Here’s another song that just popped up when I was doing research the other day and darned if I watched it and was mesmerized by Bobby Gentry’s live performance of this classic hit on the BBC back in 1968. “Ode to Billy Joe” was released on July 10, 1967, and catapulted to the number-one spot in the US within three weeks of release and a big international seller. Billboard ranked…
How good were the Saturday Morning cartoons during the 1967-1968 season? My memory said they were pretty good, but the guy behind FredFlix has put together an amazing compilation of promos, bumpers, theme songs and more from that era to really give you a flavor of just how good it was. Anyone else want to grab a bowl of cereal and sit in front of the TV with me?
This has to be one of the most loved–and hated–songs every recorded. People either think it’s a masterpiece or belongs in the garbage; there is no middle ground when it comes to “MacArthur Park” with its famous line that “someone left the cake out in the rain.” WHAT??? After hearing the 1978 Donna Summer version recently, I decided to listen to all three of the famous version again to see…
Okay, so first off this breaks one of our format rules about “nothing before 1970.” Second, the audio on this is not very good, probably because it’s from an old TV show and not a LIVE performance. But even with those strikes against it, after watching this video several times I just had to bring it to you. It’s just so … weird! And not in a “stoned William Shatner…
Southern rock fans know–and frequently pay homage to–Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic “Free Bird” which was released in 1974 on the band’s debut album, Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd that went on to become one of the all time classics. Earlier this week, someone sent me a link to an early demo version of the song, claiming to be recorded in 1970 by Ronnie Van Zant and the band. (You’ll notice a slight variation on…