tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37413189392578807622024-03-13T19:58:42.012-07:00That 70's BlogRicky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-20542257165494112952008-09-19T10:54:00.004-07:002014-05-15T10:32:15.224-07:00My 70s RoomI haven't been posting much lately becasue I've been working on my 70s display room. Back in February my second roommate just up an vanished. So I spent the next couple of months cleaning out his room. Since his room is right next to mine and is only separated by sliding doors, I opened them up. Now the room has become the room where I display all of the 70s stuff that I've collected over the years. I think the pictures speak for themselves.<br />
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Now these are not the final pictures because I've added more to the room but you get a general idea.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQCNgB6ipI/AAAAAAAAADM/6n_mtNYp4Nc/s1600-h/5-15-2008-05.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQCNgB6ipI/AAAAAAAAADM/6n_mtNYp4Nc/s320/5-15-2008-05.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247821896752990866" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>This is the main door into the room. No, that is not the famous Farrah poster. It is a rug of the famous Farrah poster. There were rugs, beanbag chairs and numerous other things produced in the 70s with that famous picture of Farrah on them. </div>
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The white Owl was my mother's. She bought it at a flea market in about 1975 or so. It hung on our livingroom wall until she redid the livingroom and then it became mine. </div>
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The frog clock above the door is quite the conversation piece. When I first saw it on eBay I couldn't stop laughing. I thought it was the ugliest clock that I've ever seen. I just had to have it. </div>
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Next to the door are my Sonny & Cher dolls from Mego. Also the Suzanne Somers doll from Mego. </div>
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The man on the wall is Rock Pamplin. Playgirl's Man of the Month for May 1976. He went on to be Man of the First Five Years and he also did some model work for COLT Studios in the late 70s.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQDZ94A54I/AAAAAAAAADU/Jjfd1v8uMPg/s1600-h/5-15-2008-06.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQDZ94A54I/AAAAAAAAADU/Jjfd1v8uMPg/s320/5-15-2008-06.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247823210434586498" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Now this picture shows one of those great fuzzy goofy foot rugs. It took me years and years to find one of these. This one is actually a promo item from Green Giant foods. You had to send away to get it. I'm sure that there are not many of these left floating around these days.</div>
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Of course the obligatory Star Wars bedsheets being used as curtains. </div>
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Love those patchwork suede floppy hats. </div>
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There are two pair of unused Starsky & Hutch knee socks. </div>
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And lots of fabulous platform shoes. </div>
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The belts and the purse that are haning there were my mother's and yes, she did actually were them. </div>
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The big white thing with the mushroom on it is a trash can. Fabulous! <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQEHBRYatI/AAAAAAAAADc/QG0kzkRAm3Q/s1600-h/5-15-2008-07.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQEHBRYatI/AAAAAAAAADc/QG0kzkRAm3Q/s320/5-15-2008-07.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247823984440404690" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />
I really love the keyhole mirror on the wall and the owl clock with the little owls. Too cute. </div>
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While it is hard to see, the record album haning there is the third album from the Brady Bunch called The Kids From The Brady Bunch. This is an Austrailian pressing of the album with what I consider to be a much better cover than the US version.<br />
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On the floor is my Kenner Millenium Falcon and Deathstar Space Station playset.<br />
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The magazines on the top of the bokkshelf are every issue of Playgirl Magazine from the 1st issue in June of 73 all the way to January 1980.<br />
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Next to the Playgirls on the left is a BC cookie jar from Marathon gas stations. On the other side is a great flowered chip and dip bowl. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 0;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQERp2IXsI/AAAAAAAAADk/OQSZnMZbCM8/s1600-h/5-15-2008-08.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQERp2IXsI/AAAAAAAAADk/OQSZnMZbCM8/s320/5-15-2008-08.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247824167130652354" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></span></div>
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A better shot of theowl clock. </div>
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Yes, that is my Kenner X-wing fighter hanging from the ceiling.<br />
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On the shelf are my Mego Jaclyn Smith and Farrah dolls. Below that is the only single that Farrah ever sang on. With a picture sleeve.<br />
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On the speaker are my large size C-3PO and R2-D2 figures along with the R2-D2 cookie jar.<br />
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My Ronco Rhinestone and Stud setter is on the floor under the white donut phone. </div>
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And the really fun and cool smiley face trash can. </div>
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Of course another Star Wars bedsheet being used as a curtain. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQFW3qSNoI/AAAAAAAAAD0/BF34xT8PzLE/s1600-h/5-15-2008-09.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQFW3qSNoI/AAAAAAAAAD0/BF34xT8PzLE/s320/5-15-2008-09.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247825356250035842" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div>
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There's just too much stuff on those shelves to mention so I'll just bring up the highlights.<br />
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There are two dolls on the top shelf. Disco Wanda and Gay Bob.<br />
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There is also a bottle of Farrah shampoo and conditoiner. </div>
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The lady speed styler hair dryer with Farrah on the box. Yes, the dryer is 100% complete and it works. Well, it doesn't heat up but it still blows air.<br />
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A boxed pair of vintage Earth Shoes.<br />
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The comlete sets for the Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica glasses. </div>
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A whole shelf of vintage Burger Chef things including all four King Kong glasses. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQFhuHYb8I/AAAAAAAAAD8/mXURHCoU6lk/s1600-h/5-15-2008-10.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQFhuHYb8I/AAAAAAAAAD8/mXURHCoU6lk/s320/5-15-2008-10.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247825542666284994" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> I just love that Love clock.<br />
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The contact paper behind everthing in the center is made up of flowers and the word 'love' all over it. I have a 50 foot rool of the stuff. No, I did not stick it to the wall there. I pinned it up.</div>
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The ice bucket in the very center is really cool.<br />
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The fish on top of the stereo is what I think is the tackiest thing in the entire room. It was a gift to my mother in 1975 and it used to have live plants in it. It just shows how much my father lacked in taste when it came to gifts.<br />
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On each side of the stereo are Cher's Travel Trucks with several Mego Cher outfits for the dolls. Also Cher's Dressing Room playset is there and the Sonny & Cher Theatre In The Round playset.<br />
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The four cases on the left are every Kenner Star Wars action figure they produced until 1985 when the line was discontinued. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQFxlOJeXI/AAAAAAAAAEE/3y9cZHO28a4/s1600-h/5-15-2008-11.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQFxlOJeXI/AAAAAAAAAEE/3y9cZHO28a4/s320/5-15-2008-11.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247825815156652402" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> </div>
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More stuff that is too numerous to mention.<br />
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Lots and lots of really cool things.<br />
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The Fonzie record on the wall is called Fonzie's 50s Favorites. I found it still sealed at a flea market. You can punch out part of the back to make it stand up like a framed photograph. </div>
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The McCoy Smiley Face cookie jar and bank are on the speaker.<br />
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While you can't see it very will, on the bottom shelf is a Jackson 5 game and a pair of Disco Slip-On roller skates. These were like old fashioned sidewalk skates except these are blue plastic and have these great Disco strap pads on them.<br />
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Also, there are one of those obnoxious fuzzy dog kleenex box covers. Had to have one of those. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQGcCGYayI/AAAAAAAAAEM/UBgEdbFI7pI/s1600-h/5-15-2008-12.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQGcCGYayI/AAAAAAAAAEM/UBgEdbFI7pI/s320/5-15-2008-12.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247826544463211298" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div>
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On the floor there is one of my mushroom footstools.<br />
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My Battlestar Galactica game. </div>
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My favorite toy as a child, the Fisher Price Play Family Castle. 100% complete and working. This thing brought me hours of fun as a kid.<br />
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A vintage Free Former skateboard. </div>
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A Fozzy Bear hand puppet from 1978.<br />
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Of course a lava lamp.<br />
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On the table are my Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman and Jamie Sommers dolls. All complete which is surprising considering how much my sister and I used to play with these. They are in really good condition for their age. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQIYbBD_TI/AAAAAAAAAEU/L9VbZ3abc_U/s1600-h/5-15-2008-13.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQIYbBD_TI/AAAAAAAAAEU/L9VbZ3abc_U/s320/5-15-2008-13.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247828681455566130" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> Here's a better shot of the dolls on the table.<br />
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A Farrah and Smiley face pillow on the bottom and a really cool orange beanbag telephone.<br />
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Also my second mushroom footstool.<br />
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My Matchbox 78 car case from when I was a kid. Yes, it is filled with vintage 70s Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars.</div>
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The doll on the wall is the Jill Monroe Charlies Angles doll. Can you tell yet that I am a big Farrah fan?<br />
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The black hoop with a lemon on the end is the Whammo Lemon Twist toy. I got one of these for my 10th birthday in 1976. I loved it but the dog got a hold of it and chewed it up. I was tickled to death when I finally found one on eBay. And it only cost me $3.00 plus shipping. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQI6u9OLZI/AAAAAAAAAEc/MFUHNz4m3QA/s1600-h/5-15-2008-14.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQI6u9OLZI/AAAAAAAAAEc/MFUHNz4m3QA/s320/5-15-2008-14.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247829270923718034" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> All of the records on the foor (starting with the prevoius two pictures) are my 70s Disco records collection. I have at least 150 albums and 12" singles from about 1973 to 1980. All 100% Disco.<br />
There are the Star Wars Escape From Deathstar and Charlies Angels (with Farrah on the box) games.<br />
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All of the plant hangers are vintage 70s. There are no plants in them because the plants I had died. I'm not good with plants and never have been.<br />
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I really love the pink plastic swag lamp. That was a must have when I found it on eBay.<br />
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You can't see them very well, but there are a pair of red, white and blue Bicentenial sunglasses that have Gerald Ford on them. They have chains that you drape over your ears and it looks like you are wearing a pair of Ford earrings. Trully tacky. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQJJtuGitI/AAAAAAAAAEk/96KnATqieks/s1600-h/5-15-2008-15.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQJJtuGitI/AAAAAAAAAEk/96KnATqieks/s320/5-15-2008-15.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247829528289905362" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div>
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On the shelf are my Mego Diana Ross and Captain and Tennille dolls.<br />
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This tiny space below the shelf is perhaps my favorite part of the room. </div>
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From the round Disco Infinity light to the silver platform shoes, just the entire way it came together I think is really cool. To me, it looks so Disco. I can't explain why, but that is what it reminds me of. Disco.<br />
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Next to the book shelf is the last of the Disco records. </div>
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The bookshelf contains all of me 70s TV shows on DVD. I have watched at least 90% of them. I'm a little behind but getting caught up.</div>
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The black candle holders on the shelf belonged to my cousin. She got them in 1974, I think. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQJvgVHGgI/AAAAAAAAAEs/EL-FzfVFg34/s1600-h/5-15-2008-16.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQJvgVHGgI/AAAAAAAAAEs/EL-FzfVFg34/s320/5-15-2008-16.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247830177530452482" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div>
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Yes, that is a framed poster of Burt Reynolds Cosmo Centerfold.<br />
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Several fun things on the shelves.</div>
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Sabrina, Kelly and Kris Charlies Angels dolls.</div>
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A really cool green flowered desk set.<br />
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A vintage Matel Big Jim doll.<br />
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Next to the bookcase are a pair of Addis Running shoes like Starsky used to wear. </div>
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The records on the right are some really fun 70s records like all of the Partridge Family and Brady Bunch records. The Banana Splits album. All of the Krofft show albums that were available (Sigmund & The Sea Monsters, The Bugaloos, Kaptain Kool & The Kongs and the Pufnstuf Movie soundtrack). Lots of good stuff. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQLLsSZIgI/AAAAAAAAAE0/WjjVjUM5imo/s1600-h/5-15-2008-17.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQLLsSZIgI/AAAAAAAAAE0/WjjVjUM5imo/s320/5-15-2008-17.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247831761288241666" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />
And with this picture we have come full circle around the room.<br />
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The rest of the pictures are of the center of the room. This is the sitting area of the room. A denim beanbag chair and several large pillows surround a 70s palstic Parson table. </div>
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On the table are the ever present plastic grapes, coasters and ashtrays.<br />
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Think of the circle from That 70s Show and you pretty much get the idea for this area of the room.<br />
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The next picture is a better shot of the small bookcase. On the bookshelf are every Sears Catalog from 1970-79 including all of the Christmas catalogs. </div>
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The complete set of Matel Battlestar Galacitca action figures. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQLjSzpKlI/AAAAAAAAAE8/1jMmwX3CK6E/s1600-h/5-15-2008-18.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNQLjSzpKlI/AAAAAAAAAE8/1jMmwX3CK6E/s320/5-15-2008-18.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247832166765242962" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> My sister's 70s Barbie dolls.<br />
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Then there is a shot of the ceiling with the smiley face light cover and the Kenner Darth Vader Tie Fighter. My other Tie Fighter is also hanging from the ceiling and I think it shows up in a previous pictire.<br />
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And last but not least a real good close up of my platform shoes. Yes, I used to wear these. I love each and every pair of them. I wish I could still wear them. They were too much fun. </div>
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Quite a lot of love and work (not to mention money) went into the creation of this room. And just think, I've added a lot more stuff to it since I took these pictures. Just imagine what it must look like now. </div>
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Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-70815336230379389942011-08-25T06:32:00.000-07:002013-01-06T15:45:54.547-08:00Remembering Trivet's Antiques In Cincinnati<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lA4QLeFzFwY/TlcbmAO9NZI/AAAAAAAAALg/6bSM0swBhBo/s1600/Trivet%2527s.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645010997643916690" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lA4QLeFzFwY/TlcbmAO9NZI/AAAAAAAAALg/6bSM0swBhBo/s320/Trivet%2527s.jpg" style="float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 254px;" /></a>
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Once upon a time in downtown Cincinnati there was this really great store called Trivet's Antiques and Boutique. This was a store like no other. From the outstide it looked like just about any other junk store you find in most big cities. However, you just had to walk through the door to immediatley realize you had stumbled upon something very, very unique. Inside the place was filled with 100% vintage clothes from the early to mid 70's. I mean, the place was just brimming over with stuff. There was so much stuff that even though I was there three times (for about three hours each visit), I still don't think that I saw everything.
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The store had three floors (I didn't even know about the top floor until years later).
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The main floor consisted of hat, belts, jewelry, watch bands, toe socks, and the best thing shoes. Oh my God, the shoes! On your way back to the shoe area, there was a glass case with several pairs of shoes. There was a sign on the case that stated, 'shoes in case not for sale.' Words cannot describe these shoes. Lots, and lots for totally cool vintage, never worn platform shoes. I couldn't believe my eyes. Then, in the actual shoe room, there was another large glass case filled with even more pairs of shoes. Not to mention all of the other pairs of shoes just sitting around. I didn't know where to begin shopping.
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The basement was the real treasure trove. Down there on three rows of about three cafeteria tables each were thousands of pairs of vintage bell bottoms. I mean these jeans were on the tables. Below the tables and even hanging above the tables. Everywhere I looked there were clothes. Shirts lined the walls. Not just any shirts. Several of those beautiful embroidered denim shirts. This place was just amazing. And everything was 100% brand new and never worn. Even better, everything was being sold for what it was tagged for in the 70s. Vintage, never worn pants could be had for as little as $5.95 a pair! Unbelievable!
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As to the top floor, I don't know what was up there since I never visited it. I heard it was filled with antiques but I don't know.
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I first heard of Trivet's in 1994. One of my co-workers knew about it and knew my fondness for wearing vintage 70s clothes. So, one Saturday I made the two hour drive from Indianapolis on my first pilgrimage to this wonderland. Once I got a look at the basement, I was in heaven. Eventually, I would make three trips to Trivet's and end up spending close to $1,500.00. It was certainly easy enough to do. I do admit, I went a little nuts. In fact, I still have all the pants and shirts that I bought there. When I got home with my treasures, I removed all of the tags (I even saved a few) and washed everything in cold water with Woolite and line dried them. This is a practice that I still do to this very day. It's my way of preservng the clothes.
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So, how did this little store happen upon all of this wonderful stuff? As for the pants and shirts, the story I heard was that the owners bought a warehouse from the store chain, The Bottom Half, when it went out of business. In the warehouse were boxes and boxes of unopened bell bottom and shirts. From there, they moved them to the store and sold them for whatever they were tagged. Where the shoes, jewelry and other accessories came from, I don't know. I never asked.
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In 1995 I moved to California, taking all of those clothes with me but I never forgot about Trivet's. Over the years, I thought about returning to the store to buy more jeans since the ones that I had I could no longer wear. Once I hit 30, I gained a bit of weight and my 28 inch waist was a thing of the past. Sadly, the store closed sometime in 2000. It reopened at a new location in 2003. Then, a mere five years later, it closed again in 2008. At this time, it looks like Trivet's is once and for all gone. It just breaks the heart to think that all of those wonderful clothes are just gone. Not to mention those gorgeous shoes.
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Until recently. I happened to be shopping on eBay one day and to my shock and amazement, there was someone selling a pair of shoes that were very familiar. In fact, they were a pair of shoes that I had bought at Trivet's long ago. This is the pair that I ran across:
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzIcAP1sfMc/TlZh3Cf4rmI/AAAAAAAAAIg/5-xx5RXzq-g/s1600/Trivets%2BShoes%2B2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644806781146803810" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzIcAP1sfMc/TlZh3Cf4rmI/AAAAAAAAAIg/5-xx5RXzq-g/s320/Trivets%2BShoes%2B2.jpg" style="display: block; height: 202px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>The listing said they were purchased at a recent estate sale, and the seller listed their location as Southern Ohio. To me that just screamed Cincinnati! As I checked out the sellers other items, I discovered that there were 17 pairs of vintage 70s shoes for sale. I was floored! As I carefully looked at each and every pair of the shoes, I knew that these were the shoes from Trivet's. Not only that, they were the shoes that used to be in the glass cases. How did I know this? Well, for one thing, I remembered two particualr pairs that I really wanted. In fact these two pairs:
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bih916cZSX4/TlZgvgXUs3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/TrhzJc4KJWs/s1600/Trivets%2BShoes%2B9.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644805552213373810" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bih916cZSX4/TlZgvgXUs3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/TrhzJc4KJWs/s200/Trivets%2BShoes%2B9.jpg" style="display: block; height: 123px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpLl_T1AbL0/TlZhDh40TCI/AAAAAAAAAII/T7-7VGKLNV0/s1600/Trivets%2BShoes%2B5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644805896219675682" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpLl_T1AbL0/TlZhDh40TCI/AAAAAAAAAII/T7-7VGKLNV0/s200/Trivets%2BShoes%2B5.jpg" style="display: block; height: 116px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a> Another really big clue was each listing gave a pictures of the shoes from jus about every angle. Including the bottom. On the bottom of some of the shoes was a very distinctive clue. Several were marked 'not for sale.' Like in this picture:
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644809117730070466" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mo8axvbZ4Lo/TlZj_C8v38I/AAAAAAAAAI4/1QR6uLyunDA/s200/Trivet%2BNot%2BFor%2BSale%2BShoe.jpg" style="display: block; height: 159px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /> After seeing that, there was no question in my mind that these shoes were from Trivet's. So, I bid and won the two pairs of shoes that I had my eye on in the case all those years ago. They just arrived today and are just a beautiful as I remember them. They will look great setting next to my other pairs of Trivet's shoes.
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGpWFZHGap0/TlZlYl7tKII/AAAAAAAAAJA/rVBuLrHmfa4/s1600/My%2BShoes.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644810656129296514" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGpWFZHGap0/TlZlYl7tKII/AAAAAAAAAJA/rVBuLrHmfa4/s200/My%2BShoes.jpg" style="float: left; height: 197px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 142px;" /></a> The shoes in this picture that I bought at Tirvet's are the top two pairs, the black pair with the fake snakeskin, the next two pairs and the bottom left pair with the stars on the toes.
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<br />So, now I will have eight pairs of shoes from Trivet's.
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<br />Finally, just for fun, here are pictures of the rest of the shoes from Trivet's that were recently on eBay. Enjoy. Now the only question is, what happened to those thousands of bell bottoms? The world may never know.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d5_wZF_yopU/TlZyACy5DYI/AAAAAAAAALI/zpQihfyERQw/s1600/Shoes%2B1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644824528031387010" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d5_wZF_yopU/TlZyACy5DYI/AAAAAAAAALI/zpQihfyERQw/s400/Shoes%2B1.jpg" style="display: block; height: 123px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8XL9Hr-8MxQ/TlZx8KuhlwI/AAAAAAAAALA/_rO1rF2T1vc/s1600/Shoes%2B2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644824461441079042" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8XL9Hr-8MxQ/TlZx8KuhlwI/AAAAAAAAALA/_rO1rF2T1vc/s400/Shoes%2B2.jpg" style="display: block; height: 112px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_-6w5wrATc/TlZxvhdIBNI/AAAAAAAAAKw/-FBVfPW6_Og/s1600/Shoes%2B4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644824244203816146" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_-6w5wrATc/TlZxvhdIBNI/AAAAAAAAAKw/-FBVfPW6_Og/s400/Shoes%2B4.jpg" style="display: block; height: 152px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m7x63SOVtoY/TlZxet-fFwI/AAAAAAAAAKg/sglJLZ8N35Y/s1600/Shoes%2B6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644823955507189506" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m7x63SOVtoY/TlZxet-fFwI/AAAAAAAAAKg/sglJLZ8N35Y/s400/Shoes%2B6.jpg" style="display: block; height: 123px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WUriwCx6Rs8/TlZxYI43GUI/AAAAAAAAAKY/qh9S_Kv6l6k/s1600/Shoes%2B7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644823842472270146" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WUriwCx6Rs8/TlZxYI43GUI/AAAAAAAAAKY/qh9S_Kv6l6k/s400/Shoes%2B7.jpg" style="display: block; height: 122px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MwllqnX8u3I/TlZy1cLOaEI/AAAAAAAAALY/QvOrNuiiaOQ/s1600/Shoes%2B5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644825445377402946" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MwllqnX8u3I/TlZy1cLOaEI/AAAAAAAAALY/QvOrNuiiaOQ/s400/Shoes%2B5.jpg" style="display: block; height: 122px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RsT5dzFk8lk/TlZyvJZQceI/AAAAAAAAALQ/Kf5cwxXEbEg/s1600/Shoes%2B3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644825337256767970" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RsT5dzFk8lk/TlZyvJZQceI/AAAAAAAAALQ/Kf5cwxXEbEg/s400/Shoes%2B3.jpg" style="display: block; height: 128px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<br />Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-33405420991399945292011-02-07T19:48:00.000-08:002011-02-07T20:19:31.024-08:00VH1 8-Track Flashback (An Episode Guide)Well, my first blog in ever so long. And what a groovey blog it will be. It's all about the great late 90s TV series on VH1 called 8-Track Flashback. This was, in my opinion, the best show VH1 ever did. <br /><br />In 1996, VH1 jumped on the 70s nostalgia wave with the launch of three shows. They dug The Midnight Special and American Banstand (only the 1975-85 episodes) out of the vaults. They also premiered a new series called 8-Track Flashback. The show was 30 minutes and hosted by the fabulous David Cassidy. The show featured vintage 70s videos and performances of top hits. Each show had a title or theme that was used to connect each of the videos shown. Also featured were 'Flashback Segments' that reinforced the title or theme. <br /><br />Ultimately the show would have a total of three hosts. David Cassidy (24 episodes0, Leif Garrett (5 episodes), and Suzanne Somers (26 episodes). The final episode, which was pretty much produced to round out the run and end up with an even number of episodes, was hosted by Cynthia Garrett. In the end there are 56 episodes of the series. <br /><br />I managed to record several episodes myself and what I didn't have I managed to purchase online for sellers on Ioffer, ebay and other sites. While my recordings were not in the best of condition (I taped them in EP speed), buy purchasing then series from others, I was able to upgrade most of my old VHS recordings. In total I managed to obtain 54 of the 56 episodes. <br /><br />I also had several tapes of 70s videos purchased years ago that contained five additional videos from what turned out to be from an additional two episodes of the series. Both those episodes were hosted by Leif Garrett. Of those two 'lost' episodes I did find someone with an almost complete version of one of the episodes. That episode was titled 'She's A Rebel.' Unfortunately, the opening host segment and first video were missing. I did have the first video from the show, Helen Reddy's 'I Am Woman." So, I was able to to a passable reconstruction of the episode. The final episode hosted by Leif Garrett has proved to be illusive. I have four of the five videos from that show, but I can't seem to come up with the title to the episode. All of the host segments and the flashback segment are missing. However, I did do a reconstruction of the episode but without the host segments and flashback segment, it is just the opening theme, the videos and the closing theme. <br /><br />Now, as I was doing my research, it became apparant that there wasn't a definitive episode list on the web anywhere. So, here for the first time anywhere is a complete list of all 56 episodes of 8-Track Flashback. <br /><br />"American Girl" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Maggie Mae - Rod Stewart (1971)<br />Sara Smile - Hall & Oates (1976)<br />My Sharona - The Knack (1979)<br />Flashback Segment: Women’s Movement<br />Angie - The Rolling Stones (1973)<br />Proud Mary - Ike & Tina Turner (1971)<br /><br />"Love Rollercoaster” Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Let's Stay Together - Al Green (1972)<br />I'm Not in Love - 10cc (1975)<br />Love Will Keep Us Together - The Captain & Tennille (1975)<br />Flashback Segment: Evel Knievel<br />Feels Like The First Time – Foreigner (1977)<br />Let's Stick Together - Bryan Ferry (1976)<br /><br />"Glam Rock" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Rock & Roll, Part 2 - Gary Glitter (1972)<br />Virginia Plain - Roxy Music (1972)<br />Bang-A-Gong - T. Rex (1972)<br />Flashback Segment: Gender Bending<br />Lookin' For A Kiss - New York Dolls (1973)<br />Space Oddity - David Bowie (1973)<br /><br />"Funk" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Superstition - Stevie Wonder (1973)<br />Fire - Ohio Players (1975)<br />You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate (1975)<br />Flashback Segment: Platform Shoes<br />Le Freak - Chic (1978)<br />Rubberband Man - The Spinners (1976)<br />Tear the Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk) – Parliament (1976)<br /><br />"Salute To Queen" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (1975)<br />We Will Rock You - Queen (1977)<br />Somebody To Love - Queen (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: The Death Of Elvis Presley<br />Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen (1982)<br />Another One Bites The Dust - Queen (1980)<br />We Are the Champions - Queen (1977)<br /><br />"Disco" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor (1978)<br />Get Down Tonight - K.C. & The Sunshine Band (1975)<br />You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gees (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Life Inside A Disco (Studio 54)<br />I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round) - Alicia Bridges (1978)<br />YMCA - The Village People (1979)<br /><br />"Family Groups" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Jive Talkin’ - Bee Gees (1975)<br />Top Of The World - The Carpenters (1973)<br />Magic Man - Heart (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Watergate<br />Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons (1977)<br />We Are Family - Sister Sledge (1979)<br /><br />"Salute To ABBA" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Waterloo - ABBA (1974)<br />S.O.S. - ABBA (1975)<br />Dancing Queen – ABBA (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Roller Skating<br />Knowing Me, Knowing You – ABBA (1977)<br />Take a Chance on Me - ABBA (1978)<br /><br />"Spirit Of '76" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Tonight's The Night - Rod Stewart<br />Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band<br />Afternoon Delight - The Starland Vocal Band<br />Flashback Segment: Bicentennial Celebration 7/4/76<br />Hard Luck Woman - Kiss<br />Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee<br /><br />"Arena Rock" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton (1976)<br />Substitute - The Who (1974)<br />The Logical Song – Supertramp (1979)<br />Flashback Segment: Energy Crisis (Rising Gas Prices)<br />Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney & Wings (1976)<br />Rosealita - Bruce Springsteen (1978)<br /><br />"Teen Idols" Host: Leif Garrett<br /><br />I Think I Love You - David Cassidy (1970)<br />I Only Want To Be With You - Bay City Rollers (1976)<br />Rockin' Robin - Michael Jackson (1972)<br />Flashback Segment: Farrah Fawcett<br />Puppy Love - Donny Osmond (1972)<br />Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb (1978)<br />Runaround Sue - Leif Garrett (1977)<br /><br />"New Wave" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Can't Stand Losing You- The Police (1979)<br />My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars (1978)<br />Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders (1980)<br />Flashback Segment: CBGB’s<br />Atomic – Blondie (1979)<br />I Will Follow - U2 (1980)<br />Peace, Love & Understanding - Elvis Costello (1979)<br /><br />"Synth Pop" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Pop Muzik – M (1979)<br />Cars - Gary Numan (1980)<br />Rock Lobster - The B-52's (1980)<br />Flashback Segment: American Hostages Released<br />Whip It - Devo (1980)<br />Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles (1979)<br />Money - The Flying Lizards (1979)<br /><br />"Salute To The Jacksons" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Hit's Medley (I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save) – The Jackson 5 (1970)<br />Rockin' Robin – Michael Jackson (1972)<br />Dancing Machine – The Jackson 5 (1974)<br />Flashback Segment: Muhammad Ali<br />Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) – The Jacksons (1979)<br />Rock with You - Michael Jackson (1979)<br /><br />"Sounds Of California" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />China Grove - The Doobie Brothers (1973)<br />It's So Easy - Linda Ronstadt (1977)<br />Low Down - Boz Scaggs (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Jogging<br />You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac (1977)<br />Running On Empty - Jackson Browne (1977)<br /><br />"Afro" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Rock The Boat - Hues Corporation (1974)<br />More Than A Feeling – Boston (1976)<br />Don't Bring Me Down - ELO (1979)<br />Flashback Segment: Hair Styles<br />Nothing From Nothing - Billy Preston (1974)<br />Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons (1977)<br /><br />"Popular Duo's" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Rich Girl - Hall & Oates (1977)<br />Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts (1972)<br />Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches & Herb (1979)<br />Flashback Segment: Woodward & Bernstein<br />Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins & Messina (1973)<br />Do That To Me One More Time - The Captain & Tennille (1980)<br /><br />"Funk 2" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Low Rider – War (1975)<br />Brick House - The Commodores (1977)<br />Living For the City - Stevie Wonder (1973)<br />Flashback Segment: Blaxplotation Films<br />Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (1976)<br />Tear the Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)- Parliament (1976)<br /><br />"Sounds Of Philadelphia" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Then Came You - The Spinners (1974)<br />When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees (1974)<br />She's Gone - Hall & Oates (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Rocky<br />Lady Marmalade - LaBelle (1975)<br />For the Love of Money - The O'Jays (1974)<br /><br />"Singer/Songwriter's" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce (1973)<br />Anticipation - Carly Simon (1972)<br />Wild World - Cat Stevens (1971)<br />Flashback Segment: Coke Commercial (I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing)<br />Brand New Key - Melanie (1971)<br />Sweet Baby James - James Taylor (1970)<br /><br />"Beatles Solo" Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney (1970)<br />Back Off Boogaloo - Ringo Starr (1972)<br />Blow Away - George Harrison (1979)<br />Flashback Segment: Saturday Night Live – Beatles Offer<br />Jet - Paul McCartney (1974)<br />Instant Karma - John Lennon (1970)<br /><br />"Songs From Popular Movies" Host: Leif Garrett<br /><br />Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees (1977)<br />Car Wash - Rose Royce (1978)<br />You're the One That I Want - Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta (1978)<br />Flashback Segment: Disaster Films<br />Acid Queen - Tina Turner (1975)<br />Live & Let Die - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973)<br />Shaft - Issac Hayes (1972)<br /><br />"Disco Fever" Host: Leif Garrett<br /><br />I Feel Love - Donna Summer (1977)<br />You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester (1979)<br />Disco Inferno - The Trammps (1977)<br />Flashback Segment: Disco Sucks Movement<br />Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn (1979)<br />Turn The Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson (1976)<br /><br />"Mellow Memories" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Have You Never Been Mellow?& Please Mr. Please - Olivia Newton-John (1975)<br />I'll Never Love This Way Again - Dionne Warwick (1979)<br />If You Leave Me Now - Chicago (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Transcendental Meditation<br />Killing Me Softly - Roberta Flack (1973)<br />I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow (1976)<br />Snowbird - Anne Murray (1970)<br /><br />"Monogram" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - BTO (1974)<br />Turn To Stone - ELO (1978)<br />Travelin' Band - CCR (1970)<br />Flashback Segment: Irons & Personalized T-Shirts<br />(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again - LTD (1977)<br />S.O.S. - ABBA (1975)<br />Jeepster - T. Rex (1971)<br /><br />"Dancing" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Dancing Machine - The Jackson 5 (1974)<br />You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer (1976)<br />Dancing Queen - ABBA (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: K-Tel “Let’s Disco” Commercial<br />I Was Made For Dancing - Leif Garrett (1979)<br />Last Dance - Donna Summer (1978)<br /><br />"New Wave 2" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe (1979)<br />Peace, Love & Understanding - Elvis Costello (1979)<br />Another Nail For My Heart - Squeeze (1980)<br />Flashback Segment: 1st Test Tube Baby<br />Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson (1979)<br />Take Me To The River - Talking Heads (1979)<br /><br />"Salute To 1972" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash<br />A Horse With No Name - America<br />I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers<br />Flashback Segment: The God Father<br />You Don't Mess Around With Jim - Jim Croce<br />Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations<br /><br />"Salute To The Carpenters" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Close To You - The Carpenters (1970)<br />We've Only Just Begun - The Carpenters (1970)<br />Rainy Days & Mondays - The Carpenters (1971)<br />Flashback Segment: All In the Family<br />Hurting Each Other - The Carpenters (1971)<br />Top Of The World - The Carpenters (1973)<br /><br />"Salute To 1979" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick<br />In the Navy - The Village People<br />The Devil Went Down To Georgia - The Charlie Daniels Band<br />Flashback Segment: Designer Jeans<br />Babe - Styx<br />Ring My Bell - Anita Ward<br />Tusk - Fleetwood Mac<br /><br />"Sounds Of San Francisco" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />The Joker - The Steve Miller Band (1973)<br />Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs (1977)<br />Count On Me - Jefferson Starship (1978)<br />Flashback Segment: Pet Rock<br />Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly & The Family Stone (1970)<br />One More Saturday Night - The Grateful Dead (1972)<br /><br />"Salute To 1973" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />We're An American Band - Grand Funk<br />Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye<br />Reelin' In The Years - Steely Dan<br />Flashback Segment: Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs<br />Paper Roses - Marie Osmond<br />Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight & The Pips<br /><br />"70's Cover Songs" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Shop Around - The Captain & Tennile (1977)<br />Loco Motion - Grand Funk (1974)<br />Blue Bayou - Linda Ronstadt (1977)<br />Flashback Segment: Streaking<br />On Broadway - George Benson (1978)<br />Knock On Wood - Ami Stewart (1979)<br /><br />"Salute To 1970" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Venus – The Shocking Blue<br />Groove Me - King Floyd<br />American Woman – The Guess Who<br />Flashback Segment: Kent State<br />Come & Get It - Badfinger<br />Spill the Wine – Eric Burdon & War<br />Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles<br /><br />"Greatest 70's Story Songs" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Billy Don't Be A Hero - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (1974)<br />Patches - Clarence Carter (1970)<br />Cat's In The Cradle- Harry Chapin (1974)<br />Flashback Segment: Patty Hearst<br />Run Joey, Run - David Geddes (1975)<br />Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes (1979)<br />Half-Breed – Cher (1973)<br /><br />"Bands Named For Towns & States" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Don't Look Back - Boston (1978)<br />Skin Tight - Ohio Players (1974)<br />25 Or 6 To 4 - Chicago (1970)<br />Flashback Segment: Custom Vans<br />Dust in the Wind - Kansas (1978)<br />Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers (1975)<br />Kiss And Say Goodbye – The Manhattans (1976)<br /><br />"Salute To 1975" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />That's the Way (I Like It) - K.C. & The Sunshine Band<br />Lady Marmalade - LaBelle<br />Black Water- The Doobie Brothers<br />Flashback Segment: Sneakers<br />Fox On The Run - Sweet<br />At Seventeen - Janis Ian<br /><br />"Teen Idols 2" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Heart Beat (It's a Love Beat) - The Defranco Family (1974)<br />Sweet & Innocent - Donny Osmond (1971)<br />Hey Deanie - Shaun Cassidy (1977)<br />Flashback Segment: Tiger Beat Making A Teen Idol<br />Easy Come, Easy Go - Bobby Sherman (1970)<br />I Just Want To Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb (1977)<br />One Bad Apple - The Osmonds (1970)<br /><br />"Money Songs" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Money Honey - Bay City Rollers (1976)<br />Money, Money, Money - ABBA (1977)<br />For the Love of Money - The O'Jays (1974)<br />Flashback Segment: Susan Bea Anthony Dollar<br />Money - The Flying Lizards (1979)<br />Viva La Money - Tina Turner (1979)<br />Take The Money & Run (Live) - The Steve Miller Band (1982)<br /><br />"70's Songs Of Unity" Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder (1973)<br />I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) - The New Seekers (1973)<br />Why Can't We Be Friends? - War (1975)<br />Flashback Segment: Egypt & Israel Peace Treaty<br />Shower the People - James Taylor (1976)<br />Imagine - John Lennon (1971)<br /><br />“Salute To 1971” Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Joy To The World - Three Dog Night<br />Your Song- Elton John<br />Want Ads - The Honey Cone<br />Flashback Segment: EPA Commercial (Indian)<br />Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers<br />Take Me Home Country Roads - John Denver<br /><br />“Salute To 1974” Host Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Rock Your Baby - George McCrae<br />Radar Love - Golden Earring<br />Don’t Worry About A Thing - Stevie Wonder<br />Flashback Segment: Howard Cosell<br />I’m Leaving It All Up To You - Donny & Marie<br />Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot<br />Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings<br /><br />“Salute To 1977” Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Best Of My Love - The Emotions<br />Year Of The Cat – Al Stewart<br />The Things We Do For Love – 10cc<br />Flashback Segment: Star Wars<br />Isn’t It Time – The Babys<br />Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston<br />Knowing Me, Knowing You – ABBA<br /><br />“Salute To 1978” Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Le Freak – Chic<br />If I Can’t Have You – Yvonne Elliman<br />Hot Child In The City – Nick Gilder<br />Flashback Segment: Fantasy Island<br />Jack & Jill – Raydio<br />Miss You – The Rolling Stones<br />Baker Street – Gerry Referty<br /><br />“Classic Rock” Host Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Kashmir – Led Zepplin (1979)<br />Join Together – The Who (1972)<br />I Shot The Sheriff – Eric Clapton (1974)<br />Flashback Segment: WKRP In Cincinnati<br />Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)<br />Do You Feel Like We Do – Peter Frampton (1976)<br />Eclipse – Pink Floyd (1973)<br /><br />“Sweet 70s Soul” Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />You Ought To Be With Me – Al Green (1972)<br />Don’t Play That Song – Aretha Franklin (1970)<br />It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me – Barry White (1977)<br />Flashback Segment: Soul Train<br />You Make Me Feel Brand New – The Stylistics (1975)<br />Super Fly – Curtis Mayfield (1972)<br /><br />“70s Buzz Words” Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty – KC And The Sunshine Band (1976)<br />Get Up And Boogie (That’s Right) – Silver Convention (1976)<br />Jive Talkin’ – The Bee Gees (1975)<br />Flashback Segment: Panasonic Dynamite 8-Track Player Commercial<br />Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches & Herb (1979)<br />Macho Man – The Village People (1978)<br />Blame It On The Boogie – The Jacksons (1978)<br /><br />“Salute To Donna Summer” Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />I Feel Love – Donna Summer (1977)<br />Hot Stuff – Donna Summer (1979)<br />MacArthur Park – Donna Summer (1978)<br />Flashback Segment: Disco (The Hustle)<br />On The Radio – Donna Summer (1979)<br />Last Dance – Donna Summer (1978)<br /><br />“Salute To 50s Nostalgia” Host Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Burning Love – Elvis Presley (1973)<br />Garden Party – Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band (1972)<br />The Book Of Love – Sha Na Na (1973)<br />Flashback Segment: Happy Days<br />The Candy Man – Sammy Davis Jr. (1972)<br />Greese Mega Mix – Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta (1978)<br /><br />“One Hit Wonders” Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />Drift Away – Dobie Gray (1973)<br />Put Your Hand In The Hand – Ocean (1971)<br />Rock On – David Essex (1974)<br />Flashback Segment: AMC Pacer Commercial<br />In The Summer Time – Mungo Jerry (1970)<br />Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart (1979)<br /><br />“One Hit Wonders 2” Host: David Cassidy<br /><br />I’ve Got The Music In Me – The Kiki Dee Band (1974)<br />Seasons In The Sun – Terry Jacks (1975)<br />More, More, More – The Andrea True Connection (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: Hank Aaron’s 715th Home Run<br />Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass (1972)<br />Precious And Few – Climax (1972)<br /><br />“70s Christmas” Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth – Bing Crosby & Davie Bowie (1977)<br />Step Into Christmas – Elton John (1973)<br />We Need A Little Christmas – The Osmonds (1979)<br />Flashback Segment: Mego Kiss Dolls Commercial<br />Father Christmas – The Kinks (1977)<br />Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney & Wings (1979)<br /><br />“Novelty Songs” Host: Suzanne Somers<br /><br />Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas (1974)<br />Disco Duck – Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots (1976)<br />Convoy – C.W. McCall (1976)<br />Flashback Segment: GI Joe With Kung Fu Grip Commercial<br />The Streak – Ray Stevens (1974)<br />Short People – Randy Newman (1978)<br />Outa-Space – Billy Preston (1972)<br /><br />“Classic 70s Soul” Host: Cynthia Garrett<br /><br />Papa Was A Rolling Stone – The Temptations (1972)<br />Fire – The Ohio Players (1974)<br />Midnight Train To Georgia – Gladys Knight & The Pips (1973)<br />Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk) – Parliament (1976)<br />Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine) – James Brown (1970)<br /><br />“She’s A Rebel” Host Leif Garrett*<br /><br />I Am Woman – Helen Reddy (1972)<br />Stop Your Sobbing – The Pretenders (1980)<br />Because The Night – Patti Smith Group (1978)<br />Flashback Segment – Gloria Steinem<br />48 Crash – Suzi Quatro (1973)<br />Barracuda – Heart (1977)<br />Heart Of Glass – Blondie (1979)<br /><br />*This episode is missing the very first host segment but it does contain all five of the original videos that were shown.<br /><br />“Title Unknown” Host: Leif Garrett**<br /><br />Boogie Fever – The Sylvers (1976)<br />I’m Your Boogie Man – KC & The Sunshine Band (1977)<br />Lean On Me – Bill Withers (1972)<br />Flashback Segment: Contents Unknown<br />Love Is Like Oxygen – Sweet (1978)<br /><br />**This episode is a reconstruction of the original episode. The host segments and flashback segment are missing. The reconstruction does contain four of the five<br />original videos that were shown but the original order is also unknown.<br /><br />So, if anyone out there has complete copies of the 'She's A Rebel' episode and the 'Title Unknown' episode, please let me know. I would be willing to trade or purchase copies of those episodes.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-50303264918512384132009-02-20T09:33:00.000-08:002009-03-16T14:52:06.513-07:00Collecting The Jacksons Music - pt. 2: The 80sAh…the 80s. Well, here is where things really got complicated from a collecting stand point. <br /><br />Jermaine left Motown for Arista. Michael releases Thriller. Janet, LaToya and Rebbie begin their respective recording careers. The Jacksons reunite for the Victory album and tour. Then fracture and go their separate ways for five years. Jackie releases his second solo album. Marlon releases his first solo album. Randy soon follows suit. However, there was nothing coming from Tito. Bless him. Soundtrack albums, duets, B-side recordings and Motown dips into the vaults to release more previously unreleased material. The whole mess just gave me a headache. Not to mention a very large financial hit to my wallet. There were times that I just wanted to throw my hands in the air and call it quits. I just might have if Tito had released a solo album. Just keeping up with Jermaine became a full time job. Everywhere I turned he was popping up on some album or another. <br /><br />One thing that I should have included in the first part of this blog was that LaToya Jackson released her first album, LaToya in 1980 on Polydore records. Since I don’t believe the album sold all that well, the chances of finding an original release copy should be pretty easy. I base this also on the fact that it took me a very long time to find a copy of the album. If the album had went through more than one printing it should have been much easier to find than it was. <br /><br />So, let’s dive into the murky waters of the years 1981-90. <br /><br />Over at CBS, The Jacksons were riding high on the success of their late 1980 release Triumph. Michael Jackson had just come off his success with the 1979 album. So, in 1981 The Jacksons launched their biggest concert tour at the time. The tour would visit 39 US cities from July – September of 81. The tour was captured on record with the 1981 double album release of The Jacksons Live. The album sold extremely well. To track down an original release copy of this album, be sure to make sure to check the two inner sleeves. Both contained pictures from the tour. Additionally the album itself was a gatefold album. <br /><br />After the Triumph tour, things would be relatively quite on the group front for a few years. What happened next was truly spectacular to behold. <br /><br />Over at Polydore Records, LaToya released her second album, My Special Love. Once again, not a chart topper and my knowledge of this record is very limited. Not to mention the limited number of copies that seem to be floating around out there. I was fortunate to find a still sealed copy at a small used record store in Chicago. How to tell an original release copy from a reprint (again, if there were any reprints ever done in the first place), I couldn’t tell you. <br /><br />In late 1982 Michael Jackson unleashed Thriller on an unsuspecting world. No one could have predicted what was to follow. Ironically, this album was not the spark that lit the fuse to my obsessive collecting of Jacksons music. That would come a little later. There have been numerous articles written to attempt to explain why Thriller became the record breaking success that it was. I happen to believe that two major factors contributed to this phenomenal success. First, the music industry was changing in the way albums and singles were being promoted. Radio airplay of the latest single was a small factor, but what really could make a single fly up the charts was having a video. MTV went on the air in August 1981 and the entire landscape of record promotion changed. These little promotional films that originally had been produced on low budgets (and were rarely seen by most of the record buying public) suddenly became a big money making enterprise. Now, to put things in a bit more perspective, music videos (or promotional films as they were originally called) had been around for a number of years. ABBA used these films from as far back as 1974. There are a few groups that produced promotional films even as early as the mid 60s. The Beatles used (at the time a live performance) of the song All You Need Is Love. This song and performance could almost be called the very first genuine ‘music video’. These so called ‘promotional films’ were mainly used in place of an actual live performance by a group or artist on TV where the group or artist was unable to appear in person. Later, mainly in the 70s, these promotional films were used on TV adds for compilation album companies like K-Tel. As the 70s progressed, the promotional films became a bit more sophisticated and sleek. Shows like The Midnight Special aired them right along side the live performances. In fact, in 1979 The Jacksons hosted The Midnight Special and their video for Blame It On The Boogie was shown. Anyway, the advent of MTV helped to promote Thriller in a way that had never been seen before. The sleek and sophisticated approach Michael Jackson used in producing the videos from Thriller was a level that had never been seen before. These little ‘promotional films’ began to reach an audience that simple radio air play could not. Then in 1983, Motown celebrated its 25 anniversary with a spectacular TV special that reached millions. I believe that it was this one single performance by Michael that is what caused Thriller to finally go on to be the all-time best selling record in history. Strangely, even though I’d seen the video for Billie Jean and was pretty familiar with the Thriller album, it was the Motown 25 special that was the spark that lit the fuse for me. Not Michael’s solo performance. No. It was seeing The Jackson 5 together again that did it for me. After that, I would spend close to the next 10 years totally obsessed with collecting all of the Jacksons music I could get my hands on. <br /><br />So, how out of the 109 million copies do you find an original release copy of Thriller? Good luck with that. The best bet would be to find a promo copy of Thriller, but again good luck with that. The earliest copy that I have is the copy my sister got for Christmas in 1983. That was a full year after the album had been released and was already considered a smash hit. I also bought a copy of the album but not until the summer of 1984. So, I did contribute to the initial 40 million copies that got the album in the Guinness Book of World Records. What I eventually opted for as the definitive copy for my collection was the half-speed master version. I explained in my previous blog, my reasons for doing this. This is quite simply the cleanest sounding version of Thriller on vinyl that I’ve ever heard. <br /><br />Also, there was a picture disc version of the Thriller album released and a nine singles pack. The singles pack consisted of the four singles from Off The Wall and five singles from Thriller all pressed on red vinyl with picture sleeves. The picture sleeves, while not always the original picture sleeves for the singels are made of a sturdy paper. All in all, quite a nice little collectible. <br /><br />One small note. The Thriller and Billie Jean singles had a song on the B-side called You Can’t Get Outta The Rain. This song was not available on any Michael Jackson album. However, this is simply You Can’t Win, part 2. If you have the 12” single for You Can’t Win, then you don’t need to try and find a copy of the 45s that it appeared on. Kind of odd but thought I’d better mention it. <br /><br />Anyway, moving on. <br /><br />Also in 83, Michael did his second duet with Paul McCartney. The song Say, Say, Say appears on Paul’s 1983 album Pipes of Peace along with another Paul/Michael duet called The Man. <br /><br />Rockwell released the album Somebody’s Watchin’ Me in 1983 and Michael can be heard singing backup on the title song. Jermaine apparently appears on the album as well, but I’ve never been able to find exactly where. <br /><br />I think that it should also be noted that around this time, 12” singles began to be much more commercially available. During the height of the Disco era, 12” singles came into prominence and were the preferred method for DJs in the Disco to play songs. Radio DJ also made use of them, but to a lesser degree. With the demise of Disco in the early 80s, 12” singles looked to be on the way out. Once dance music had shook off the stigma (I hate using that word since I happen to like Disco) of Disco, the 12” single began to make a slight comeback. While they still were not available at places like Musicland or Sam Goody in your local mall, larger record stores (like Tower) did start to carry them. As I stated in the first part of this blog, 12” singles are not really all that important to me. If I find them, I find them. For a short time in the late 80s, I did actively seek them out, but they just started to become a real pain in my ass so I dropped them. Just keeping up with the album releases and checking the singles for non album B-side songs (along with just trying to collect the entire back catalog of Jackson music) was more than enough to keep me occupied. <br /><br />So, during the height of the gluttony of success that was Thriller, The Jacksons announced that they would reunite for an album and tour. This would be the first time that Jermaine would be apart of the group since 1976. Now this was a plan that I could really get behind. In fact, I did. Whole heartedly. Hook line and sinker. The fuse had been lit and I was on fire. <br /><br />Additionally, it was around this time that I discovered a little store in my hometown called J&L Records. As far as I could tell, this was the very first used record store in our town. In less than a year, there would be three such stores. Before J&L opened, for me to find old records I usually had to shop thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales. The main draw back to this was most of the records were, to put it kindly, trashed. Scratched records (looking like a cat had dragged its claws over the record), severely worn and torn covers. Not the kind of records that I wanted in my collection. At J&L, here were records that were in great shape (and in some cases pristine condition) and even promo copies of albums. Promo copies were a new thing to me. Finding a promo copy of a Jackson 5 album guaranteed that I had an original release copy. Even though at this early stage of my collecting, having an original release copy wasn’t all that important to me. This would come later as I got more sophisticated and specialized in my collecting. <br /><br />So, while the reunited Jacksons were preparing their album and tour things were really happening on a different front. In fact a few different fronts. <br /><br />First, in 1984 shortly after the Motown 25 special, Jermaine left Motown for Arista. Jermaine’s final two albums for Motown were minor successes. The 1981 album I Like Your Style had something that was a bit of a departure for Motown. I Like Your Style contained an inner sleeve. This inner sleeve, I believe had the song lyrics, writing credits, liner notes and production credits for the album. A definite first for a Jackson/Motown album. However, this would be a short lived thing. Jermaine’s next album, Let Me Tickle Your Fancy (1982) had just a standard plain white inner sleeve. Total bummer. So, the only way to tell an original release copy of I Like Your Style is by the inner sleeve. As for Let Me Tickle Your Fancy…well…if you can find a promo copy that would be the best way. Other than that, I’d say just look for the best copy that you can find. <br /><br />Now, in 1983 over at A&M Records Janet Jackson released her first album. As for how to tell an original release copy of the Janet Jackson album, I really couldn’t tell you. I do recall buying the Janet Jackson album brand new in the stores, but that was a few years after the album had first been released. Since the sisters are not what I focus on, it really doesn’t matter if I have an original release copy or not. Just a copy is enough for me. <br /><br />In 1984, the Victory album was released and over at Arista Jermaine releases his first album for them. Now, the way to find an original release copy of both of these albums is by making sure that they have the picture inner sleeves. While I don’t think either album had more than one or two printings, the chances of finding original release copies are pretty high. Additionally there was a picture disc version of the Victory album. An interesting item. It has the same picture as the regular album cover, but for some reason there is a dove on Randy’s shoulder on the picture disc and it isn’t on the regular album version. <br /><br />Also in 1984, Janet Jackson released her second album, Dream Street, LaToya Released her third album, Heart Don’t Lie and Rebbie jumped into the mix with her first album, Centipede. I think it was at this point I was ready to throw in the towel. <br /><br />I mean, I had just started collecting this music earlier in the summer. While I had already amassed quite a few of the older albums, I still had many more to go. I tried to concentrate the albums released from 1970-80 but the overwhelming amount of new stuff coming really started to discourage me. How was I going to be able to get caught up? It just seemed impossible. It was at this time that I decided to strictly concentrate on the brothers music and leave the sisters to later (if I even cared to begin collecting their music). There was just too much back catalog of Jackson 5, Jacksons, Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson that was much more important to me. <br /><br />Also, I began to notice certain things in the used record stores. The availability of the older titles started to increase. With the announcement of the Victory tour and album, it seems that everyone in my hometown went through their old records and started selling off anything from the Jacksons that they could find. While this was great for me, it also created a problem. When I first started collecting, I could go to say J&L and look at everything they had available and pick one or two (sometimes three if I had the money) albums and feel pretty confident that the rest of the stuff would still be there the next time I went back (usually the nest week after I got paid). Well, suddenly all three of the used record stores began carrying different titles. While J&L might have had, say Jermaine’s Let’s Get Serious album, Tracks up the street suddenly got in a pristine copy of My Name Is Jermaine and I hadn’t seen any copy of that album floating around since I started collecting. So, I had to make a choice. Pick up My Name Is Jermaine instead of Let’s Get Serious. Sometimes it was an easy decision because it depended on the plentiful availability of certain titles versus others. And, I also noticed that I wasn’t the only person in my hometown that was buying these albums. I had some competition. That meant the race was one. Who would get to the new stock at the used record stores first? Me or the other guy? It was at this time I learned my first lesson of collecting. If you happen to find a rather hard to find album in great shape, then buy it right then and there. Never, ever walk away and hope that it will be there the next time you come back. Because, guess what? It won’t be. This happened to me more than once. The time that stands out in my mind the most is when Tracks had two, TWO, pristine copies of the Michael Jackson Ben ‘rat cover’ album and I passed one up in favor of Jermaine’s first two solo albums. When I went back the next week to get a copy of Ben (even though I already had a copy) both of those ‘rat cover’ albums were gone. At the time I was all that upset about it, but just a year or so later I had done further research and discovered that the ‘rat cover’ was the more valuable cover to have. <br /><br />Anyway, this isn’t about my adventures on collecting Jackson albums. This is supposed to be about the albums themselves. I said at the top of this article that the 80s were a messy period. Starting my collection in this quagmire certainly didn’t help. On the positive side, by 1985 I would have all of Micheal’s albums, The Jackson’s albums, most of Jermaine’s albums, and most of The Jackson 5’s albums. A few albums, Boogie, Jackie’s solo album, Jermaine’s I Like Your Style and Jermaine albums proved elusive but eventually those would get tracked down. <br /><br />Ok, so in 1985 the Victory tour is over and everything began to quite down. There would be a blessedly peaceful year with nothing, and I do mean nothing new coming out.<br /><br />Michael did contribute the song, Eaten Alive to Diana Ross’s album Eaten Alive and he even sang background vocals. A really fun song that I just had to have in my collection. <br /><br />1986 was also another relatively quiet year. Rebbie released her second album, Reaction and Jermaine Released his second Arista album, Precious Moments. <br /><br />A few things about Jermaine’s Precious Moments album. First, when the album was first released the song listing on the back of the album was incorrect. Either the songs were listed in the wrong order or there were songs listed that were not on the album. I don’t really recall. However, soon after its initial release, the album started appearing with a sticker on the back covering up the incorrect song list. So, to really find an official first release copy of Precious Moments, you will need to track down a copy without the sticker on the back. Good luck with that. I’ve tried for years to find a copy of the few that got away and so far (to this very day) have yet to run across one. I know that this happened because I actually held an original copy in my hands and saw that there was no sticker. I didn’t buy the album but decided to wait until later. It was, after all, a brand new album and it would be around for a while. Boy was I stupid. By the time I picked up the album, just a few months later, the sticker had already began appearing on the albums. <br /><br />I think it was at this time that Jermaine really started to bug me. Not only had he released his first Arist album in 1984, but he did duets with Pia Zadora, Whitney Houston and appeared on the Perfect motion picture soundtrack. So, not only did I have to get his two Arista albums, I had to pick up Perfect, Whitney Houston’s first album and the single for When The Rain Begins To Fall with Pia Zadora. Also, Jermaine’s single for the song Do You Remember Me? from the Precious Moments album had the song Watcha Doin’? as a B-side song and it wasn’t available on the album. Sheesh. That’s a lot of Jermaine to find. <br /><br />Things were pretty quiet in 86 (except for Jermaine) and then look out here comes Janet. She had taken Control. Good grief, Miss Jackson. This album just seemed to come out of nowhere. No one was expecting this. I certainly wasn’t. It did make me sit up and take notice. It was also the first of Janet’s albums that I picked up while it was still in stores. Not a first release copy but pretty close to it. In 1987, Janet would appear on the Herb Alpert album Keep Your Eye On Me. The song Diamonds became a huge hit. <br /><br />In the middle of all of this mess, LaToya released her fourth album, Imagination. It sank like a stone so finding an original release version was no problem later. It has a picture inner sleeve. Once again, since the album was a poor seller, finding an original release shouldn’t be a problem. I used to see them everywhere. <br /><br />By 1987 I had moved to Indianapolis and started hitting the used record stores there. I was still searching for the ever elusive Jackie Jackson album and the Boogie album. By that time I thought that those were the only two things I was missing from my collection. That changed when Michael’s Bad album was released. <br /><br />During the Thriller/Victory period I had picked several different biographies on Michael and I hadn’t read any of them. When Bad came out, I started to really delve into those books and discovered a lot more music that was out there that I hadn’t known about before. Some from the 70s and some from the 80s. It was at this point I really started checking the B-sides to singles and watching movie soundtracks for songs. <br /><br />Ok, things to look for that are of particular interest to collectors from the Bad album. First there was a picture disc version of Bad released. Some copies came with a poster while others didn’t. I picked up my copy in the stores when it first came out and there was no poster in it. So, the rumor of a poster might be false. I don’t know since I’ve never found a copy with the poster. <br /><br />The 12” single for I Can’t Stop Loving You has a Spanish version of the song on the B-side. <br /><br />The CD for Bad came with an extra song, Leave Me Alone. This song would be released as a single but not in the US. However, there are promo 12” singles out there. <br /><br />The song Liberian Girl was released as a single outside of the US and there are 12” singles with a great picture sleeve out there. <br /><br />Also, Michael did a duet with Stevie Wonder on his Characters album. The song is called, Get It and it’s quite the little groove. Highly recommended. <br /><br />In 1987, the Jacksons also released a song call, Time Out For The Burglar from the Burglar movie soundtrack. This would be the last Jacksons recording for a couple of years. Jermaine had a song, All Revved Up, on the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack. <br /><br />In 1988, Rebbie released her third album R U Tuff Enough. Marlon finally released his first solo album, Baby Tonight. The CD for Baby Tonight contained an extra song, Everyday, Everynight that wasn’t available on the vinyl version. Prior to this, Marlon had a song appear on the Golden Child soundtrack in 86. LaToya released her fifth album, La Toya (again it sank like a stone). <br /><br />In 1989, Michael was being quiet but the rest of the clan wouldn’t shut up. The amount of releases in 89 rivaled the gluttony of releases in 84. <br /><br />First, The Jacksons released their final album, 2300 Jackson Street. The single for 2300 Jackson Street contained the non album song When I Look At You on the B-side. Now, When I Look At You is perhaps one of my all time favorite Jacksons songs. It bouncy, catchy and just a lot of fun to listen to. I highly recommend tracking this little gem of a song down. <br /><br />Jermaine released his Don’t Take It Personal album. He also had a song, Clean Up Your Act, on the I’m Gonna Get You Sucka soundtrack. The single for I’d Like to Get to Know You contained the non album song Spare The Rod, Love The Child on the B-side. These would be the final releases from Jermaine in the 80s. <br /><br />Jackie released his second solo album, Be The One. <br /><br />Randy released his first solo album, Randy and The Gypsies. <br /><br />LaToya released her sixth album, Bad Girl. <br /><br />And Finally, Janet released Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. <br /><br />I really thought I was going to lose my mind in 1989. <br /><br />And I haven’t even mentioned what Motown was doing to in the 80s. So, here goes. <br /><br />During the Thriller and Victory eras, Motown dug back into their vaults and pulled out a few gems. So, in 1984 the album Farewell My Summer Love was released. These were Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 songs that had been recorded from 1973 to 1975 that were never released. <br /><br />Then in 1985 or 86, another albums worth of previously unreleased material came from Motown. The album Looking Back To Yesterday: Never Before Released Masters. The interesting thing about this album was it contained the song I Was Born To Love Her that had not been released since the 1979 Boogie album. <br /><br />In 1987, Motown released The Soul of Michael Jackson. The only new song on this album was the never before released 25 Miles. There was also a newly remixed version of Dancing Machine. The promo version of this album came with a press release, an 8x10 black and white glossy of Michael and a post card announcing the upcoming Stevie Wonder Characters album. Quite a nice collectible if you can find one. I got lucky. <br /><br />Somewhere along the way, in 1981 or 82 I believe, Motown released an album called Motown Superstars Sing Motown Superstars. The album contained one previously unreleased Jackson 5 song, Ask The Lonely. <br /><br />So, that now brings us to a few of the off shoot recordings that are out there to be found. <br /><br />Marlon duets (and produces) with Betty Wright on the song I Promise You from her 1983 album Wright Back At You. <br /><br />Of course I have to mention the USA For Africa album with We Are The World. What would a list of Jackson recordings from the 80s be without it? <br /><br />I think, at last, this covers everything from the 80s.<br /><br />I will probably do a part 3 to cover the 90s but I have to be honest. By 1993 I had pretty much thrown in the towel. The few recordings that I had not been able to track down seemed impossible to find and I didn’t think that I would ever actually find them. It wouldn’t be until the dawn of the Internet that I would revisit my collection and attempt to fill in the missing pieces. By that time, Janet had released a few albums. So had Michael. I just didn’t have the energy to keep up with it all anymore. After almost 10 years of avid collecting, I was running out of steam. I think the final nail in the whole mess were the child molestation charges against Michael. When he settled out of court that first time, I really lost interest. Michael’s History CD was the last thing by him that I bought. I bought a couple more of Janet’s albums after that, but quickly lost interest in her as well. Plus, in 1995, I was 29 years old and had moved to California and my collecting gene focused on other things. Maybe I stopped because The Jacksons as a recording group had finally disbanded. After 2300 Jackson Street, there would be no further new recordings from the brothers as a group and all of them together was what had always been my favorite stuff. The thought of them never recording together again really saddened me. If they were through, then maybe it was time for me to hang it up as well. Who knows? It was perhaps a combination of all of those factors. Whatever the reason, I just stopped. <br /><br />The more I think about it, I don’t think any of those reasons really apply. I think that it simply boils down to the fact the vinyl was on the way out and I didn’t have a CD player. I mean, in 91 after the release of Michael’s Dangerous album, everything new that came out was on CD and CD only. While had been picking up a few CDs here and there (like Michael’s Bad album and Marlon’s Baby Tonight album) I was still clinging to vinyl. I hate format changes and I fought every step of the way. I just didn’t want to have to convert my entire collection to CD. It had taken me years to collect the library of music that I had. The thought of re-buying everything on CD just didn’t sit well with me. Plus the cost to repurchase everything was, in my opinion, a waste of money since I still had a turntable and could listen to my records. If I wanted to have the music in a more portable format, I simply made cassettes of my records and listened to the tapes. That helped to preserve my records from any further wear and tear. I did finally make the leap to CD, but I did it very grudgingly. Once I decided to invest in CDs, it would only be for the new releases. I would not, and did not duplicate any of my records on CD. Until recently. <br /><br />I will say, here it is 2009 and I have revisited the Jacksons and their music and discovered how much I still enjoy several of those older albums. Most of the stuff from 1970-80 hold up very well today. Plus, I have also purchased the entire group catalog on CD. Every Jackson 5 and Jacksons albums. I still love many, many of them and I’m glad that I have them on CD. A part 3? Maybe. It would take some serious research to figure out what has been released since 1991.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-48942692215106594472008-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:002009-03-02T09:39:41.257-08:00The 70s Preservation Society CollectionBack in the early 90's Razor & Tie Music were one of the 1st companies to begin releasing 70s compilatoin CDs effectively beating both Time Life and Rhino to the punch. Using the <em>70s Preservation Society </em>name, the series while small compared Rhino or Time Life's sets, are still fun CDs and I recomend them highly. However, it should be noted that a few of the titles are quite hard to find these days, but well worth the hunt. If you are looking for a small collection of 70s music that is pretty representative of the period, then look no further than Razor & Tie's <em>70s Preservation Society </em>collection.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqJdYBQTeI/AAAAAAAAAFc/aO1Tq4b75OI/s1600-h/Those+Fabulous+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249659453410659810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqJdYBQTeI/AAAAAAAAAFc/aO1Tq4b75OI/s320/Those+Fabulous+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a> The first disc in the collection is <strong>Those Fabulous 70s</strong>. A collection of pure 70s Pop Music that doesn't fail to deliver that really 70s feel. A single CD collects 23 unforgettable (or maybe forgettable) pop gems like <em>Billy Don't Be A Hero </em>and <em>Seasons In The Sun. </em>Not for the feint of heart.<br /><br />Another thing that makes this entire collection stand out are the wonderful covers for each installment. The use of vintage clothing and items from the 70s, in my opinion, are the real selling point of this collection. That is mainly why I started collecting these great CDs. Most of the covers are really cool.<br /><br />I mean, just look at all of the great 70s stuff in that picture! I want each and every item. In fact most of that stuff I do have. Funny how that worked out. I'd love to get a copy of the TV commercial for this Cd. I remember seeing it but just never caught it on tape. If anyone out there has it, please let me know. <br /><br /></div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>This CD must have sold thousands of copies considering how many used copies are floating around out there. This one should be no problem finding. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqKlmvKKII/AAAAAAAAAF8/uDRT_q2VhOE/s1600-h/Those+Funky+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249660694311872642" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqKlmvKKII/AAAAAAAAAF8/uDRT_q2VhOE/s320/Those+Funky+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div><div>The second CD in the set is another one disc collection that gathers together some of the best of 70s Funk called <strong>Those Funky 70s</strong><em>.</em> 21 Funky hits (well 20 actually. They threw in Rick James's <em>Superfreak </em>as a bonus 80s track) covering the entire decade. And just look at that girl's great outfit and platform shoes. <br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div>This collection is perhaps my least favorite in the collection. While I still love it, I just don't listen to it as often as I do some of the others. Still a good collection, but for me just not as memorable as the previous release. I guess I'm not into funk all that much.<br /><br />Some tracks include <em>Jungle Boogie </em>and <em>Tell Me Something Good. </em>This disc is rather difficult to find these days, but it can be tracked down with just a bit of persistence. </div><div><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqJ6NVxJ_I/AAAAAAAAAFs/6mZgU7Te1P4/s1600-h/Those+Rocking+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249659948760115186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqJ6NVxJ_I/AAAAAAAAAFs/6mZgU7Te1P4/s320/Those+Rocking+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></div><div><br />The first of <em>The 70s Preservation Society's </em>mega 2 disc sets, <strong>Those Rocking 70s </strong>is a great collection of the more FM rocking sounds of 70s radio. 40 rocking hits (and a few album cuts) really bring the 70s Arena Rock period to life. <br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>Songs include <em>Takin' Care Of Business, Lovin', Touchin, Squeezin' </em>and <em>All Right Now. </em>Several of these tracks are the full length album versions versus the edited radio versions. That, in my book, is a real plus.<br /><br />Again, this set is rather hard to find but it can be found. At the moment there are a few listed on Amazon (along with <strong>Those Funky 70s</strong>) and can be had for around $30.00. </div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqKNceGV3I/AAAAAAAAAF0/xK3Ml_Zjesg/s1600-h/Disco+Fever.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249660279239104370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqKNceGV3I/AAAAAAAAAF0/xK3Ml_Zjesg/s320/Disco+Fever.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></div><div>The next (and probably biggest seller considering the shear number of used copies that are forever popping up) 2 disc set in the collection is <strong>Disco Fever</strong>. One of the very first Disco collections released, this puppy sold tons of copies. This was my very first set I bought in the collection and I bought it right off TV when it was first advertised. In fact, somewhere on video tape, I have the commercial for this CD. I didn't save it on purpose, but was taping something else and the commercial just happen to run while I was taping.<br /><br />As the cover boasts, it contains 40 hits from things like <em>The Hustle </em>to <em>Knock On Wood. </em>A word of caution, there are no Donna Summer tracks on this collection. A side from that, this is a great, great collection of the best of Disco. <br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>This should be a fairly easy set to find. I've seen at least 2 different listings for it on Amazon. Next to <strong>Those Fabulous 70s,</strong> the easiest set to find in the entire collection. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqLH01-bEI/AAAAAAAAAGE/uFknMg4bzSk/s1600-h/More+Fabulous+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249661282214112322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqLH01-bEI/AAAAAAAAAGE/uFknMg4bzSk/s320/More+Fabulous+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />After the success of <strong>Those Fabulous 70s, </strong>the <em>70s Preservation Society </em>came back in 1991 with the 2nd volume of great pop tunes called <strong>More Fabulous 70s.<br /> </strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div>Once again filled with 23 great 70s pop tunes from <em>One Bad Apple </em>to <em>Hooked On A Feeling </em>and <em>Little Willy. </em>This disc is my second favorite in the collection and once again the disc is graced with a super great cover showing even more great 70s stuff.<br /><br /><br />This disc is really difficult to find. I got lucky and got a still sealed copy from eBay for a mere $10.00. You'll need a bit more patience to track this sucker down but again well worth the hunt. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqMfWLgrJI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ey_slswrSYA/s1600-h/Sweet+70s+Soul.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249662785811426450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqMfWLgrJI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ey_slswrSYA/s320/Sweet+70s+Soul.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><br />Ok, here perhaps the single most difficult set in this collection to track down, <strong>Sweet 70s Soul. </strong>I got very, very lucky and picked up a copy of it on eBay for $25.00 so it is out there but again only the true collectors will have the patience to keep searching for it. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>A 2 disc set that contains 40 of perhaps some of the very best of 70s Soul. Songs include <em>I've Found Someone Of My Own, Proud Mary </em>and <em>Rock The Boat. </em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div></div><div>I'm not all that thrilled with the cover, but it does work to a degree. By now, the name <em>The 70s Preservation Society</em> was no longer appearing on the cover of the CDs, but it still appears on the spine and inside the sets. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqMqxrgteI/AAAAAAAAAGU/p-y9F24xfig/s1600-h/Easy+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249662982171964898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqMqxrgteI/AAAAAAAAAGU/p-y9F24xfig/s320/Easy+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />The final disc in the set (at least until 1995) was <strong>Easy 70s </strong>and is pretty much what it says. The best of soft rock from the 70s. For me, this cover was a great improvement over <strong>Sweet 70s Soul</strong>. I feel that it perfectly give one that mellow feeling with rainbows and hearts floating all around you.<br /><br />Another 2 disc set with 40 soft rock classics. Well actually 39. For some reason they threw in Air Supply's <em>All Out Of Love </em>on the set. While this song was a hit in 1979 it was only released in Australia until the 1980 album <em>Lost In Love </em>was released here in the US. </div><div></div><div><br />Other songs include <em>You Light Up My Life, Summer Breeze </em>and <em>Precious And Few.</em> For this being one of the last sets to be released, it is fairly common and easy to find. There are several listing for it on Amazon with most of them still sealed. As a note to be aware of, while the set can be found still sealed, after the first printings the inside booklet is slightly different. Instead of a three page fold-out, most are now only a two page booklet. Missing is a close-up posed shot of the cover models in their 70s garb and the <em>70s Preservation Society </em>logo page. Not a big loss, but at least noteworthy. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqcYSdmslI/AAAAAAAAAGs/rP70yaKz094/s1600-h/Super+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249680256740536914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqcYSdmslI/AAAAAAAAAGs/rP70yaKz094/s320/Super+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Razor & Tie in 1995 were not quite ready to abandon the <em>70s Preservation Society </em>name so out came this 2 disc set called <strong>Super 70s. </strong>Along with <strong>Sweet 70s Soul</strong>, this is hands down just as difficult to find.<br /><br />This collection gathers together of the best Rock, Pop, Disco and Soul of the 70s in a more Top 40 oriented collection. 40 hits with songs like <em>Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad (radio edit), Rich Girl, You're So Vain </em>and <em>American Pie.<br /> </em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Please be aware that this compilation does have a few duplications of tracks previously released on earlier sets in the collection. All in all, not a bad release and I really love the cover. Very 70s. </div><div></div><div>This would be the final set in the collection for another two years. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqcDkHVkiI/AAAAAAAAAGk/emqGL1ryBOo/s1600-h/Suddenly+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249679900701725218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNqcDkHVkiI/AAAAAAAAAGk/emqGL1ryBOo/s320/Suddenly+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>Finally in 1997, the 9th and final CD was released.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>Suddenly 70s</strong>, is a collection of 40 hits. Be warned that there are two versions of this CD. The first, originally released in 97, is a two disc set and was only available through mail order and TV commercials. Later in 2001, a 'retail' version was released as a single disc with only 18 of the original 40 tracks. The two disc set is more of an AM Top 40 kind of release similiar in style as <strong>Rhino's Super Hits of the 70s</strong> series. Several of the tracks on the two disc set are tracks that <strong>The 70s Preservation Society</strong> had not released before making this set a nice top off to an already great set. However, the rather bland and unimaginative cover make this set, perhaps, the most unattractive set in the entire collection.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>A few of the great tracks available on this set are, Go all The Way, Let Her In and Bad Blood.</div><div><em></em></div><div></div><div>The 2001 single disc version is also the only <em>70s Preservation Society </em>CD still in print and the <em>70s Preservation Society </em>name only appears on the very back of the CD and inside the case. <br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Well, there you have it. The entire <em>70s Preservation Society </em>CD collection. Like I said, if you are looking to have a small 70s music collection, then this is the set for you. You will have to have some patience and perseverance to track down all of the CDs in the collection but I think they are well worth it. The great selection of tracks combined with imaginative covers make this one of my favorite 70s music collections. </div></div><strong></strong><strong></strong>Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-49716367117867795092009-02-19T11:40:00.000-08:002009-02-26T10:47:24.792-08:00Collceting The Jacksons Music - pt. 1: The 70sI’ve recently taken the time and effort to purchase all of The Jackson 5 and Jacksons albums on CD. It has been almost 20 years since I last listened to several of these albums and I must say that more than a few still hold up as great music today. <br /><br />To get a bit of history out of the way for the uninformed. The Jackson 5 first signed with Motown records in the summer of 1969. The deal was actually struck in November of 1968, but Motown had to buy out The Jackson 5’s deal with Gary, Indiana based Steeltown records before they could begin recording for Motown. The buy out was finalized in March of 1969 and recording began that summer. While at Motown, The Jackson 5 recorded 12 albums (plus one greatest hits collection), Michael recorded 4 albums (plus one greatest hits collection), Jackie recorded 1 album and Jermaine recorded 9 albums (2 while his brothers were still with Motown and 7 after they left Motown). In 1976 in an effort to have more creative control over their music, Michael, Marlon, Randy, Jackie and Tito signed with CBS/Epic records and Jermaine remained with Motown. <br /><br />Renamed The Jacksons, the brothers released another 7 albums. The group officially disbanded in 1990. Michael, of course, went on to bigger heights as a solo artist with the release of the 1979 masterpiece Off The Wall. However, The Jacksons also release two albums that are considered masterpieces. The 1978 release Destiny and the 1980 release Triumph. Both albums are now considered classic albums and have received anniversary edition releases on CD. <br /><br />I’ve been collecting Jacksons music since about 1984. It all began with my first purchase of The Jackson 5 album Lookin’ Through The Windows. To this very day, that album is still my favorite Jackson 5 album. I spent most of the late 80s and early 90s completely immersed in Jacksons music. I would guess that by 1987, I had managed to find every Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Jacksons, and Jermaine Jackson albums. True, there were a couple that still seemed to elude me, but I was actively seeking them at all costs. Around that same time, I started to do some serious research on the Jackson family and their musical legacy. I discovered several songs and performances that appeared on other albums (mostly movie soundtracks). Of course, that became the next phase of my collection. These ‘odd’ recordings would take me years to track down and acquire. Some, like the Steeltown singles, I wouldn’t have in my hands until the next century, but in the end I would obtain them. <br /><br />So, long before the days of the Internet, I used to haul my cookies to record shows, used record stores (usually all over the country) in the search for those ever elusive recordings. With the advent of the Internet, the few recordings that I still hadn’t tracked down I found easily in places like eBay and Amazon. Now, I believe that I have every officially released recording by Michael, Marlon, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Randy. And just for the record, while I do collect the sisters (Janet, LaToya and Rebbie) albums, they are not the main focus of my collection. It started with the brothers and they are what I am the most interested in. And just for the record, there are a few of LaToya’s albums that I don’t have and at least one of Rebbie’s. Additionally, Janet has recorded several songs with other artists that do not appear on her albums and I don’t have those songs in my collection. I also know that several of Janet’s albums contain additional songs that were released overseas but do not appear on the US versions of those same albums. Those songs are also not contained within my collection. Let’s face it, after a while it just got to be too much to keep up with all nine Jacksons and their various recordings. So, I just kept my focus on the brothers. <br /><br />What I’d like to do at this point is give a few helpful hints and suggestions to other collectors. This first of two blogs will concentrate on the 70s output of Jacksons music. Keep in mind, that any collection depends on the particular taste of the collector and may or may not reflect everything that may be available out there to collect. For example, I know of several collectors that wish to have every version of say the single, Beat It, that was released all over the world. I have never really been one to collect picture sleeves nor have I felt the need to have a single for a song that is already on an album that I own. Also, 12” singles and various remixes have never been a great focus for me. Now I do like to have the 12” singles that were released to DJs in the 70’s just because I ike having the disco versions of the songs, but they are not something that I actively seek out. Plus, in the 70s, the 12” version of a particular song was just the album version pressed on 12” single so to me they just never really added all that much to my collection. <br /><br />Also, I am dividing this blog into two sections. The Motown years and the CBS years and it will stop with the 1980 release of the Triumph album. All of the albums discussed here will be the original US releases unless specifically noted. <br /><br /><strong>The Motown Years (1970-75)</strong><br /><br />Ok, collecting The Jackson 5, Jermaine, Michael and Jackie albums from the Motown years is not an easy thing. First of all, I like to have original release copies of all of the albums (and I am talking vinyl albums) in my collection. Mainly because the vinyl used in the early 70s was still of good quality and the albums sound better and are much more sturdy. Additionally, over the years certain aspects of the albums changed. Certain albums that were released and gatefold albums changed to non gatefold albums. More on this later. Finally, original release versions of the early Motown albums is problematic just due to the way they were constructed. More often than not, the early album covers were made of thicker cardboard with the paper picture wrapped over the cardboard. Then the back picture was glued on to cover up the folded over sections of the front picture. This is the most distinguishing characteristic of the early albums and it makes them easier to spot. The only real drawback to these early covers is the fact that the covers tend to show wear and tear much easier than later versions. In my search I was able to find several original release copies of The Jackson 5 Third Album, but the covers were really worn and haggard so I kept looking until I found an almost pristine copy of the album. <br /><br />The nice thing about Motown was that they kept almost all of their entire catalog of past albums in print. Some, like certain Supremes albums, had been in print for close to 20 years or more before they made the switch to CD. So, the albums on vinyl are readily available and easy to track down. Original release versions on the other hand are not so easy to find. Of the Jackson 5 albums, The Christmas Album, Goin’ Back To Indiana, Third Album and Moving Violation are perhaps the most difficult to track down. I searched for years to find an original release of Moving Violation. Now since 90% of the Motown catalog was in print until around until the late 80s or early 90s, these versions are easy to spot. They all have a little white box on the back that lists the original release dates. So, if any Motown album in your collection has this white box, then you have a re-release copy of that album. It should be noted that these white boxes didn’t start appearing on reprint albums until the 80s. <br /><br />The major drawback to having most of the Motown catalog in print for so many years, is that Motown usually didn’t take the time or effort to strike new masters for pressing. The overall sound quality of later Motown albums tend to suffer from the loss of some of the lower and higher end frequencies. So, the sound is not a crisp and sharp as it once was and some of the more softer instruments and vocals tend to have just faded away. This is the main reason that I chose to only have original release versions of The Jackson 5 albums in my collection. I waned the full spectrum of the music as it was heard when it was first released. <br /><br />Motown did do a few special things with some of The Jackson 5 albums that should be noted. The albums Maybe Tomorrow and Goin’ Back to Indiana are gatefold albums. Both were later re-released as single non gatefold albums. Also, the Maybe Tomorrow album contained a unique inner sleeve that had lots of J5 merchandise like stickers, pictures, posters, magazines (TCB the official magazine of the J5) and offers to join the fan clubs for each of the boys in the group. Some of the prices for these items is really a gas to see. 25 cents for 100 heart shaped stickers featuring group and individual pictures of the J5. $1.00 to be Jackie Jackson’s soul mate. Ah, to be able to go back in time and take advantage of those offers. <br /><br />To spot an original release version of The Jackson 5 Greatest Hits (with the new song Sugar Daddy), look for the perforation on the front cover of the album. The original release let you punch out the picture of The Jackson 5 so you could hang it on the wall. The picture frame around the picture is also textured. It’s bumpy and kind of feels like a real picture frame. The inner sleeve is another unique sleeve. Expanding on the inner sleeve from Maybe Tomorrow, you can now order stationary and other items not only for The Jackson 5 but several other Motown groups and singers. With the release of this album, Motown began to shift from thick heavy vinyl to a more floppy type of vinyl. In fact, the vinyl for the J5 Greatest Hits is so floppy that it can almost be bent in two without damaging the record itself. I wouldn’t recommend trying this. This type of really floppy vinyl must have been sort lived experiment, because the rest of the J5 albums are a much more sturdy vinyl. The original release of the Get It Together album featured a die-cut cover and picture inner sleeve. The reprint version just has the letters G-I-T on the cover in red instead of the die-cut. <br /><br />The other albums, Lookin’ Through The Windows, Dancing Machine, and Moving Violation don’t have much in the way of distinct features that easily separate the original release versions from the reprints. The only thing that I was able to use to judge the difference was the type of vinyl used for the records. Also, the albums usually said ‘Also available on Motown cassette and 8-track tapes.’ While this isn’t all that important in determining an original release copy, it should be noted that later copies didn’t have the ‘8-track’ listed as an option. So, if you find a copy of say Dancing Machine, and it does state as being available on 8-track, then you have a copy that is at least from the 70s. <br /><br />There are three Jackson 5 albums from Motown that are considered (at least at one time they were) rare and hard to find. Those are the 1976 album Joyful Juke <br />Box Music (the only album to be creditied to The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson), the 1973 In Japan (a live album) album and the ultra rare 1979 Boogie album. Of these three albums, Joyful Jukebox Music is the easiest to find. It was part of the original Jackson 5 Motown catalog for years. Thus it was reprinted several times until Motown switched to CD. So, it is out there, but these days it might take a bit of effort to track down a copy on vinyl. The In Japan album was until the advent of the Internet, virtually an unheard of album to most US collectors. I had never heard of the album nor did I ever run across any reference to it in the many, many books I read on the Jacksons. It was quite a surprise to read about it in the liner notes for the 2 disc Jackson 5 Anthology CD set (2000 edition) that contained one track from the album. So, of course I had to start hitting eBay to get a copy. The Japan album also came with a poster but I have never seen what the poster looks like. My copy didn’t have the poster but it had all of the other original materials inside. This live album is, in my estimation, even more rare and hard to find than the Boogie album. <br /><br />A little history on the Boogie album. Like the Joyful Jukebox Music album (which was released at the same time the album The Jacksons was released on Epic), in 1978 The Jacksons released their mega hit album Destiny. So, to take advantage of the momentum created by that album, Motown reached into their vaults and pulled out 7 previously unreleased songs and three hits and put together the Boogie album. Released on Motown’s smaller Natural Resources label, the album sold very few copies and there was only the initial printing of the album (maybe only a few thousand copies at best). So, until the Internet, this album was almost impossible to find. It took me years to find a copy and at the time it cost me a whopping $65.00. Plus it was still sealed so that was a plus. Well, truth be told, the album didn’t cost me a dime. It was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend at the time. He bought me this album and another hard to find album (which I’ll discuss a bit later). Now, with the advent of the Internet (and the release of it on CD) the album is a bit easier to find but it is still pricey. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t seen a copy of Boogie pop up on eBay in quite a while so perhaps what little supply there was has now dried up again. Who knows? <br /><br />Ok, a special note about the second Jackson 5 album, ABC. Finding an original release copy of this album simply drove me up a tree for years. The main problem for me was actually determining what an actual original release copy looked like. I had assumed that like the Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 and the Third Album, ABC had also incorporated the thicker cardboard with the paper wrap around covers. Apparently this is not the case. It’s really not surprising as Motown with several different types of album covers. So, for some reason Motown decided to have the ABC album cover printed directly onto the thinner cardboard, cut, folded and glued together. Much like the process that most albums that were printed in the mid to late 70s. There are even examples of this type of cover on a couple of late 60s albums. A Supremes and Temptations album from 67 or 68, I believe, used this type of cover since the outer part of the cover could be detached to hang on the wall. Likewise the 1970 album Right On by the Supremes (the first album minus Diana Ross) also used this type of cover. So, it was not uncommon for Motown to use this type of cover for other albums, but it was (at the time) much more expensive and time consuming to produce versus the older wrap around type of cover. Eventually, I was able to obtain an older printing (if not an original release copy) of the ABC album. The cover has a rough type of texture versus the smooth glossy feel of the other albums. Also, the vinyl of the copy I found was quite heavy and thick like the Diana Ross Presents album. Eventually, I conclude that I had indeed found an original release copy of the album. I’m still looking to see if I can find a copy of the album with the wrap around paper cover but to this very day I have yet to find one. <br /><br />The final Jackson 5 album released by Motown was the three record set Anthology from 1976. This quite literally contained every single released by The Jackson 5 plus all of the solo singles from Jermaine, Michael and Jackie plus various album cuts and favorites covering the Jacksons entire time with Motown. A nice collection to have, but really not necessary to complete a collection as everything on the album had been previously released. <br /><br />Now the solo albums from the Motown years are just a unique and distinctive as the group albums. <br /><br />Let’s start with Jackie Jackson’s 1973 solo album. This is by far the rarest and most sought after solo album from the Motown years. Like the Boogie album, Jackie’s (poor Jackie) solo album sold very few copies and had the only the initial printing. However, unlike the Boogie album, Jackie’s album is much more plentiful. While Boogie may have had only a one time printing of say 5,000 copies, Jackie’s album was expected to sell better so there may be 20,000 copies floating around out there. Now those numbers are just speculative as I don’t really know exactly how may were printed but there were more of Jackie’s album than Boogie. So, if you find a copy of Jackie’s album you are 100% guaranteed to have an original release copy of the album. I have only ever run across one copy of it in a used record store and I bought it. While I already had a copy of the album, I knew how rare it was and since the record (and cover) were in really great shape, I figured $3.00 was worth it. My first copy was a still sealed promo copy that I got for Christmas when I got the Boogie album. This particular album cost my boyfriend $55.00. He found both Jackie Jackson and Boogie at a store in California that specialized in out of print records. He got lucky in the fact that he was able to purchase the very last copies of each album that they had. That was a great Christmas. <br /><br />Now, for Michael’s five albums. His first album, Got To Be There. The only way to tell an original release from the reprints is buy the cover and the record itself. Once again, the cover was thick cardboard with wrap around type of paper and the record is, again, thick heavy vinyl. There were lots and lots of these albums sold so finding an original version should be quite easy. The Ben album is another issue all together. There are two different covers for this album. The first release has a picture of stampeding rats on the lower half of the album cover. All other releases omits this portion and has just the full picture of Michael on the cover. Personally, I don’t like the ‘rat’ cover. I prefer the second pressing that has just the picture of Michael. The ‘rat’ cover can be a bit pricey but if you search hard enough, a copy can be had for under $40.00. I have both versions only because I ran across a copy of the ‘rat’ cover in great shape at a great price. Otherwise I was quite happy with my second printing version (which I still consider an original release version). <br /><br />Michael’s third and fourth albums contain some distinct telltale signs to separate the original releases versus the reprints. The Music and Me album has a distinctive textured cover. The reprint versions have a smooth cover. The Forever Michael album, the original was a gatefold album and the reprints are not. Easy enough. <br /><br />The final Michael solo album on Motown was a greatest hits album and it was released after Michael had already left Motown. The only way to tell an original release version is by the vinyl. Look for that slightly heavier vinyl. Also, again this album was reprinted for years so look for the ‘8-track’ wording and the absence of the white box with the original release date. This album is perhaps the most worthless. There are no new tracks and every song was previously release on the preceding four albums so there really isn’t any reason to have this album in the collection other than for completion purposes. <br /><br />Now since only Got To Be There and Ben have been released on CD (now long out of print) as double CD (two albums on one disc), these albums have become big collector’s items. Music and Me and Forever Michael have (at least to my knowledge) never been released on CD here in the US. This makes these two albums very highly sought after by fans and collectors. <br /><br />Jermaine had a long recording career with Motown. His most prolific years were after his brothers moved to CBS in 1976. However, in 1972 and 1973 there were two solo albums released for Jermaine. The first was titled Jermaine and contained the single Daddy’s Home. The second was Come Into My Life and contained the single That How Love Goes. Both of Jermaine’s first two albums are gatefold albums. Jermaine’s first post Jackson 5 album is the 1976 album My Name Is Jermaine. This album is also a gatefold album. All three albums were later reprinted as non gatefold albums. Aside from the heavy vinyl, this is the only way to differentiate the original release from the reprints. <br /><br />Jermaine’s 1977-1980 albums are a bit more difficult. There really are not any distinctive about any of the albums. The only way to really tell is by the vinyl of the records themselves. However, it should be noted that by 1977 or 1978 Motown was moving to the thinner vinyl less expensive vinyl that other record companies of the time were using. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind about Jermaine’s solo albums post Jackson 5. The didn’t sell well. My Name Is Jermaine, Feel The Fire and Frontiers were major disappointments. Of those three albums, probably only My Name Is Jermaine went into multiple printings. The song Let’s Be Young Tonight was a hit in the discos but other than that, the album sank like a stone. Feel The Fire and Frontiers didn’t even chart on the Pop charts and barely made the R&B charts. Finally in 1979, Let’s Get Serious came out and Jermaine started having more respectable chart success. The trend continued with the 1980 release, Jermaine. Both Let’s Get Serious and Jermaine did go into multiple printings and I’ve seen later versions of both albums with the usual white box on the back. The only way that I’ve been able to determine older printings is by the ‘available on 8-track’ thing on the back. Frontiers sold so poorly that chances are if you can find a copy in good shape then you are getting an original release version. Feel the Fire is a bit more dicey. It did get reprinted long enough to have the white box original release date thingy on the back, but by the mid 80s the album was pretty much gone. <br /><br />Jermaine’s final two Motown albums I Like Your Style and Let Me Tickle Your Fancy were once again low charters but they sold enough copies that they are out there to be found. As these are 80s albums, they will be discussed in the second part of this blog when I discuss the Jacksons music of the 80s. <br /><br />With the lack of CDs for almost all of Jermaine’s Motown albums, several of the vinyl albums have become hot collectors items. <br /><br />The final things released during the Motown years consists of B-side songs that were not available on any albums and a few other albums that contain songs and performances not found anywhere else. The following list is for the avid collector and believe me, tracking some of these down will take a bit of work. With the help of eBay and Amazon finding them should be a lot easier then when I was trying to find them. Anyway, here goes. <br /><br />Motown at the Hollywood Palace (1970). This has the Jackson 5 singing a live medley of Sing A Simple Song/Can You Remember and their single I Want You Back. The medley portion was finally released on CD with The Jackson 5 Anthology (2000 edition). <br /><br />Save The Children (1973) Motion Picture Soundtrack. This contains a live version of the Michael Jackson solo hit I Wanna Be Where You Are as performed by The Jackson 5. If you have ever seen the clip of Don Cornelius introducing ‘the mighty, mighty Jackson 5,’ then you have seen a clip from this movie. I’ve never seen the entire film or even the Jackson 5 portion of the film, but from what I was able to gather this is a concert film to benefit a children’s charity or foundation. The entire album is a live recording of portions of this concert. <br /><br />Diana! (1971) TV Soundtrack of Diana Ross’s first TV special. It contains two live performances by The Jackson 5. Look for a gatefold cover to get an original release copy of this album. <br /><br />Mahagony (1975) Soundtrack. One song by Jermaine, She's The Ideal Girl. <br /><br />Pop We Love You (1979). An album by Motown stars dedicated to the memory of Berry Gordy’s father. It contains a duet with Jermaine Jackson and Tata Vega. <br /><br />I Lost My Love In The Big City (1973). This is the B-side song to Jermaine’s That’s How Love Goes single. This song was never released on any of Jermaine’s solo albums. <br /><br />Love Song (1972). This the B-side song from The Jackson 5’s Lookin’ Through The Windows single. This song was not released on any Jackson 5 album but was later released on CD in the 2000 edition of The Jackson 5 Anthology and the CD of Goin’ Back To Indiana/Lookin’ Through The Windows. <br /><br />I’m So Happy (1972). This is the B-side song from The Jackson 5’s Sugar Daddy single. This song was not released on any Jackson 5 album but was later released on CD in the 2000 edition of The Jackson 5 Anthology and the CD of Third Album/Maybe Tomorrow. <br /><br />Additionally for the avid collector there are cardboard cut out records from the back of cereal boxes. There are two different versions. One has a picture of The Jackson 5 on the record itself. I believe that these were from the back of Alpha-bits boxes. There were five different songs released. The second set of cereal box records were from the back of Honey Comb cereal boxes. At least I believe that they were. I don’t recall off the top of my head. There were three different songs released. These do not contain a picture of The Jackson 5. <br /><br />So, this constitutes the bulk of music released by The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and Jackie Jackson during their years at Motown. <br /><br /><strong>The CBS Years (1976-80)</strong><br /><br />Well, let’s start with the very first album from 1976, The Jacksons. This is a gatefold album. The record itself has the orange Epic label. Epic would change their label to the more familiar dark blue with the silver logo in 1978. However, all reprints of this album continued to use the orange label. I don’t know why, but it did. Also, all reprints continued to be gatefold covers. This makes it very hard to find an original release copy of this album. As there aren’t really any distinctive features to this album that wasn’t continually reprinted, I just picked up the first excellent copy that I could find. I may or may not have an original release copy in my collection. I’ve never been able to tell. The sound quality on the record itself is great and the quality of the vinyl used is good, so I’m not really sure what edition I may have. Distinguishing original release copies of the later CBS/Epic releases would be much easier than this album. <br /><br />The Jacksons second album Goin’ Places (1977) was once again a gatefold cover with the orange Epic label. Now, the way to tell an original release copy from reprint copies is by the inner sleeve. If the album contains an inner sleeve with the song lyrics then that is an original release copy. All subsequent reprints have a plain white inner sleeve. <br /><br />This is a trait that would continue throughout the rest of The Jacksons releases on Epic. All of their albums would have distinctive inner sleeves. Most with the song lyrics. Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980) all had the song lyrics printed on the inner sleeves. <br /><br />However, Michael Jackson’s 1979 Off The Wall album did not contain a special inner sleeve. While the album was a gatefold cover, the gatefold itself had the song lyrics. The inner sleeve on all copies was a plain white inner sleeve. Quite a problem when trying to track down an original release copy. The only thing that I’ve been able to distinguish original prints versus reprints is the song Rock With You. After several pressings, the finger snaps in the song can’t be heard. Again, the lower and higher end sound frequencies seem to suffer the most from continued re-use of the same masters. So, what I ultimately chose to do was purchase the half-speed master version of the album that was released in the early to mid 80s. This was a series of albums that CBS released that used very high quality vinyl and mastered at half-speed in order to insure an almost CD like sound quality to the album. Quite frankly, this version of Off The Wall is the best copy that you will ever find on vinyl. The music would not be heard this clearly until it was re-mastered again for CD. These half-speed master versions were geared toward the record collector with superior sound systems that wanted to get the full range of sound out of their records. So, at the time, these records cost almost twice the price of a standard release of the same album. In today’s record collecting market they can fetch a hefty price and are highly sought. Another nice aspect of these half-speed master versions was that CBS reprinted each of the albums as they were originally released. Including any special inner sleeves. The covers, however, did contain the ‘half-speed master’ logo on them so they are quite easy to spot. <br /><br />There were a few interesting items released for The Jacksons on CBS. First and foremost, in the mid to late 70s, record companies started to produce ‘collectors’ items. Things like colored vinyl versions of albums as well as picture discs of albums. The Jacksons received two picture disc versions of their first two albums. <br /><br />The picture disc for The Jacksons album has the same picture of the group on both sides. I don’t have a copy of this picture disc and I’ve never even seen one in person. I have seen a picture of the disc in a book called Picture Discs of the World but have never actually held one in my hands. <br /><br />There is also a picture disc version of the Goin’ Places album. This comes in a brick red cardboard cover with a large circular die-cut to show off the picture disc. The picture disc has the cover of the regular album on both sides. Nothing really spectacular, but attempting to track one of these down today if rather difficult. I did see one on eBay recently and the seller had it as a ‘Buy It Now’ and the price was well over $100.00. I guess I was lucky to have found one at a used record store for the outrageous price of $25.00 in the late 80s. <br /><br />Also, it should be mentioned that the 1978 soundtrack album for The Wiz features one song from Michael Jackson and the Ease on Down the Road duet with Diana Ross. This was the only off shoot recording by any of the brothers during their late 70s time at CBS. <br /><br /><br />Jermaine’s mid to late 70s output at Motown is discussed above so I won’t restate it here. <br /><br />In 1977 Randy Jackson began working on a solo album, but the album was shelved after Randy was in an auto accident. However, there was one single released. The single for How Can I Be Sure was released on CBS/Epic records. This single has not only become a Jackson brothers collectable but a Janet Jackson collectable. The B-side song A Love Song For Kids is a duet with Janet and Randy and this song is the very first recorded song by Janet Jackson. As this single was the only thing released from Randy’s aborted solo album it is quite rare. However, with a bit of patience they can be found on eBay often. A friend happened to find a copy of the single at a flea market several years ago and gave it to me. He knew I was a Jacksons collector and picked it up just because it happened to be a Jacksons record. What he didn’t know was how long I had been searching for that particular record. I got very lucky with that record. <br /><br />I guess I should mention the few 12” singles that are out there to be found. Now, I have only collected 12” singles from the 70s if they contain a version of the song that is not available on the album. If the 12” single is the same as the album version of the song, then I didn’t waste my time. <br /><br />There are three 12” singles that I feel are worth tracking down. First is the 12” single for Blame It On The Boogie (1978). The extended disco mix to this song is quite excellent. The 12” single for Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) is…well…a bit of a problem. There were two versions released. Once version is just the album version on 12” and the other is a remix version called ‘European Version’. I have both versions and both are quite easy to find on eBay. The Blame It On The Boogie 12” single on the other hand is a bit more troublesome to track down but it is out there. The third special disco mix 12” single to look for is Walk Right Now. Again, the 12” disco mix is quite excellent and well worth tracking down. <br /><br />I also managed to find 12” singles for You Can’t Win (Michael’s song from The Wiz) and Ease On Down The Road (also from the Wiz). Both of these 12” singles contain disco mixes to the songs not found on the album. As to how hard these are to find, I couldn’t begin to guess. It did take me quite a few years of searching to track them down, but with the Internet today, they may not be all that hard to locate. <br /><br />So, that is pretty much the entire 70s output of Jacksons music. If you do choose to start or upgrade your collection I wish you the best of luck. It took me years and years to acquire all of the albums and singles I have mentioned in this blog. <br /><br />I suppose I should mention the famous Steeltown singles. Yes, I do have them and it did take me decades to find them. Eventually, thanks to eBay I got my hands on all three of them. The singles were Big Boy/You’ve Changed, We Don’t Have To Be Over 21/Jam Session. These were actually released on Steeltown. Atco re-released We Don’t Have To Be Over 21 with the previously unreleased song Some Girls Just Want Me For Their Lover on the B-side. <br /><br />If you are a really adventurous collector you might try tracking down an album titled Getting Together With The Jackson 5. This album also contains the Atco release of We Don’t Have To Be Over 21 single complete with the B-side as the first two cuts on the album. The rest of the album contains songs by other groups. I don’t recall who else is on the album. I had never heard of the album until I ran across a copy of it (for $1.00) at an antique mall around 1994. When I found the album I casually picked it up and turned it over to see what was on it. Imagine my shock to see two Steeltown songs on the album. In fact I think my roommate (who was shopping with me at the time) had to remind me to breathe. I just stood there not believing my eyes. This was my very first copy of any of the Steeltown songs on vinyl. I already had a tape of three of the five songs so I was already familiar with the music. <br /><br />Now, when looking for the Steeltown songs (which have now been released on several CD compilations) do not be fooled by the song Let Me Carry Your Schoolbooks and its B-side I Never Had A Girl by a group called Ripples and Waves Plus Michael. This is not The Jackson 5 and these are not Jackson 5 Steeltown recordings. While they do sound a lot like The Jackson 5, these are songs by an entirely different group. I don’t recall how these became to be thought of as Jackson 5 songs but they are not The Jackson 5. While Michael Jackson did provide the lead vocals on these songs, the band is an entirely different group. So, in a way, yes, they are part of the whole Jacksons recording history, they are not by The Jackson 5. I believe that the story behind these two songs are bit more complicated but at the moment I am unable to track down any concrete information. There used to be a web site called J5 Collector that had a great article about these two songs and how they came to be thought of as Jackson 5 songs, but the site is no longer around. <br /><br />So, now in part two of this blog we move into the 80s.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-45270618272305812672009-02-20T13:36:00.000-08:002009-02-26T08:49:20.430-08:00Collecting The Jacksons Music - pt. 3: The 90s To TodayWell, I have decided to write a third and final part to this odyssey called The Jackons and their music. <br /><br />The 90s. The dawn of the CD era. Well, not really the dawn of it, but the decade where vinyl finally gasped what we all thought was its last breath and CDs took over. The decade where my interest in the Jacksons and their music died a slow death. It would take until 1993 before I finally called it quits. Until a few weeks ago, the last Jackson CD I bought was Michael’s History CD. The 90s were also the decade when Jermaine released his last album. With the departure of Jermaine from the scene, the only Jacksons left releasing new material were Michael, Janet, and LaToya (heaven help us). In fact, after 1995’s History, Michael pretty much vanished from the scene leaving just Miss Janet to carry on. Oh sure, we’d get one more album from Rebbie in 1998. Her album Yours Faithfully was released and to be perfectly honest, I never even heard about it. <br /><br />A few more previously unreleased Jackson 5 tracks would finally be released. Mainly on the 25th Anniversary Soulsation 4 CD set. One other unreleased track, Who’s Loving You (Live) would get released on the TV soundtrack for The Jacksons: An American Dream mini series. The soundtrack also contained a couple of new Jermaine songs. <br /><br />Since I wasn’t actively collecting much during this period, I think I will just list what was released and when. It will be much easier. <br /><br />Dangerous (1991) – Michael Jackson’s eighth solo album (his 4th for Epic) and the last one to be released on commercially on vinyl. The vinyl copies were very limited and rather difficult to find. How I managed to get my hand on two copies, I don’t remember. I think one was a gift. <br /><br />You Said (1991) – Jermaine Jackson’s last solo album to date. One interesting item was released from this album. The original version of the song Word To The Badd was released on CD single and Cassette single. This was the version where Jermaine vented his anger at Michael. Believe me, he really stuck it to him. Other than LaToya’s tell-all book, this was the first time that I can recall where one of the Jacksons aired their dirty laundry in public. It was at this point that I really started to get pissed at Jermaine as a person. It seemed that every time I turned on the TV, there was Jermaine shooting off his mouth about something. While I sort of agreed with what Jermaine had to say in the song, I just thought his motives for ‘leaking’ the original version to radio stations were rather petty. It was nothing more than a publicity stunt to generate press for Jermaine. His time to grab the spot light a bit at Michael’s expense. <br /><br />No Relations (1991) – LaToya’s seventh solo album. Released on the heals of her tell-all book about her family. I was also getting pretty tired of see her face every time I turned on the TV. Most of the time, everything she said I just laughed my ass off. So, I guess I shouldn’t be so upset about the whole thing. LaToya did amuse me to a degree. <br /><br />The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) – The TV soundtrack for the mini series. I won’t even discuss my outrage over this sugary, sanitized and largely fabricated story of how the Jacksons came to the forefront of the music industry. The CD contained two new songs from Jermaine (one was a duet) and one previously unreleased live recording from The Jackson 5. <br /><br />Formidable (1992) – LaToya’s eight solo album is released. By this point, LaToya had fallen off my radar and I didn’t even hear about this release. <br /><br />janet. (1993) – Janet Jackson’s fifth solo album is released and her first for Virgin Records. There was a special 2 disc box set released at the same time. The second disc in the set contained a couple of unreleased songs and special versions of existing songs from the album. Starting with this album, Janet’s overseas releases would contain songs that were not released in the US. Of course this went unnoticed by me. A few of the singles released from this album also had B-side songs not found anywhere else. <br /><br />Love's Alright (1993) - Eddie Murphy. Michael Jackson appears on the song Whatzupwitu. <br /><br />From Nashville To You (1994) – LaToya’s ninth solo album is released. This was only available via mail order on the Internet. I did hear about this album, but had zero interest in it. <br /><br />In 1995 I packed my bags and moved to San Francisco. The last CD of new Jacksons music I purchased prior to moving was Michael’s History CD. <br /><br />HIStory (1995) – Michael Jackson’s ninth solo album is released. My final purchase of new material by any of the Jacksons for about five or six years. Also, Michael’s last album of the 20th Century. <br /><br />25th Anniversary: Soulsation (1995) – The Jackson 5. A super 4 disc set covering the entire Motown years of The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson. The fourth disc consisted of several previously unreleased tracks. I did pick this one up since The Jackson 5 are my favorite and I really wanted the unreleased tracks. In fact, I would continue to purchase any Jackson 5 compilations that contained any new songs. They were just about the only Jackson music that I did attempt to keep up with. <br /><br />Stop In the Name Of Love (1995) – LaToya’s tenth solo album. Another Internet only album and again unknown to me at the time. LaToya’s last album to date and her last album of the 20th Century. <br /><br />Design Of A Decade (1995) – Janet Jackson’s first Greatest Hits compilation with two new songs. <br /><br />The Jackson 5 – The Ultimate Collection (1996) – A new compilation of Jackson 5 songs from Motown. The CD contained the 96 mix to the song It’s Your Thing which had been unreleased until the release of the 25th Anniversary set. <br /><br />The Velvet Rope (1997) – Janet Jackson’s sixth solo album. Once again, overseas versions (mainly Japan) contained songs to found on the US version. This was Janet’s final album of the 20th Century. <br /><br />Blood On The Dance Floor: HIStory In The Mix (1997) - An album of remixes from Michael's HIStory ablum plus five new songs. <br /><br />Yours Faithfully (1998) – Rebbie Jackson’s fourth and final album to date. Her last album of the 20th Century. <br /><br />Anthology (2000) – The Jackson 5. A two disc set from Motown, once again covering The Jackson 5, Michael and Jermaine’s years at Motown. The interesting thing about this set was the inclusion for the first time on CD, the performance from The Hollywood Palace album, the B-side songs Love Song, I’m So Happy and the live version of Daddy’s Home from the (until then unknown to me) Live In Japan album. <br /><br />So, we have come to the last to the 21st Century. It would take another nine years, but eventually I would revisit the Jacksons and their music and attempt to get caught up. While I would purchase Michael and Janet CDs, anything by Rebbie or LaToya I didn’t feel the need to try and find. I just really wasn’t interested. Maybe someday I will go back and get these CDs, but for now I’m content to just continue with Michael and Janet. <br /><br />Invincible (2001) – Michael Jackson’s first new album in six years. While it did sell well at first, it pretty much sank like a stone here in the US. <br /><br />All For You (2001) – Janet Jackson’s seventh solo album and the first with a Parental Advisory sticker on the cover. Once again, Japan versions with songs not on the US version. <br /><br />Number 1s (2003) – Michael Jackson’s compilation of his number one hits. The CD would contain one new song and a live version of the song Ben. <br /><br />Ultimate Collection (2004) – Michael Jackson. A five disc set that spanned Michael entire career and contained several previously unreleased songs. This would be the final release of any Michael Jackson material until the 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller.<br /><br />Damita Jo (2004) – Janet Jackon’s eighth solo album. Again, Japan release would contain songs not found on the US version. <br /><br />20 Y.O (2006) – Janet Jackson’s ninth solo album. Again, Japan release would contain songs not found on the US version. <br /><br />Discipline (2008) – Janet Jackson’s tenth solo album. Again more bonus tracks not found the US edition.<br /><br />Also in the new century, Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad would be released as Special Edition CDs with previously unreleased tracks. In 2008, Thriller would once again get re-released. This time in a 25th Anniversary Edition with more previously unreleased tracks. There is also a rumor about a 30th Anniversary Edition of Off The Wall with previously unreleased tacks. <br /><br />Destiny and Triumph would get Special/Anniversary Editions on CD with bonus tracks. Mainly the bonus tracks consisted of the long out of print 12” disco mixes for certain songs. <br /><br />To finally round out this blog, it should be mentioned that Janet Jackson has appeared on no less than six additional albums. Two movie soundtracks, and four Rap artists albums. Those albums and songs are as follows: <br /><br />The Best Things In Life Are Free (1992) - Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross from the movie soundtrack Mo' Money. <br /><br />Luv Me, Luv Me (1998) - Janet Jackson and Shaggy from the movie soundtrack How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Also appears on Shaggy's album Mr. Lover Lover - The Best Of Shaggy part 1. <br /><br />What's It Gonna Be?! (1999) - Janet Jackson with Busta Rhymes from the album Extinction Level Event. <br /><br />Girlfriend/Boyfriend (1999) - Janet Jackson with Blackstreet from the album Finally. <br /><br />Feel It Boy (2002) - Janet Jackson with Beenie Man from the album Tropical Storm. <br /><br />Don't Worry (2005) - Janet Jackson with Chingy from the album PowerBallin. <br /><br />In conclusion I’d just like to say that the lessons that I learned during my intense ten years of active collecting Jacksons music helped in other areas of collecting. I had to learn patience to start with. While I knew about certain items that did exist, I learned that I just couldn’t run right out and find them at my local used record store. I also learned the value of thorough research. If it hadn’t been for certain books on Michael Jackson that were released at the height of the Thriller period, I might not have ever discovered that certain recordings existed. This skill would continue to help me with other collecting obsessions like my involvement in Rocky Horror. My Rocky Horror collection at the time was the only thing that could rival my Jacksons collection. While I no longer have the Rocky Horror collection, I do still have my Jacksons collection. Lastly, the biggest thing I learned while collecting the Jacksons: When find what you’re looking for, buy it right then and there. Do not under any circumstances walk away and hope it will be there the next time you return. Chances are it won’t be. <br /><br />Today’s collecting market is so much easier than it was in the 80s. With the advent of the Internet and the launch of eBay collectors have a vastly easier time than I had in the 80s and early 90s. Today you just need to pull up eBay, sit back and start your search. Now, thanks to eBay, I consider my collection complete up to 1995. Through eBay I was able to go back and fill in the few missing pieces for my collection that I had been searching for. Things like the Hollywood Palace album, the Steeeltown singles, the Japan Live album, the couple of Jermaine’s singles that I either couldn’t find (that had non album B-sides) or had to purchase on cassette single and the few CD singles (like Jermaine’s Word To The Badd) that I had not been able to locate when they came out. So, thanks to eBay, I now consider my collection complete up to and including the year 1995. However, that only includes the music from the brothers. I still do not have each and everyone of LaToya’s albums nor do I have Rebbie’s last album. I also do not have any of the import versions of Janet’s albums with the extra songs. In the new century, I guess I’ve decided to only keep up with just so much Jackson music. I know that several things have been leaked through the Internet. Jackson 5 songs that remain unreleased but have somehow found there way to the Internet and into the hands of collectors. Several songs by Michael have also been leaked. There are Internet only songs that have been released for download. None of this stuff really interests me all that much. Like I said, I consider my collection complete to a point. Let others have their fun with that stuff. I’m out of the picture. Now, if Motown does finally get around to releasing anything that they may have sitting in their vaults (or even CBS for that matter) I would, of course, purchase it. <br /><br />Additionally, with the take over of CDs, several previously hard to find stuff (or things that had only been available on vinyl) has turned up. Like the Hollywood Palace performance. I’m sure that most collectors out there have one or more of the CDs that were released of the Steeltown songs. I know that I have two different ones myself. I believe that if these CDs had never been released, then I would have paid well over $100.00 each for those singles on eBay. As it was, I did manage to snatch up all four of them for less than $50.00 each. Now, once again those singles are going up in price. And speaking of the Steeltown singles. I’ve noticed something very, very odd about them. How on Earth did so many of these wind up in England? These singles were released locally in the Gary, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois areas in 1968. I mean, I made several pilgrimages to the Gary and the surrounding area in the 80s just to look for them and never turned up a thing. Well, I did find a used record store that at one time the manager had them and made a tape of the A-sides for the three singles and sold that to customers. Other than that, nothing so much as a whisper about those singles. I still don’t understand how so many of these singles found their way to England? Certainly odd that. <br /><br />So, to any future Jackson collectors I wish you luck. I hope these three articles have been helpful and informative. There is a TON of music out there to find. Some easy. Some not so easy. Have patience and most importantly, have fun. Half the fun of collecting is the hunt. Not the having.<br /><br />For an article that started out being about just the music and how to spot original release copies of the early albums, it somehow became about my 10 year quest to complete my collection. Odd that.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-75894140176042625912009-02-24T09:05:00.001-08:002009-02-24T09:34:30.688-08:00The Jacksons Music: A Wish ListWell, after my 3 part post about collecting the music of The Jacksons I got to thinking. What would I like to see be released? So, here is my wish list. <br /><br />Let's start with Motown and The Jackson 5. <br /><br />I'd like to see a 30th Anniversary Four Disc box set that contains nothing but previously unreleased songs. The Jackson 5 supposedy recorded some 500 songs. That includes solo songs by Michael, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon. However, I think that this particular box set should just concentrate on The Jackson 5. <br /><br />A three disc set to commemorate Michael Jackson's years at Motown. The second and third discs should containe all previously unreleased songs. <br /><br />A two disc set for Jermaine. Disc one could contain his hits from his solo albums and a second dics of previously unreleased material. <br /><br />Additionally, for Jermaine's years at Arista, a two disc set covering all of his, soundtrack songs, B-side songs and any unreleased material. <br /><br />As for any unreleased materil by Jackie and Marlon, let's put those on the Jackson 5 set. I'm sure that there aren't that many tracks in the first place. <br /><br />For Janet Jackson, I'd like to see a three or four disc set that included all of the songs that were released in the Japan release versions of her albums and any B-side songs that have been previously released. <br /><br />For The Jacksons, maybe a tree disc set that covers all of their hits from The Jacksons album to 2300 Jackson Street. The second and third discs could contain any previously unreleaed tracks including anything from Randy's shelved solo album. <br /><br />Finally, I really can't see doing anything extrodinary for Michael's Epic solo years after the five disc Ultimate set was released. <br /><br />The most important stuff for me would be the Motown stuff. While I would be willing to purchase all of the sets I listed above, my first choice would be the Motown years collections.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-78074511256646721672008-09-26T11:52:00.000-07:002009-01-15T11:03:05.748-08:0070s Music Compilation CDs--The Big BoysBeing the huge 70s collector that I am, it just naturally follows that I would have a huge 70s music collection. I been attempting for the past several years to collect every Top 40 hit from January 1970 to December 1979. This has become an lengthy process with at least 25 songs not available on CD at this time.<br /><br />Of course the starting point for me was the release of 70s Compilation CD collections. Mainly from Rhino and TimeLife. It goes without saying that these two companies are the <em>big boys</em> of the reissue CD market. Both Rhino and TimeLife have the best reputations and are very well respected among oldies fans. Their pedigree in releasing collections of great music is second to none.<br /><br />In the early 90s, just after Razor & Tie began reissuing 70s music under the name <em>The 70s Preservation Society </em>both TimelIfe and Rhino jumped on the bandwagon. TimeLife's <strong><em>Sounds of the 70s</em> </strong>quickly became the premier collection to own and I doubt that anyone who has this series would argue the point. However, I find Rhino's <em><strong>Have A Nice Day: Super Hits of the 70s </strong></em>and <strong><em>Didn't It Blow Your Mind: Soul Hits of the </em>70s</strong> to be a more statisfying collections.<br /><br />Sometime around 1996 or 97 I began collecting TimeLife's<em> <strong>Sounds of the 70s </strong></em>and it took me<strong><em> </em></strong>about two years to complete. There is no disputing TimeLife's ability to license a huge amount of music for their collections and<em><strong> Sounds of the 70s</strong></em> certainly boasts a great roster of music. The series as a whole give collector's a much larger representation of the different styles of music that appeared throughout the entire decade versus the Rhino collections. The entire collection consists of 46 CDs with over an hour of music on each CD.<br /><br />However, I do have a few issues with the collection as a whole.<br /><br />First of all, each of the covers for each of the CDs I find to be really awful. I don't like a single cover. This is pretty much a symptom of all TimeLife collections. I've yet to run across any cover from any TimeLife series that I find attractive. They are all pretty abysmal. For <strong><em>Sounds of the 70s </em></strong>someone tried to give us a kind of pseudo Andy Warholesque renderings and in my opinion they failed misserably.<br /><br />Secondly, the time it took to collect the entire series. Since these were only available through mail order (from TV advertisements and infomercials) you only got one CD every 4-6 weeks. That time could be shortened (as I did) to only 4 weeks between shipments, but that still seemed to take forever. Plus the selection of CD you received was random. Meaning you started with 1970 but the next shipment might be FM Rock. You didn't get them in the order they were issued or even numbered. Rather a lame way of doing it if you ask me.<br /><br />Thirdly, the liner notes and pictures. Most of the time, the liner notes only discussed about 2/3 of the songs listed on the CDs. I found this to be a bit of a disappointment mainly because I'm a liner note reader and I wanted information on every song listed. Also, you only got two pictures of artists per CD. One on the CD itself and one on the back cover of the booklet and most of the time those pictures were altered in some way. Again in a kind of Andy Warhol style. And again, failing at it.<br /><br />Fourth, and this has to do mainly with the structure of the sereis itself, the way the CDs were arranged. Meaning, you get CDs for each year (70-79) and then a second CD for each year (70-79: Take Two). After that, there are compilations CDs with titles like <em>AM Nuggets, Pop Nuggets, Guitar Power, FM Rock and Dance, Dance, Dance. </em>While a few of these categories like <em>FM Rock I-IV, </em>can stand alone, others are just nonsensical. I wish that instead, the year by year format had been continued. While other CDs in the set (like <em>Punk & New Wave)</em> I appreciate them being in the series, but I really could do without them. I do understand that TimeLife was really trying to cover all genres of the decade. I just think the entire thing could have been handled a bit better. Also, TimeLife made (in my opinion) a very unforgivable mistake. On the <em>1979: Take Two </em>CD, they used the 1980 <em>Can't Stop The Music version of Y.M.C.A. </em>by the Village People. This was <strong>not </strong>the original version with lead vocalist Victor Willis but the rerecorded version with replacement lead vocalist Ray Simpson. Same on you TimeLife. You should have known the difference.<br /><br />Finally, the shear difficulty in obtaining every title in the collection was a real headache. Certain CDs were only released in Canada (<em>A Loss For Words, TV Themes, Pop Nuggets-Early 70s, and Pop Nuggets-Late 70s</em>). While other CDs (<em>70s Dance Party) </em>were released long after the collection was <em>supposedly </em>finished. Additionally, in the <em>70s Dance Party </em>CDs, TimeLife simply released the original 1979 disc as part of the <em>70s Dance Party</em> portion of the collection.<em> </em>Also, by the time of the four Canadian only releases rolled around, there started to be some duplication of previously released material. Note a great selling point for these discs to American collectors.<br /><br />For my collection, I haven't even bothered trying to get the <em>70s Dance Party </em>CDs. They were released long after my shipments had stopped. Also, just about every track on these discs had been released on previous CDs. They became a big, '<em>why bother', </em>kind of thing to me. As far as I was concerned, when I finally obtained the <em>Pop Nuggets-Late 70s </em>CD, my collection was finished. True, it ended on an uneven number (41 instead of 46) it didn't matter to me. I had moved on.<br /><br />My favorite 70s music collection is by far the two series released by Rhino. Their <em><strong>Have A Nice Day: Super Hits of the 70s and Didn't It Blow Your Mind: Soul Hits of the 70s</strong></em> for me are just really fun collections to own.<br /><br />The thing that I like about both of these series is that they remind of those great K-Tel compilation albums of the 70s. The focus of these series were not on the ultra cool FM sounds of the 70s but more on the one and two hit wonders from the decade. Songs that I've come to call <em>goofy pop.</em> Songs like <em>Billy Don't Be A Hero, Arizona, Chick-A-Boom, Indiana Wants Me, Hooked On A Feeling, Drift Away, </em>and the like. For me, these songs bring back many more memories of the 70s than say songs from Fleetwood Mac, Boston, Bad Company, etc. ever could. These gems on the Rhino sets are mainly the songs that I remember the most from the 70s. These were the songs that we sang along to while riding the school bus to and from school everyday. While not every song in these collections are memorable to me, I'd say 90% of them I do recall hearing on the radio at the time. And for me that is what really counts.<br /><br />Most people would categorize most of these songs as probalby the worst songs ever recorded. While I can't deny that a lot of these songs are pretty awful, that is what makes these collections so much fun.<br /><br />Each disc contains 12 tracks. There are 25 discs in the<strong> <em>Have A Nice Day:Super Hits of the 70s </em></strong>and 20 discs in the <strong><em>Didn't It Blow Your Mind: Soul Hits of the 70s</em></strong> collections. There is one additional CD called <strong><em>Have A Nice Christmas: Holiday Hits of the 70s</em></strong> that contains 16 holiday songs. Unfortunately Elton John's<em> Step Into </em>Christmas and Paul McCartney's<em> Wonderful Christmas Time</em> are not included.<em> </em>Bummer.<br /><br />Each cover of the<strong><em> Super Hits of the 70s</em></strong> series features a really cool vintage 70s item. These range from the JVC Videosphere TV to platform shoes. In fact, this series was primarily responsible for me beginning my 70s memorablia collection. I love seeing that stuff so much that I wanted to own as much of it as I could. In fact, there are several items on these covers that I actually do own. Thanks to eBay.<br /><br />The covers of the <strong><em>Soul Hits of the 70s </em></strong>has a vintage picture of a differnt soul performer from the 70s. I will admit that I'm not all that crazy about the covers for this series. I think that Rhino could have done a better job. But that is just my little nitpic.<br /><br />Both series contains booklets for each CD filled with pictures of most of the performers on the CDs and they talk about each of the 12 tracks. There is some really fun trivia to be found in these liner notes if you take the time to read them.<br /><br />My only issue with both of the Rhino collections is that I felt that they should have continued each of the series for another 5 CDs. True, combined there are a total of 45 discs, but I feel that certain years just weren't covered as well as they could have been. The years 1978 and 1979 suffer the most from this.<br /><br />They way Rhino structured these series was more in keeping with the way a school year is laid out. The first CD in each series begins in the fall (sometimes summer) of 69 and the final CD in each series ends in the spring (or summer) of 79. Likewise, Rhino's folow-up series, <strong><em>Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the 80s</em></strong> began in the fall of 79. In fact, one could almost consider <strong><em>Pop Hits of the 80s: Volume 1</em></strong> as the 26th CD in the <strong><em>Super Hits of the 70s </em></strong>series since it contains 6 tracks from 79. The collection was released in blocks of 5 volumes every year or so. While this made collecting them easy, it also led to a particular problem with the overall listening experience of these series. The songs in each series start off in a chronological order. Meaning volume 1 starts in the summer/fall of 1969 and ends in January 1970. The next volume picks up in January 1970 and ends in February 1970. They continue this way until volume 15 of both series where they end in the summer of 1975. In fact, for the longest time, volume 15 was the final CD in the <strong><em>Soul Hits of the 70s </em></strong>series. Rhino continued the <strong><em>Super Hits of the 70s </em></strong>series with the release of volumes 16-22, but for some reason when they released volume 16, they rewound back to 1970 and it took volumes 16 and 17 to cacth back up to summer 1975. The samething happened when volumes 16-20 of <strong><em>Soul Hits of the 70s</em></strong> were released. So, for about two years or so, <strong><em>Super Hits of the 70s </em></strong>stopped at volume 22 and <strong><em>Soul Hits of the 70s </em></strong>stopped at volume 20. Finally Rhino released volumes 23-25 of <strong><em>Super Hits of the 70s </em></strong>and once again we rolled back to the clock. This time to 1976 and continued on to 1979. So, when listening to these CDs the flow of the music from one year to the next is disrupted. Not a big deal, but I find it to be rather annoying.<br /><br />Along with these two series, Rhino also tried their hands at a Funk series (<strong><em>In Yo Face</em></strong>) and a Disco series (<strong><em>The Disco Years</em></strong>) but these were short lived series. Each of these series didn't last more than 5 or 6 CDs each. I didn't collect either of these series so I can't speak on their contents or their merits. I've heard good things about each of them but I was just not at all interested. I guess I felt that, at least the Disco collection, would have been a complete duplication of stuff that I already had on other CDs.<br /><br />At this point in time, I know that the TimeLife <strong><em>Sounds of the 70s </em></strong>series is out of print. I believe that the Rhino <strong><em>Soul Hits of the 70s </em></strong>are also out of print. A few discs from <strong><em>Super Hits of the 70s </em></strong>have gone out of print, but I think most of the series is still available. The only volume of <strong><em>Super Hits </em></strong>that I know for sure that has gone out of print is volume 2. I think that this may have been due to Rhino loosing the licensing rights to one or more songs on the CD.<br /><br />For anyone who wishes to collect either the TimeLife series or Rhino series, I wish them the best of luck. The TimeLife series will probably be the most difficult to complete. The Rhino series (both) should be fairly easy. Rhino sold tons of each of these series and I see copies for sale on Amazon and eBay quite alot. Some of the more common titles from the TimeLife series (1970-79) are pretty easy to find. It's when you get into the Take Two discs and some of the other compliatoins that you have trouble tracking them down. As for the four CDs from Canada, those will be pretty expensive. Believe me, I know.<br /><br />If you are looking for a smaller collection, please read my entry regarding the Razor & Tie <strong><em>70s Preservation Society </em></strong>series.<br /><br />For more information you could check out this site: <a href="http://crapfromthepast.com/favorites/compilations.htm">http://crapfromthepast.com/favorites/compilations.htm</a><br /><br />Rhino also released a 7 disc box set called <strong>Have A Nice Decade: The 70s Pop Culture Box Set</strong>. A very nice set that is a great alternative to the extensive sets described above. I also have this set and I highly recomend it.<br /><br /><strong>An Update: I got a good deal on Amazon and so I did go ahead and get the 5 disc 70s Dance Party CDs to finish off once and for all, the TimeLife Sounds of the 70s set. The collection is now 100% complete.</strong>Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-1313047754114797952008-09-29T09:39:00.000-07:002009-01-15T11:01:22.468-08:00An eBay RantFor the past few years, I've had a major issue with eBay. Not with the site itself, although there are plenty of those kinds of issues. No. My issue with eBay is with the sellers. While I do not begrudge anyone from attempting to make a quick buck by selling on eBay, what I do mind is the erroneous use of the word 'vintage' and 'retro' on eBay.<br /><br />The dictionary defines vintage as: a period of origin or manufacture.<br /><br />In everday use, this means items, clothing or furniture from a particular period of time. Or, antique. In other words, <strong>old</strong>.<br /><br />My personal definition of vintage is anything from a particular period of time (or decade) that may not always be all that old or antiques. There are things that are vintage 1990's but I do not consider them to be antiques or even remotely old.<br /><br />To illustrate my point, try searching eBay for vintage platform shoes. Sure, you will turn up several pairs of platform shoes (and most of the time not really even platforms but that is a rant best saved for another time). However, not all of the listings are vintage platform shoes. More often than not, you will see listing after listing of those costume pimp style platform shoes. Again, I don't mind these sellers listing these and trying to sell them. What I do mind is the use of the word 'vintage' in their listing. <strong>These are NOT vintage platform shoes! </strong>How in the Hell can they call something vintage if that item is currently being manufactured? Sorry kids, but such items are not 'vintage' items. I would say that they fall into the 'retro' category. If you really want a vivid illustration, try doing a search for 70s Disco. That will turn up a plethora of those stupid costumes, wigs and just about everything else you can think of. And lo and behold, several of those listings will also have the word 'vintage' in them.<br /><br />Then there is the word 'retro'. Again the dictionary definition of the word 'retro' is: Involving, relating to, or reminiscent of things past; retrospective.<br /><br />To me, that means, things that are made in such a fashion as to reflect the style or look of particular period of time but are not (nor will they ever be) 'vintage' items.<br /><br />Those stupid costume listings are 'retro' things. Not 'vintage'. I really wish people would learn the difference. I get really sick of seeing 'retro' things listed as 'vintage' and vice versa. Believe me, I'm sick and tired of trying to find the genuine vintage 70s items while having to scroll through pages of useless retro things just to get to the good stuff.<br /><br />In fact, it would please me even more if the people at eBay regulated these 'retro' listings to the eBay Stores section. Especially since 99% of them are not even auctions but 'Buy It Now' items. Why clutter up the really good vintage listings with this junk? And make no mistake about it. Those costume things are just junk. If I never see another stupid 70s afro wig listed as vintage, it will be too soon. It would even be a Godsend if these sellers actually learned to list their items for what they really are instead of what they think (or wish) that they were. Junk is junk.<br /><br />It used to be really fun to shop eBay when it first started. 90% of the items listed there were actual vintage or antique items. Then, slowly things began to change. More and more people began flooding eBay with brand new itmes. It began to be more of a left overs or factory seconds store. Kind of like a Big Lots instead of a really great big garage sale. True, with the advent of the eBay Stores section, more and more sellers were listing their vintage or antique items as a 'Buy It Now' item. I think that this happened because the actual auction listings were flooded with garbage and folks just weren't able to find the good treasures anymore. I know these days, I prefere to 'Buy It Now' if I can. I just don't have the patience or the time to look through 25 pages of platform shoes just to find the 10-15 piars of genuine 70s platforms shoes that are listed amongst all of the junky retro crap.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. There are still great vintage auction listings to be found, but you have to really search for them. Trying to fliter out the junk and often filter out the good stuff too since seller just seem to throw around those great little buzz words like 'vintage' and 'retro'. They really like to throw 'retro' around with the word 'new' as well. Heads up people, that is a dead giveaway that the itme you are looking at is a 100% brand new item and is in no way vintage, antique or old. It may look vintage, but it is not. It all goes back to that old saying. Buyer beware.<br /><br />I guess I've been taken in less by some of these shady sellers because I really know the period for which I shop. Doing some research really helps making sure that I don't get taken or fooled into believing that say, a swag lamp, is vintage 70s when in fact it's a replica from Finger Hut.<br /><br />I just wish that eBay did a little bit more to keep these sellers a bit more honest. Or at the very least, make sure that they are listing their times accurately.<br /><br />Finally, these sellers need to really, really, really learn what a platform shoe is and stop listing pumps as platform shoes. Platform shoes have <strong><em>platforms</em></strong> on the toe. At least a half inch or more. God, what a concept! Platform shoes with an actual platform. Imagine that!<br /><br />And stop with this 'vintage retro' type of listing. An item cannot be both vintage and retro. Vintage retro? So, what it's vintage 2008 and retro 70s? Sorry, but that is just stupid and shows a complete lack of understanding as to what the item really is. It's either vintage or it's retro. It can't be both.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-24643774760874249682008-03-06T16:49:00.000-08:002008-09-26T15:56:53.818-07:00TheSearch Is Killing Me<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SN1oZqsWzII/AAAAAAAAAG8/8LBuZaxkrcU/s1600-h/Sweet+70s+Soul.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250467530750217346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SN1oZqsWzII/AAAAAAAAAG8/8LBuZaxkrcU/s320/Sweet+70s+Soul.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Have you ever been so close to finishing a collection that the search for the final items just drives you almost insane? </div><br /><div>Well, that's where I am with two CDs that belong to two different 70s sets. The first is pictured to the left. It's from The 70s Preservation Society. The CD was released around 1991. It's out of print, but what is amazing is that all of the other CDs in this small collection are pretty easy to find. If I never see another copy of Disco Fever or Those Fabulous 70s again it will be too soon. Heck, even Those Funky 70s CD is more common (and it was released much earlier) and easy to find than the 70s Soul Cd. </div><br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/R9CSvY1NgRI/AAAAAAAAAAc/bHXPiFz71Hc/s1600-h/Pop+Nuggets+CD.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174797314665840914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/R9CSvY1NgRI/AAAAAAAAAAc/bHXPiFz71Hc/s320/Pop+Nuggets+CD.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The second is called Pop Nuggets: The Late 70s. It's from Time-Life's Sounds of the 70s collection. Now this one (pictured on the left) I can understand why it's a pain in the ass to find. There were 4 CDs in the Sounds of the 70s Collection that were only released in Canada. Two of those I managed to find years ago through a mail order place that specialized in hard to find and out of print CDs. I eventually found the Pop Nuggets: Early 70s on Amazon for an outrageous price. Now the Late 70s CD is on eBay and I know I'm going to pay an arm and a leg for it. However, once I win it, my Time-Life set will be complete. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As for my 70s Preservation Society set, well....the search goes on.<br /></div><br /><p><strong>UPDATE: </strong>Both of these CDs are now in my collections. Yippee!!!<span style="font-size:+0;"></span></p><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div>Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-71496375360215259872008-09-25T14:22:00.000-07:002008-09-26T09:49:28.333-07:00What A Hunk!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNwBO6QHBuI/AAAAAAAAAG0/pA783aZzGlI/s1600-h/Sam+Elliott+In+The+70s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250072621273777890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/SNwBO6QHBuI/AAAAAAAAAG0/pA783aZzGlI/s320/Sam+Elliott+In+The+70s.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Sam Elliott. What a fox. Especially in the 70s. To oogle more at Sam and his gorgeous bod watch the 1976 film <strong>Lifeguard. </strong>He spends most of the movie wearing nothing but small red shorts and Speedos in one scene. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div>I don't know when this picture was taken, but it was definately in the 70s. From his hair style, I'm guessing around 1978 when he made the movie <strong>The Legacy. </strong>Which also contains his one and only nude scene. </div>Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-66713340456409080922008-09-19T10:54:00.001-07:002008-09-19T10:56:33.738-07:00That 70s Show: Not So Much (Revisited)I wrote this up a while back and just never posted it. So, for what it is worth, here's my final take on that 70s show that I wrote back in April of this year.<br /><br />I just finished watching the final season of That 70s Show. Well…what can I say? Not much had changed between season seven and season eight. Well, Kelso moved to Chicago and Eric went off to Africa. Big deal. And the new guy, Randy, was a total waste. He said nothing and did even less. The character of Randy just didn’t seem to have a point. True, the character was trying to fill the gap left by Eric and Kelso’s departures, but he just never really worked.<br /><br />In the final season it was obvious that the writing had taken a nose dive. Yep. The show had jumped the shark. There was no two ways about it. In fact, the only positive thing to come out of season eight was the final episode. The writers did give the series a rather good send off. I was quite impressed with the final episode. It was funny, sweet and kind of sad. Eric and Kelso came back for the final show and it really tied everything together.<br /><br />Looking back on all eight seasons of this show, I think that the first four or five seasons were the best. While I always had problems with the writing, the show did have something going for it. When the show stopped hitting the audience over the head with all of the 70s references, it did at times actually become very 70s. Perhaps if the writers had tried just a little bit harder in not trying to make it ‘so 70s’ then perhaps they might have been able to take was just an ok show and make it good. Face it. The show was never going to be great. Period sitcoms rarely, if ever, really work because they are based on one thing. Nostalgia. And by its nature, nostalgia is a flawed way to view anything with any kind of perspective. It’s all like, ‘let’s put on our rose colored glasses and make jokes about Three Mile Island or the hostage crisis.’ It just doesn’t work.<br /><br />Had it not been for the characters of Red, Kitty and Hyde I don’t think I could have made it through all eight seasons of this stupid show. Oh, and Leo. Leo was just a hoot to watch. Tommy Chong stole just about every scene he was in. And Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith as Kitty and Red were a real joy to watch. I won’t even go into how fabulous Danny Masterson is at being Hyde. These three, ok four, characters were, at least for me, totally believable. The others, Eric, Kelso, Donna, Jackie, Fez, Bob, Midge, and Laurie just didn’t strike me as anyway believable. Most of the time they were just caricatures and rarely did they ever rise above that. Maybe Donna and Eric were believable characters in themselves, but I just never bought into the whole ‘Donna and Eric belong together’ thing. Eric would be lucky to get a girl like Donna and a girl like Donna wouldn’t give a guy like Eric a second glance.<br /><br />After about the first five seasons I found myself paying less and less attention to the stories and spending more time looking at the sets. Once thing really started to hit me (actually I noticed it in the very first episode but didn’t pay much attention to it until later). In, oh let’s say 1972, did Red and Kitty go through and have their ENTIRE house remodeled? When the 60s were over did Red and Kitty simply throw out everything they owned and replace it with new 70s things? Including the furniture? I mean, if you really look around at everything, there is not one thing in that house that isn’t from the 70s. Seriously. Take the kitchen for example. Everything in that kitchen is either orange, yellow, brown or green. There is not one thing blue or red. Every little nick nack is from the 70s. In fact, most of the time the only things in that kitchen not from the 70s is the food. I guess the set designers could be bothered to find a vintage Mrs. Butterworth’s bottle. Even considering that the damn things are everywhere. In the second to last episode, Kitty is showing the house to a potential buyer and the director decided to shoot the scene with a hand held camera. So we got to see the set like it was a real house with four walls. It only reinforced the fact the everything in that set was from the 70s. While this is a 70s collector or fan’s dream home, it’s not realistic at all. Yes, people did have rooms in their homes in the 70s that did look like this, but it mostly happened in homes that were built in the 70s. Yes, people were doing a lot of remodeling and home improvements, but the set of the Forman home just went way beyond that. People like Kitty and Red, even with their combined incomes could not have afforded to do everything to their home that is shown on that show. It would have cost a fortune. Even by 1970s standards. I won’t even mention Bob and Midge’s home. That just defies all logic.<br /><br />I do have to give a big high five to Barry Williams and Christopher Knight for their guest appearance in one episode of the final season. They played a Gay couple that moves in next door to Kitty and Red. Barry and Christopher were simply hilarious. In fact, the scenes involving them were perhaps the funniest of the entire series.<br /><br />I still have several issues with That 70s Show, but in the end I did enjoy most of what I watched. The show tried too hard at times to be funny, clever and oh so 70s that it usually missed the mark. When it stopped trying so hard was when it was at its best. The sad things is, kids who did not grow up in the 70s will watch this show and think that that was how it really was in the 70s. It wasn’t. The dialogue continued to be a problem through out the whole series. 70s teens in the Midwest did not say things like ‘awesome’ or ‘totally’.<br /><br />All in all, I have to take the series for what it is. A totally unrealistic, nostalgic peak into a decade that I feel was much more interesting than what was shown.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-29960110219766024052007-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:002008-01-24T13:51:14.073-08:00New Versus Old: TV On DVDWell, this has been a BIG issue since TV shows on DVD became such a money maker for the studios.<br /><br />When season sets of TV shows started showing up on DVD, like so many others, I was excited by the prospect of owning my favorite TV shows complete and uncut. So, for the studios to break into the market they started releasing mostly newer shows or shows that had rabid fan followings. Think Star Trek. Made sense to me. Classic TV shows fans like myself would just have to wait for our favorites to be released. It was only a matter of time, right?<br /><br />Wrong. What everyone found was that releasing older (I’m talking pre 1990 here) shows on DVD opened up a whole can of worms. There were rights issues. Universal let their rights to The Six Million Dollar Man lapse and to this day that show has yet to be released here in America. Sure, you can by the first two seasons from the UK, if your DVD player will play UK discs. Fox and Warner are still quibbling over the 60s Batman TV series. Then there were the pesky music licensing costs for older shows. This really sent the studios into a tail spin. It was a forgone conclusion that shows like The Wonder Years and WKRP in Cincinnati would probably not ever be released on DVD. Even if they did, they would most likely not appear in their original uncut versions. Anyone who has watched the WKRP season 1 DVD set can tell you the show was butchered beyond belief. I was fortune enough to borrow the set from a friend so I could decide if I wanted to buy it or not. I decided not to purchase it. It’s a shame too, because I love WKRP.<br /><br />Then there is the almighty dollar factor. Some older shows just weren’t meeting the studios sales expectations. Case in point: The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Fox released season 1 with really nice packaging, great extras and beautiful sound and picture. It wasn’t a big seller. I don’t know what the sales figures were or what Fox expected, but whatever it was it didn’t come up to scratch. So Fox refused to release any further seasons. Even though season 2 had already been remastered and was essentially ready for release. Well, Mary would get a second chance three years later. Seasons 2-4 did get released, but once again poor Mary has been dropped from further releases. The same thing has happened to The Bob Newhart Show, McMillan and Wife, Quincy, Kojak, Charlie’s Angels and many, many others. With the apparent deaths of Mary, Bob Newhart and, I believe WKRP, it looks like the chances for Rhoda and Phyllis to be released on DVD are very, very slim. It just breaks my heart. Rhoda is one of my all time favorite 70s shows. With only two seasons left for Bob Newhart and three seasons for Mary, I’d really, really like to see them completed. Seems doubtful at this point.<br /><br />Setting aside the sales issues for a moment, there is another major issue with classic TV on DVD. The snails pace at which each season is released. It took Fox six years to release all 11 seasons of MASH. While Paramount released all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation in just one year. Sony is another studio that just drags its feet with DVD releases. They have regulated All In The Family and The Jeffersons to just one season release a year. At the moment we’re lucky if we get two seasons of Bewitched a year. With the release of the 5th season and the end of the Dick York years, I’m worried that the rest of Bewitched may not see the light of day. I don’t know if these types of decisions are precipitated by sales numbers or not. I would think that they are. I’m glad that I’ve finished with The Jeffersons. I bought the first 6 seasons which covered the years 75-80. I’m not interested in getting the rest of the series (80-85). I do want the final three seasons of All In The Family.<br /><br />Some independently produced shows like That Girl, Roseanne, Family Affair, The Doris Day Show and a few others have been released by smaller independent studios (Shout Factory, MPI, Anchor Bay). These releases seem to have been profitable for these smaller studios because Roseanne was completed on DVD and The Doris Day Show will be completed this year as well. I’d like to see more classic TV shows released on smaller labels. They seem to take extra care to do the releases right. Not always. Season 1 of Roseanne was released with only syndicated cuts versus complete versions. Fan were outraged and Anchor Bay quickly responded by stating that the rest of the series would be released complete and uncut. They stuck to their word until seasons 8 and 9 were released with cuts do to music licensing rights issues. Anyway, I think the use of smaller studios could be the answer to getting some classic shows released or finished. Some of my favorite shows are still just rotting in the studio vaults. Room 222, Angie, Chico and the Man, Eight is Enough, Rhoda, Phyllis, Vegas, and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father are just collecting dust somewhere. And those are just shows from the 70s. I can’t even begin to think about what 50s, 60s, and 80s shows that are just wasting away locked up in some studio vault. Something needs to be done about this situation.<br /><br />Then there are the ever popular arguments about ‘Best of’ releases versus complete seasons, half seasons versus full seasons, and complete series sets versus season by season releases. Each one has it merits. For me, shows like The Sonny and Cher Show should be released as ‘Best of’ collections to keep the music licensing to a minimum. Several variety shows of the 70s have been released this way and I’ve enjoyed each and every one of them. Unfortunately in the case of Sonny and Cher I was just left with wanting more. Sadly it was not to be. I believe that shows that only lasted between one and three seasons should be released in complete series sets. My stance on full seasons versus half seasons is that only full seasons should be released. I understand why studios like to release half seasons. It’s a way to gage the market and see if a series has the potential to sell well. If not, then the studio has released only half a season and not lost all that much. This ‘half season’ thing is something that Fox started doing along time ago. Now Paramount has jumped on the bandwagon. I’m currently only collecting one series that is being released this way: The Streets of San Francisco. However, next month I will be starting my second series with ‘half season’ releases when Love American Style is released. As much as I love, Love American Style, the little voice inside me says that this release is doomed to failure. I really hope not, but I can’t shake the feeling that this one release is all I’m going to get of Love American Style.<br /><br />So what is the whole point of this? I’m not sure, but I just felt the need to get some of this off my chest.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-11032545527615535442008-01-24T13:45:00.000-08:002008-01-24T13:48:21.824-08:00The Bionic Quandary: A Possible SolutionWell, the wait continues. For those in America waiting to have the original Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman on DVD there seems to be no end in sight. Back in 2004, Universal (the owners of the shows) released a trailer of upcoming releases and there was a trailer for The Bionic Woman starring Lindsay Wagner. So, it looked like there might be hope. Well, 2004 came and went and nothing. Now here we are in 2008 and still nothing has happened with the original Bionic shows on DVD. At least in America. The reasons for this delay can be found here:<br /><br /><a href="http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/Dvd-Guy/Arent-Original-Bionic/800023655">http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/Dvd-Guy/Arent-Original-Bionic/800023655</a><br /><br />If you think that is a mess, try figuring out why the 60s Batman series isn’t on DVD yet. The legal issues holding up both Batman and the Bionic DVD releases are one big legal knot that doesn’t look like it’s going to be resolved anytime soon.<br /><br />So, while the long negotiations continue to release these shows in America on DVD, there is a solution. At least a temporary one. While this solution isn’t 100% above board, it’s better than resorting to finding the shows on bootleg DVD. While I do not condone buying bootleg DVDs nor will I encourage anyone to do so, the ultimate decision is your’s and you must deal with your own conscience on that issue. What I did for myself, and many others have done this as well, was to buy a region free or multi region DVD player and purchase the UK DVDs of the first two seasons of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. I’m sure that in some people’s opinion, buying a region free DVD player is a little…well…underhanded shall we say? I don’t think that it is strictly illegal nor do I think that it is 100% legal either. I think it falls into one of those ‘gray’ areas. I really don’t know. I mean, how legal is it for a DVD retailer to break into the region codes on DVD players and remove them and then sell them as region free? Also, how legal is it for someone to purchase DVD (albeit 100% legal in the country where they were released) sets that aren’t sold in this country? With the whole ‘rights’ issues preventing these releases in this country, I can’t really see that this is legal. After all, I believe that this is why region codes are programmed into the DVD players in the first place. But again, these DVDs are 100% legal in the UK and other countries so where do you draw the line?<br /><br />Well, the line for me was the fact that I could purchase a region free DVD player through a reputable online retailer and then use that same retailer to purchase the DVDs. In my opinion, if any of this was totally illegal then Amazon would have stopped it long ago. I don’t think that it is illegal for me to have the DVDs, but the region free DVD player is where things might be a little ‘sticky’ for me. I just plane got tired of waiting for two of my favorite shows of the 70s to be released in this country. So, I put aside my doubts and fears and slapped down the cash for the player and the DVDs. It took 20 days from the time I ordered the DVDs for them to arrive. Believe me, that wait seemed longer than the current wait for them to be released here at all. So, for the last three evenings, Steve Austin has once again been gracing my TV screen. It has been too exciting for words.<br /><br />I shouldn’t say this, but if you are like me and are tired of waiting for these shows to be released in this country, do what I did. Get thee a region free DVD player and make that UK purchase for the DVDs. For me it was worth every penny.<br /><br />The only question in my mind now is once these shows are finally released in this country will I go ahead and get them? Probably. In fact, I can almost say with 100% assurances that I will. In the meantime, I am totally enjoying my UK sets and hope that season three for both shows are released soon.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-47530793172909073862007-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:002007-12-13T09:45:21.782-08:00Galactica's Muddy WatersOk, for this entry, I’m going to step out of the 70s for a bit. Well, sort of. How can you really step out of the 70s when talking about Battlestar Galactica?<br /><br />I’ve been watching the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica recently. After watching the two part mini series that aired in 2003 before the show became a series, I swore that I would not give this show an audience in my home. I absolutely hated it. I said the same thing about Star Trek: Enterprise and ended up changing my mind. I chalk up this recent viewing of Galactica as a weak moment of desperation for something, anything, science fiction in nature. While I’m not averse to exploring new science fiction territory, I didn’t start watching Babylon 5 until somewhere in the second or third year, I tend to fall back on familiar territory. So, even as flawed and awful that the new Galactica is in my opinion, I decided that since the show is about to begin its final season in March of next year it might just be time for a revisit. Now, the only problem was, the show was currently repeating its third season on SciFi. The first two seasons weren’t being shown so the only way to get caught up was to either buy the DVDs or rent them. And I hate renting. So, I plunked down the cash for the mini series and seasons one and two and began a two week marathon. After that it was just a matter of catching up on season three, which I have now done and giving the two-hour Razor movie a viewing.<br /><br />I am now, I think, able to put a few things about this show into perspective. First of all, like the Thirteenth Tribe, I am totally lost here. Where is this all going? Somewhere in the middle of season two, I believe, things started to get really muddied up. The show has stopped being about the survival of the human race and has become some sort of spirit quest. At least I think so. I’m not really sure what is really happening here. The show has strayed so far from its origins as to become almost unrecognizable. And I’m not talking about the original series versus the new series, either. Although, to be perfectly honest, that has also happened. While I did have my issues with all of the changes that were made in the concept of the original to the new series, I was able to at least see the similarities between the two. The basic story was still there. And by basic, I do mean basic. Only the most basic of concepts and ideas had been transferred from the original to the new series. By the way, human looking Cylons were not a creation of the writers of the new series. There were human looking Cylons in the two part episode ‘The Night the Cylons Landed’ from Galactica 1980. Glenn Larson came up with the idea. Not Ronald D. Moore.<br /><br />Anyway, there are several episodes in season one of the new series that really hit home the whole ‘struggle for survival’ aspect of the original series. The episode 33 was a really cool episode and a perfect first episode of the new series. Every 33 minutes the fleet has to make a FTL (Faster Than Light) jump or be attacked by the Cylons. The Galactica’s crew hasn’t slept in days. Nerves are frayed. Into this mix, a mysterious doctor sends an urgent message to the President asking for a face to face meeting. He has evidence about the destruction of the Colonies. Naturally, Baltar begins to suspect that it has to do with him. Eventually everything is resolved, of course.<br /><br />I was really impressed with this episode of the series. There were moments that it felt almost like watching a more updated version of the original series. Then the mud started to seep into the water. Maybe it started with the mini series, I don’t remember. Suddenly the Cylons believe in a God. One God versus the Colonials beliefs in multiple Gods. While this idea was explored throughout the first season, it seemed to take a back seat to more ‘action’ oriented installments. Then, somewhere in the second season, it really began to rear its ugly head. In a BIG way. Again, I can’t help but ask myself, where is this going? What is the whole point of this? What happened to the idea that this show was about the escape of the humans from the tyranny of the Cylons? What about the quest to find Earth and the lost Thirteenth Tribe? Now the Cylons are also looking for Earth and for the same reason. It’s going to be their new home. Why? Why would they want to find and live on a world that is occupied by humans? Why are they even still pursuing the human fleet? In the original series, this was very clear. The Cylons after a 1000 year war were bound and determined to exterminate the entire human race. They weren’t looking for Earth. They didn’t know anything about Earth. And if they did, they weren’t about to cohabitate with the humans living there. Is this show about nothing more than a difference in theologies? I am totally lost. None of it is making any sense anymore. The show has strayed so far from its origins that it’s not even the same show anymore. Now we have this whole Starbuck returning from the dead thing happening and she has some sort of destiny that may or may not be good for the rest of the fleet. In the last episode of the third season, she said she’s been to Earth and she has come back to lead them there.<br /><br />Maybe all of this griping is premature. I mean, there is one more season to go. Everything might get explained by the end of the final episode of the fourth season. I doubt it. From past experience with Ronald D. Moore and his writing, things just might just stay pretty muddied up. The illustrious Mr. Moore did some of the same things with Star Trek: Voyager. Either his episodes ended in a simplistic way or there was so much techno babble that in the end you really didn’t care what everything had been about. Mr. Moore also likes to introduce certain concepts and rules and then promptly ignores them a few episodes later or just out and out contradict them. In Galactica, he’s done the same thing. For example, near the end of season two of Galactica, Baltar has been elected President and he orders Adama to jump to New Caprica and begin settlement. Ok, so Adama is answerable to the President of the Colonies and the President is the only one that can give Adama an order. Fine and good until you re-examine everything else that preceded this scene. Like, for example, the events of the episode Pegasus. If the President is the Commander and Chief of the military, and the highest ranking leader of the military can only be given orders from the President, then knowing that Admiral Cain was dangerous, why didn't President Roslin just simply have Cain relieved of her command and replace her with Adama? Problem solved. Right? But...no. Instead she and Adama hatch this plan to assassinate Cain instead. Dumb. It totally ignores or conveniently forgets, everything that has happed before. All through season one, Adama had President Roslin in his face at every turn. True, I don’t remember her giving him a direct order, but it was certainly implied that as the leader of the civilian government she certainly had the authority to give Adama an order. Even during war time. Whether she chose to do this or not, she certainly had the authority. As stated, this is finally made clear when Baltar gives Adama a direct order. So why all of the pussy footing around with Cain? If the woman is dangerous, remove her from command. It’s that simple. Maybe Roslin just didn’t want to rock the boat with the Pegasus crew? I don’t know. The only excuse that I can find for this is lazy writing. If you as the author are setting up this world, and you establish certain rules for this world, then you as the author cannot just ignore them when they become inconvenient just to fit your current plot.<br /><br />I’m all for intelligent, adult oriented writing in SciFi shows. However, I don’t really find exploring the theology of machines built by humans to be compelling drama. Again, this is another area where the show has veered so far off track. The Cylons were (are) supposed to be the central villains. Other than totally wiping out the entire Colonial Fleet and Colonies, they really haven’t been much of a threat. Now, it seems that they aren’t all that concerned with wiping out the human race. Now they want to co-exist with them in peace because this is God’s will. Ok, if the Cylons were so religious, didn’t they think that mass genocide was a crime against God? So, what really prompted the attack on the Colonies? Again, why is none of this stuff making any sense? Maybe I missed a key piece of the puzzle along the way, but I don’t think so. Each episode begins by telling us that the Cylons were built by man, rebelled, evolved and that there are many copies and they have a plan. Well so far, they haven’t really demonstrated that they have a plan at all. When the humans settled on New Caprica, the Cylons didn’t know where they were nor were they looking for them. They only found them by accidentally discovering the residual traces of a nuclear explosion near the planet. So, what did the Cylons do? They flew in and occupied the planet along with the humans instead of wiping them out. True, in the end they started to kill them off, but only a few at a time. So, what is their so called ‘plan’? What is the real reason that they are now looking for Earth as well? I can’t be just because they have decided that this will be their new home. What about their old home world? What about the Colonies that they occupied after the mass attack in the mini series? Are there still Cylons living there? Then of course, there is the question of who are the final five human looking Cylons? It seems that four of them have been identified while the fifth one is still a mystery. However, the list of suspects is very small. It’s either Baltar or Starbuck. I really can’t see any other choices here. Now throw in this whole thing that D’Anna Biers (she’s a Cylon) is doing to her self and things just keep getting more and more convoluted. Not to mention that Roslin is sharing visions with Caprica Six and Sharron Valerii about the half human half Cylon baby. And let’s not forget that since the very first episode Baltar keeps having visions of Six and now Six is having visions of Baltar. Can anyone make any sense out of this whole mess?<br /><br />It just seems that the writers just keep adding ingredients to the soup without any clear outcome or direction. Yes, I understand that they can’t reveal each and every single detail of the plot or it would ruin the outcome of the fourth season, but at this point we should be able to make some educated guess or assumptions. So far I’m coming up with nothing. There are either too many clues or there are too many red herrings. I can’t help but feel like I’ve been really led up the garden path. While it’s been a pretty view, it isn’t adding up to much. I can only hope that right in the middle of season four a really big piece of the puzzle is going to be dropped on us. If that happens, then it should be fairly simple to work out the rest of the plot of the series. It should be, but I don’t think that it’s going to be all that easy. Just like Harry Potter, there are too many things that are being purposely held back until the final episode.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-72288716105893921242007-10-25T08:14:00.001-07:002007-10-25T10:46:29.746-07:00This Is The Story Of Two Sisters<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/RyCzGB0_vKI/AAAAAAAAAAM/6wvtScWVJ7g/s1600-h/Soap.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125293292098927778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m8RiA0V5JCY/RyCzGB0_vKI/AAAAAAAAAAM/6wvtScWVJ7g/s320/Soap.jpg" border="0" /></a> My favorite TV show of all time is Soap from 77.<br /><br />For those who weren’t around in 1977, Soap was the most controversial show to hit the airwaves since All In The Family. The sexual revolution that began in the 60s was in full swing by the 70s. And no Television show better exemplified the free wheeling, sexual 70s like Soap did. You see, the main emphasis was…gasp…sex! Soap managed to offend just about every right wing conservative from Maine to California. And all before it ever went on the air. ABC received thousands of letters and eight of their affiliates refused to run the show. Then on September 13, 1977 at 9:00 pm, America finally got to see what all of the fuss was about. That first episode received an estimated 19 million views nationwide.<br /><br />My first exposure to Soap came from the ABC fall preview show in August of 77. Right away, my mother wouldn’t let me watch it. Since my bedroom was just off of the living room I was able to catch a few bits and pieces during the first few weeks that it was on. Much to my mother’s chagrin. It would be a few years before I was able to see the show and judge it for myself. Upon my first viewing, I was hooked and the show has stuck with me all these years. In fact it is my all time favorite show.<br /><br />Why? Katherine Helmond as Jessica Tate. From the moment she breezed into the Tate kitchen in that first episode she had me in stitches. I had never seen her before and she really made me sit up and take notice. Not only was she hysterically funny, but she was also sweet, vulnerable and just plain charming to watch. However, Katherine Helmond was only as good as the director and the writers for Soap. While Katherine Helmond was just one member of a great ensemble cast, she was a stand out. For me, anyway.<br /><br />Of course the other stand out cast member was Robert Guillaume as Benson. Benson’s irreverent humor and wisecrack’s were scene stealers to be sure. Who can forget the scene in the very first episode when no one ate Benson’s Eggs Benedict for breakfast that morning? Jessica then asks Benson if he’d like to take them home on his day off. Benson replies in the most stereotypically black voice I’ve ever heard, ‘Oooh, I’d sure like dat Miz Tate. We just loves three day ol’ Eggs Benedict down in the ghetto. The little chillin’ can use ‘em for hocky pucks.”<br /><br />That is another reason why I love Soap. It is so non PC. Chuck and Bob, well actually Bob even called Benson ‘Sambo’ once. Eunice called Jody a ‘thieving little fruit.’ The list just goes on and on.<br /><br />And dysfunctional? This show had the mother of all dysfunctional families. Check out this rundown. First we have Chester and Jessica Tate. Chester sleeps with anything that breathes except Jessica. Jessica is so deeply in denial about Chester’s infidelities that when she witnesses it for herself she falls apart. Only to turn around and blame it all on a family curse. Jessica’s father still thinks that World War II is still going on. And Chester and Jessica’s children? Corrine Tate, the middle child, sleeps around just as much as her father. Eunice Tate, the oldest child, has taken up with a married congressman. The youngest child, Billy Tate seems to be the only one with both oars in the water. That changes as the series goes along. He’s just as screwed up as the rest.<br /><br />Jessica’s sister Mary Campbell and her family are another mess all together. Burt, Mary’s husband, is impotent because he murdered Mary’s first husband. Mary doesn’t understand what is going on and really doesn’t do much in the way of helping the situation. Mary’s oldest son, Danny, is in the mob and the only way out is for him to murder the man who murdered his father. Mary’s second son, Jody, is gay and Danny thinks the whole thing is a big joke. Neither of Mary’s sons can stand Burt. Then into this whole mess Burt’s son Chuck and his little wooded doll, Bob arrive. Unbeknownst to Burt, his oldest son, Peter (who’s a tennis pro), arrives in town and starts giving more than tennis lessons to every woman in town. Including Jessica and Corrine.<br /><br />And all of this information is thrown at you with lightening speed in just the first two episodes. To this day, I don’t know how the cast performed this stuff without cracking up every time they opened their mouth. I’d love to see some bloopers from this show. They had impeccable timing. Sometimes you had to really listen to catch everything that was being said. I’ve watched the entire run of Soap several times and there are still things that I’m hearing that I didn’t catch the first time or even the sixth time through the show.<br /><br />Then as happens with most sitcoms, the show started to head south. Most fans point to Benson’s leaving as the turning point in the series. While I do agree that Benson leaving left a big hole in the cast, but I believe that the problem lies elsewhere. It’s my opinion that the show just became too ordinary by the time the third season started. It just didn’t walk that fine line between naughty and shocking anymore. And that’s all the show ever really was. Naughty. It wasn’t dirty. It wasn’t filthy. It wasn’t all that shocking. Heck, most of the time it wasn’t even all that sexual. It was just a naughty little show that everyone blew out of proportion. I also think that by the third season, people just weren’t talking about it anymore. As I said, it just became ordinary. In the end, it was just another sitcom on a network full of sitcoms. Without its controversial edge, fewer and fewer people were tuning in each week.<br /><br />Also, during the third season there was a distinct shift. I think that this was brought on by the departure of director Jay Sandrich. John Bowab directed one episode in season 2 and J.D. Lobue directed a couple of season 2 episodes, but the main director was Jay Sandrich. Jay only directed the first 6 episodes of season 3 before moving over to direct Benson. After that, J.D. Lobue took over until near the end of the 4th season. By that time, the show was sunk. Also, Susan Harris (who created the show) wasn’t writing as many episodes as before because she was concentrating on the series Benson.<br /><br />Once one of the best shows on TV, Soap limped its way to the end of its third season. Story lines about Burt being abducted by a UFO and a horny duplicate of him being sent down to Mary, were funny they just didn’t have the same spark as before. Season three finished 25th in the overall ratings, but the writing was on the wall. For Soap, the 70s were over. The 80s were about to kill it. The season finale for season three was big, but also on the bland side. Jessica slipped into a coma, the custody battle over Jody’s baby was about to be decided, Lesley was about to shoot Billy, Mary was about to give birth (and it wasn’t sure if it would be human or an alien) Dutch had to choose between Eunice and Corrine and Burt and Danny had been knocked out and abducted by gangsters. Most folks didn’t really care to tune in the next season to view the outcome.<br /><br />The 4th season opener would resolve most of these stories but leave one sort of dangling for the rest of the entire season. It’s never revealed weather or not Mary’s baby is an alien or not. You get hints along the way that she is perhaps right and the baby is indeed an alien, but no solid evidence is shown. Anyway, if by the end of the third season the show as limping along, in the fourth season the show had been reduced to a crawl. The Jessica and El Puerco story was just ridiculous. I didn’t by the relationship for a minute. Eunice and Dutch getting married was totally unbelievable. Lesley’s continued attempts to kill Billy was stupid. The whole season just didn’t seem to have any direction any more. I was sorry to see it get cancelled. Especially since they didn’t come back the next year to at least resolve the cliffhangers. So, for the last 20 years, Jessica is still in front of the firing squad, Burt is about to get ambushed, Chester is about to kill Danny and Annie and Jody is trapped in a past life. And that is where they remain.<br /><br />Pity.<br /><br />A once great show simply faded.<br /><div></div>Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-8523559421815074572007-10-24T10:19:00.000-07:002007-10-24T10:23:45.131-07:00Enough All Ready!Ever since I can remember I’ve been hearing about how great the 60’s were. Well, to be perfectly honest, I’m REALLY sick of hearing about the 60’s and everything that went along with them. Ok, yes the 60’s was a period of change for America. The youth of that decade found their voice and they let us know it. And they haven’t shut up since. We’re still celebrating Woodstock and the Summer of Love. It’s been 40 years. Can’t we give it rest by now?<br /><br />Being born in 1966, I have zero memories of the 60’s. Maybe that’s why I really have no connection to that period of my life. My earliest memory is from the summer of 1970. Possibly before I turned 4, I don’t really know. I know that my Great-Grandmother is in that memory and she died in 1970. So, it’s anyone’s guess when that memory took place. It could even have been in 1969 but I don’t think so. I would have only been 3, so I find it very unlikely that I remember anything from that far back. I could, but I don’t think so.<br /><br />Keep your tie-dies and your love beads.<br /><br />I'll keep my bell bottoms, platform shoes and mood rings. Thank you very much.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-5393585164387092972007-10-22T14:06:00.000-07:002007-10-23T11:09:24.340-07:00That 70’s Show….Not So MuchI like to consider myself to be a pretty good expert on the 70’s. I was born in 1966 and have a good memory of the 70’s. This was, after all, my childhood. So, for my first bog on That 70’s Blog, I’ve decided to rant about something that really sticks in my craw. That 70’s Show.<br /><br />I’ve been watching That 70’s Show on DVD and I just got the 7th Season DVD set. Ok, when this show first started, I thought it was stupid. In fact, I used to call it That Stupid Show. Then the same folks that brought us That 70’s Show decided the time was right for the same thing but only focusing on the 80’s. Thus That 80’s Show was born. Or as I called it, That Even More Stupid, Stupid Show.<br /><br />So any way, I have started watching the 7th season and the same old problems with this series keeps popping up. For anyone familiar with this show, the series begins in May of 1976. Ok, that’s the first major problem. Why is it that practically every 70’s nostalgia movie, mini-series and now sitcom always begins in 1976? Did 1970-75 have zero nostalgia value? Did nothing of any significance happen in the first five years of the decade? And considering that this show lasted eight seasons, I think it would have been much better served had it started in 1971. I happen to think that the entire decade was pretty fascinating. But, that’s just me.<br /><br />Anyway, the series begins in May 1976. Now, the time line was noticeably slowed down. This is something that both MASH and Happy Days did as well. This isn’t a problem, per se. It usually happens with any period television show. The show lasts longer than the time period that it is set in. So, by the early part of the sixth season the show finally arrived at the final year of the 70’s: 1979. The seventh season also begins in 1979. That’s all fine and good, but as usual with this show, they don’t stick to the time line in the writing.<br /><br />Let me illustrate. Ok, in Wisconsin in 1976 or even in 1979 (I was raised in Indiana, so I can certainly relate to the mid-west in the 70’s) believe me no one but no one walked around saying ‘awesome.’ We used terms like, ‘out-a-sight,’ ‘right on,’ and the ever popular ‘far out.’ I don’t know where these writers came up with that. Pre 80’s teens did not say things like ‘awesome.’ Maybe they did in New York or California, but not Wisconsin. It’s not just the whole ‘awesome’ thing either. I don’t know where the writers came up with this whole ‘burn’ expression that is constantly shouted at least once every episode. The expression was ‘burnt’ not ‘burn.’ Anyone growing up in the mid-west in the 70’s knows that. I mean, come on people do a little bit of research. It’s not hard to write period sounding dialogue for these characters. It really pulls me out of the show when I hear post 70’s cliché’s and phrases in a show that supposed to be in the 70’s.<br /><br />This brings me to my next pet peeve about this show. When the show first went on the air, it tried so VERY hard to be 70’s. There was always some ridiculous reference to something 70’s that it felt like I was being hit over the head with a hammer. Ok, it’s the 70’s. I get it. Stop trying to ram it down my throat. The show was at its best when it wasn’t trying so self consciously to be 70’s. That’s when the show usually achieved its goal and wound up being very 70’s. In the 7th season however, the show has all but superficially stopped being 70’s. More and more references to non 70’s things are popping up. For example, one character (Hyde, I think) mentioned to Eric that the most embarrassing thing Eric ever wore was an Air Supply T-shirt to an Aerosmith concert. Air Supply?!? Air Supply?!? To use a more modern term, an Air Supply T-shirt in the 70’s…NOT! Yes, Air Supply did release their first album in 1976…in Australia! Hello! Research people. Research! The joke, first of all, wasn’t that funny. Secondly, it would have been just as effective had they mentioned wearing a Carpenters T-shirt, a John Denver T-shirt, a Barry Manilow T-shirt, a Starland Vocal Band T-shirt or almost any soft rock group from the 70’s. Anything but Air Supply. This kind of shoddy writing happens all too frequently on this show. The writers really need to be slapped for these really obvious blunders. I won’t even discuss a passing reference to the 1980 book, The Jane Fonda Workout Book. Just sloppy.<br /><br />Finally we get to another big problem with this show. The props. Ok, for the most part I will give the show its due when it comes to props. They do a pretty good job of sticking to the period. With one glaring exception: The Star Wars toys. Nope. Not even close. Come on, with tens of thousands of vintage Star Wars toys lying around, and the producers couldn’t be bothered with trying to be historically accurate? What’s the deal? One episode even had Eric looking at his Star Wars figures in a Millennium Falcon figures carrying case. Sorry, but that’s a 90’s item. Once again, research, research, research.<br /><br />Most, if not all, of these problems could have and should have been fixed before the script was even given to the actors. 90% of this shows problems is just sloppy writing and a serious lack of research. I mean, how hard is it to find a few people who actually grew up in Wisconsin from 1976-79 and talk to them? How about opening up a 1978 Sears, Wards or JC Penny Christmas catalog to see what the original Star Wars toys looked like? This is not difficult stuff people. In fact, I would almost think that doing research to get the period right would have been essential for this show to be believable. Maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps it just indicative of the general laziness of television productions today. That whole mentality of get it on and get it on quick. Forget making it historically accurate. That all important young demographic doesn’t care about history or if the show is accurate. And above all, forget about making it intelligent.<br /><br />I guess this show bothers me because I’m a true fan of the 70’s and I’ve done research on the period. I’ve tried to learn all that I can about this period, and not just as part of our nation’s history, but because it is part of my own personal history. Also, I think the 70’s were just cool. Sadly, That 70’s Show doesn’t show the period as cool or even interesting. I’m sure true 50’s aficionados felt the same way when Happy Days went on the air. I was too young to notice if there were any glaring historical inaccuracies with Happy Days. I’m sure that there were. After all, this is television.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741318939257880762.post-73773592143665813172007-10-23T09:46:00.000-07:002007-10-23T10:02:41.345-07:00Halloween...70s StyleIt’s that time of year again. Trick or treat. I love Halloween. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. This year I added to my 70s TV on DVD collection a little known variety special from 1976: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special. Yes, you read that right. In 1976 Paul Lynde did a Halloween special for ABC. This was not the first special that Paul had done for ABC. And it wasn’t the last. As with most holiday themed specials from the 70s, this aired only once in 1976 and was never seen again. Until now.<br /><br />The guest stars line up is…well…rather…odd. First you have our host Paul Lynde. Now I love Paul Lynde. He was fabulous on Hollywood Squares and in Bewitched. His prissy, sarcastic wit was something to see. However, on this special he kind of seems out of place. Anyway, the rest of the guests were (hold onto your seats for these), Tim Conway, Roz Kelly, Betty White, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Hayes (you know, Witchiepoo from Pufnstuf), Billy Barty, Donny and Marie and in their first Television appearance Kiss. Yes, Kiss. Paul Lynde and Kiss. Once I knew that, I just had to have this DVD. The fact that Kiss was on this show has made it somewhat of a collector’s item for Kiss fans. Part of the show has been pirated for years. In fact, one of their three performances on the show is included on Volume 1 of the Kissology DVD. However, until now their entire performance hasn’t been seen since this special originally aired. Anyway, enough about Kiss.<br /><br />The show begins with Paul dressed as Santa and decorating a Christmas tree. Margaret Hamilton comes in and informs ‘Mr. Lynde’ (She plays his housekeeper) that it isn’t Christmas. At this point he tells her to ‘go dust something.’ Next he comes out dressed as the Easter Bunny singing Peter Cottontail and…anyway, long story short he finally realizes that it’s really Halloween. Opening credits roll. Interestingly enough, Roz Kelly is billed as Roz ‘Pinky Tuscadero’ Kelly. I guess she was still milking that one appearance on Happy Days.<br /><br />After a short comedy monologue (I use the term ‘comedy’ lightly) there is the big opening production number. I don’t remember what the song was Paul…um…sang, but it wasn’t all that great. It tired to be funny, but really missed the mark. It ended with him being put in a trash can with the lid being placed on by Donny and Marie. This is the only time that we see them. I guess that is a blessing. The trashcan blows up and the shows cuts to commercial.<br /><br />From this point on, the show tries to have somewhat of a story line. Albeit a bad one. Paul accompanies Margaret to her sister’s house to escape all of trick or treat nonsense in the city. Of course, the house is your typical spooky old house. Then we meet Margaret’s sister, the fabulous Billie Hayes in her Witchiepoo persona. Throughout the entire show it very obvious that Billie Hayes is just having a ball. For me she is the only real bright spot in this special. She truly gets into this character. As a side note, Billie’s make up seemed to be a bit off. It wasn’t the classic Witchiepoo make up that I’m more familiar with. That and her hat was grey instead of black. Anyway, Paul realizes that these two sisters are witches. Margaret Hamilton even appears in green make up and a pretty good rendition of her Wicked Witch of the West costume from The Wizard of Oz. Of course there are the obligatory Oz jokes. Margaret tires a couple of times to get her voice to sound like it did in 1939. The results are not that effective.<br /><br />So, Betty White then appears as Miss Halloween 1976 and just as quickly as she appears, she vanishes never to be seen on this special again. So, because of his kindness to witches the sisters grant Paul three wishes. Paul’s first wish is to be a trucker. This part of the special is so bad that I can’t even describe it accurately. The one thing that stands out is that Paul wears a red wig, large red eyebrows and this ridiculous long red chest hair piece. The whole thing is just beyond silly. It’s at this point Roz Kelly and Tim Conway make their first appearances. No, it won’t be the last. We will see them again.<br /><br />Paul’s second wish to be an Arab Sheik. Florence Henderson makes her first appearance and Tim Conway makes his second. This too is just pure silliness. By this time, I was getting pretty bored with the whole thing. Then Kiss comes on and sings Detroit Rock City. Of course it looks like they’re lip-syncing. It’s kind of hard to tell, but I’d lay money on the fact that they are. More silliness follows and Paul introduces Kiss again. This time they sing Beth. Finally Paul gives his final wish to the witches. They want to go to a Hollywood Disco. Well, this was 1976. No TV special would be complete without a Disco set.<br /><br />Here’s where the show really just heads off into the ether. Just picture it. Paul Lynde, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Hayes, Roz Kelly, Tim Conway and Florence Henderson all trying to sing disco songs and dancing. It made my hair hurt. Well, that and Florence singing a really bad version of That Ole Black Magic. Then Kiss comes back for their final number. During this song there is not a doubt that they aren’t singing live. Paul Stanley even messes up the words. After this, the show thankfully comes to a close.<br /><br />Now don’t get me wrong. I had a great time watching this last night, but it was really bad. It was bad in a good way. I think. It’s not any worse than, say, The Star Wars Holiday Special or just about any other 70s Holiday specials. It’s very, very 70s. There is no way around it. And I recommend it to any 70s fan. You’ll never see anything else like it.<br /><br />One word of caution: the video quality on this DVD is not the best. Apparently the original master tape is lost. The DVD is the complete show and probably the only copy in existence. If I had to venture a guess as to the source, it’s probably from a back up VHS copy that someone involved in the production made and kept for all these years. The picture is kind of fuzzy. You can tell it’s a copy of the original tape. There are also some noticeable video and audio disturbances that they couldn’t eliminate. Oh well. At least the entire show was found. I’m really grateful to have it. I think I will add this to my yearly holiday viewing. Right along with the Donny and Marie Christmas Special, the Sonny and Cher Christmas Shows and the Captain and Tennille Christmas Show. Bring on more of this great kind of 70s kitsch.Ricky'smanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03032158863228817941noreply@blogger.com0