Who Bought the First Ford Mustang?-- Part 4: What Was It Like in the Spring 1964?

The world was far different, and seemingly more quaint, in the spring of 1964.

As Gail Brown drove away from Johnson Ford, she could press the button on the car's AM-only radio to WLS 890 to hear the Beatles snare the top two songs with "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Twist and Shout.  The Fab Four also had "Do You Want to Know a Secret" at No. 5  and "She Loves You" at No. 8. 

Remember, we were in the depths of Beatlemania at the time.

If she switched to 720 she could hear WGN-Radio's Cubs broadcast with Jack Quinlan and Lou Boudreau.  She could hear the play-by-play of right fielder Lou Brock who was starting his third season for the Cubs (and before that disastrous trade to the Cardinals).

Tooling around Chicago she would pass many corner newstands selling  four daily newspapers (for ten cents each).  

Do you remember the four newspapers?

Morning:  Tribune and Sun-Times.  Evening: American and Daily News.

--Cooter

Going Back to 1970-- Part 2: 'Ball of Confusion'

Only fifty-one years ago.  Seems like yesterday.

RIPPLE--  Grateful Dead   How can a band that makes such great studio albums be so bad in concert?  Oh, yes, something called jamming thirty minute songs.  YUCK!!

SPIRIT IN THE SKY--  Norman Greenbaum

PARANOID--  Black sabbath   Ozzie?  Ozzie who?

LET'S WORK TOGETHER--   Canned Heat

AND IT STONED ME--  Van Morrison

THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK--  Simon & Garfunkel

APE MAN--  Kinks

STAGE FRIGHT--  Band

IN THE SUMMERTIME--  Mungo Jerry

BORDER SONG--  Elton John

LET IT BE--  Beatles    Even more Beatles music.

BALL OF CONFUSION--  Temptations

LIAR--  Argent   Even before Three Dog Night did it.

PEACE FROG/BLUE SUNDAY--  Doors

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE--  Creedence Clearwater Revival   My all-time favorite band.

A SONG FOR YOU--  Leon Russell

WHEN YOU DANCE I CAN REALLY LOVE--  Neil Young

FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE--  J. Geils Band 

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Now Deep In The Heart Of A Lonely Kid Who Suffered So Much For What He Did."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Stage Fright"

Going Back to 1970-- Part 1: 'What Is Life'

On May 8, 2021, Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM went back to 1970 on its Saturday Morning Flashback Show.  It took me right back to that great college/fraternity year at NIU.

Songs played:

TEACHER--  Jethro Tull  Remember, they were the recipients of the first Grammy for Heavy metal.

WOODSTOCK--  Joni Mitchell

GALLOWS POLE--  Led Zeppelin

I CAN'T GET NEXT TO YOU--  Temptations

WHAT IS LIFE--  George Harrison  What is better than one Beatles group?  Why, four different Beatles releasing songs at the same time. Lots more Beatles music.

REVIVAL--  Allman Brothers Band

WHY DOES LOVE GOT TO BE SO SAD--  Derek & the Dominos

THANK YOU--  Sly & the Family Stone

FEELIN' ALRIGHT (LIVE)--  Joe Cocker

COUNTRY GIRL--  Crosby, Stills & Nash

SHAKIN' ALL OVER (LIVE)--   Who

MAKE ME SMILE--  Chicago

ARE YOU READY--  Pacific Gas & Electric

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Lookin' At The devil, Grinnin' At His Gun, Fingers Start Shakin', I Begin To Run."  Answer below.  --  RoadDog

"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"

August 15, Quite a Day in History

From the August 15, 2018, Kenosha (Wis.) News "Today in History."

1812--  The Battle of Fort Dearborn took place.  Fort Dearborn is where Chicago is today, but back then was just a frontier fort.  This took place during the War of 1812 and is also called a massacre.

1914--  The Panama Canal officially opens as the SS Ancon crossed between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

1935--  Humorist Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post killed in airplane crash near Point Barrow in Alaska Territory.

1944--  Allied forces landed in southern France in Operation Dragoon during WW II.

1945--  In a pre-recorded radio address, Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted terms of surrender ending WW II.

1961--  As workers begin constructing the Berlin Wall, East German soldier Conrad Schumann lept to freedom over barbed wire in a scene made famous in a photograph.

1965--  The Beatles played to a crowd of 55,000 at New York's Shea Stadium.

1969--  The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opened in upstate New York.

Like I Said, a Pretty Important Day in History.  --DaCoot

Music Stars We Lost in 2016-- Part 4: Sonny James, George Martin and Keith Emerson

VIOLA BEACH--  Died Feb. 13.  Band and Manager.  Died when her car plunged off a bridge.
DENISE MATTHEWS--  57.  Died Feb. 15.  Lead singer of Vanity 6.
SONNY JAMES--  87.  Died Feb. 22.  More than twenty #1 country hits.

CHARLIE TUNA--  71.  Died Feb. 19.    Southern California radio personality and TV host.
JOEY MARTIN FEEK--  40.  Died March 4.    Member of country duo Joey and Rory.
GEORGE MARTIN--  90.  Died March 8.  The Fifth Beatle.

ANDREW LOOMIS--  Died March 8.  Drummer and founding member of Dead Moon.
JOHN MORTHLAND--  68.  Died March 8.  Rock Critic with Rolling Stone magazine.
KEITH EMERSON--  71.  Died March 10.  Keyboardist and founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Fox Lake Historical Society Show and Tell-- Part 4: Big Hollow School

GRADUATION PORTRAIT, CLASS OF 1952--  Another person brought in a graduation class picture of their graduating class in 1952.  It was the largest graduating class up until that time with 14 students.  The site of Big Hollow  School, which was torn down a few years ago) was at the corner of Il-134 and US-12 south of Fox Lake.

CONFIRMATION CLASS PICTURE--  Another person brought in the Confirmation Class picture of the 1956 Ingleside Methodist Church Sunday School class (which met in a structure right next to the Fox lake/Grant Township Historical Society Hall and Museum which used to be the Grant Township Transportation Center).

Sunday School was held in the fire station across Washington Street from the church.  Bingo was played there Saturday nights and the boys had to come in early to air it out from all the cigarette smoke.  Plus, there would be a problem with spilled beer.

BEATLES-- I brought in several early albums by the Beatles as it was 50 years ago that Beatlemania was in full swing and the group was releasing albums as fast as they could.  Several people remarked of their early experiences with the group.

--DaCoot

I've Heard It All Now: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Chipmunks

For all you Beatle fans anxiously awaiting Feb. 9th, the 50th anniversary of you-know-who's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, here's one for you. //// I'm listening to Leslie Stevens' Route 66 Oldies Show www.route66oldies.com right now and just heard the Beatles' first big hit here, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" done by none other than those wild and crazy Chipmunks. //// A Real Eye-Opener. --DaCoot

Elvis' Best Friend-- Part 4: Da Beatles Meet Da Elvis

Now that we have the date figured out, August 27, 1965, we can continue with the story.

Elvis was waiting at the door to greet them. "He shook their hands and introduced himself like they didn't know who he was. They sat on a big couch around the room for a chit-chat.

I could tell [The Beatles] were nervous. They chatted about music but after a while it was very quiet. Elvis said, 'If you guys are gonna sit here and stare at me all night I'm gonna go to bed.' They said, 'We're just nervous to meet you,' and he said, 'Don't be nervous to meet me, I'm just like you guys. I love music too.'

He was such a normal human being. He didn't want anyone to think he was special or you couldn't talk to him." That broke the silence and Elvis suggested that they play some music together, a definite common ground. (I sure wish somebody had taped that little session. Talk about a Million Dollar Quintet.)

Considering his upbringing and birthplace, he certainly wasn't born with the proverbial silver spoon. He grew up the hard way.

-- Cooter

Elvis' Best Friend-- Part 2: Terri Hemmert Would Want to Know

But, she probably already knows about it. Terri Hemmert, Beatle Fan Supreme and deejay at Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM, and host of "Breakfast With the Beatles" every Sunday morning from 8 to 10 AM, would definitely like to know this story. (Bit I'm sure she already does.)

Joe Esposito not only planned the meeting, but drove the Beatles to meet Elvis at his Los Angeles home. Joe described the meeting as a little awkward. "The Beatles were very excited to meet Elvis. I was nervous about meeting The Beatles, myself.

I picked them up at their house with two limos and they followed me to Elvis' house [in Bel Air]. There were 2,000 people outside the house-- the rumor had got out over the radio that they were meeting. He was at the front door waiting for them.

" Hi, I'm Not Elvis. --DaCoot

Elvis' Best Friend-- Part 1: "Hi, I'm Elvis Presley"

From the July 4-July 10, 2013, Lake County (Il.) Journal "Elvis' best friend in town" by Jesse Carpender. 

Had you ever been fortunate enough to meet Elvis Presley, here's what would have happened:

"He'd walk right up to you, shake your hand and say, 'Hi, I'm Elvis Presley,' like you'd never heard of him. That's just how he was," according to Joe Esposito who was his best friend and road manager for 17 years. Joe Esposito was in the Chicagoland area to do interviews for a documentary "One Day, Two Legends" about the day the Beatles met Elvis.

The documentary will be released August 27, the day they met, 50 years ago. (OK, here I made a mistake. I originally read it as being 50 years ago, but got to thinking why would Elvis have been interested in meeting the Beatles in 1963, before they got famous?

I misread the article which said they met nearly 50 years ago, which would have put it at the more plausible 1964.) According to Joe, Elvis "was a kind-hearted person who wanted to be good to everyone, and didn't want anyone to think he was somehow special."

I'll be keeping my entries even shorter than usual until I hopefully get all this Blogspot mess cleared up.

Hi, I'm RoadDog. --Cooter

The Fiftieth Anniversary of 1963-- Part 2: Civil Rights, Women's Lib, Beatles

From the Dec. 2012 AARP Bulletin.

Some interesting dates from back fifty years ago.  Has it really been that long?

JANUARY 28TH

Harvey Gantt, the first black admitted to Clemson University, begins classes there and went on to graduate with honors and then earned his master's degree in city planning from MIT.  In 1983 he became the first black mayor of Charlotte, NC.

FEBRUARY 19TH

Betty Friedan publishes The Feminine Mystique.  This examination of women's lives in the decades after World War II was the author's first book and is widely credited with igniting the women's liberation movement.

MARCH 22ND

The Beatles release their debut LP album, Please, Please Me, in the United Kingdom.  The album which contains the classics "I Saw Her Standing There," "Love Me Do" and their cover of "Twist and Shout" was renamed Introducing...the Beatles for its U.S. release the next year.

The beginning of Beatlemania, although it didn't really hit the US until 1964.  In 2012, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Please, Please Me #39 on its list of the 500 greatest albums.

More to Come.  --Cooter

In Today's Music History

According to Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots show on WDRV yesterday, today back in 1964, the Beatles reached their first of many number ones with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." This shook up the music world and had a huge impact on my life.

Also, this week will mark the 51st anniversary of the Day the Music Died, the plane crash that took the lives of Ritchie Valens,Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.

Music of Note. --Cooter