December 27, 2016

Here It Comes Again

The Fortunes perform on the top of Montmartre in 1965.

December 17, 2016

Santa's been naughty, again

This has now made its way to the top of my Christmas wish list.

December 13, 2016

'tis the season...

...for listening to some of my favorite Christmas music. Enjoy the mix.

December 6, 2016

Darlene Love's Christmas Show

It's not Christmas season until I break out the Phil Spector Christmas album from 1963 featuring Darlene Love. I'll be seeing her Christmas show this weekend in the lovely town of Beverly, Massachusetts.
What a swell, early Christmas present. Whoopppeeeeeee!

UPDATE: I now have a new Christmas tradition since Darlene remarked that she'd be back next year. What an incredible voice and what a blowout of a show. Love sang her well-known Christmas songs, her iconic 1960s hits and tunes from her new album. Wonderful band and backup singers. Terrific show all around. I was extremely impressed.



Darlene lent her voice for this hilarious Saturday Night Live short.

November 27, 2016

Motown on Ready Steady Go!

Dusty Springfield introduces Motown to England via RSG!

Here's a terrific documentary about the Motown Revue touring Great Britain in 1965 right before they appeared on Ready Steady Go!

November 12, 2016

The English Beat

On a recent vacation to California, a friend and I happened upon a free, outdoor concert. Lo and behold, the highlight of the show was The English Beat, one of my favorite groups from the 1980s. Thanks universe! What a fantastic show. No wonder why I loved them so much.
Their music is a fusion of soul, pop, reggae and ska.

Save It For Later
Save It For Later, live on tv
I Confess
Mirror in the Bathroom
Too Nice To Talk To
Best Friend
Tears of a Clown
The 1967 version by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

November 6, 2016

Levi Stubbs

One of my favorite singers of all time, for obvious reasons.

Baby I Need Your Loving, 1964
Ask the Lonely on Hullabaloo, 1965
I Can't Help Myself, live with 2 drummers
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever, 1966
Something About You, 1965
3-song medley, 1967
Bernadette, 1967

November 3, 2016

Junior Walker

Junior Walker does his thang at London's Ram Jam Club in 1967. Would someone please hurry up and invent a time machine already?! Thanks in advance. Whooooooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

November 1, 2016

best cat video ever



I cannot stop laughing at this cat watching this Psycho scene. It's reacting to a cat toy being waved around, but it's still purrrrrrrfect.

October 29, 2016

88 Rewound

I love this WMBR radio show and look forward to it every week.

October 26, 2016

Six O'Clock Rock tv show

Six O'Clock Rock was a teenage music program from Australia that aired from 1959-1962. All that spinning is making me dizzy.

The host Johnny O'Keefe, 1959
December 1960

October 21, 2016

Halloween's a comin'

Shake it with Wednesday while she does the James Brown.

How cute is this circa 1964 elementary school Halloween parade?
Here is some excellent footage of another parade from 1932.

October 19, 2016

Wednesday morning dose of 1968

Put on your Nehru jacket and love beads and boogaloo baby.

October 15, 2016

Little Green Bag

Here are two videos from the Dutch group The George Baker Selection of their groovy hit Little Green Bag from 1970. Five years later, they would have a humongous, world-wide hit with this.

October 7, 2016

London's Marquee Club

Let's drop into The Marquee for a little afternoon shimmy...

Michael the Lover, The Ram Jam Band
You Don't Know Like I Know, The Ram Jam Band
I Take What I Want, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
I'll Take Good Care of You, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
Hey Joe, Jimi Hendrix
My Generation, The Who

Here's another version of Michael the Lover and Garnet Mimms' original version of I'll Take Good Care of You with intro by Otis.

I Take What I Want, Sam and Dave here and here
You Don't Know Like I Know, Sam and Dave 

September 30, 2016

Gladys Knight

Growing up in the 1970s, one of my favorite groups was Gladys Knight and the Pips. I'm so excited to hear that beautiful voice tonight.



I can't stop watching this terrific version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine from a V.A. hospital performance in 1970 during the Vietnam War. What a wonderful thing they did. I love their exit.

The End Of Our Road

If I Were Your Woman
If I Were Your Woman
I Don't Want To Do Wrong
I Really Got To Use My Imagination, circa 1975
I Heard it Through the Grapevine on Soul Train
Friendship Train
Neither One of Us
You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

UPDATE: I was knocked out by Gladys Knight's show. It started with a mash-up of Nitty Gritty and Shake Your Body Down to the Ground. She then sang covers by Adele, Sam Smith and others. Her four young backup singers (2 male, 2 female) came forward and performed a Prince tribute while Gladys hung out in the background, letting them have the spotlight. The tribute ended with Knight coming forward and belting out Purple Rain. She closed the show with a very audience-involved rendition of Midnight Train to Georgia. She's called "The Empress of Soul" for a reason. Wow.

September 16, 2016

In the Midnight Ow

Groove along with the Germans. But just say "no" to puffy shirts.

September 5, 2016

Uptight and outta sight

Here's a 16-year-old Stevie Wonder singing live, circa 1966.
Here's another great clip. It looks like Swingin' Time.

August 28, 2016

Swing the Jingle

Swing the Jingle was a 1965-1974 advertising project that had popular music groups and singers recording the Coke jingle in their own musical style and sound. Have a listen to these groovy radio spots.

August 21, 2016

Sunday morning dose of 1965



The Radiants perform Baby You Got It on The Beat.

August 13, 2016

South Dakota Rocks!

The Beatles had a huge influence everywhere. Who knew that South Dakota had such a groovy, mid-1960s music scene?

August 7, 2016

The J. Geils Band

On rainy days when I was forced to hang out indoors, I would rummage through my family's albums and play records. I discovered one of the greatest live albums while listening to Full House.



Here is the band in 1973, a year after Full House was released.



Their concert at Holy Cross College in Massachusetts from 1972


The 1962 version of Homework by Otis Rush


1965's version of Homework by Al Perkins and Betty Bibbs

I finally saw Peter Wolf in 2019. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

August 2, 2016

The Harlem Shuffle

Hitch hitchhike baby across the floor. Thanks Funky 16 Corners!

July 23, 2016

Massachusetts

Summertime in New England is the best. Hellooooooo Cape Cod!

July 17, 2016

July 1969

When I was 4-years-old, I was stung on the eye and lip. Good times.

July 8, 2016

Friday morning dose of the neckerchief

Sorry about all the pics. I obviously needed a HUGE dose. Yowza.

June 25, 2016

we're not dirty we're not mean

Thank God it's summertime! Yipppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

June 22, 2016

June 17, 2016

June 14, 2016

New England Rock and Roll History

I recently discovered the Music Museum of New England which contains intriguing, first-hand accounts of growing up in the early years
of rock and roll. The Surf at Nantasket Beach was the swingingest.

Sonny and Cher at Canobie Lake Park shortly after becoming big.

The Rockin' Ramrods were the house band at The Surf.

The Stones played the Manning Bowl and mayhem ensued.

Suffolk Downs in East Boston hosted The Beatles in 1966.

June 10, 2016

May 29, 2016

Something's Burning

When my mom cooked steak, the smoke alarm would always go off.
We would all then sing this. Happy Memorial Day and watch the steak.

May 13, 2016

you're gonna burn

I wonder if people did drugs in the 1960s? I think they may have.