Comment writer Lina (who is not Lia!), sent this K3 video that’s a real knock-out. They’re singing live, and in English. Watch how Kristel Verbeke takes command of the stage. If this doesn’t convince you that Kristel is a major talent, nothing will. This is way too short, and I would love to see more of Kristel doing lead, with Karen and Josje providing backup as they do here.
The announcer, who I assume is Peter(?), seems to be taking his fashion cue from Matt Smith as Doctor Who.
Pirate Radio has been sitting in a Netflix envelope for a couple of months, and I finally watched it Friday night. Historically the movie is a mess, fabricating events left and right, and mixing in songs from years beyond the end of the movie, but I’ll take it on faith that it captures something of the spirit of the time in Sixties England, when Pop music was played by illegal, offshore radio stations. BBC Radio 2, my favourite radio station today, came about thanks to pirate radio.
One scene in the movie was obviously staged to draw attention to a picture on a wall.
That’s Jean Shrimpton, the preeminent British model of the 60’s, before Twiggy.
Just as British and American music competed for attention, so did British and American fashion models.
Colleen Corby may not have been a household name like Twiggy was, but you can’t be an American over age 50 and not recognize Colleen’s distinctively lovely and iconic face. Cheryl Tiegs may have made the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue a phenomenon, making her a lust object for men, but Colleen had a different audience, modeling for women’s catalogs and magazines. I became aware of her thanks to having sisters. Colleen Corby was beyond being merely pretty, and she truly defined a class of attractiveness all her own.
Time passes, as it must, and this is Colleen Corby today.
Later, I’ll be talking more about 60’s fashion models, and in particular a promotional tour called Youthquake, and Prue Bury’s part in it.
Last night we did something we very rarely do on a weeknight, by firing up the video projector to watch a movie. Has it already been ten years since the excellent film adaptation of the Ghost World comic book? It was Scarlett Johansson’s breakthrough role, but I don’t understand why it seemed to put the brakes on Thora Birch’s career, because she’s outstanding as Enid.
Ghost World has one of the more memorable movie openers, by featuring this outrageous dance number from a 1965 Bollywood flick called Gumnaam.
YouTube is having a serious problem, but I can’t find anybody talking about it. Videos definitely aren’t streaming on my site, or on others, but they’re working on some. Weird.
Follow-up: OK, it’s half an hour later and YouTube is working again. Now I can post what I wanted.
One of the news feeds reported that Annette Funicello’s house caught fire last week. Annette has MS, and has been in a wheelchair for years, and although she suffered smoke inhalation, she got out in time and is recovering.
Annette always brings to mind my favorite Mousketeer, the late Cheryl Holdridge. After The Mickey Mouse Club, in her teens Cheryl had a recurring role on Leave It To Beaver, first as Gloria Cusick, then she was brought back as Julie Foster. After that, Cheryl appeared in various 60’s TV shows, including this memorable episode of Bewitched, where she tries to seduce Darren. The scene at the advertising agency isn’t exactly like Don Draper in action on Mad Men, but at least Darren kept liquor in his office. Make it a double, Samantha!
Tim Rice’s American Pie series on BBC Radio 2 has finally reached home, here in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts has Boston — the city and the 70’s supergroup — and Aerosmith, The Cars, and the J.Geils Band. On the softer side there’s James Taylor and Arlo Guthrie. Tim Rice covers all of them, but he makes no mention of Jonathan Richman, drivin’ past the Stop & Stop (a supermarket chain that’s still very much a presence here). This clip is from England’s Top of the Pops. That sounds like Steve Wright doing the voice over at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_eLgvTDLIg
I’ve become something of a fan of the old Ames Brothers act, with Ed Ames singing lead. They’re from Mass., and Rice plays this fun 50’s tune by the bros.
