Category: Retro & Vintage

Saturday Matinee – Byrd Theater PSA, John Fred & His Playboy Band, The Tractors & Tom T. Hall

The Byrd Theater in Richmond, VA has played the same PSA before every movie since the early ’80s, and the audience recites every word along with it. From the comments:
“Wow, takes me back. the crowd participation was one of the best aspects of this PSA, a whole theatre saying “sssssick!” was amazing.”

According to John Fred & His Playboy Band,  Judy had cantaloupe eyes. (The color version of this 1968 promo video was poor quality, so the guy who posted it converted it to black and white.) The song was co-written by baritone sax player Andy Bernard and lead singer John Fred Gourrier, both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bernard pawned some memorabilia on Cajun Pawn Stars (2012, Season 2, Episode 14).

Mama’s little baby goes trippin’ in the kitchen with a different take on the traditional folk song by The Tractors.

“The Story Teller” Tom T. Hall, best known for Harper Valley PTA, passed away yesterday at the age of 85. R.I.P. to a great songwriter.

A lot of disturbing news flying around these days, but we’ll get past the insanity somehow.   Meanwhile have a great weekend, cherish family and friends (except for, um, you know) and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Lawrence Lipton’s Contribution To The World – DUHAB the Beatnik Robot

July 19, 1965 – L.A. Times

GADGET FOR TODAY–Author Lawrence Lipton, chronicler of the beatnik scene, demonstrates his “robot,” Duhab (Detector of Undesirable HABitués). Lipton says robot ferrets out the undesirables – including censors, book-burners.
[…]
“The Venice West beat scene was the most promising attempt ever made to bring avant-garde culture to Southern California, and it was murdered by self-righteous, puritanical busy-bodies and hostile police,” he said.

[Image and story found here.]

Balmoralitistic Hot Links

He’s Gone, The Chantels (1957)One of the first R&B “girl groups” to hit the charts, the Chantels were Arlene Smith. Sonia Goring, Lois Harris, Jackie Jackson and Rene Minus, all schoolmates from the Bronx. They had been singing together since 1950 and honed their harmonies practicing hymns (and Gregorian chants). In 1957 they scored their first hit with He’s Gone, written by lead singer Arlene Smith.

Blob Dance.

How compassionate.

A Waffle House review.

Jessie the ventriloquist.

She’s in someone’s locket.

Invasion of the Worm Men.

The Clavis Inferni by Cyprianus.

“Hi. This Is a List of Butt-Related Words.”

Opening Windows in 1985; MS Paint at 13:20.
[h/t Corinne L.]

Man found the stoplight cameras were activated during yellow lights so he cut the wires.

Dear WordPress: Really? REALLY?!? [Related gripe here.]

[Top image source lost at the drive-in long ago.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.

She got that Wig Wag Walk

THE CUTE KIDS WITH
THE COMICAL EYES
AND THE
WIG WAG WALK

Creeps me right out. It’s like they’ve got instant Grave’s Disease or something. Watch Comical Clara & Pop Eye Pete in action here.

[Found here, h/t Mme. Jujujive.]

Buy a bug or shoot the mule. Your choice.

   Three years back, the Hinsleys of Dora, Missouri, had a tough decision to make.
   To buy a new mule.
   Or invest in a used bug.
   They weighed the two possibilities.
First there was the problem of the bitter Ozark winters. Tough on a warm-blooded mule. Not so tough on an air-cooled VW.
   Then, what about the eating habits of the two contenders? Hay vs. gasoline.
   As Mr. Hinsley puts it: “I get over eighty miles out of a dollar’s worth of gas and I get where I want to go a lot quicker.”
   Then there’s the road leading to their cabin. Many a mule pulling a wagon and many a conventional automobile has spent many an hour stuck in the mud.
   As for shelter, a mule needs a barn. A bug doesn’t. “It just sets out there all day and the paint job looks near as good as the day we got it.”
   Finally, there was maintenance to think about. When a mule breaks down, there’s only one thing to do: Shoot it.
  But if and when their bug breaks down, the Hinsleys have a Volkswagen dealer only two gallons away.

[Genuine VW ad found here.]

Saturday Matinee – Barbara Mandrell, Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker & Bonnie Raitt

Steel guitar prodigy Barbara Mandrell appeared numerous times on The Johnny Cash Show. (This one is from the 1976 Christmas Special.)

I asked a comely waitress, “Is this a new teaching?” She said, “There is no God but God, and Ralph Mooney is his name.”

Ry Cooder, one of the greatest slide guitar players ever, paid tribute to Mooney in 2018.

Let’s stay with the slide. Bonnie Raitt & John Lee Hooker (1912, 1915, 1917, 1920 or 1923-2001) got down and dirty in 1991.

That’s a wrap – for now. Have a great weekend, stay cool if it’s hot, relax if it’s not, and we’ll be back tomorrow with something.

1969 Conceptual Design – Santa Monica Freeway Interchange Festival

Archigram‘s neo-futurism was not far off the mark…

[Top images found here. 2nd image via Google Maps, 3rd previously posted in here.]

Reciprocornous Hot Links

Hair-Net, The 5 Peaks, (1985?) Jay-R RecordsFrom Pueblo, Colorado, Gerald Gantt, Robert Stallworth, Casey Hynes and Joel Scherzer recorded in the 70’s as The Four Shades, The Five Bucks, and as The 5 Peaks in the late 80’s for the Jay-R label. The 45 rpm credits M. Simpkins as the songwriter. [Heard on The Hound.]

Pretty trippy.

Irresponsible.

Wide load [via].

Packing problem.

Layout Collection.

PLEASE adopt Hank.

Creeps me right out.

How to catch tardigrades.

Where to get away from it all.

When Mom’s almost home [via].

Belgian Prime Minister got vaccinated.

Average Faces of Native American Tribes?

Random objects in the London Museum of Science.

Canadian Chris Sky predicted it in October 2020.

[Top image: Lum York.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.

Soviet Era KGB Telephones

At first I though it might be a gag/hoax/photoshop, then I found this:

[Top images found here.]

Saturday Matinee – Otis Rush, Dale Watson and Fred Wesley & The New JBs

I went downstairs, made a cup of coffee, had a chat with the neighbor, took the clothes in, came back up to my laptop, and he was still holding the first “Well”.

Otis Rush (1934-2018) plays Willie Dixon‘s classic I Can’t Quit You Baby. Can’t confirm the date or show of this vid.

Dale Watson, keeper of the true country music flame and the Memphis sound (despite hailing from Austin) is right up there with Johnny, Willie & Waylon – and a lot of others.

Fred Wesley & The New JBs is comprised of:

Fred Wesley – trombone
Gary Winters – trumpet
Phillip Whack – saxophone
Bruce Cox – drums
Dwayne Dolphin – bass
Reggie Ward – guitar
Peter Madsen – keyboards

Happy Independence Day weekend to all. Don’t get too ‘splodey tomorrow – you’re gonna want to be whole come Monday.