Culture – Page 3 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Poseidon Adventure

I watched this around 5 months ago for the first time in about 10 years. Altogether, I’ve seen it around 7 to 8 times. I added another watch since I wanted to post this. Disaster movies are hardly ever on “great” lists, but this is a disaster movie done right. Watching it in hindsight, you wouldn’t think a movie full of stars would be this good. Many times, if you see a lot of stars advertised, they are mostly cameos, but this is not the case with this movie.

I have a weak spot for this kind of movie. Horror and Disaster movies I fall for right away, and yes, I’ve seen a lot of bad movies that way. This one, though, has some smarts to it, and it is enjoyable. The set for this movie must have been super expensive and huge. It’s one of those films that has everything. Gripping adventure scenes, non-stop crises, drama, sadness, and hotpants. I was around 7 (1974) when I saw it on television, and I loved it. It’s a film that offers something for both kids and adults. As I’ve said before, I dislike the word dated, but aside from the clothing styles, it still holds up today. Plus, the special effects have a realism that I prefer over CGI; they just feel more authentic.

It has earned a reputation as the best disaster film of the seventies, not just for its impressive special effects but for its compelling story of survival. The film follows a select group of people fighting to stay alive, and despite some being a bit annoying, you find yourself rooting for them. If you love star power, this movie delivers, featuring Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, Roddy McDowall, Leslie Nielsen, and more.

The acting was very good in this, as expected with their talent level. The film was based on Paul Gallico’s 1969 novel of the same name. It follows the journey of passengers and crew trying to escape a capsized luxury ocean liner. The budget was 4.7 million, a great amount back in 1972. It made over 125 million, so it did well. If I had to pick the two stars that had the biggest impact in this movie, it would be Gene Hackman and Ernest Borginine. They developed a rivalry in this movie, and it worked well for the survivors. Shelly Winters also did a good job, along with everyone else. She gained 35 pounds for the part of Belle Rosen. Afterward, she complained that she was never able to get back to her original weight. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The movie was directed by Ronald Neame. Also, don’t get this one confused with its “sequel” in 1979. That one wasn’t anywhere close to this one.

PLOT

As the Poseidon sails on its final voyage before being retired, a festive New Year’s Eve party is underway. Meanwhile, the ship’s captain reluctantly follows orders from the ship’s owner to maintain high speed despite rough waters. Disaster strikes when a massive tsunami wave hits, flipping the ship upside down.

In the aftermath, a small group of survivors, led by the determined and strong-willed Reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), must navigate their way upward toward the ship’s hull, which is now their only possible escape route.

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Clara Bow… The Only IT Girl

My favorite eras in the 20th century have always been the 1960s, 1970, and the 1920s. I was looking through some books in the early 90s inside a long-forgotten bookstore, and a picture of an actress caught my eye. There was something about Clara Bow that grabbed my attention. I had read about her in a terrible slanderous trashy book called Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger. I was compelled to get this new book just by her stare from the cover. This book was written by David Stennand is called Clara Bow”Runnin’ Wild... I finished it in one night when I went to sleep at 5am. The book impressed me so much that a few years later, I tracked down David’s phone number (again pre internet) and I called Mr. Stenn just to tell him how much I loved the book. He graciously sent me an autographed copy of the book to replace my worn-out (loaned out again and again) copy to my friends.

Unlike Anger’s book of sensational garbage, David Stenn had facts about Clara, which have been proven wrong. Reading this book introduced me to the world of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. From there, my interest in silent movies grew. I always thought all silent movies were grainy, unwatchable films where all the actors were on speed. I soon was educated that most of those movies were played on the wrong projector at different speeds, and that is the reason for the sped-up action. The quality of many of those movies from the 20s is better quality than movies made in the 60s-80s when mastered right. Stunts were not faked, and CGI didn’t exist. Everything is real.

Clara had a terrible childhood where her mother was mentally ill and tried to kill her. Her father sexually abused her on top of everything else. Clara could cry on cue when she was an actress. The reason she was able to do this is because of something that happened to her in her childhood. She lived in Brooklyn, and their apartment complex caught on fire. She had a childhood friend named Johnny. Clara was looking for Johnny when the fire was raging and found him. The little boy was on fire, and she tried to put out the fire from his clothes and hair. He ended up dying in her arms. That is what she thought of, and the tears would come.

In her movies, she sold the tickets. Paramount built movies off of her name and didn’t always give the best scripts, but she was electric on film. Your eyes will automatically go to her. She could convey more in one look than actresses today can say in 10 minutes. She was never appreciated as she should have been, and that is sad. She was never accepted by her peers and never invited to Hollywood parties because she was straightforward and said what was on her mind. Other actresses thought that was crude and stayed away from her. She was great with fans, but stardom took its toll on her. She ended up marrying a Western actor named Rex Bell and went into seclusion.

She did some “talkies,” and they are enjoyable, but nothing beats her silent movies like IT (no Pennywise) and Wings (the first film to win an Oscar). Call Her Savage was her best talkie film. Check her out when you can… She is worth it. I didn’t know a thing about silent movies until I read Stenn’s book. It’s worth a read if you are a fan or not. Some other stars would not hang out with her because she was a straight talker. If she felt something, she would say it.

Actress Lina Basquette said, “She wasn’t well liked amongst other women in the film colony. Her social presence was taboo, and it was rather silly because God knows Marion Davies and Mary Pickford had plenty to hide. It’s just that they hid it, and Clara didn’t.” Bow knew the truth. “I’m a curiosity in Hollywood,” she said. “I’m a big freak because I’m myself!”

Stenn finally set the record straight with Clara.

Band – The Band… album review

In Turntable Talk Dave said: This time around, we’re going Sans Sophomore Slump. We all remember the triumphant debuts to the scene by The Knack, Meat Loaf, the Ramones…but how many recall, let alone listen to ‘But the Little Girls Understand’, ‘Dead Ringer’s or ‘Leave Home’… the follow-ups for them? In other words a great 2nd album by any artist. Many times, that 2nd album is rushed, or the artist used all of their songs for the first album. The example I use is The Knack. It was a great fun first album and a bad second.

Thank you, Dave, for including me in this so I can talk about this great album. There were a few that came to mind while doing this. The Who’s A Quick One, Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, Carole King Tapestry, and many more but I decided on this great Americana band that was actually most Canadian. The album is called The Band, and its nickname is The Brown Album. Their first album was Music From Big Pin,k and it was released in 1968. This album was released in 1969.

They recorded this album not in a recording studio but at Sammy Davis’s house in California. They remodeled the adjacent pool house into a recording studio. The Band fashioned a makeshift workshop environment similar to the one at their former home, Big Pink. The album peaked at #2 in Canada, #9 on the Billboard 100, and #25 in the UK.

The album is said to be a concept album about a past America. It’s an album that every rock fan should own. While even novice fans of the group likely know classics like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creak,” the record is an amazing listening experience from beginning to end. Robbie Robertson’s lyrics weave fluidly from one song to the next, while the musical accompaniment never disappoints.

Robertson wasn’t just a songwriter. He was more of a director and screenwriter, tailoring roles that played to the strengths of his three leading men. He did have 3 lead singers to work with who could have fronted 3 other bands. They knew each other so well that he could pick who sang what and when. His songwriting process had more in common with films than rock songs. Robertson would go to flea markets and antique stores to purchase screenplays. That’s how he wrote songs…like it was a screenplay.

The man not only was a great storyteller, but many of his songs were mini-movies you could visualize. Who couldn’t imagine the drunkard and his sweetheart defender Bessie betting on horses up on Cripple Creek? Those are not just songs; they are visual pictures sent through music that only Robertson could write. We continue to benefit from his hard work and gift…and always will.

Manuel was the most versatile singer in the Band. He was called the lead singer if someone asked. Manuel took the lead vocals on Across The Great Divide, Rockin’ Chair, and Jawbone, and shared it in King Harvest. Of all the singers, Manuel is overlooked more than the other two. It’s probably because he wasn’t singing lead on the huge “hits” such as The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek, and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. He does sing on one of my favorite Band songs ever…King Harvest (Has Surely Come). I didn’t realize how great a voice he had until I heard him sing Georgia On My Mind.

Levon had that great southern voice that was earthy and soulful. Robertson knew just when to use Levon, and he did strengthen Robertson’s songs. Rick Danko had the most vulnerable voice of all three. I never quite heard a voice like his before or since. The amount of talent they had was staggering. I’m talking about voices here, but I haven’t even mentioned the musical skills of these guys. Garth Hudson, who recently passed, played keyboards like NO other. I mean no other. He made a massive wall of sound in the background that identified them from other bands. His approach to his sound was so unique that it’s not copied much because it has to be in the right musical surroundings. Robertson has said that there was no one like him period.

This album contains some of their best-known and best tracks. Let’s look at some of the tracks. Now, is this as good as Music from Big Pink? I think so and in some ways, I like it more. I think it was their best album when all is said and done. I could yack and yack more…but just listen to the album!

Across The Great Divide, Rag Mama Rag, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Up On Cripple Creek, Whispering Pines, King Harvest (Has Surely Come), When You Are Awake, Jemima Surrender, Rockin’ Chair, Look Out Cleveland, Jawbone, and The Unfaithful Servant.

What a tracklist that is.

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Al Green – Tired of Being Alone

If I had to give a definition for soul music…I would play this song. Something about Al Green’s voice that is so soothing and exciting at the same time. Green originally wrote the song in 1968 and recorded a version while signed to Hi Records. However, the song was initially not released. Green said: “I was toting my song around in my pocket for days on end, saying, ‘Hey, I got a song.’ Finally, at the end of the session, I said, ‘Well, I still got a song.'”

This song was released in 1971 as the first single from his album Al Green Gets Next to You. It was written by Al Green himself, along with Al Jackson Jr. (the drummer for his band, the Hi Rhythm Section). The song became a huge hit and is considered a classic. It has a blend of soul, gospel, and R&B, which did him well in his career.

This song never gets old, and listening to Al’s voice certainly never gets old. This song peaked at #11 on the Billboard 100 and #36 in Canada. Al Green has had twenty songs in the Billboard top 100, eight top 10 songs, and a #1 with Let’s Stay Together. This song was a turning point in his career. This was his first top-twenty hit. Al Green Gets Next to You peaked at #58 on the Billboard Album Charts.

During a 1979 concert in Cincinnati, he fell 12 feet off a stage and barely missed being seriously injured. Already a Christian, preaching in front of his Memphis congregation most every Sunday morning, Green thanked Jesus and walked away from performing, vowing never to return. “The fall was God’s way of saying I had to hurry up,” Green said a decade ago, smack in the middle of The Gospel Years. “I wasn’t moving toward God fast enough.” He has rarely performed live since then outside of his Church.

Al Green is currently the Pastor at Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Memphis TN.

Tired of Being Alone

I’m so tired of being alone,
I’m so tired of on my own,
Won’t you help me, girl,
Just as soon as you can.
People say that I’ve found a way,
To make you say,
That you love me.
But baby,
You didn’t go for that,
Ha, it’s a natural fact,
That I want to come back,
Show me where it’s at, baby.

I’m so tired of being alone,
I’m so tired of on my own,
Won’t you help me, girl,
Soon as you can.
I guess you know that I, uh,
I love you so,
Even though,
You don’t want me no more,
Hey, hey, hey, hey I’m cryin’ tears,
Through the years,
I tell you like it is,
Honey, love me if you can.

Ya baby,
Tired of being alone here by myself, now
I tell ya, I’m tired baby,
I’m tired of being all wrapped up late at night,
In my dreams, nobody but you, baby.
Sometimes I wonder,
If you love me like you say you do,
You see baby, I, I, I, I’ve been thinking about you,
I’ve been wanting to get next to you, baby,
Sometimes I hold my arms and I say,
Oh baby, yeah, needing you has proven to me,
To be my greatest dream, yeah

Awh!

I’m so tired of being alone,
I’m so tired of on my own,
Sometimes late at night I get to wonderin’ about you baby,
Baby, baby, ya ya, baby you’re my heart’s desire

Animals – It’s My Life

The Animals were one of the many British bands I learned through reading about the Beatles. A friend had House of the Rising Sun and I was mesmerized by the lead singer’s voice. Eric Burdon’s voice was huge and commanding. The Animals may have had the hardest edge of any of the British Invasion bands with the exception of the lesser-known Them with Van Morrison.

This song was written by Carl D’Errico and Roger Atkins specifically for The Animals. Eric Burdon didn’t like the song at all but changed a few words and he recorded it. This song starts off with Chad Chandler’s bass line and it sets the tone for the rest of the song. Eric Burdon sounds tough, determined, and cocky through the verses. The song peaked at #23 on the Billboard 100, #7 in the UK, and #2 in Canada in 1965.

They formed in 1963, from the fusion between two rival bands, one headed by bassist Chas Chandler, the other headed by organist Alan Price, stage veteran, former jazz pianist, and disciple of Ray Charles. Eric Burdon, who had played with Price until 1962, was hired as the singer. The Kontours changed their name first to The Alan Price Combo, after adding drummer John Steel, and then to The Animals, after adding guitarist Hilton Valentine.

The original lineup only recorded three albums, yet nevertheless broke out eight Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1966. Alan Price left in 1965, and John Steel the following year. Also in 1966, Chandler left to start managing artists, and he discovered Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village. Now a very different group, they were known as Eric Burdon & The Animals and had six additional Top 40 hits before finally disbanding in 1968.

It’s My Life

It’s a hard world to get a break in
All the good things have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I’m dressed in these rags, I’ll wear sable some day

Hear what I say
I’m gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin’ rent
Hear my command
I’m breakin’ loose, it ain’t no use
Holdin’ me down, stick around

But baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine

There’ll be women and their fortunes
Who just want to mother orphans
Are you gonna cry, when I’m squeezin’ the rye
Takin’ all I can get, no regrets
When I, openly lie
And leave only money
Believe me honey, that money
Can you believe, I ain’t no saint
No complaints
So girl go out
Hand it out

And baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine

(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) Don’t push me
(It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want) It’s my life
(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) And I can do what I want
(It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want) You can’t tell me
(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) I’ll do what I want

He Likes It! Hey Mikey!

Hello everyone!

I ordinarily don’t like commercials. I do like it when they try to be at least entertaining… This commercial has stayed in pop culture for over 50 years now. The commercial was created by the Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) advertising agency. This Life cereal commercial appeared in 1972 and ran until 1984. It was one of the longest-running commercials in history.

I grew up watching Mikey’s brothers trying to get their brother who hates everything to eat the supposedly healthy Life Cereal. The phrase “Hey Mikey!” entered pop culture as a phrase used for unexpected approval of something.

Mikey was portrayed by John Gilchrist, and he is alive now and doing fine despite the urban legend that he died. A false rumor spread in the 1980s that John Gilchrist (Mikey) had died from eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda. This was completely untrue. He was alive and well.

Yes, word got around that the kid who played Mikey bought the farm by eating “pop rocks” and drinking soda. His stomach then exploded because of the lethal combination. A friend of his family actually called his mother in tears, saying she was so sorry about the loss of her son…when in reality he just got home from school.

What is interesting about the commercial is that the two kids playing his brothers are John Gilchrist’s brothers in real life.

John today is Director of Media Sales at MSG Network and is living a happy life with his wife and kids…and yes he still enjoys Life Cereal.

D.B. Cooper case solved?

Hello everyone… I’ve missed talking to everyone and I wanted to get this posted before the weekend. I’ll see you tomorrow!

There are mysteries that we all have read about that were never solved. A few were D.B. Cooper, Jimmy Hoffa, and Amelia Earhart. Personally, I had my doubts about anyone solving them. D.B. Cooper was the alias of an unidentified man who, on November 24, 1971, hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft (Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305), extorted $200,000 in ransom, and parachuted out of the plane—disappearing without a trace. It remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in U.S. history. Is this certain that they found the right person? No, but it is sure looking that way.

This is a brief summary of the original hijacking. Shortly after takeoff, at around 3:00 PM, Cooper handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner, who initially ignored it, thinking it was a phone number. He noticed that and whispered: “Miss, you’d better look at that note. I have a bomb.” He demanded 200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and a fuel truck ready at Seattle-Tacoma Airport for refueling. The flight attendant asked to see the bomb, and Cooper opened his briefcase, revealing what appeared to be red cylinders with wires and batteries.

The airline told the FBI what was going on and they met his demands. The FBI got together the money and they recorded the serial numbers so they could track him down. The plane landed in Seattle and he demanded that they go to Mexico City. He told them to fly at a low altitude (10,000 feet) and a slow speed of 200 mph. Cooper knew the Boeing 727 had an aft stairway that could be lowered mid-flight. He knew how to control altitude and speed to make a parachute jump survivable. At 8:13 PM, over southwestern Washington, somewhere near Ariel, Washington, and the Lewis River, the crew noticed a sudden pressure change…Cooper had lowered the rear stairway and jumped out into the night. That was the last known sighting of Mr Cooper. The plane landed in Reno, Nevada and the investigation started.

Through the years, money was found in a creek bed near where he jumped and he left a tie on the airplane. It wasn’t much to go on. There were suspects and one of them was Richard Floyd McCoy and four others but nothing could be proved…until an amateur YouTube documentary maker named Dan Gryder found something. He made a documentary after years of researching and actually traveling to sites. He heard from Chanté and Rick McCoy III and they claim their father, Richard McCoy Jr., was D.B. Cooper.

They had a very unique parachute in their mom’s old things and it matched the one that was given to D.B. Cooper. Gryder said: That rig is literally one in a billion. The FBI marked Richard McCoy Jr. off the list back in the seventies. What took his kids so long to say something? The brother and sister said they waited until their mother died in 2020 to come forward, fearing she could be implicated as the parachute that allegedly belonged to Cooper was found in her storage area outside their house.

The FBI didn’t believe it until they got in touch with Gryder and he took them to the sibling’s parachute AND deteriorated money…some with the serials intact. Although it’s not official… the agents have said they are certain that McCoy was D.B. Cooper. I don’t know why it took them so long. He did the SAME thing the next year (1972) to a different airline. McCoy hijacked a United Airlines passenger jet for ransom in April 1972 and again asked for parachutes. To be fair though…the FBI thought it was a copycat at the time. From the New York Post: Gryder claimed the parachute at the McCoys’ home matched the modified parachute prepared by veteran skydiver Earl Cossey for police as part of Cooper’s demands before he disappeared somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada. DB Cooper sleuths have raised the possibility that Richard Jr. was the fugitive for years given his own criminal past.

Richard McCoy Jr. was arrested for the hijacking of American Airlines a few days after it happened. They found him with a duffel bag full of money from the hijacking. He received a 45-year sentence but he escaped from prison in 1974 along with other prisoners in a garbage truck. Three months later he was found in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He went inside his home and was greeted by the FBI and he shot at them and was killed in the shootout.

He had the experience because he served two terms in the Army and then another one where he went to Vietnam. He was awarded an Army Commendation Medal and The Distinguished Flying Cross and he also served as a warrant officer in the Utah National Guard…and he did a lot of skydiving.

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The Paisley Underground Music Scene

I contributed this to Dave’s Turntable Talk series. He wanted us to write about a musical scene. I picked The Paisley Underground Music scene.

I first picked the 80s Minnesota scene that produced bands like The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, The Suburbs, and Soul Asylum. It’s no secret that The Replacements are my favorite 1980s band but I’ve always been interested in the Paisley Music Underground Scene from Los Angeles that had some great music. Instead of listening to Thriller or Purple Rain…you would hear these artists that sounded like the 1960s bands that I always preferred. It was the same as REM when they began with their jangling guitars. “Paisley Underground” was a moniker that helped music journalists describe their sound, which didn’t fit the New Wave or Rock.

I didn’t find out about this music scene until around 2020 or so. I was looking at a CD set called Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976–1995. The first version of Nuggets covers mostly the 1960s and Graham from Aphoristical Album Reviews is going through each song and he probably introduced the album to me.

I looked up the history of a band named Green On Red and found out they were part of this scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s. I wish I had known about it in real time because I would have been listening. The scene started in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, the music was a blend of psychedelic rock, folk-rock, and garage-rock influences from the 1960s, mixed with a little punk. The scene’s name reflected its retro-psychedelic sound, with “paisley” referencing the design patterns often associated with 60s fashion.

This scene was full of talent with bands like Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, The Long Ryders, Mazzy Star, The Creeps, True West, Game Theory, and others. The Bangles were undoubtedly the most successful band to come out of that group of bands. That really surprised me because there were some very talented bands in this.

The most known band to come out of it was The Bangles. You hear 1960s artists’ influence like The Byrds, Love, The Velvet Underground, and The Zombies. Many of the bands would contribute to each other’s albums and sometimes form sidebands out of two or three bands.

All in all…the scene lasted until around 1990. Many of the bands started to break up around that time…even the Bangles. If you like 1960s music…look up some of the bands that I mentioned. I only wish some mainstream stations would have taken a chance and played them more. Many of them would have fit in the mid to late 1960s to early seventies.

The beauty of this music was that it was not a retro-forced sound…it sounded totally organic.

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Lite-Brite

One of my favorite toys growing up. To this day I like collecting vintage lighting fixtures like soft drink clocks or signs probably because of this toy. They came with designs that you could use to create different cartoons and clowns but I never used those. I liked to create my own masterpieces.

This toy allowed you to be creative in a very different way. It brought out the artistic side in you. You could design different things and it would light up your room in the dark with colors. Lite-Brite was invented by Joseph M. Burck, a senior designer at Chicago toy and game design company Marvin Glass and Associates. The company licensed Lite-Brite to Hasbro, which officially launched it in 1967. It became a staple toy in the 1970s.

Of course…when I got older I would make crude messages on the Lite Brite for friends. Lite-Brite is recognized as one of the greatest toys of all time by the Toy Hall of Fame. It has become part of our pop culture.

Lite Brite commercial from the 1970s. Did you have one growing up?

Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi

I heard this song the other day, and I thought to myself, “I would LOVE to post about it, but I probably already have.” I checked, and to my surprise, I had never posted it before. This is one of the first songs I remember from my youth. I was three years old when it was released but I remember it through the seventies.

She wrote “Big Yellow Taxi” in 1970, inspired by her first trip to Hawaii. When she woke up in her hotel room she was struck by the contrast between the mountains in the distance and the large parking lot below her window. The difference between natural beauty and urban development influenced the song’s opening line, “They paved paradise to put up a parking lot.” Mitchell said: I wrote ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart […] this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.

This is probably one of the best environmental songs out there. There are a few good ones like Rocky Mountain High, Mother Nature’s Son, Going Up Country, Beds Are Burning, Fall On Me, and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s All I Can Do Is Write About It.

The song appeared on her album Ladies of the Canyon released in 1970. The album’s title references Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, a hub for musicians and artists during the 1960s, where Mitchell resided at 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue. Her home became a gathering place for notable musicians, including David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and future boyfriend Graham Nash. Laurel Canyon had a vast array of talent with CSN, James Taylor, Canned Heat, The Doors, Eagles, Linda Rondstadt, and more. My friend Dave wrote a great article about that music scene that happened in the late sixties and early seventies.

The song peaked at #67 (I checked that twice!) on the Billboard 100, #15 in Canada, and #11 in the UK. I would have bet the farm that it peaked higher than 67 here. There is a “but” to this song though…a live version came out in 1974 and that one did better. It peaked at #24 on the Billboard 100. Sometimes though it doesn’t matter where it charts. Some songs become ingrained into pop culture. Songs like In My Life by the Beatles never was released as a single and many artists have songs we all know and love that didn’t chart high or at all. And some charting songs are never remembered anymore.

Her guitar playing is unusual, to say the least. She doesn’t use traditional chords as much as other players. She makes up different tunings in open chords. That is why when you see her play, most of the time she is using a finger to bar all of the strings. I would hate to be her guitar tech. I can’t imagine how many guitars she takes on tour with her. I used an open G chord while playing Rolling Stones songs so I would take another guitar already tuned in G so I wouldn’t have to retune my guitar in many songs.

Big Yellow Taxi

They paved paradise, put up a parking lotWith a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin’ hot spot

Don’t it always seem to goThat you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s goneThey paved paradise, put up a parking lot(Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop, ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)

They took all the trees put ’em in a tree museumAnd they charged the people a dollar an’ a half just to see ’em

Don’t it always seem to goThat you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s goneThey paved paradise, put up a parking lot(Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop, ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)

Hey farmer, farmer put away that DDT nowGive me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the beesPlease

Don’t it always seem to goThat you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s goneThey paved paradise, put up a parking lot(Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop, ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)

Late last night I heard the screen door slamAnd a big yellow taxi took away my old man

Don’t it always seem to goThat you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s goneThey paved paradise, put up a parking lot (ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)

I said don’t it always seem to goThat you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s goneThey paved paradise, put up a parking lot (ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)They paved paradise, put up a parking lot (ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)They paved paradisePut up a parking lot

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Big Joe Turner – Flip Flop and Fly

A lot of 1950s songs still get played today and we remember them but this one doesn’t get the attention although Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnnie Ray, Blues Brothers, Van Morrison, and Bill Haley covered it as well. It’s hard to beat something this simple…it just works. You don’t need a think tank… it’s just a fun song.

Big Joe Turner (Joseph Vernon “Big Joe” Turner Jr. ) grew up in Kansas City, a major hub for jazz and blues in the early 20th century. His father passed away when he was young, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings. Turner never formally learned to play an instrument, but he developed his booming, unmistakable voice by singing in church and later performing on street corners.

He was thriving in the Kansas City Blues Scene. He left school at age 14 (1925) to work in those Kansas Blues Clubs in the 20s and 30s. He would cook or perform as a singing waiter. In 1936 he moved to New York City.

Signed with Atlantic Records in the 1950s and had a string of rhythm & blues hits. His upbeat jump blues style helped transition R&B into early rock & roll. He wrote and recorded songs like Shake, Rattle and Roll (1954)… One of the first songs that bridged blues and rock & roll. It was later covered by Bill Haley & Elvis Presley. Probably one of the most important songs in Rock and Roll history.

His success proved that older blues artists could thrive in the rock & roll era. This song was released in 1955 and has been covered 91 times.

Flip Flop and Fly

Now when I get the blues, I get me a rockin’ chair
When I get the blues, I get me a rockin’ chair
Well, if the blues overtake me gonna rock right away from here

Now when I get lonesome, I jump on the telephone
When I get lonesome, I jump on the telephone
I call my baby, tell her I’m on my way back home

Now flip, flop and fly
I don’t care if I die
Now flip, flop and fly
I don’t care if I die
Don’t ever leave me, don’t ever say goodbye

Give me one more kiss, hold it a long long time
Give me one more kiss, hold it a long long time
Now love me baby, till the feelin’ hits my head like wine

Here comes my baby, flashin’ her new gold tooth
Here comes my baby, flashin’ her new gold tooth
Well she’s so small, she can mambo in a pay phone booth

Now flip, flop and fly
I don’t care if I die
Now flip, flop and fly
I don’t care if I die
Ah, don’t ever leave me, don’t ever say goodbye

I’m like a mississippi bullfrog, sittin’ on a hollow stump
I’m like a mississippi bullfrog, sittin’ on a hollow stump
I got so many women, I don’t know which way to jump

Now flip, flop and fly
I don’t care if I die
Now flip, flop and fly
I don’t care if I die
Now, don’t ever leave me, don’t ever say goodbye
Oh my!

…

Hey Kid, Catch Commercial

If I had to name my favorite commercials, it would be a really short list. This Mean Joe Greene and Kid commercial would top the shortlist, though. People talk about famous Super Bowl commercials. This one is probably remembered the most. I loved it as a kid…watching Mean Joe Greene, who just by name alone would scare you…but to see him as a kind person giving a kid a jersey? It made me root for the Steelers at the time…although I pulled for the Rams in the Super Bowl…that didn’t help.

This ad debuted on October 1, 1979. It showed an injured Mean Joe headed for the locker room to encounter a star-struck kid (Tommy Okon) who offered Mean Joe a coke. Greene eventually took the coke and while limping away pitched his jersey to the kid.

The commercial spot aired repeatedly through Superbowl XIV where the Steelers beat the Rams 31-19. It took 3 days to film the commercial and Joe ended up drinking around 18 cokes to finish it.

When Greene found out Tommy Okon didn’t get to keep the jersey from the commercial, he mailed him an autographed jersey for Christmas. This says a lot about Greene’s character. Why didn’t the commercial people let the kid keep the jersey?

Coke looked at Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, and teammate Jack Lambert but Joe Greene won out. The right man got the job. The commercial helped to soften Joe Greene’s reputation. Before it aired, Greene said people were intimidated by him. This is a quote from Greene. “I was suddenly approachable, little kids were no longer afraid of me, and older people – both women and men – would come up and offer me a Coke.”

It was directed by Roger Mosconi, and produced by McCann Erickson for Coca-Cola. Tommy Okon was a nine-year-old child actor at the time. It was later remade multiple times, including versions featuring soccer star Zico in Brazil and other athletes worldwide.

Greene was injured at the time of filming. His limping in the commercial wasn’t entirely an act…he had been dealing with real knee pain. Between that and all the soda he drank, he later joked that it was one of the toughest things he had done in his career.

It also should be said how popular the Steelers were in the 1970s. They were the first team to win 4 Super Bowls and were without a defeat. They had one of the best defenses ever, and their offense was run by Terry Bradshaw. By this time, the team was aging, and they would win their 3rd Super Bowl against the Rams a few months after the commercial was filmed. They are considered one of the greatest teams in the NFL ever. Greene was nearing the end of his career. He was drafted in 1969 and would retire in 1981.

Reunion 36 years later.

The Iron Eyes Cody Commercials

People start pollution. People can stop it.

Maybe the most famous tear in pop culture is Iron Eyes Cody, an actor in Native American clothing who shows us the tragedy of littering. He debuted Earth Day, April 22, 1971, at the close of a public service advertisement for the anti-litter organization Keep America Beautiful.

The ad contributed to increased environmental consciousness in the U.S., particularly during the 1970s. The commercials helped spur the passage of anti-littering laws and programs such as The Clean Water Act (1972), The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976), and the creation of recycling initiatives in cities nationwide.

At the time of the commercial’s debut, the counterculture was starting to embrace Native American Culture. Iron Eyes Cody could be seen in printed ads, television, and billboards. He was known by the press as the “Crying Indian.”

Born on April 3, 1904, as Espera Oscar de Corti, Cody’s parents were both Sicilian immigrants (Antonio de Corti and his wife, Francesca Salpietra). He grew up in Gueydan, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, where his parents ran a grocery store.

He portrayed Indians in television shows and movies dating back to 1926. His last appearance was in the 1970s spoof movie The Spirit of 76 released in 1990. He played the role on-screen as well as off…He would deny he wasn’t Native American as late as 1996 and until he passed away in 1999 at the age of 94.

Real or not he did have an effect on me…To a young kid, this hit home. I remember this commercial rather well and there is another anti-littering commercial that I remember. Only people in Tennessee would probably remember it was called “Tennessee Trash.” I have it below the Iron Eye’s Cody video.

The ad remains one of the most memorable and emotionally impactful of all commercials to be made.

The below commercial in 1976 was so popular that they remade it twenty-two years later. I have to say the song will stay in your head. It was filmed on an unopened stretch of I-24 at the time. The theme was sung by country singer-songwriter Ed Bruce and features Irving Kane as the ultimate litterbug.

Purina Chuckwagon Commercials

I loved these commercials when I was a kid. I wasn’t allowed to have a dog in the house (which is probably why I’ve had three Saint Bernard house dogs). Some poor dog would be bewildered by a miniature chuck wagon, then scurries through the home and into the kitchen cabinet or tv after it.

In 1967, Purina launched “Chuck Wagon” as their latest dog food innovation. Packaged as dry dog food, adding warm water would rehydrate the serving to some extent, as well as cause the meal to produce its own gravy

The commercials had a Western theme, playing into Chuck Wagon’s branding as a hearty, wholesome meal for dogs. The animated mini chuck wagon would appear from unexpected places—such as behind a cabinet door, under a table, or from inside a dog food bag…creating a playful and imaginative effect. I can’t tell you how much this worked during that time period.

In some shots, stop-motion animation was used, where the wagon was moved frame by frame to give the illusion of self-propelled motion. In other cases, puppetry techniques such as invisible wires or rods helped guide the wagon across the floor.

Now… this was hard to believe but in 1983 Atari released a video game based on this commercial called “Chase the Chuckwagon.“

Magic 8 Ball

I was told as a kid that a Magic 8 Ball could predict the future. I bought it hook line and sinker…I was also told by my older sister (8 years older) that snakes bite the second person in a line while I was merrily leading the way hiking in the woods as a 5-year-old…so I caught on pretty quick after I stepped on a snake…didn’t get bit though…but I never let her forget it.

I bugged my mom till she got me the mysterious Magic 8 Ball. I was amazed at this toy…well it wasn’t a toy to me. I thought this was great. So being 5-6 years old I thought I would put it to use… Oh, Magic 8 Ball should I color in the encyclopedias with my crayons? I shook it up and waited for the triangle to give me the answer… “signs point to yes”…those signs must have pointed in a different direction than my Mom… she wasn’t a fan of the Magic 8 ball after that.

Abe Bookman invented the Magic 8 Ball, a fortune-telling toy currently manufactured by Mattel.

During World War II, a man named Alfred Carter in Cincinnati created a tube-like fortune-telling toy. To help him he got his brother-in-law to help…that would be Abe Bookman. they created a 7″ tube device with glass on both ends with a pair of floating dice with responses. It was sold as the “Syco-Seer: The Miracle Home Fortune Teller.” Their company was called Alabe Crafts.

Carter died in 1948 and Bookman revised it into a crystal ball but it still didn’t sell really well. Then the Brunswick Billiards company commissioned Bookman to make them one shaped like an 8 ball as a promotional giveaway.

After the giveaway was finished Bookman kept producing them shaped like an 8 ball.

The Magic 8 Ball that we have known since then has contained a 20-sided polygon inside a hollow plastic ball, floating in a liquid-filled, 3-inch diameter tube. The liquid largely consists of dark blue ink and alcohol. The predictions, yes, no, or non-committal, appear on each triangular face of the polygon.

Bookman marketed it as a conversation piece, a paperweight and then a toy.

Ideal Toys bought Alabe Crafts in 1971. Next, Tyco Toys bought the ball in ’87. Mattel owns it today and sells one million units a year.

Here are the magical statements of the Magic 8 Ball

As I see it, yes
Ask again later
Better not tell you now
Cannot predict now
Concentrate and ask again
Don’t count on it
It is certain
It is decidedly so
Most likely
My reply is no
My sources say no
Outlook good
Outlook not so good
Reply hazy, try again
Signs point to yes
Very doubtful
Without a doubt
Yes
Yes, definitely
You may rely on it.