ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.1

[Mike Pell]

If pressed on it, I am sure everyone has a favorite year.
Mine is 1967...and I am calling the series 1967 AND The Summer Of Love so as not to limit myself to only songs that were out in that Summer, but anything released throughout that year.
It is my favorite year because I was just the right impressionable age, and I had not a care in the world...my parents did, lol!
The Music was changing, no longer limited to less than 3 minute singles but songs that could stretch and jam- and the lyrics were becoming more socially relevant, these songs were saying something!
But you also still had the catchy, good-time feeling tunes co-existing side by side.
And this was the year I finally got an FM Radio...a Clock Radio of all things!
I had been listening to FM Free-Form Radio for about a year at other people's houses or wherever else I could.
Now I had the FM Clock Radio, and I would bring it to my friends' houses so they could listen too.
You must try to understand, as strange as this may seem, in 1967 most people did NOT have FM.
I remember in 1968, WNEW-FM was giving away FM Clock Radios in contests!
FM Radios were virtually non-existent in CARS!
So, as I have been all my life, I was a trendsetter, ahead of my time, lol!
Just a little background to how things actually were in 1967.
I'll begin this opening salvo with a Music Montage and a song of reminiscence for that Summer Of Love.
Then I'll take it from there, with Music you have heard, Music you have never heard, and Music you forgot existed!
It was a truly exciting time to be young, and this series will run intermittently throughout the Summer.

 

Here's the beginning link to a Distant Summer, at WLSO.FM:

 

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/2295

 
Mike

 

[Mike Pell]

RJ,

With that beginning paragraph, you are catching Jon-itis, lol!

Batdorf is a cool name, even better when he had a partner and it was Batdorf & Rodney.

Alright!!! You've heard When I Was Young before!

Way Back In The 1960's was by the Incredible String Band, who did you know played at Woodstock?

They also wrote and recorded First Girl I Loved, before Judy Collins recorded it as First Boy I Loved and made it a big song a year later.

I might play it.

They were ONLY heard on FM!

And they get the Golden Pell!
Very interesting, because I have never played Way Back In The 1960's for anyone before...not even a guest in my house, lol!

I just happened to remember it.

And as I told Jon too, for me, the best song in this was the one by the late Tim Buckley.

That would have been my Golden Pell.

You've heard My Back Pages before!

I played it in the Happy Birthday short series in March- but it was the complete, longer version by your man who wrote it, Bob Dylan, lol!

Thanks as always for listening and writing, be interesting to see what you think of Part Two,

Mike

[Mike Pell]

Thanks for the great show comment Mike, 1967 was a fantastic year for music.
As I hope I am able to continue to prove.
When I do play that one, it will be the long version, lol!
One of the things I will be establishing in this 1967 series is playing LONG songs- just did so in Part Two.
After all these years, I want to let those people at the station get used to it.
The only way I would play the shortened single, like the one you linked, or say...for The Time Has Come Today, would be for comparison purposes to the real version we all know and love.
Or just for laughs, lol!
Mike

[Mike Pell]

Jon,

Making fun are we?

I wasn't fine Monday, and I didn't really care if anyone else was or not, lol!

Yes, you have been mispronouncing that word all those years- it is indeed pronounced "primmer".

I was doing a promo for the TV station I work at, and they preferred I say "prymer" even though it was wrong, because people know it as that.

Can't confuse the public any more than they are already, lol!

Hey, watch that old stuff...if only I could come through the screen!

That was the FIRST time I have ever played that Incredible String Band song for anyone!

I mean, when it came out and I first heard it, it WAS the 60's, lol!

Did you catch their mention of Dylan in it?

Yeah, the Young Rascals do rock out on Too Many Fish In The Sea- that blue-eyed soul coming forth.

To me, the best song in this was the one by the late Tim Buckley, father of the late Jeff Buckley!

That is so weird, two generations died.

Part Two will be here soon.

Thanks for listening and writing,

Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

I remember the Summer Of Love like it was yesterday.  I was one year old, but I had me a lot of baby girlfriends.  Seriously, that first song was a wild one.  A lot of time changes, like every 2 seconds.  Oh, that was the primer, or the montage.  Sorry 'bout that.

 

Plenty to choose from in this show.  I like that John Batdorf  (what a killer last name) song.  Also When I Was Young, which I've actually heard before.   I like the song by Buckley (Once I Was).  I've never seen the movie you referred to, maybe I should.

 

I kinda liked that String Cheese thing you played, Way Back In The 1960's.  I wasn't sure at first, but the vocal interplay was outstanding.  Therefore, I'm giving the Golden Pell to that song.

 

My Back Pages was good.  I've heard that song by name, but had no idea that was it.  As you know, I'm not the biggest Dylan fan in the world (and I did pay attention that it was a Byrds cover). 

 

[Michael J. Andrade]

Jon - 1967 is one  great year for music !!!!! As for this tune -  I know it's not 1967 - but I'm sure Mike will feature this song in future shows - Question is will he play the the long on single version . 1968 brought this classic song .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzmmUZ9D9Uk&feature=related .

Great show as usual Mike !!!    58 and still rockin.   Mike Andrade

[Jon]

How are you? I am fine, thank you!

Is it primer or primer? Have I been pronouncing it wrong all these years? And I'm with you, from those soundbites, there was some great stuff in '67. Didn't realize some of those songs were that old Ilike you!).

Ok, that song by The Incredible String band was just off the wall. We're they trying to make it funny? I dunno, just very strange. Probably stoned. yeah, that's it! (Hell, I thought it was a bad Dylan song).

What takes the cake though was this line: "some older sounding songs from 1967.." which is EXACTLY what I thought when that group started.

Oh, and "Too Many Fish In The Sea" sticks in your head BIG TIME.

Great stuff Mike, I'm liking '67!