Advertisements That Wouldn't Quite Fly Today

Innocence is sexy. But not if she looks like she's EIGHT!!!

Uh...there is only one guy who has both hands visible, and he seems to be having way too much fun.

I am thinking 1960 or so, huh?



Today, he'd have a harrassment suit slapped on him so fast, it'd make his head spin.























If you look at the fine print on the cola ad, it reads "Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early, formative period have a much better chance of gaining acceptance and 'fitting in' during those awkward pre-teen and teenage years. So, do yourself a favor, do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other surgary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness." The study was probably done by the Soda Pop Board of America along with the National Dentists association.

BeeGees=Beatles?

WFMUs Beware of the Blog has links to a couple of early BeeGees' songs that sound very much like Beatles and John Lennon songs. The first is "In My Own Time" "which could be the musical result of Dr. Robert meeting the Taxman in the Rain."
And there's "Have You Heard the Word"with a snockered Maurice Gibb practically channeling John Lennon.
The boozily Beatlesque result somehow found release, evidently without the permission of the principals, in 1970 as a single on the tiny U.K. label Beacon Records, with this one-off congregation identified as The Fut. Did they do a good job? Just ask the bootleggers, who have placed the track on countless Beatles boots, hoodwinking many a rabid Fab Four obsessive.
Again, did they do a good job? Just ask Yoko Ono, who in 1985 attempted to register "Have You Heard the Word" as a John Lennon composition.
If this is your cup of tea as much as it is mine, I recommend the Bee Gees' lysergically-fortified Bee Gees' 1st, their first album, remastered and released on the Rhino label, which has "In My Own Time" on it. Link

Chuck Jones and Charlie Rose

An interview in 1994 with Chuck Jones and Charlie Rose (at the 22 minute mark). Chuck talks about (and draws)Bugs, Elmer, Daffy, Wile E. Coyote, Roadrunner and more. I love this stuff.

Rosie The Riveter

Picture from 1943. Link here. Love the nails. The Greatest Generation.

Backstage Pass Number 15

1986. Big comeback. They were beautiful.

Another One Hit Wonder

I am a sucker for great harmonies...and a great hook. This is from 1990 and a band called Alias. I still love this song today. Hairband? Maybe but the two singers were from Sheriff. The drummer, bassist and guitar player were from Heart.




Guilty pleasure.

In Praise of...The St. Louis Blues

Hockey was dead in the water in this city two years ago. The old owner decided to sell off the team piece by piece and then the strike just about killed any kind of attachment to the team. We didn't know anyone on the team and we just didn't care. Enter: new management. Dave Checketts buys the team, installs John Davidson as the guy. They eat crow publicly. Their media campaign is based on the theme "whatever it takes". They go get Paul Kariya and a number of pretty good players. They draft well. They get a coach who is smart and "gets it" when it comes to dealing with the media. Every time I see him in the halls, he talks to me by name. Nice. It has paid off well for them, they have been the talk of the town even during football season and have sold out a number of dates this season. It's great to see 20,000 people there every night. (Disclosure...we carry the Blues, so if they do well, we hope to do well, too). Tomorrow is free food day, see a hockey game and fill up on grub, for free. How cool is that? Nice job guys. Coming from a marginal hockey fan, I am glad you are in town. Keep up the great work.

R I P Marty Hendin/Georgia Frontiere

Thanks Marty. Just for being a baseball geek that went to school in University City. Just for being a guy who would openly and publicly admit that you had the best job in America; Public and Media Relations director for the Cardinals. And for being one of the easiest and kindest guys ever to deal with. I first met Marty in 1985 when I requested my first tickets as a St. Louis resident and one time big shot. He never forgot me and rarely failed in providing a request to see the Cardinals. He had every promotional schwag he had ever been involved with. That's decades of stuff. No one in this city had anything less than a profound affection and respect for the unflappable one. "No sweat". Thanks again Marty for being one of the truly real good guys. See ya down the road. Done too soon at 59.I am not much of a Rams fan. I think the teams that they put on the field from 1999-2003 will be remembered as some of the best ever but I just don't have an emotional tie to this team. I thought it was a crappy deal that brought the Rams here. We get a team but someone loses theirs? Hardly seems fair. Georgia inherited the team from her late husband, one of seven. The President of the team lives in LA, doesn't spend any time in St. Louis and right now, they suck. But she brought them here and for a few magical years, the Dome (one of the worst places in the world to see a game) was rocking. It's not now. So, I appreciate it. I hope I live to be 80.

Another Old Gas Station

I can imagine having an ice cold RC cola and a MoonPie sitting right there on that bench.
With Diane Lane sitting next to me....and then Mom woke me for school.

KY Coat

circa 1985