244 US Pop Culture 1974 Part 2

[@raymondgill9796]

What a "EXPLETIVE DELETED" great video. This time the memories that flood back were the news stories, streaking, Nixon and Patti Hearst. I couldn't work out why T shirts were on sale in the music papers with a character from "The Lords of Flatbush" but bought one anyway. All became clear months later when Happy Days finally made it onto the TV.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

What a great (and hilarious) story about t-shirts with "a character from "The Lords of Flatbush" on it." In retrospect, that would actually have been even cooler than a "Fonz" shirt! Thanks for sharing that and for the kind feedback, Raymond! Much appreciated!

[@currinsnipes9879]

You took me down memory lane again Steve. Since it is political season, I thought I'd mention something about Watergate. The summer of 1974 my family visited my cousin in Washington D.C. He was an intern for his congressman from Florida. it just so happened the U.S. Senate Watergate hearings were happening under the chairmanship of Senator Sam "I'm just a country lawyer" Ervin. We got into the hearings during the testimony of John Ehrlichman, former White House Counsel for Richard Nixon. As a 15 year old, it was quite exciting. We also went to a production of "Desert Song" at the Kennedy Center and saw the Shah of Iran and his wife, who also attended. It was quite the trip. Anyway, thanks for reminding of all the great music from my teenage years. See you next week!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for sharing those great memories, Currin! I was 13 during the summer of the Watergate hearings and was "glued to the set" for much of it. (My age probably had a lot to do with it. I was too old to "play" and too young to get out much on my own, so I was home for most of the summer.) I even bought Sam Ervin's album "Senator Sam" which I showed, briefly, in episode 197. Seeing those hearing, and especially Ehrlichman’s testimony (which I remember well), live, would have been an amazing experience! Seeing the Shah of Iran would definitely have been memorable too. Great to know that you enjoyed the episode! I sure enjoyed your comments! Thanks again, Currin!

[@daddybog7189]

Losing John Denver in the prime of his career was a tragic blow to the music world. The mid 70's still had many enjoyable songs and tv shows, and your coverage as always brings back great memories,

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I had a "brief encounter" with John Denver shortly before his death. He was in line just ahead of me one afternoon at a Mexican take-out restaurant in Beverly Hills. I was surprised that he was in dusty work clothes and had obviously been doing manual labor. After his death, when I learned he had been interested in home-built aircraft, I wondered it that was what he had been working on the day I saw him. In any case, it was a very sad loss and he is missed. Thanks, as always, for the comments, Don!

[@joelgoldenberg1100]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I really liked him in the movie Oh, God with George Burns. Definitely a huge loss.

[@BrianKruger]

This 1974 breakdown is great

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Glad to know you're enjoying it, Brian!

[@lamontsouth5301]

Steve..... Great Program(as always). I find these programs so interesting for me. At that time of my life, I sort of "checked out" of music to do other things. I remember hearing the Seasons In The Sun recording years ago. It wasn't too bad. But instead of a "missed opportunity"....I think they "dodged a bullet". Thanks again. Looking forward to next week. Lamont

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks, Lamont! I know "Seasons In The Sun" has its fans, but I'm in the "dodged a bullet" camp too! Great to know you enjoyed the episode and always a pleasure to hear from you!

[@pauldaniels2019]

What a lot of great memories. The only time I ever saw Bowie live was during the Diamond Dogs tour, at the then new Universal Amphitheater (way before they put a roof on it). I haven't heard a mention of The Groove Tube in ages. I remember seeing that movie a few times in the theater. . .and it featured a pre-SNL Chevy Chase. . .and Belzer too.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

It seems like Diamond Dogs would have been the tour to see! (Apart, maybe, from the Ziggy Stardust tour.) I only ever saw Bowie on the "Serious Moonlight" tour in '83 and in '91 when he appeared as a surprise guest at a Morrissey show at the Forum in L.A. and they duetted on "Cosmic Dancer." Both appearances were great, but Diamond Dogs is my favorite Bowie album and that's the tour I wish I'd seen. Once again, I'm envious! Thanks for sharing the feedback and the memories, Paul!

[@skee19]

Great stuff ! Amazing how such morbid depressing songs like “ Seasons In The Sun”, “ Billy Don’t Be A Hero” etc were such big hits back then ! The 70’s ruled ! Diamond Dogs, Before The Flood & Endless Summer among my all time favorites and still have the original albums ❤! Also Watergate would be like shooting spit balls in class compared to shit that is going on now!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I agree those are great albums and still among my favorites too. (I'm working on the upcoming "Endless Summer" episode now. I'll be looking forward to your thoughts when it posts in a couple of weeks.) Sadly, I also completely agree with your assessment of Watergate vs. modern political times. Have a great week, Mike!

[@betamaxblocker]

I was hoping to hear your "ooka-chaka ooka-chaka" when you talked about "Hooked on a Feeling" LOL I don't doubt the streaking at the Oscars was planned- good David Niven impression too. My brother and I wore out our Ray Stevens' Greatest Hits album when we were kids. "The Streak" was never really a favorite of either of us though- "Santa Claus is Watching You" and the pseudo-Beach Boys spoof "Surfin' USSR" were more our speed. I like The Beach Boys version of "Seasons in the Sun" better than the Jacks final. I think the Boys could have really done something with it. "That's Entertainment" is a very fun movie and one of the best entertainment retrospectives ever made. Great video as always, Steve!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Now that you mention it, I wish I done the "ooka-chaka's"! David Niven was hard to do, but I felt like I had to give it a try. Glad to know didn't come across too badly! My youngest brother was 10 in the spring of '74. He was at the right age to find "The Streak" hilarious and had a copy of the single that he played constantly for a while. That song is burned into my brain like few others! I enjoy "That's Entertainment" too! I've been putting together the fourth quarter episodes and wonder if "Chicago's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1975," (which featured the Beach Boys) was somehow a tie-in to the movie. The special was shot at a 30's themed party at MGM Studios. I don' think there's any mention of "That's Entertainment," but it seems like the two must be related somehow. Anyway, thanks for the feedback! Always great to hear from you, Alex!

[@rangergrrrl]

19:10 This Pet Sounds reissue is news to me. Huh. Did anyone notice, like the rock press etc? Did it sell at all? Are copies of it hard to find these days? And shall I assume it was in mono? Questions, questions. They obv changed most of the cover art, but of course they stayed with the goats. I'd be so happy if, back in '66, they'd used the pic of the boys standing in front of those giraffes. But goats it is, and goats it shall always be... Good vid. I'm always slightly startled that 19 mins goes by so fast...

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

When I started buying Beach Boys back catalog in 1980, that Reprise version with the brown cover was about the only version of "Pet Sounds" that could be found. Naturally, it was the one I originally bought and I didn't realize until sometime later that the original cover was different. The back cover has a note "In mono...The way Brian cut it!" I don't know if it's rare at all now. It seems like I come across it pretty often, but that brown cover seems really susceptible to "ring wear" so the covers are usually in pretty bad shape. Glad to know 19 minutes didn't seem too long! Always great to hear from you, rangergrrrl!

[@misterocain]

That John Denver's Greatest hits is brilliant.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I started my record collection right around this time, when I was 13. "John Denver's Greatest Hits" was the third record I bought. Hard to believe it's been more than 50 years! Thanks for the comments, Ocain!

[@misterocain]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Thanks for your vids with the Beach Boys slant. For the record my first LP was All Summer Long. Next step was to get a record player, lol.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

@@misterocain What a great album for a first buy! (Of course, I'm sure it was much more enjoyable once you had the record player!) Thanks for the follow-up and for the kind words on the channel, Ocain!

[@beanie226]

Watching well presented pop culture videos like yours , Steve , I sometimes reflect on great songs that prove their worth by achieving chart success multiple times. One such song is “ Mockingbird “ . You , of course , touch on the ‘74 Simon & Taylor release , but remind us of the brilliant Inez and Charlie Foxx original that inspired many covers from diverse artists ….from Aretha Franklin to Taj Mahal to Toby Keith to characters from The Simpsons . The second way a song becomes a hit multiple times occurs when an artist finds a hidden gem or under appreciated tune and creates an improved version that catapults the record to prominence for a second or third time . ( Think The Mamas & The Papas ‘ “ Dedicated To The One I Love “ or James Taylor’s “ Handyman “ . ) The Beach Boys were masters at this with “ Do You Wanna Dance “ , “ Sloop John B “ or “ I Can Hear Music “ to name just a few . Sadly , their greatest remake of a classic song , “ Hushabye “ was never a single and missed the chance to become a worldwide hit .

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for that excellent analysis and examples of songs that "hit" more than once. I think a really interesting full episode could be done on the subject. (I've made a note of it. If I do it, I'll be sure to give you a "shout out," at the very least.) Thanks again for the very interesting feedback, Beanie!

[@beanie226]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I’m on board for tunes that became hits more than once . Do You Wanna Dance is a prime example . Everyone with a band performed the song as it was a good opening number for a teen dance , party , …etc. After Bobby Freeman’s original , I thought of the following list of artists who recorded the song off the top of my head : Cliff Richard Del Shannon Beach Boys Mamas and Papas Bette Midler John Lennon ( Rock & Roll album ) The Ramones

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

@@beanie226 Excellent list! There are even some there that I knew and had completely forgotten, like Bette Midler's version. Your follow-up is well timed too. This morning, I started putting together notes for a couple of episodes on "Beach Boys Today!" I'm planning for early in the new year. Of course, it'll be a good opportunity to talk about the history of "Do You Wanna Dance?" Thanks for the follow-up, Beanie!

[@bchnwgn]

OK, Steve - it's truly amazing to view your videos. Your knowledge, charm and delivery are stellar, but it's time to spill the beans! How in the heck do you make your delivery while sharing all of these facts look so effortless? Your eyes aren't darting about, so it doesn't appear that you're reading a script. Heck, it became incredibly clear within only a few moments when I was creating my video that I absolutely required a script to keep me on point, as well as to ensure that I was hitting specific inflections necessary to add impact to the production. So how do you do it? 😯

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Lots of "takes"! Seriously, though, I find I'm getting better at memorizing short passages of information and retaining them for just the few minutes it takes to shoot each segment. (Of course, when I’m off camera, I can take a break and consult my notes.) I tried using notes on “cue cards” but found it more distracting than helpful. Coincidentally, one of the hardest segments I ever did is the one that starts off next week’s episode, which I just recorded. The introduction is a little complicated and then I want to go straight to the top ten albums. I have copies of all ten, so I’m on camera without a break. (The first time I thought I “got it” only to discover that, on the tenth album, I had said “August” when I meant “October.” “Take it from the top!” Grrrrr!) Thanks for noticing my efforts, Chris! It’s always a highlight to hear from you!

[@chrismarzoli2170]

Great roundup of info, Steve. I had to comment on Joni Mitchell. She’s one of my favorites, but I’m with you- Blue does nothing for me. Court and Spark, on the other hand is a revelation! Superb. Never has an artist grown or improved so much from one album to the next (For the Roses came between Blue and Court and I consider that the last album of her “early” period.) So, basically, I love everything Joni recorded from the point of 1974 forward, and don’t get into anything she recorded prior to that. I even enjoy her hard core 1979 release Mingus and her lambasted 1985 album Dog Eat Dog!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

She's definitely one of my favorites too. Other favorite recordings for me are the "Hejira" album and "Two Grey Rooms" from "Night Ride Home." Thanks for the comments and great to hear from you, Chris!

[@chrismarzoli2170]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 “Two Grey Rooms” is a gorgeous song, and “Night Ride Home” is my favorite Joni album. I love every song on it. That, Turbulent Indigo, and Court and Spark are probably my top 3. Hejira is up there too- there is nothing else that sounds like it.

[@danny1959]

I think that John Denver’s Greatest Hits was an excuse to put “Sunshine on My Shoulders” on a new album. It was used as the title song of a TV movie, which was why it was released as a single in the first place. It did make him a huge star.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for the information on the song having been used in the TV movie, Danny! I missed that! I'm sure you're right that it was key to the song being released as a single. Great information and much appreciated!

[@chrisrainbow2393]

Here in UK we were in the middle of a recession but this did not affect record sales as there was so much going on that i dont know where to begin, but you might like to know that this was the first time we heard ABBA , who won eurovision with Waterloo and were top stars for the rest of the 70s. It was the year of ROLLERMANIA which favoured teenyboppers as BAY CITY ROLLERS were the trendy group at the time. Also, thanks to Elton John, several American musicians who had seen their fame decline after success in the 60s were brought over to London to record here and two of the most successful were Neil Sedaka and THE DRIFTERS, each having many further hits through the rest of the 70s. Commercial Radio had began and were certainly more adventurous than the BBC as they tended to play records and groups, not normally played on manstream radio and i imagine their playlist was similar to American FM Radio in the 70s with Steely Dan, Eagles, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jim Stafford etc and some of these we had heard maybe a single, but commercial radio tended to favour playing various album tracks which widened our horizons. Nostalgia was big in 1974 as teenagers like me were now hunting down the songs they had grown up with ie YOUNG GIRL by UNION GAP, , MONSTER MASH by Crypt Kickers etc and there were many 60s compilations out there. And the HOLLIES had a huge hit with ALBERT HAMMONDS THE AIR THAT I BREATH , there were so many good records around that not all made it and remain turntable hits which has no reflection on their popularity. And BB sound alikes THE FIRST CLASS were massive with BEACH BABY which anybody could mistake as the Beach Boys and a lot of work had obviously gone into this John Carter Group and he had previously been involved with IVY LEAGUE, FLOWERPOT MEN and WHITE PLAINS. / Some very clever music around too, just listen to BRIAN PROTHEROE PINBALL which sounds so good in stereo, which was new to me at the time. And commercial radio were quick to pick up on the BBS playing on WISHING YOU WERE HERE by CHICAGO and of course Eltons Dont let the sun.......featuring CARL. Couple all of the above with all the info and nostalgia now being played on Red Hot Roger Scott, its hardly surprising that the BBs were now receiving further acclaim as rumours were rife in 1974 that the group were to appear with Elton at Wembley, but we would have to wait a year for that........

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for the UK perspective, Chris! It’s especially interesting to me to see some things that will come up in the US with different timing. (“Waterloo,” “The Air That I Breathe” and “Beach Baby,” for example, all “happened” in the US, but just slightly later. The Bay City Rollers won’t come up in “US Pop Culture” until the third quarter of 1975! The commercial radio playlist examples you listed do, indeed, look much like American FM radio playlists of the time. I think people here tend to remember FM rock stations played acts like Led Zeppelin and BTO and forget that most of them also devoted a lot of air time to more “pop” acts like Jim Stafford and, after he signed to Elton John’s Rocket Records, Neil Sedaka. (In the late 70s and early 80s, the FM rock stations I listened to also sprinkled in a lot of disco until “the backlash.”) Really interesting observation about the 60s compilations being put together for people who had been young fans at the time and now had money to buy the records they liked “then.” I’ve got to believe the same thing must have been happening here. (I’ll see if I can research it.) If it wasn’t happening, the marketing departments really missed an opportunity! I never heard about the rumors that the Beach Boys would appear with Elton John at Wembley in ‘74. Interesting! With Elton John appearing with the Beach Boys a couple of times, it would have made sense. (Of course, I plan to talk about 1975 Wembley show when we finally get to 1975. To tell the truth, I’m having so much fun putting 1974 together, I’ve already done some preliminary work on 1975.) Thanks, once again, for the excellent info and perspective, Chris!

[@johnhammond1572]

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road","Band on the run", and "Court and spark", were all excellent albums, and till sound pretty good today. I listened to "Tubular Bells" a short while ago and even though the music did come across quite good in the movie I'm really sorry to say I just had to turn it off after about 20 minutes. It was a real chore to listen to. I don't understand how I managed to frequently digest the whole album back in the day.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I agree on all counts! Those are three of my all-time favorite albums. I'm glad to hear "Tubular Bells" strikes you the same way it does me. It works in the movie, but the record really starts to grate on me after a few minutes. I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one! Thanks for the feedback, John! Have a great week!

[@joelgoldenberg1100]

1. I found it interesting that the Denver Greatest Hits album had new recordings of most of the songs. I admire that it just wasn't a collection of older songs. Of course, it was also a way to get new fans to get the original versions to hear the differences. 2. I read in the famous book Subliminal Seduction, about hidden messages (many sexual) in advertising, that Blue Swede had embedded a rather obscene chant in what only sounded like "ooga chucka". I don't hear it. 3. I don't remember if I wrote this here or elsewhere, but the 1974 Canadian Mint K-Tel album had four songs with involvement by Terry Jacks - Seasons in the Sun, Where Evil Grows by the Poppy family (Jacks and his then-wife Susan), Susan Jacks' I Thought Of You Again (produced by Terry) and the phasey 'Cause We're in Love by Hood, which was basically Terry and a band. Interestingly, the latter song was a cover of a much older hit by the Montreal group the Beau Marks, which had a 1960 U.S. hit with Clap Your Hands. 4. I would have thought that that the writing credit for The Lord's Prayer would be Traditional: Arranged by Arnold Strals. 5. I've heard of a more profane version of what MFSB stands for. 6. Very funny that the print size on the single of the promotion of Tubular Bells as now being the original theme of The Exorcist is much larger than the title of the song itself. 6. You've got a quadraphonic copy of Shock Treatment! Very cool. I hear an approximation of that album's mix through headphones in Sony's 360 Reality Audio on Amazon Music. 7.I have a feeling that the "Boy. We Need It Now" promo phrase for That's Entertainment was in reference to Watergate. Nixon had resigned around the time of the film's release.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks, as always, for the great observations, Joel! Thanks, too, for pointing out that many of the tracks on "John Denver's Greatest Hits" are re-recordings. It's something I missed. I noticed that credit on "The Lord's Prayer" too. I don't know who Arnold Strais is, but he had a lot of nerve to take 100% credit for writing "The Lord's Prayer." (I'll bet he made some money off it though!) Reading your observation on "The Exorcist" being larger than "Tubular Bells" on the label of the single reminded me that, as I recall it, the song was usually introduced as the "Theme from The Exorcist" on the radio "back in the day." I think you're right about the reference in the "Boy. We Need It Now." slogan. It's probably hard for people who weren't there to appreciate just how large Watergate loomed over everything in those days. Thanks again, Joel! Great stuff as always, and MUCH appreciated!

[@robertzastrow4648]

Remember some of the songs, albums and movies from this time. For whatever reason, always thought of Terry Jacks' "Seasons In The Sun" as a good summer song. Streaking (During some BBs concerts) was a fad/trend that Dennis decided to adopt, which I've read he did occasionally! Didn't the Patty Hearst kidnapping thing last a couple of years, with her finally being captured? If I remember right, she had to serve some jail or prison time for the crimes she committed along with her kidnappers. She claimed that they had brainwashed her. Remember that summer the Congressional hearings were broadcast on television (About the Watergate break-in). I was annoyed, because I missed watching the afternoon Game Shows (such as Match Game and Tattle Tales), along with late afternoon reruns of the original Star Trek and Time Tunnel, as well as the old Flash Gordon serials. Thought it was funny seeing the old Buster Crabbe plugging Icy Hot lotion, then seeing the young Buster as Flash Gordon. There was also a weird guy who was into sewing, who had a show called Sew What's New. Have you ever heard of that show, Steve?

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I don't know "Sew What's New." Was that a local program maybe? (Of course, it's possible it was a big hit here and I just missed it for some reason.) I definitely watched a lot of "Match Game" and "Tattle Tales" during summer vacation in those days, along with "Star Trek" reruns. "Time Tunnel" didn't see to get rerun here very often, but I did enjoy watching Buster Crabbe in Flash Gordon on late night TV, which, in the Detroit area, came a little later in the decade. Funny that you mention "Seasons In The Sun" being a summer song. In my memory, it had been a summertime hit and I was surprised, when I researched this, that it had peaked in the chart so early in the year. (I'm sure it was still getting a lot of play in the summer.) You're right about Patty Hearst. After this, she kind of "dropped off the radar" for a long time until she was finally arrested in September, 1975. (I've made a note for myself to remember to follow-up when we finally get to the third quarter of 1975.) Thanks for sharing the memories and the info, Robert!

[@robertzastrow4648]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 There might be episodes of Sew What's New posted on KZbin. I know, a couple of years ago, a filmed interview with the guy who did the show was on KZbin. He's no longer living. There was also a Game Show (It may have been called Musical Chairs) which only lasted a few months, that was on around this time. It was co-hosted by a Black host/a guy, along with the music group The Tokens. Episodes of that show are also on KZbin. Considering what "Seasons In The Sun" is about/ a guy who's dying, surprised it did as well as it did chart-wise. I've always liked the melody and the guitar part on it. Another song which I've always liked and thought of as a good Summer song is Lobo's "Me & You and a dog named Boo". Don't know when that came out (my guess is anytime between 1972 - 1975).