Music To Cringe With

Here are some reasons, back in 1967, to have an alternate radio station picked out when your primary one plays one of these tunes

Much of the music from this period is now referred to as "Sunshine Pop". There was a danger that examples from this offshoot can get too sugary, too bright, too empty-headed. The group, The Yellow Balloon, had one album called Yellow Balloon, and one hit song called Yellow Balloon. Made things easy to remember. This song reached #25 which means it got plenty of airtime. You get what you deserve

Members of the group included Don Grady, former Mouseketeer and child actor on My Three Sons. Also as a member was Daryl Dragon who later became The Captain of The Captain & Tennille 

The TV show Shebang was an L.A. afternoon teen music show and this clip was filmed at the baseball stadium home of the California Angels. For all I know it's from the same show where I posted last month or so a clip of The Marvelettes .




I like the visuals for this clip. I like the original instrumental version of this song. I don't like Andy Williams



Ugh, I need a drink




J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter, cut a record, singing a song about one of his power. His partner Zook played drums, his girlfriend Dianne Meade sang backup vocals and his boss, Police Chief Harding, was on piano. J'onn J'onzz refused to tour because he was deathly afraid the audience would flick their cigarette lighters as a group to request an encore. Another reason he had no public performances was the laughter he constantly received with his suspenders-and-belt uniform. 

Oh, excuse me, this is the Jack Jones version of the song



Nobody defines "cringe" like Englebert Humperdinck



These were just some of the cringe-worthy songs for March/April 1967. If you ask me nicely I'll stop for awhile

Edit:Thanks berkley for pointing out the Yellow Balloon clip from The Shebang Show is only available on the YouTube sight. Here's a different clip of it because we all need a good cringe once in awhle. Still, check out my original post on YouTube and you'll see people exiting as the Yellow Balloon play their hit. And then you'll see The Yellow Balloon play a second version of the song expressly for the members of The California Angels baseball team.Members of that team included Jimmy Piersall who, in the next game hit a homer and ran around the bases backwards. Now you know why

Music is truly everywhere.



(Strangely enough... no winds section).

50 Years Ago Today-Week 1 May 1967

Welcome to the Summer Of Love. Clearly by this point, especially in the world of music, we had entered a new phase in cultural trends and that would dominate the teen and young adult crowd for years to come. Hair was getting long, beads hung from necks, skirts were getting real short, and pants were growing bell-bottoms. The flower children AKA Hippies had a large agenda. Protest and end the Vietnam War, campaign for Civil Rights, reject the "Plastic" society, return to nature, don't trust anyone over 30. But first things first. It was finally time to overthrow the tyranny of the "Somethin' Stupid" song, still clinging to the #1 position. That will be achieved within 7 days. Meanwhile elsewhere in the Top 40

One of the signs of the Summer Of Love would be this group breaking into the Top 40. The Jefferson Airplane was the lead group of the Haight-Ashbury scene, it's most popular representative. More so with vocalist Grace Slick joining the group for it's second album. Not only did they draw the largest crowds for their concerts but their home on Fulton Street in San Francisco was the focal point for that area's musicians.Marty Balin and Paul Kantner shared vocals with Grace, Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar, Jack Casady on bass and Spencer Dryden on drums.Bill Graham, proprietor of the Fillmore auditoriums, was their manager. 

Their single "Somebody To Love" broke into the Top 40 this week and would peak at # 5.And yes, they actually appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand



Paul Revere and the Raiders was an American rock band from Boise, Idaho who dressed as British Nancy Boys to capitalize on The Beatles popularity. (They were not the only ones i.e. The Buckinghams and The Royal Guardsmen). They recorded one of 1966's greatest rock classics, "Kicks". "Him Or Me, What's It Gonna Be" would peak at #5



A one-hit wonder, The Parade released "Sunshine Girl" that would reach #20. Perfect song title for it's time



Tommy James and the Shondells this week had the #6 song "I Think We're Alone Now". They were on a roll and had their next single ready to go. "Mirage" enterred the Top 40 this week and would peak at #10



Oh yeah, times were sure strange. 



Yeah, some righteous tunes and more to follow

What's even more weird is how many different versions of that song title came out during that time. 

Here's a typical Laugh-In bit using that phrase




Besides Pigmeat Markham, Short Long curt a different song with that title the same year. This one got the most airplay




Then there was a 3rd different version that same year by The Magistrates




And a 4th version-an instrumental




2 years later, Peter Tosh did his reggae version of the title. But I don't think he was a Laugh-In viewer



The Vapors, known for "Turning Japanese" recorded Here Comes The Judge as the B-Side of that single. An excellent live New Wave cut. But no connection to the others

Huh?

They named a car after that routine? 

Along with originating "Here come de Judge" in his burlesque act, Pigmeat Markham claimed to have coined "truckin'" as a slang term, originally for a dance he created.