(Above: Do not stare directly at this album cover.) March 15, 1969 In the news today: there's a lot of war. President Nixon extends the Vietnam bombing zone into Cambodia, and the bombs begin falling Tuesday. It's a secret mission that the press doesn't find out about until three months later. Meanwhile the Soviet Union … Continue reading New this week in ’69: March 15
television
Rest in peace, Hal Blaine: The Ronettes, “Be My Baby” (1963)
Word circulated Monday that the greatest rock and roll drummer who ever lived passed away. Hal Blaine was 90. That sentence, in some circles, may start an argument. Except that it's hard to argue just how important Hal Blaine was to rock and roll. There are estimates suggesting that he played on up to thirty … Continue reading Rest in peace, Hal Blaine: The Ronettes, “Be My Baby” (1963)
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
Rest in peace, Peter Tork: The Monkees, “Words” (1968)
Peter Tork, best known for his work in the Monkees, has passed away at the age of 77. Tork had been diagnosed with cancer about ten years ago, and had beaten it for a long time, but succumbed to the disease yesterday. I'm reluctant to say "ex-Monkee Peter Tork" in a piece like this. For … Continue reading Rest in peace, Peter Tork: The Monkees, “Words” (1968)
Pop perfection: Andrew Gold, “Lonely Boy” (1977)
(Above: It's an album AND it's a game.) At one point this afternoon I suffered from the earworm that wouldn't quit. I got the first verse of Andrew Gold's "Lonely Boy" - which I have not heard in years - stuck in my head. As you know, the only way to deal with these ailments … Continue reading Pop perfection: Andrew Gold, “Lonely Boy” (1977)
New this week in ’69: February 1
(Above: Tommy James and a blogger, March 2009.) Continuing on with our series - it's a new month, and there's new songs to write about that are turning 50. February 1, 1969 On this date President Nixon starts meeting with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to plan talks with China. Andrew Brietbart, who founds the … Continue reading New this week in ’69: February 1
Fast away the old year passes: Barry Manilow, “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” (1977)
(Feel free to add your own caption.) A few random thoughts as we close out 2018: The year-end retrospectives have begun from mass media, and social media is no different. My various feeds are inundated with looks-back, best-ofs, and various videos. I'm not sharing any of them. Here's why: -I'm afraid that my Instagram "top … Continue reading Fast away the old year passes: Barry Manilow, “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” (1977)
40 Christmases ago in Chicago: The WLS Top Forty-Fives, December 23, 1978
(Above: Clearly, someone was keeping score at home.) Christmas 1978 would have placed me in the fifth grade at Helen Keller Elementary School in Tinley Park, Illinois. The upcoming year would see me start to pretend that I was on a radio station for a class assignment; this career aptitude (or ineptitude) would not be … Continue reading 40 Christmases ago in Chicago: The WLS Top Forty-Fives, December 23, 1978
Elvis comes back: “If I Can Dream” (1968)
The most-watched television show of the 1968-1969 television season aired fifty years ago tonight. Singer Presents... Elvis was assembled from performance footage that had been taped earlier that summer, edited down to a 50-minute special, and aired on NBC. It gathered 42 per cent of the television audience on December 3, 1968. Perhaps more importantly, … Continue reading Elvis comes back: “If I Can Dream” (1968)
Bedrock and roll: The Beau Brummels, “Laugh Laugh” (1965)
(Above: Hitting the prehistoric big time.) Back in the day when we had a broadcasting major at GVSU, we had a course called "Life on Television." (Remind me to bring one or both of those things back one of these days.) In the end days of the course, I evolved it into a television history … Continue reading Bedrock and roll: The Beau Brummels, “Laugh Laugh” (1965)
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