Saturday, September 26, 2015

BAD FASHION OF THE PAST 2: WOMEN IN KNEE SOCKS

I was planing to do more of these type of post in the early days of the revamped blog, but only succeeded in a post on maize/gold men's shirts.

I am going to say this up front. I kind of have a nylon hosiery fetish. Not only do I find nylons and pantyhose sexy on women, but I feel they a dressy and sophisticated.

Woman on the right realized she looks dorky, woman on the left realized she just sharted.

A Gathering of the Dorky Dressers Club

Going through various 70s fashion magazines and on-line photos, I noticed a trend in the 70s that I remember from my childhood, but now find abhorrent: knee sock on grown women. I'm not sure why someone thought that tube socks, pulled up over a woman's knees, looked good with a skirt, but they did.  I blame cocaine use.

Knee socks and plaid: a lethal combination
Mommy, can I go out an play?

Don't laugh! You're the girls wearing knee socks!

The problem with knee socks is that I associated them with elementary school girls. It makes a woman look like her mother dressed her for Sunday school.  All she needs is an Easter bonnet to top off the outfit.



I bet she also has a T-shirt from Weed Fest 1976.

You've seen this all over the Web.

Bummer, Mom found my stash.

Roller girl

Once hemlines came down, dress knee socks began to disappear, but then came the casual knee socks that women wore with hot pants, shorts and crazy disco get-ups. These were looked like a woman was wearing her tube socks from gym class or pretending to be Pipi Longstockings. These seem to be long, thick socks with crazy, colored strips.



This seemed to fade away with the 80s, although for a short time it was replaced by leg warmers. The bad news is female hipsters are trying to bring it back. These seem to be women, who have a strong desire to dress like Velma from Scooby Doo. I'm sorry, I find knee socks on women dorky. Hopefully, they will stay in the bedroom drawer.


BTW: This photo shows that they don't look good on guys either.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

DESDINOVA'S PODCAST 5: ANOTHER TRIP TO THE PSYCHEDELIC LIMITS




Next podcast will not be Psychedelic Limits. However, this one is and it will flow through your brain with The First Edition, Chocolate Watch Band, Small Faces, Fever Tree, Electric Prunes, John's Children, Cream, Love and a censored version of a Monkees song. Along with appearances by Blue Boy, Barnabas Collins, Charlie Sheen, and Dr. Migilito Loveless. Also Leigh French forecast the weather, Dan Rowan forecast the future of the post office, John Newland eats mushrooms, and a little kid sees "ding dongs."

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

THEIR BIGGEST HIT WAS THEIR WORST HIT


In high school, I had the pleasure of becoming friends with two foreign exchange students from Germany. Frequently, there would be discussions about what did they do back home in Germany for fun. One of the hot topics in the mid-80s revolved around a recent hit record, "99 Luftballoons/99 Red Balloons" by a German singer named Nena. Both of these German teens said the same thing, they could believe Americans made Nena's worst song a big hit.

The truth is this happens quite a bit in the American pop chart, a major acts biggest hit is not the best. In many cases, it is a boring ballad or sappy love song, instead of an upbeat rocker or funky dance number. Not sure what causes this to happen. You could blame the industry I'm in, radio, since, in the past, many radio stations tried to be "safe" and overplayed the boring stuff. Of course, what eventually came to pass is "classic" or "oldie" formats wound up playing the good songs, because that is what the audience really liked. As for the sales factor, we can figure that out.

I'm going to give you a list of songs that were big hits that are annoying, depressing or just bad, but they were either number one or went platinum several times over or both of those, while a more enjoyable song didn't achieve these honors. We will start with the song that is playing while I write this at work and end, kind of full circle, with a German band (easy listening but still).

1. Foreigner - "I Want to Know What Love Is" - It is long, slow, depressing and repetitive. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Cold as Ice," "Urgent" and "Feels Like The First Time.

2. Aerosmith - "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" - The sad truth of rock & roll is that when you give up drugs and booze, you wind up recording lame songs like this one. Part of the success could be attributed to the move Armageddon, a cover on the country charts and (yes) a ton of radio airplay. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Walk This Way," "Same Old Song and Dance," "The Other Side," "Dream On," "Kings and Queens," "Back In the Saddle" and "Love In an Elevator."

3. Cheap Trick - "The Flame" - Another slow, boring song. Songs that should have been the big hit: "I Want You To Want Me (live version)," "Surrender," "Dream Police," "Voices," "Gonna Raise Hell" and "Don't Be Cruel."

4. Stevie Wonder - "I Just Called To Say I Love You" - Another movie song and as mushy and sappy as a love song can get. Stevie has had several number ones, but this one is his biggest seller of all time. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Superstition," "Sir Duke," "Higher Ground," "Uptight," "Shoo-Be Doo-Be Doo Da," "For Once In My Life" and "You Met Your Match."

5. Journey - "Open Arms" - I have never figured out why people like this song. Even worse, why radio continues to force this one down our throats. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Any Way You Want It," "Wheel In The Sky," "Who's Crying Now," "Lights" and "Separate Ways."

6. Chuck Berry - "My Ding A- Ling" - If I was ranking these according to injustice, this would be number one. Consider all of his great, ground-breaking, pioneering rock & roll hits of the 50s and 60s, filled with those iconic guitar riffs, then realize this was his only number one hit. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Johnny B. Good," "School Days," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Brown Eyed Hansom Man," "Nadine," "Maybeline" and "You Never Can Tell." (This list could go on for ever)

7. Styx - "Babe" - Many have said this was the first chink in the armor of Styx. The fact that it went to number one adds insult to injury. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Lady," "Come Sail Away," "Blue Collar Man," "Too Much Time On My Hands," "Miss America," "Suite Madam Blue," and "Renegade."

8. Marvin Gaye - "Let's Get It On" - This may shock you, but this song out sold "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." To me, this song is a bluesy guitar and Marvin yammering. Songs that should have been the big hit: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "What's Going On," "Mercy Mercy Me," "Inner City Blues" and "Sexual Healing."

9. Bryan Adams - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - Slow, dull and painful. I've been to several weddings where this was used and each one ended in a divorce. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Run To You," "Cuts Like a Knife," "I Need Somebody" and "Summer of 69."

10. Bert Kaempfert - "Wonderland By Night"- You are probably looking at this and think "Why is this on here?" Two reasons: 1) This was the artist that got me to thinking about doing this post, and 2) I began this with a German singer, so I will end with a German orchestra leader. Kaempfert's music was used a lot in the 60s & 70s in radio and TV as background music because it was peppy and cheerful. The 60s version of The Match Game used his song "Swinging Safari" (which became a big hit for saxaphonist Billy Vaughn). It featured a playful brass section and a thumping bass guitar, not heard in most easy listening groups of the time. However, his only number one hit in this country was a slow, depressing instrumental called "Wonderland By Night." Many view its hitting number one in 1960 as an example of the state of music after the death of Buddy Holly and the payola scandals. Songs that should have been the big hit: "Swinging Safari," "Afrikan Beat," "Happy Trumpet," "That Happy Feeling," and "Zambesi." These songs can be found here on YouTube.


R.I.P JUDY CARNE



The audio, on this YouTube video, is from a 45 rpm novelty single Judy Carne recorded at the height of her popularity on Laugh-In, while the video is from a promotional film she a Laugh-In co-star Arte Johnson made for Sears Kenmore called Freeze-In.


R. I. P MARTIN MILNER

From one of my favorite movies of the 50s, The Sweet Smell of Success. I've often compared the main character, J. J. Hunsanker (Burt Lancaster), to some of the low-life characters I've been forced to work with and national personalities in radio. Also the one that I frequently made fun of on the old blog. Here Martin Milner's character rips J.J. a new one.I recommend you seek out this movie.



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