So many great singles then, and I heard them all on AM radio. This was probably the last great year of AM radio for rock music. Btw, I just got done reading a book about Wichita Lineman that came out a few years ago. I think all together there were 5 hit singles from Hair. Ah, the Smothers Brothers. That was definitely one of my favorite shows back then, even though a lot of stuff went over my head. CBS cancelled 2 of my favorite shows that year -- besides Smothers Brothers, they canned Wild, Wild West. My 12-year old self couldn't believe it. Thanks for another fun video.
I think you're right about this being the last great era of AM radio, Paul. There are some hit singles, like Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" later in the year that it would be hard to imagine hearing on AM much after this. (I suppose a lot of stuff like that just "migrated" to FM.) I think you're right about the number of hit singles from "Hair." I think, in every case, I prefer the cover version to the Broadway cast recording. I missed the Smothers Brother "back in the day" because they came on after my bedtime, but I sure remember "Wild, Wild West." My dad never missed an episode. It was a lot of fun then and I still enjoy it whenever I run across a rerun. (Recently, it occurred to me that a spinoff series starring Ross Martin as Artemis Gordon could have been great. Too bad that never happened!) Actually, I'm looking forward to covering the premier of "Wild, Wild West when I get to episodes on 1965 (sometime soon, I hope!) Thanks for sharing the memories and for the feedback, Paul!
Looking at your video hard to believe this was 55 years ago. I was kind of bummed out that you did'nt add your vocals to Proud Mary. Thanks for another video and the time you put into them every week.
I actually considered "having a go" at "Proud Mary." I guess I'll get another chance one of these days when we get to "1971" and the Ike and Tina Turner version. Thanks for the feedback, Don! Always great to hear from you!
Great stuff Steve! I was born in the second quarter of 1969, so I was able to watch the moon landing. I don't remember anything about it. Lol. I love Hair by the Cowsills. I didn't really discover it till about 5 years ago. I did just get a movie with Bob Dylan in it. Criterion just released a 4k set of Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid. Since this month is the Barnes and Noble 50 percent off Criterion sale, I picked it up. Of course, I watched the Charlie Brown specials on TV and loved the Snoopy vs The Red Baron songs. Thanks again for the Great stuff and info.
Thanks for the great feedback and, also, for the reminder on the Barnes and Noble Criterion sale. I saw that Betamax Blocker talked about it on his channel and I need to check it out. I'm sure there are some titles I'll want to pick up. "Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid" would be great in a Criterion package. (I've got a double disc DVD set of it, already, which makes it a little less attractive for me to buy it again, though I'm sure the Criterion version is far superior.) Wish I'd known you were born in the second quarter of 1969. I should have gotten you in there as one of the news highlights in this episode! Always great to hear from you, Michael! Thanks again for the kind words and great comments!
Steve - One of the things I love about your show in reviewing the hit songs and albums of a particular year is the reminder of how much great music there has been through the decades, and 1969 is a perfect example. I'll pause your show when a song title I don't recognize is mentioned, then bring up another CZcams tab to listen to the song (Ex: I've heard "Grazing In the Grass" countless times but never knew the title!) BTW, "Atlantis" was used perfectly in Goodfellas. I'm looking forward to the "Break Away" backstory!
Thanks for the good words, Chris, and it's SO cool that you've used these episodes to check out additional music! (I've certainly discovered a lot of songs I either didn't know or had forgotten through researching these.) Funny that you mention "Goodfellas." I recently mentioned to my wife that I've never seen it. She's a librarian and just brought home a DVD copy for us to watch. It's laying right here on the coffee table in the basement, waiting to go. I'll be interested to see how "Atlantis" is used! Thanks again for the comments, Chris, and I'll be looking forward to your perspective on "Break Away" next week! BTW, my record-shopping friend and I didn't make it out to BurgerFi this week. He owns a movie theater and the new "Despicable Me" movie is doing better than he expected. It's great for business, but left him too busy for record shopping this week. I'll keep you posted!
Most of the singles and albums mentioned here were big in the UK, with both "Tommy" by The Who and the CS&N album standing out as two masterpieces. "Credence Clearwater Revival" was also making it's mark on our charts with "Proud Mary" and would continue with a no 1 hit in August/September with "Bad Moon Rising". Brilliantly researched and presented as usual.
Thanks, once again, for the UK perspective. "Tommy" has kind of a strange arc on the charts here. It hits shortly after its release, drops back down the chart and then, for some reason, peaks at #4 in September, 1970. The Who wasn't on tour in the US at the time or anything, so I'm not really sure why that was. (Hopefully, I'll have it figured out by the time I'm doing episodes on 1970!) Interesting to know that CCR was big on the charts there too. I didn't know whether they'd been popular in the UK or not. (They seem particularly "American" to me.) Glad to know they did well there too! Thanks for the kind words and for the excellent perspective, John! It's always great to hear from you and much appreciated!
In some ways, these months in 1969 marked the beginnings and endings of some entertainers careers. CSN releases its first album, Judy Garland passes away, Elvis leaves his movie career (a few months short of returning to live performances in Las Vegas, of all places), Dylan releases a Country music album!, Glen Campbell continues building a successful solo career, etc. etc. Still a few months short of the historic July, 1969 moon landing and what I would call one of the greatest Rock music festivals/despite the weather, Woodstock. Will check out the songs you mentioned, which I'd never heard of!
Yes! The feeling of "transition" is really prevalent in a lot of these episodes. I suppose, in a lot of ways, that was true at the time. I turned 9 that year, but I was old enough to remember the feeling that we were all hurtling head-long into the future (ie. going to the moon, reaching the end of the 60s, etc.) Of course, a lot of the events that marked the beginning of phases and trends only become clear in retrospect but it was undoubtedly a time of tremendous change. As you mention, too, it was a fantastically eventful summer. I'm looking forward to getting to it and I'll be looking forward to your perspective! Thanks, once again, for the great feedback, Robert!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I've always been happy with my age, and the eras I grew up in (The 1970s through the early 1980s), but sometimes I think it would have been nice to be able to experience earlier eras first hand (Being around when certain things actually happened), rather than just knowing them by history or nostalgia. Thanks to you, Steve, I now know about the group Classics IV. They've seemed to have an interesting history, and are still going (In a diminished capacity, as I would say is also the case with the Beach Boys). Don't know if you saw my second reply to you about your first Pt. of 1969, but I watched the Adams/Rickles special, and enjoyed it! Thought they made a good comedy team, and didn't know they had ever worked together!
I did not know that the Smothers Brothers and John Lennon met up for a song. Also Johnny Cash had a successful show with a ton of stars, how cool is that. Great video Steve!
Lennon actually referenced Tommy Smothers, along with Timothy Leary and a lot of other people who were on the recording (and some who weren't, like Bob Dylan) in the fourth verse of "Give Peace A Chance." I think the only other Smothers/Lennon connection I know is Lennon and Harry Nilsson getting kicked out of a Smothers Brothers show in 1974 for drunkenly heckling them. (Supposedly, Nilsson encouraged it, thinking they were contributing to the show.) Great to hear from you, as always, Usualmike!
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! Age of Aquarius! I used to listen to that song quite a bit to annoy my father, who hated it. Awesome that you have a single copy of Break Away. I actually don't have one and I need to get one. Great job as always!
That's great! That song was certainly unescapable "back in the day." If "Age of Aquarius" annoyed him, I'm guessing it was a rough ride for your dad in 1969! When I was putting "20/20" together, I realized I could use a copy of the "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" single, which I'm now keeping an eye out for...Too late for the "20/20" episodes, though! Great to hear from you, as always, BB!
Another great episode Steve! Jam packed with information! I’m amazed you own all those albums you hold up. Bayou Country was one of 3 excellent and popular albums Creedence released in the year 1969. An amazing achievement. I’m not sure any other artist can claim the release of 3 mega popular albums of original new recordings in one year. Possibly the Beach Boys or Beatles? Looking forward to more of your comments on CSN later in the year. One of the best musical acts of all time I’d say!
One of the things I really became aware of when researching these episodes was how quickly and furiously CCR were turning out great records in 1969. For those three albums to come in a single year is amazing! Having been around for a while with limited success, I wonder if Fogerty had a backlog of songs to draw from? (That's absolutely a guess. As much as I enjoy CCR, I need to read up on their history!) I agree about CSN; one of the best musical acts of all time with each member bringing something unique to the mix that, somehow, all comes together beautifully. Thanks for the comments, Chris!
Steve..... you must have a research team! Great job!. I've mentioned before....1969 was very important to me musically. What great memories. Many of my very favorite songs and groups came from 1969. I can't wait to hear your take on Breakaway next week. Thanks again!
Thanks Lamont! Several others have also mentioned the great music that came out in 1969. As I was putting this together, I was noticing that, while I have albums from a lot of eras, 1969 seems like the first year where I have a LOT of the original albums in my collection today. Glad to know the episode brought back memories! Always great to hear from you, Lamont!
Same here, re: "Breakaway," I always have wondered if the "Reggie Dunbar" moniker has any significance, or was it entirely random? Also I've wondered what led to the Murry-Brian collaboration in the 1st place?
Also...wasn't this about the same time Murray sold all of Brian's music? I wonder just how much interaction Brian and his dad actually had on Breakaway.
@@burlingtonbill1 I couldn't find any significance to the choice of "Reggie Dunbar." There must be SOME reason he chose it. (Maybe somebody will let us known next week!)
@@lamontsouth5301 The sale came at least a few months after "Break Away." (As I'll be mentioning later, I've found conflicting information as to whether the deal to sell Sea of Tunes came on August 29 or sometime in November.) In any case, it does make me wonder if the collaboration on "Break Away" and the sale were somehow related. Thanks for the follow-up, Lamont!
A great video. For me it is fascinating to see events and popular culture from a time that I have some memories of (I was eight). I seem to remember that when they came back from the first moon landing they were recovered to an aircraft carrier with a military band playing "Aquarius" which shows the interplay between counterculture and establishment. Also fascinating is how American pop culture and Uk diverge. So many of the singles and artists mentioned did not crossover to us but the ones that did were massive. I think Derek and the Dominos also guested on the Johnny Cash show which seems a little bizarre.
I turned nine in July, '69, on the day after the moon landing. (I was bummed because the astronauts were originally scheduled to begin their first moonwalk a little after midnight, US Eastern time, which would have put it on my birthday. Instead, they got an early start and came out before midnight.) I didn't remember the military band playing "Aquarius." I'm sure you're right about it and it is an interesting crossover between the counterculture and the establishment. You're right, too, about Derek and The Dominos being on "The Johnny Cash Show." Just now, after reading your comments, I checked it out. There's an excellent clip of them playing "It's Too Late" on the show in 1971 here on CZcams. According to the video description, it was their only TV appearance. I wish I'd added them to the list in this episode! Thanks, as always, for the great feedback, Raymond!
Various musings: "Lineman" was monumental in so many ways for GC. It might be his signature song, but the one to always bring tears to my eyes & move me in ways none of his other ones do is "Try A Little Kindness" (Oct. '69). Never ever a fan of BS&T; much preferred "Chicago Transit Authority," when it came to adding horns. IAGDV was also a landmark with its "whole-side-song." Loved "Greatest" LPs from Donovan & Ass'n. Had both. "Dizzy" was Roe's next-to-last major hit (more of an early 60s artist). "Aquarius" always seemed like "Layla" in retrospect -- two unequal parts stitched together. Loved the hi-energy 1st parts much more. Have always loved "Galveston" (still do). The Wrecking Crew really shines! It's actually more about a soldier wishing he could be elsewhere. GC re-wrote one verse & made it into an uptempo happier song, with a touch of melancholy. [Songwriter Jimmy Webb was on fire in these years, writing Campbell's hits "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." Webb also wrote "MacArthur Park," which was a hit for both Richard Harris & Donna Summer, &"Up-Up and Away," which was recorded by The 5th Dimension. -- Songfacts] "Traces" - a guaranteed "chick pick" with enduring value. "Rock Me" - good, but tough to measure up to their 2 previous blockbuster hits. (In some ways it seemed that band spent the rest of their career looking for another "Born.") Time is Tight" - another great instrumental from Booker T. "Sweet Cherry Wine," mildly antiwar; a superb followup to their bestie "Crimson." "Hawaii 5-0" , "Boxer" , "Atlantis" , "Ghetto" - all felt like a closing of an earlier era, although in Elvis' case it was the start of a 2nd one, as you point out. My wife was always a bigger CS&N fan than me. (I preferred Hollies & early Byrds). I had that Bee Gees LP and always preferred their earlier stuff to the disco era songs, for the most part. Smothers' show cancellation - no surprise to me. Seeing the "Peanuts" stuff was great ! After seeing this episode, 1969 seems symbolic of a real closing out of the 60s, and to be a herald for different musical trends about to happen for the next decade. As always, thanks for your dedication, Steve.
Jimmy Webb's work during this period is amazing. In particular, I find both "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston" really memorable and moving. Of course, Glen Campbell gives a great performance on both too. (I was just recently noticing how excellent his vocal on "Galveston" is.) I also prefer "CTA" to "BS&T" too. It seemed to me that Chicago was closer to jazz (and could, obviously, write some great pop/rock songs) while Blood, Sweat & Tears seemed closer to "main stream showbiz" in their horn-centric approaches. In any case, it was undoubtedly a great era for music. In a way, it seems that the music of the "rock era" was reaching a kind of maturity at the end of the 60s that have kept many of those songs popular and in "heavy rotation" to this day. Researching this really made me aware of the "closing out of the 60s" and with some of the records, you can definitely see the trends of the 70s coming in. (When we get to the end of the year, with "Abbey Road" and "Led Zeppelin II" both dominating the top of the album, it seems like there almost couldn't be anything more appropriate and symbolic of the end of the 60s and the start of the 70s.) Thanks, once again, for the great feedback and perspective, Bill!
It's hard to resist singing those Blood, Sweat and Tears titles. With them having so many hits in 1969...brace yourself! Thanks for the feedback and for the laugh, Feast!
Need to correct you on something: that Blood, Sweat & Tears album wasn't really their "debut"...their actual debut was Child Is Father To The Man (a GREAT record). I guess you could KIND OF call their (somewhat) revamped line -up, with new front man David Clayton-Thomas, a "new" band, but I personally think it's basically the same unit as before, albeit a LOT more commercially successful. That small nitpick aside, this is another excellent and informative video. 👍🙂 Some other comments: I love the song "Soul Experience" from Iron Butterfly's Ball LP (the song was one of their only things to make the Hot 100 after the one everybody knows..lol). Love that UNI label...definitely one of the best-designed record labels ever! Had no idea the Hair Original Broadway Cast album came out in 1969....that was a very surprising piece of news. Always thought it was issued within a few months of the show's opening on Broadway.
You are absolute right about "Child Is The Father To The Man," Anthony! I really blew it on that one and it shouldn't have gotten by me. Thanks for catching it! I'll be sure to make the correction in a future episode and will definitely give you a "shout out" for letting me know. Thanks, too, for mentioning "Soul Experience." "Ball" is an album I run across pretty often and I've debated whether I should pick up a copy. With your recommendation, I'm going to grab a copy the next time I come across a nice, clean, inexpensive one. I was surprised, too, about the delay between the opening of "Hair" and the cast album. I don't know enough about Broadway cast recordings to know if that kind of gap is unusual, but I would have thought so. Wonder if it was tied up with in some kind of legal issue for a while? (Now that you've mentioned it, I'm going to see if I can find out more when I get a chance.) Thanks, again, for the comments and info, Anthony! Much appreciated!
@@beanie226 Thanks for the recommendation, Beanie! I'm going to keep an eye out for a copy. Maybe I can show the album on the channel later when I make the correction!
Steve , you helped me to recall just how dominant Jimmy Webb was becoming as a songwriter in that period . Webb was , of course , linked to Glenn Campbell and signed on to write for Johnny Rivers , who was producing groups like The 5th Dimension . Interestingly , The 5th Dimension was the first to record , “ The Worst That Could Happen “ . It was not a hit because tenor , Ron Townson , didn’t have the range or power to perform the song in full voice . After the modulation which ends the bridge , we hear the final , “ …if he , really loves you more than me … “ Townson breaks into falsetto, which renders the recording wimpy . Johnny Maestro is the only voice that does the song justice . ( Can you tell I’m a fan ? ) By the way , you refer to the “ Hawaii Five-O “ single as the “ Ventures’ version “ . It is , in fact, the same version one hears on the TV show . The group is even mentioned as performing the theme in the credits .
I just listened to the 5th Dimension version of "The Worst That Could Happen." I absolutely hear what you mean about the vocal performance and it really points out what a great vocal Johnny Maestro gives on the hit version. I didn't really know Johnny Maestro before and your comments have given me a new appreciation of his talents. Thanks for letting me know about it so I could make the comparison! Thanks, too, for the clarification on the Hawaii Five-O theme, Beanie! Much appreciated!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 thanks for the recognition , Steve . I bow to your expertise regarding the mid 1980’s , but you’re in my wheelhouse here . Perhaps I’ll reveal next week how I came to know so much about Johnny Maestro. It’s a really good story and will fit in your “ Breakaway “ review .
1969 was a very productive year in so many ways and you only need to look at the music charts to see just how important and varied the trends were back then both in America and here in UK and so many of those records are still on the playlist today in either album tracks or singles and it seems that every track and artist were absolute classics and i bet that in 1969 we would never have believed that these songs would still be relevant in 2024 and i remember vividly of the shocking news of Hair and the protests about its nudity and all the calls for the show to be closed and found it interesting to see so many of these objections by all of those that had gone along, just to see how " Disgusting " it was, many i am told , attended for a second viewing just to check whether it was as disgraceful as first considered. and this and the actions of John and Yoko seemed to dominate most of the news this quarter. And as for TV well i was watching the Monkees Show which was huge here in 1969 along with Tommy Cooper, Morcambe and Wise and Marty Feldman , play for Today was great drama , along with Take Three Girls and Dee Time ...( Simon Dee had been one of the first DJs on Radio Caroline and was now on TV, but was very unpopular and demanding , so much so that BBC dropped him and ITV then took him, but they too later dropped him ) Dee was also dropped by Radio Caroline following an incident when he picked up a pile of records that he didnt like and threw them out of the porthole into the sea, which upset the boss. And the only other event i should mention was the change in ITV Franchise as where i was, our ITV Service had been handled by Redifusion monday to friday teatime with ABC over the weekend and after summer 1968 the different regions were provided with various , different fanchises , though its fair to say thet some franchises were renewed , Granada from Manchester i know was one and Yorkshire TV was another , though i believe the boundaries may have changed and as i was in Greater London , we had two services ie Thames TV monday to friday teatime and London Weekend TV Saturday and Sunday and i imagine these franchises were awarded to the highest bidder and was overseen by Independent Broadcasting Authority. BBC was unaffected by these changes and by 1969 colour progs were slowly being filtered into the schedule , but not many of us were fortunate to have a Colour TV and indeed my household had to wait until 1971 for that pleasure.
Interesting recollections on "Hair." I did some further reading on the famous "nude scene." Apparently, on Broadway, it was brief, dimly-lit and, according to what I read, the actors weren't allowed to move during it. If they made any kind of movement, it would have violated obscenity laws and they'd have been arrested. (Pretty interesting loop-hole there, I thought!) Thanks for the recap of UK TV! Coincidentally, I ran across Tommy Cooper's name earlier today as one of the names John Lennon sings in the fourth verse of "Give Peace A Chance." I never knew who that was before! I first became aware of Marty Feldman in the spring of 1972 when he had a short run with a series on US TV called "Marty Feldman's Comedy Machine." I thought it was really funny and, importantly, he always included a clip from some British show called "Monty Python's Flying Circus," which I had never heard of but I immediately found those clips hilarious. When "Monty Python" finally came to US TV in 1974, I was already looking forward to it, based on what I'd seen on Marty Feldman's show. (and, of course, Feldman became really well known in America the same year as "I-gor" in "Young Frankenstein.") You've mentioned so many shows and entities (ITV, Redifusion, Thames TV, etc) that I've come across over the years and never really understood. Thanks for finally making sense of all this for me (and, I'm sure, for many other "Yanks" reading this!) Thanks very much, as always, Chris!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 The only time I saw the stage production of “ Hair “ occurred in 1971 in , ( of all places) , Canton , Ohio . I was visiting my parents who had recently moved to Ohio from NJ . I had a girlfriend with me and my mother handed us tickets to the road company performance of “ Hair “ in downtown Canton . The show concluded with the nude scene and suddenly two dozen uniformed police marched down to the stage and arrested the cast closing the show . We read the next day in The Canton Repository that there would be no more performances of this obscene play . My mother was seeking to convince me that Ohio was not an uncultured , ignorant backwater . Her attempt failed .
@@beanie226 Wow! Thanks for sharing that great, and hilarious, story, Beanie! I guess your night out at the theater ending in mass arrests at least makes it memorable! It also makes a great story. Thanks again for sharing it!
1. Actually, the Blood Sweat and Tears album that charted at that time was their second album, as the first was (Beach Boys' Smile alert!) Child Is Father To The Man. But the charting BST album could almost be considered a debut of sorts as it was very different from the first album which had as its mastermind Al Kooper, and which received rapturous reviews. The second album was the first to feature singer David Clayton-Thomas (from Canada) and was indeed huge commercially with several big hit singles. 2. Really looking forward to the in-depth look into Break Away, my favorite Beach Boys song. I'll have plenty to write, I'm sure. 3. Funny how the Temptations single spells Runaway as Run Away. I wonder if this was corrected on a subsequent pressing. 4. I really like Time Is Tight in its single version. The long album version is completely different and far inferior, and longer, and at a faster tempo. 5. Apparently, there were two different versions of Love (Can Make You Happy), the one done for Sundi and a re-record done for Warner Bros. 6. Boy, that Elvis In the Ghetto single is grammatically mangled, should be "ask for the From Elvis In Memphis" and "LP Album" is a bit superfluous. LP or album would do. 7. Interesting how the RCA singles of These Eyes and Grazing In The Grass (and others) were in stereo in 1969, but Elvis singles stayed mono (with one exception, a How Great Thou Art reissue single) until 1972. 8. Wow, three Glen Campbell hits on that Andy Williams album. 9. One of my favorite books I ever had was a very extensive compilation of Peanuts comics just focusing on Snoppy and his bird friend Woodstock. I read it over and over again. Very sophisticated humor.
Wow! I really blew it on the Blood, Sweat & Tears album! I'm really bummed that something like that got by me. Thanks for letting me know and I will definitely follow up with a correction at the next opportunity. (Good to know too! "Child Is The Father To The Man" is an album I was aware of. I don't suppose I ever considered how it fit into their discography...I certainly didn't when I should have checked!) "Break Away" is a great track and was interesting to research. I'm looking forward to your thoughts and feedback next week! I love "Time Is Tight" too. I probably should have said a little more about it. I didn't know there was a different album version, though, from your comments, it doesn't sound like I'm missing much! Thanks for catching the misspellings and/or typos on the Temptations and Elvis singles, and for noting that Elvis singles remained in mono after other RCA singles went to stereo. (I'd love to know why.) I had some beloved "Peanuts" paperbacks as a kid, along with a cartoon "tracing" set, where you could draw your own Peanuts comics using templates. An interesting factoid I ran across researching this episode, and didn't find a way to use here, is that Snoopy's bird pal was introduced to the strip on April 4, 1967 but didn't get the name "Woodstock" until June 22, 1970. (Glad you mentioned him so I could use this little item I had tucked away!) Thanks, once again, for the eagle-eyed observations and great feedback, Joel!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Regarding the Elvis singles, perhaps RCA felt that Elvis was more of an AM artist as opposed to the more current (for then) artists/groups that may have been felt to be more suited to FM.(Singles began being issued in stereo again in 1968 after that brief period of releases from 1958 to 1961 or so, from what I've read, because of demands from FM radio stations). I also read somewhere that Elvis preferred mono, and wanted Memories from the 1968 special released that way-however, the stereo mix of that song is gorgeous. Elvis may have been on to something because the mono mix of my favorite Elvis song, It's Only Love, is more punchy than the stereo mix, which was first released in 1980 on the Elvis Aron Presley box set. In fact, the stereo mixes of such songs as Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain, The Sound Of Your Cry and Don't Cry Daddy were first released in the 1980s. By the way, speaking of sound formats, I also wonder if Elvis had a quadraphonic system (the CD-4 format used by RCA and the Warner group of labels) at Graceland, seeing as several of his albums - From Elvis In Memphis, On Stage February 1970, That's The Way It Is, Elvis Country, Madison Square Garden on 8-track in North America and LP in Japan; and Aloha From Hawaii, Promised Land and Today on LP in North America - were released in quad.
@@joelgoldenberg1100 Thanks for the excellent follow up, Joel! I think your points about Elvis probably being considered more of an "AM" artist, and his preference for mono, probably explain it. Thanks, too, for the other info. I've actually been talking to my wife about possibly going to Nashville and Memphis this fall. It's been 20 years since I visited Graceland and I'd love to see it again. If we go, I will definitely see if I can spot what kind of sound system he had! Thanks again, Joel!
iron butterfly got me thinking, what were your first experiences with heavy metal music? It was starting to emerge in the 70s and really got big in the MTV era. Then heavier things like Metallica hitting huge success in the late 80s..
That's an interesting question, John! I know that, as a kid, I had a real aversion to anything resembling "heavy metal." When I was 13, there was a TV commercial for our local FM rock station, WRIF 101 in Detroit, that used the riff from Mountain's "Mississippi Queen." It sounded SO great to me that I started listening to the station but, for a long time, I kept the volume low and listened in secret, fearing I'd be made fun of for "acting like a teenager" by listening to "heavy" music. (Of course, this was long before heavy metal became what it did during the MTV era and beyond.) Thanks for posing an interesting question, John! What were your first experiences with heavy metal?
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 i was a kid when Guitar Hero was at it's peak, it was a perfect interactive hits collection across rock genres. Rockband was also huge, and their Beatles themed game in 2009 lead me to older sounds
@@wohnjomble Thanks for sharing the memories, John! Now that you've mentioned it, I'll bet Guitar Hero and Rockband were highly influential on an entire generation. Good to know and consider! Thanks again, John!
Elvis’s greatest album!! I still have my RCA vinyl !
Yes it was the start of a second golden age of Elvis.
@@raymondgill9796 Definitely a great one! Cool that you still have it on vinyl too, Mike!
So many great singles then, and I heard them all on AM radio. This was probably the last great year of AM radio for rock music. Btw, I just got done reading a book about Wichita Lineman that came out a few years ago. I think all together there were 5 hit singles from Hair. Ah, the Smothers Brothers. That was definitely one of my favorite shows back then, even though a lot of stuff went over my head. CBS cancelled 2 of my favorite shows that year -- besides Smothers Brothers, they canned Wild, Wild West. My 12-year old self couldn't believe it. Thanks for another fun video.
I think you're right about this being the last great era of AM radio, Paul. There are some hit singles, like Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" later in the year that it would be hard to imagine hearing on AM much after this. (I suppose a lot of stuff like that just "migrated" to FM.) I think you're right about the number of hit singles from "Hair." I think, in every case, I prefer the cover version to the Broadway cast recording. I missed the Smothers Brother "back in the day" because they came on after my bedtime, but I sure remember "Wild, Wild West." My dad never missed an episode. It was a lot of fun then and I still enjoy it whenever I run across a rerun. (Recently, it occurred to me that a spinoff series starring Ross Martin as Artemis Gordon could have been great. Too bad that never happened!) Actually, I'm looking forward to covering the premier of "Wild, Wild West when I get to episodes on 1965 (sometime soon, I hope!) Thanks for sharing the memories and for the feedback, Paul!
Looking at your video hard to believe this was 55 years ago. I was kind of bummed out that you did'nt add your vocals to Proud Mary. Thanks for another video and the time you put into them every week.
I actually considered "having a go" at "Proud Mary." I guess I'll get another chance one of these days when we get to "1971" and the Ike and Tina Turner version. Thanks for the feedback, Don! Always great to hear from you!
Great stuff Steve! I was born in the second quarter of 1969, so I was able to watch the moon landing. I don't remember anything about it. Lol. I love Hair by the Cowsills. I didn't really discover it till about 5 years ago.
I did just get a movie with Bob Dylan in it. Criterion just released a 4k set of Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid. Since this month is the Barnes and Noble 50 percent off Criterion sale, I picked it up. Of course, I watched the Charlie Brown specials on TV and loved the Snoopy vs The Red Baron songs. Thanks again for the Great stuff and info.
Thanks for the great feedback and, also, for the reminder on the Barnes and Noble Criterion sale. I saw that Betamax Blocker talked about it on his channel and I need to check it out. I'm sure there are some titles I'll want to pick up. "Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid" would be great in a Criterion package. (I've got a double disc DVD set of it, already, which makes it a little less attractive for me to buy it again, though I'm sure the Criterion version is far superior.)
Wish I'd known you were born in the second quarter of 1969. I should have gotten you in there as one of the news highlights in this episode!
Always great to hear from you, Michael! Thanks again for the kind words and great comments!
Steve - One of the things I love about your show in reviewing the hit songs and albums of a particular year is the reminder of how much great music there has been through the decades, and 1969 is a perfect example. I'll pause your show when a song title I don't recognize is mentioned, then bring up another CZcams tab to listen to the song (Ex: I've heard "Grazing In the Grass" countless times but never knew the title!) BTW, "Atlantis" was used perfectly in Goodfellas. I'm looking forward to the "Break Away" backstory!
Thanks for the good words, Chris, and it's SO cool that you've used these episodes to check out additional music! (I've certainly discovered a lot of songs I either didn't know or had forgotten through researching these.) Funny that you mention "Goodfellas." I recently mentioned to my wife that I've never seen it. She's a librarian and just brought home a DVD copy for us to watch. It's laying right here on the coffee table in the basement, waiting to go. I'll be interested to see how "Atlantis" is used!
Thanks again for the comments, Chris, and I'll be looking forward to your perspective on "Break Away" next week!
BTW, my record-shopping friend and I didn't make it out to BurgerFi this week. He owns a movie theater and the new "Despicable Me" movie is doing better than he expected. It's great for business, but left him too busy for record shopping this week. I'll keep you posted!
Most of the singles and albums mentioned here were big in the UK, with both "Tommy" by The Who and the CS&N album standing out as two masterpieces. "Credence Clearwater Revival" was also making it's mark on our charts with "Proud Mary" and would continue with a no 1 hit in August/September with "Bad Moon Rising". Brilliantly researched and presented as usual.
Thanks, once again, for the UK perspective. "Tommy" has kind of a strange arc on the charts here. It hits shortly after its release, drops back down the chart and then, for some reason, peaks at #4 in September, 1970. The Who wasn't on tour in the US at the time or anything, so I'm not really sure why that was. (Hopefully, I'll have it figured out by the time I'm doing episodes on 1970!) Interesting to know that CCR was big on the charts there too. I didn't know whether they'd been popular in the UK or not. (They seem particularly "American" to me.) Glad to know they did well there too! Thanks for the kind words and for the excellent perspective, John! It's always great to hear from you and much appreciated!
In some ways, these months in 1969 marked the beginnings and endings of some entertainers careers. CSN releases its first album, Judy Garland passes away, Elvis leaves his movie career (a few months short of returning to live performances in Las Vegas, of all places), Dylan releases a Country music album!, Glen Campbell continues building a successful solo career, etc. etc. Still a few months short of the historic July, 1969 moon landing and what I would call one of the greatest Rock music festivals/despite the weather, Woodstock. Will check out the songs you mentioned, which I'd never heard of!
Yes! The feeling of "transition" is really prevalent in a lot of these episodes. I suppose, in a lot of ways, that was true at the time. I turned 9 that year, but I was old enough to remember the feeling that we were all hurtling head-long into the future (ie. going to the moon, reaching the end of the 60s, etc.) Of course, a lot of the events that marked the beginning of phases and trends only become clear in retrospect but it was undoubtedly a time of tremendous change. As you mention, too, it was a fantastically eventful summer. I'm looking forward to getting to it and I'll be looking forward to your perspective! Thanks, once again, for the great feedback, Robert!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I've always been happy with my age, and the eras I grew up in (The 1970s through the early 1980s), but sometimes I think it would have been nice to be able to experience earlier eras first hand (Being around when certain things actually happened), rather than just knowing them by history or nostalgia. Thanks to you, Steve, I now know about the group Classics IV. They've seemed to have an interesting history, and are still going (In a diminished capacity, as I would say is also the case with the Beach Boys). Don't know if you saw my second reply to you about your first Pt. of 1969, but I watched the Adams/Rickles special, and enjoyed it! Thought they made a good comedy team, and didn't know they had ever worked together!
I did not know that the Smothers Brothers and John Lennon met up for a song. Also Johnny Cash had a successful show with a ton of stars, how cool is that. Great video Steve!
Lennon actually referenced Tommy Smothers, along with Timothy Leary and a lot of other people who were on the recording (and some who weren't, like Bob Dylan) in the fourth verse of "Give Peace A Chance." I think the only other Smothers/Lennon connection I know is Lennon and Harry Nilsson getting kicked out of a Smothers Brothers show in 1974 for drunkenly heckling them. (Supposedly, Nilsson encouraged it, thinking they were contributing to the show.) Great to hear from you, as always, Usualmike!
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! Age of Aquarius! I used to listen to that song quite a bit to annoy my father, who hated it. Awesome that you have a single copy of Break Away. I actually don't have one and I need to get one. Great job as always!
That's great! That song was certainly unescapable "back in the day." If "Age of Aquarius" annoyed him, I'm guessing it was a rough ride for your dad in 1969! When I was putting "20/20" together, I realized I could use a copy of the "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" single, which I'm now keeping an eye out for...Too late for the "20/20" episodes, though! Great to hear from you, as always, BB!
Another great episode Steve! Jam packed with information! I’m amazed you own all those albums you hold up. Bayou Country was one of 3 excellent and popular albums Creedence released in the year 1969. An amazing achievement. I’m not sure any other artist can claim the release of 3 mega popular albums of original new recordings in one year. Possibly the Beach Boys or Beatles? Looking forward to more of your comments on CSN later in the year. One of the best musical acts of all time I’d say!
One of the things I really became aware of when researching these episodes was how quickly and furiously CCR were turning out great records in 1969. For those three albums to come in a single year is amazing! Having been around for a while with limited success, I wonder if Fogerty had a backlog of songs to draw from? (That's absolutely a guess. As much as I enjoy CCR, I need to read up on their history!) I agree about CSN; one of the best musical acts of all time with each member bringing something unique to the mix that, somehow, all comes together beautifully. Thanks for the comments, Chris!
Another great video Steve! Excited to see what you have to say about Breakaway.
"Break Away" was really interesting to research. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on it next week. Thanks for the comments, Ted!
Steve..... you must have a research team! Great job!. I've mentioned before....1969 was very important to me musically. What great memories. Many of my very favorite songs and groups came from 1969. I can't wait to hear your take on Breakaway next week. Thanks again!
Thanks Lamont! Several others have also mentioned the great music that came out in 1969. As I was putting this together, I was noticing that, while I have albums from a lot of eras, 1969 seems like the first year where I have a LOT of the original albums in my collection today. Glad to know the episode brought back memories! Always great to hear from you, Lamont!
Same here, re: "Breakaway," I always have wondered if the "Reggie Dunbar" moniker has any significance, or was it entirely random? Also I've wondered what led to the Murry-Brian collaboration in the 1st place?
Also...wasn't this about the same time Murray sold all of Brian's music? I wonder just how much interaction Brian and his dad actually had on Breakaway.
@@burlingtonbill1 I couldn't find any significance to the choice of "Reggie Dunbar." There must be SOME reason he chose it. (Maybe somebody will let us known next week!)
@@lamontsouth5301 The sale came at least a few months after "Break Away." (As I'll be mentioning later, I've found conflicting information as to whether the deal to sell Sea of Tunes came on August 29 or sometime in November.) In any case, it does make me wonder if the collaboration on "Break Away" and the sale were somehow related. Thanks for the follow-up, Lamont!
A great video. For me it is fascinating to see events and popular culture from a time that I have some memories of (I was eight). I seem to remember that when they came back from the first moon landing they were recovered to an aircraft carrier with a military band playing "Aquarius" which shows the interplay between counterculture and establishment. Also fascinating is how American pop culture and Uk diverge. So many of the singles and artists mentioned did not crossover to us but the ones that did were massive. I think Derek and the Dominos also guested on the Johnny Cash show which seems a little bizarre.
I turned nine in July, '69, on the day after the moon landing. (I was bummed because the astronauts were originally scheduled to begin their first moonwalk a little after midnight, US Eastern time, which would have put it on my birthday. Instead, they got an early start and came out before midnight.) I didn't remember the military band playing "Aquarius." I'm sure you're right about it and it is an interesting crossover between the counterculture and the establishment. You're right, too, about Derek and The Dominos being on "The Johnny Cash Show." Just now, after reading your comments, I checked it out. There's an excellent clip of them playing "It's Too Late" on the show in 1971 here on CZcams. According to the video description, it was their only TV appearance. I wish I'd added them to the list in this episode! Thanks, as always, for the great feedback, Raymond!
Various musings: "Lineman" was monumental in so many ways for GC. It might be his signature song, but the one to always bring tears to my eyes & move me in ways none of his other ones do is "Try A Little Kindness" (Oct. '69). Never ever a fan of BS&T; much preferred "Chicago Transit Authority," when it came to adding horns. IAGDV was also a landmark with its "whole-side-song." Loved "Greatest" LPs from Donovan & Ass'n. Had both. "Dizzy" was Roe's next-to-last major hit (more of an early 60s artist). "Aquarius" always seemed like "Layla" in retrospect -- two unequal parts stitched together. Loved the hi-energy 1st parts much more.
Have always loved "Galveston" (still do). The Wrecking Crew really shines! It's actually more about a soldier wishing he could be elsewhere. GC re-wrote one verse & made it into an uptempo happier song, with a touch of melancholy. [Songwriter Jimmy Webb was on fire in these years, writing Campbell's hits "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." Webb also wrote "MacArthur Park," which was a hit for both Richard Harris & Donna Summer, &"Up-Up and Away," which was recorded by The 5th Dimension. -- Songfacts]
"Traces" - a guaranteed "chick pick" with enduring value. "Rock Me" - good, but tough to measure up to their 2 previous blockbuster hits. (In some ways it seemed that band spent the rest of their career looking for another "Born.") Time is Tight" - another great instrumental from Booker T. "Sweet Cherry Wine," mildly antiwar; a superb followup to their bestie "Crimson."
"Hawaii 5-0" , "Boxer" , "Atlantis" , "Ghetto" - all felt like a closing of an earlier era, although in Elvis' case it was the start of a 2nd one, as you point out. My wife was always a bigger CS&N fan than me. (I preferred Hollies & early Byrds). I had that Bee Gees LP and always preferred their earlier stuff to the disco era songs, for the most part. Smothers' show cancellation - no surprise to me. Seeing the "Peanuts" stuff was great ! After seeing this episode, 1969 seems symbolic of a real closing out of the 60s, and to be a herald for different musical trends about to happen for the next decade. As always, thanks for your dedication, Steve.
Jimmy Webb's work during this period is amazing. In particular, I find both "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston" really memorable and moving. Of course, Glen Campbell gives a great performance on both too. (I was just recently noticing how excellent his vocal on "Galveston" is.)
I also prefer "CTA" to "BS&T" too. It seemed to me that Chicago was closer to jazz (and could, obviously, write some great pop/rock songs) while Blood, Sweat & Tears seemed closer to "main stream showbiz" in their horn-centric approaches.
In any case, it was undoubtedly a great era for music. In a way, it seems that the music of the "rock era" was reaching a kind of maturity at the end of the 60s that have kept many of those songs popular and in "heavy rotation" to this day. Researching this really made me aware of the "closing out of the 60s" and with some of the records, you can definitely see the trends of the 70s coming in. (When we get to the end of the year, with "Abbey Road" and "Led Zeppelin II" both dominating the top of the album, it seems like there almost couldn't be anything more appropriate and symbolic of the end of the 60s and the start of the 70s.)
Thanks, once again, for the great feedback and perspective, Bill!
2:28 for the win!
It's hard to resist singing those Blood, Sweat and Tears titles. With them having so many hits in 1969...brace yourself! Thanks for the feedback and for the laugh, Feast!
happy 2k steve! well deserved, keep rockin' in the free world
Happy you noticed the "2k" landmark! (It's been a long time coming!) Thanks, Mate!
Need to correct you on something: that Blood, Sweat & Tears album wasn't really their "debut"...their actual debut was Child Is Father To The Man (a GREAT record). I guess you could KIND OF call their (somewhat) revamped line
-up, with new front man David Clayton-Thomas, a "new" band, but I personally think it's basically the same unit as before, albeit a LOT more commercially successful. That small nitpick aside, this is another excellent and informative video. 👍🙂 Some other comments: I love the song "Soul Experience" from Iron Butterfly's Ball LP (the song was one of their only things to make the Hot 100 after the one everybody knows..lol). Love that UNI label...definitely one of the best-designed record labels ever! Had no idea the Hair Original Broadway Cast album came out in 1969....that was a very surprising piece of news. Always thought it was issued within a few months of the show's opening on Broadway.
You are absolute right about "Child Is The Father To The Man," Anthony! I really blew it on that one and it shouldn't have gotten by me. Thanks for catching it! I'll be sure to make the correction in a future episode and will definitely give you a "shout out" for letting me know.
Thanks, too, for mentioning "Soul Experience." "Ball" is an album I run across pretty often and I've debated whether I should pick up a copy. With your recommendation, I'm going to grab a copy the next time I come across a nice, clean, inexpensive one.
I was surprised, too, about the delay between the opening of "Hair" and the cast album. I don't know enough about Broadway cast recordings to know if that kind of gap is unusual, but I would have thought so. Wonder if it was tied up with in some kind of legal issue for a while? (Now that you've mentioned it, I'm going to see if I can find out more when I get a chance.)
Thanks, again, for the comments and info, Anthony! Much appreciated!
“ Child is Father to the Man “ is not just a BS&T great album, but their very best !
@@beanie226 Agreed 100%. I do like a few things on the 2nd album, but "Child..." is an absolute monster masterwork.
@@beanie226 Thanks for the recommendation, Beanie! I'm going to keep an eye out for a copy. Maybe I can show the album on the channel later when I make the correction!
Steve , you helped me to recall just how dominant Jimmy Webb was becoming as a songwriter in that period . Webb was , of course , linked to Glenn Campbell and signed on to write for Johnny Rivers , who was producing groups like The 5th Dimension .
Interestingly , The 5th Dimension was the first to record , “ The Worst That Could Happen “ . It was not a hit because tenor , Ron Townson , didn’t have the range or power to perform the song in full voice . After the modulation which ends the bridge , we hear the final , “ …if he , really loves you more than me … “ Townson breaks into falsetto, which renders the recording wimpy .
Johnny Maestro is the only voice that does the song justice . ( Can you tell I’m a fan ? )
By the way , you refer to the “ Hawaii Five-O “ single as the “ Ventures’ version “ . It is , in fact, the same version one hears on the TV show . The group is even mentioned as performing the theme in the credits .
I just listened to the 5th Dimension version of "The Worst That Could Happen." I absolutely hear what you mean about the vocal performance and it really points out what a great vocal Johnny Maestro gives on the hit version. I didn't really know Johnny Maestro before and your comments have given me a new appreciation of his talents. Thanks for letting me know about it so I could make the comparison!
Thanks, too, for the clarification on the Hawaii Five-O theme, Beanie! Much appreciated!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 thanks for the recognition , Steve . I bow to your expertise regarding the mid 1980’s , but you’re in my wheelhouse here .
Perhaps I’ll reveal next week how I came to know so much about Johnny Maestro. It’s a really good story and will fit in your “ Breakaway “ review .
@@beanie226 Agreed! And I'm looking forward to the "reveal" about Johnny Maestro next week. Thanks, Beanie!
1969 was a very productive year in so many ways and you only need to look at the music charts to see just how important and varied the trends were back then both in America and here in UK and so many of those records are still on the playlist today in either album tracks or singles and it seems that every track and artist were absolute classics and i bet that in 1969 we would never have believed that these songs would still be relevant in 2024 and i remember vividly of the shocking news of Hair and the protests about its nudity and all the calls for the show to be closed and found it interesting to see so many of these objections by all of those that had gone along, just to see how " Disgusting " it was, many i am told , attended for a second viewing just to check whether it was as disgraceful as first considered. and this and the actions of John and Yoko seemed to dominate most of the news this quarter.
And as for TV well i was watching the Monkees Show which was huge here in 1969 along with Tommy Cooper, Morcambe and Wise and Marty Feldman , play for Today was great drama , along with Take Three Girls and Dee Time ...( Simon Dee had been one of the first DJs on Radio Caroline and was now on TV, but was very unpopular and demanding , so much so that BBC dropped him and ITV then took him, but they too later dropped him ) Dee was also dropped by Radio Caroline following an incident when he picked up a pile of records that he didnt like and threw them out of the porthole into the sea, which upset the boss.
And the only other event i should mention was the change in ITV Franchise as where i was, our ITV Service had been handled by Redifusion monday to friday teatime with ABC over the weekend and after summer 1968 the different regions were provided with various , different fanchises , though its fair to say thet some franchises were renewed , Granada from Manchester i know was one and Yorkshire TV was another , though i believe the boundaries may have changed and as i was in Greater London , we had two services ie Thames TV monday to friday teatime and London Weekend TV Saturday and Sunday and i imagine these franchises were awarded to the highest bidder and was overseen by Independent Broadcasting Authority.
BBC was unaffected by these changes and by 1969 colour progs were slowly being filtered into the schedule , but not many of us were fortunate to have a Colour TV and indeed my household had to wait until 1971 for that pleasure.
Interesting recollections on "Hair." I did some further reading on the famous "nude scene." Apparently, on Broadway, it was brief, dimly-lit and, according to what I read, the actors weren't allowed to move during it. If they made any kind of movement, it would have violated obscenity laws and they'd have been arrested. (Pretty interesting loop-hole there, I thought!)
Thanks for the recap of UK TV! Coincidentally, I ran across Tommy Cooper's name earlier today as one of the names John Lennon sings in the fourth verse of "Give Peace A Chance." I never knew who that was before!
I first became aware of Marty Feldman in the spring of 1972 when he had a short run with a series on US TV called "Marty Feldman's Comedy Machine." I thought it was really funny and, importantly, he always included a clip from some British show called "Monty Python's Flying Circus," which I had never heard of but I immediately found those clips hilarious. When "Monty Python" finally came to US TV in 1974, I was already looking forward to it, based on what I'd seen on Marty Feldman's show. (and, of course, Feldman became really well known in America the same year as "I-gor" in "Young Frankenstein.")
You've mentioned so many shows and entities (ITV, Redifusion, Thames TV, etc) that I've come across over the years and never really understood. Thanks for finally making sense of all this for me (and, I'm sure, for many other "Yanks" reading this!) Thanks very much, as always, Chris!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 The only time I saw the stage production of “ Hair “ occurred in 1971 in , ( of all places) , Canton , Ohio . I was visiting my parents who had recently moved to Ohio from NJ . I had a girlfriend with me and my mother handed us tickets to the road company performance of “ Hair “ in downtown Canton .
The show concluded with the nude scene and suddenly two dozen uniformed police marched down to the stage and arrested the cast closing the show . We read the next day in The Canton Repository that there would be no more performances of this obscene play .
My mother was seeking to convince me that Ohio was not an uncultured , ignorant backwater . Her attempt failed .
@@beanie226 Wow! Thanks for sharing that great, and hilarious, story, Beanie! I guess your night out at the theater ending in mass arrests at least makes it memorable! It also makes a great story. Thanks again for sharing it!
1. Actually, the Blood Sweat and Tears album that charted at that time was their second album, as the first was (Beach Boys' Smile alert!) Child Is Father To The Man. But the charting BST album could almost be considered a debut of sorts as it was very different from the first album which had as its mastermind Al Kooper, and which received rapturous reviews. The second album was the first to feature singer David Clayton-Thomas (from Canada) and was indeed huge commercially with several big hit singles. 2. Really looking forward to the in-depth look into Break Away, my favorite Beach Boys song. I'll have plenty to write, I'm sure. 3. Funny how the Temptations single spells Runaway as Run Away. I wonder if this was corrected on a subsequent pressing. 4. I really like Time Is Tight in its single version. The long album version is completely different and far inferior, and longer, and at a faster tempo. 5. Apparently, there were two different versions of Love (Can Make You Happy), the one done for Sundi and a re-record done for Warner Bros. 6. Boy, that Elvis In the Ghetto single is grammatically mangled, should be "ask for the From Elvis In Memphis" and "LP Album" is a bit superfluous. LP or album would do. 7. Interesting how the RCA singles of These Eyes and Grazing In The Grass (and others) were in stereo in 1969, but Elvis singles stayed mono (with one exception, a How Great Thou Art reissue single) until 1972. 8. Wow, three Glen Campbell hits on that Andy Williams album. 9. One of my favorite books I ever had was a very extensive compilation of Peanuts comics just focusing on Snoppy and his bird friend Woodstock. I read it over and over again. Very sophisticated humor.
Wow! I really blew it on the Blood, Sweat & Tears album! I'm really bummed that something like that got by me. Thanks for letting me know and I will definitely follow up with a correction at the next opportunity. (Good to know too! "Child Is The Father To The Man" is an album I was aware of. I don't suppose I ever considered how it fit into their discography...I certainly didn't when I should have checked!)
"Break Away" is a great track and was interesting to research. I'm looking forward to your thoughts and feedback next week!
I love "Time Is Tight" too. I probably should have said a little more about it. I didn't know there was a different album version, though, from your comments, it doesn't sound like I'm missing much!
Thanks for catching the misspellings and/or typos on the Temptations and Elvis singles, and for noting that Elvis singles remained in mono after other RCA singles went to stereo. (I'd love to know why.)
I had some beloved "Peanuts" paperbacks as a kid, along with a cartoon "tracing" set, where you could draw your own Peanuts comics using templates. An interesting factoid I ran across researching this episode, and didn't find a way to use here, is that Snoopy's bird pal was introduced to the strip on April 4, 1967 but didn't get the name "Woodstock" until June 22, 1970. (Glad you mentioned him so I could use this little item I had tucked away!) Thanks, once again, for the eagle-eyed observations and great feedback, Joel!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Regarding the Elvis singles, perhaps RCA felt that Elvis was more of an AM artist as opposed to the more current (for then) artists/groups that may have been felt to be more suited to FM.(Singles began being issued in stereo again in 1968 after that brief period of releases from 1958 to 1961 or so, from what I've read, because of demands from FM radio stations). I also read somewhere that Elvis preferred mono, and wanted Memories from the 1968 special released that way-however, the stereo mix of that song is gorgeous. Elvis may have been on to something because the mono mix of my favorite Elvis song, It's Only Love, is more punchy than the stereo mix, which was first released in 1980 on the Elvis Aron Presley box set. In fact, the stereo mixes of such songs as Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain, The Sound Of Your Cry and Don't Cry Daddy were first released in the 1980s. By the way, speaking of sound formats, I also wonder if Elvis had a quadraphonic system (the CD-4 format used by RCA and the Warner group of labels) at Graceland, seeing as several of his albums - From Elvis In Memphis, On Stage February 1970, That's The Way It Is, Elvis Country, Madison Square Garden on 8-track in North America and LP in Japan; and Aloha From Hawaii, Promised Land and Today on LP in North America - were released in quad.
@@joelgoldenberg1100 Thanks for the excellent follow up, Joel! I think your points about Elvis probably being considered more of an "AM" artist, and his preference for mono, probably explain it. Thanks, too, for the other info. I've actually been talking to my wife about possibly going to Nashville and Memphis this fall. It's been 20 years since I visited Graceland and I'd love to see it again. If we go, I will definitely see if I can spot what kind of sound system he had! Thanks again, Joel!
iron butterfly got me thinking, what were your first experiences with heavy metal music? It was starting to emerge in the 70s and really got big in the MTV era. Then heavier things like Metallica hitting huge success in the late 80s..
That's an interesting question, John! I know that, as a kid, I had a real aversion to anything resembling "heavy metal." When I was 13, there was a TV commercial for our local FM rock station, WRIF 101 in Detroit, that used the riff from Mountain's "Mississippi Queen." It sounded SO great to me that I started listening to the station but, for a long time, I kept the volume low and listened in secret, fearing I'd be made fun of for "acting like a teenager" by listening to "heavy" music. (Of course, this was long before heavy metal became what it did during the MTV era and beyond.) Thanks for posing an interesting question, John! What were your first experiences with heavy metal?
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 i was a kid when Guitar Hero was at it's peak, it was a perfect interactive hits collection across rock genres. Rockband was also huge, and their Beatles themed game in 2009 lead me to older sounds
@@wohnjomble Thanks for sharing the memories, John! Now that you've mentioned it, I'll bet Guitar Hero and Rockband were highly influential on an entire generation. Good to know and consider! Thanks again, John!