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I also watched a good deal of German soccer, on our local PBS station. That was the only time I could watch international matches. I loved that. Rarely, I got a glimpse of other European teams on the news, but that was rare indeed. And on place to watch the World Cup. :( One of the few things I found limiting about living in the U.S.
That is where I first watched All Creatures Great and Small, Are You Being Served?, and Keeping Up Appearances. I loved Python, too. "Spamspamspamspamspamspamspam!" (That kind of spam, I enjoy!) ;)
Of course later on they also had fantastic dramas, all kinds of shows.
http://www.gamesradar.com/the-40-greatest-monty-python-sketches
I’ve been meaning to get to this for a few weeks now, and frankly, the task is intimidating! Any discussion of the impact popular music can have on its times is a topic without boundaries…unlike politics, where elections occur at regular intervals, phases of pop music come and go at a moment‘s notice, with one stream mingling into another willy nilly and no true, categorical definition of either available to the open minded observer. Nonetheless, here’s my best (abbreviated) try:
To consider the music of the Sixties one really must examine the great Folk Music Scare of the late Fifties & early Sixties. Rock'N’Roll, probably the reigning popular music of the Fifties, was in decline as that decade drew to a close. Elvis was in the Army for two years, thanks to the draft, and when he was honorably discharged his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, arranged for him to appear in a series of middlebrow movies that may have been commercially successful, but served to neuter him artistically as a rocker at that time. Many of rock ‘n’ roll’s original architects were similarly sidelined as well. Chuck Berry had tax problems, Little Richard took up a Christian ministry, Jerry Lee Lewis scandalously wed his underage cousin. And then, of course, there was the famous “Day the Music Died”…an airplane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper. For a variety of reasons, rock’n’roll had temporarily lost favor with teenagers by the late fifties, leaving a cultural void…one that was filled for a time by Folk Music.
It’s surprising to consider now, but yes: in the late fifties and early sixties, groups like the Kingston Trio, the New Christy Minstrels, and Peter Paul & Mary were all the rage with college age tastemakers, and solo artists like Joan Baez and Judy Collins were emerging from campus coffeehouses to present a form of music that some wags among their own circles later termed “the Great Folk Music Scare.” It was a scare for two very important reasons: One, it was too commercialized for the true believers among the folk scene, which spans back (at least) to the work of the Carter Family early in the history of recorded music, and reached a ripening before World War II with the songs of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and the Weavers. Two, it was (frankly) too political (too leftist in all honesty) in its purest form to be easily assimilated by the audiences of the time. Let’s not forget, Pete Seeger, the author of many classic songs such as “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” was blacklisted in the anticommunist witch hunts of the Fifties. He was not able to appear on television or get radio play during the time we are considering, and his songs could only be passed on to the masses via his many youthful interpreters. So others took up the torch; many, many others…and for a few years, folk music was commercially successful, appalling both the politicians and the hardcore folk music purists of the time. To assert that the music had a profound impact on the political turbulence of the Sixties is to state the obvious: you cannot look at footage of a civil rights protest without seeing crowds of blacks and whites, youths and graybeards, arm locked in arm, swaying while they sing “We Shall Overcome” or “Blowing in the Wind.” Let’s not forget that last song, or another by the same author: “The Times, They Are A’Changing.” The young man who wrote those songs was of course Robert Zimmerman, better known by his stage name: Bob Dylan.
If we can remember only two names of popular musicians in the Sixties, his is one. The other name, of course, is The Beatles. While the Fab Four were instrumental in bringing Rock & Roll back to prominence among the audience of the time, it is imperative that we remember one thing: the Beatles were folk musicians in their very own way! They started out as a skiffle band called the Quarrymen in the Fifties…and skiffle was, essentially, a form of British folk music, performed on guitar and banjo, with homemade basses and percussion produced by beating and scraping on a washboard. The Beatles (and the rest of the British Invasion bands that followed in their wake) took skiffle, blended it with English music hall techniques and added a huge dose of inspiration from the American rock or rhythm & blues records brought in to port cities like Liverpool by English sailors…and brought the resulting package to the rest of the waiting world. This is entirely within the folk process…and as history has shown us, it was a smash hit! Beatles begat Rolling Stones begat the Who begat many, many more, and that's not even considering the Dave Clark Five and Gerry & the Pacemakers and Herman's Hermits and...
As we have seen (and as we will continue to see) one wave of music affects the next and the next after that. Young American folk musicians like Jim (Roger) McGuinn, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman merged folk music with the electricity of the Beatles, and thus the Byrds took flight, creating an amalgam christened “folk rock.” Waiting in the wings a few hundred miles north of the Byrds’ Los Angeles launching pad, budding San Francisco folksinger Marty Balin brought together newly electrified folkies like Paul Kantner and Jorma Kaukonen, forming the Jefferson Airplane…and when they added a vocalist named Grace Slick to the lineup, she brought a couple of hit songs to their repertoire (“Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit”) that ensured the creation of a new wave of Sixties music: Acid Rock. Soon other SF based artists with outlandish names like The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Moby Grape were storming the countryside, corrupting youth and inspiring countless more bands from all over the country, and outside of it: Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, Cream, and the Seattle guitar phenomenon by way of far off Britain: Jimi Hendrix.
Folk music may have been overshadowed by the rockers, but not for long: as the Seventies dawned, folk musicians took on a new label: does anybody remember the Singer/Songwriters?
COMING (AS SOON AS I CAN GET AROUND TO IT): Part II in which I remind you…Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, CrosbyStillsNash&Young, Elton John and the ever popular lots, lots more...
My personal favorite all time rocker, Marc Bolan, started out in the hippy music scene in the late 60s. For something like 4 albums. When he changed everything (style, fashion, make up, clothes) and went electric, with his own unique attitude, it was like nothing anyone had seen or predicted. It was indeed a shock (appropriate word) and dismayed some who wanted him to stay with that old Flower Power style. But so many others (including me) immediately embraced the new Bolan, with boogie rock music that was bursting out of him. You know, he really was an Electric Warrior at heart, even though he still kept his mystical, other worldly writing a good deal ("Cosmic Dancer" being the most special, ethereal and beautiful example of him at his best with that kind of song.) The man was a cosmic dancer who also genuinely rocked. \m/
I had one more question though, did any of you see 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines' in the cinema. Again I'm a decade late, it's from '65, but still.
While we are discussing 70's movies, anyone seen 3 Days of the Condor? It's one of my favourites, with my favourite actor, Redford in the main role.
Apparently the latest Captain America film was supposedly inspired by 70's conspiracy thrillers like Condor and All the Presidents Men, which is why Redford was cast in the movie.
I watched it and couldn't believe the film had been influenced by anything from the 70's. It was just a typical, modern, trashy, CGI super hero action fest flick, and God knows why Redford appeared in it (although I'm suspecting he was given a decent pay cheque).
Adult story line to it. In the fact of, can we trust the people who are now keeping
Us under such surveillance, and keeping so much information on us.
As well as blowing loads of things up and a few fight scenes. :))
#1: Adults are just big kids seeing what they can get away with whilst profiting in some way.
#2. Martial arts works well against bullies too stupid to grasp simple physics.
#3. Spandex: it's a privilege, not a right.
Unfortunately the same can't be said for Bond during this decade. LALD and TMWTGG are probably my favourite Moore films, but they are fairly naff when you compare them to Dalton's films of the 80's.
Did we overlook, the Blaxploitation Era? Shaft (1971) which spanned two sequels, Superfly (1972) with that great soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield. Then there were those three comedies directed by Sidney Poitiere which starred Sidney and Bill Cosby, Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Lets do it Again (1975) and A piece of the Action (1977).
I'll make my own list, @chrisisall ... :)
The 70's taught me:
1) I was my own person and could be very different from my family, and that was okay
2) I discovered driving stick shift was more fun than an automatic
3) Rockin' out was far more fun and personally soul satisfying that singing Kumbaya and putting flowers in my hair
4) We could kick a president out of office and nobody in politics was safe anymore
5) Irreverent humor was definitely my cup of tea (Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, Mel Brooks' films)
6) That funny cigarette my friend made for me was really ... mellow and quite different. So kind he spent the evening watching over me. I had thoughtful friends (then and now). :)
7) I may have been an elemental child, but I was born to boogie and yeah, life's a gas ;)
8) It is a long and winding road, but life goes on (a couple of significant deaths that decade for me)
9) James Bond was fun and cool; and I knew then he would be a permanent part of my life
10) Finally, I was then, now, and will be forever wishing I had a second life growing up in England during the 70's (my heart and my musical inclination were definitely there)
A good, mostly upbeat decade for me full of personal growth, making warm and lasting friendships, stretching my wings. My earlier childhood was the 60's but the 70's is where I became a full fledged grownup. At least I tell myself I am now a grownup, but I kinda feel the same inside. Know what I mean?
Cheers!
Y'know, in a totally undercover 50-ish disguise.
:))
Interestingly, the 70s put out some truly great films, in a variety of genres ... but I think you are right things changed with Star Wars; probably in more ways than I have realized.
http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/10177/movies-of-the-seventies-celluloid-of-the-free-the-tales-that-were-brave/p1
(he beat me to it by 120 seconds!)
Cheers, I'll give that a read soon. Thanks for posting.
Nice to see this film getting a mention on here. Cool movie, if a little misunderstood.....
B-)
Today we approach the end of the month, and I do want to take a few minutes now to recognize that has been one year since we lost our dear friend and leader, SirHenryLeeChaChing/Greg Ferrell.
I know we had our wonderful tribute and celebration of SirHenry for his birthday, the week of November 4th - and I do feel that was exactly the right time to do that in depth. A true celebration, at an appropriate time. This time, well ... it is a solemn marking of this sad anniversary, yet I do not want us to stay sad. But let's acknowledge it, yes.
I think Greg would be very happy in his heart to know that his outstanding thread is continuing on. He appreciated you - each of you - who have participated here in such a fine way for so long. He is, and always will be, very special. And for sure he would not want us to be sad or depressed.
Every time you share on this thread, post briefly or at length, open up about your personal experiences, discuss and debate in a passionate yet respectful way, or just plain have fun here ... in all those ways, too, you honor Greg, our SirHenry.
Hats off to you, Greg/SirHenry. May your spirit always be with us. You were truly one of the best.
(I will get us back into discussion of the 70's in a while. You may post any comment about SirHenry you'd like today. But also feel free to post about our topic today. Personally, I'm going to wait a couple of hours before hopping back into the 70's. But there is no strict timeline today about when to post about SirHenry, when to post about our topic. Do what you feel is right for you. I am not looking for this to be a full tribute time, just a respectful marking of this anniversary. Thanks for understanding.)