THE BEATLES YELLOW SUBMARINE!

My favorite animated film of all time remains THE YELLOW SUBMARINE

This movie was so far out. The artists and animators must have had a blast making this movie. It is one of those films that no matter how many times you watch it you still see something new. My vhs copy is worn but I can't seem to locate a good dvd of it. I was lucky to see it in the theater 3 or 4 times.

I love the "sea of holes" and the big blue meanies" the best.

My talented artist daughter drew the Yellow Submarine and the Meanies for my birthday but I don't have them scanned. They are hanging in my office. Love em!

Here is some wiki on TYS:

Yellow Submarine is a 1968 animated feature film based on the music of The Beatles. It is also the title for the soundtrack album to the feature film, released as part of The Beatles' music catalogue. The film was directed by Canadian-born animation producer George Dunning, and produced by United Artists and King Features Syndicate. The Beatles themselves appear only in the closing scene of the film, with the Beatles characters in the film voiced by other actors.

The Plot:

Pepperland is a cheerful music-loving paradise under the sea, protected by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which falls under a surprise attack by the music-hating Blue Meanies; the attackers seal the band inside a music-proof bubble, then turn the Pepperlanders into statues and drain the countryside itself of colour.

Sea of Time - where time flows both forwards and backwards to the tune of "When I'm Sixty-Four",

Sea of Science - where they sing "Only a Northern Song"

Sea of Monsters - where the dreaded "vacuum cleaner" beast sucks up the entire landscape and then itself

Sea of Nothing - where they meet a rather helpful "nowhere man" named Jeremy Hilary Boob PhD, and sing the song "Nowhere Man" . Ringo takes pity on Jeremy and lets him aboard the submarine.

Foothills of the Headlands (or Sea of Heads) - where they get separated from the submarine and John sings "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds",

Finally, the Sea of Holes - where Jeremy is kidnapped by one of the Blue Meanies patrolling the outskirts of Pepperland. When Ringo jumps on to a green hole (which turns into the Sea of Green and is actually a hidden portal), they arrive in Pepperland.

ELIZABETH MONGOMERY AND BEWITCHED

Our favorite pic of Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stevens

 Our most favorite show as a kid was Bewitched.

Elizabeth Montgomery was Samantha and she fascinated us with her beauty and glamourous bewitching style.

Plot summary for"Bewitched" (1964) More at IMDb Pro »

The young executive of an advertisement agency, Darrin Stephens marries a beautiful woman, Samantha Stephens. On their honeymoon, Sam discloses a secret to him: she is a witch with magic powers. He makes her promise him that she will live like a mortal, without using witchcraft and spells in their lives, but sometimes she uses her magic to help Darrin and herself. Sam's mother, Endora does not accept her mortal son-in-law, hates him and can hardly say his name correctly. 

In the suburb of Morning Glory Circle, where they live, their curious next-door neighbor Gladys Kravitz suspect Samantha, but can never prove the weird situations she sees to her husband Abner Kravitz. Darrin works in the McMahon and Tate ad agency with Larry Tate, who is married to Louise Tate. Samantha frequently receives her witch aunts in her house, specially her sweet old Aunt Clara. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Our favorite scenes were when Samantha would don her black witch gown and join Endora in the netherworld of witches....

All of the characters on Bewitched were memorable especially Endora, Aunt Clara, Esmerelda, Dr. Bombay and Uncle Arthur. But our absolute favorite was Sam's wacky cousin Serena! 

Personal life Montgomery was first married to New York socialite Frederick Gallatin Cammann in 1954; the marriage lasted barely a year. She was married to actor Gig Young from 1956 to 1963, and then to director-producer William Asher from 1963 until their 1973 divorce. They had three children: William Asher (July 24, 1964), Robert Asher (October 5, 1965) and Rebecca Asher (June 17, 1969).  The latter two pregnancies were incorporated into Bewitched as Samantha's pregnancies with Tabitha (primarily Erin Murphy, with twin Diane) and Adam Stephens.

After cohabiting for nearly twenty years, she entered her fourth and final marriage, to actor Robert Foxworth, in 1993. 

Read more about the deceased cast members HERE

We still are able to watch Bewitched (without commercials) on Video On Demand under Tube Time.

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

My Favorite Film of Paul Newman

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid may have been the biggest Western blockbuster film in history. (I should look that up)

The combination of Paul Newman and Robert Redford was an unbeatable magnet for women and men both. I think the movie was more about the charisma between the sharp gunslinger Sundance and the man that does all the thinking Butch. The clever dialogue, upbeat music and Katharine Ross made this a different twist on the usually dramatic western genre. Loved it ***** (Still do)

The offscreen chemistry between Newman and Redford definitely shows on camera.

(CNN) -- Paul Newman, the legendary actor whose steely blue eyes, good-humored charm and advocacy of worthy causes made him one of the most renowned figures in American arts, has died of cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83.

Paul Newman's handsome face and solid acting made him a popular and respected film star. He died Friday, according to spokeswoman Marni Tomljanovic. Newman attained stardom in the 1950s and never lost the movie-star aura, appearing in such classic films as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Exodus," "The Hustler," "Cool Hand Luke," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting" and "The Verdict."
He finally won an Oscar in 1986 -- on his eighth try -- for "The Color of Money," a sequel to "The Hustler." 

He was often willing to make fun of himself. Early in his career he was mistaken for fellow Method actor Marlon Brando; Newman obligingly signed autographs, "Best wishes, Marlon Brando." Read the Article Here

DICK DALE: KING OF THE SURF GUITAR!

King of the Surf Guitar! Dick Dale is the soundtrack of the 60's!

"The staccato is so fast it heat-treats the strings.... [And] I grind so hard that the guitar picks just melt down," Dick Dale told Jon Pareles of the New York Times in 1994. Still playing guitar in the frenzied, powerful style that spawned "surf music" in the late 1950s-1960's, Dale was riding a comeback wave in the 1990s.

Hot Hot Hot guitar! I can't have a blog on the 60's without Dick Dale and the Deltones! Here is Dick's site. Dick is battling cancer and all our prayers are with Mr. Dale. We love you and your unrivaled GUITAR! Here is a really fine example of the 1963 Dick Dale and our favorite duet with Dick with Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Dick Dale (born Richard Anthony Monsour on May 4, 1937) is a Lebanese American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He pioneered the surf music style, drawing on Eastern musical scales and experimenting with reverberation. He worked closely with Fender to produce custom made amplifiers,including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.

He pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, helping to develop new equipment that was capable of producing distorted, "thick, clearly defined tones" at "previously undreamed-of volumes." The "breakneck speed of his single-note staccato picking technique" as well as his showmanship with the guitar is considered a precursor to heavy metal music, influencing guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen

GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS

How much did you love "Ferry Cross the Mersey"? It still is the most haunting and beautiful song ever sung by anyone. "Don't Let the Sun" was really good too but the gorgeous vocals on "Ferry" give me chills to this day. Gerry was my first crush when I was very young. I did meet him in the 80's and he kissed me! Sigh...happily married with children he remains...

Gerry said to me "Do people really still listen to this old stuff"? YES I told him they have never stopped playing your songs in the US. His voice was still beautiful and he autographed my program along with Freddy from Freddy and the Dreamers, and Wayne Fontana! What a fun night that was in Sterling Heights, Michigan's now closed Premiere Center. 

My pal Rhonda and I sat ringside and they had no choice but to talk to us during their whole show, we were inches from the footlights. It was sweet! I'll always love Gerry Marsden's voice.

Gerry's website More photos HERE

KICK OUT THE JAMS!!! MC5

T

The Motor City 5

Here they are the first and best radical political rock band in history! THE MC5!

When I was 14 and living in the deep south, I came up to Ypsilanti, MI for a visit. My cousin grabbed me shut the door to her family room so her Mom and Dad wouldn't hear...Kick out the Jams! The first song to effectively fling that cuss word at ya! Radical!

We thought it was too cool. I remember everything about the first moment I heard these guys play. I was too young to get in the Grande Ballroom where they used to play alot.

They hung out in Ann Arbor with the Hill (YIP) house and I ran into them there a few times but being so young I kept a really low profile. This group was high energy especially Dennis Machine Gun Thompson the drummer. My personal favorite. He hasn't changed one bit either in the passing decades. Well except he is straight now.

Well I know there is a ton of past political problems this group encountered and still is.. I will put this link to their history and you can read ALL about it HERE

The MC5 (Motor City Five) was an American hard rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan in 1964 and active until 1972. Their music also included blues-rock, psychedelic rock, rock & roll and garage rock. "Crystallizing the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening,"[1] their far left political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music would serve as a prototype for later punk rock musicians. The band consisted of Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitars) Michael Davis (bass), Rob Tyner (vocals), and Dennis Thompson (drums).

MC5 had a promising beginning which earned them a cover appearance on Rolling Stone magazine in 1968 even before their debut album was recorded. They developed a reputation for energetic live performances, one of which was recorded as the critically acclaimed Kick Out The Jams. Their career was ultimately short-lived, though within just a few years of their dissolution, the MC5 were often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era[2]: their three albums are regarded as classics. Their song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered.

Fast forward to 2003. I took my kid and her little buddies to the lake for a relaxing day at the beach. While floating around with my hot pink noodle a lovely blonde lady floated up on a raft. She had never seen a "noodle" before so I gladly demonstrated all the cool things you can do with this cool beach invention.

We began chatting about who we were and what we did for a living. I mentioned that I used to be a show promoter and worked at Cobo Hall in Detroit a lot. She brightened up and said hey you need to meet my husband! Ok who is your husband??

Machine Gun Thompson from the MC5! Cool! Where is he? She said he's right up there on the beach under that tree! So I went up and met Denny as a grownup! Den and I hit off as we are both ADD and kinda out there. HYPER yeah!

Denny told me about the film that had just been filmed about the MC5 and told me how great this film (The MC5: A True Testimonial) was going to be. It was being screened at the Toronto Film Festival at the time. I asked him to please let me know when it might come to Detroit! I wanted to go see that movie!

A few months later Denny emailed me to invite me to the screening at the Detroit Film Theater. It was being screened on Devil's night October 30, 2003 with an after party at the Magic Stick bar on Woodward Ave. Grabbed a room at the Ramada on Bagley the hotel that looks just like "The Shining" Took my boyfriend Danny and off we went to see the MC5 movie!

Unless you grew up around the Motor City during the 60's you just wouldn't understand what this movie was like. But here is some info on the Movie

I think this picture was taken at the after party, I have it from somewhere anyway, here is Denny and a pal: Looks like the Magic Stick upstairs.

After the show I got a poster, autograph, and my ticket stub and had them framed. See Denny in the middle? (he's the cute one and he signed his chest for me!)

Sadly there was a problem with money/the producers/band and the film was never released. There may be news and I'll hear about it pretty quick if it is available.

Here is Den's response to that situation HERE

All we can do is hope that one day it will be available for DVD

GOODBYE LEVI STUBBS LEGENDARY VOICE OF THE FOUR TOPS

Sadly we lost one of the most unique voices of our time. Levi Stubbs lead singer of the fabulous Motown Group THE FOUR TOPS The one group at Motown that never played musical chairs with it's members. They were consistant hit makers and Levi's voice led them with his rough and yet soulful vocals.

The Tops are among my top 5 favorite music groups of all time and I was sad to hear a few years ago that Levi had a stroke that disabled him from performing. He was living in the Detroit area and still vivacious although wheelchair bound.

We will miss him dearly, he was a really nice man and a fabulous singer. Motown Legends Gather To Mourn Stubbs The Tops were inducted by Stevie Wonder in the Rock Hall of Fame in 1990

Most Popular Songs:

I Can’t Help Myself

Ask the Lonely (MY FAVORITE)

Reach Out I’ll Be There

It’s the Same Old Song

Baby I Need You’re Loving

Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I Got)

Standing in the Shadows of Love

Bernadette