Talkin about My Generation. Part 2
Below is link to part 1
http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/search/label/baby%20boomers
I'll start with music: Born in the mid 1940's I grew up listening to music on the radio in the days before television.
My recollections start in the 1950's.
The first music I remember are probably in the novelty genre.
"How much is that doggy in the window?" by Patti Page, "Bimbo" by Jim Reeves, although I saw the Le garde Twins sing this at a local circus.
"The Whistler and his dog" was a favourite instrumental with a dog barking at the end.
The various versions of the "Laughing Record".
We would sit around the radiogram or gramophone laughing our heads off.
Also Stan Freberg's :St George and the Dragonet" and "Little Blue Riding Hood" were great sides on the one 78.
My grandparents had an old gramophone( I still have it) and I used to listen to old 78's on it when I visited. "Swedish Rhapsody" and "the Song from Moulin Rouge" were favourites.
Singers like Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney,Smoky Dawson.
Then as the fifties gave way to the sixties there was the explosion of pop music and rock and roll.
My first "45" vinyl record I bought was "I've been every where" by Lucky Starr.
The second "Sherry" by the 4 seasons.
Then the "Guitar Man" by Duane Eddy.
Then "If I didn't have a dime" by Gene Pitney.
Who can forget "The Man who shot Liberty Valance"
I loved Ray Stevens novelty records such as "Harry The Hairy Ape" and "Ahab the Arab" and "Freddy Feelgood's Funky Little 5 piece band."
I became a lifelong Gene Pitney fan and saw him once in the sixties in Adelaide at the height of his fame and then twice in the 90's before his untimely death.
Then Elvis, the numerous Johnnies and Bobbies, Gene McDaniels, John Leyton(Lonely City is an iconic sixties pop song in my opinion)
See John Leyton clip from the film "It's Trad Dad" which stared Helen Shapiro and other 60's stars made cameo appearances.It was my favourite 60's film. Very little story but great music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFo79873I7g
,Helen Shapiro,Cliff Richard and the Shadows,Dusty Springfield( she was on the same bill with GenePitney in the same sixties concert.)
I loved the music of Ral Donner the first Elvis sound a like who died an untimely young death.
As did so many.
I had always wondered what had happenned to "Joe and Eddie"(There is a meetin' here tonight!) and only recently googled to find one had died in a car crash.
See Joe and Eddie on Shindig.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XV0W7ueYgY
As the 60's gave way to the 70's my wife and I had become Chjristians so our music likes swapped over to mainly Gospel then with many of the 60's stars becoming Christians in the Jesus Movemennt of the 70's ("One way!")
eg. Barry Mcguire,Paul Stookey and of course Keith Green.
See Keith Green clip. "To Obey is better than sacrifice."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzWyZxlwGKI
Helen Shapiro ,Dion, Cliif Richard were some who declared their faith in Jesus.
I still have a vast collection of vynil 12 and 7 inch and 78's.
And I love the music of Bert Kaempfert,Henry Mancini,Arthur Lyman,James Last and many more in the Easy Listening genre.
And the Beatles of course dominated the 60's and I was lucky enough to see them in Adelaide without Ringo Starr who was ill.
We had to queue in the streets for about 3 days to get tickets and I always remember how a young man in a suit was walking up and down the queue trying to talk to people about Jesus. we just ignored him but looking back it was one of those moments when God was trying to get through to me.
Every New Year's Eve we get together with our neighbours for a party and enjoy the 60's music all over again. Sadly each year we note that some more of these entertainers have passed on.
Next recollection SPORT.
