A Tribute to Peter Tork

Here is a video tribute to Peter Tork that I found on You Tube. The song is called I Don't Think You Know Me At All and was produced by Mike Nesmith. It sounds pretty good but needs to have a few things fixed. If they had fixed them and released this song I am positive this would have been a hit for Peter or at least a popular album cut. Come back tomorrow to see another video tribute to Peter Tork.

The Monkees and I Didn't Know You Had It In You Sally, You're A Real Ball Of Fire

Well I finally got to listen to the new Monkees song. Now these days it is a real treat to listen to any new and previously unreleased Monkees song as Rhino seems to be near empty on that material. I couldn't wait to listen to it and went to the turn table on my stero and to my shock found that the 45 adapter was gone. It was a long time since I had listen to a 45 so I don't know how long it had been missing. I tried going to stores to get a new one and was prepared for stunned and shocked looks that a person in the 21st century would still need one. Of all the store I went to only one person gave me an odd look and had to think for a moment of what a 45 adapter was. Another kid of around 15 or 16 had never heard of a 45 adapter. Anyway none of the stores had one. When I got home my wife had found the adapter in the basement. In just a few seconds I listened to this 38 year old song that had not been released until now. Since I had read that the insturmental part had been finished in 1966 (the vocals were done in 1969) I was expecting it to sound like Teardrop City or I'm a Believer. Instead it sounded more like Tapioca Tundra only not as good. Micky's vocals were so nasal that I had to listen very close to tell it was him. The sound was so completely different that my wife had to ask me if it really was the Monkees. There were certain vocal inflections that assured me it was Micky. So I told her it was the Monkees and I had not been taken. The filp side was an alternate mix of Daydream Believer. I have heard that so many times that I thought I wouldn't like it but in comparison to the newest find in the Monkees vault the new Daydream Believer was a pleasant listening experience.

So I am happy to have this rare song in the Monkees history. However, it was an expensive record to buy since I had it purchase the two new CD's to get it. Still I probably would have wound up getting those anyway later on. If anyone else got this please leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it.

This Day In Music History: The Beach Boys and I Get Around

July 4th 1964, on this day in music history, the Billboard chart was topped by America's Band, the Beach Boys with I Get Around. The Beach Boys lived and promoted the American dream and often preformed on theFourth of July.

As many people know the Band was from California and originally consisted of the Wilson Brothers, Brian, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love and Brian Wilson's high school frined Al Jardine. When the Wilson boys parents were on vacation in Mexico the boys went to see music publishers Hite and Doreen Morgan about recording a song. The five boys had formed a group and were always singing on weekends at the Wilson house and felt ready to record.

Now here is where I have heard two versions of the story. The Morgans only wanted original material so the boys sat down right there and wrote the song Surfin' in their office and recorded it two days later. However, another story I read was that the song lyrics were written by Brian as a poem in his English class and later the song was finished in the Morgans office. I don't know which one is true but I am guessing it was the second one.

The group needed a new name. They were currently called the Pendletones but a promotion man, Russ Regan, for Candix records suggested the name the Beach Boys. The name stuck and Surfin' became a local hit.

Later, with the Wilson brothers father, Murray, acting as their manager they were signed to Capitol records. They had many hits for Capitol but never a #1. Brian had co-written a #1 hit for their friends Jan and Dean with the song Surf City but the Beach Boys always came up short. Until they recorded I Get Around.

I believe the beginning of the end of the group actually started duing the recording session for I Get Around. Sure the group lasted for decades and had many hits over the years but this was a family band. It was during these recording sessions where Brain and his Dad got into an arguement in the recording studio. Brian shoved his Dad and Murray left the recording studio never to return. Later, in tears, Brian apologized to Murray saying he only wanted to make I Get Around sound perfect.

The song was also the first of many hits overseas. When Mick Jagger returned to England he bragged about the Beach Boys on a British TV show. This helped push I Get Around to the top ten in England. It was the first time the Beach Boys had a top ten hit there.
If you want the 45 pictured above you can buy it here.

Happy 4th of July from On My Mind

I know it isn't the bicentennial but these, espically the Captain America one, were two of my favorite comic books to come out of 1976. Back then it was a happy ocassion of the 200th birthday of our country that reminded us to be patriotic and not a sad reminder like 9/11. So happy 231st America. Long may our flag of freedom wave.

New Monkees 45

Just wanted any Monkees fans who ordered the new CD's being released from Rhino and hoped to get their unreleased 45 "I Didn't Know You Had It In You Sally, You're A Real Ball of Fire" that I got the 45 in the mail today. Whew! Talk about a run on sentence. Anyway I haven't had time to listen to it yet but wanted to let you know if you haven't gotten it yet that it is on its way. The above photo is of the one I got today. It was a bit bent but I can live with that to hear a new Monkees song.

Charlton Comics in house ad

Here is a 1973 in house ad from Charlton Comics. Hmmm! I wonder what books were selling well for them in 1973?

Vixen

How close was Vixen to getting her own series at DC in 1978? Close enough that they were advertising Vixen #1 on their Daily Planet page. This would have been another way to introduce more minority characters to the DC universe as they did with Black Lightning a couple of years earlier. Today she is a fairly popular character after having been a respected member of the Justice League but still does not have her own series. Maybe someday she will. What else was going on for DC characters in 1978? Well, according to Fred Hembeck, the Superman sereis of films was doing quite well and maiking Wonder Woman jealous. When will she get her own movie? Warner Brothers only seems to have faith in Superman and Batman. Marvel knows that movies about Daredevil, Ghost Rider and other minor characters can help boost sales of their books. The major characters will almost always be money makers. So DC lets see something like Hawkman, Atom, Creeper, Aquaman, Hawk and Dove, Vixen etc. at the local movie theaters.

Another Marvel In House Ad