Richard Penniman passed away today at the age of 87. Like anything about Little Richard, that sentence doesn't tell the whole story. Little Richard began his recording career in 1951 with RCA Victor. His early sides for them, including "Taxi Blues," didn't go anywhere on the charts. But in 1956 the world changed. Richard, recording … Continue reading Rest in peace, Little Richard: “Long Tall Sally” (1956)
collecting
Rest in peace, Vinnie Bell: Ferrante and Teicher, “Midnight Cowboy” (1969)
Word circulated that Vincent "Vinnie" Bell passed away on October 3 at the age of 84. Bell's is not a name you would immediately recognize if you're looking for it on record labels. That is, of course, unless you happened to pick up a copy of "Airport Love Theme" in 1970, which lists him as … Continue reading Rest in peace, Vinnie Bell: Ferrante and Teicher, “Midnight Cowboy” (1969)
New this week in ’69: October 4
(And now for something completely different.) October 4, 1969 The day after Gwen Stefani was born (yes, she's also turning 50 this year) marked the start of the first-ever divisional playoffs in Major League Baseball. The expansion to twelve teams in each league included a split into two divisions. The American League sees Minnesota face … Continue reading New this week in ’69: October 4
New this week in ’69: July 19
July 19, 1969 I don't have to tell you much about what was going on this week fifty years ago. There's been a ton of fantastic retrospectives already done on the subject of the moon landing. Media historians are having a lot of fun digging out old stuff, too: this tweet, with a clip from … Continue reading New this week in ’69: July 19
New this week in ’69: June 7
(Above: The Echo satellite, obviously pre-destruction.) June 7, 1969 In the news: the Echo communications satellite burns up in re-entry. It had been in orbit for five years. That same day Blind Faith make their debut in Hyde Park before a crowd estimated to be over a hundred thousand people. June 7 is also the … Continue reading New this week in ’69: June 7
A Mother’s Day Jukebox (various)
(Flashback to Mom showing me how the record player worked.) It's Mother's Day in the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, India - in other words, most of the places where this blog gets read. I thought it might be fun to craft a playlist for Moms, Moms-to-be, people who … Continue reading A Mother’s Day Jukebox (various)
New this week in ’69: May 3
May 3, 1969 It's the day after the Queen Elizabeth II made its maiden voyage, setting sail from Southampton with something new for navigation: a system that uses Navy satellites called a "global positioning system." It can pinpoint the location of the boat within 100 feet. Several musical birthdays are celebrated this week: Frankie Valli … Continue reading New this week in ’69: May 3
New this week in ’69: April 26
April 26, 1969 It's the day after the birth of actress Renee Zellweger, who turned fifty yesterday. It's also the day that Manchester City win the FA Cup. (To this point, Coventry City have never won the FA Cup. They'll ruin a perfectly good losing streak in 1987.) Sunday, April 27th sees the birth of … Continue reading New this week in ’69: April 26
New this week in ’69: April 19
April 19, 1969 It's the day after we first see a controversial innovation that has pitted brother against brother and father against son. I'm talking about baseball's designated hitter rule, which is first used in the AAA-level American Association on April 18. Technically, the hitters that day that played the role were DPHs - "designated … Continue reading New this week in ’69: April 19
New this week in ’69: March 8
(Above: Book 'em, Dano. That's a 1969 Ford Custom used as a squad car in Hawaii Five-O.) March 8, 1969 Fifty years ago this week you might have been reading the Playboy interview with Marshall McLuhan, he of "the medium is the message." If you are interested in communication studies and have never read the … Continue reading New this week in ’69: March 8
