Ken Nordine passed away today at the age of 98. You may not know Ken's name, but you know his voice. Nordine has done more than a small amount of voiceover work, including this legendary Levi's ad that might just make you OK with plaid pants. But Nordine is best known for Word Jazz, a … Continue reading Rest in peace, Ken Nordine: Colors (1966)
1960s
Soul sounds: WGES-AM/Chicago Top 30 Tunes, February 1, 1962
(Above: The back of the WGES survey, complete with on-air lineup.) One of the great tragedies of history occurs any time we lose something we can't get back. Along the way to doing the research for my dissertation, I learned quickly that the efforts made to preserve popular culture aren't equal, and there's no better … Continue reading Soul sounds: WGES-AM/Chicago Top 30 Tunes, February 1, 1962
Rest in peace, Michel Legrand: Noel Harrison, “The Windmills Of Your Mind” (1968)
Michel Legrand passed away in Paris yesterday at the age of 86. Here's where it's tempting to say "Where do I know that name from?" It could be from the three Oscars that he one: one for Yentl, one for Summer of '42, and one for The Thomas Crown Affair (the subject of this post). … Continue reading Rest in peace, Michel Legrand: Noel Harrison, “The Windmills Of Your Mind” (1968)
New this week in ’69: January 18
(Above: It was a busy week in Washington.) January 18, 1969 The number 1 song in the country remains "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Born on that day: Wrestler/MMA fighter Dave Bautista. The next day, football star Junior Seau would be born. The following Monday, the 20th, Richard M. Nixon will … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 18
New this week in ’69: January 11
(Above: Joe South tended to travel in triplicate.) There was positive response to the first installment in the "New this week in '69" series that started last week, so we'll continue. This is a weekly look at the new songs added to the Billboard Hot 100 exactly fifty years ago. A point of reference: a … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 11
Fifty years ago in GR: WGRD’s Hot 30 in the Furniture City, January 8, 1969
(Above: The good folks at Woolworth's shouldn't have stamped across Mr. Merchant's picture like that....) January 8, 1969 was a Wednesday. In Chicago, Robert Sylvester Kelly was born; he would go on to have a starried if not controversial career as an R&B singer without his middle name and only an initial. In Miami, New … Continue reading Fifty years ago in GR: WGRD’s Hot 30 in the Furniture City, January 8, 1969
New this week in ’69: January 4
A lot of things will be turning 50 in 2019: the moon landing, the start of the Nixon presidency, the Chicago Cubs almost winning the pennant, the author of this blog... you get the idea. 1969 often gets overlooked in the retrospectives largely because of 1968 and the impact that that year had on American … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 4
Rest in peace, Galt McDermot: Oliver, “Good Morning Starshine” (1969)
(Above: My parents had the LP. I have the 8-track.) Composer Galt McDermot passed away today, one day short of his 90th birthday. McDermot was responsible for setting the words of James Radio and Gerome Ragni to music for inclusion in a stage show the two had written - Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock … Continue reading Rest in peace, Galt McDermot: Oliver, “Good Morning Starshine” (1969)
Rest in peace, Joe Osborn: The Association, “Windy” (1967)
(Above: Trust me, you have heard this man at work.) In many walks of life there are those that receive the credit, the adulation, and the recognition while a lot of the actual heavy lifting is done by others. Rock and roll is no exception. Yesterday I got word that bass player Joe Osborn passed … Continue reading Rest in peace, Joe Osborn: The Association, “Windy” (1967)
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)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 