Here It Comes Again

The Fortunes perform on the top of Montmartre in 1965.

Santa's been naughty, again

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

'tis the season...

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

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.

Motown on Ready Steady Go!

Dusty Springfield introduces Motown to England via RSG! Here's a terrific documentary including the 1965 touring of the Motown Revue in Great Britain before appearing on Ready Steady Go! with Dusty.

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.

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

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!

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.

88 Rewound

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

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

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.

Wednesday morning dose of 1968

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

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.

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 

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.

In the Midnight Ow

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

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.

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.

Sunday morning dose of 1965

The Radiants perform Baby You Got It on The Beat.

South Dakota Rocks!

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

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.

The Harlem Shuffle

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

Massachusetts

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

July 1969

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

Friday morning dose of the neckerchief

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

we're not dirty we're not mean

Thank God it's summertime! Yipppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Wednesday morning dose of 1965

The Wooly Bully line dancing kids remind me of starlings.

1967 Beat-Club countdown

Do you think Engelbert, Pink Floyd and Vikki Carr hung out?

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.

Friday On My Mind

The Easybeats perform Friday On My Mind on Beat-Club.

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.

you're gonna burn

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

Al Green

Magnificent, mostly-live performances by Al Green.

• You Ought to Be With Me
• Love and Happiness – Live on Soul Train
• Tired of Being Alone (in pleather hot pants no less)
• Tired of Being Alone – Live
• Let's Stay Together – Live

Sunday afternoon dose of The Beatles

The Beatles perform live on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965.
• I Feel Fine   • I'm Down   • Ticket to Ride   • Help!

How endearing are these girls in their cateye glasses? The girl behind them in the center is bawling her head off. Poor thing.  :o