing song: "Valleri" (original version) Doing a bit of research, it seems that at this point Sherman had been best known as a regular cast member / house singer on Shindig! in '64-'66. He already had a recording career, but it didn't take off until 1969, after he was cast in the series Here Come the Brides (1968-1970). His eventual string of hit records should be coming up as 50th anniversary business in due course, so I'll refrain from getting ahead of things and forego the customary music career tribute. _______