Category: Music

1973 seen in a daughter’s eyes

Jenn Grant

Jenn Grant is a singer from Canada. I’m coming up on the 40th anniversary of my high school graduation, and Grant’s late mother was apparently my age, as seen in this video for Jenn’s evocative song The Fighter.

My mother was the Queen of Azaleas in 1973. My brother and I found this amazing super 8 footage of her in an unopened box less than a year ago, only a few days after she passed away.

With the help of my director Jason Levangie and creative assistant Sarah Roy, it was added together with super 8 footage filmed close to my home in Nova Scotia. A very small crew of two very dedicated people made it possible to help show a glimpse of her beauty to the world, to a song that she said was her favorite on this album. I have never had a music video embody something I care about so deeply, and it is just one of the gifts that she has given me. To share her light with the world just as she encourages me to show mine.

Have a Bury Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Prue,
Happy Birthday to Prue,
Happy BIRTH-day, dear Prudence,
Happy Birthday to Prue!

The Sixties didn’t really kick into full swing until 1965. That was when the Beatles movie HELP! was released, the Beatles played Shea Stadium for the first time, and on September 1, 1965, British designer Mary Quant’s Youthquake fashion show introduced her miniskirts to America. One of the models on that trendsetting day was none other than Prue Bury, who is on the right in this newspaper photo. By Christmas, miniskirts and go-go boots were everywhere on American TV.

Sandy Moss, Sarah Dawson, and Prue Bury: NYC - September 1, 1965
Sandy Moss, Sarah Dawson, and Prue Bury: NYC – September 1, 1965

Prue married Terry, her first husband, in early 1965, then they moved to New York City. Before leaving England, Terry reprised his croupier role from A Hard Day’s Night in an episode of the TV series Danger Man, or Secret Agent as it’s called in the United States. Here are some clips that I spliced together.

[flv:http://s3.amazonaws.com/dogratcom/Video/2013/04/DangerMan.flv 512 384]

I get a chuckle from seeing in the credits that, along with Terry’s name there is, of course, a Pratt.

DangerMan

Happy birthday, Prue!

PrueLeotard

Bye, bye Annette

Shelley Fabares and Annette Funicello
Shelley Fabares and Annette Funicello

Annette Funicello’s popularity as a Disney girl was so great that to this day all you have to say is “Annette” and everybody knows who you’re talking about. Sadly, the inevitable has happened and Multiple Sclerosis has claimed Annette.

Doreen Tracey, Annette Funicello, Shelley Fabares
Doreen Tracey, Annette Funicello, Shelley Fabares

I’m too young to have been an Annette fan in the original run of The Mickey Mouse Club, and when watching re-runs as a kid I was a Cheryl Holdridge fan, but I certainly appreciate why Annette was such a hit. Annette’s best friend forever is Shelley Fabares, who was also on the Disney payroll for a time.

SHELLEY FABARES, ANNETTE FUNICELLO

After she grew up, Annette was in the Beach Party movies for American International, of course, but she also returned to work for Disney, as seen here with the Beach Boys, singing a song by the Sherman brothers, who wrote the music for Mary Poppins. How great is that??

Better Slate than never

Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead - Saturday, December 15, 1962
Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead, Merseyside – Saturday, December 15, 1962

The online magazine Slate.com has a Beatles blog. They’re late getting to the party, and I don’t how long they’ll keep it going, but it’s always good to see general media outlets showing interest in the boys, now that we’re fifty years into Beatlemania.

A few posts ago I mentioned Ringo’s Premier brand drum kit — the one that predated his famous Ludwig drums. The kick drum had a squeaky pedal, as can be heard quite clearly on the Please Please Me album, especially in the twin-track stereo recording.

In the picture above is Ringo’s original drum kit, with his name on it, from his days playing with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. A couple of months later, as seen below, the first official Beatles logo, as originally designed by Paul, was introduced. It didn’t last long, however, because a few months later it was replaced with the classic Beatles logo that was designed by Ivor Arbiter, and delivered with Ringo’s Ludwig drum kit.

The Beatles on 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' - Sunday, February 17, 1963
‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ – Sunday, February 17, 1963