David Cassidy News Brings Out Partridge Family Records

Pardon my slip into the mod 1970s on this edition of the Nostalgic Rambler. I saw a recent news story that singer David Cassidy was spending time in rehab for alcoholism and it got me to thinking about the early 1970s when we were all enthralled by The Partridge Family. I wasn't even a teen then and was caught up in the fever. 

If you're a young whippersnapper and haven't seen The Partridge Family, it is easy to find on Youtube, DVD or reruns. 

I heard someone say "We all watched the Bradys but we all wanted to be the Partridges." How cool it would be to travel all around with your family in a bus and sing songs. Well we watched both quite religiously as I recall. And of course had to buy those records....

Who wouldn't want to be in a family where the mom is Shirley Jones of "Oklahoma!" and "Music Man" fame? Sister Susan Dey was quite a knock out and David of course was Mister Cool. Even now most of the 1970s clothes look like a fashion statement. Bell bottoms anyone!?

The whole premise of the show was totally unrealistic but it was great television escape. The country bought into the escape and often didn't even realize that the only voices on the records who were on actually the show were Jones and Cassidy, the rest were professional musicians. (I think one of the main guys is currently married to one of the Lennon Sisters of Lawrence Welk fame!)

Anyhow, I certainly wish 60 year old something David Cassidy well. I guess he did or maybe even still lives in Florida, the home of The Nostalgic Rambler! David's drinking and marital problems are sad to read about. Despite that, recent interviews show that he knows he was a positive influence on a lot of people during his career. I wish him the best and hope he can escape the demons of addiction.

So the old Partridge Family records came out of the cabinet and I'm converting them to cd. My wife had never seen The Partridge Family before. With my love of music she can probably see why I was so addicted to it in my early life. The closest I came to being a Partridge was singing in the school choir!

Worthy of the name legend: Henry Mancini

Today the word "legend" and "iconic" seems to refer to any Johnny-Come-Lately nobody. This Nostalgic Rambler posting is about a true legend, icon and genius, Mr. Henry Mancini.

 Mr. Mancini did a lot of music for film and television but it was not the average melody to be forgotten. Many songs are now legendary and one of a kind.  Back when postage was only 37 cents we got to celebrate Mancini with a stamp. There were so many hits they couldn't fit them all on the stamp. Notice the Pink Panther on the left of the stamp. He wrote that theme, too.

 

Although the movie is one of the strangest stories I've ever seen, the music to Breakfast at Tiffany's is magnificent. The opening credits with Audrey and Mancini's music is just lovely and when she sings the song "Moon River" during the movie, it is film magic.

 

I will have to do a blog sometime on lyric genius Johnny Mercer, another one of my favorites. The lyrics to The Days of Wine and Roses are achingly beautiful and Mancini's music is iconic.

 

Mancini and Mercer were Academy Award winners, but everyone knows that, don't they? Probably not anymore...that's why we're here!  I like these pics. Mancini guested on Lawrence Welk and the audience loved it. Pic on right is Mancini with Mercer.

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 I had the privilege of seeing Henry Mancini in concert in Sarasota Florida years ago. He was so easy going and likeable. He said something along these lines. "People tell me they hear my music in elevators. Don't feel sorry for me. Every time they play my songs in those elevators, I get paid..."

 Henry's legacy is alive on the radio, in film, on tv and on his webpage.  If you don't know about this American genius, you can find a slew of info about him there.

A refreshing drink of Faygo Pop for you

It's hot and it's summer so we need to cool off with a nice can or bottle of pop.  When I moved to Florida years ago, I found out it is called "soda" here, but in Michigan we call it pop and thus shall it always be.

One of Detroit's best pops is made by Faygo with such iconic flavors and tastes as Rock & Rye and Redpop. 

 There aren't too many iconic TV commercials out there anymore but in the Nostalgic Rambler's childhood there were quite a few. Faygo had some really great ones. Click here for the singing very nostalgic commercial that will make you want a Faygo pop right now.  Here (with Laurel and Hardy...)  and here are a couple of other ones that are really cute.

 Oddly enough Faygo is apparently now owned by a Florida company even though it's still made in Detroit. 

There were other good ads for other pops but that's for another time....Coke anyone? Remember this?

 

Connie Francis is the Sound of Summer

It's summer and the Nostalgic Rambler is lazy from the heat. 

Summer tends to have me taking out the happy records to listen to and Miss Connie Francis is one of those happy sounds.

 She is one of those world known celebrities and was a bit hit in Japan, Sweden, Italy and Germany as well as points in between. 

 Several years back the Germans re-lived their Connie Francis love affair by releasing an interesting re-mix of her songs, which made her a hit all over again. Listen to it and see Connie on TV by clicking here.

 As I say, summertime makes the Nostalgic Rambler a bit on the lazy side so instead of my ramblings on Connie, I invited you to listen to a couple of her great summer sounding songs. Click here for VACATION or here for EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S FOOL or here  (cool vintage TV of Connie) for LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR. 

Thanks for the summer music fun Connie! Hopefully everyone has her in their library, but if not find buy a CD, an LP, or download some of her albums for a sure summer hit.

PS: I still think my wife looks a lot like you!

 

Paul McCartney dredges up Irving Berlin

The Nostalgic Rambler is busy these days producing radio shows for WMCW in Astor, Florida. "The Saturday Night Stereo Dance Party" airs on that station. If you're not local, hopefully they will be on the world wide web soon so you can listen in! 

In the meantime, don't forget about our "Nostalgic Rambler" show every Saturday from 2-4pm on WKSG 89.5 FM in Ocala, Florida or on the web at www.TheGeneMartinShow.com.

In the meantime music still fills our days in other ways. We have another radio station locally "Gold 99" which airs a satellite feed of "America's Best Music." It's a good mix of favorites and includes some nice surprises once in a while.

I'm no big fan of The Beatles, but was charmed when they played a song by Paul McCartney. It was his version of the ancient Irving Berlin classic "Always." Click here to enjoy it. 

Or if you want a more vintage version here's Norma Zimmer from "The Lawrence Welk Show" singing the song back in the black and white TV days. 

Irving Berlin was a genius and it's great to see his music being kept alive by a Rock and Roll icon like McCartney.

Hope you're having a great summer. We are! There is so much music to listen to!

Spending the summer with "What's My Line?"

As I get more out of touch with modern pop culture and retreat into my comfortable cocoon of the past, I am very much enthralled this summer with the 1950s/60s game show "What's My Line?" starring John Daly, Dorothy Kilgallen, Arlene Francis, one of my favorite personalities Bennett Cerf, and a slew of guests. 

 The show ran from 1950 to 1967 (!) on CBS and featured practically every famous person through the years coming through as a mystery guest.

Being on for so many years, the audience felt that they knew the panelists. Dorothy Kilgallen was a gossip columnist, Arlene Francis hosted and appeared on many other tv shows, and Bennett Cerf was the guy who started the publishing gianthouse Random House (see a previous Nostalgic Rambler entry about him by clicking here.) John Daly was an ABC newsman but did his What's My Line? stint for all those years on CBS.

The panelists try to guess the occupations of regular folk but the mystery guest ("for which as always my friends on the panel on blindfolded...blindfolds in place panel???...Enter mystery guest and sign in please!" was always a highlight. Everyone from Salvadore Dali to Barbra Streisand came on the show.

 Why am I watching all of these shows? Years ago they were on Game Show Network but have long vanished again from over the air TV. With the advent of the Roku and Youtube, I can see them anytime I want. Don't have to wait for Sunday night at 10:30pm on CBS as they did back in the 1950s. That's one good thing about living today instead of then, but I do wish I had met Bennett Cerf. Maybe he would have published my book "The Little Grownup"!

You can easily do a search on Youtube for What's My Line? but here are a few links. Click here or here to watch.

Lost Raconteur (if you know what that means) Alexander King

File this Nostalgic Rambler posting under "lost raconteur" or "one thing leads to another." I recently found a nostalgic look at television past and TV personality Jack Paar through his book "My Saber Is Bent." Jack was the host of "Tonight" on NBC before Johnny Carson. I have to admit the stars of the Tonight show including Carson, Steve Allen and Jack Paar were very interesting men. As usual the Nostalgic Rambler hasn't followed the current incarnation of "The Tonight Show" since Johnny retired.

 I found Paar's comments on life fascinating and opinionated. Lots of his stuff isn't too politically correct today but I guess we won't worry about that since there aren't many chances to read his books or watch his old shows anymore anyhow.

 I wondered who Jack Paar was talking about when he said that his most interesting guest was Alexander King. He was a raconteur. What in the dickens is a raconteur? I looked it up and it simply means a person skilled at telling stories or anecdotes. Well, Jack was pretty good at that, too. King however must have really been a character. Since King wrote the introduction to Jack Paar's book and was a popular author in his day, surely his books are still around. Or are they?

He was a best selling author but today even our local library didn't have anything by him. They were able to get the book "Mine Enemy Grows Older" from another library here in the state on loan. So I spent the last few days seeing why Jack Paar was so in love with King's storytelling. He rambles on much in the fashion the Nostalgic Rambler would, going from various anecdotes of growing up in Vienna to being in drug rehabilitation to being editor at LIFE magazine.  (note: the Nostalgic Rambler grew up in Detroit, was never in drug rehab or the editor of anything except a couple of blogs...)

You can listen to Alexander as a guest with Jack Paar by clicking here. Too bad there is no video but you get a good idea of his ramblings.

I did a little more delving on line and found that one of his wives has a blog featuring more info on him. You can get there by clicking here or here. 

King and even Jack Paar are mostly forgotten but if you delve you can find some of their wit. I hope in fifty years someone will remember me. You can still buy a copy of my book "The Little Grownup" by clicking here to help preserve my legacy!