THE DETROIT JL HUDSON'S THANKSGIVING PARADE 1960S

Detroit's (JL Hudsons) America's Thanksgiving Parade is an annual American parade held on Thanksgiving Day in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The tradition started in the city in 1924 by the J.L. Hudson Company department store.

It shares the title for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, New York and is four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The idea came from Hudson's display director Charles Wendel after the success of the Canadian Eaton's Santa Claus Parade in Toronto, Ontario.

In addition to the usual floats and bands, Wendel obtained large papier-mâché heads similar to those he saw during a recent trip to Europe. The heads are made in Viareggio, Italy, and remain a fixture of the parade to the present.

The parade was suspended in 1943 and 1944 due to material shortages caused by World War II, but Hudson's resumed the event in 1945 and continued sponsorship of the parade until 1979 when the costs became burdensome.

Bob Seger

It turned the parade over to the Detroit Renaissance Foundation, who produced it for four years. In 1983, Detroit Renaissance transferred control of the parade to the newly created Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation. "America's Thanksgiving Parade" is a registered trademark of the foundation.

The parade features a variety of floats, marching bands and balloons, with the climax being the arrival of Santa Claus, who appears at the end to herald the arrival of the Christmas season.

Santa and Detroit Mayor Jerry Cavanagh

Unique to the parade is the Big Head Corps, featuring a large collection of papier-mâché heads, and the Distinguished Clown Corps, which features local corporate and community leaders dressed as clowns. The parade is made possible through the efforts of more than 4,500 volunteers.

Over the years well-known personalities were commentators for the Detroit parades, including John Amos, Ned Beatty, Kathy Garver, Captain Kangaroo host Bob Keeshan, Linda Lavin, Esther Rolle, and Andrew Stevens.

The parade was first broadcast in 1931 on radio station WWJ. In 1959, the parade came to television on local stations WWJ-TV and WXYZ-TV. The WXYZ program was hosted by ventriloquist and puppeteer Shari Lewis with her sock puppet Lamb Chop. The parade was carried nationally on the ABC broadcast network. READ MORE

70'S BAND AMERICA HOLIDAY HARMONY NEW LP RELEASED WORLDWIDE!

Seventies Hitmakers America's Christmas Album “Holiday Harmony” Released Worldwide!

London - Remember the seventies, when the charts were filled with classic songs such as “A Horse With No Name”? Now Gonzo Multimedia has released worldwide the Christmas album from the band who had that international hit, America, featuring ten familiar Christmas songs and three original songs.

With Andrew Gold (another name from the seventies) as producer and multi-instrumentalist, fans of seventies pop music will enjoy this. The set opens with “Winter Wonderland,” which even reminds us of their biggest hit with its arrangement. Other tracks here also provide reminders of their hits.

The year 2018 marks the 48th Anniversary of America. Founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with former band mate Dan Peek) met in high school in London in the late 1960s and quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song “A Horse With No Name.”

America became a global household name and paved the way with an impressive string of hits following the success of their first #1 single. Forty plus years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound.

From their formative years, America has been a band capable of transcending borders with its uplifting music and positive message. Embracing a rainbow of divergent cultures, America's audiences continue to grow, comprising a loyal legion of first, second and third generation fans, all bearing testament to the group's enduring appeal. “I think that the ingredients of the America sound are the basic fundamentals that translate internationally,” explains Beckley. “The Italians are huge fans of dance music, but they also love a ballad - they're romantic at heart. It's the same in the Far East.

A lot of times in these countries, we see people singing along, and they don't really know what the words mean. Music is truly the international language.”

If you enjoy America's seventies classic hits, you will love America's “Holiday Harmony.” As a Christmas album alone, it is undoubtedly one of the very best.

Holiday Harmony - Collector's Edition

Tracks:
Winter Wonderland | Let It Snow | White Christmas | A Christmas to Remember | Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Sleigh Ride | Silver Bells | Christmas in California | It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas | Winter Holidays | Frosty the Snowman | Silent Night | The First Noel | A Holly Jolly Christmas (2010 Collector’s Edition Bonus Track)

MITCH RYDER'S NEW CD: CHRISTMAS TAKE A RIDE!

Take A Ride This Christmas With Rock/Soul Legend MITCH RYDER On His First-Ever Holiday Album!

Of the many gifts given to the world by the Detroit music scene, from the 4th time Hall of Fame nominees The MC5, The Stooges, The Rockets is the one "gift" who started THEM ALL  the unforgettable voice of MITCH RYDER.

Whether performing with or without the amazing Detroit Wheels, Mitch has been one of the most dominant figures in the Motor City’s soulful/rock music scene for the last 5 decades, stuffing the world’s musical stockings with such sweet hits as “Devil With A Blue Dress On,” “Jenny (Take A Ride)”, "Detroit" and a whole lot more!

Just got this new press release presenting a collection of brand new recordings to celebrate the spirit and soul of Christmas, called Christmas (Take A Ride), which finds the blue-eyed crooner offering fresh takes on holiday classics made famous by Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen along with seasonal favorites “Let It Snow,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and more!

Christmas (Take A Ride) will be available on both CD and digital starting October 26 via Goldenlane Records, a division of Cleopatra Records, Inc.

Also be sure to watch for a new album from Ryder featuring very special guest appearances by James Williamson (The Stooges), Sylvain Sylvain (NY Dolls), Walter Lure (Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers), Joe Louis Walker, Brian Auger and more! YES!!

PURCHASE MITCH'S CHRISTMAS CD HERE

Track List:

1. What Christmas Means To Me

2. Blue Christmas

3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

4. Someday At Christmas

5. Jingle Bell Rock

6. Santa Claus

7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

8. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

9. Sleigh Ride

10. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

11. Let It Snow

12. Put A Little Love In Your Heart

KIMMER'S TOP 5 RETRO COOL BARBIE™ COLLECTOR GIFTS FOR 2017

Barbie® Dream House® (1962 Reproduction)

Barbie™ Hair Fair Doll Set (50th Anniversary)

Black -White Tweed Suit Barbie® Doll

Barbie® Doll Reproduction Vintage Accessories

Barbie® Hello Kitty® Doll

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM RETROKIMMER!

Wishing all my readers, friends and family members peace and love this holiday season. May you feel the joy in your home that you bring to me. Kim & Lesley

ANIMATION LEGEND: ARTHUR RANKIN JR DIED AT 89

Arthur Rankin Jr. passed away today at 89. He was the man who defined Christmas for millions. Certainly for me.  His stop motion animated Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are a favorite of ours every year. He is credited on over 1,000 television programs.

 Bumbles don't bounce..

Mr Rankin along with Jules Bass, produced and directed 'The Hobbit (1977)(TV)' and 'The Return of the King (1980)(TV)', both of which were later remade as live-action films by Peter Jackson. Both films also feature some casting similarities.

Rankin died after a brief illness on January 30, 2014, aged 89, in his home in Bermuda. He is survived by Olga and his sons Gardner and Todd. Referring to him as an "animation legend", the Hollywood Reporter noted that during his career, Rankin worked with actors such as Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Alan Arkin, Danny Kaye, James Cagney, Fred Astaire, Boris Karloff, Tallulah Bankhead, George Burns, John Huston, Burl Ives, James Earl Jones, Christopher Lee, Walter Matthau, Vincent Price and Flip Wilson

THE HISTORY OF BABAR THE ELEPHANT

Babar the King of the Elephants is an amazing series of children's books that I fancied i a very big way in 2nd grade. The art and writing had an almost Zen balance to them. The author wrote and illustrated these books in an artist fashion rather than cartoonish. Dr Seuss books were funny and made us giggle...Babar was royalty...he was dignified...totally cool books.

Jean de Brunhoff (December 9, 1899 – October 16, 1937) was a French writer and illustrator known for creating the Babar books, the first of which appeared in 1931.
 

Brunhoff was an elephant/animal rights activist early in the 20th century. Babar's story conveyed the similarities between the soulful elephants to that of human families. Children I believe, connected with the love and care of the Babar family.

This illustration is from Babar and Father Christmas, the last Babar story de Brunhoff wrote before dying of tuberculosis at age 37. A British animated film was made in 1968:

Originally published in over sized volumes with cursive writing and the author’s wonderful sprawling watercolour paintings, the English language version of Brunhoff’s Histoire de Babar immediately captured the interest of British children. Babar brings clothes and cars (and Madame) from Paris - where he has been educated - and readers follow him home to his African kingdom.

He is crowned King and transforms the elephant kingdom into a Westernised civilisation. With is family and the wise Cornelius by his side, Babar protects his land from the Rhino King The stories were adapted into an animated television series, which ran from 1989 to 1991 with 13 additional episodes aired in 2000.  READ MORE ABOUT BABAR

ENCHANTING CHRISTMAS IN SOUTH DEVON: KAREN ANN HUNTER

South Devon, England

Christmas time in England is just magical...This year I asked my dear friend Karen Ann Hunter if she would share some of her childhood memories of celebrating Christmas in England...Here is her lovely story....love you Karen!! xK

Memories of Christmas
Karen Ann Hunter

Christmas in sleepy, scenic, South Devon, England, was always quite cold, damp and usually icy rather than snowy. There would be great anticipation if the weather forecast predicted snow on Christmas Day.

 
We lived right by the sea so that made it unlikely to have a white Christmas but if a snowy forecast came to fruition I would wake up and look out of my bedroom window to see a canvas of white that no longer resembled the nondescript working class road I lived on with my mum and dad. Even the parked cars became a work of art from my vantage point.

When I was about eleven, my parents decided to change from using the traditional Christmas sack at the bottom of the bed to a more interactive approach. During the night, as I slept, they left a trail of small wrapped items from my bed into their bedroom. I figure that was more to do with watching me open presents from the comfort of their own bed and once I had children of my own I realized why that was such a treat.

The bigger presents were under the Christmas tree downstairs, which was always the real thing despite the pine needles and general mess. I was an only child and I confess I did occasionally wish I had brothers and sisters to share the excitement with. I was 12 in 1965 and my passions were art, music and Beano and Dandy books.

 
I remember vividly getting a ‘How to draw a horse’ book, it was huge, or seemed huge at the time, probably 16” by 12”. I loved that book so much and later painted two horses in a mural right across the living room wall. My mother kept it there for many years after I had left home but eventually they succumbed to redecoration.

I was a massive Beatle fan and my mother recalls that my nose would be up to the screen if Paul McCartney appeared on our black and white TV. I remember Christmas TV viewing always included the hilarious Morecombe and Wise comedy show, when major stars of the time would forfeit their dignity and allow themselves to be made complete fools of in crazy, funny story lines.There was also The London Palladium variety show and Christmas Top Of The Pops.

In 1984 I found myself appearing on TOTP with Gary Numan when I was touring with him as a backing singer.

Apparently we did not get a color TV until 1972, one of the first things we watched was the Winter Olympics Ski jumping from Garmisch Partenkirchen, a beautiful town in Southern Germany where coincidentally I was to live and work as a singer for a couple of years in a band a few years later.
 

My only other vivid memory of my childhood Christmases was going to church at midnight on Christmas Eve, how much fun it was to be allowed to stay up so late, this was the after bedtime world of grown ups!

 
I was in the local church choir and usually sang a solo piece on Christmas Eve. When I was about 14 my parents had taken me to a pub earlier that evening, I had imbibed a little too much wine and got the giggles in church but it did not impair my solo performance.
 

My mother tells me that was the year I sang so beautifully the place was full of snivels at my rendition of Silent Night. Oh how I miss those simple, enchanting and uncomplicated days.

Read More About Karen Ann Hunter

KIMMER'S FAVORITE 4: WORLD'S BIGGEST CHRISTMAS TREES

CHRISTMAS TREE OF UMBRIA

The Mount Ingino Christmas "Tree" in Italy actually consists of many little trees. Every year, the slopes of Mount Ingino are outfitted with more than 3,000 lights and at night, they glow in the shape of one big (2,130 ft high and 350 meters wide, to be exact) tree.

The biggest Christmas tree display in the world rises up the slopes of Monte Ingino near Gubbio, in Italy’s Umbria region. Each year, on December 7 (Immaculate Conception Eve) the Christmas tree is lit up by the Pope!

This amazing display rises from the last stone houses of Gubbio up to the basilica of S. Ubaldo, the patron saint of the town. More than 500 lights, connected by 40,000 feet of wire comprise this amazing display.

MURANO GLASS CHRISTMAS TREE

Murano Glass Christmas Tree in Venice Italy. This glass tree is 8.5m tall and 3m wide weighing in at 3 tons which makes it the world’s largest glass blown tree. It was made by local glass blowers out of 1000 glass tubes and 2000 metal rods.

 

US CAPITAL CHRISTMAS TREE

The Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C., is decorated with 3,000 ornaments that are the handiwork of U.S. schoolchildren. Encircling evergreens in the ‘Pathway of Peace’ represent the 50 U.S. states.

 LAFAYETTE GALLERY IN PARIS

Galeries Lafayette in Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic. With its monumental, baroque dome, plus 10 stories of lights and high fashion, it’s no surprise this show-stopping department store draws more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower

PANDORA TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

ORDER ONLINE OR PICK UP IN STORE

RETROKIMMER: LEAST FAVORITE RETRO TOYS

Probably going to hear from all the fans of the EZ Bake Oven but.... As far as I am concerned this toy was a whole bunch of work to produce a little flat cake that looked like a hockey puck.

Now how long would a kind be entertained by this dog??

Now the Ouija was completely lame to me. This toy scared little kids half to death. I flipped my board over and stuck stickers on it. So much for contacting dead uncle Charlie...

I really hated this toy... Now little Kimmer was never going to stand and pretend to cook... I still don't cook.. Talk about gender typing. Oh yeah and I used my toy ironing board as a sled. It went really fast down hill on snow!

Chatty Cathy? That annoying voice! They should can that voice and play it to elicit confessions out of captured terrorists! I took my doll to the basement and my brother and I gave poor Cathy neurosurgery to find out what made her talk.. I was a big old fashioned spool of metal tape.

This toy could do 2 things... swing back and forth in your hands and climb down stairs...zzzzzzz

Couldn't draw anything on the confounded box..

Will pick some more later... XXOK