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.

Paul McCartney at Fenway Park

My friend Glenn was in the 5th grade when The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Like many kids then, his world changed after that broadcast. He bought a cheap organ, then eventually bought a Hammond organ, then started singing in a band at 16 in 1969. The name of it was "The Sidewalk Society." How 1969 was that? 😆 We finally saw Sir Paul in person. Click on pic to make it big.

Glenn still has his Beatles scrapbook and Beatles bubble-gum cards.

Here are school pictures of Glenn in the 1960s during Beatlemania.



Above, Glenn and the crowd sing along with Paul and his band.

They performed my favorite Wings tunes from my grade-school years:


Jet, Wings, 1973


Listen To What the Man Said, Wings, 1975


Let 'Em In, Wings, 1976

hey, hey, hey – what's happening?

Someone recently told me that her first concert was The Doobie Brothers on Cape Cod in 1978. I immediately thought of this:



What's Happening?! (1976-79) was one of my favorite shows as a kid. Rerun (Fred Berry) was well-known for his locking. Check him out.

Here are some kids locking on American Bandstand circa 1975.

Tina Turner

Thanks, Tina for what you brought to the world. Mission accomplished.

• I Can't Believe What You Say, 1964
• River Deep Mountain High promo, 1966
• Playboy After Dark, 1969
• Proud Mary, Ike and Tina Turner Revue, 1970
• Nutbush City Limits, Soul Train, circa 1975
• What's Love Got To Do With It, 1984


River Deep Mountain High, Ike and Tina Turner, 1966

learning "The Hustle" to "Popcorn"

In the summer of 1975 when I was 10-years-old, my family went camping with some of our neighbors. One night at the campground rec hall there was a square dancing party. Besides do-si-doing, we learned The Hustle, the new dance of the day to the song Popcorn.
Just when the big, bad world is getting me down, I find this.
Thank you, Jesus. Whoooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

Some references to "penquins" and "drying your nails" in the comments section for the video above – a European Community Auditions.

Rain

Without the Rain we wouldn't have flowers and there would be no Flower Children Land. This is the actress on Welcome Back,
Kotter – a show I never missed during its 1975-1979 run.

Thelma Houston on my clock radio

In February of 1977, I was home on vacation from the 6th grade when my mom returned from grocery shopping. While helping her put away the groceries, I took out a clock radio from one of the bags. "Who is this for?" I asked. "You," she responded. From that day on, turning on the radio was the first thing I did when I entered my room. If I hear a song that was once played on the radio, I still remember what was going on in my life when that particular song was popular. This song reminds me of that day in 1977. Right on.

The song was originally recorded by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (featuring Teddy Pendergrass) in 1975. Have a listen...

Love Is The Drug

This Roxy Music song from 1975 seems way ahead of its time.

1970s American Bandstand

Circa 1975. Get your groove on man! Ooooooooah ooooooooah!

Labor Day dose of Soul Train

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes perform Bad Luck from 1975.

My neck!

Who knew that a Beav post would finally get me riding this? It was faster, scarier and more intense than I thought it would be. The fact that it flies through the woods is most unique. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Love Rollercoaster, Ohio Players, 1975