Come On Children by The Small Faces

ART -- A Pair of Contrasting Videos.

 

Bob & Ray -- Slow Talkers of America

 

The Star Wars Holiday Special

This is how I could actually be unique in the world -- I may be the only human whose entire exposure to Star Wars is that I've only seen the original movie and the holiday special.   It originally aired on November 17, 1978, on CBS. 

The special is part of the official Star Wars cannon. So, you can make the following bet with people; "I bet you Bea Arthur, Art Carney and Harvey Korman all played characters in George Lucas' Star Wars franchise". You can even bet them that Harvey Korman played three of 'em! One of them is a Julia Child type woman with four arms.

I don't think I can count The Jefferson Starship and Dianne Carroll as characters because they only appear in music videos the other characters watch. Art Carney gives the Dianne Carroll video to Chewbacca's  dad to watch as pornography. (No, I'm not making this up!)

Bea Arthur sings a song and Princess Leah sings two!

I watched it today on YouTube, in the Rifftrax version. Rifftrax = The guys from Mystery Science Theatre heckle it all the way through -- without them, I never could have gotten through it! 

The Rifftrax presentation is missing a cartoon and the Jefferson Starship video, but they are easily found elsewhere on YouTube. I like the Jefferson Starship song.

So here's my question -- Are the rest of the Star Wars movies better than The Holiday Special? I'll probably never find out.

George Jefferson & Gong: Psychedelic Sherman Hemsley

Sherman Hemsley dancing to Nektar:

Gong (band)

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Gong are a progressive rock band that incorporates elements of jazz and space rock into their musical style.^[3] The group was formed in Paris in 1967 by Australian musician Daevid Allen and English vocalist Gilli Smyth. 

Between 1973 and 1974, Gong released their best known work, the allegorical Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy, describing the adventures of Zero the Hero, the Good Witch Yoni and the Pot Head Pixies from the Planet Gong. (The Pixies wear teapot hats and fly around in teapot helicopters.) 

Sherman Hemsley (Personal Life)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unlike the characters he played, Hemsley was a shy and intensely private man, described by some as reclusive. He avoided the Hollywood limelight and little of his personal life was public knowledge beyond the facts that he never married and he had no children.[13] In 2003, however, Hemsley granted a rare video interview to the Archive of American Television. "[Playing George Jefferson] was hard for me, but he was the character. I had to do it."

Intro to our Story;

Sherman Hemsley, the actor who played George Jefferson, was known to be a huge fan of prog rock, especially Gentle Giant, Nektar and Gong.  Hemsley collaborated with Yes’s Jon Anderson on a funk-rock opera about the “spiritual qualities of the number 7” (never produced). Hemsley also did an interpretive dance to the Gentle Giant song “Proclamation” on Dinah Shore’s 70s talkshow, that was apparently somewhat confusing for her.  Here, Gong’s Daevid Allen tells us about his encounter with the beloved 70’s sitcom star. 

Daevid Allen's Sherman Hemsley Story 

Here is Allen’s verbatim tale as related to Mitch Myers (and originally published in Magnet magazine): “It was 1978 or 1979, and Sherman Hemsley kept ringing me up. I didn’t know him from a bar of soap because we didn’t have television in Spain (where I was living). He called me from Hollywood saying, ‘I’m one of your biggest fans and I’m going to fly you here and put flying teapots all up and down the Sunset Strip.’ I thought,  ‘This guy is a lunatic.’ He kept it up so I said, ‘Listen, can you get us tickets to L.A. via Jamaica? I want to go there to make a reggae track and have a honeymoon with my new girlfriend.’ He said, ‘Sure! I’ll get you two tickets.’ I thought, ‘Well, even if he’s a nut case at least he’s coming up with the goodies.’ The tickets arrived and we had this great honeymoon in Jamaica. Then we caught the plane across to L.A. We had heard Sherman was a big star, but we didn’t know the details. Coming down the corridor from the plane, I see this black guy with a whole bunch of people running after him trying to get autographs. Anyway, we get into this stretch limousine with Sherman and immediately there’s a big joint being passed around. I say, ‘Sorry man, I don’t smoke.’ Sherman says, ‘You don’t smoke and you’re from Gong?’ Inside the front door of Sherman’s house was a sign saying, ‘Don’t answer the door because it might be the man.’ There were two Puerto Ricans that had a LSD laboratory in his basement, so they were really paranoid. They also had little crack/freebase depots on every floor. Then Sherman says, ‘Come on upstairs and I’ll show you the Flying Teapot room.’ Sherman was very sweet but was surrounded by these really crazy people. We went up to the top floor and there was this big room with darkened windows and “Flying Teapot” is playing on a tape loop over and over again. There were also three really dumb-looking, very voluptuous Southern gals stoned and wobbling around naked. They were obviously there for the guys to play around with. [My girlfriend] Maggie and I were really tired and went to our room to go to bed. The room had one mattress with an electric blanket and that was it. No bed covering, no pillow, nothing. The next day we came down and Sherman showed us a couple of [The Jeffersons] episodes. One of our fans came and rescued us, but not before Sherman took us to see these Hollywood PR people. They said, ‘Well, Mr. Hemsley wants us to get the information we need in order to do these Flying Teapot billboards on Sunset Strip.’ I looked at them and thought they were the cheesiest, most nasty people that I had ever seen in my life and I gave them the runaround. I just wanted out of there. I liked Sherman a lot. He was a very personable, charming guy. I just had a lot of trouble with the people around him.”

TUXEDOMOON

 

ZZ & de Maskers

 

Please click on the links below to rock out like we're in the Netherlands!

Dracula

Ik Heb Genoeg Van Ju

CLICK HERE! Read Bob's Comics FREE!

To hear a spiffy rendition of 'Ground Hog' click below.

 CLICK HERE

RIP Mike Nesmith

 When I was in kindergarten, in the late 60's, Mike Nesmith was my favorite rock star. He's remained one of my favorites ever since.

I am next to him on this album cover. The blurry little head below his elbow is me.

Seriously, check out his album "...and the Hits Just Keep on Comin'". It's just Nesmith on rhythm guitar and singing and Red Rhodes on steel guitar. A classic.

The link below goes to my tribute to him. It is one of he most popular posts on this blog

Boomerang Koozbane: MIKE NESMITH -- Before They Made A Monkee Out of Him!

PEBBLES 3; The Acid Gallery

HARGBO VERGOSI CLICK HERE!

Circa 1981, I found this record, used, in a bargain bin for a dollar. I had no idea what the heck it was. It changed my life. It took my brain to places it had never been before. It's stupid, it's absurdist, it's creepily, mysteriously, darkly psychedelic.

There is no other various artists / compilation album like it. There is NO OTHER album of any type like it.

Here is side one;

THE DIAMOND MINE by DAVE DIAMOND AND THE HIGHER ELEVATION

SUZY CREAMCHEESE by TEDDY & HIS PATCHES

SUICIDAL FLOWERS by CRYSTAL CHANDLIER

SWAMI by WILLIAM PENN V

I'M ALLERGIC TO FLOWERS by THE JEFFERSON HANDKERCHIEF

listed only as 'Bonus Track', actually PRANA by THE UNFOLDED. (Only about the first minute and a half is on the album.)

FLIGHT REACTION by THE CALICO WALL

LOOSE LIP SYNC SHIP by THE HOGS

​THE REALITY OF (AIR) FRIED BORSK by THE DRIVING STUPID

PEBBLES 3; The Acid Gallery (Side 2)

CLICK HERE Oh GOD! TOUCH ME THERE!

 If there's a more nutzoid compilation album I don't wanna hear it!

The insanity of Side 2;

I'M FIVE YEARS AHEAD OF MY TIME by THE THIRD BARDO

VOICES GREEN AND PURPLE by THE BEES

SPIDER AND FLY by THE MONOCLES

LET'S TAKE A TRIP by GODFREY       

                                                    

FACES by T.C. ATLANTIC

SOGGY CEREAL by MIKE CONDELLO

   DOM KELLER OS MODS by THE LEA RIDERS GROUP                                            

LIKE A DRIBBLING FRAM by RACE MARBLES

PEBBLES 3; The Acid Gallery (On CD)

Humor me CLICK HERE!

I was actually thrilled to find PEBBLES 3 available in a CD version in 1992. Back then, it wasn't a forgone conclusion that every last obscure little thing would one day become a CD release -- especially a bootleggish item like this. I was a little disappointed that some of my favorite tracks were missing, and some of these added tracks were a little too mind boggling, even for me. Missing in action; Prana by The Unfolding and Soggy Cereal by Mike Condello.

Here are the added tracks. 

HORROR ASPARAGUS STORIES by THE DRIVING STUPID 

ANXIOUS COLOR by PAINTED FACES

IEEK I'M A FREAK by ADJEEF THE POET

SQUAFRESH LEMON COMES BACK by ADJEEF THE POET

CITY JUNGLE PART 1 by BEAUTIFUL DAZE

DEATHWISE by CATFISH KNIGHT

RATTLE OF LIFE by OSHUN

FRANK ZAPPA 200 Motels mega box set!

 Whatever happened to all the fun in the world? CLICK HERE

Frank Zappa - 200 Motels (Various versions; 6 CD /2 CD /2 LP (black vinyl or red vinyl) - 29 October 2021

Frank Zappa’s “200 Motels” turns 50! In celebration of FZ’s famous 1971 “Surrealistic Documentary,” Zappa Records, UMe and MGM are pleased to present an extensive 7-disc box set. Contains the original soundtrack remastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering along with a massive amount of never-before-heard audio documentary material surrounding the project. Unearthed from FZ’s Vault are original demos, studio outtakes, work mixes, interviews and movie ads along with newly discovered dialog reels revealing an early audio edit of the film. This incredible set contains a replica of the movie poster, a custom motel keychain, Do-Not-Disturb motel door hanger and the original 1971 soundtrack packaging along with new liner notes from Pamela Des Barres, Ruth Underwood and Vaultmeister, Joe Travers.

CD 1:

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK – REMASTERED
1.Semi-Fraudulent / Direct-From-Hollywood Overture
2.Mystery Roach
3.Dance Of The Rock & Roll Interviewers
4.This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Prologue)
5.Tuna Fish Promenade
6.Dance Of The Just Plain Folks
7.This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Reprise)
8.The Sealed Tuna Bolero
9.Lonesome Cowboy Burt
10.Touring Can Make You Crazy
11.Would You Like A Snack?
12.Redneck Eats
13.Centerville
14.She Painted Up Her Face
15.Janet’s Big Dance Number
16.Half A Dozen Provocative Squats
17.Mysterioso
18.Shove It Right In
19.Lucy’s Seduction Of A Bored Violinist & Postlude
20.I’m Stealing The Towels
21.Dental Hygiene Dilemma
22.Does This Kind Of Life Look Interesting To You?
23.Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
24.***** Dimension
25.What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning

CD 2:

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK – REMASTERED (Cont’d)
1.A Nun Suit Painted On Some Old Boxes
2.Magic Fingers
3.Motorhead’s Midnight Ranch
4.Dew On The Newts We Got
5.The Lad Searches The Night For His Newts
6.The Girl Wants To Fix Him Some Broth
7.The Girl’s Dream
8.Little Green Scratchy Sweaters & Courduroy Ponce
9.Strictly Genteel (The Finale)

200 MOTELS DEMOS, 2ND MOVEMENT – ROCK MUSIC
10.Road Ladies (Alternate Mix)
11.What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening
12.What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?
13.Bwana Dik
14.Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
15.Do You Like My New Car?
16.Magic Fingers
17.Phyllis & Aynsley
18.What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning (Alternate Mix)

200 MOTELS DEMO SESSION OUTTAKES
19.Tell Me You Love Me (Mix Outtake)
20.Road Ladies (Alternate Take)
21.What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening (Studio Outtakes)
22.What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening (Alternate Take, Incomplete)
23.“Aynsley Dunbar, Ladies & Gentlemen”
24.Magic Fingers (Version B, Mix Outtake)
25.What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning (Mix Outtake)
26.Tell Me You Love Me (Alternate Take)

CD 3:

200 MOTELS – DIALOG PROTECTION REELS
1.Scene 1-2: Semi-Fraudulent/Direct-From-Hollywood Overture
2.Scene 3: “What’s The Deal?”
3.Mystery Roach
4.Scene 32: “It’s A Good Thing We Get Paid To Do This…”
5.Scene 14: What’s The Name Of Your Group? I
6.Scene 32: “We Haven’t Formed The Group Yet”
7.Scene 15: What’s The Name Of Your Group? II
8.Scene 17: “When Do We Get Paid?”
9.Scene 18: Went On The Road
10.Scene 19-20: “Special Delivery”
11.Scene 21: Centerville
12.Scene 21: Janet & Lucy
13.Scene 22: This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich
14.Scene 23-24: Tuna Fish Promenade
15.Scene 28: The Sealed Tuna Bolero
16.Scene 29: Lonesome Cowboy Burt
17.Scene 30: JCB & Rance
18.Scene 21: Larry The Dwarf
19.Scene 81: Magic Fingers
20.Scene 47: Larry The Dwarf In The Hotel Room
21.Scene 33: The Lad Searches The Night For His Newts
22.Scene 40-41: The Girl Wants To Fix Him Some Broth
23.Scene 42: Little Green Scratchy Sweaters & Courduroy Ponce
24.Scene 45: A Nun Suit Painted On Some Old Boxes
25.Scene 57: The Perverted Nun
26.Scene 87: “*****!”
27.Scene 58: She Painted Up Her Face
28.Scene 60: Janet’s Big Dance Number
29.Scene 61: Half A Dozen Provocative Squats
30.Scene 62: Lucy’s Seduction Of A Bored Violinist
31.Scene 63: Shove It Right In
32.Scene 67: “I Am Bwana Dik!”
33.Scene 68-69: What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening
34.Scene 77: Daddy, Daddy, Daddy

CD 4:

200 MOTELS – DIALOG PROTECTION REELS (Cont’d)
1.Scene 90: Biff Debris & Jeff
2.Scene 84-85: ***** Dimension
3.Scene 32: Mystery Roach (Acoustic) / “Yeah? Well Fine!”
4.Scene 71: What Will The Evening Bring Me This Morning
5.Scene 92: Jeff Flips Out / I’m Stealing The Room
6.Scene 100: Strictly Genteel
7.Scene 100: 200 Motels Finale

BONUS SWILL, PART I
8.“I Was Gonna Make A Movie One Time…”
9.200 Motels Movie Ad #1
10.What’s The Name Of Your Group? (FZ Edit)
11.200 Motels Movie Ad #2
12.FZ on Ringo Starr
13.Ringo Starr on 200 Motels
14.200 Motels Movie Ad #3
15.Motorhead’s Midnight Ranch (Mix Outtake)
16.Looking For Newts
17.“They Are Only In It For The Money”
18.200 Motels Movie Ad #4
19.200 Motels Commercial Session Outtakes
20.Does This Kind Of Life Look Interesting To You? (Mix Outtake)
21.“I Shall Ruin All The Tapes”
22.Janet’s Big Dance Number (Basic Tracks)
23.Martin Lickert Voice-Over
24.Touring Can Make You Crazy (Mix Outtake)
25.***** Dimension (Instrumental Alternate Take)
26.Centerville (Mix Outtake)
27.Mystery Roach (Alternate Master)
28.Magic Fingers (Mix Outtake)
29.200 Motels Movie Ad #5

CD 5:

200 MOTELS – ALTERNATES AND OUTTAKES
1.“What Is 200 Motels?”
2.Theodore Bikel Voice-Over
3.Semi-Fraudulent/Direct-From-Hollywood Overture (Mix Outtake)
4.What’s The Name Of Your Group? (Complete Sequence, Part I)
5.What’s The Name Of Your Group? (Complete Sequence, Part II)
6.What’s The Name Of Your Group? (Complete Sequence, Part III)
7.Can I Help You With This Dummy?
8.Pianos For The Pleated Gazelle
9.Synth Tracks (Part I)
10.Would You Like A Snack? (Alternate Take)
11.Howard Kaylan/Mark Volman Voice-Over
12.Centerville (Rough Mix)
13.This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Prologue, Mix Outtake)
14.Tuna Fish Promenade (Mix Outtake)
15.The Sealed Tuna Bolero (Alternate Take)
16.Lonesome Cowboy Burt (Mix Outtake)
17.Naval Aviation In Art?
18.Redneck Eats/The Restaurant Scene (Basic Tracks)
19.Mystery Roach (Basic Tracks)
20.I Have Seen The Pleated Gazelle
21.Dew On The Newts We Got (Rough Mix)
22.The Lad Searches The Night For His Newts (Rough Mix)
23.Motorhead’s Midnight Ranch (Rough Mix)
24.The Girl Wants To Fix Him Some Broth (Rough Mix, Alternate Ending)
25.The Girl’s Dream (Rough Mix)
26.Little Green Scratchy Sweaters And Courduroy Ponce
27.Scene 43: A Cardboard Box
28.Scene 44
29.A Nun Suit Painted On Some Old Boxes (Rough Mix)
30.She Painted Up Her Face (Compressed Mix)
31.The Secret Stare
32.Half A Dozen Provocative Squats (Compressed Mix)
33.Lucy’s Seduction Of A Bored Violinist (Basic Tracks)
34.Shove It Right In (Compressed Mix)
35.Postlude (Basic Tracks)
36.What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning (Mix Outtake)

CD 6:

200 MOTELS – ALTERNATES AND OUTTAKES
1.Daddy, Daddy, Daddy (Alternate Take)
2.Magic Fingers (Alternate Take)
3.***** Dimension (Basic Tracks)
4.Scene 86
5.Scene 87 (Alternate Take)
6.Synth Tracks (Part II)
7.I’m Stealing The Towels (Basic Tracks, Alternate Take)
8.Scene 94: “He’s Always Watching Me”
9.Dental Hygiene Dilemma (Part I, Basic Tracks)
10.Does This Kind Of Life Look Interesting To You? (Mix Outtake)
11.Dental Hygiene Dilemma (Part II, Basic Tracks)
12.Strictly Genteel (Basic Tracks)
13.200 Motels Finale (Alternate Take)
14.200 Motels Finale (Basic Tracks, Unedited Ending)

BONUS SWILL, PART II
15.Movie Theater Skit (Commercial Session Outtake)
16.200 Motels Album Ad #1
17.Script Rehearsal Trim
18.Lonesome Cowboy Burt (In Rehearsal 1969)
19.Lonesome Cowboy Burt (In Rehearsal 1970)
20.200 Motels Album Ad #2
21.***** Dimension Jingle Music
22.TV Hype (Commercial Session Outtake)
23.200 Motels Movie Ad # 6

NRBQ -- Dragnet Album

A slew of new 'Q brew to do you through to '22! (and beyond!)

This is the only 'Q you should believe in! 

FUN between now and then, CLICK HERE

Bob Newhart and The World's Smallest Horse

 

CLICK HERE! (please)

Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry (Directed by Jean Christophe Averty 1965)

If I spoke French, I'm sure this would make total sense (ha ha). I can't find a 'captioned for English' version anywhere, but I love this anyway. 

And now --- our feature presentation!

Click here -- I DARE ya!

Charlie Watts

 

Fascinatin' Fun Facts w/ Tom Waits: Insects

Fascinatin' Fun Facts w/ Tom Waits: Insects 

Also, on the topic of FUN, CLICK HERE

1979 -- (Not Quite) The Golden Age of Television

 I turned 16 in 1979. I thought all the stuff on TV and radio was an insult to my intelligence. What a conceited little creep I was!

Although, even at 16, I knew the show title should have been 'Whom Done It'.

RE: "Makin It" I can see the TV execs' logic -- "We've got a golden opportunity to do "Saturday Night Fever" as a sit-com. We've lined up John Travolta's older sister!

Check out that unforgettable 1979 TV line up; 

Now, here's something I hope you'll REALLY enjoy. CLICK HERE

Too Much like THE BEATLES?

CLICK HERE FOR FUN! 

The Rutles -- Piggy In the Middle (1978)

Of course, The Rutles were Beatles' impersonators. The were The Beatles of Beatles' Impersonators.

Contrary to what you'd think from the following video, their songs were seldom written to sound like parodies of specific individual Beatles songs. Their leader, the great Neil Innes, actually recycled several songs he had written for projects years earlier, with no original intention of emulating The Beatles. The modus operandi was to arrange and produce the songs in an accurate parody of  The Beatles' records.

'Piggie In the Middle' and "Get Up And Go' (like 'Get Back') however, were too close!

The Dukes of Stratosphear -- Mole from the Ministry (1985)

Of course, this is actually the British pop group XTC getting psychedelic. Like The Rutles, none of their other songs sound this much like another song, as far as I know.

CLICK HERE FOR FUN!

KLAATU -- Sub-Rosa Subway

In 1976, the rumor spread that this anonymous band were actually The Beatles. The rumor seemed to be a suspiciously useful way to promote  Klaatus' lackluster record sales. They were actually three Canadian studio musicians. They don't really sound like The Beatles -- just Beatles inspired. This song is an exception -- starting off like a good mid-70s Wings track and ending all too much like The Beatles' 'All Too Much'. Another of their songs fades out like 'I Am the Walrus', but it takes something like seven minutes to get to it!

The Residents -- Beyond the Valley of A Day in the Life (1977)

Another anonymous band once rumored to be the fab four. These guys sound NOTHING like 'em! Probably the person who made up the rumor assumed that only a band with connections to The Beatles could so openly repurpose their material without getting sued out of existence! 

Here is the cover of their debut album from 1974;

It would seem almost indecent to utilize all the following 'samples' with NO permission to do so, but that's exactly what The Residents did. Recently, The Residents' spokesman Homer Flynn marveled that, after much sampling of famous artists and utilizing frequent quotes from other compositions, (for 47 years and counting!) The Residents have never been sued -- an indicator that The Residents' 'victims' might actually choose to 'look the other way' out of respect for The Residents' as artists.