Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

They just don't make things like they used to.

We're in an age where ideas are being rehashed more and more as if we're none the wiser. However, if you're old and smart enough, you can know when someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes or ears. I'll get back to wool pulling a bit later. For now, let's Laugh-In.

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I've heard of this show since I was a kid. It was cancelled before I was a kid. I never saw an episode but had a memory of the hosts and knew it launched Goldie Hawn & Lily Tomlin's careers. I also knew of the catchphrase Sock It To Me and that Richard Nixon saying it on the show may have won him the election. I hadn't thought of the show since a recent visit to Amazon.com reminded me about it.



The 1960s were an incredible, revolutionary time with a lot of barriers broken down. Laugh-In was all of those things in its time. The show had something of an irreverent humor that probably set the tone for shows like Saturday Night Live and MADTV that followed it.

Solid Gold

There were a lot of great variety shows on television when I was growing up. One of those great shows and inspirations for my own radio show is Solid Gold.

During its run in the 1980s, it was hosted by Dionne Warwick, the late Andy Gibb, Rex Smith, Rick Dees and my personal favorite Marilyn McCoo.


It was always a pleasure to watch the show with family and friends.  Again, it was another opportunity for me to learn about the newest artists and music of the time. 



Bob Dylan said The Times Are A Changin`and that applies to television shows as well.  Shows like American Idol and The Voice have replaced the traditional variety show format that I am accustomed to because they are more interactive.  Not like I would have complained but there was no calling or texting my vote as to who was going to be performing on the next Solid Gold. 

I miss the show and those days.  If I learn I can get Solid Gold on DVD, I will be able to relive them any time I want.

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006)

I was told Amy Winehouse was found dead in a text message on the fateful day.

I messaged those I felt may have known as much or more than me about it for confirmation.

Some replied in shock and disbelief only to later confirm it to me afterwards.



It is so unformatunte we lost such a talented singer. I wanted her to pull through and rise above the troubles so that we can enjoy more of her soulful voice and music.

The dead-at-27 phenomenon appears to have struck again and she joins an elite group of musicians that we have lost too soon.



After I realized her talent, I wanted as much Amy music as I could get to hear.

If any more unreleased Amy does see the light of day, I look forward to hearing it so that I can preserve her musical memory.

The Beach Boys - Little Deuce Coupe (1963)

I wrote about The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album earlier.

Death Of Vinyl record store held a Christmas party a few years ago and I was able to spin there among with other Dansez Chez Vous colleagues including DJ Politics, MattstaxofWax, DJ Expo 67 and DJ 7T’s.

I had an immensely good time. The music played was fantastic and I got some favorable reactions from my selections which is most often the desired effect.  One moment in time that night is worth my writing about. 

DJ Expo 67 played Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys at some point during the near 7 hours of music spun that night. I hadn’t heard the song in a long time or simply forgot about it altogether. The song’s harmonies and beat were magical and caused people to dance between the rows of records. I found it to be a wonderful song and was inspired to follow it up with another Beach Boys single.
I ran to the classic rock section of the store and briskly browsed The Beach Boys bunch of records for Little Deuce Coupe. Thankfully there was a copy of an album with the song on it. I ran back to the turntables and told Expo 67 I have an answer.

I cued the cut and a memorable time was had by most that were paying attention to the music played. Those that danced to the Christmas cut continued to groove with Deuce Coupe. The Beach Boys sound was able to linger in the store just a little longer. Expo 67 himself was pleased at my choice. I thanked him for providing me the inspiration. I had forgotten I referred to Little Deuce Coupe in the previous Beach Boys post.  It had also been a long time since I heard or thought of the song.  Both songs were welcome breaths of fresh air for me.  



Had I been one of the patrons and heard two Beach Boys bangers back-to-back, I would have danced in the store isles myself. I took pleasure in seeing the few twist and shimmy nearby.

There is something about The Beach Boys sound that is truly magical. As much as I was not born when they were in the prime of their recording careers, their music reflects what was and is good about the world.

A few minutes of The Beach Boys music can send good vibrations in these troubled economic and sociopolitical climates. One can feel happiness or a ray of sunshine in the darkest hours when listening to their classics. 

Ultimately, it is The Beach Boys who are to be thanked for the inspiration.

Cat Stevens

Years ago, my friend Craig Koskimaki compiled a Cat Stevens CD and to my surprise, he left off the classic cut Wild World!

It was inconceivable and unfathomable to me for a Cat Stevens CD, mass-produced or self-selected, to not include the song.  My using those big words should give an idea of the grief I gave him.

He explained that for as much as he loved Cat Stevens, he knew those big hits inside and out and wanted to go deeper into Cat’s catalog for his compilation cuts.

Following his example, this blog post will not have Wild World as the lone Cat Stevens video. I chose Lady D'Arbanville, the one I discovered and loved through going deeper into Cat's discography.

Ode To A Boombox 2

I believe that a boombox is the machine that ultimately symbolizes hip hop. 









Regardless of the size, model, shape or year it was manufactured, a boombox is the artifact that best represents hip hop's genesis and, at worst, its demise.



For an audio cassette aficionado like myself, the boombox is the vessel through which the jams jammed onto 60 or 90 minutes of ribbon can be heard.  At a minimum volume, the music played on the box is for solitary enjoyment. At a louder volume, you have the grounds for a jam in your hands or wherever it is stationed within proximity of people.

A boombox is as hip hop as the city where the culture originated and where the still at the top of this post was filmed. My vicarious love for New York had me hungry to record hip hop music from New York radio as a teen.  My passion for music on a whole made me hungry to be like the legendary radio show hosts I admired.  Therefore, it is clear I have a connection to boombox culture and also admire those who pursue and maintain it.  I'm thankful to have been aware of the importance of these portable stereo radio/cassette players within hip hop culture history and impacted by it.



The connection to hip hop and the boombox is more than metaphorical or symbolic.
When I said a boombox representing the death of hip hop earlier, I meant the infancy of hip hop has grown and matured to the point that these machines are outdated. They are artifacts.  Technology has evolved to the point that these machines are not compatible with the current climate of stereo equipment.



Hip hop music from the 80s is outdated depending on who you ask.  With the exception of timeless tracks recorded in the early 80s like Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock or Planet Patrol's Play At Your Own Risk, the majority of hip hop music from that decade is not compatible with the current climate of hip hop being produced today.



I wrote in great detail about my Toshiba RT-SX1, my first boombox and start of my devotion to the brand. 



The photos are from a record store art exhibit from a few years ago.



Thank you to all involved for allowing me to DJ at the event, take some pictures of the boombox on display and reminisce.

Ode To A Boombox 3

I was able to attend an exhibit showcasing boomboxes.

Montreal’s Saint Laurent Boulevard was in the midst of its bi-annual sidewalk sale and I had a lot on my dance card at that time.  

I took photos of the many vintage boombox radios and various artworks as they were setting up for the exhibition to be held that night.  

I was worried I would not be able to return later in the night when the event would have been in full swing.  

There were turntables set up and I could only imagine the jams that would be dropped that night. 

If I was thrilled to see the turntables set up for the occasion, the sight of bags of records thrilled me all the more upon my return to the store.   These radios were the stars of the show.