squiggling in unison

I can't get enough of the fuzz tones. Aunt Myrtle is wearing go-go boots. Complete product placement. Here's the movie trailer.

Mister Man

My friend Laura has two cool mannequins, Mister Man and Bobby Boy. We like to take them places, but they can be real stiffs.

good thing I have a huge duffle bag...

...to drag his torso down the beach. Big duffle bags come in handy.

we took his head to Mexico...

...and he loved touring the Mayan ruins, especially Palenque.

waiting for him to get dressed...

is such a drag because he has eight personalities. Who am I today? Stylish geek? Russian spy? Biker? Hurry up already!

A Saturday morning Johnny Cash mood

Ring of Fire, The One on the Right, Five Feet High and Rising.

Dusty Springfield

Learn about the spectacular Dusty. Short and Long version.

How much practice did this take?

I'm very impressed. Good thing nobody sneezed. Yowzaaaaaaaa!

Raquel Welch is Ready To Groove...

...in A Swingin' Summer. Thank God for campy films like this. They must've had a huge budget for stage decorations/set design. 
Raquel, you spacin' out? How was this taken seriously?! Waaaah!

Reasons To Be Cheerful...

by Ian Dury and The Blockheads. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

The Porter House in Boston, 1806

Down from the Allen Mansion sits The Porter House on Washington Street near Mass Ave. It's a Federal-Style home from 1806 built with handmade bricks of different sizes and beautifully restored.

beautiful color film of some rockin' riffs...

who knew that turning sideways would make an audience squeal  :-0

Shivaree tv show

Shivaree aired in syndication in 1965 and 1966.
The definition of shivaree: a series of discordant noises.

• The Shangri-Las
• Al Martino
• The Bobby Fuller Four
• The Four Tops
• The Sunrays
• The Rolling Stones
• The Temptations 
• The Temptations had the coolest choreography
• The Bobby Fuller Four again
• Vicky Gomez
• The Shangri-Las again
• The Fortunes
• Jay and The Americans

Great Shakes and such

As a graphic designer, I enjoy looking at vintage commercials for their graphics, logos, typography treatments and jingles. Some are so bad they're AWESOME! I also love when a commercial is infused with the popular culture of the day. Shake it with Great Shakes! Someone commented on YouTube how his mother still has the cup and lid and uses it to make gravy. Someone else said the commercial was shot in the living/dining room on the Bewitched set. The Yardbirds, The Who and a slew of others recorded radio jingles for this junk. It's smooooooth and dreamy. Huh? Check out this cool thing. A lot better than cards against your bike spokes. Vrooooooooooooom! Pop a wheelie.

want to look at muppets with people eyes?

Then go to Muppets With People Eyes! Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!

If you're heading out to Vegas...

from your blustery environs, have a shake by the pool
for me. Yeah! Giddy-up!
Here's another Scopitone.
The above photo is looking towards the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Columbus Avenue in Boston
the day after last week's
snow storm. Wintaah!!!

Helen Shapiro

Helen Shapiro was huge in England starting in the early 1960s.  

The Beatles were her opening act before they became humongous. She sings to them here. Check her out doing a great version of Carole King's It Might As Well Rain Until September.
I love her version of The Miracles' Shop Around. Groovy organ.

snow day in Boston!

Yahooooooo! Go sledding! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Look out!

all the kids...

are getting these. I can't wait to visit on carrot and spaghetti day!

Or pineapple and raspberry day! Or mashed potatoes and gravy day!

Santa's trailer down by the river

I see this trailer every year, and every year I say I'm going to take a photo. Tonight was the night. The vendor went into it and closed the door so I could see the whole mural thang. I think the painted Santa is going to give me nightmares tonight. Trust me, the pics are better blurry. I mean that in a good way. Thanks Christmas tree guy!

Mapparium in Boston

I took some family members to the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library on Mass Avenue near Berklee. We'll never forget it. GO THERE! Great multi-media show. It's cheap. Beautiful exhibit and exhibit space. Walk around Boston and look at the Christmas lights.

I can't stop watching this

It's a Scopitone from the
early 60s by a group called
The Condors. Great version
of Ain't That Just Like Me.
Another by The Searchers.
Yet another by The Hollies.
Put on yer bikini and shake it!
Love the guys' entrances.
Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

one of the best things about Turkey Day...

gravy on my mashed potatoes! Whoooooooohooooooo!

yippppeeeeee!

oh my gourd

Every fall my friend Laura paints gourds for Halloween. They are the COOLEST and they sell like hotcakes. How can you resist these gouly gourds? If you're in the Marlboro area, go buy some at Trombetta's Garden Center and have some delicious homemade ice cream while you're at it. These gourds look like evil friends. AWESOME!

excuse me...

...while I retire to my fur-lined sensory deprivation skull designed by Joep van Lieshout of Atelier Van Lieshout. I'll take one please.

Disc-O-Teen Halloween show, 1967

Disc-O-Teen was a local, afternoon dance show from Newark, New Jersey that aired from 1965-1967. Here's a 1967 Halloween episode featuring Alex Chilton and The Box Tops. Alex died this year at the age of 59. He was only 17-years-old in this clip. Here's more info.

completely awful song...

...but excellent footage of The Buddy Deane Show circa 1962. Some chick is singing a horrible song that she wrote. This was at the beginning of the dance craze era that started with the Twist, The Pony and Mashed Potato. Where in the crowd is the Amber Von Tussle character? They all look like secretaries. Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

The Flintstones are 50!

The Flintstones was the first primetime TV cartoon. Read 15 things you don't know about The Flintstones. Here are Wilma and Betty watching The Beau Brummelstones (The Beau Brummels) on Shinrock, a parody of Shindig! with host Jimmy O'Neilstone.  The term "Beau Brummell" means well-dressed man and is named after Beau Brummell. Here are some other performances from the show:
• Ann-Margret as Ann-Margrock
• In Bedrock, Twitch Twitch
• Fred is like, squaresville

Alexandra Hotel in Boston, 1875

At the corner of Mass Ave. and Washington Street is the Alexandra Hotel, built in 1875. The Church of Scientology bought it and they started cleaning it up. Read about it here.

Allen House in Boston, 1859

I love having this groovy mansion in my neighborhood. It's a mix of the Italianate and French Second Empire styles. The Hite sign and building no longer exist.

The Larry Kane Show, 1962

Many 1950s and 60s teen dance shows are no longer with us because the tv studio tapes were erased. Here's rare footage of the Larry Kane Show from Houston, Texas. It ran from 1959–1972. A guy in this 1962 clip mentioned in order to be on the show, you had to take dancing lessons at the dance school next door then pass a series of dance tests.