Blazing Saddles (4CE reprint Nov. 2011)

10 things you didn't know about Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks' first 2 movies, "The Producers" and "The Twelve Chairs" were hits with the critics, but at the box office, not so much. Their offbeat combination of cerebral comedy and old-fashioned slapstick didn't catch the public's fancy. So for outing #3, Mel chose to go with a gut-punch…"bathroom" humor and salty language, what used to be called "sophomoric," and laid on super thick. No holds barred, nothing and no one spared…to put it mildly: "unsubtle." The result was the greatest Western spoof of all time, and if cynics saw this as throwing in the towel, movie-goers responded: Please, more towels!

Here are 10 things perhaps you didn't know about "Blazing Saddles."

1)  Sheriff Who?…The original concept came from novelist and fledgling screenwriter Andrew Bergman. (He would go on to write and/or direct such hits as "Fletch," "Soapdish," "The Freshman, "Striptease" and many more.) His offbeat idea was to plunk a modern-day Black Militant down in the middle of the old Wild West…his draft was titled "Tex X," referencing of course Malcolm X. Mel thought "Black Bart" sounded better, but the ultimate title came to him, says he, while in the shower. And not for nothing, but did you ever notice the initials of "Blazing Saddles"? 

2)  No Star for You…After his first 2 movies were practically one-man efforts, Mel longed for the collaborative days he spent writing for "Your Show of Shows" in the 1950s…among his cohorts had been Neil Simon & Carl Reiner. Thus he recruited a group of writers, including Bergman, and a young comic he admired, Richard Pryor, who then seemed the obvious choice to play Black Bart…Mel had at first considered James Earl Jones. But he soon discovered that with Pryor's reputation for drug use, and the nature of his standup material, no one in Hollywood would bankroll the project. Thus Pryor remained a writer, and the lead went to Cleavon Little. But one story Mel remembered from the good old days lead to…

3)  Punching a Gift Horse in the Head…Sid Caesar, besides being screamingly funny, was also apparently a very violent person. As he recounts in his 1982 autobiography, he was once trail-riding when his wife Imogene Coca's horse began giving her trouble. After she dismounted, he faced the recalcitrant steed…and proceeded to coldcock it between the eyes, knocking it senseless. Oh, really? Well, that's what he says, and Mel had heard the story when it supposedly happened, inspiring the famous scene where Mongo (Alex Karras) does the same.

4) Woof!…Ever wonder what the Indians are saying in Yiddish? Chief Mel and 2 braves trot over to the wagon on their pinto ponies…Mel gives them the once-over, and yes, that is Rodney Allen Rippy, of "Take Life a Little Easier (Jack in the Box Theme)" fame: "Schwartze! (Blacks!)" The braves threaten them with tomahawk and spear, but Mel says: "Na, na, seit nicht meshugge. (No, no, don’t be crazy.)" Then comes Mel’s famous shout, which I always thought was a call to prayer or something, but it’s not that. "Los’ im gehen!! (Let them go!) Cop a walk, it’s alright!" They say thank you and start to move off. "A wie Gesund! (Take care…literally…Stay healthy.) Take off. Hast du gesehen in deine Leben? (Have you ever seen anything like that in your life?) They darker then us! Woof!"

Now "lassen ihn gehen" as I said means literally “let them go.” Pronounced “loz im gain” or sometimes by Gentiles “lossum game,” it’s carny slang, and means: "Quit fleecing the rube, cut the game short, that’s the Sheriff’s son, what are you nuts?" In general, people wouldn’t know what it meant...but there’s a story told about it being said, and the mark, who was Jewish, commenting: “So why didn’t you lossum game me $50 bucks ago?”

5)  A Real Gassss…Mel's Governor Le Petomane is named after Joseph Pujols who performed under that name at Paris's Moulin Rouge in the late 1800s. His act was, honest to goodness, flatulence…punctuating stories with various "sound effects," doing melodies, even blowing out candles. And he was a huge hit. Suffice to say, Chapter 3 of his short biography published in 1985 is titled: "Muscular Control Astonishes the French Doctors."  Mel also has a cameo in the outlaw recruitment line wearing an aviator's costume. And he does a couple of voices…I won't tell you which, but if it sounds like him, it probably is. In the church scenes, watch for Gene Wilder's future wife Gilda Radner, and Mel's wife Anne Bancroft. 

6) Oh You Wacky Kid..The Waco Kid was originally seen as an older character…Dan Dailey was first on board, but was to ill to proceed. Johnny Carson (!!) was asked and refused. Scenes were actually filmed with Gig Young, but he really was drunk and later that day collapsed on the set. The "OK, you win" call went out to Gene Wilder, who had originally wanted the part, but Mel saw him more in the Hedley Lamarr role, to which Gene had said "No thanks." Funny how things turn out sometimes. 

7) Honey, I Shrunk Rock Ridge…As was bound to happen, a TV pilot was filmed…but if there was ever a movie that couldn't translate to the small screen, "Blazing Saddles" has to be it. Still, they tried. It was pretty much all Andrew Bergman, with virtually no input from Mel. It was called "Black Bart," with Lou Gossett Jr. and Steve Landesberg in the lead roles. CBS aired it quietly in 1975, over and out. It also featured obnoxious child actor Poindexter Yothers,  brother of Tina "Family Ties" Yothers. For good measure it's included as a bonus on the DVD.

8)  Steady, Pilgrim…John Wayne was approached to make a cameo appearance. After reading the script, he had to decline, as he couldn't appear in a movie that, um, rambunctious, saying: "But I'll be the first in line to see it!"

9) A Torch Song to Light the Way…Mel wrote the title theme and advertised in the trade papers for a "Frankie Laine type" to sing it…instead, the real deal showed up. The story is that Frankie didn't know the movie was a comedy, and Mel didn't want to tell him. Now I suppose that's plausible…the lyrics are written pretty much straight…the only hint that something might be amiss: "He made his blazing saddle a torch to light the way!" OK, in hindsight, the dude's rig is on fire, but it could have simply meant that it was festooned with glittering gold folderol that reflected the blazing noonday sun, right? Still, you think Frankie Laine didn't know what he was getting into with Mel Brooks, for gosh sakes?

10) And Don't Call Me "Shirley"…But let's face it, Mel Brooks is full of stories. He claims that actress Hedy Lamarr threatened to sue over his naming Harvey Korman's character "Hedley Lamarr," and they settled out of court. What I say is: Why try to track this one down and spoil the fun? Trouble is, it fits a little too neatly with the scene where Hedley bristles when Le Petomane gets his name wrong, but the Governor says: "What are you worried about? This is 1874. You'll be able to sue her!" Anyway, Mel says he was flattered that she noticed. 

    

More groovy stuff from Stolf daily at stolf.wordpress.com and deepfriedhoodsiecups.wordpress.com…and till next month, rock on, doo-dah! doo-dah!

You Might Be...Part 4 (4CE reprint Oct 2011)

You Might Really Be a Baby Boomer If…

Three past columns that received a lot of nice comments were "You Might Be a Baby Boomer If…," "Son of…," and "You Might Be Old School If…" If you'd like to revisit them (can you be nostalgic for nostalgia?), I've posted them on my 4CE reprint blog, travelingcyst.blogspot.com. Here's another batch, fresh from the EZ-Bake memory oven…I replaced the light bulb.

You Might Really Be a Baby Boomer If…

…there's a tune stuck in your head (a cerebro-musical inversion) and it's just as well, since it's one the oldies stations won't play anymore.

…you always called that cigarette "Paul Maul"…not  "Pell Mell"…and to this day it's never bothered you.

….to you,"Go suck an egg!" and "Your mother wears army boots!" are still perfectly serviceable insults.

…you always planned that if you ever got invited to dinner at the White House, you'd be sure to steal an ashtray…d'oh!

…your grandmother had a clock with roman numerals and you figured that was because she really didn't care to figure out what time it was…

…it wasn't called recycling, it was a paper drive.

…the safety officer from the local police department taught you to ride your bikes "Single file, Indian style."

…you see a ballplayer on TV and think: "Oh, is he still playing?"…and it turns out to be his son. That happened to me with Steve and Nick Swisher, among others.

…but all things considered, you'd take Bobby Bonds over Barry any day of the week.

…you wonder whatever happened to S&H Green Stamps. Actually, they're now virtual, on the net as Greenpoints. But waddya do, lick the screen? Then paste it where?

…you also wonder whatever happened to tramps, hobos, and bums…now you only see them on Hallowe'en night, right?

…when you go cross-county skiing, you prefer a country that's really narrow...

…you remember when "special teams" were called the "suicide squad." When did it change? Well, a cover story in LIFE magazine dated December 3, 1971 used both terms, although it did say "Suicide Squad" on the cover. 

…and the pass rush wasn't a "blitz" but a "red dog"…woof woof.

…you miss having to wonder who's calling on the phone.

…you don't mind "fingers" when someone is passing or serving food. Those plastic gloves were invented for just one thing…and it's at the other end, darn it!

….you remember Thor before he had a beard. A what? Yeah, buy a comic book and see for yourself…if you've got a spare $3.99 lying around…or is it up to $4.99 now?

…but to you, they were always funny books, not comic cooks. See, you started with Woody Woodpecker and Sugar and Spike…then graduated to Batman and the Green Lantern, but they were still funny books, because that's what they were. 

….you and your spouse only "do it" on your birthday anymore…and you wish you still celebrated them!

…you understood that when you were dating a guy in uniform, that was it…that's as good as it got, there was nowhere else to go. Although my sister dated one, but it didn't work out…she was supposed to call him "sir." Gosh, and I remember this girl, I had such a crush on her…she was 2 years ahead of me in school. Now that I think about it, she was 2 years ahead of me in everything. Turns out, Boy Scouts didn't count as a uniform.

…you certainly can believe its not butter...you just can't believe how much it costs!

…you miss reading a story every other day in the newspaper about somebody seeing a flying saucer.

….you always liked it when your grandfather would say: "I bet your grandmother she wouldn't marry me…she called my bet and raised me five!"

…you remember when the Parade Magazine that came with the Sunday paper was big enough to wrap a baby in...not that you would, I'm just sayin'.

…but winning $5 in a newspaper coloring contest made you feel like Scrooge McDuck, only more artistic.

…you thought you'd never get over seeing Joltin' Joe DiMaggio in a green-and-gold Oakland A's uniform…he was a coach in 1968 and 1969. But you did.

…you never could see what was wrong with prayer in schools…after all, that's how you got through!

…you miss the days when TV and radio reporters, of either gender, didn't sound like Valley Girls.

…when the 1964 1/2 Mustang came out, you asked your math teacher if they could actually do that? I mean, could it really be half a year?

…and you can't believe that today supermarkets will sell you half a pie. You see that and think: Who wants a pie that somebody ate the other half of?

….you're a girl…and you knew what "It's snowing down south" meant.

…or you're a boy…and what it meant when someone said: "Do you have a license to sell hotdogs?"

…you remember when the ballplayers who wore batting gloves were weird, not the other way around...and an outfielder was called a "ballhawk."

….your favorite toy made sparks!

…you think of your parents as The Generation That Used Mothballs On Everything.

…you remember when there was no such thing as pre-screening…you either fixed the back door or you didn't...

…you never ordered the salad instead of the potato, and never regretted it.

…you remember graduating from green plastic army-men to Battlewagon, Tiger Joe, and Johnny Seven -- One Man Army.

…you know the difference between Capt. Windy Scuttlebutt, Capt. Horatio Huffenpuff and H. R. Pufnstuf.

…but you liked to root for the bad guys…Oil Can Harry, Snidely Whiplash, Crabby Appleton & Isotope Feeney, Poison Zoomack, Simon Bar Sinister & Riff Raff, Badlands Meenie & J. Skulking Bushwhack, Dishonest John, Mr. Bluster…and Savoir Faire is Everywhere!

…and speaking of which, you always wondered where Cecil's legs went to…

But seriously, you qualify as a bona fide blue-ribbon Grade "A" Baby Boomer if…you used to think so, but now you know so. More of this kind of stuff daily at Deepfriedhoodsiecups.wordpress.com and Stolf.wordpress.com. Plus old radio & TV commercials at Stolfpod.podbean.com. Till next month, don't give up the baby, Faith…and rock on!

Not Everything is Relative But These Are... (4CE reprint sept 2011)

  

Not Everything is Relative, But These Are...

You might be surprised who's related to whom. For example…

The Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet...No way? Way! Both were radio shows originating on WXYZ in Detroit. As you may recall, John Reid was the only Texas Ranger left alive after a party of 6, lead by his brother Captain Dan Reid, were ambushed by Butch Cavendish's Hole in the Wall Gang at Bryant's Gap. Dan's son, also named Dan, eventually became the Lone Ranger's junior sidekick. Remember his horse Victor? Britt Reid, the Green Hornet, was later established as the younger Dan's son, thus the grand nephew of the Masked Man. When the Lone Ranger property was sold to another company in the 1950s, this familial connection was pretty much forgotten.

Fred Flintstone and his son Fred, Junior…Never heard of him? He was included in some of the early publicity material before the show hit the air in 1960, and is featured in the first of the Flintstones' many Little Golden Books…a smirking little cave-boy with hair over his eyes and a big letter F on his bearskin. Needless to say, this went no further, Fred Jr. never appearing on TV or anywhere else. Maybe a velociraptor got him?!

Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston…When you hear they're related, you might assume they're aunt and niece due to the 23-year age difference, but they're actually first cousins. Whitney's mother Emily "Cissy" Drinkard and and Dionne's mother Lee Drinkard were sisters. They performed professionally as the Drinkard Singers, along with siblings Larry, Nicky, Anne, and Marie. Dionne was born Marie Dionne, named after her aunt, who herself was nicknamed "Rebbie" by the family.

And Dionne's family name was Warrick, but after it was misspelled Warwick on her first single, she decided to keep it that way. In 1971 she added an "e" to the end, as Warwicke, on the advice of her numerologist, and also to honor her then husband, actor and drummer Bill E-for-Elliot. When they divorced in 1975, she not surprising switched back. By the way, singer Thelma Houston is not related to any of them.

Candice Bergen and Polly Bergen…NOT!!! This is a common mistake. They are not related…Polly's real last name is spelled Burgin. Funny, when Edgar's daughter Candice was born in 1946, she was often called Charlie McCarthy's little sister. Another no-go is actor Adam Baldwin, who is no relation to the acting Baldwin brothers Alec, Daniel, Billy and Stephen.

Beetle Bailey and Lois Flagston…That's Lois from the comic strip "Hi and Lois." When the Korean War ended in 1953, Mort Walker feared people would tire of military gags, so he drew a sequence where Beetle visited his married older sister, her husband, and 3 kids…none of whom, I should point out, looked anything like they do today. Readers wanted the old Camp Swampy gang back, but the idea had enough potential to be spun off as its own strip, co-created by Dik Browne. That's why you'll occasionally see Beetle and Lois making appearances in each other's funnies to this day. 

Kate Bradley and Pearl Bodine…This was mentioned just once, as kind of an inside joke, since actress Bea Benaderet played both parts. She was originally up for the roll of Granny on "The Beverly Hillbillies," but they decided the peripatetic Irene Ryan was a better fit, more of a Mammy Yokum type. Bea was offered the role of Jed's cousin Pearl Bodine, Jethro's mother, making Jethro and Elly May second cousins. She played this part for one season, then left to portray Kate Bradley on "Petticoat Junction." But since the 2 shows, and "Green Acres" for that matter, all took place in the same TV "universe," there were frequent character crossovers. In one series of episodes in 1968, Granny visits Hooterville to help look after Kate's newborn granddaughter. 

Why does Dr. Granny do this? Because Pearl can't help with the baby as she sprained her back a waltz contest, and Pearl is Granny's son-in-law's first cousin, which is close enough kin for Granny. But the $64,000 question: Why was Pearl going to do this? It's implied, but never explicitly stated, that Pearl and Kate are somehow related. Now this may be a "kin of kin" situation, because oddly enough, Jed has no idea who Kate is. In fact, a running gag is Granny trying to explain it to him. He finally gives up, saying: "This is the most confused I ever been without Jethro in the house!"

Jerry Lee Lewis and his wife…OK, third wife. This caused quite a stir in 1957, he 22 years old, she just 13, and relatives to boot…altho this was unremarkable where they grew up in eastern Louisiana, and completely legal. Many different relationships are mentioned, but I'm here to tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were first cousins once removed. Myra Gale Brown was the daughter of J.W. Brown, whose band Jerry Lee joined and eventually took over. Since J.W.'s mother and Jerry Lee's father were siblings, they were first cousins. Myra Gale is one down from that so it's first cousins once removed.

You might also hear that Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, and Jimmy Swaggart were "cousins," and in a roundabout way they were, altho their mothers were not sisters, as the 3 different surnames might suggest. Jerry Lee's father, Mickey's mother, and Jimmy's paternal grandmother were siblings, making Jerry Lee and Mickey first cousins, and both of them first cousins to Jimmy's father "Son" Swaggart. But also, Jerry Lee's mother and Jimmy's mother were sisters, making them first cousins on that side, while first cousins once removed on the other side. Honestly. Jerry Lee's dad Elmo had 10 siblings, you see.

Monsignor Berube and me…As are many Baby Boomers these days, I've been investigating my family tree, and my mother is a Berube. According to L'Association des Familles Berube, all in North America are descended from Damien Berube, a stone mason who arrived in Quebec from Normandy in 1671. Many North Country residents fondly recall the late Fr. Louis D. Berube. He was born in Belleville, Nova Scotia, raised in Lynn, Massachusetts, and served the Diocese of Ogdensburg until his death in 1999. Turns out he was my mother's 6th cousin, making him my 6th cousin once removed. Our lines diverged early on…he's descended from Damien's son Pierre, while I'm a 6th great grandchild of Damien's other son Mathurin. 

  

A note from last month…While my baseball bar bet of a batter seeing 15 balls and strikes with just one plate appearance was correct as far as it goes, I have since realized, to my everlasting chagrin, that it didn't go far enough! The batter could come to the plate one more time, work the count full, then have the game end when a baserunner is caught stealing or picked off…for a grand total of 20 balls and strikes on just one at bat. Thanx to Jordan Walden and Curtis Granderson for showing me the light! 

And once again, you can read older "Stolf's Oldies" columns at travelingcyst.blogspot.com. I post the previous month's when the current month's hits the stands. My daily blog at stolf.wordpress.com is now over a year old with no sign of letup. Woof! Check deepfriedhoodsiecups.wordpress.com, which is also daily, and on Sundays devoted to "Genealogy for Baby Boomers."  Not to mention my podcasts: stolfpod.podbean.com and thewholething.podbean.com. Hey, if I don't toot my own horn, who else will? Plus, that would be slightly unsanitary. Till next month, keep on chooglin'…and rock on!

You Might Be Old School If...

 you might be Old School if...

...you take your hat off when you sit down to eat...(now THERE'S a generational divide!)

...you remember when a foreign car actually came from a foreign country.

...when it's reported that something is "turning into a circus," you think to yourself: Cool, I like circuses. 

...you were around when televisions were a fire hazard...all those hot tubes, you know.

...same thing with copy-machines. I remember the one in the library where I grew up had a fire extinguisher attached to the side.

...you watch the Three Stooges today and they're funnier than you remember. (Guess you just grew into them.)

...you recall what we did before energy drinks...we ate a candy bar...because in a way that seems hardly possible today, candy could be good for you.

...you know that "free" means you positively 100% don't have to pay anything for ANYTHING!...for example, 4th Coast Entertainment is FREE!

...you also know that saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes doesn't commit you to any particular religious belief or bind you to a specific sectarian orthodoxy, so you say it, to be polite.

...ditto "Merry Christmas."

...and speaking of Christmas, you know all the words to "Deck Us All With Boston Charlie."

...and while we're at it, you can sing "Don we now our gay apparel" without sniggering.

...you think today's sitcoms are as funny as a crutch.

...oddly enough, you miss the days when you could cut your foot by stepping on a pull-tab. (I mean, there was something so satisfying when that tab snapped off...it was almost worth the risk of tetanus.)

...you always wondered if there was a connection between "notary public" and "notary sojac."

...you finally find what you're looking for around the house, and you put it back in the first place you looked, on the assumption that the next time, that'll still be the first place you look.

...likewise, you never run out of anything, because you always have a backup, and replace the backup.

...and furthermore, you pick a coin up off the street even if it's just a penny, because what the heck, money's money.

...of all the different versions, you like the original "Star Trek" best of all. (And if you do, check out stolfpod.podbean.com #20)

...you acknowledge that an Egg McMuffin, as good as it is, is just a poor man's Eggs Benedict.

...you ever said to a customs agent or border guard: "But you know me!"

...or you ARE a customs agent or border guard, and ever said to yourself: "But I know him!"

...you let sleeping dogs lie, and expect them to return the favor.

...you believe that the only foods that aren't good for you are inedible to start with, so what's the problem?

...you miss fiddling with the vertical hold.

...you can still make "Junior Birdman" goggles.

...you hope that when you get senile, the last thing you forget is how to read a box score.

...when Ethel Mertz talks about how Fred "makes love," you don't freak out, because you know she means it in the old sense of talking lovey-dovey mush to each other...also known as billing and cooing, remember?

...your motto is: Measure twice, cut once, beat into place.

...your first key-ring was one of those chains with little metal balls, and a clasp on one end that the ball on the other end snapped into.

...you understand why people who are always late are always in a better mood than the people who have to wait for them.

Ogden Nash was Old School: "A bit of talcum / is always walcum."

Erma Bombeck was Old School: "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."

Casey Stengal was Old School: "Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice versa."

Woody Allen was Old School: "I've been seeing my analyst for 15 years. I'm giving him one more year, then I'm going to Lourdes."

Fanny Brice was Old School: "Having a baby like pushing a piano through a transom." (BTW, a transom was to create cross-ventilation before there was air-conditioning...)

Fred Allen was Old School when he described the advertising firm of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne: "It sounds like steamer trunk falling down a flight of stairs.”

Ann Landers was Old School: "The best things in life aren't things."

Phyllis Diller was Old School: "I tell the kids, no running in the house, unless you're on your way OUT!"

Your Mom was Old School: "There are 2 kinds of people in this world: those who like cats, and those who don't, for example: Hitler."

Your Dad was Old School: "In this house, I'm the boss, and what the boss says, goes!"...and you asked why?...“Because I'm the boss and I said so!"

You're definitely Old School if you recognize the above circular argument as a perfect example of "begging the question"...and you wince every time someone says "that begs the question..." when what they mean is "that raises the question..."

And finally, you just might be Old School if you understand that the days are long, but the years are short. So the next time you get the chance...no, better yet, make the time for it...and rock on!

Son of You Might Be a Baby Boomer...

son of you might be a baby boomer if…

...you've experienced one of the 3 stages of leaving your fly open...(1) you do and you catch it...(2) you do and you don't catch it...(3) you don't particularly care one way or the other....or you've reached one of the 4 levels of getting on in years: (1) cops are younger than you...(2) your doctor is younger than you...(3) the President is younger than you...(4) the Pope is younger than you.

...you once bought a cheapo madras sports jacket and the darn thing just wouldn’t bleed.

...you never ate at IHOP because your Mother was opposed o the whole concept: "You want pancakes?...I'll make you pancakes..."

...you once upon a time thought Truman Capote just talked funny, that's all.

...you remember the Great Pen Escalation...when 3-color pens were rendered obsolete by 4-color pens...they added green. (And they had pens that looked like filter cigarettes, right? You can still sometimes find old ones on EBay...)

...and speaking of smokes, you remember when a carton of cigarettes made a perfectly appropriate Christmas gift.

...and speaking of Christmas, your family waited till Christmas Eve to put up the tree and nobody reported your parents to Child Protective Services.

...you remember when a total eclipse was a big deal...(overprotective parents warned: don't get too close!)

...you remember when the proper response to "thank you" was "you're welcome", not "no problem"...(cuz, like, y'know, what if it had been a problem?...)

...one of your friends says "When I was in college, I experimented with sex" and you think: "Oh yeah? Who was your lab partner?"

...or they confess: "I used sex"...and you wonder: "To do what? Unstick the lid of a pickle jar?"

...you misplaced your Knit-Wit Doodle-Loom years ago...(don't fret...they still make 'em!)

..."stay out of the draft" was a pun...and a deadly serious one at that.

...you go back to a time when, if you weren't paying attention watching TV, you could miss the commercials....('60s shows had 6-8 minutes of ads per hour...today, it's 15-20 minutes.)

...this joke makes sense: "She: Let's get married and not tell anyone...He: What if we have a baby?...She: Oh, we'll tell the baby..."

...growing up, your family communicated by posting Dear Abby columns on the fridge.

...you once owned a pair of pajamas in a print that looked like newspapers.

...and one night you were so bored you tried reading them...("Sleepy Time Gazette"...uh-huh...)

...you take off your glasses to see something.

...looking back on it, you realize that Mr. Spock on "Star Trek" was a complete rip-off of Mingo on "Daniel Boone", only Mingo was nicer.

...you thought you were cool because you could say "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" backwards...(know what?...you were...I know I was...)

...today's cars all look like somebody took a giant meat cleaver and chopped the trunk off.

...on "Quincy", you didn't feel the least bit cheated when they didn't actually show the dead bodies.

...you can't imagine Apollo 13 as: "Houston, we have issues..."

...you consider "Gilligan's Island" to be the original reality series.

...it doesn't seem that long ago that not one person in 50 could name whose picture was on a $50 bill...(not only that, some businesses refused to accept them!)

...you remember when Germans manufactured the best veeblefetsers...ours was a Gazachstahagan, as I recall...

...you had a weird neighbor with a pencil-thin mustache who would always mow his lawn on Sunday morning wearing a bath-robe and black socks.

...you liked reading the plot summaries in the old TV Guide, like: "Scientists think Flipper swallowed a rare fish and they want to dissect him." (So help me, I'm not making this one up...)

...you were once deeply concerned about what was happening in Brenda Starr's life.

...you remember when copy-machines used to actually suck in your original document, and every once in a great while, didn't spit it back out.

...you remember when liking show-tunes had nothing to do with your sexual orientation.

....because sexual orientation had solely to do with what color your bike was.

...your sister got an aqua-colored princess phone for her room, and she tried to take pictures with it...talk about being ahead of your time!

...the universe was once in perfect balance: baseball cards cost a penny apiece.

...you miss whitewall tires, Colorforms, sonic booms, wood paneling, "Concentration", slot-cars, the Green Hornet, the Green Lantern, toaster pizzas, Rootie Kazootie, "The Secret Storm", "The Edge of Night", Sir Bagby, pull-tabs that came off, yo-yos that lit up, granny glasses, Peter Potomas, Tressy & her little sister Cricket, Tussy, Mr. Novak, Mr. Machine, double features, the clink of milk bottles, U Tant, Moms Mabley, Lefty Frizzell, Babe Parilli, bolo boards, "Sea Hunt", the Teaberry Shuffle, Four Jacks and a Jill, a crayon called "flesh", the California Golden Seals, "mock apple pie" made with Ritz crackers...

...and getting 9 LPs for a penny, if you agreed to buy just 3 more LPs at regular Club prices over the next 2 years...well, till next time, you're not getting older, you're getting smellier...so rock on!... 

You Might Be a Baby Boomer If...

YOU MIGHT BE A BABY BOOMER IF.....

....you paid more for your last car than your first house.

....you wonder how that comic book company ended up making computers. (Sorry, it's a different Dell!)

....you say "a couple of years ago", and it turns out it was 15 years. (Or maybe even 20...)

....you remember Formosa. (Kids, it's now called Taiwan.)

....you didn't have the benefit of Viagra; the best you could do was Vitalis.

....you remember why the sides of double albums were numbered 1-4 and 2-3, instead of 1-2 and 3-4. (Forgot? It was so they'd play in the right order when stacked on the spindle of an automatic play record-player.)

....you think "pre-paid" means you don't have to pay for it, because it's already been paid for. Duh. (And while we're on the subject, the next time they offer something "on demand", call 'em up and demand you get it for free. Isn't that what "demand" means?)

....you remember when Six Flags meant over Texas, not over everywhere

.

....and there was only one variety of Hershey's Kiss (instead of 497.)

....and carob was the next big thing, replacing chocolate. 

....and you once accidentally called your mother "man". (Ooops, sorry, man....I mean....)

....you know the difference between Peanuts Hucko and Peanuts Lowrey.

....you find it a sobering thought that John Lennon's son is a has-been

.

....you remember where you were when postage when from 4 to 5 cents. 

....you hear "Kinko's" and all you can think of is a perverted clown

.

....deep down  in your heart of hearts you know the ground CAN cause a fumble. That's the whole point: you're on the ground and you don't have the ball. You failed to DOWN the ball! El pelota libre! (And you throw something at the TV when someone scores one of those phony "nick the pylon" touchdowns.)

....you look at those before-and-after weight-loss ads, and the "before" appeals to you more than the "after."

....you remember when changing the channel was good exercise.

....you collected one or more of the following: match-book covers, milk-bottle caps, Christmas seals, troll dolls, miniature metal license plates, wire puzzles, political buttons, swizzle sticks, valentine cards, elongated pennies, or gum wrappers (which you then wove into gum wrapper chains, remember?)

....you realize that when they say "infra-structure", they mean "public utilities."

....the only time you were allowed to eat supper in the living room was when "The Wizard of Oz" was on.

....the only time you saw a golden retriever was on your Dad's "Field and Stream" calendar.

....there was a time when everyone you knew owned a frisbee.

....you ever drew on the entire Etch-a-Sketch screen to seen the mechanism underneath.

....you remember when you could smoke in your hospital bed. (I did it...still can't believe it.)

...you "ruined" your bicycle by retrofitting it with high-rise handle-bars and a banana seat. ("Ruin" was the word your parents used.)

....you go back to the days when the only man who wore an earring was Mr. Clean.

....you miss Fizzies, greenie caps, Quisp & Quake, space-wheels macaroni, Ayds diet candy, bubble pipes, suicide Coke, color-by-number, Corn Diggers, butterfly sleepers, Cocoa Marsh, Hamilton's Invaders, space food sticks, slot-cars, Odo-Ro-no, Flav-R straws, oleomargarine, Wink grapefruit soda, Beach-Nut Hot Shot gum, wiggle pictures, Sugar Chex, Testor's Pla enamel, the Teaberry Shuffle, and "What? No Bosco?"

....some or most of the following ring a bell (waaaaay off in the distance): David Suskind, Nani Darnell, Arnold Zenker, Fay Spain, Spain Musgrove, Jinx Falkenberg, Sir Monty Rock III, Snooky Lanson, Marlin Perkins, Gayla Peevey, Bash Kinnett, London Lee, Christine Jorgensen, Jon Gnagy, Penelope Tree, Pete Best, Freckles Brown,   Wyomia Tyus, Billie Sol Estes, Winky Dink, Irish McCalla, Sylva Koscina, Gabriel Heater, Christian Herter, Suzy Knickerbocker, Ersel Hickey, Cookie Gilchrist, Skeeter Davis, Duke Carmel, Mamie Van Doren, Monique Van Vooren, Big Daddy Roth, Little Iodine, Elmer Sneezeweed, Hector Heathcote, and Clyde Crashcup, not to mention Biggy Rat and Itchy Brother.

And, in the final analysis, you are very likely a Baby Boomer if you understand, as I do, that if they'd had genetic counseling back in 1950, you wouldn't be here. Till next time, rock on, geezer!

out in left field (4CE reprint aug 2011)

It's been a while since I wrote about our National Pastime, so as the dog days of August roll in, here are a couple of oddball sidelights on baseball.

The Organized Baseball Career Home Run Record…Which is to say, who has hit the most, Major and Minor League careers combined? The subject of Minor League home runs is an interesting one. You would think that any farm-hand who showed notable power would be promoted fairly quickly…and sure enough, among players who hit 400+ in the Majors, hitting 50+ in the Minors is unusual. But prior to the 1960s, the Minors were a popular form of local entertainment, and a player could be a "career" Minor Leaguer, with just a cup of coffee in the Bigs, or not even that. This was especially true in the Pacific Coast League, where salaries were high and the weather appealing.

Nationally televised games turned the Minors into the "prospect-driven" enterprise they are today, altho the Mexican League, while technically part of the system, remains a viable option for lifetime employment. Sure enough, the top 4 on the all-time Minor League home run list played virtually their entire careers there, lead by Hector Epsino's 484. But of 51 minor leaguers with 300+ career dingers, the top 3 Major League totals are 80, 76, and 46. This tells me most were indeed farm-hands "for life," lacking either the talent or the inclination to go any higher.

At the other end of the spectrum, I added in Minor League home runs for all players with 400+ in the Majors. None under 500 reached as high as 600, altho Carlos Delgado's Major/Minor split of 473/125 put him just 2 shy. Of those with 500+, their new position on the list changed by no more than one or two places…with only Willie McCovey's 512/105 jumping him from 18th to 12th. But significantly, Hank Aaron is back on top, his 755/31 beating Barry Bonds' 762/20 by 4. Babe Ruth had just 1 homer in the minors, Willie Mays just 12. 

Then there are the half-and-half players like Steve Balboni 181/239, Hank Sauer 288/157, Jim Gentile 179/245, the original Frank Thomas 286/100, Vince DiMaggio 125/273, Ripper Collins 135/193, and Zeke Bonura 119/132. This bunch is lead by Dick Stuart and his 228/222 split…it's believed that Dr. Strangeglove is the only player in Organized Ball history with 200+ home runs in both the Majors and the Minors. Russell Branyon is closing in, at 190/210 coming into this season. But looking over an entire career, hitting 200 homers down on the farm appears to be the kiss of death. Of the 166 players I've found with 200+ in the Minors, only 4 had 100+ in the Majors, and only 8 more had between 50 and 99. I suppose the moral is: Whether you play in the Bronx or Paducah…you only have so many in ya.

The Grand-Daddy of All Bar Bets…A player sees a total of 15 balls and strikes in a game but is credited with just one plate appearance. Sounds impossible, right? You get a full count, 3-and-2, then the payoff pitch, for at most 6 balls and strikes…unless there's a trick to it. And in this extreme case, there are TWO tricks to it!

The first trick is obscure rule 10.15b, which states that if a player is unable to complete his at bat, the pinch-hitter is charged with whatever the outcome is, except if the count was 0-and-2, in which case a strikeout would be charged to the original batter, with the pinch-hitter getting credit for nothing, not even an at bat.

So let's say its 1962, and Diamond Jim Gentile is up. He takes a savage swipe, and knocks himself silly. Dick Williams…yes, the recently departed skipper of the 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox…assumes his at bat with the count 0-and 2, takes 3 balls, then strikes out. K charged to Gentile, Williams' total: balls and strikes 4, at bats 0. 

His next time up, he works the count full, then Whitey Herzog is caught stealing to end the inning…running total: balls and strikes 9, at bats 0. Third time up, another full count, then he strikes out…final total: balls and strikes 15, at bats 1. Which just goes to show you, never take a bet in a bar!

Has Anyone Ever Batted .500?…The Major League record for highest batting average for a season is Nap Lajoie's .426 with the A's in 1901. In the Minors, the record is Gary Redus' out-sized .462…that's 117 for 253…with Billings of the Rookie level Pioneer League in 1978. Their season was only 68 games, and they went 50-18…but Gary played in every one of them. Occasionally you have a player who bats 1.000 for a season, going 1/1 or 2/2…pitcher Bruce Chen had 3 1/1 seasons! But Majors or Minors, what's the longest extended period a player has hit .500? Does a data base exist of every game ever played, at every level, day to day? If so, and if the server doesn't crash, maybe we'll day find out some day.

But for now, the record to beat has to be Joe Wilhoit. With the Class A Wichita Jobbers of the Western League, from June 14 to August 19, 1919, he hit in 69 consecutive games, the Organized Ball record, at an astonishing .515 clip…that's 153 for 297. Think of it…for over 2 months, he essentially got a hit every other at bat! It would surprise me if anyone at any level has ever been that hot for that long. After all, baseball is a game where even the best of them can end his work day having accomplished absolutely nothing.

Shamsky's Category-Busting Record…Art Shamsky was a run-of-the-mill outfielder for the Reds, and later the Mets. But over 2 games in 1966, he was simply amazing, hitting 4 home runs in 4 consecutive at bats, one of only 7 players to ever do that. What's more, with each one, the Reds either tied the score or took the lead…and his streak started with a pinch at bat in the 8th inning! 

August 12, 1966, Reds hosting the Pirates, behind 7-6, Shamsky pinch hits for pitcher Joe Nuxhall and blasts a 2-run homer to give the Reds the lead. But the Bucs score in the top of the 9th to send to it extra innings. They score again in the 10th, but Shamsky, now playing left field, hits a solo shot to keep the Reds in it. In their next ups, the Pirates score 2 this time, and sure enough in the bottom of the 11th Shamsky hits a 2-run dinger to tie it up again! But despite his heroics, Cincinnati eventually lost 14-11 in 13 innings.

2 days later, Shamsky gets another pitch hit opportunity, and again homers, a game the Red would also lose. But no other non-starter has ever hit 3 homers in one game. And only 2 other payers have hit 2 extra-inning home runs in the same game…the  St. Louis Browns' Vern Stephens in 1943, and Cleveland's Willie Kirkland in 1963. End result:  Art Shamsky's bat is in the Hall of Fame, even if he isn't. There's no getting around it, baseball really is a funny game.

On another note, if you want to read past "Stolf's Oldies" columns, a number of them are posted at travelingcyst.blogspot.com. Also, there are my daily blogs at stolf.wordpress.com and deepfriedhoodsiecups.wordpress.com. And if you miss Cool Daddy, we're together on 2 podcasts: stolfpod.podbean.com and thewholething.podbean.com. Till next month, my friend, take a moment and rock on!

ask cool daddy 3 (4CE reprint july 2011)

Ask Cool Daddy 3

I was told recently that the Davy Crockett coonskin cap I had as a kid wasn't real raccoon. Say it isn't so!

Sorry, but unless yours was handed down from your great great grandfather, it probably is so. The fashion was adopted by the early settlers from the Indians, and any furry animal unfortunate enough to be the size of a man's head would do, including skunks. Many famous historical figures sported one, including both Lewis & Clark, and when he ran for President in 1948, Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver. But Davy Crockett wore one only on occasions when the public expected it, and Daniel Boone disliked them and never did.

When I was a kid, we were too poor to get them, so my brother and I took turns wearing the cat. Which wasn't so crazy, considering the early style was to leave the head on the front of the cap, like those fox stoles our mothers wore. In any event, during the 1950s, coonskin caps were made of rabbit fur, sometimes but not always with a real raccoon tail…the rest of the coon being used for other fashion purposes, such as coats and collars. There was even a white version for girls, named after Davy's wife Polly. Most Daniel Boone hats of the 1960s were entirely synthetic.

Back in the day, I remember a cereal called Sugar Chex, but nobody believes me. Cool Daddy to the rescue?

Indeed. For years, Ralston Purina, then General Mills who bought the line in 1997, experimented with presweetened versions of Chex cereal. It appears they've finally gotten it right, with the slightly sweet Honey Nut, Chocolate, and Cinnamon varieties (Strawberry Chex is no longer made.) But just as pet-food makers refuse to tell you that your dog or cat's favorite flavor is "fat," the human brain is hard-wired to prefer "sugar" as its flavor pick. And when RP's first attempt to expand the iconic Wheat-Rice-Corn Chex trio came in 1966, it was presweetened.

It was called Mr. Waffles…how's that for a typically goofy Sixties product name? But it was shaped like Chex, and came in 2 flavors, regular (i.e. "sugar") and banana. What you're probably remembering was the relaunch of the regular version as Sugar Frosted Chex several years later. The final push came in the early Seventies, as Sugar Chex, then Super Sugar Chex, featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost on the front. They gave up the ghost sometime after 1974. A slightly sweet Honey Graham Chex existed briefly in the late Eighties.

Frosted Rice Chex Juniors came and went quickly in the early Nineties, followed by Frosted Mini Chex a decade later. They retooled it by making the squares normal size as Frosted Chex around 2009, and that seems to be still available anecdotally, altho it's not listed on the official Chex website. And good breakfasting to you…

Is it true that Beatles manager Brian Epstein had an American group in his fold? I can't remember which, though.

But as I suspect you suspected, Cool Daddy can. It was the Cyrkle, the weird spelling suggested by none other than John Lennon. They were from Easton, PA, home of Crayola crayons. Epstein signed them on the suggestion of his American business partner, and they were an opening act on the Beatles 1966 American tour. Their 2 hits were "Red Rubber Ball," written by Paul Simon, and "Turn Down Day." And there's a video floating around the web of Simon & Garfunkel performing "Ball" live in 1967.

He actually co-wrote it with Bruce Woodley of the Seekers. The Cyrkle heard it while touring with S&G, and Paul said: "You like it? It's yours." They also recorded "Cloudy," but in a classic case of "what were they thinking," passed on another song he offered them, "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." Another irony is John Simon, who was the Cyrkle's producer, but no relation to Paul, altho Paul has a younger brother Eddie, also in the music biz. John went on to work with the Band, Blood Sweat & Tears, and Big Brother & the Holding Company.

I always like hearing about what might have been: the first choice to play a famous TV or movie role that went to someone else…got any for me?

Yup, I got a doozie: Tom Poston was the first choice of Buck Henry and Mel Brooks to play Max on "Get Smart." But often not getting your first choice turns out to be the charm…can you imagine Agent 86 without "that voice"? Actually, the voice goes back to Don Adams' early days as a standup comic, and was supposed to be his impression of William Powell. Not for nothing, but Don Adams' real last name was Yarmy, and he had a younger brother named Dick Yarmy, also a comedian and actor.

But really, the whole character of Maxwell Smart was lifted directly from that of Byron Glick, the inept hotel detective Adams played on an earlier series, "The Bill Dana Show," which lasted a season and a half, 1963-65, with Jose Jimenez as an elevator operator. Since there weren't enough episodes made, this show was never marketed for syndication, but it would be a treat for Baby Boomers to see today. The hotel manager was played by Jonathan Harris, Dr. Smith on "Lost in Space"…Gary Crosby was the bellhop…and Maggie Peterson, Charlene Darling on "The Andy Griffith Show," was a waitress.

Talk about "Look who it is!" moments…on just the first handful of episodes, you'd see Sue Randall, Miss Landers on "Leave It To Beaver"…Percy Helton, that squeaky-voiced, hunchbacked actor…and 3 familiar faces from Mayberry: Jack "Howard Sprague" Dobson, Sue Ann Langdon, and Rachel Ames, longtime stalwart on "General Hospital" as Nurse Audrey…wow! Needless to say, "The Bill Dana Show" was a Danny Thomas production, as was "The Andy Griffith Show."

Do you remember a toy set called Hamilton's Invaders? I wanted it for Christmas, but never got it. But who the heck was Hamilton?

This was one of the more interesting play-sets of the Sixties, made by Remco from 1964-65. The basic premise was simple enough: giant bugs and spiders attacking, and blue plastic "army men," called Blue Defenders, fighting back with tanks, jeeps, and the "Hornet Helicopter." There was even a pistol and a helmet with goggles so you could personally join in the battle. The whole deal was reasonably popular with kids…legend has it that it was discontinued because Moms didn't like the idea of large, almost foot-long creepy crawlers scuttling across the floor with the pull of a string, altho they were later reused in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" play-sets.

But the part of the concept that seemed a little off was naming the lead bug "Horrible Hamilton." Given other monster names of the day, like Godzilla, Gorgo, Konga, Caltiki, and Mothra, "Hamilton" didn't seem to fit. Was this the kind of name your creepy old great uncle might have had, like Murgatroyd or Algernon? Wouldn't Boris or Igor have been at least a little better? And why was the logo of the Blue Defenders a Horrible Hamilton bug head, with the words "Hamilton's Invaders," as if they were on the bugs' side? Perhaps you really were supposed to be rooting for the bugs over the soldiers, given the popularity of giant creature movies at the time. Reminds me of the time I took my wife to see the movie "War and Peace." She rooted for War.

Till next month, check out Stolf's phenomenal blogs and podcasts, all linked at deepfriedhoodsiecups.wordpress.com…and as always, rock on!

invasion USA! (4CE reprint june 2011)

Invasion USA!

April's column had this list of British Invasion groups: Dave Clark Five, Animals, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Searchers, Rolling Stones, Swinging Blue Jeans, Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, Manfred Mann, Nashville Teens, Honeycombs, Small Faces, Kinks, Them, Yardbirds, and Zombies…and the number of times they appeared on "American Bandstand" in 1964 and 1965, combined: zero.

Take that same list and check the "Ed Sullivan Show": 24 appearances, including 7 by the Dave Clark Five, 4 each for the Animals and Gerry & the Pacemakers…even the bad boy Rolling Stones were invited back for a second go. And Sullivan did around 40 shows per year, while Dick Clark was on every week. The old geezer really understood show biz. In fact, the DC5 were on one month after the Beatles, for 2 consecutive Sundays. I can still remember the buzz on the school bus that Monday morning, how the Beatles were history, one-month wonders, and the Tottenham Sound was the new sensation.

But the British Invasion was in full swing. The earliest use of that term I can find in Billboard magazine is March 21, 1964: BRITISH INVASION OF U.S. SPREADS. REDCOATS WIDEN BEACHHEAD HERE. And on the Hot 100 chart for April 4, Beatle singles were in positions #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5, with 7 more ranging from #31 to #79...an astonishing feat not likely to ever be repeated. Record companies scrambled to sign British bands, and not surprisingly, they looked first to the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool.

Here are the British groups that charted in 1964, with the Liverpudlians marked with an asterisk: February: Dave Clark Five...March: *Searchers, *Swinging Blue Jeans...April: *Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas...May: Rolling Stones, Peter & Gordon, Hollies, Chad & Jeremy, *Gerry & Pacemakers. There was a summer lull…nothing new in June or July, only the Animals and Lulu in August. Then September saw Manfred Mann, the Kinks, Nashville Teens, Honeycombs...October: Herman's Hermits, Zombies...November: the Hullabaloos, Marianne Faithful...and December: Petula Clark joined the fray. Several other British bands released singles in 1964, but wouldn't see chart success until 1965 or later: the Who, Yardbirds, Them, Wayne Fontana & Mindbenders, Freddie & Dreamers, Fortunes, Spencer Davis, and Ian Whitcomb.

And the record bins were packed with British groups that got squeezed out in the stampede, and never hit the charts. Liverpool groups included the Merseybeats, Mojos, Escorts, Undertakers, Ian & Zodiacs, the Big Three, King-Size Taylor & Dominos…even Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, Ringo's old group, had a 45 out on Columbia, one of the few major labels, along with RCA and A&M, that didn't jump in with both feet. From all across Great Britain came the Rockin' Berries, Applejacks, Gonks, Snobs, Fourmost, Paramounts (with Gary Brooker, later of Procol Harum), Pretty Things, Screamin' Lord Sutch…even Pete Best, the Beatle's old drummer, cut some records, but made barely a ripple.

By my rough estimate, 25% of the weekly Top 40 slots and 18% of the Hot 100 slots were held by British artists in 1964. These percentages actually increased a little in 1965, but by that time an American Response was beginning to emerge. Altho paradoxically, in one sense there was virtually no American Response at all!

Sure, kids grew their hair long and got groups together, practicing in garages across America. Even my erstwhile sidekick Cool Daddy was in a group, Ringo Kuryakin and the Agitation Stipulation. I asked if he was Ringo, and he said no, he was Agitation. And they didn't have a garage, so they'd practice in the drive-way before his dad got home from work. Many of these groups would attain local fame, playing dances and clubs, and some even had regional hit records. But can you name one national hit from 1964 by an American group that sounded even remotely like the Beatles?

The closest I can come up with is "She's the One" by the Chartbusters, and if you've never heard it, it only reached #33 in July of 1964. They followed the typical pattern: house band at the Crazy Horse in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C…recorded a couple albums for the budget label Diplomat as the Manchesters…Tom Hanks said they were the inspiration for the one-hit Oneders in the movie "That Thing You Do." The Beau Brummels had 2 hits in early 1965, then faded away. Many people think of "Lies" by the Knickerbockers, certainly the closest an American group came to capturing the Beatles Sound, but it barely snuck into the Top 20 in December, 1965, almost 2 years after B-Day.

Simply put, trying to copy the Beatles didn't cut it with the record-buying teens. As I said last month, there was too much of the "real thing" around. What the Beatles did do for American pop music was invigorate it like nothing else could. The look, the style, the clothes, the hair, the whole idea of "a group"…the attitude, the atmosphere, the "scene" if you will…it was something new, fresh, exciting. Young American musicians took their cue from the Beatles, and what did they come up with?

Add the Beatles to the surf bands and you got the Kingsmen, the Premiers, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, the Barbarians, the Leaves with "Hey Joe," the Music Machine, what was then called "punk," but is now referred to as the "garage bands." Take the Standells…when they appeared on "The Munsters" in 1965, they were a lame imitation of the Beatles, with something called "Come On and Ringo." By 1966, they were snarling with "Dirty Water."

Add the Beatles to rhythm and blues and you got the Blue-Eyed Soul of the Young Rascals. Even black music was energized…listen to Motown recordings before and after B-Day, and hear the pop sheen Barry Gordy was astute enough to apply to the Sound of Young America. Add the Beatles to country & western and you got the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield, leading to Poco, America, and the Eagles. Add the Beatles to folk, and out comes the Mamas and Papas, Lovin' Spoonful, Simon and Garfunkel…and when Bob Dylan went electric, it was time for the Yanks to take back their music!

Add the Beatles to harmony groups like the Lettermen, Four Preps, even the Four Seasons, and you got the Turtles, the Buckinghams, the Grassroots, and especially the Association. Add the Beatles to big band jazz with a horn section, and you got Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago. And there was Paul Revere and the Raiders, who had been copying whatever sound was hot since 1961 with little success, until they hit their stride in 1965.

Then came the Monkees, further commercializing what was a blatantly commercial enterprise to begin with, and you got the stripped down silliness of bubble gum, followed by the bouncy records of the early 1970s, today collectively labeled "Sunshine Pop." And ironically enough, the Beatles took note of it all, and themselves fed on the emerging new American sounds. It was only after the Beatles weren't the Beatles anymore that real imitators emerged: Badfinger in the UK, the Raspberries in the US, the whole Power Pop movement, and the Electric Light Orchestra, an outgrowth of one of the most Beatle-like British bands, the Move. And the Move never hit it big in the US…they were just too Beatley for their own good.

In short, what a time to own a transistor radio! Catch you on the web at Deepfriedhoodsiecups.wordpress.com, and c'mon baby let's do the rock on!