♪
Whole Lotta Love ♪ & an Outhouse!
1969
began its metamorphosis into a new decade with Richard Nixon president.
In my writings I have often compared the ‘60s politics, lifestyles, and
societal ills, to the present decade.
The primary difference between this
decade and the 1960s is high-tech “progress.” In its infancy then, it now rules
our lives. On October 29, 1969 we witnessed the first message sent through ARPANET. The baby Internet was born. Eventually hailed
as a lifestyle savior, it has eroded our lives in its child-like self-serving demands
for attention.
Is it coincidence or providence that we ended the ‘60s like
we’re ending the twenty-teens … unable to establish peace in the country or
within our neighborhoods, and with a president who emphatically declares, “I am
not a crook!”
At least we had … and have … our
Rock & Roll for comfort. And with that … we Rock On to the forerunner of
fake news … 50 Years Ago this Month.
Your Tinny Transistor Radio
News ~ OCTOBER 1969
Throughout the month we
experienced fake news long before it became a maliciously insidious
Internet disease. It ambled down the “Long and Winding Road”
of rumors about Paul
McCartney.
Even the most popular radio
stations perpetuated the possibility of McCartney’s
untimely demise nearly three years prior, to entertain their
listeners and up those all-mighty ratings. There is always an angle …
money, politics, or publicity …
Per Wiki: Lennon
was interviewed in London by New York's WMCA,
and he ridiculed the rumour but conceded that it was invaluable publicity for
the album.
It took a November (1969) Life
magazine interview with Paul McCartney to set the world straight again. ♪ You
left me standing here a long, long time ago ♪
Now, they call the story a
“legend.” And yet, how does it differ from today’s “fake news”? Just askin’ …
October
14th: “Someday
We’ll Be Together,” Diana
Ross & The Supremes’ final single together, is released. But the story goes,
that song did not include Supremes Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong in the
recording. It was Diana’s first solo song in anticipation of her January 1970
departure from the group. Ironic song in view of their split. The Supremes’
consolation prize was the B-Side, “He’s My Sunny Boy.”
October 22nd: One of my all-time favorite
bands—Led Zeppelin—released
their iconic second album, Led Zeppelin II, on this date. Considered by many, the most prominent and powerful collection of quintessential
English Rock era songs. Talk about “influencers”—Robert Plant and Jimmy Page
were a solid force to reckon with; though classified as Heavy Metal, Zeppelin’s
many followers can attest to their incorporation of Blues, Psychedelic Rock and
Folk Music.
While most everyone knows and
loves their “Stairway to
Heaven” (1971) my all-time favorite song came from this album. “Whole Lotta Love” is the
first tune I ever heard through headphones. Oh … my. I was never the same.
Not only the lyrics rattled this
impressionable teen psyche, but headphones carried its palpable reverberation
through my brain as it wrapped itself around and through my mind. ♪ Way down
inside honey, you need it … ♪ The only way to listen to Zeppelin is
through headphones.
Rockin’ Retro Radio
*Featured Radio Stations for this month
are a double-whammy pair of San Diego heavy hitters—KCBQ/San Diego
(10/03/69), with artful cover sketch of BFYP DJ Neil
Ross, and KGB
(10/15/69) with BFYP DJ Rich Bro Robbin starting off the football season in a fun original caricature. |
| Yep - this IS a transistor radio in the BFYP Collection. |
*“Double” Featured Radio
Survey(s): KCBQ and KGB,
both popular San Diego radio stations ignored the McCartney mystery—at least on
their surveys—and even differed with each other on fans’ favored #1 songs.
KCBQ fans kept the Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” at the top
of their “Heavy 30 Hits” a little longer than some pockets of the country (10/03/69);
but “Sugar, Sugar” already slipped to #13 on KGB’s “Boss 30” with The
Beatles’ “Something” and ”Come Together” boosted up to tie at the top of their chart
(10/15/69) … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where
were you that groovy
day when …
Celebrate OCTOBER 1969 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle
is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. She has
published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series, available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five
Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging
Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!
Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally
visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of
reputable note. However, as with everything cyber-security, use at your own
discretion.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪