Since the Bangles and the Go-Go’s, the world has been in need of a top-flight 60’s retro girl band, and The Like sounds like it to me. The drummer is Tennessee Thomas, whose dad is Pete Thomas, drummer for Elvis Costello and the Attractions. A tip o’ the toupee to my nephew Alex for the tip-off.
88 years, 1 day
Oopsie! Shame on me for failing yesterday to note the birthday of Charles M. Schulz, who would have been 88.
The two completed strips on Sparky’s drawing board were for December 27 and 28, 1956.
© UFS
It’s a man’s life in the Army
There were two magazines that started in the 1950’s that became nothing less than social forces in the 60’s — Mad and Playboy. They held equal fascination for boys, but Playboy had an age limit, and for some boys even Mad wasn’t allowed in the house. The lucky ones had friends who bought Mad, with older brothers who could get Playboy.
Playboy’s cultural impact was pervasive in the Sixties, particularly in the James Bond films. Even the comics weren’t immune from its influence. Mort Walker has been accused of treating women as sex objects in Beetle Bailey, and I would cite this strip, from June 6, 1965, as an example of how Walker pushed the limit of syndicated comic strip censorship. I’m surprised the characters do more than just walk on the beach, because as depicted the scenario borders on being akin to a Playboy cartoon.
© King Features Syndicate
Noel at 90
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. It was Noel Neill’s birthday, and she’s 90!
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Psychedelic protest song
Another example of what made 1967 such a great year for music — “Sky Pilot”, by Eric Burdon and the Animals, released in early ’68.
Sixties Songbird Ross Hannaman
Ross Hannaman, with an early (1967) collaboration by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice.
I’m continuing to follow Tim Rice’s American Pie on BBC Radio 2. Rice has worked his way to the east coast, and I’m looking forward to hearing his take on Massachusetts music.