(Above: The Rhino re-release had a picture sleeve. I don't think the original did.) Early summer of 1981 wasn't a whole lot of fun for me. I was in-between seventh and eighth grades, and - I keep threatening to write about this - junior high school was probably my least favorite time in life. Major … Continue reading Great lost hit: Billy and the Beaters, “I Can Take Care Of Myself” (1981)
television
Rest in peace, David Cassidy: The Partridge Family, “Doesn’t Somebody Want to Be Wanted” (1971)
(Above: The 45 picture sleeve, which - depending on your preference - you saved either for David Cassidy or Susan Dey.) The news of the passing of David Cassidy this week at the age of 67 wasn't entirely a surprise. Earlier this year, he had shared that he was suffering from dementia, and earlier this … Continue reading Rest in peace, David Cassidy: The Partridge Family, “Doesn’t Somebody Want to Be Wanted” (1971)
Why TV Variety Shows Died: Pink Lady, “Kiss In the Dark” (1979)
(Above: Mie and Kei with Jeff Altman in the hot tub.) A lot of the television that I remember from the 1970s included something you just don't see anymore: the variety show. The show format had a long, successful history. Mentioning the names of some of the hosts bring back pleasant memories of the family … Continue reading Why TV Variety Shows Died: Pink Lady, “Kiss In the Dark” (1979)
Rest in peace, Chuck Barris – songwriter: Freddy Cannon, “Palisades Park” (1962)
(Above: A dangerous mind, indeed.) At some point today you saw the news that television producer and reluctant game show host Chuck Barris passed away at the age of 87. Most of the accolades and memories center around one of Barris' most famous creations: either "The Gong Show," which I loved, or "The Dating Game," … Continue reading Rest in peace, Chuck Barris – songwriter: Freddy Cannon, “Palisades Park” (1962)
12+ Blogs of Christmas: The Les Tucker Singers*, “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe” (1951)
(Above: It's not Christmas without these puppets.) You can take the boy out of Chicago, but you can't take Chicago out of the boy. Get in a discussion with anyone of a certain age about growing up in Chicago, and the discussion inevitably turns to local television, especially for kids. It's amazed me how many … Continue reading 12+ Blogs of Christmas: The Les Tucker Singers*, “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe” (1951)
Self-help music: Will Powers, “Adventures in Success” (1983)
(Above: What a Friday night at home looked like, 1984.) If you lived in a place without cable television in the early 80s, you weren't a part of the revolution that MTV was bringing to music distribution, at least not directly. The success of music video led other networks and even local stations to offer … Continue reading Self-help music: Will Powers, “Adventures in Success” (1983)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 