From time to time I'll bring to you a clip that may bring back an old memory or create a new one.
Send your comments to gerry@groovyreflections.com ...I'd luv to hear from you. GRoove on!
Send your comments to gerry@groovyreflections.com ...I'd luv to hear from you. GRoove on!
Sing along with those spots on your face! - August 30th, 2022
Ah...teens (and pre-teens) with nasty blemishes! Not COOL. You could pop them, but that was icky. The alternative was to use a medication. We all remember Clearasil, which still exists today, but how many of you remember the product with a clever pharmaceutical name, Thera-Blem? Therapy for blemishes! Wow! Registered by Noxema Corporation in June 1966 and introduced to a pimpled public in 1967. By 1969 the marketers got awfully creative. Imagine sitting around brainstorming and coming up with the notion of a happy singing pimples? What were they smoking? And pitching that idea to a bunch of executives? Oh to be a fly on the wall! Just rediscovered this silly nonsense and recall fond memories of singing along back in the day; yeah that's what jingles are all about! I promise this one will grow a pimple on your brain. Many thanks to Kurtis, Lava Lamp Radio Hour group member on Facebook for flooding my memory molecules!
Before the Muppets. - March 29, 2021
Sure you already know this guy. His muppets, live on, though sadly we lost him at age 53, over twenty years ago. Jim Henson was born a puppeteer, crafting characters in his high school years and in college. The advertisement below was from shortly after he graduated college and just before he started the official company to represent his muppet-teering empire in 1958. Looks like these two characters may have morphed into Kermit and the Cookie Monster. Enjoy. And if you're reading this, email me at gerry@groovyreflections.com. The first person to do so will get a hand tie-dyed t-shirt, my creation. Warning regarding these adverts: There's guns, suggestions of stealing, and all kinds of things that are taboo and censored in today's society.
A memorable petrol jingle. - February 23, 2021
Americans. We love our cars. When I moved to Southern California I was informed that I was living in the center of car culture and that this is the place where trends start. Fine. But today I'm harkening back to the East Coast, to a brand that I grew up with. Esso. When I finally got my first car, a three year old Chevy Nova with 13,000 miles on it, I'd wash it in the driveway or at Speedy Car Wash. I put gas in it, but never touched the nozzle. It's still illegal to pump your own gas in my home state. This Jersey girl took a long time getting used to "pumping her own" in California! This groovy jingle popped into my head recently. Esso makes your car stay young...
Let's EaT! - December 15, 2020
'Tis the season to get stuffed! What better way to celebrate but the holiday season then to catch the 1963 GRoovy movie Tom Jones? In particular, the seductive supper scene where our flirtatious hero, played by Albert Finney, who was nominated for Best Actor, dines with a alluring lady, played by Joyce Redman, who was also nominated for an academy award, Best Supporting Actress. Who has the sexier chewing style? Feast on!
A gifted singer hawking candy? - October 22, 2020
Minnie Riperton delighted us with her incredible five octave vocal range in her massive 1975 hit Loving You. And just three years this coloratura soprano crooned about the benefits of Butterfingers backed by the theme to Goldfinger! She released her first album in 1970, and her second album Perfect Angel in 1974 made her a unique superstar, earning her wings with the handle “The Nightingale.” Felled by breast cancer in 1979 Minnie left us with her legacy of song and a talented, funny daughter, Maya Rudolph.
June 19, 2020 - Which one to push?
Faithfully following stay at home measures I've found the time to revisit a few favorite flicks. Jack Lemmon received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his dual roles in 1965's period piece Great Race, a campy, entertaining romp across continents. Peter Falk also stars, playing Professor Fate's bumbling sidekick Maximilian Meen (Max), where you'll see subtle cues of his future Columbo character. Evil vs. good prevails, with Tony Curtis as the dashing, dazzling, The Great Leslie who, of course, gets the girl. The end of the flick suggested that there could be a sequel; guess Blake Edwards decided no to that. Enjoy this clip that introduces Professor Fate's race vehicle, The Hannibal Twin-8, which cost $150,000 in 1965 to build, over $1.2 million in today's dollars.
June 1, 2020 ...Let's Celebrate a New Month!
No I've never seen the movie 1956 Carousel. A link to the almost nine minute extravaganza below was sent to me this morning. At first glance, it felt kinda cheesy, but then...I started to appreciate the orchestration of it all. Simply amazing! And I'm still hurting from watching those brave young man slamming their bare feet in song on a wooden pier. What if one of them got a splinter? They'd have to start the whole scene over again. I also thought this was a sound stage. Wrong. It's a real place (or was), Nettie's Spa in Boothbay Harbor (pronounced "habaa") Maine. Music by Rogers & Hammerstein. Shirly Jones and Gordon MacRae star. No nominations for an academy award. Despite that enjoy and feel the joy.
November 20, 2019: A Union That lasted almost 100 years...
The year was 1900. The International Ladies' Garment Workers Union was formed, consisting of several smaller unions coming together. The forces numbered in the thousands and was bias from the start. If you had skills, great. If you were an immigrant trying to get a fresh start in life, it was tough. But hey, these ladies meant business! They excelled at walk outs in the early days, though many dropped out of the ILGWU, losing their jobs in the great depression. But growth continued; the union once owned a resort in the Poconos, radio stations, sponsored sports teams and musical acts, and had health centers. Gangster involvement peppered itself in starting in the 1920's assisting with a strike. In the later 70's this proud group with their iconic jingle; heck I've got my own version recorded with a friend on a cassette somewhere. In 1995 the ILGWU merged with another clothing union and in 2004 that newer group merged with a hotel and restaurant group ...that new union is currently known as Unite Here. Do you still own any garments with the Union Label?
October 24, 2019: Jersey Shore - Not Just a TV show; Pie anyone?
1870's: Mrs. Wagner of Ocean Grove New Jersey creates a food company in the basement of a house. Imagine buying a whole pie for 25 cents as you ran outside to the shouts of "pie man" from that era's food truck, powered by horse. Expansion eventually included bakeries in Newark, Jersey City, and Brooklyn. Sales were as far west as Chicago. In 1968 two events concerning this brand happened. Mrs. Wagner's closed shop. Meanwhile Simon & Garfunkel made the pies famous forever by mentioning them in the song America; a song about a journey Paul took with his then girlfriend Kathy from Saginaw to the east coast.
September 9, 2019: We sing for non-mortals
Boyce and Hart were hot hot hot from 1967 into 1969, finally becoming front men after writing such GRoovy tunes together or with others such as "Hurt So Bad", "Come a Little Bit Closer", "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone", and "Last Train to Clarksville." The duo promoted their new status by appearing on numerous TV shows, including I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched, perhaps the hottest rival shows in that time frame. Hits included "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight", "Alice Long", and "Out and About." Here's a clip from Bewitched with Serena and Samantha GRoovin' to "I'm Gonna Blow You a Kiss in the Wind." Together these dudes wrote over three hundred songs. That's a lot of GRoovy tuneage!
August 26, 2019: If you build it, they will come.
Mousetrap declares longevity in the gaming world, however the game's rules have changed over the years to allow more strategy and less chance. Lighten UP people! It's a kid's game. Debuting in 1963, with the equally GRoovy Crazy Clock making its introduction in 1964. The game design was inspired by Rube Goldberg's complicated cartoons of how not to engineer a gadget. Mousetrap was brought to us by Ideal, which at one time was part of the big three in the U.S. toy industry, producing their wares in Queens, New York, and Newark, New Jersey.
august 12, 2019: Watch out for those canines!
Perhaps one of the most hilarious scenes from the 1976 GRoovy movie The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Peter Sellers with his sometimes impossible to comprehend accent charms us yet again. The original series of films ran from 1963 through 1978, with Sellers in the role of Inspector Clouseau in most of them. The role has also been portrayed by Alan Arkin (once in the original series) and Steve Martin (in the more recent films.) The films were still pumping out though for years after Sellers died in 1980, with 1982's Trail of the Pink Panther starring Peter Sellers but using old footage of his character from previous flicks. His widow sued. She won with her suit against MGM and Blake Edwards, who wrote and directed many of the first series of Pink Panther films.
JUne 17: A Notorious History for the feet.
The mascot of The Brown Shoe Company dates back to 1902 and the cartoon character rights was acquired by them in 1904. Once boasting over five factories in the U.S. mainly in St. Louis, the last pair of footwear danced out of their last remaining U.S. plant in 1995. Though Buster Browns are manufactured elsewhere the brand still exists! The parent company has quite a scattered past including low wagers for workers, which didn't ease up until the labor shortage due to World War II prompted better pay. The 1950's saw The Brown Company snatching up shoe companies left and right and anti-trust violations. Oops. Diversification in the 70's, restructure starting in the 80's, massive layoffs in the 90's. Through all the turmoil Buster Brown remains an icon for over 100 years. And hey, we were just innocent kids needing footwear.
June 10: Who's wearing the pants Here?
Was it a sellout? Who know? Rumor has it that he wanted to help out fellow musicians who weren't exactly making the scene and drawing in the bucks. Then again, there's Cherry Garcia ice cream, and groovy ties sold in Macy's with a tag that said Jerry Garcia on them. Well anyway, here's Jerry, with band member Sandy Rothman (Jerry Garcia's Acoustic Band, active in 1987/1988) and producer John Cutler, likely in 1987.
JUne 3, 2019: Cheap and Ugly. Wow.
Subaru of America launched in 1967 and started selling cars stateside in 1968. The brand was bold enough to admit their cars, namely the 360 model with a not hefty 25 horsepower engine, weren't pretty and focused marketing on price and economy. Of course putting a blonde in groovy garments in your commercials doesn't hurt either. These four short ads are obviously shot in Southern California; one in particular at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, which is still around today and quite swanky for a wedding bash (yes, I've been.) The 360 sold for a mere $1,297 at introduction; about $9,500 today. Alfred E. Neuman would approve.
May 27, 2019 a Silly, animated spy.
Goodbye Westerns; hello groovy spies! Spurred on perhaps by James Bond and Agents 86 and 99 NBC brought us this cartoon version of a spy from 1966 to 1969. Cool McCool proudly (and coolly of course) reminded us with his catchphrase "Danger is My Business." Villains included Greta Ghoul, Jack-in-a-box, and The Rattler. Cool was more Don Adams than Sean Connery!
May 13, 2019 - It's More than a camera...It's almost alive!
1965: What a GRoovy year for both music and products! Revolutionary: An instant memory can be yours in ten seconds! Alas, only in black and white. And for only $19.95! That's $162 in 2019 dollars...so they certainly weren't giving them away! You can buy a decent digital point and shoot for around $99 today...or heck, just use your SmartPhone. At any rate, if you were hip and happening, this was the new toy to GRoove with in 1965.
February 18, 2019 - Who knew there were lyrics?
Thanks to Saúl Treviño for posting this one on YouTube. Saúl does vocals here, based on lyrics he found rumored to be written by songwriter Buddy Kaye. The music is co-written by Buddy and Hugh Montenegro, and this particular theme was used for seasons 2 through 5. I Dream of Jeanne graced our TV screens from 1965 to 1970 in a friendly battle for popularity with another magical show, Bewitched.
February 11, 2019: Jimi goes acoustic.
Many thanks to Bombeats on YouTube for finding this gem. Jimi delights us with his voice, guitar playing, and fashion with "Hear My Train Comin' " and "Hound Dog" ...give a listen to the softer side of Jimi.
February 4, 2019 ...The dawning of cable/pay tv
Aaah...television! Many of us grew up with VHF, which provided up to seven channels, and some of us even witnessed the advent of color on the small screen. In rural and small town areas those major channels were brought to you via cable TV. We were okay with all that. Then in the early 70's, HBO was launched and WTBS would become the first "superstation." Cable, or Pay TV was coming to the masses. Well, somebody out there didn't like all that, thus the creation of a ridiculous Public Service Announcement warning of us of a "monster in my TV." Hmmm ...is this where the B52's got their ideas for the song "Devil in My Car"?
January 28, 2019 Ah ...those weekday mornings on Nbc!
Groovy game shows! Who could forget Snap Judgment? Well I could since I've never seen it. But Eye Guess was a favorite ...heck, I even had the board game! And Jeopardy ...in color! Jeopardy goes back to 1964 with a couple of breaks along the way. In 1984 the show came back yet again with host Alex Trebek ...and he's been hosting with no breaks since 1984...hey, that's over 35 years ago! Enjoy a trip to memory lane and enjoy this promo for the Fall '67 morning lineup.
January 21, 2019: Celebrating amusement Parks ...
Perhaps there was an amusement park near you when you were growing up and maybe it was a destination by car for you and your family. This groovy vid provides homage to those that have fallen, including the one close to me growing up, Palisades Amusement Park in Cliffside Park NJ. Sadly, I only visited 3 times before it’s demise in 1971.
Like many parks, this one began life in the early 1900's as an end of the trolley line garden park, full of flowers and walking paths. Unlike many parks, that beautiful location high atop the cliff of the Palisades offered a fine view of New York City across the Hudson; real estate developers agreed. Today, swanky Winston Towers offers that same spectacular view to it’s wealthy residents. Big sigh.
Like many parks, this one began life in the early 1900's as an end of the trolley line garden park, full of flowers and walking paths. Unlike many parks, that beautiful location high atop the cliff of the Palisades offered a fine view of New York City across the Hudson; real estate developers agreed. Today, swanky Winston Towers offers that same spectacular view to it’s wealthy residents. Big sigh.
January 14, 2019: celebrating the frisbee
For less than a buck one could have endless sessions of silliness and fun with this simple product. This plastic disc was derived from the Flyin-Saucer, Whirl-away and Pluto Platter and the concept was acquired by Wham-O in the later 50's and rechristened Frisbee. The new moniker came from Ivy League students in Connecticut tossing around tins on campus from their local bakery, the Frisbie Pie Company. We found a statistic that says over 300 million have been sold, however this number is about 20 years old but still ...that's a lot of frisbees!
January 8, 2019: Remember When TV's weren't so smart?
Ah yes. There was a time when our greatest visual electronic device wasn't on our wall. A piece of fine furniture that added a solid wooden elegance to a room. And we had to get up to change a channel (hey, what's a remote?) while enjoying less channels than the number of fingers you have. Here's a Magnavox early 70's commercial that touted their TV's brilliant color abilities and sexy styling with the help of a few gals garbed in GRoovy garments.
January 1, 2019: "Carry on till Tomorrow" By Badfinger from "The magic Christian"
They say MONEY buys anything, right? Yeah ...prove it. This satirical 1969 British flick highlighting greed, and capitalism does exactly that. Peter Sellers is the ringleader, as Sir Guy Grand, with his "adopted" sidekick son, Youngman, portrayed by Ringo Starr. This clip is from the beginning of this GRoovy movie, where the beautifully intense song, Carry On Till Tomorrow by Badfinger is featured.