(Above: Demonstration in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1967. Photo credit: WOOD-TV) (Above: Demonstration in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2020. Photo credit: John Rothwell) I missed being alive in 1968 by about a year or so. That's not to say that I haven't studied it extensively. One doesn't teach media history to college students and not spend time … Continue reading The more things change: Spanky and Our Gang, “Give A Damn” (1968)
1960s
Rest in peace, Millie Small: “My Boy Lollipop” (1964)
(Millie poses with her LP. Credit: Getty Images) Millie Small, known as the "Blue Beat Girl," passed away on May 5 at the age of 73 due to complications from a stroke. A native of Jamaica, Small had been living in England since 1973. Small was first discovered in a talent contest in Jamaica at … Continue reading Rest in peace, Millie Small: “My Boy Lollipop” (1964)
Rest in peace, Pops Chambers: The Chambers Brothers, “Time Has Come Today” (1968)
Word circulated this morning that George "Pops" Chambers has passed away at the age of 88. The Chambers Brothers - Lester, Joe, Willie, and George - started performing in the late 1950s. They found their niche with "psychedelic soul," putting a rock spin on soul classics like Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and … Continue reading Rest in peace, Pops Chambers: The Chambers Brothers, “Time Has Come Today” (1968)
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)
Who Did It First? The Easybeats, “Good Times” (1968)
(Above: Add this to your list of all-time "side one, track ones.") Very early in my college radio career - like on my first show - I had a habit of keeping some songs close by so as to sneak them in if time allowed. They fell under "personal preference;" the show was mostly for … Continue reading Who Did It First? The Easybeats, “Good Times” (1968)
Rest in peace, Roky Erickson: The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966)
Word circulated late Friday night that Roky Erickson, founding member of the Austin, Texas-based psychedelic band The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, passed away at the age of 71. Erickson started the band in high school in Austin in 1965. He dropped out a month before graduation in an argument over the school's dress code regarding hair. … Continue reading Rest in peace, Roky Erickson: The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966)
Rest in peace, Charles Barksdale: The Dells, “There Is” (1968)
Word circulates this morning that Charles Barksdale, the bass voice for R&B group The Dells, passed away at the age of 84. The Dells hailed from Harvey, Illinois, in the south suburbs of Chicago. (If the town of Harvey sounds familiar to you, it's because it was, for many years, the home of the Dixie … Continue reading Rest in peace, Charles Barksdale: The Dells, “There Is” (1968)
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)
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)
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)
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