Yuck.
I mean seriously. YUCK!
At this point, I feel obligated to point out that some more substantive rock star of the period -- I'm pretty sure it was Tom Petty -- was asked, as the 80s dawned, what he thought had been worthwhile about the music of the 70s. His terse and accurate response: "Punk, Springsteen, Steely Dan."
And who can argue with that? But noooo -- we had to suffer please-shove-ice-picks-in-my-ears albums like that Frampton shit.
The noxious vinyl extrusion of which Mike Myers so aptly obsserved in Wayne's World: "Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide."
Okay, perhaps I exaggerate.
No, I don't, actually.
In any case, now to business. To wit:
...and the most annoying 70s record or performer(s) that became gynormous cultural artifacts is/are...?
Discuss.
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
51 comments:
The 70's dealt us a lot worse than Frampton. That's for sure. Very overplayed, nonetheless. Still is on classic rock stations whose rotting corpse continues stinking up the airwaves. Is it true that he has a really tiny dick? I've heard things.
I knew a guy who was supposed to get the cover shot for "Frampton Comes Alive." It was a gorgeous photo of little Peter. But as record companies are wont to do, they rush released the thing with that crappy alternate photo and fucked him over. He never forgave them.
Steve, I think you missed the point with Myers. Mike was actually at the Winterland show that the concert was taped at. So was Woody Harrelson. They like Frampton.
I think he’s a very talented and lyrical guitar player with a distinct style. Frampton’s Camel had some tasty stuff on it, some of which was also on the double-live. But his songwriting has always been weak. Especially the lyrics. It was the mid-Seventies. People were infatuated with the talk-box. It was the greatest thing since Alvino Rey & Pete Drake. Even Steely Dan used one. But enough about Peter and how we feel about him.
Just off the top of my head I’d say “Which Way You Going Billy?” and “Seasons In the Sun.” sucked real hard. Husband and wife, Sue & Terry Jacks, were responsible. At least they were consistent …. Blame Canada.
VR
Haven't slept in two days. Sandy's gonna give me a nice warm bath and send me off. Saw Mike Campbell again a couple of nights ago at Belly Up. Then just hung out with stimulating friends at Coronado.
Steve did you ever get a chance to check out the Wild Honey Orchestra Nuggets show that's posted in youtube? They're linked together in three parts. A better, more professional, version is on its way. Gotta fall out.
Well, there's Billy Joel...
Though his annoyingness transcends decades.
Isn't "You Light Up My Life" the answer to the question asked?
It's largely forgotten now, but it was *everywhere* when it came out.
(You're) Having My Baby- Paul Anka
Just in case anybody’s wondering, my number one is Elton John. Never listened to a single one of his records for pleasure.
When FCA came out, it was hard to tell whether he was going for rock guitar god or teenybopper heartthrob. Friends & I went to see him and the moment he came out, it was obvious he was going for teenybobpper heartthrob. So we went up to the cheap seats, sat back and just got high and hung out. Hey, at least J. Geils Band was the opener, so it wasn't a total loss.
As to the this week's topic, someone already mentioned You Light Up My Life (wonderfully covered, unironically, by Patti Smith in several late 70s shows); that was just annoying. The 70s song that made me actively, furiously angry was You're Having My Baby. Could there be a worse message for young women to hear on the airwaves!? Grrr.....
Frampton had paid his dues and deserved the big money (which has manager stole). I think you snobs are forgetting the absolute single worst song of the 70's, or any decade past or future:
https://youtu.be/BolPQL83hFA
OMG, Kenosha, how could you!
wow, tough crowd. Picking on Frampton (who as Kenosha kid said, had a pretty good history prior to mega-stardom), or 70's Elton John (pretty fantastic first 5-6 albums) seems to miss the point of '70's TV stars who caused ears to bleed, like David Soul, John Travolta. Ears never quite recover.
daudder, don't forget David Hasselhof!
Obviously, ya'll have wiped the nagging horror of the CB-radio craze from your memories.
C.W. McCall: Convoy
Other than the three mentioned by Petty, I don’t remember a single album I bought in the ‘70’s. People gave me tapes. And I was high for most of my free time, so I was easily entertained.
Being a young man, before Sirius, you could not miss Frqampton.
I absolutely hated, let me state that - I F'n hated it.
The only saving grace was that I had an Aubrey Beardsly, Humble Pie T shirt.
Still available today - that Woman, if ooh la la
rob
Steve:
Elton John was my number two pick. Why do I find so few people who agree?
Songs to add to the list:
There Has to be A Morning After
I've Never been to Me (originally released in the 70's but didn't get to everywhere until the 1980's.
Everything is Beautiful.
I Am Woman
Brand New Key
Many more buried in the recesses of my memory
I'm not sure that Pete was a better guitar player Than Davy.
After all he originated Eltons guitar songs.
Kinda like saying that Ron W, is better than Mick Taylor for the Stones.
As much as I "like" Peter he is not in my top 10, regardless of his lost Les Paul story
rob
Rod Stewart, who went from Rod The Mod to Rod The Sod, from Every Picture to Hot Legs, from You Wear It Well to Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? in five short years.
Dishonorable mention to Eric Clapton, Chicago, Fleetwood, and many others.
Whatever one's opinion of Devo, they sure called the zeitgeist.
Haiku- I heard everyone (I'm older than you)
Got a problem with yo bundleing in F/M
That band was lucky to have had more great,innovative lead guitar players in history.
Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, Lindsey (f'n) Buckingham
I say Terry Kath at the Fillmore opening for Zappa - both pretty good with frets.
rob ;-)
Haik - I heard/seen everyone (I'm older than you)
Got a problem with yo bundleing in F/M
That band was lucky to have had more great,innovative lead guitar players in history.
Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, Lindsey (f'n) Buckingham
I say Terry Kath at the Fillmore opening for Zappa - both pretty good with frets.
rob ;-)
I hate spell check, my apologies
Wish I could edit,delete posts
rob
Haven't Seen these mentioned:
Christopher Cross - Sailing
Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight
Climax - Precious And Few
I have to totally agree with the worst of the worst being (You're) Having My Baby- Paul Anka.
It makes me think of the culture Richard Nixon supporters blanketed America with. Everything that made my skin crawl.
The former hippie Captain Al
For me Elton John's music wasn't so bad but the lyrics were God-awful. Anthony Bourdain used to say that playing EJ, Billy Joel, of the Grateful Dead in his kitchens was a firing offense. Whenever I'm at karaoke and somebody sings a Billy Joel tune I get up and do Born To Run.
This is by far, the worst thread I've read in years.
Ragging on Billy Joel, Peter Frampton and Elton John is far more trite and obnoxious than any of the music these artists have put out.
I mean, jeez. This is like a drunk guy at a party shouting "Where's the beef?"
GET HAPPY!!!
Listen to fucking "Tumbleweed Connection," and "Turnstiles" and "Frampton" and stop being a bunch of contrary Marys.
What Sal said!
What AL said !
Tumbleweed is a great album - if you don't think Bernie Taupin is a great lyricist
BILLY - It's The Stranger for me
Between Blood On The Tracks and Stranger- they understood a young man's divorce
rob
The nominees seem a tad heavy on the testosterone. How about Olivia Newton John and her truly unremarkable voice? I never quite figured that one out.
I remember you once proposing in that Stereo magazine that the great A&R miss was not having Peter Frampton and Nils Lofgren (both on A&M at the time) work together as a yin and yang concept. But then Frampton blew up and that was that.
thought it was a good idea at the time.
Best,
Vince
Me supposes the Mike Oldfield could be put into the same category as FCA due to the success of Tubular Bells. But if you love rock instrumentals like I do ( and recall your first listening in a very mellow state) that you would give MO accolades.
However, on this blog, YMMV
Long live Sal…
You’re all wrong. The worst excrescence of the Seventies is “Sometimes When We Touch” by Dan Hill. You couldn’t escape it in the fall of 1977. It is truly the essence of dreck.
I love the artists Petty mentioned. I also love Elton John and Frampton. Each to his own. I'm not big on discussions that invite people to shit on each other's tastes, though.
I'll add Bobby Sherman who is now an EMT.
Bonny Sherman, fuckin’ A
“Julie, Julie, Julie, Do Ya Love Me” terrible song. “Easy Come, Easy Go” was a little better as it was a Keller-Hildebrand tune. But it still sucked. I don’t think he’s an EMT anymore. He must have got a gold watch and his walking papers by now. He’s gotta be pushing 80.
I’m gonna weigh in again with “Watching Scotty Grow.” Bobby Goldsboro was the master of dreck in both the 60’s (with Bobby Russell’s “Honey”) and 70’s with the Mac Davis penned “Scotty.” But I also want to point out that I absolutely love Goldsboro’s “Little Things.” Best thing he ever did.
That late Sixties-early Seventies "look" he had was the worst. He graduated from his pompadour into the dry-look, socially acceptable, semi-long, Lego People hair. What a weird looking dude he was. Like an alien from another planet. His wardrobe was always pretty tacky too. Something ET about those eyes. The only person who comes close to Bobby’s look facially is Hogan Gidley.
And then there’s Mac Davis doing “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked On Me.” He’ll just use you and he’ll set you free :) Like the girl didn’t have that option. What a dick.
Anka’s “(You’re) Having My Baby” is simply awful and a terrific choice. You gotta love the line “The need inside you, I see it showin'- Whoa, the seed inside ya, baby, do you feel it growin'?” How did that get to be Number One? And a duet, no less. But, no, as horrible as it is, it doesn’t immediately make me think of the culture of Nixon, Captain Al. But its popularity tries what little faith I have in humaniy.
The Seventies were abundant with songs that, for me, are mostly kitschy. I find them fun to goof on. Whenever we’re on a road trip we make sure to take a bunch of Rhino’s “Super Hits of the 70’s” along. It improves the mood for those long boring stretches. You know, the “Have a Nice Decade” stuff.
Edward:
I like “Brand New Key.” That came out when I was in high school around the same time as “American Pie.” My class took a field trip to Catalina Island over the weekend. We had to take a school bus down to the harbor in San Pedro. I set my eyes on this handsome guy named Malcom who was kinda new in school. On the drive I sang “I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates, you’ve got a brand new key,” stressing the chorus to him. He told me it was a silly song and thought he was too cool for it. Didn’t live up to his R&R tenants. Apparently, he was too naïve to get the fuckin’ message. Years later I ran into him at a gas station. He explained that the message came to him in an epiphany many years later and he felt really stupid. But that’s the way a lot of high school boys were. They were so plugged into Zeppelin, Purple and Grand Funk (and I liked ‘em too) that they couldn’t compute a pop song “come on.” I told him that "Bubblegum" was subversive. Theen I laughed and sang the chorus to “It’s Too Late.” BTW, on that same bus trip some stupid Pep Squad chick was handing out the lyrics to “American Pie” on mimeographed duplicates. The bus reeked of duplicator fluid and we all cheerfully sang along like it was “Tiny Dancer” on “Almost Famous.”
Which brings us to Elton John. I don’t detest him. At least not his first six albums if you count “Empty Sky”. I never owned them, but Sandy was a big fan and did. She had all the records up to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” including several bootlegs the best of which was titled “Knockin’ ‘Em Dead Alive”. But she lost interest when he did “The Bitch Is Back.” Sandy was a fan since she heard Three Dog Night do “Lady Samantha” in the summer of 1969. She got Elton’s import albums which came out way before their American counterparts. Some of the stuff was pretty good and the production was top notch.
The hype really took hold summer 1970. Every rock writer and music industry mover and shaker got the memo that he was the next biggest rock superstar ever. Kinda like what happened with “the Butt” around the time of Born To Run in 1975. Same type of sudden hype.
We went to see him at his initial Troubadour run with David Ackles. It was just a trio – Elton, Dee & Nigel. It was a good show. Natalie and Lana Wood were in the audience, as were Steve and Neile McQueen before they totally hit the wall. Later we saw Elton in the same trio open for Leon Russell at the Swing in good old Berdoo. Few care, but Frosty’s band Sweathog was third bill. Next time we saw him was in Anaheim in 1971 still with the trio format. The completely forgettable Redeye opened. Elton had no opener for his 1971 Greek appearance. First part of show was him alone. Then Dee & Nigel joined him.
By the time we saw him across the street from Disneyland in 1972, the circumstances surrounding which would fill a fucking chapter, he was going further into the campy Liberace phase. Legs Larry Smith was part of the show and they did some really stupid shit. But people seemed to like it. Go figure. The band was a lot more rockin’ than before because they added Davey Johnstone. It was the tour behind Honky Chateau but they were doing numbers from Don’t Shoot Me already too. My favorite part of the concert was the opening act, Family. Most of the people there didn’t give a shit about them. They were great. I really loved the Poli Palmer period of the band.
And finally, regarding Peter Frampton, and I’m calling this to Simels’ attention –
Peter Frampton’s favorite song of all time is “Whiter Shade of Pale.”
And he was real nice to my mom when she dragged me along to see him at the Coach House in Capistrano for a warm-up gig in 1995. They were professionally taping that show. They brought all kinds of gear which took up a lot of space in the small venue. I did a DAT from the audience for mom. But the pro tape has never surfaced. Yet.
VR
Oh, and here’s the link for the Wild Honey Orchestra 50th Anniversary of Nuggets tribute.
Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUxXl6uExos
Music starts at around 7 minutes with Ugly Things editor Mike Stax doing his take on the Shadows of Knight take of Bo Diddley’s Oh Yeah. Sound is cavernous but I find if you crank it up, it helps. There are three parts all of which should play successively. But if not here are links for part 2 and 3
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b2XGHOcENc&t=1319s
Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-DFZjin2Nc&t=1909s
And what about:
“You can yank me and you can crank me. but don’t you wake up and try to thank me. You’re wasting my time.”
Oh, and Petty could at least have mentioned his label mates the Dwight Twilley Band.
VR
my ding a ling chuck berry
okie from muskokee merle haggard ok 69 close enough!
rs
Vicki — thanks so much for those Wild Honey links.
Steve, you are still reading...Drilling Down -
Do you remember " Every Mothers Son" ?
One of them went on to be a Dentist
rob
Dr. Bruce Milner. Celeb dentist on the Upper West side. He used to hang out at a watering hole of mine.
Steve:
Did Milner ever talk about the time Every Mother's Son was on Man From U.N.C.L.E.? :)
You know, the Spoonful were advertised as filming a MFU episode. It's printed in the trade ad for the "Do You Believe In Magic" single. I have one framed in my music room. Apparently, that fell through. The Daily Flash were on Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
Here’s The Wild Honey Orchestra “Nuggets” complete setlist from May 19, 2023:
ACT I
Mike Stax of the Loons: “Oh Yeah”
Cindy Lee Berryhill: “Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?”
Paley Brothers: “A Little Bit of Soul”
Billy Vera: “Don’t Look Back” one of the highlights for me.
All Day Sucker: “96 Tears”
Nick Guzman with Tom Kenny: “Liar, Liar” (killer)
Ron Dante: “Just Like Romeo & Juliet”
Andrew Sandoval and Chris Price: “Sugar and Spice”
Peter Case: “Lies”
Peter Zaremba: “Dirty Water”
Peter Zaremba: “Little Girl”
Peter Zaremba: “Talk Talk”
Lenny Kaye: “Crazy Like a Fox”
Lenny Kaye with Paul Kopf and Daryl Hooper of the Seeds: “Pushin’ Too Hard”
Paul Kopf of the Seeds: “It’s-A-Happening”
Carla Olson and Kathy Valentine: “You’re Gonna Miss Me”
Mike Peters and Wayne Kramer: “Baby Please Don’t Go”
ACT II
Susanna Hoffs, “Weird Al” Yankovic and Owen Elliot: “Sit Down, I Think I Love You”
Tom Kenny: “Run, Run, Run”
Evie Sands: “My World Fell Down”
Evie Sands: “Invitation to Cry”
Susanna Hoffs: “I Want Candy”
James Lowe of the Electric Prunes: “I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night”
Cameron Dye: “No Time Like the Right Time”
Jim Pons and John Beck of the Leaves: “Hey Joe”
David Aguilar of the Chocolate Watchband: “Let’s Talk About Girls”
Kenn Ellner of Count Five: “Psychotic Reaction”
The Three O’Clock: “Open My Eyes”
Johnny Echols of Love with John Easdale: “7 & 7 Is”
Tara Austin, Kathy Valentine and Rob Laufer: “Tobacco Road”
Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Lenny Kaye: “Farmer John”
Lenny Kaye and company: “Gloria”
and here's the Variety article from whence it came
https://variety.com/2023/music/concert-reviews/nuggets-wild-honey-lenny-kaye-alex-glendale-concert-review-1235620790/
VR
VR is back? Yay!
Remember " The Coven" One Tin Soldier from Billy Jack
rob
Hey Rob,
One Tin Soldier? I can goof on that relentlessly. All three versions have ample and splendid suckilisciousness. I'm not embarrassed to say I know the singer's name and game, Jinx Dawson. Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Rots Souls:) Ave Satani:) Good to listen to when reading "Satan Is a Lesbian."
Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter wrote some pretty cheesy/kitschy stuff like “Two Divided By Love,” “Don’t Pull Your Love Out On Me Baby” and dozens of others. But they were ear-worming because they were catchy as hell and they knew how to hang the hooks. And some people find the modulation frequently present in their arrangements takes it to the next level. They wrote for and produced a very diverse field of artists. I like the stuff they did with the Four Tops. And Evie Sands. But, then again, she’s Evie Sands. I mean who brought the woman out of who. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5b-zZbJ8O4
Speaking of Billy Jack, the Born Losers is one of my favorite bad-is-good movies. It's really the first "Billy Jack" movie. Double delish because it also involves bikers and suburban teenage girls. I watch at least twice a year. Everything about it slays me. It even has Jane Russell going over the top like you wouldn’t believe. Plus, I think it's the best thing Jeremy Slate ever did. What's with the weird sunglasses, anyway.
VR
testing
Steve --
If you care at all, there’s this-
The Wild Honey Orchestra Buffalo Springfield Tribute video links in chronological setlist order. Pro line recording and quality video, for the most part. Some songs seem to have been taken down, mostly the ones with Richie Furay, unfortunately. But, never fear. The whole show in audio is downloadable in perfect sound with dead time edited out. It’s amazing. Link for audio https://www.imagenetz.de/bKfov (scroll to bottom of page and click the green bar with two download arrows). IMO this is the best of the Wild Honey tribute shows. It’s fucking mind blowing how good this is.
Here’s what videos are still up.
Out of My Mind (with Bebopalula)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE43Loa6q5k
Hung Upside Down (David Goldstein & J.J. Blair)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OojKrtLHcts
Down To the Wire (Syd Straw)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfJ-INCW1q4
More to come
VR
(cont.)
Burned (Steven McCarthy/Carla Olson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3J8iVUNRwI
We’ll See (All Day Sucker)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76togCvINL0
Pay the Price (Brent Rademaker)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yTvUHfUBXU
Sit Down I Think I Love You (Darian Sahanaja/Susan Cowsill)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQXO-2IJMeM
Merry-Go-Round (Chris Price)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spBcojMKQYI
Pretty Girl Why (Luther Russell)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv1Yj8paBuU
Everydays (Cindy Lee Berryhill)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uSeQ7fcCBU
Four Days Gone (Terry Reid)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2vfl18ahyk
more to come - blogosphere is malfunctioning again, it only wants small bites
VR
(cont.) another morsel
I Am a Child (Nick Guzman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nJUNNSQ750
Carefree Country Day (Stephen Stanley)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Ovys-REkY
A Child’s Claim To Fame (Richie Furay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dghhzrrV6PA (audience source, sorry, but available in perfect audio)
Go And Say Goodbye (Richie Furay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3beGDZKaWc (audience source cut, sorry, but available in perfect audio)
Kind Woman (Richie Furay)
Taken down but available in perfect audio
Expecting To Fly (Rob Laufer/Claudia Lennear)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nZFuITefUc
more to come, it's a 33 song set
VR
(cont.)
blogosphere still only taking small bites
In the Hour Of Not Quite Rain (Our Truth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aosUIRanCXM
Broken Arrow (Iain Matthews/Chris Price/Don Randi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLk8k8VZ6tQ (audience, sorry, but available in perfect audio)
It’s So Hard To Wait (Mickey Dolenz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LAYTMeTpew
Sad Memory (Richie Furay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phGgfbv2iM4 (audience, sorry, but available in perfect audio)
On the Way Home (Richie Furay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFqtu8syP2Q
VR -more to come
(con't)
Rock and Roll Woman (Three O’Clock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGf1lYt6ACQ
Everybody’s Wrong (Martha Davis)
Taken down but available in perfect audio
Mr. Soul (Dream Syndicate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRvRC5u9UNc (audience but available in perfect audio)
Bluebird (Willie Aron/Elliot Easton)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFjtxCzGqiI (rehearsal)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klfGJhQSbo0 (audience but downloadable in perfect audio)
Uno Mundo (Carla Olson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToVJadVX6E (audience but downloadable in perfect audio)
Special Care (Claudia Lennear)
Taken down but downloadable in perfect audio
VR
(cont) another piece perhaps the last.
Questions (Gary Myrick, Pat Thomas)
Taken down but downloadable in perfect audio
Flying On the Ground Is Wrong (Richie Furay)
Taken down but downloadable in perfect audio
Do I Have To Come Right Out and Say It (Richie Furay)
Taken Down but downloadable in perfect audio
Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing (Richie Furay)
Taken down but available in perfect audio. The above three are performed as a quasi medley
For What It’s Worth (group finale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmWXOCX6W7U
Hope I got the links right, it’s late and it’s been some very fine wine
Apologies for my enthusiasm, but it’s really good.
Cheers me buckos,
That’s what I call my old man whenever he refers to me as his wench. Only he can get away with that kind of shit because, well, listen to Evie sing it.
Once again, to download audio
https://www.imagenetz.de/bKfov
scroll down the page and click the green bar with two download arrows. You'll know everything is cool when it says "der download wurde gestartet) : ) Any problems let me know in comments.
good morning and good night, phew
VR
Once again, just for the hell of it. Evie Sands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5b-zZbJ8O4
If the guitar work sounds a little Steely Dan-ish to you, it's because it's Dean Parks. One of greatest. BTW sax is Ernie Watts. Rhythm section is Ed Greene and David Hungate. Omartian is in there too. Solid players. Solid in a non "Linc Hayes" way. :)
VR
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